Staircase Wit

Downton Abbey Reading List

2012-01-17T18:30:00.015-05:00

Friends who know my love of this period have been asking for my recommendations of great books set around World War I, so I have compiled a list. I also include a few favorites outside this time frame likely to be enjoyed by those who share my taste. Some are out of print and may be hard to find – try your library or bookfinder.com!

WWI Era Adult Fiction

Ever After, The Light Heart and Kissing Kin / Elswyth Thane (Are you familiar with Thane’s beloved Williamsburg novels? She is one of my all time favorite authors, and if you don’t mind starting mid-series, I will let you start with books 3, 4 and 5 above which involve the Day (from Virginia) and Campion families in England prior to and during WWI. As Thane was American, you won’t need to worry about the unflattering depiction of Americans often encountered).
Sabrina / Polland (Set in Ireland before WWI, this is the story of an aristocratic family not unlike the Crawleys. I wish someone would make a miniseries of this book!)

Came a Cavalier / Keyes (Heroine, Connie, is a student at Tufts when she decides to go to WWI France to nurse)

I’ll Bring You Buttercups / Elgin (Set during WWI, this is a story of the servants and the family they serve on a Yorkshire estate)

Memory Garden / Hore (A contemporary time slip involving a maid at a Great House prior to WWI)

River of Darkness / Airth (Suspense set just after WWI; a dark but compelling read, first in a trilogy)

At the Going Down of the Sun / Darrell (First in a trilogy about three brothers who enlist in WWI – the title is from a famous 1914 poem that someone from Downton Abbey is likely to quote before this series is over)

Regeneration / Barker (Book 1 in a beautifully written but very melancholy series about the psychological effects of the war on the English soldiers who survived)

Night Shall Overtake Us / Saunders (girls meet at boarding school before WWI and pledge eternal friendship – clearly tempting fate because who is more likely to betray you than a teenage girl, even without a war ahead?)

Lady’s Maid / Forster (not 20th century but historical fiction written from the point of view of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s maid c. 1845)

The Great Impersonation / E. Phillips Oppenheim (a classic WWI spy novel I found in the college library when I should have been studying)

Northrop Hall / Margaret Bacon (the comparison to Rosamunde Pilcher interested me but I have only just found a copy and not read it yet)

Birdsong / Faulks (a young Englishman, Stephen Wraysford, works in France and falls in love before the war, then returns to fight in the trenches, determined to survive - I hear the BBC is currently dramatizing this)

Maisie Dobbs / Winspear (I have enjoyed this series although find it somewhat derivative)

WWI Era Adult Nonfiction

Testament of Youth / Vera Brittain (another great PBS series in its day; although brought up in the shadow of her older brother, Vera becomes a feminist and is determined to go to Oxford but WWI interferes…)

Into the Breach: American Women Overseas in WWI / Schneider (describes some of the 10,000 American women who went to Europe to perform some kind of nursing)

George, Nicholas and Wilhelm: Three Royal Cousins and the Road to World War I / Carter (About the famous first cousins: King George V of Britain, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia)

In addition to Lady’s Maid above, Margaret Forster has also written several nonfiction books that might be of interest: Hidden Lives, her biography of her grandmother, mother and herself, and Rich Desserts and Captain's Thin tells the story of the Carr family, a Quaker family who set up a biscuit making business in Carlisle which became one of the largest baking businesses in Britain.
Penguin Book of First World War Poetry (38 British, American and European poets are featured so you get more than just Wilfred Owen)

YA Fiction

As many of you know, Flambards by K.M. Peyton, is one of my favorite book. It is the first in a four book series, set just prior to WWI, about orphaned Christina Russell who is sent to live with her cousins in the country, one mad about horses and hunting, one about aviation.Rilla of Ingleside / L.M. Montgomery (Rilla is the youngest of Anne’s children and comes of age during WWI in Canada. She is very different from Anne but has her own charm. There is a fabulous new edition for real fans).

Quantock Chronicles / Ruth Elwin Harris. (In the US, the first book is called Sarah’s Story. This series is about four orphaned sisters and the neighboring family of boys)

Remembrance / Theresa Breslin (five friends from varying social classes in a Scottish village stay connected during WWI)

The Foreshadowing / Marcus Sedgwick (All Sasha wants to do is nurse during WWI but she is cursed with the gift of being able to see when someone is going to die, including her own brother)

An Hour in the Morning / A Time in a City / Gordon Cooper (Kate leaves school at 12 to become a maid for a comfortably off family; by the second book it is WWI; delightful stories)

House of Secrets, Swallowcliffe Hall Trilogy / Jennie Walters (Polly Perkins becomes a maid at Swallowcliffe Hall but what secrets lurk in the shadows?)

Enjoy!

Christmas 2011

2012-01-07T22:57:00.011-05:00

How sad it is to take down the tree, which I just (belatedly) began tonight! However, it looked very pretty in my newly painted living room.

This year's Betsy-Tacy ornament exchange was a lovely glass basketball from Tib's friends at Browner Academy in Milwaukee, but very suitable for me, given my love of hoop.

The blue chair in the corner is old and shabby but beloved by my father because Cardinal Cushing, Boston's most beloved cardinal in the 20th century, sat it in when he came to visit my Aunt Lillian, shortly before she died.

Wings: A Novel of World War II Flygirls (Review)

2011-10-23T23:09:00.012-04:00

Title: Wings: A Novel of World War II Flygirls
Author: Karl Friedrich
Publication Information: McBrooks Press, hardcover, 2011, ISBN 978-1-59013-570-9
Genre: Historical Fiction

Plot: Sally Ketchum was taught to fly by a man called Tex, who brought love and excitement into her dreary life in Texas before he died in a fluke crash, which she survived. When World War II creates a need for women pilots, Tex’s aviation lessons enable Sally to escape the poverty and misery of her home by joining the U.S. military’s Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) program. Although she turns out to be one of the most gifted pilots (and better than some of the instructors!), various men plot against the success of the WASP program and against Sally, in particular. Ira Waterman, a high powered Washington lawyer, has been authorized to shut down WASP. In a different type of book he would be won over by these determined and patriotic women and doubtless become the hero, but this is not a romance. Waterman is a bitter and unbalanced man who becomes Sally’s worst enemy. However, Sally grimly overcomes every obstacle put in her way and as she gains confidence she will do whatever it takes to make flying her career.

What I liked: I have always been fascinated by women’s contribution to war, so the plot of the book appealed to me right away. The author brings to life all the details of the WASP training from the hideous, badly fitting clothes to the exhilaration these women feel when they are flying, and how little the US military values their dedication and service. However, the book most comes alive when Sally’s friend Dixie appears. Dixie is an ex-model of flexible morals and has all the sophistication that Sally lacks – she tells Sally she’s the daughter of a man who could sell ice to Eskimos. Behind her brash personality, Dixie is a surprisingly loyal friend to Sally, when she’s not sneaking out for illicit rendezvous with men the WASPS are forbidden to socialize with. Both mature over the course of the book, and I hope the author is planning a sequel as readers will be eager to know what happens to them next.

What I didn’t like: The book is very dark. Three years after the tragic death of the man she loved, Sally is still recovering, and she is wary and, for much of the book, lacking in confidence. While conveyed realistically, this made it hard to embrace her as a character. The irrational hatred of Ira Waterman and his vendetta against Sally became somewhat ridiculous but it was comforting that some of the dour men assigned to work with the WASPS take her side against him.

Recommendation: Fans of vivid historical fiction, of WWII settings, and of coming of age novels will enjoy this novel as much as I did. And you’ll love the beautiful cover! 4.4/5. Source: I received this book from TLC Book Tours, which you can visit to find other stops on the tour. I have one copy to give away - please leave a comment if you'd like it! If there's more than one request, I will do a lottery.

Goodbye to 31G!

2011-09-27T21:24:00.008-04:00

My parents moved to Newton in 1967 and it has been difficult and sad to empty the attic of the possessions of many years as they sell it this week to a young couple with toddlers. Some things were easy (moving the Georgette Heyers and Janet Lamberts to my home just under 6 miles away) and some were difficult (throwing away school papers and letters and my mother's stained wedding dress, used for dress up by her wicked offspring)(I did discard one bad report card without a qualm).
Among the surprising things discovered in the last mad rush of Downsizing the Parents, Part 2 (following their move to a condo three years ago) was a box of my aunt Lillian's china. It is a pattern called American Limoges Tea Rose with 22 carat gold trim - sadly, not really to my taste but as I am named for this aunt I will certainly save a platter and think about how she raised my father after his mother died when he was six, sending him to Roxbury Latin and to Harvard by working three jobs.

Forthcoming Fiction

2011-09-05T14:37:00.004-04:00

Some of you will remember how much I enjoyed the Dairy Queen trilogy about DJ Schwenk, a Wisconsin girl who finds herself playing on the football team at her high school. I highly recommend this series, for fans of YA whether or not they like sports. Front and Center was one of my Best Reads of 2009, although it didn't end exactly the way I wanted it to.

Even before I was the football manager of the Harvard team, I enjoyed football related fiction.

Catherine Gilbert Murdock has a new book coming this fall, a fantasy called Wisdom’s Kiss. If you are interested (and I know I have introduced a lot of friends to these books), the author is hosting an online chat on Tuesday, September 20th at 8 pm. Visit the author’s Facebook page for more information.

Elswyth Thane

2011-08-21T17:51:00.011-04:00

I love organized bookshelves (daughter of a librarian) so it was painful to remove all the books on the first floor from their bookcases in preparation for the whole floor being painted. In particular, I had to stop to admire two shelves of Elswyth Thane's books. She has been one of my favorite authors since I was about 14 and my mother left a copy of Dawn's Early Light on my pillow. Those with good eyes will see I include two books by Thane's husband, William Beebe, the Jacques Cousteau of his day, although I have not read them yet, rescued by my mother from the discard pile at her library. I believe I own every book Thane wrote except The Bird Who Made Good. Naturally, some are better than others and I notice that Tryst, a standalone that is somewhat dated, has gained new fans recently.
Here is a picture of the guest room with all the books from the living room and my office piled on the floor:

Falling Together (review)

2011-08-14T22:58:00.003-04:00

Title: Falling Together
Author: Marisa de los Santos
Publication Information: William Morrow, October 2011, ISBN 978-0061670879
Genre: Fiction

Plot: Everyone has a cherished friend from college – this book is about Pen, Will, and Cat, who met cute the first week of college after a Beowulf lecture and became inseparable. Their friendship insulated them from much of the angst of college life and was so all-fulfilling it made other people envious or resentful, not that this three cared. After college, they shared an apartment in Philadelphia until Cat left the group abruptly, and without her, Pen and Will’s relationship faltered and disintegrated. Now, just before their 10th reunion, Pen and Will receive an email from Cat asking them for help and to meet her there. Although still bitter and hurt, neither hesitates, and the ordinary college reunion turns into a quest to resurrect a friendship.

What I liked: I loved the author’s first book, Love Walked In, from the very first page, and enjoyed the sequel, Belong to Me, nearly as much, so had been eagerly anticipating a new book from this author. I liked Pen and her daughter Augusta (although that name is better suited to a Georgette Heyer), her brother and Will. De los Santo is one of the most lyrical writers I have ever read and it’s impossible to put down one of her books (it’s also dangerous: my mother swiped it for several hours when I did). My sister and I wonder if the lyrical quality of her writing is because she was a poet before she started writing fiction or did she become a poet because her writing is lyrical? What might seem over the top in another writer irrestiistbly captures and conveys her characters’ feelings:

But she found her voice was shaky. “Okay, maybe. Once or twice, in my darkest hours.”
Will didn’t say anything. Then he said, “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“No, I’m sorry you had darkest hours.”

The story is told primarily from Pen’s point of view, and her adorable quotient is offset by a fairly messed up personal life or it would be too much. I guess that is true of all de los Santos’ heroines but they are appealing nonetheless. There are also many appealing literary allusions. While you are waiting for this one to come out, hustle on out to get a copy of Love Walked In, which was full of movie allusions.

What I disliked: While delightful, the first two books were quite improbable, and although the plot of this book was more likely (estranged friendship) the parts relating to Cat dragged at times. I think this was because the author better conveyed the appeal of Pen and her family and Will and his family than she was able to capture Cat. I understood why Pen and Will needed to find Cat – but I suspected she was the member of the triumvirate I would have disliked in real life.

Source: I received an advance reading copy from William Morrow/Harper Collins.
Goodreads Grade: 4.5

The Reason for Roses (review)

2011-07-22T22:56:00.012-04:00

Title: The Reason for Roses
Author: Babs H. Deal
Publication Information: Doubleday, 1974
Genre: Adult Fiction

Plot: This is a melancholy look back by Spencer Howard at the last summer of her childhood in a small Alabama town, not long before WWII. Although Spencer, an orphan, is being brought up by her grandmother, her cousins and their parents converge on Bellefonte to spend summers together. It is unclear how old Spencer is in this book, probably about 15, with four attractive cousins about her age or several years older.

What I liked: Like the Betsy-Tacy books and Elswyth Thane novels I love so much, there are picnics and projects and secrets and squabbling and scavenger hunts.

What I disliked: I waited somewhat impatiently for something to happen (summer ended). Spencer implies that she, the normal one, survives because the memory of her grandmother's roses provides her with strength to deal with life's challenges, but I found it hard to understand why three attractive young women and two presumably attractive young men would have a hard time surviving, even with WWII in the horizon.

Sadly, the close-knit family relationships did not endure, and Spencer's children did not grow up knowing their cousins because the older members of the family that had kept it together passed away. I did not enjoy all the hints the author dropped about the sad outcomes for Spencer's cousins (which are eventually revealed but seemed melodramatic and unnecessary). While Spencer has a sense of humor, no one else appreciates it so the tone of the book is bittersweet, somewhat like the books set in England just prior to WWI (but without the charm of something like Downton Abbey). At the end of the book, she reflects on the family home in Bellefonte but does not appear regretful that it was eventually turned into apartments: "I do not go there often, and it does not make me sad...The house that belonged to us belongs only to the past, which is mine also." She may be able to subsist on her memories but I found her story very depressing rather than winsomely melancholy.

Coincidentally, I read a children's book by the author's husband about a year ago: A Long Way to Go, about three siblings who are abandoned by their parents at a motel. I found that gritty and convincing, and liked it much better.

Source: My friend Rowena recommended this as one of her favorite summer reads, and I was surprised I had never heard of it. I was able to request it from the library.

Heyer

2011-07-16T22:29:00.020-04:00

It was a pleasure to meet a fellow Georgette Heyer fan, Jeannine Pellerin, on a recent trip to Montreal. We met for breakfast and, of course, talked books. I was interested to hear that she first came across Heyer when she was living in Victoria, British Columbia, and found These Old Shades in the laundry room of her apartment building. Although her native language is French, she read Heyer in English, embracing Regency slang, and moving on to other historical romance once she'd read the Heyer oeuvre. I brought her a copy of one of my favorite books, Sabrina, by Madeleine Polland, and was delighted when she reported back that she had enjoyed it and shared with a friend (I even heard about a tea shop near that very friend in Markham, Ontario that made me want to plan my next road trip). We visited a used bookstore and found a book or three before I returned to my family. As always, it is a pleasure to meet a Heyer friend in person and discuss one of my favorite authors!

Fenway

2011-07-10T20:32:00.001-04:00

At Fenway with Sissy Andrea:

State of Wonder (review)

2011-07-06T10:22:00.009-04:00

Title: State of Wonder
Author: Ann Patchett
Publication Information: HarperCollins 2011
Genre: Fiction
Plot: Dr. Marina Singh, a research scientist for Vogel, a pharmaceutical company in Minnesota, is sent to Brazil following the mysterious death there of her research partner and friend, Dr. Anders Eckman. Anders had gone to investigate the fertility work Dr. Annick Swenson has been conducting in the Amazon for their employer, as her failure to report back regularly concerned Vogel management.

Marina has several secrets, not simply an affair with Mr. Fox, the CEO of Vogel, but also a mistake she made during her long ago residency in obstetrics (when she was Dr. Swenson’s Chief Resident) that injured a child, and drove her to the comparative safety of a research lab (on Grey’s Anatomy her angst would have lasted only a few episodes). She has no desire to go to the Amazon and childhood trips to India left her with nightmarish reactions to the malaria medication required for either destination, but she is unable to resist the entreaties of Anders’ widow.

What I liked: The book was extremely readable and the characters fairly memorable, particularly Easter, a small deaf boy who becomes close to Marina. The Bovenders, a feckless couple, living at Vogel’s expense in Dr. Swenson’s apartment in Manaus while she is in the jungle are vivid and convincing. Patchett does a great job of conveying the nightmarish quality of the jungle; the reader experiences the oppresiveness and it doesn't matter how much is real and how much due to Marina's fevers. Dr. Swenson is single-minded in her pursuit of science (regarding Anders’ death as an inconvenience) and pushes Marina to discard her research-lab passivity and practice medicine after 13 years. By saving a life or two, she is able to come to terms with the long ago tragedy. Although Marina’s instinctive reaction when confronted by her old professor is to revert into a passive role, she displays strength and determination (but rarely wins an argument with Dr. Swenson). Their relationship is central to the story.

What I disliked: I found the plot somewhat tedious, the setting unappealing, and was so grossed out by the non-stop description of insects I wanted to stop reading. I understood why Marina was driven to find Dr. Swenson and investigate Anders’ death and recognize she felt impelled to stay so she could rehabilitate herself in the eyes of her former professor. However, she had very little personality and after a while I did not really care what happened to her. I never understood what she saw in Mr. Fox either (her trip cures her of that attachment). In Bel Canto, the author’s best known work, there was a lyrical sense of music throughout the novel that united several appealing characters. Here, there is no lyricism other than the (alleged) hypnotic appeal of the jungle. Marina goes to the opera in Manaus (Orfeo ed Euridice – themes of loss and death and of Marina following Anders blindly), perhaps a tease to readers expecting more, but she is too unnerved by Dr. Swenson’s unexpected appearance to appreciate or enjoy the music.

Perhaps the jungle setting was just too real for me – I did not see the beauty, only the misery. Eva Ibbotson makes the Amazon seem appealing and I recommend Journey to the River Sea and A Company of Swans to those who like a romanticized image of the Amazon. Sadly, I suspect Patchett’s version is closer to the truth. I gather the book is in part a tribute to or inspired by Heart of Darkness which I never read.

Source: There were over 500 people ahead of me on the reserve list in the Minuteman System; luckily, the Waltham Library had a copy in its “Speed Read” section. I did consider buying the book to support the author’s recent plan to buy/operate a bookstore in Nashville but shelf space is at a premium in my new home.

Go Bruins!

2011-06-15T22:20:00.005-04:00

This is what the well dressed lawyer was wearing for Game 7 - and, although delayed by filing a memorandum, only missed the first period! We want the Cup!

Sunday shopping

2011-06-12T14:04:00.003-04:00

A new Bruins tee shirt (but with an old style look my brother would approve of) and a box of Carr's Ginger Lemon Cremes are the reward for yet another Sunday at the office...

New Light

2011-06-05T23:08:00.006-04:00

So pleased to see the light fixture I picked out weeks ago was finally installed yesterday - what do you think?

I am hoping this room which is my "library" or "media room" will be painted at some point in August and the boxes in the corner unpacked.

Catching Up

2011-05-30T17:48:00.006-04:00

I have been reading but not blogging during the last few busy months at work. I put this on my TBR when I saw it was a RITA nominee, and really enjoyed it:

Title: I Now Pronounce You Someone Else
Author: Erin McCahan
Publication Information: Scholastic 2010, ISBN 978-0-545-088183
Genre: YA Romance

Plot: Seventeen year old Bronwen Oliver has felt alienated from her family since her father died when she was a child, and her mother remarried Bronwen’s kind but detached stepfather. Then during the summer between her junior and senior year of high school she runs into her older brother’s best friend, Jared Sondervan, and falls madly for him. Surprisingly, it is mutual, despite four years age difference. His warm and affectionate family welcomes her, and Jared surprises her with an engagement ring on her 18th birthday. Jared’s love and attentiveness almost makes up for Bronwyn’s lingering sorrow at the loss of her father. Can she finally move on with her life by starting a new life with Jared?

What I liked:
Bronwen is a nice, normal, hard-working high school student, with a best friend Kristen, and mild fantasies about having been switched at birth. How else can she explain why she and her mother can barely communicate? (and there is something really bizarre about the way her mother had Bronwen’s brown hair colored blonde as a 13th bday present, then comments, “Finally, I see a resemblance [to herself].” When Jared appears, attractive, relaxed, attentive, and very romantic – his last words on the phone every night are “Dream of me” – Bronwen is more than ready to fall in love with Jared and with his family. Perhaps because Jared’s father and Bronwen’s father are business partners, no one seems to object to the age difference, and by the end of the summer they are engaged. Bronwen gives up aspirations to any college other than Hope College in Michigan (I was surprised to learn this is a real college) because she has made friends while visiting Jared there and feels at home. She floats through her whole senior year in a pleasant haze and does not emerge until she received the housing questionnaire from Hope and suddenly realizes she will be living off campus with Jared instead of in a dorm sharing her innermost thought with friends. This helps her realize that she wants a normal college life more than she wants or needs the security of being married. And when she breaks her engagement, it is her stepfather who provides the comfort and reassurance she needs, not her mother.

I like that Jared is attractive but not as handsome as Bronwen’s evil ex, Chad, who pressured her to have sex on Prom night. Jared respects that Bronwen wants to wait until they are married but in a way that doesn’t deprive him of sex appeal (I suppose the waiting for sex until after marriage is one reason for an early wedding). Bronwen does not doubt her love for him but is afraid she is being consumed by it before she has established her own identity.

The descriptions of Hope College reminded me a little of The Real Thing, Rosamond du Jardin’s book about Tobey Heydon’s college experience when she and her boyfriend Brose decide to attend different schools so they can find out if their high school romance will last. In a way, it seemed odd that Tobey and Brose had so much more common sense in 1951 when young marriages were common than Bronwen and Jared in the 21st century. I have a particular fondness for The Real Thing because it is one of the first books I remember buying for myself – it was a $.50 Berkley Medallion paperback with the plaid binding, and I bought it at Books and Pages in Newton, Massachusetts (never dreaming I would one day work for Berkley). I still own that book, although have not yet unpacked it.

What I disliked:
Jared started off charming but became annoying and controlling quite a while before Bronwen noticed. By the time he told her they were moving to Ohio and she wouldn’t be able to attend Hope, I was longing for her to break the engagement. It seemed too simplistic that she fell in love so easily merely because she craved a father figure.

Bronwen’s mother (and to some extent, her brother, noticeable despite his absence) is dreadful, and I went back and forth wondering whether she was a plausible character. Could anyone be that self-centered? And what were all these parents thinking to let a sheltered 17 year old date a college senior? And why would they let them plan a wedding after dating such a short time? (Jared, after all, is on the rebound and perhaps seeking someone younger and more docile than the girl who let him down.) I am trying to think if I know anyone who got married at 18.

Bronwen has a great best friend, Kristen, and when they fall out senior year it is a Sign. Nothing good ever results from dissing your best friend for some guy, in fiction or in real life. It made me sad to read that even though they both attend Hope, they do not remain best friends, but I suppose that is realistic. At least they stay friends. I hope the author writes a book about Kristen!

Grade: 4.5/5 stars I got this book from the Lexington Library.

Easter

2011-04-27T22:29:00.006-04:00

I was determined to bake something for Easter and decided to try the Bittersweet Chocolate Truffle Tart from the Flour Cookbook from Chronicle. I have been an admirer of the Flour Bakery & Cafe since it opened a location near the Federal Courthouse soon after I moved back to Boston. I didn't know until much later that the owner is a Harvard/Radcliffe alumna!

Chatting with my grandmother by phone while the Tart was in the oven I happened to mention that my 1/4 teaspoon was mysteriously missing so I had to approximate when measuring kosher salt. Granny thought any old salt would have done but when I picked her up the next day, she surprised me by triumphantly handing me her set of measuring spoons, saying she doesn't cook any more so she wanted me to have them. Don't get too misty eyed: when I took a closer look, I realized they were my mother's measuring spoons and Granny should not have been giving them away but instead returning them to her daughter! However, Granny will be 96 on Saturday, and has always been extremely generous so can be forgiven for carelessness with others' possessions.

The Tart was delicious, especially served with whipped cream! I am eager to try something else from this appetizing bookbook, perhaps chocolate croissants if I am very brave... Oh my, I see they have a (sold out) class that teaches you how to make sticky buns and chocolate brioche.

Then and Now, Libraries

2011-03-26T16:55:00.008-04:00

I spent the morning doing errands but allowed myself to start at the Brighton Branch Library, part of the BPL where I got my very first library card when I was six! The library is one of the first renovated City of Boston buildings that incorporates the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Commercial Interiors guidelines. I had not been inside since the library reopened in 2010 so was curious. It is very shiny and new inside - much nicer than it was in the 70s after the first renovation - not only did it look like a prison but they had to stop using their book return slot because vandals enjoyed dropping in lighted matches! The book I was looking for, The Beekeeper's Apprentice, was purportedly on the shelf but could not be located. Luckily, it turned out my sister owns a copy which I borrowed later. However, the booksale yielded a hardcover copy of Madensky Square (yes, I already own at least one copy but I couldn't leave that behind) and a book by Mary Hooper (recommended both by Monica Edinger and my friend Nicky Smith, who sent me the author's At the Sign of the Sugared Plum, which I enjoyed not long ago). I also bought a hardcover copy of Ballet Shoes for a friend's baby.

I first read Betsy Was a Junior from the Brighton Library as it was one of two Betsy-Tacys the Newton system did not own. We loved the Brighton children's librarian, Judy Lieberman, who got great pleasure in challenging me to read books outside my usual genres. Sometimes it worked (The Endless Steppe)(I did not know there was a BT connection until many years later) and sometimes not (The White Mountains).

The original library had huge amounts of character but it was very dark and I mostly remember it was on a steep hill and had narrow steps leading to the front door. Once our car broke down in front of the library - it was too far to walk home so it was fortunate we were in a place we liked to linger until AAA came to rescue us. I was glad to find a photo of the old building hanging in the children's room this morning. I also noticed a new Abbott's Frozen Custard just down the street but resisted temptation as I was on my way to the gym...

Meeting Brian Jacques

2011-03-03T09:35:00.004-05:00

Belatedly I wanted to comment on Brian Jacques, the author of the Redwall series, who died in February. I would not have read his books had I not been working at Berkley, which at that time was one of his publishers. When I learned he was coming to the US to tour for a new book (sometime in 1995, I believe), I read Redwall and the first sequel, and was fortunate enough to have a memorable lunch with him and several of my colleagues. He was very warm and outgoing. Not surprisingly, I was the only one who had read his books, which he appreciated, and we joked about how he had named one of his characters, a badger, Constance, and I said I was glad not to have been a rat. He wrote a nice inscription in the hardcover I had brought with me, asserting that I was more attractive than my badger counterpart. We took him to a fancy steakhouse, Morton’s on Fifth Avenue, where my portion of steak was large enough to have fed my entire family growing up, and we all commented that the huge bowl of spinach was every child’s worst nightmare!

Brian, perhaps guessing that many Americans have a fascination with the British Royal Family, told us that recently he had met Queen Elizabeth when she visited Liverpool, and shaken her hand (I guess people don’t bow much any more!). He then shook hands with all of us, and told us half solemnly, half seriously, “Now you are just once removed from touching the Queen of England!” Anglophile that I am, this gave me a thrill! I hope I still have my autographed book - I have not seen it recently, but there are still a lot of books in boxes.

The Oracle of Stamboul

2011-02-23T22:45:00.010-05:00

The Oracle of Stamboul, a debut juvenile novel by Michael David Lukas, whirls the reader into a dark and intriguing late 19th century Balkan town of Constanta, then on to the more glamorous city of Stamboul. When Yakob Cohen, a worthy carpet merchant, loses his wife in childbirth, he is left to bring up his precocious daughter Eleonora alone. A grim aunt turns up and bullies Yakob into marrying her but her primary purpose is to make Yakob and Eleonora miserable. She even limits Eleonora’s reading in a way that is reminiscent of Emily Byrd Starr’s Aunt Elizabeth in Emily Climbs (but Elizabeth Murray cared for Emily and simply couldn’t show it, unlike Aunt Ruxandra). The action begins when Yakob plans a trip to Stamboul to sell his carpets and 8 year old Eleonora stows away on the ship rather than stay home alone with hard-faced Ruxandra. Yakob is not thrilled when she appears on the last night of the voyage, but he rallies and she is welcomed by his business partner in Stamboul, Moncef Bey, who showers her with beautiful clothes and gives her the run of his library. It is Bey who gives her a home when tragedy strikes, and provides her with a tutor, a robust Englishman she and Yakob met on their voyage. A brilliant student who can break a code without effort, Eleonora’s skills soon come to the attention of the Sultan, who invites her to his palace as a novelty and ends up consulting her on political strategy.

I had heard about this book several months ago, and was intrigued because it reminded me of books by Eva Ibbotson, sadly no longer with us. There were some elements that were similar – the intrepid orphan who enchants adults and faces the direst situations with courage and integrity. However, Eleonora, while plucky, never won my heart the way an Ibbotson heroine does. Her sorrow was too bleak and while I pitied her, I yearned for some hint her life would get better (instead, she was deluged with political paperwork to wade through and analyze like an overburdened lawyer doing document review) and it was hard to care about her. Ultimately, while original and very readable, I felt the book lacked the dimension that would transform it into the type of juvenile classic that is reread. I enjoyed the descriptions of Stamboul, and the book made me want to visit Istanbul. However, I found the ending extremely disappointing, if not annoying. While it leaves open the possibility for more stories, it made me impatient for an 8 year old to set off alone to find happiness elsewhere. It seemed unfair for the exotic city of Stamboul not to provide a permanent home for this able heroine. And what use were the hoopoes? I kept waiting for them to provide assistance or guidance but they primarily just followed Eleonora around.

The book is beautifully packaged as you can see, with a design that is reminiscent of the exotic world the author is trying to convey. I appreciated the opportunity to participate in the TLC Tour for this book, and did enjoy it. To see how others reviewed it on the Tour, please visit:

Tuesday, February 22nd: The Feminist Texan [Reads]
Wednesday, February 23rd: My Two Blessings
Thursday, February 24th: One Book Shy
Monday, February 28th: A Fair Substitute for Heaven
Tuesday, March 1st: Unabridged Chick
Wednesday, March 2nd: Simply Stacie

I always enjoy seeing what others thought after I have written my review!

Chimney House in the Snow

2011-02-06T11:50:00.007-05:00

From the front steps of Chimney House looking out at the street on a recent snowy day.

Thank goodness for the investment in a team of snow plowers and shovelers, or I would probably not have emerged much this month.

View from the back porch - a mound of snow between me and the swing set!

I was not pleased by all the icicles around my house, most of which were out of reach and apparently indicate dangerous ice dams. Today, some are melting due to the balmy 38° weather.

Favorite Reads of 2010

2011-01-29T00:35:00.010-05:00

According to Goodreads, I read 145 books in 2010, primarily fiction. My four favorites were from very different genres: a haunting timeslip set in Scotland, primarily historical fiction; a semi-autobiographical novel about a famous English vet; contemporary fiction about an irritable retired English officer; and a YA about a spoiled teen who doesn’t value her family and friends until she loses them.

5 stars

The Winter Sea/Susanna Kearsley
Kearsley mingles the present day story of a writer searching for inspiration in Scotland with a compelling and very romantic 18th century tale of love and heartbreak, which I could barely put aside to sleep. It’s not the first time I have tried to get people excited about this author but this is by far her best book and I think readers are beginning to catch on. Here is a link to the review I wrote last year. This was my favorite book of 2010.

All Creatures Great and Small/James Herriot
Originally published in 1972, Herriot’s semi-autobiographical books about his work as a vet in Yorkshire are also known to a wide audience from popular television series. I found this at the library and listened on CD as I drove to Montreal and back in January, and just loved it.
Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand/Helen Simonson
Major Ernest Pettigrew is petty and pedantic when the story begins but his friendship with a widow of Pakistani descent shocks the neighbors and enables him to break free of stifling class prejudice to finally enjoy his retirement. Learning the author is a Georgette Heyer fan confirmed my belief that she must be a kindred spirit.

Before I Fall/Lauren Oliver
I did not expect to love this book about a spoiled and heedless Mean Girl, the type I would have avoided in high school, but somehow Samantha earns the reader’s respect and affection as this book develops. It was my favorite YA of the year.

4 Stars (in no particular order)

The Piano Teacher/Janice Lee
Set in Singapore during WWII and written by a young Harvard alumna, this was a fascinating book that reminded me of Tenko, a television series I used to be obsessed with. I found the heroine annoying and the ending disappointing or it might have earned a higher ranking.

Beginner’s Greek/James Collins - Written tongue in cheek, depending on absurd coincidences, I enjoyed this chick lit told from the guy’s perspective. I do not, however, recommend it for a book group discussion as it is too light for that.

StarCrossed/Elizabeth Bunce – I loved the author’s first book, A Curse as Dark as Gold, and this YA fantasy was nearly as good. The beautifully described quasi-Renaissance setting was a bit marred by the sloppy and colloquial use of “guys,” but perhaps that can be edited for the paperback.

Pegasus/Robin McKinley – Of course, this was outstanding: that is the only kind of book Robin McKinley can write but it was cruel to publish only half of the story in 2010…. I remember once when I worked with Daw, deciding to split Tad Williams’ To Green Angel Tower (but that was when the manuscript came in enormously long), and being told the fans wouldn’t like it. We did it anyway and I apologize to all those fans now! The only way to do this effectively is to hold publication until you can publish v1 and v2 fairly close together. I do not think that would have hurt sales.

The Kitchen House/Kathleen Grissom – A fascinating and ultimately tragic historical novel about a (white) orphan brought up as an indentured servant by the black slaves on a Virginia plantation.

Rebels and Traitors/Lindsey Davis – I am told this was the longest book I read in 2010 at 784 pages. While I love books about the English Civil War and certainly enjoyed this, it was dark and bleak, not to mention exhausting. And did I say harrowing? In addition, much of the book was spent waiting for the hero and heroine to meet, and there was a weird recurring third character I became very weary of. Had this not been about one of my favorite periods, I am not sure it would get four stars. I must admit I prefer Pamela Belle’s happier sagas such as Wintercombe (if only Sourcebooks would publish them in trade paperback!).

Queen of Palmyra/Minrose Gwin – Here is a link to the review I wrote for this book, reminiscent of To Kill a Mockingbird.

Never Look Away/Linwood Barclay – My friend Danielle introduced me to this suspense author from Canada (that makes two Canadian authors on the list). I think there are still a few I haven’t read.

The Wives of Henry Oades/Johanna Moran - This was a vivid and compelling historical novel about a wife and children captured by vengeful Maori, and it would have got 5 stars if I hadn’t found the last section of the book a letdown.

E Lockhart’s Ruby books – this series is hysterically funny, although the premise that this insecure girl with glasses is fighting off boyfriends (whether she believes it or not) is improbable. I just finished the fourth book but could not read it on the train because the title was too embarrassing!

Snow Day

2011-01-12T12:37:00.004-05:00

As a lawyer, I am expected to work from home if I can't make it into the office so I will certainly try to be productive while it blizzards outside but I am also surrounded by books I have not had time to unpack since moving to my new home. My Sharon Kay Penman books have a place of honor in my living room, at least they will once I have liberated them from various boxes. Today I received a (group) email from Ms. Penman, who is going to lead a fabulous trip to France called In the Footsteps of Eleanor of Acquitaine, sponsored by Academic Travel Abroad. If one had unlimited funds, this would be an awesome trip! Interestingly, while I knew she had studied law, I did not know previously that she attended Rutgers Law School like me (although I suspect she attended the Camden branch).

I became a fan of Penman's the first summer I lived in NYC. I had no money and no books! It was hard to persuade the NY library to give me a card and they would only let me take out two books at a time, which was clearly inadequate. One day I was walking up Columbus Avenue and paused at one of those tables of used books. A tired copy of The Sunne in Splendour caught my eye. Even a dollar was a lot of money for me because I got paid on the last day of the month, but I handed it over and savored every word. I was already a fan of Richard III but fell in love with Penman's ability to create a panoramic vision of England under the Yorks. I have cherished that copy for more than 20 years! I must have raved about Penman's books to now deceased Pat Sado, a wonderful person who was then the hardcover fiction buyer at Coliseum Books in New York. One day when I was the Penguin rep, I came in for my monthly appointment and she proudly gave me a brand new copy of The Reckoning (a beautiful edition with a ribbon bookmark). I was so touched that she remembered my fondness for the author, and I always think of her in connection with Penman to this day.

More Betsy-Tacy Ornament Exchange

2010-12-30T17:16:00.005-05:00

My older nieces always participate in the Betsy-Tacy ornament exchange with me, and the 11 year old wanted to share a picture of the replica of Miss Bangeter she received to adorn her Christmas tree:Miss Bangeter is the "tall, erect, and queenly" principal of Deep Valley High, originally from Boston, so a very suitable choice for an ornament to my family!

Little Con

2010-12-26T21:17:00.003-05:00

Some of you know that my father's new book, Count Them One By One, is dedicated to me! It is not that I am his favorite child, she said modestly, but rather that when he moved to Washington DC to work for Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy in the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department under John Doar, there were just three of us (above). One sister was born in DC while we were there, and the two younger siblings after we moved back to Boston.

Betsy-Tacy Annual Ornament Exchange

2010-12-26T11:54:00.017-05:00

Every year for the past 13 years the Betsy-Tacy listserv has done an ornament exchange to commemorate the famous shopping expedition made by Betsy, Tacy and Tib in Chapter 10 of Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown. First organized by Elizabeth K and then taken over by energetic head elf Betsy Sundquist as a sort of Secret Santa, it is an event that is anticipated with great pleasure by Betsy-Tacy fans. The idea is to send an ornament that is somehow tied into a BT event or character. Some years I have very clever ideas and some I can barely get my sadly ordinary ornament mailed in time to be received by Christmas. For several years, I have included my nieces in the preparation. Although they have not read *all* the books, they were very familiar with Betsy and Tacy from an early age and have enjoyed choosing ornaments and composing notes to their recipients.

This year my ornament sender was incredibly creative! My package was addressed to Emily Webster, the heroine of Emily of Deep Valley, who comes to terms with missing out on a traditional college education when she becomes involved in Deep Valley activities as an adult. Among other things, she befriends the Syrian community, which begins when two boys, Kalil and Yusef, offer to sell her frogs' legs. When Emily realizes that these lively outgoing boys are having a hard time with their American-born classmates, she is determined to help them make friends with children their own age. When she visits their family, she is overwhelmed by the lavish hospitality.

My ornament package, which arrived most appropriately on Christmas Eve, actually included four small glass bowls full of the delicacies offered to Emily by the Syrian families: raisins, dates, nuts, and chocolate beans: Under these carefully wrapped glass bowls (which we unwrapped and immediately sampled) were three beautiful nested boxes (both my mother and I love little boxes so I can't wait to use these). My family watched with interest as each layer was revealed - my nieces and I often open our ornaments together but my parents had never participated in this holiday ritual before:

Inside the pretty boxes was a frog ornament, reminiscent of the frogs' legs sold to Emily Webster by Kalil and Yusef.

Here is the final decorated tree in my living room. After positioning it, I went outside to make sure the lights were visible from the street. Next year, I may try it in another room right in front of a window.

For thos unfamiliar with the Betsy-Tacy books, Emily of Deep Valley is more of standalone title about one of Betsy's younger friends. It is back in print, in a lovely new edition with a forward from Mitali Perkins, a talented author who has been a delightful recruit to the Boston area Betsy-Tacy fans. Even if you haven't read the other Betsy-Tacy books, Emily of Deep Valley will appeal to teen and adult readers who love a good coming of age story.

The Curious Cook

2010-11-30T23:16:00.007-05:00

My dear friend Jeannette made and sent me this lovely apron to wear in my new home. Notice the clever way I am taking advantage of every inch of available counter top (the better to use every plate and pot in the house)(no wonder it took several days to get everything clean and back in the cabinets).

By the way, this picture was taken before I knew I had mistreated my drains - hence, the smile (although I think the devastation was really due to the previous owners dumping everything down the drain before they moved out). It would be several days before I smiled again...

Things that went wrong on Thanksgiving

2010-11-26T12:26:00.006-05:00

Although I followed the directions, the turkey was not cooked in the middle;

Paula Deen’s potatoes would simply not mash (my mother said I should have relied on Mark Bittman instead, which is true, especially given that I have met him and supplied the rest of the family with HTCE);

The stuffing tasted good but didn’t hold together;

The sourdough bread was delicious but was frozen in the middle (I blame this on Wholefoods because again I followed the directions);

The salad was wilted (luckily, no one seemed interested in salad);

The items my mother prepared – her special spinach and sour cream apple pie – were delicious.

I made the first fire in my fireplace and it set off the smoke detector – and the home security system! (yes, I should have waited until the chimney man came to look at the flue; now I know it really does need that missing lever);

I swear I used every plate and every pot in the house, which was a problem because

The brand new disposal resented all the potato peelings and sent them back up the other side of the sink - every time I ran it or used the dishwasher;

The rod in the coat closet (a nice wooden one) broke due to the weight of the coats;

There was more, but these are the highlights.

Luckily, my parents are the opposite of critical, and didn't even complain about the frigid house.

Harvard - Yale

2010-11-21T09:53:00.002-05:00

It was cold but sunny day for the Harvard-Yale game with fellow Kirkland House alum, Lamar Flatt, and his lovely family. Yale's men fought to the end but Harvard won.

The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

2010-11-07T19:48:00.003-05:00

Alex is a junior at a prestigious boarding school, a dedicated musician, and the sort of person that rarely pays attention to the daily gossip and chit-chat of school life because she is so focused on her long term goal, which is Juilliard. All that ends when she is date raped by a classmate she barely knows, and becomes the unwilling subject of gossip and slurs. Although Alex wants to go on with her life and avoid being a victim, she has many questions about what really happened to her that night and to what extent she was complicit (if she was). Luckily, Alex has friends who care about her because it is pretty clear that the administration of the school would not be helpful and she does not want her parents involved. Instead, almost reluctantly, she turns to an underground school vigilante system called the Mockingbirds, founded, coincidentally, by her older sister. The Mockingbirds investigate her story (finding probable cause) and then put her rapist, Carter, on trial. By then the reader despises Carter and wants him to be judged by his peers.

I didn't know what this book was about when I started reading, and usually I avoid books about rape but I thought this was quite well done. My only criticism was that Alex seemed far too mature for her age and not as traumatized by her experience as I would have expected (although her efforts to avoid Carter were well described and it showed how little the school paid attention that she was able to skip meals for weeks without any administrators noticing - don't boarding schools watch for eating disorders in this day and age?). I was also a little surprised by Alex's graphic language, which made her seem tougher and more caustic than seemed in character, but this is not a book for younger teens.

I enjoyed the Mockingbirds (which turns out to be book 1 in a series) and the group's vision of justice, but of course I would not want to be on the wrong side of any group of self-righteous teens (as could happen if they got it wrong). I also liked the way Alex began to remember the details of the fateful night and did not conveniently remember a version she would have preferred but faced her demons squarely, both Carter and his cronies as well as her own memory - and finally found a trustworthy adult to confide in, although that was more for her own comfort than because the adult was going to "fix" the situation.

I received a copy of this book at NEIBA, the New England Independent Booksellers' Association.

The "New" Deep Valley Books

2010-10-12T22:28:00.010-04:00

It was a thrill on many levels to get home from work tonight to find my first package since moving in less than two weeks ago - and it was the beautiful new edition of Carney's House Party and Winona's Pony Cart by Maud Hart Lovelace with foreword by Melissa Wiley (whose work I have recently got to know and admire). I have not been able to unpack any books in my new home so it seems particularly gratifying to have Carney, one of my very favorites, here with me. Another day I will describe why I like Carney so much but tonight I want to describe how overlooked Winona's Pony Cart has been. It was published in 1953, last of the Betsy-Tacy books and was illustrated by Vera Neville, rather than Lois Lenski, who had illustrated the first four books, and does not appear to have been reprinted as often as the other books, perhaps because Betsy and Tacy are not in the title. Winona Root is the lively and outspoken friend of Betsy, Tacy and Tib, whose father runs the local newspaper, the Deep Valley Sun. In later books, she is described as being full of the D. Clueless child that I was, I never guessed that D stood for Devil! Here, however, she is a spoiled but irrepressible girl about to celebrate her 8th birthday. Sometimes, instead of introducing children to Betsy-Tacy or Betsy-Tacy and Tib, I start with Winona's Pony Cart because there is something very universal about a child yearning for his or her birthday and party. Every child I have read this book to loved it and seemed to relate to Winona. Winona deeply admires her newspaper father and has been begging for her own printing press, but when this book begins she suddenly decides she wants a pony as well. Alas, her mother thinks she is enough of a tomboy already and discourages her coaxing, trying to distract her with a red party dress instead. Winona is cheered up by the dress but continues to yearn for the pony, joining her friends Betsy, Tacy and Tib in coming up with names for the prospective pony. Will she get the pony she wants?

The other big theme in Winona is who she will invite to her birthday party. Winona does not stick to the well behaved friends whose mothers socialize with Mrs. Root but considers even the most humble members of Deep Valley to be her friends, ranging from the children of her mother's laundress to the Syrian children - so Winona invites them all to her birthday party, ignoring the fact that her mother sent proper invitations to the children she deemed suitable. It is a tribute to the very proper East Coast bred Mrs. Root that she does not reveal her surprise at Winona's varied guest list and, in fact, one of the Syrian boys delights her by bringing baklawa just as the birthday cake is about to give out.

Adults who know Winona from the Betsy-Tacy high school books will enjoy this but it is also very suitable for second and third graders, whether or not they have read Betsy-Tacy. The back matter of this new edition has lots of information about Winona, and I was delighted to read that Mrs. Root was a member of the DAR and that Winona attended Northwestern University. But best of all is a section about illustrator Vera Neville, based on the wonderful research done by Teresa Gibson, whose presentation was one of many high points at the recent Betsy-Tacy conventions, and with help from Vera's niece, Patricia Neville Downe.

The New Homestead

2010-09-28T09:22:00.003-04:00

One thinks of the word "homestead" solely in the context of Laura Ingalls Wilder, so I was surprised at my closing yesterday to be given a document entitled "Declaration of Homestead." Along with a mere $35 to the Commonwealth, I have established that I own it and am possessed by it. I am sure most new homeowners will agree about the "possessed by" part!When I drove over for the first time as a homeowner, I will admit it was a bit intimidating. The house was dark; I don't know where the light switches are; and I wondered if a killer lurked within. I hoped the neighbors wouldn't call the police on me but figured burglars probably remove items, rather than bring them at 10 pm, and it is a very safe neighborhood. I left the headlights on so I would have light as I fumbled with the key. There were no killers inside (have I been reading too many thrillers?), only one intimidating centipede in the kitchen sink which I drowned. Don't tell my favorite professor, Gary Francione!

With the Big Red Dog

2010-09-19T15:24:00.004-04:00

Suitable for a former Scholastic rep to pose with Clifford, the Big Red Dog . . .

Meeting Joan Aiken

2010-09-13T23:50:00.006-04:00

In December of 1998, the Greater NY Betsy-Tacy Society (or representatives thereof) went to Books of Wonder where Joan Aiken (seated, center) signed books and chatted with fans. It was such a thrill to meet her, and as you can see, she graciously posed for a picture with the group. I think she was pleased to hear I was also a fan of sister, Jane Aiken Hodge.* I am so glad not only that I met Joan just a few years before she died but she encouraged me to write to Jane (more on that another day).

In this photo, left to right, front row: Laurie, JA, Elizabeth; left to right, back row: I am blanking on the woman on the left, then I, Linda, and Ilene. Joan signed several books for me including the only hardcover I had with me, below:

It took persistence but Books of Wonder has supported Betsy-Tacy, albeit never with the quantities I suggested (and, of course, I was their Scholastic/Penguin rep, not their Harper rep).

By the way, I am distressed that Houghton Mifflin does not appear to be reprinting Joan's books as needed. I had great difficulty obtaining a copy of The Cuckoo Tree, which I do not own, for my niece's birthday. Boo!

* I will never understand how a poet like Conrad Aiken could have had so little imagination as to name his daughters, Jane and Joan!

Universal Truths

2010-09-03T00:58:00.001-04:00

I found this while I was packing. Apologies to the cartoonist: I must have cut off the signature.

B&N at Lincoln Center

2010-09-01T00:07:00.006-04:00

Having spent many years working with Barnes & Noble, several of my closest friends are people who were or are employed there and my years in NYC are inextricably connected to it and them. Even if I didn't love books and worry about their future, I would be concerned about the tumult going on in the industry and at B&N in particular. But I wasn't prepared for the acute pang of distress I felt several days ago when I heard the Lincoln Center store will close in January.

It is a store I have spent a lot of time in, and where I have met many authors, including Philip Pullman. I was there the night it opened on Oct. 20, 1995 (with Karen Patterson, and I think our friend Helen), and I remember I saw one of my worst enemies coming up the escalator and hoped she wouldn't ruin my night (she left quickly, too cheap to buy anything). I found a faced out quantity of some classic book on tractors published by Motorbooks, and complained indignantly that whatever car book I had at that time was woefully underrepresented. That was when I learned that tractors are very popular in New York! I never figured that one out - could they all have been gag gifts?

It makes me very sad. Am I the only person up late and worrying about books?

Miss Manners

2010-08-27T21:43:00.002-04:00

Dear Miss Manners:

What is the proper response to someone who asks, "What do you do every day? What do you do with your time?"

This is an unfortunate attempt to start a conversation, as it implies that the person being queried might be useless. Should you not be willing to overlook this, Miss Manners recommends, "I lie on the couch and read trashy novels and eat bonbons."

I love Miss Manners - like Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, she always knows!

I'd Know You Anywhere (review)

2010-08-26T01:01:00.004-04:00

I was a fan of Laura Lippman even before I read her books. How can that be, you ask. She had written a delightful article for a Baltimore newspaper (which I saved but cannot find at the moment) some time around 1995, about her favorite children’s books, among which were the beloved Betsy-Tacy series. I had shared the article with the New York Chapter of the Betsy-Tacy Society. I was working at Avon Books at the time, and sitting in a monthly new title meeting when gifted editor Carrie Feron described a first mystery called Baltimore Blues. I recognized Laura’s name instantly and knew she must be the same person who had written the article because of the Baltimore connection. After the meeting, Carrie told me how much I would like Laura’s book and, as I tucked a manuscript under my arm, I persuaded Carrie, who had a toddler at the time, to read the first Betsy-Tacy book. It was my job to introduce Laura's books to Barnes & Noble. Baltimore Blues was the beginning of a great series, and my sister prefers the books about Tess Monaghan. I like Tess but also enjoy the bigger, standalone suspense that Laura has been writing most recently. I’d Know You Anywhere, Laura's brand new book, moves back and forth from the present, where Eliza is a competent mother of two, to 1985 when as a teen she was kidnapped by Walter Bowman. Now Walter is on death row for the death of another girl he kidnapped and when he contacts Eliza her carefully rebuilt world threatens to fall apart. This book has a has a different feel than other Lippman books because it is more of a psychological novel than an suspenseful thriller. It is primarily about Eliza’s recollections of the summer she spent with Walter, and at times one can’t help thinking she almost enjoyed the adventure despite her constant fear and obviously before the violent acts that ultimately result in Walter’s arrest. Eliza becomes haunted by the girls who did not escape from Walter and years later she cannot stop wondering why she alone survived. It is not just the serial killer in this novel who is unnerving: Lippman creates minor and major characters that are memorable and somewhat creepy. In particular, the mother of one of the murdered girls is heartbreaking. However, the intended suspenseful conclusion did not quite deliver.

I recommend I’d Know You Anywhere, which I read for the TLC Book Tour, but you should also go back to the Baltimore Blues and become acquainted with feisty Tess Monaghan. Here is a fun link to a Washington Post interview that my friend KC Summers did with Laura several years ago, exploring Baltimore. I also liked this link from Laura's website which describes some of Laura’s favorite children’s books (I love Edward Eager too and am glad my college remembers him with an annual creative writing prize). Laura usually mentions a kidlit favorite in her books, and here it is the Oz books.

Laura also wrote the introduction to the new 2-in-1 edition of Heaven to Betsy-Betsy in Spite of Herself. If you are an adult who has never read Betsy-Tacy, this is where you should start.

Late breaking news: congratulations to Laura - I'd Know You Anywhere debuts at #16 on the 8/27 New York Times list.

Anne Belinda (review)

2010-08-20T23:09:00.003-04:00

In 1917, John Waveney, recently released from the hospital and headed back to the trenches in France, goes to visit the part of England his ancestors came from. He encounters a girl of 15, and when she learns he is all alone in the world, she tells him she would be sorry if anything happened to him.

Somehow John survives the war, and some years later he learns he has inherited the ancestral home. Wondering about the girl he met long ago, he learns she is a cousin but is mysteriously missing: no one will mention her name and he is warned not to discuss her. Even her own twin sister refuses to do anything but sob when Anne Belinda is discussed. John feels a strange sense of loyalty to the one person who sent him off to war with a kind word, and he becomes determined to find out what kind of trouble she is in and find a way to assist her. Of course, once he meets her he falls in love with her courage and the humor she is nearly always able to maintain, despite great trials. Not the least part of Anne’s appeal is her determination not to be rescued.

While the actual plot of this book is extremely improbable and unconvincing, I found it very moving so it was easy to ignore the flaws. John and Anne are convincingly and sympathetically drawn that the reader looks past the unlikeliness of Anne’s fall from grace and focuses rather on the way these two lonely but steadfast people are drawn to each other. It is appealing but dark, only occasionally relieved by humor, so is not the usual drawing room mystery made popular by authors like Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham. Nor does it feature Wentworth's well-known sleuth, Miss Silver, so I can see why it is one of the Patricia Wentworths that was never reprinted. My copy was so old it was falling apart, and I returned it very reluctantly to the Dover Library, even calling to warn them it was too rare to circulate, although I was extremely glad to have the opportunity to read it. Highly recommended to those who like British mysteries – but you are unlikely to find a copy to read!

Anne Belinda by Patricia Wentworth was published in the US by J.B. Lippincott Company in 1928.

The Essence of Summer

2010-08-19T07:44:00.000-04:00

The Murderer’s Daughters (Review)

2010-08-04T00:46:00.007-04:00

Lulu’s and Merry’s childhood is destroyed when Lulu, warned not to let her father into the apartment, responds to his drunken entreaties by opening the door. In a drunken rage, he murders her mother and nearly kills her little sister. From that day on, Lulu and Merry have only each other, as the remaining family members are either too frail or too indifferent to care for them. The Murderer’s Daughters follows the girls from ages 9 and 5 in 1971, through trials and tribulations to 2003.
What a compelling yet painful story! From the first page Lulu and Merry have distinctive voices, but Lulu has the added burden of knowing she is the sensible sister, and, moreover, at a very young age she knows she is responsible for Merry. Not only does she have to cope with guilt about the death of her mother and injury to Merry but she can never stop worrying about Merry’s well-being. It is no wonder that she copes by focusing on her immediate problems, refusing to visit her father in prison or even acknowledge that at some point in the future he may be released; instead coming up with a plan that will get both her and Merry out of a violent group home to a facsimile of a normal life.

Fans of Jodi Picoult, in particular, will enjoy this talented new author, who has vividly created memorable and complicated sisters who cope with their pain differently but cannot cope alone. You know you care about characters when you start talking to them, and begging them not to make certain mistakes! There were so many interesting, although at times disturbing, elements that I stayed up late two nights in a row to finish. In particular, I liked that the girls squabbled like normal sisters, rather than having some idealized relationship. It was a unique relationship but with its own unwritten rules – for example, that Merry will visit her father and try to talk about him to Lulu and Lulu will pretend he doesn’t exist and refuse to listen. I was also fascinated by the fact that once Lulu wangled a new home for her and Merry she was unable to relax and try to enjoy the situation, although she knew it would have been more comfortable for her, Merry, and the family that had taken them in, were she able to ingratiate herself a little bit, or at least, not antagonize her benefactors. Whether it is worry about her father that she bottles up inside or bitterness at feeling forced to be grateful, Lulu never takes the predictable route. Then, just when I hoped Lulu was taken care of, I had to start worrying about Merry, getting entangled with very inappropriate men, chain smoking! Couldn’t these sisters get a break? And that’s before the not-very-repentant father is released from prison . . . Meyers makes it clear there are no easy happy-ever-afters for survivors of domestic abuse. She does so in a way that is very convincing.

Without giving away any more of the plot, I urge you to find a copy of this book yourself. Prepare to cry when two little girls lose both parents, prepare to worry as Lulu and Merry grow up and deal with the scars of their childhood, and prepare to stay up late until you finish. . .

This is a first novel by Boston’s Randy Sue Meyers, and I hope there are more to come. I enjoyed the fact that part of the book was set in Boston, not far from where I live. My review was part of the TLC Book Tour, and I encourage you to check out other stops on The Murderer’s Daughters tour.

Quiz Time

2010-07-30T00:06:00.002-04:00

Heyer fans, someone forwarded me this Georgette Heyer quiz - and even I who have read all of her books several times each managed to miss a question! Can you do better?

And what is your favorite Heyer? Mine are Devil's Cub, The Grand Sophy, Frederica, and Venetia. I am so pleased that Sourcebooks is reissuing them with lovely new covers (although there is no room for any more duplicates on my shelves).

Bird in Hand (Review)

2010-07-28T00:49:00.001-04:00

Alison and Claire grew up together in the South but their friendship has become strained even before Claire writes a tell-all novel, a loosely disguised memoir in which Alison is portrayed as an afterthought to the flamboyant heroine. Alison now lives in New Jersey with her husband Charlie and their two children, while Claire married Ben, and stayed in Manhattan. Driving home in the dark from Claire’s launch party, after several blue martinis, Alison hesitates and takes a wrong turn, ending up in a terrible car accident. The ripple effects of the accident and how it changes all four and their marriages form the basis of this novel.
The description made the book sound like a Jodi Picoult, now almost a brand of trauma/angst related fiction, but it was much more subtle than her writing, which is both a plus and a minus. Author Christina Baker Kline writes fluidly and carefully chooses every word – but at times the pace was too slow for me (and I am a patient reader) and I was frustrated by Alison’s passive personality. I thought novel was most effective in the flashbacks to the past, providing insight to the characters, particularly Charlie, who came across as very unsympathetic but at least the reader finally understood some of his motivation. I liked how the author provided a glimpse from each character’s point of view, and provided detailed minor characters too. I enjoyed the depiction of Alison’s parents, anxious to help in a crisis but doing so in their own inimitable way.

Of the four main characters, only Ben (an architect whose devotion to his work was very convincing) was really appealing, and it was therefore difficult to understand how anyone could fall out of love with him (although obviously I know this happens all the time). Similarly, because I didn’t much care for the other characters, I wasn’t invested in the outcome of the story.

There are a lot of themes in this novel that would lend themselves to good discussion at a book group (friendship, betrayal, city living vs. suburbia, how staying home with the children changes one, how one’s life can change in an instant, how different people deal with tragedy, etc.). However, while I liked it, I am not sure I would recommend it to people who only read one book a month (not that I approve of such people!). It took such a long time to get really into it, and I worry that some might get discouraged and not finish, which defeats the purpose of a book group. Those who wanted to see a lot of character development in Alison as she deals with the lingering effects of tragedy would be disappointed: she spends more time coping with her marriage (which may be more realistic short term, if not long term). This review was part of the TLC Book Tour, and I encourage you to check out other stops on the Bird in Hand tour. Thank you to Trish for including me and to Harper Collins for providing a copy of the book. I enjoy going back and forth between older books (this month I have been reading a lot of Patricia Wentworth, an English mystery writer from the early 20th century) and new releases such as this one.

A Fellow Collector

2010-07-25T01:19:00.010-04:00

Just came across this item that appeared in Shelf Awareness via BBC News back in December about former Harvard football player Pat McInally, who graduated in '74 and went on to a great career with the Bengals (I could add that his presence would elevate the current tone of the team but that might be unfair). I have always admired him from afar but never knew he also collected children's books! I would really like to know what inspired his collection. Although the Friends of Harvard Football needs money, I must say I sympathize with his desire to add to his Winnie the Pooh collection (and wonder if he dislikes the Disney version as my family does). I hope he comes to Cambridge some time so we can discuss our collections - although I can imagine the looks we would get. But how many former NFL players do you think read for pleasure, let alone collect rare books? Perhaps more than one would think . . .

Former Cincinnati Bengals football player and children's book collector Pat McInally will put several rare early editions of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland up for auction. The books, including a copy that once belonged to 10-year-old Alice Liddell herself, are "expected to fetch up to £90,000 (US$147,416)," BBC News reported.

"I think it is the most important children's book ever written... so finding a book given to Alice by Lewis Carroll was really exciting," said McInally, who is parting with his copies to make room for the real focus of his collecting--Winnie-the-Pooh books.

"I'm hoping to use some of the money I get from this sale on more books by A.A. Milne at a sale coming up soon in London," he added.

McInally is also renowned, in certain circles, for having achieved a perfect score on the Wonderlic test, which is given to NFL prospects.

Walk With Care (Review)

2010-07-19T23:53:00.005-04:00

Rosalind Denny is a sorrowful young widow, still in mourning for her husband, Gilbert, formerly Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs with a promising career ahead of him. Eighteen months ago Gilbert committed suicide and Rosalind does not know why but she is certain he was blackmailed. She is unaware that other young men in similar political positions have been disgraced in similar ways, but when Gilbert’s former assistant, Jeremy Ware, is targeted by an unknown enemy Rosalind is forced out of her depression to help him clear his name.

Patricia Wentworth is best known for her elderly sleuth, Miss Silver, a retired governess turned private detective, and her standalone mysteries were reprinted less frequently so I had never come across this one. Because Rosalind still depressed from the loss of her husband she is not a fun or lively heroine, which casts a cloud over the novel. As it turns out, the plot is fairly predictable but enjoyable as are all Wentworth's books. In addition, this book is notable because of two recurring characters.

Mr. Smith (Benbow Collingwood Horatio Smith) is an eccentric older gentleman who lives in London at 11b Caradoc Mansions with his outspoken parrot, Ananias. Ostensibly, he is the author of a book called The European Problem, and he is renowned for his expertise on the issues facing post WWI Europe.* In reality, he is connected to the Foreign Office and is often consulted on issues related to Britain’s national security. He appears in several Wentworth titles, including Rolling Stone, which I read earlier this month, and Danger Calling#. Both Mr. Smith and his parrot are astute judges of character, luckily, in this instance, for Jeremy.

There is also a recurring villainess, Maud Simpson. She has two very useful talents for a criminal – an ability to mimic voices so well that even their nearest and dearest are fooled and an incredible ability to disguise herself. She also appears in Rolling Stone and others.

This extremely rare Patricia Wentworth title, published in 1933 by J.B. Lippincott, came from the library and is really too fragile and valuable to be in circulation, although I was delighted to read it for the first time and recommend it to fans of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction.

# Copies available range from $60 to $500.
*As Encyclopedia Brown would remind you, there had only been one World War when this book was written, so naturally references are to “the war” not to WWI.

Legacy Place

2010-07-17T09:57:00.012-04:00

There is a beautiful new Borders in Dedham called Legacy Place, where I went recently for an Anita Shreve reading. Although I have enjoyed her books for years, I had not known she attended Dedham High School (followed by Tufts) and lives in Massachusetts. She looked much more glamorous now (due to Oprah-related success, no doubt), reading from her new book, A Change in Altitude, than when I had first met her in 1992, when she was the relatively unknown author of Eden Close. At that time NAL hosted a lunch for her to which I was invited as the New York sales rep and she signed Strange Fits of Passion, then new, for me. Later, I became a huge fan of Where or When, and included it as one of my top ten in an article for Romantic Times.Anita was very pleasant and gracious to the large group of fans who lined up to have their books signed. She recommended some favorite authors and books, including The Transit of Venus, which several in the audience tried to buy in the store without success, and I have now recommended to my book group.

In fact, I was eager to use some 40% off coupons Borders had sent me for the store opening but this lovely new store did not have any of the books I wanted to buy! No Betsy-Tacy (horrors), which I wanted for my dentist's daughter; nothing by Lauren Snyder, although Any Which Wall was newly out in paperback, very appropriate for summer reading; nothing by Mitali Perkins although her new book, Bamboo People, is garnering great reviews and word of mouth. The store's computer purported to have one copy of The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages but no one could find it. So much for a book that won an armful of awards! While a pleasant young woman duly offered to order any of these books for me from Borders.com, she explained that she could not honor my coupons, and while I understand that Borders is in great financial difficulty it should not allow a customer to leave empty handed. Even a token 10% off an order for these books at Borders.com would have been a good customer service move because of course I did end up ordering them elsewhere. I wish I were still in touch with the children's buyers for Borders because they are missing out on some viable titles.
I tried to think of something else to buy and certainly the store was full of lovely books (especially the history and cookbook sections) but as I am hoping to move this summer it did not really make sense to buy a nonessential that I would simply have to pack.

Dryads but no Naiads

2010-07-14T19:20:00.006-04:00

Inexplicably, there were dryads wandering around the lobby of my building today, and one posed for a picture with me:
Mr. Tumnus told her about the midnight dances and how the Nymphs who lived in the wells and the Dryads who lived in the trees came out to dance with the Fauns; about long hunting parties after the milk-white stag who could give you wishes if you caught him . . .

June 2010

2010-07-05T09:45:00.008-04:00

June was a good month for suspense fiction but less memorable in terms of the children's books I read. I recommend Robert Goddard and Linwood Barclay, and I always suggest Patricia Wentworth as a comfort read for mystery fans. Here are my June reads, and a look below at the beautiful bookplate used by the Concord Public Library many years ago. I had been there a couple times before but it is always a pleasure to be in such a historic library. Concord is a delightful town even apart from the thrill one gets from being near the homes of Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Jane Langton. I drove by the Diamond in the Window House on my way home...
Adult Fiction
House Rules, Jodi Picoult - I nearly always enjoy Picoult and thought this was better than her last few books (having worked for many publishers, I am always suspicious that the pressure to make authors produce books on a regular basis and/or annually results in poor quality) although several of the plot elements were way too obvious.
Name to a Face, Robert Goddard - Perhaps not his best but still impossible to put down, with nonstop twists and turns. Many of the characters were very unlikeable, however, which definitely changes one's attitude when they are murdered!
Never Look Away, Linwood Barclay - This author is a great new talent in suspense fiction, edited until recently by my gifted friend Danielle Perez.
Touch and Go, Patricia Wentworth - Having recently participated in the Golden Age of Detection Fiction tour, and been disappointed by Margery Allingham, I picked up a Wentworth I had never read before at the Concord Library and it immediately made me want to do a complete reread of all her books.
Two for Joy, Patricia Scanlan - ordinary chick lit I picked up at the library for $.50 several months ago.
Savor the Moment, Nora Roberts (third in a series) - Pretty much anything by Roberts is entertaining and this series is pleasant but no new ground for her.
Nothing but Trouble, Rachel Gibson - I have enjoyed this author of contemporary romance since Avon first started publishing her, especially those books with a hockey theme. This was improbable and not one of her best but still a fun read.
Time of Wonder, Maisie Hampstead - This was a complete waste of time; a very poorly written regency with a dreary and predictable plot.

Nonfiction
My Life in France, Julia Child - I liked this very much, even the description of food I would never willingly eat! I wish I had made an effort to meet her while she was alive, as she was living nearby and apparently very friendly to fans she encountered while shopping, etc.

YA
Sunnycove, Amelia Elizabeth Walden - this was part of my loosely conceived plan to give Walden a little overdue attention. She was a trailblazer in YA fiction in the 50s and 60s but is mostly forgotten now.
Sisters Red, Jackson Pearce - A first novel from a talented new author, although I suffered from a little fantasy overload when reading it.
The View from the Top, Hillary Frank - this bored me and reminded me not to pick a book by its cover.

Children's
The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet, Erin Dionne - while pleasant enough, my sister and I both found it completely improbable. In addition, the target audience was hard to figure out. It seemed too unsophisticated for YA and perhaps is best suited to a 5th grade audience. I have lent my copy to the nieces.
Palace Beautiful, Sarah Williams - I probably would have liked this as a child but found it dull as an adult.

The Regency Detective

2010-06-15T07:55:00.002-04:00

Talks are under way with broadcasters over a TV detective series set in Bath during Jane Austen's time. The Regency Detective has been created by Bath-based scriptwriters David Lassman and Terence James and is billed as showing the darker side of the period. It would be set in the period between 1800 and 1805 when Austen lived in the city. The director, Giles Foster, was responsible for the recent Northanger Abbey mini-series.

What do you think? If done properly, it might be delightful. . .

Sisters Red

2010-06-13T12:18:00.003-04:00

While I found the three main characters and the relationship of the sisters convincing and moving, I confess my other reaction is simply supernatural overload. I like YA fantasy as much as the next person but despite appreciating the Red Riding Hood theme of this book I am getting tired of characters that spend a whole book fighting vicious bad guys, only to be confronted (they and I) with a sequel at the end. The angst never ends! In addition, Scarlett's situation seemed so bleak - having saved her sister's life but becoming mutilated in the process - she attracts pity or horror from strangers. Not to impose real life solutions on a fantasy but I couldn't help thinking rather than shunning everyone in Ellison, where they live, Scarlett needed plastic surgery and counseling . . .Overall, I liked it but am not sure I would be first in line for more in the series. You know what they say, so many books on my floor, so little time . . . This one came from the library.

A Long Way to Go (Review)

2010-06-13T11:42:00.005-04:00

Children abandoned far from home and forced to elude adults who may not have their best interests at heart? Right away this reminded me of Homecoming by Cynthia Voight, which I believe spawned a whole series. I only read the first one, in which Dicey’s mother abandons her four children, and Dicey leads her siblings on foot, first to a relative in Connecticut and finally to their grandmother in Virginia. I thought that book was pretty dark and gloomy but A Long Way to Go is bleaker yet even more compelling. Like the Tillerman children, Ashley (10), Brett (8) and butterfly-like Shane (6) who plans to be a dancer, are abandoned. They are left at a Florida motel where they were staying with their parents. Ashley and Brett are unnerved when they realize their parents haven’t returned from a day out without the children, having left them with a counselor. Shane is mostly annoyed because she had wanted to go swimming before dinner. The children are uncomfortable with the way the hotel staff want to escape from the problem they create and wonder what to do: '”Something must have happened.” They had arrived again at the fateful words.’ Once they overhear the hotel staff talking about juvenile authorities, they decide not to wait around, but instead sneak way from the motel and begin a journey of 600 miles home where they are hopeful their parents will be waiting.

The personalities of the children are what make this book so interesting on many levels. Author Borden Deal makes the children very distinct: Ashley is the oldest, a worrier, bossy, not always able to control her siblings, Brett is brilliant but unnerving to adults because of his many inconvenient questions, and Shane is self-centered and spoiled. Ashley is portrayed as heavy-set and asthmatic, and she also has a weak foot, but as the oldest and the best at interacting with grownups she is the leader of the group. Oddly, Deal named the children in the book after his own real-life children – presumably with their physical descriptions and failings (even more oddly, it appears he had four children – so why leave one out? Perhaps born later with his second wife). And I am quite sure I would never forgive my father for describing my weight in a book, if I had been an overweight child (although days of interminable walking and meager rations work as a miracle diet on Ashley, maybe just as annoying to the real life version).

As they make their way home to Alabama with agonizing slowness, Ashley and Brett learn to consult each other and work as a team, coping with their fear and worries, and even Shane becomes more responsible and loyal. Their progress is slowed down by animals they acquire along the way, somewhat inconveniently, but adding comfort to their lonely trip. Somehow they avoid dangers in their travels – one chapter in particular where they are aided by perverted circus clown is as unnerving as the most gory scene in a serial killer novel – but the real question (which I will not reveal) is what happened to their parents and how parents of such resourceful and appealing children could ever have left them.

Although I used to think I knew every children’s book ever written, I had never encountered this 1965 novel until my friend Lisa told me it was one of her favorites, inspiring me to buy my own copy from Alice Billheimer's magical trove. It was a great read, very hard to put down, and I recommend it. I do wonder if Voight (born 1942 in Boston and a Smith alumna, which I did not know) ever read it and how she would compare it to her own work.

Sunnycove

2010-06-04T00:55:00.004-04:00

In this 1948 YA novel, Sunnycove, by Amelia Elizabeth Walden, Vicky Lind is a quiet teen from a West Virginia mining town where even the families who own their homes do not have running water. Vicky has something priceless, however, an older brother who recognizes her acting talent and is determined she will get her chance in the real world - the chance he wasn't talented enough to pursue. Gus returned to Pittstown after college to teach, and gave Vicky drama lessons every day. After she graduates from high school, it is Gus who secures her place at Sunnycove Playhouse in Connecticut for the summer where she will have the opportunity to appear in student productions and possibly earn a role with professional actors.
In contrast to the polished young men and women who have come to Sunnycove to hone their skill, Vicky arrives with a small suitcase filled with second hand clothes and no little apprehension. Vicky worries that she is too plain to be an actress, although Gus has told her, “I don’t know what beauty is if it’s not something that’s inside a person, that sort of shines through everything they say or do. A pretty face couldn’t add anything to that kind of beauty. And not having one couldn’t take anything from it.”

Inevitably, there is a beautiful, ambitious girl at Sunnycove who is less talented than Vicky and resents her for it. Donna spoils Vicky’s debut by sending a faux bouquet – of coal, with a cruel note. She also taunts Vicky about her looks. Fortunately, Vicky makes a friend, Peter Bradford, a young man who grew up sailing and teaches Vicky how to swim. On stage, Vicky’s talent and humility earns her opportunities although there are disappointments along the way. Gus is there when she gets her chance at a starring role but it is Peter’s influence that shows Vicky she cannot let her desire to succeed prevent her from being compassionate.

Walden’s characters have endearing human flaws – Vicky lacks self-confidence and she harbors bitterness towards the young woman who laughed at her and stole her part – but Walden also gives them good instincts and ultimately the ability to recognize their potential and to fight to be true to themselves. There is usually a male figure (sometimes annoying and condescending) who keeps the heroine grounded: unusually, in this book, that role is shared by her older brother, Gus, and her boyfriend, Peter. In Sunnycove, Vicky’s development as an actress and person as well as the behind-the-scenes glimpse of summer theatre is enjoyable.

Amelia Elizabeth Walden

2010-05-30T22:50:00.009-04:00

I thought few people remember Walden’s teen novels these days so I was surprised and pleased when I read last fall on Kristin Cashore’s blog that she had been nominated for the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents’ (“ALAN”) inaugural Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award. I read every one of Walden’s 40 books I could find in the 70s and enjoyed them, although admittedly some were very formulaic. They are quite dated now and at times seem sexist because while her message ostensibly is that young women can do anything, her male characters often belittle them and say that until they learn how to be womanly women they cannot truly be successful/know themselves/succeed, etc. Despite this, which annoyed me even as a teen, I liked her books a lot. She wrote several different genres: spy novels, sport themes (of these my favorite is My Sister Mike), drama theme (I enjoyed a trilogy about a young woman named Miranda, although the man she ends up with was one of the most condescending creatures ever, her director/producer), and a few general (Waverly, about a girl who leaves her beloved family ranch to attend the all women's college her deceased mother had loved so much). Her characters love the outdoors and, long before Title IX, enjoyed sports ranging from skiing, basketball, tennis, horseback riding, softball, swimming, field hockey, and scuba diving.

Walden was born in New York City in 1909, and attended Norwalk High School in Connecticut, where she later taught English and Drama. She also attended Danbury State College, Columbia University, and the American Academy for Dramatic Arts. Her first writing was for local theatre groups in Norwalk. She described herself as a “reluctant writer” in More Junior Authors (1963). She wrote that her writing was inspired by “1) the urgency of things within me that needed to be said; 2) the insistence of persons surrounding me who have told me I must write.” Her husband and friends encouraged her to write, and she wrote her first book as “a good story and was surprised upon finishing it to learn that I had written a book slanted toward the young adult market.” Her first book, Gateway, was published in 1946 and her last book, Heartbreak Tennis, in 1977. Some fall into the genre of Malt Shop books. I wondered whose idea it was to honor this author, and then read she had endowed the prize herself! Well, it’s like buying one’s own brass bowl – if you want something, sometimes you have to plan it yourself. Amelia wanted the annual $5,000 prize to go to a book that exemplified her own positive approach to life, requesting that submitted titles should:

•treat teen readers as capable and thoughtful young people
•offer hope and optimism, even when describing difficult circumstances
•have a credible and appropriate resolution
•portray characters involved in shaping their lives in a positive way, even as they struggle with the harsh realities of life

In 2009, the first winner was Steve Kluger for My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, and Fenway Park (I remember selling his Last Days of Summer to B&N in 1998). I wish I could be on the Award Committee. Perhaps ALAN needs a lawyer and I could barter my services. . . In the meantime, I recently found a duplicate copy of My Sister Mike, which I will send to someone who would like to try this vintage yet trailblazing author. It's one of those Berkley Highland paperbacks with the plaid corners I like so much.

Devils at the White House

2010-05-28T01:07:00.002-04:00

The Duke Blue Devils visited President Obama today to accept his congratulations on being NCAA champions and to show him how to fill out his bracket. . . I was glad to see the president enjoying himself as I am sure that is rare these days.

The Golden Age of Detective Fiction

2010-05-20T00:32:00.005-04:00

When I saw the Classics Circuit was doing a tour of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, I wanted to participate because I am a big fan of the genre. But what to choose? I have read all of Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Patricia Wentworth, and less prolifically of a few others. I decided it was time to try Margery Allingham, known for her detective, Albert Campion, one of those sleuths who hide their intelligence behind a deliberately foppish and dimwitted exterior. "Allingham regarded the mystery novel as a box with four sides - 'a Killing, a Mystery, an Enquiry and a Conclusion with an element of satisfaction in it.' Once inside the box, she felt secure: the genre gave her the discipline she felt she needed, while allowing her imagination full play to provide the 'Element of Satisfaction.' This she abundantly did from her first crime novel in 1928 to her last in 1968." Dictionary of Literary Biography, Volume 77: British Mystery and Thriller Writers 1920-1939.

One reviewer wrote, "Miss Allingham's strength lies in her power of characterization, in her striking talent for painting the social background against which she shows her characters, in her skill in the use of words whereby she paints so vividly the scenes she describes." Guardian.

The Crime at Black Dudley (1929) is the first book to feature Campion (and I always insist on starting at the beginning of a series). The setting is classic: a house party in a mysterious house in a remote English town and a lighthearted game that unexpectedly turns into murder. However, I found the plot and characters somewhat disappointing. Campion, at least in this book, lacks the charm of other "silly ass" detectives (and in fact, it is someone else who solves the murder). Yet Mary Jean DeMarr in In the Beginning: First Novels in Mystery Series believes that Campion's development as a character in later books "offers mystery readers a unique opportunity to consider what makes a mystery/adventure hero and what characteristics must be carried over from one novel to others in order to create the continuity necessar for a successful series... What inherent qualities does he have in his first appearance in Black Dudley and Mystery Mile that led Allingham to make him the focus of nearly a score of novels and a number of short stories?"

I definitely need to buy DeMarr's book, and she has convinced me to read more Allingham. My copy of The Crime at Black Dudley came from the Lexington library, so I am sure the rest will be readily accessible.

Queen of Palmyra

2010-05-18T22:13:00.007-04:00

I suspect that most readers’ first reaction to this book is to marvel at the contrast between the beautifully written, descriptive prose and the dark violence of the story within. Author Minrose Gwin depicts a small town in 1963 Mississippi that is full of secrets, and ten year old Florence Forrest, who spends time on both the white and black sides of town, is exposed to most of those secrets, although she is oblivious to many of them. Gwin’s vivid description of the relentless heat of a Mississippi summer almost helps explain the inertia that affects even the decent people in town: those who know about the violence that goes on after dark but ignore it because they don’t want to get involved. I felt every trickle of sweat and scratchy layer of clothing. When I heard about this book, I was interested for several reasons: first was that I had heard about but not read The Help, and wondered if it had inspired a subgenre of civil rights era fiction; second was that I had recently heard noted Justice Department attorney, John Doar, speak about some of the lesser known heroes of the civil rights movement, and I wondered how the characters in Millwood, Mississippi would compare; and finally, most of what I know about this era comes from reading nonfiction or juvenile fiction such as The Empty Schoolhouse or Patricia Crosses Town, so I was curious about an adult novel billed as “a nuanced, gripping story of race and identity.” It did not disappoint.

Some of the secrets in Millwood are painfully obvious to an adult reader – that Florence’s father is a member of the Klan and that her mother drives around in the darkness warning local black communities on the nights of the raids; that her grandparents recognized Florence’s father was white trash from the beginning but feel they cannot interfere in a marriage, even to protect their daughter and granddaughter (and perhaps they do not realize how serious the danger is); and that something dreadful is going to happen, not just to Medgar Evers but to the innocent newcomer, Zenie’s niece, Eva Greene.

Eva tells a shopkeeper on the black side of town that change is coming: “Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but a change going to come. Look at Harmony, over in Leake County. They brought in Medgar Evars and the NAACP and the Justice Department people, and they’re finally starting to get registered.” I am proud that my father, Gordon A. Martin, Jr., was one of those Justice Department lawyers, working for Robert Kennedy and John Doar, assisting courageous men and women in Hattiesburg, Mississippi prepare testimony in pursuit of their right to vote. My father tells their story in Count Them One By One: Black Mississippians Fighting for the Right to Vote (coming next fall from the University Press of Mississippi), the story of the United States v. Theron Lynd, an important civil rights trial in Mississippi which led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 - which my father calls the greatest civil rights legislation since the Reconstruction. Like fictional Eva, these real and very brave witnesses risked their lives for a cause they believed in more than personal safety.

One of my greatest fears, as I read Queen of Palmyra late at night, was that no one would step up to protect Florence from her increasingly violent father, although I was unsure whether he would kill her or rape her. One of my favorite parts of the book was when a character I had dismissed as weak and willfully blind mustered her wits to protect Florence. In the novel’s greatest irony, it is Zenie, her grandmother’s maid, who realizes Florence is being physically abused by her father, although Zenie is unable to protect her own niece from that same individual and Florence's own family has ignored her struggles.

Is this a novel of hope or of shame? Is Eva Greene, the catalyst of the violent events of the summer, or would they have occurred anyway? I don’t want to spoil the story for those who haven’t read it so I will leave these questions for the moment, and instead recommend the book highly for those interested in a novel that is painful yet irresistible. I think it is a perfect book group selection as there are so many issues to discuss.

This review is part of the TLC Book Tour. Thank you to HarperCollins (publisher of the beloved Betsy-Tacy books) for providing me with a copy of this book (although I wish it had come with a slice of Florence's mother's lemon cake with divinity icing!). I look forward to more from this author.

Going to the Great Library in the Sky

2010-05-11T21:30:00.005-04:00

Two obituaries caught my eye this morning as I read my Boston Globe on the way to work because both women's love of books was highlighted:

Joanna Griscom spent years volunteering at the Cary Memorial Library in Lexington, MA (where my former author Cynthia Johnson is a librarian - I keep meaning to call her) among other activities. The library director was quoted in the article, describing Ms. Griscom as unsung hero for her work on the board of the library foundation.

Another obituary, for Candy Jenkins, a historical preservation professional and Smith alumna, stated that she was "[a] voracious reader. . . [she] had three library cards, for Belmont, a statewide network, and libraries on Cape Cod." Books "came in and out of [her home] in wheelbarrows."

It is comforting that the friends and family whose memories inspired these obituaries recognized how important books were to these women. I hope when it's my turn people can describe my books without mentioning messy piles on the floor (perhaps by then they will be shelved with beautiful Dewey Decimal precision).

Brontë Power

2010-05-09T11:57:00.004-04:00

In case you haven't see this funny Youtube video on the Brontë Sisters. . . (my computer does not want to cooperate with the umlaut but will allow me to cut and paste it)

For information on the Brontës and related Society, there is a comprehensive website.

If you are not in a Gothic mood, I also recommend The Return of the Twelves, a novel about the wooden soldiers given to Branwell Brontë, which he and his sisters Charlotte, Emily, and Anne played with and wrote stories about the kingdoms of Angria and Gondal.

Carriers of Civilization

2010-05-06T22:20:00.005-04:00

Tonight I attended the 40th Anniversary celebration of David Godine Publishing, and David read a quote from historian Barbara Tuchman I really liked:

"Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill."

I have always been a big fan of Barbara Tuchman, who like me, majored in History and Literature at Radcliffe. Now I see she may have cribbed this quote from Henry David Thoreau, which is not proper historian behavior (although it is not unknown historian behavior)! Perhaps the quote was simply wrongly attributed to her.

"Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill. I think that there is nothing, not even crime, more opposed to poetry, to philosophy, ay, to life itself than this incessant business." Thoreau
(1817 - 1862)

Seriously, is anyone going to say her Kindle is a carrier of civilization?

The Winter Sea (review)

2010-05-01T00:52:00.006-04:00

Susanna Kearsley is such a gifted writer I cannot figure out why her books are not better known. I sometimes wonder if it is because she is Canadian and there has been no major publicity machine behind her (as Alex Beam noted in the Globe today, although there are talented Canadian authors their bookstore bestsellers are all US imports). Like Mary Stewart (although perhaps without her warm humor), Kearsley creates a vivid sense of place and as Stewart did in Touch Not the Cat, she moves effortlessly from present to past, telling each story so compellingly that the reader forgets there is any other. The Winter Sea is Kearsley’s best book since Mariana. The contemporary story is told in the first person by Carrie McClelland, a writer of historical fiction, trying to figure out how to approach her current topic, early 18th century Jacobite uprisings in Scotland and those behind the plots to restore the Old Pretender to his rightful throne. When Carrie visits her agent in Scotland, she accidentally (but we know there are no accidents in fiction!) finds her way to a ruined castle, Slains, and begins to experience vivid dreams that inspire her novel. Carrie’s visions or memories are of a distant ancestor, a quiet young woman, Sophia Paterson, an orphan who is taken into the household of the Mistress of Slains Castle, the Countess of Erroll, and becomes involved in the Scots’ plotting through the kind relatives who have given her a home. Sophia is recovering from family tragedy and remains somewhat emotionally detached from the intrigue until she falls in love with a man who has dedicated his life to the Jacobite cause. She is a fascinating character (more interesting, in fact, than her creator, Carrie).

Experiencing Sophia’s memories inspires Carrie’s best work, although she cannot explain her connection to her ancestor, why her visions are historically accurate, and why she suddenly knows more about Sophia than her genealogist father. Just like Sophia, Carrie becomes somewhat involved with two men. But Carrie’s romance seems secondary to her writing, and she won’t be satisfied until she knows how Sophia’s story ends – happily or not…

My library got me The Winter Sea (UK title Sophia) from Vancouver but I plan to order my own copy soon. I have enjoyed all of Kearsley’s books, including a recent suspense novel she wrote as Emma Cole, Every Secret Thing, and recommend them enthusiastically. Oh, this book made me want to visit Scotland!

Mrs. Piggle Wiggle's sister

2010-04-09T01:30:00.004-04:00

Well, not really. Betty MacDonald, known also as the author of The Egg and I, was merely the gifted creator of the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle series. However, her sister, Mary Bard, was also a writer. The dust jacket of Best Friends at School provides this photo and bio below:The oldest daughter of a mining engineer, Mary Bard was born in Montana. Her father's work caused the family to move so frequently that she went to kindergarten in Mexico City, first grade in New York and second grade in Colorado, and did not complete one uninterrupted year of school until she was thirteen. Later, she studied at the University of Washington in Seattle.

In addition to her "Best Friends" books for young readers, Mary Bard is also the author of three books for adults: Forty Odd, The Doctor Wears Three Faces, and Just Be Yourself (a memoir about her experiences as a Girl Scout leader).

The author and her doctor husband have three daughters and live on Vashon Island near Seattle.

Thanks to Peter Sieruta and his blog, Collecting Children's Books, for sharing news of these and so many other authors I enjoy.

Duke to meet Butler in NCAA Finals

2010-04-04T12:54:00.002-04:00

It was actually fun to watch unless you were a West Virginia fan, a Duke hater, or a gambler with the Mountaineers and 2.5 points.

Library Books

2010-03-31T00:11:00.006-04:00

An appealing and diverse armful of books was waiting for me at the library tonight, but I already had Stairway to a Secret with me for the gym so haven't started on them yet . . .

The Grand Sophy

2010-03-19T23:53:00.004-04:00

I am pleased to be hosting the Georgette Heyer Classics Circuit today, discussing The Grand Sophy, one of my all time favorite books. My mother introduced me to Heyer when I was in junior high, and I checked them out one by one from our shabby old library in Newton Corner (and started again at the beginning once I had read them all). Some of those hardcovers were the original US editions with beautiful Arthur E. Barbosa covers (see below). Sophy is appealing for a variety of reasons: first, she is a vivacious and entertaining heroine, and the reader never knows what she will do next. Second, this is one of Heyer’s most amusing books, containing humorous situations and quirky characters as well as a heroine who appreciates both and encourages others to see the funny or less expected side of situations. Heyer uses Sophy’s unpredictability and humor to turn the conventions upside down repeatedly in this novel. Finally, as someone who likes to organize people, I have always appreciated Sophy’s tendency to meddle – undertaken, as she says herself, with the best of intentions! When Sophy, 20, arrives in London to spend a Season with her cousins, the Rivenhalls, she is more mature than the average Regency miss due to having grown up in diplomatic circles in Europe as the hostess of her father, Sir Horace Stanton-Lacy. At first, she wonders how she will keep herself entertained while her father is in Brazil but she soon perceives that the Rivenhalls, while welcoming, harbor many secrets. Her uncle, Lord Ombersley, is carelessly indifferent to the fact his gambling has brought the family nearly to ruin. Her father’s sister, Lady Ombersley, is worried about her children but completely ineffective. Charles, Sophy’s eldest cousin, is engaged to a disagreeable girl who is having a negative effect on his personality. Cecilia, the cousin closest in age to Sophy, is warm and affectionate but has fallen in love with an ineligible poet, ignoring the most attractive man in the book, Lord Charlbury, who at first appears to be more suited to Sophy herself. The younger cousins are pert and poorly behaved, while Sophy soon realizes that Hubert, a not-very-serious student at Oxford, is in serious trouble that he is too ashamed of to share with anyone.

Sophy believes that “a little resolution is all that is wanted to bring matters to a happy conclusion,” and her schemes are delightful even if they do not always turn out exactly as she has planned. She is intrepid, carrying a small but serviceable pistol in her muff as protection in the most controversial part of the book, in which Sophy takes on an avaricious money lender. Modern readers are often offended by the anti-Semitic depiction of the money lender. While regrettable, it is otherwise a delightful scene, and I believe it would be wrong to let this lapse by author, a product of her time, spoil one’s enjoyment of the book, which was published in 1935. In fact, the message of that chapter – and, indeed, of the whole book - is that Sophy, while outwardly effervescent and merry, is the one person in the family perceptive and caring enough to extract confidences and solve problems. Ultimately, her loyalty and sense of responsibility win over all (or nearly all) who know her.

As Heyer states in Chapter Three, “Sophy would never be a beauty. She was by far too tall; nose and mouth were both too large, and a pair of expressive eyes could scarcely be expected to atone entirely for these defects. Only you could not forget Sophy, even though you could not recall the shape of her face or the colour of her eyes.” Romantic heroines are usually beautiful: Sophy is very attractive but that is not what people remember about her, another way in which Heyer challenges her readers.

I hope those who have not read Heyer will try The Grand Sophy. I also recommend Jane Aiken Hodge's book, The Private World of Georgette Heyer. In 1988, I wrote to Mrs. Hodge about her own books (particularly Savannah Purchase), mentioning I also liked this one and she very kindly sent me an autographed copy, which I cherish along with her letter. Somehow I missed the sad news that she died last July. I like this sentence from the obituary: Hodge was enchanted with the reviewer who described her novels as having “all the lightness of Georgette Heyer, with an added substance besides.”

Thank you for visiting.

Reflections on Elizabeth Bird's List

2010-03-14T17:28:00.012-04:00

Several weeks ago I submitted my recommendations for Elizabeth Bird's, a NYPL librarian, top ten list of middle grade novels. I could easily have chosen ten books that were beloved but not known by anyone other than me (and my family) but I tried to pick a mixture of books that were popular favorites and not just hidden gems. It was impossible to rank them properly and in some instances it was very difficult to pick one title by an author I love (such as Edward Eager or Maud Hart Lovelace). The minute I sent my list to Betsy, I thought of several I had inexplicably forgotten (The Mixed Up Files, The Sherwood Ring, an E. Nesbit). There are some books I have reread dozens of times like The Wizard of Oz or The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, or Swallows and Amazons that never occurred to me to include (perhaps because hidden from view on my overcrowded book shelves).
To the surprise and delight of many book lovers, Betsy has been counting down from 100 to 1 all the books that were voted on and her installments are eagerly anticipated. She has done an amazing job of including background on books and I also love the assortment of cover treatments she has included. Inevitably, her list has caused me to make my own lists: books I forgot to include, books I need to reread, books I never read, one book I never even heard of! Although her countdown is not done, I assembled a list of the books I have not read thus far. It was more extensive than I expected. Some are books that were published relatively recently. My nieces have read several I have not and helpfully lent me a couple they owned. I hope to have all 100 read before Betsy has the energy to ask for our top ten YA favorites (that list, I think will be more heavily skued toward recent pubs).

Here is my unread list (partial) of the Top 100:

97. Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane/DiCamillo #
96. The Witches/Dahl #
91. Sideways Stories from the Wayside School / Sachar #
80. Graveyard Book / Gaiman
77. City of Ember / DuPrau (I never even heard of this book!)
76. Out of the Dust / Hesse
68. Walk Two Moons/Creech #
67. Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher/Coville
64. A Long Way from Chicago / Peck
61. Stargirl / Spinelli
55. The Great Gilly Hopkins / Paterson #
54. The BFG /Dahl #
53. The Wind in the Willows /Grahame
52. The Invention of Hugo Cabret /Selznick *
50. Island of the Blue Dolphins / O’Dell #
49. Frindle/Andrew Clements #
47. Bud Not Buddy / Curtis
46. Where the Red Fern Grows/ Rawls
37. Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry #
34. The Watsons Go to Birmingham #
26. Hatchet /Paulsen (other than Arthur Ransome, I don't really like books with too much nature in them)

I really have no interest in The Wind of the Willows and did not like Harriet the Spy (which I sense will rank pretty high), so it may be a challenge to read all 100 but I am motivated. . .

# Indicates a book read by one or more nieces: nice for them to provide reading guidance to me for a change.

* My younger sister has read this so there is some partial family credit.

Mardi Gras

2010-02-17T22:50:00.009-05:00

"Julia and Betsy . . . observed Lent rigorously for a time. Julia gave up dancing, a sacrifice Betsy could not very well make as the Crowd had not yet started going to dances. She equaled it, however; she gave up candy; she gave up fudge." Heaven to Betsy

There are nine mentions of fudge in Heaven to Betsy, so you know how important it was to Maud Hart Lovelace, but even before I brought the Betsy-Tacy books home for the whole family to read, my mother always gave up candy for Lent, and it was a tradition that we made fudge on Mardi Gras. To me that was just as important (not to mention religious) element of the Easter season as anything! We always used the recipe from the Mystery Chef, a popular radio cooking host from the 40s to whom my grandmother used to listen - long before the Cooking Channel was envisioned.

Homemade Fudge

Ingredients:

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Grease an 8 by 8-inch pie plate with butter. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar, chocolate, and milk. Over medium heat, stir until sugar is dissolved and chocolate is melted. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 6 minutes, add butter, simmer for another 6 minutes. Begin testing a tiny spoonful in a custard or tea cup of cold water as mixture continues to cook. It may take several times before it forms a soft ball. Remove from heat, cool until it's just barely hot, add vanilla and beat until well-blended and the shiny texture becomes matte. Pour into the prepared pan. Let sit in cool dry area until firm.

Don't put the fudge outside to cool or those Deep Valley boys might swipe it!

Football in Kidlit

2010-02-07T19:52:00.014-05:00

Superbowl Sunday seems like an appropriate time to reflect on the children's books I enjoyed with football as a theme. Although I did not become a football fan until college, when I became a football manager of the Harvard team, I always enjoyed reading about it (in the same way I enjoyed nature so long as I could do it from a comfortable armchair inside the house).

All discussion of football in juvenile fiction must begin with Family Grandstand by Carol Ryrie Brink, which I found in my elementary school library. Set in a midwestern college town, the story delightfully depicts the Ridgeway family's absorption with the fortunes of the team and its star quarterback, Tommy Tokarynski. One of my favorite parts was how George, the only son, tries to make money parking cars in the family driveway during football games as they live just a few blocks from campus. I often thought that my family's involvement with college hockey was a lot like the Ridgeways' fun with football in this book. Also in my school library were many books by Carolyn Haywood,which I read repeatedly until I discovered the other Betsy. I remember in Betsy and the Boys Betsy is told she can't play football with her friends. Betsy fights back, saying girls can do anything but it takes help from the kindly policeman Mr. Kilpatrick - who points out that the person who comes up with a football will be welcomed to the game, and finds a football for Betsy in his attic - which she brings triumphantly to the game. On the new cover, the tagline reads "The best boy on the team . . . is a girl!"

Two authors prominently displayed at the school library were Walter Brooks's books about Freddy the Pig, including Freddy Plays Football (in which Freddy joins a high school football team), and the prolific Matt Christopher who has written a book about every sport imaginable with at least 80 under his belt. The one I remember is Touchdown for Tommy which was about an orphan, another favorite theme. This may have been Christopher's first book.

While I suffered deeply with Tippy Parrish when her boyfriend dies in the Korean War, it was hard to understand why she thought her patient friend Peter Jordon was so dull (portrayed that way by Janet Lambert, I guess). After all, he was a big football star at West Point and could doubtless have dated dozens of girls less tearful than Tippy! For those who never read Janet Lambert, her Parrish and Jordon books, which follow two military families from World War II to (improbably) the 70s, are back in print from Image Cascade. She made West Point sound like such a magical place as her heroines dashed up the Hudson from New York City for football games and dances that I yearned to see it for myself. It was a big thrill in college when our football team traveled to West Point: the team practiced in famous Michie Stadium and we ate in the cadets' mess hall (I saw no hazing, unlike all my favorite stories).

As well as reading all the Janet Lamberts I could find (although it was not until I was an adult that I was able to hunt down and own all 53 of her books), I read the old boys' series books about young men attending West Point and Annapolis. It is not clear to me who the Dick Prescott and Dave Darrin books by H. Irving Hancock ( 1866?-1922) that I found in the attic belonged to. I think they came from my father's childhood home but they were published long before he was born and I doubt he read them. Perhaps they belonged to my great-aunt Lillian's brother Lawrence. In any case, both Dick and his high school friend Dave were gridiron heroes. I also read the slightly more recently published series about Clint Lane, also a West Point cadet and football player, but Clint has such trouble with math that he is forced to quit the team to concentrate on his studies, much to his chagrin. This series was written by Colonel Red Reeder who played football at West Point himself (class of '26) and after WWII became the athletic director at his alma mater.

Ralph Maddox is the football star in Betsy and Joe whose arrival may bring glory to the Deep Valley High school team if he can get over his disinclination to be tackled. Betsy knows little about football but enjoys going to games with the girls as a crowd because all the boys they know except Joe are on the team. I didn't know until many years later that Maud Hart Lovelace knew little about football herself and let her husband write all the sports bits.

In contrast to the romanticized descriptions of football from my childhood is Carl Deuker's Gym Candy, a YA title published in 2007 about a high school freshman who wants to get playing time on the football team so turns to steroids for a competitive edge.

Most recently, I became a huge fan of DJ Schwenk, the heroine of Catherine Gilbert Murdock's trilogy that begins with Dairy Queen. DJ is a quiet teen from a family that barely talks at all. However, the whole family loves football: the cows on their farm are named after famous pros, DJ's older brothers earned football scholarships to Big Ten colleges, and Mr. Schwenk is credited with training his sons so is asked to help the quarterback from the rival high school get ready for preseason. DJ is a talented athlete who had to quit basketball her sophomore year to help on the farm. She realizes that once she has prepared Brian Nelson to be a starting quarterback she has also got herself into prime quarterback condition, and decides she can play football too, even if she is a girl. What she doesn't realize is that this rivalry will destroy a relationship that was just developing between her and Brian.

I'm sure I am forgetting some I've liked - please let me know if you think of others!

Can't Blame This on the Post Office

2010-02-04T19:40:00.006-05:00

Today I got a rejection letter for a job I didn't remember applying for with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts! Given that I have not updated my resume or applied for a job in a year, I was puzzled. I kept on reading and the letter helpfully told me the job had been posted on the Commonwealth's website in December 2008 and they had received my resume promptly! It continued:

"Please be advised that the Department has determined that the posting for this position will be rescinded. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused."

Happily, I had not put my life on hold waiting for an interview so was not inconvenienced, thank you.

Forget about hiring lawyers, I think Massachusetts had better hire some more sophisticated/competent Human Resources personnel. After all, if you are going to wait 14 months to get back to your applicants, wouldn't it be more cost efficient not to waste $.44 on a stamp at this point? By then, they are not expecting to hear from you. Those stamps are coming out of my taxes, and I would rather you spent that money on the Commonwealth's health care plan.

Children's Favorites

2010-01-31T01:18:00.006-05:00

The problem with completing Elizabeth Bird's Top Ten Middle Grade Chapter Book list is twofold: 1) that it took far too long, when I should have been doing at least a dozen other things; 2) my choices might be totally different if compiled at some other time (and that doesn't even take into account my question of whether a series counts). I was disappointed not to meet her at ALA but assume she is a kindred spirit. . .
1-A Little Princess/Burnett (all my favorite genres in one: orphans, historical fiction, school story)
2-Anne of Green Gables/Montgomery (the ultimate orphan)
3-A Traveler in Time/Uttley (time travel, and one of my other favorite things, Elizabethan England)
4-Betsy-Tacy series (if I had to pick just one, I guess Betsy and Joe)
5-Masha/Mara Kay (not very well known but adored by anyone who read it, orphans and school story)
6-Charlotte Sometimes/Farmer (school story and time travel and I think she’s an orphan too)
7-The Wolves of Willoughby Chase/Aiken (orphans almost always a theme with Aiken)
8-Ballet Shoes/Streatfeild (although Skating Shoes a close second) (more orphans)
9-Knight’s Castle/Eager (although it is hard to pick my favorite Eager between this and Seven Day Magic and The Time Garden)
10-Diamond in the Window/Langton (yet more orphans)

Runners-Up
Time at the Top/Ormondroyd
The Lark and the Laurel/Willard (first in one of my all time favorite series)
The Prydain series/Alexander
Emily series/Montgomery (Powell’s has these in YA but AOGG in middle grades-as a series I like these better but AOGG beats them out individually)
Emmy Keeps a Promise/Chastain
Autumn Term/Forest (I am tempted to count this but did not read it until grown up)

ALA Midwinter, Betsy-Tacy dinner

2010-01-16T23:48:00.012-05:00

A great time was had today at Midwinter ALA in Boston, followed by a delightful Betsy-Tacy gathering at the Channel Cafe!

Front, l-r, Carla, Jen D-K, Julie M, Barb; Back, l-r, Constance, Becky, Jennifer, Camilla, Susann, Hillary, Nicole, Susan R (missing from picture: Deva)

Dawn (boldly grabbing the knight's sword), Deva (blowing a kiss), and Constance
Barb, Susann, and Nicole
Carla describes how she tried to purloin (the sadly MIA) KathyB's secret celebrity crush, who even sang for her before autographing Lights Over Broadway!
Jen D-K displays the autograph from Brian Stokes Mitchell while we moan with envy!
Jen D-K and Julie M
Nicole, Susan R, and Deva (who later showed us the cover of her new book!). It was the first time Deva met us so we hope we didn't scare her! Not everyone can handle the truth (I mean, the cult).

Becky masterfully figures out the bill (and wonders why we didn't just buy a vineyard!)

Favorite Reads of 2009

2010-01-14T00:03:00.005-05:00

Historical Fiction

* Garland of Straw – Stella Riley (if only she would finish this series)
Island of Ghosts , London in Chains – Gillian Bradshaw
The Sparrow – Mary Doria Russell

Fiction
* Snobs – Julian Fellowes
No One You Know – Michelle Redmond

YA Fantasy
* Graceling, Fire – Kristin Cashore
Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins

YA Fiction
* Front and Center – Catherine Gilbert Murdock (love this entire trilogy)
Twenty Boy Summer – Sarah Ockler
North of Beautiful – Justina Headley
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks – E. Lockhart

Children's Fiction
Good Field No Hit – Duane Decker (sentimental reread from childhood about the Blue Sox)

Picture Books
Ten in Bed – David Ellwand (board book)
The Hero Beowulf – Eric Kimmel
Chester – Melanie Watt

Worst
The Secret of the Hermitage (Dana Girls #5) (was so bad it was hilariously funny; I remembered the Dana Girls as being much better than this installment)

* exceptional

If I have time, I will add more in the way of commentary.

Naughty, nice, or just terrified

2009-12-24T17:28:00.000-05:00

So you better watch out,
you better not cry,
Better not pout,
I'm telling you why:
Santa Claus is comin' to town.
He's making a list and checking it twice,
Gonna find out who's naughty and nice. . .

Harvard in DC

2009-12-23T08:18:00.001-05:00

Big test for Harvard at Georgetown today. . .

Poldark

2009-12-20T13:55:00.006-05:00

I began watching the Poldark miniseries on Masterpiece Theatre with my mother, who had read the books, then I quickly got the first in the series from the library. It was originally called The Renegade, but the title was changed to Ross Poldark after the series became an event, first in the UK and then in the US. Like many others, we were glued to our television on Sundays at 9 for weeks. Robin Ellis, who played Ross Poldark, became a sensation and was even called the sexiest man on British Television. Hailed as a British Gone with the Wind, it is one of the best adaptations I ever saw because of the dramatic story line, the fact that it did not deviate too much from the books, and the actors were incredibly well chosen for their parts.

In brief, it is the story of Ross Poldark, coming home to Cornwall from fighting in the War of American Independence, tired and injured. When he returns, he learns that his father is dead, his estates are virtually bankrupt, his fiancee believed him dead and is now engaged to another. Born into a family of good lineage, if not riches, Ross is part of the landed gentry of Cornwall but has a compassion for those less fortunate that constantly gets him in trouble with his peers. It is one such impulse that causes him to rescue an urchin from a group of bullies; when he realizes it is a girl, he agrees to hire her as a servant.

I remember at this moment saying to my mother, "Julian and Tibby!" a reference to Dawn's Early Light, book one in perhaps my all time favorite series, Elswyth Thane's Williamsburg Novels, and she protested, "No!" in horror because she loves those books so much but there are some similarities. Both Julian and Ross fight in the Revolutionary War, and are very much influenced by the ideals of liberty and equality for men: Julian in the years after his arrival in Williamsburg from England in 1774 and Ross upon returning to Cornwall from the Colonies, both men in love with beautiful women from the upper levels of society, both men poor but determined to survive (Ross is much less law abiding than Julian), and both take an initially paternal interest in a teenage girl from impoverished family.

Indeed, I hope I have persuaded you to try the Poldark novels or the DVDs, and I have now convinced myself I need to own and reread the entire series! Other Winston Graham novels were made into movies and are also worth hunting down - notably Marnie (Hitchcock) and The Walking Stick (a compelling but sad book).

Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell

2009-12-15T00:05:00.003-05:00

Several years ago my friend Eileen Kendall, esteemed founder and patroness of the Georgette Heyer Discussion Group, recommended a new miniseries of North and South, based on Elizabeth Gaskell’s novel, which she said was nearly as good as the Firth/Ehle Pride and Prejudice. Although I am fairly well read in 19th century literature, I had somehow never read Gaskell and knew little about her. Handicapped by being in the middle of law school and prescribed by an upbringing that prohibits multimedia prior to one’s having read the book, I mentally put Gaskell aside for several years. Last winter my book group read North and South, which I greatly enjoyed, so when I learned about the Classics Circuit of Gaskell, I was excited to participate and chose Cranford so that I would finally be able to watch the PBS episodes languishing for many months on my DVR.# I read the Oxford University Press edition, because I had liked the introduction in North and South.Cranford is the story of a quiet English town around 1850, which consists primarily of worthy older ladies living in genteel poverty. As in many comedies of manners, their primary occupation is discussing each other. Cranford itself is viewed through the eyes of Mary Smith, a modest young lady who pays frequent visits to the Misses Jenkyns and who is not even identified by name until late in the book (leading me initially to wonder if Daphne du Maurier’s heroine in Rebecca was not the first nameless protagonist).

At first, I did not see the charm in Cranford, just the bleak existence of its primarily female inhabitants, and I wondered why Mary kept coming to visit the elderly Jenkyns sisters, stern Miss Deborah Jenkyns and her younger and more frivolous sister, Miss Matty.* However, as I continued to read and grow familiar with the cast of characters, I began to appreciate the idiosyncrasies of the Cranford ladies as they balance the demands of their society and its gentle entertainments with their limited financial resources - and ultimately reveal true friendship and loyalty beneath the tittle-tattle. As Mary’s father points out, “See, Mary, how a good innocent life makes friends all round.” While it does not possess the vivid characters and memorable romance of North and South, Cranford also provides unexpected humor to offset the pathos: my favorite is when Miss Matty’s maid, Martha, proposes to her gentleman follower, Jem, who is stunned and says, “[M]arriage nails a man, as one may say. I dare say I shan’t mind it after it’s over.”

Of particular interest to me was that, as with many books of this era, including many I have enjoyed in their Masterpiece Theatre incarnations, Cranford was written as a serialization. Gaskell’s first novel, Mary Barton, had brought her to the attention of Charles Dickens, who encouraged her to become a contributor to his periodical, Household Words. I enjoy imagining subscribers eagerly awaiting the next installment.

Thank you for visiting my blog!

# In fact, this is very timely as PBS will air more Cranford episodes later this month.

* Contemplating the economies of the Jenkyns household, which included a pretense that candles were not necessary, I began to worry again about the demise of my 401K although reading literature is supposed to provide an escape from such concerns!

Coach Cal

2009-12-13T15:24:00.003-05:00

It irritates me that the college basketball media has jumped on the Kentucky bandwagon because John Wall is fun to watch and the team is 10-0, and has completely forgotten that Coach Calipari, charming though he may be, has a habit of leaving universities/teams with recruiting violations while he moves on to the next opportunity. I know he is not alone in this behavior but Kentucky, as one of the elite programs, should not have hired someone with this history. I don't recall anyone criticizing Tubby Smith's ethics before (or after) he was run out of Lexington, Kentucky. . .

Home for the Holidays

2009-12-08T12:42:00.002-05:00

Kenmore, the Boston subway cat, finds a home. . . Of course, if I had seen this cat roaming in the station, I would have thought it was a large rat like the ones I used to see at the Downtown Crossing Red Line station (the rats are doubtless still there but I now get on at South Station instead).

Bacon Mania

2009-12-05T17:55:00.005-05:00

I have heard that my great-grandmother Lizzy from Danville, Virginia invented the peanut butter and bacon sandwich but I have also read that it was included in early editions of the Joy of Cooking. Regardless, it is a favorite in my family and I wish I had one right now (hint: the bacon must be very well done and crispy but that is true of bacon in general).

Interestingly, there is a resurgence of interest in bacon although some argue it is not healthy! Wiley did a Bacon Cookbook after I left (poor planning, my father would say). NPR has a really delicious looking picture of bacon cookies (I will omit the pecans) on its site today and a story about bacon mania. Yes, I realize those who know my 16th century roots (so to speak) would be more likely to expect I'd be blogging about Francis Bacon! Instead, I just made you hungry.

TimTam Sighting!

2009-11-28T22:24:00.006-05:00

In my first week of law school, I learned who would be walking to the Path with me after class: it was Brian Burlew, Renee Reedy, David Mello, Randall Berman, Eduardo Jimenez, Anthony Brown, and Gary Polanco. Renee called her boyfriend in Australia every night as we walked to Penn Station which was anti-social behavior I gladly forgave when she introduced me to TimTams, Australia's favorite cookie. Two layers of biscuit surround chocolate cream and the whole thing is covered with chocolate. Renee brought me back a package after one trip and I was hooked. It added to my desire to visit Australia one day! (Of course, now that she has married dear Craig there is even more reason to travel there.) Then, a week or so ago, I learned via Twitter that Pepperidge Farm had introduced TimTams to America (at least in NYC). I did take a quick look at my grocery store last week but saw nothing appealing (well, that is untrue as one cannot walk the cookie aisle without wanting to buy something). Tonight, however, I found TimTams on sale at Target for $2.50 per box! Apparently there are three different flavors: I am quite happy with Classic Dark... At least until I am finished with this package!

What would you like for Christmas from a four year old?

2009-11-22T11:18:00.005-05:00

Yesterday I was babysitting my nephews while their parents attended the funeral of our dear friend Doug's mother, Joan. At one point, contemplating the holidays, I looked around the living room area of my parents' home and, thinking aloud but vaguely wanting to include the children, said, "I wonder what Gram and Papa would like?"

Four year old Nicholas looked up and offered, without missing a beat, "Better listening?"

Does that sound like a direct quote or what? I can just hear my father beseeching the boys to listen more attentively.

Big Sports Weekend

2009-11-20T22:11:00.006-05:00

This is one of those weekends where there simply isn't enough time to do everything:
tonight, the Harvard men's basketball team hosted Bryant, for the first time ever. Bryant is only in its second year in Division I, so I didn't think they would be able to put up much of a fight (but my niece and I admited two players in particular, Papa Lo from Sengal (a transfer from UMass) and Claybrin McMath from Australia)). Bryant hung with the Crimson early but then Harvard pulled away and eventually won 77-51. It was nice to see our new freshmen getting off the bench and into the game at the end. However, I was sorry to read earlier in the

When the basketball game ended, we dashed over to Bright Rink to catch the last ten minutes of the Harvard-St. Lawrence hockey game. St. Lawrence has a lot of Boston alumni and always has a sizable crowd of fans. Tonight they really had something to cheer about as their goalie apparently was amazing, and they won 3-2, although godlike freshman Louis LeBlanc had a great shot near the end we hoped would go in to tie it up. Saturday night, the Harvard hockey team is at home against Clarkson, and urgently needs to turn around its early season woes.

Tomorrow, of course, is the Harvard-Yale game. The Game is simply not as much fun in New Haven (except for the time I met Paul Wylie - I remain convinced that my good wishes resulted in Olympic Silver for him a few months later) plus my niece is performing in a local production of The Wizard of Oz, my younger nephews are in town, and I have several motions to draft for work. However, when you read stories like this one about senior Derrick Barker (written by the talented daughter of Cynthia and Mike McClintock) it makes you wish the Ivy League were eligible for post season play so that more people would know about our talented players.

Finally, on Sunday, the men's soccer team has a first round NCAA matchup against Monmouth (known primarily for its pretty location in NJ - no, that is not an oxymoron - and because my former department head George's children went there) at 1:00 in Allston. Monmouth has a great team this year - who knew?

Libraries of the Future

2009-11-13T23:35:00.003-05:00

As Kindles and Nooks and electronic books grow in popularity, I remain convinced I would rather have a physical book to cherish and return to for rereads. I hate reading about institutions such as Cushing Academy, which recently got rid of all its books (I wonder whether the alumni really knew what was going on and how they reacted to all the publicity). Am I the only one who rereads her favorites on a regular basis?

Author James Patterson, recently criticized Cushing Academy's decision to discard their books, and apparently he paid for his niece to attend the school (well, he can afford to - if I had his money, I would buy my nieces a school).

The magnificent Harvard University Library system (70 plus libraries, 16 million volumes) is struggling with budget constraints like everyone else, and the provost says that one of the university's "main goals . . . is to ensure that students and faculty have access to much of the world’s scholarly works “in perpetuity” by taking advantage of digital resources, but such access does not necessarily mean “ownership and preservation of everything.” This makes me sad because I thought Harvard was practically the Library of Congress in terms of acquisition. Where will scholars go if they cannot rely on Harvard to have the resources they need?

I don't want my libraries to change, although I will admit I love one new feature - being able to place reserve and purchase requests online, then pick up the books magically a few days or weeks later.

Collecting Noel Streatfeild

2009-11-10T20:28:00.018-05:00

It can be stressful to love one's books as much as I do, especially when it involves painful decisions! For example, I live in an apartment with limited space for my books. I take pride in my nearly complete collection of Noel Streatfeild but here is my dilemma: I own three copies of Theater Shoes. It may not be one of my top three favorites but it is probably a top five. It is a great story about three children who go to live with their grandmother during WWII and realize not only that they are part of a family involved in the theater but have theatrical talent themselves. My favorite part is when Sorrel, the elder sister, gets to play in a production of The Tempest. The cover with Sorrel standing in front of the red curtain is from a hardcover I found a couple years ago at the Bryn Mawr Bookstore. It is in very good shape, a nice solid hardcover, so you'd think it would be the one I should keep.

Yet the shabby blue one, a tired ex-library rebound copy, is the very book I read repeatedly growing up, having been discarded by my childhood library (what were they thinking? the book is in perfectly good shape). How can I give it up when I know how many times my sisters and I read it? And finally, you see what appears to be a modest copy of Curtain Up, which is the British title, was sent to me by the generous Nicky Smith years ago. I assumed that she knew I'd enjoy having the British edition and was appreciative. Amazingly, I didn't even notice at first that she had sent me (doubtless at great expense) a book that had been autographed by Noel Streatfeild herself! How exciting is that! There is no way I'm letting this book go. So, as you can see, there is no solution - I need all three editions in my library. I just need more space for my books. Don't these three cry out to be displayed together?
I yearn constantly for my grandfather's library - not his enormous collection of books which I believe he sold to the University of British Columbia before his death - but the fabulous room he used as a library in what was once Horace Greeley's barn. Supposedly, Greeley's daughter used this room as a ballroom. My grandfather had bookcases on all four walls, an enormous desk made out of a barn door, and a grand piano. There he wrote Music in Western Civilization and Handel and other books, wrote opera reviews, music articles, advised students, colleagues and friends. It was sad when they decided to downsize and move to Connecticut to a smaller house once my aunt and uncles were grown up. There is a remote connection between my grandfather and Noel Streatfeild - as you can see, the spelling of her name is unusual, but when my mother was helping him with one of his books she came across a British musicologist named Richard Alexander Streatfeild (perhaps a relative of Noel's?). My grandfather was impressed that my mother knew how to spell that surname: not sure she told him it was because of Ballet Shoes . . .

Roosevelts at Harvard

2009-11-06T00:09:00.005-05:00

The weather forecast for Saturday is great, and I am looking forward to a walking tour in Cambridge:

Presidential Pathways: Tracing Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin Delano Roosevelt at Harvard

Follow the student footsteps of Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin Delano Roosevelt on this walking tour with Michael Weishan, author, PBS host, and president of the FDR Suite Foundation. With architecture as a guide, visit buildings important to these two men, learn what Harvard and Cambridge were like between 1870 and 1904, and explore 19th-century student life on Harvard's "Gold Coast."

Having visited Theodore Roosevelt's Long Island home, Sagamore Hill, it will be interesting to see Harvard locations not officially connected to the Roosevelts.

Of course, all roads lead to Betsy-Tacy. I was always loyal to Teddy Roosevelt because I knew the Ray family were supporters. Mr. Ray's study "held a roll-top desk, a picture of the shoe store in Deep Valley and an even bigger picture of ex-President Theodore Roosevelt." Betsy's Wedding, page 48.

Joe and Mr. Ray are ensconced for some time (you know he is asking for Betsy's hand in marriage), then the family hears, "Leave it to Teddy!" coming from Mr. Ray. The group downstairs looked at each other in complete mystification. What, their raised eyebrows seemed to ask, did Theodore Roosevelt have to do with Betsy's Wedding?

"Politics!" Mrs. Ray said scornfully.

Anna brought Betsy a cup of coffee. She brought her a muffin. Mrs. Ray and Julia wanted coffee, too, and Paige started pacing the floor. At long last the door of the study opened.
"TR is as right as rain," Betsy heard her father declare as he and Joe came down the stairs.
Betsy's Wedding, page 49.

Heaven to Betsy discussion

2009-10-29T22:46:00.019-04:00

Boston area Betsy-Tacy fans gathered in Waltham tonight to discuss Heaven to Betsy.

More than Words had created a great display of the new Betsy-Tacy reissues!

Below, Stephanie, Lisa and Kathleen discuss cover treatment.

***************************** Above, Constance, Julie, Lisa and Kate display their Betsy-Tacy tee shirts.

Next, Lucy and Kate learn how to play Consequences.

Here are our three favorites:

1. Fuzzy Tom met sweet Tib at the Big Hill on Saturday at noon. He said, "My time is my own!" She said, "Betsy-Tacy rules!" He sang at the top of his lungs. She ordered lots of pizza. And the world said, "She's a flibbertigibbit." And the consequence was: she ran for president.

2. Outgoing Tony met famous Julia at Yellowstone on Saturday morning. He said, "Can you spare a dime?" She said: "I want the brass bowl for Christmas!" He lent her a book. She dropped the brass bowl on the floor. And the world said, "See! This is what happens when you don't listen to me!" And the consequence was: Nobody got any fudge!

3. Chagrined Robert met smart Anastasia at Fenway Park on Tuesday. He said: "I don't like baseball." She said, "What time does the party start?" He flapped his arms. She put on a purple feather boa. And the world said: they are role models for our children. And the consequence was: Betsy moved away from Mankato.

Several attendees were reading Betsy-Tacy for the first time, one was sure she had read the books growing up in California, others were rediscovering a childhood favorite, and some (like me and my mother) had never stopped reading the beloved tomes. Thanks to all who attended and to More than Words for hosting!

Noel Coward's novel

2009-10-26T22:09:00.004-04:00

I am still surprised that Jonathan Yardley did not respond to a letter I sent him last year about a book he'd been seeking, Gramercy Park, but I still enjoy his columns, particularly the "series in which the Post's book critic reconsiders notable and/or neglected books from the past." In November 2007, he devoted a full column to Laura Ingalls Wilder - if only he would devote that kind of space to Betsy-Tacy.

This week's article focuses Noel Coward, and in particular, his one novel, which is called Pomp and Circumstance. Yardley says "it is Coward to the core: a deliciously witty and ingenious entertainment that puts on full display his 'talent to amuse' (his own phrase, from the song 'If Love Were All') and his deep affection for distant, exotic and preferably sun-drenched parts of the world. It was received with considerable enthusiasm when it appeared, and -- this will come as no surprise to anyone who knows Coward's work -- holds up very well indeed after half a century."

I wish someone would bring it back into print so I could choose it for my book group!

Oh girls they wanna have fun

2009-10-23T22:26:00.002-04:00

Is it the second coming of Cyndi Lauper? Or could it be my sister?

October is "Convert a Betsy-Tacy fan" month!

2009-10-20T20:11:00.010-04:00

Here are some success stories:

At the top is Becky, who has enthusiastically read the whole series since meeting me in February! Becky is one of my most successful converts. I started her with Heaven to Betsy but after a few chapters she revealed herself as a series purist and demanded Betsy-Tacy. Although we grew up in the same town, accessing the same library, Becky had never come across Maud Hart Lovelace prior to meeting me (such deprivation!), but is a fan of other classic series, such as the All of a Kind Family. I bet Becky is wondering what she will do once she has read Emily of Deep Valley. . .

Next is my friend and former colleague Tawen, a brilliant lawyer who is studying in Hong Kong this year. Although I know fantasy is her preferred genre (and suspect that like me, she does not normally read series out of order), I sent her Betsy and the Great World because I thought it suitable given that she is embarked on an adventurous year herself. Having moved to the US as a teen, she missed out on a lot of children's classics, so I am sure she will love Betsy-Tacy. And I like the idea that someone is reading Betsy-Tacy in Asia! Remember, it just took one person to make Anne of Green Gables a phenomenon in Japan (and WWII)!Below, on the left is Nicole, who signed up to participate with her teenage daughter. She reports that both loved Heaven to Betsy. Of course, the real test is whether they hunt down the rest of the series. Below, on the right is Carrie, who I chose carefully, not only because she was once the only other person in a group of friends who had heard of and read Summer of My German Soldier but also because she has a daughter about 8 - prime age to read Betsy-Tacy. No word yet from Carrie: she can run but she can't hide.

Betsy-Tacy fans come in all sizes - and genders!

2009-10-20T18:21:00.000-04:00

This Betsy-Tacy fan was up past his bedtime, which is why he wasn't smiling with joy over his new tee shirt from Willard's Emporium! Or could it be because his aunt bought it one size too large? Or possibly he was hoping for some Everything Pudding?

News for Knitters or Crocheters

2009-10-18T18:52:00.006-04:00

The Pine Street Inn, a very worth Boston organization that assists the homeless, is planning its third Knit-A-Thon, and is requesting 9 x 9 squares which will be assembled on November 8, 2009 to provide blankets for its Supportive Housing Program. This program provides permanent housing to women and men whose lives have been derailed by homelessness, giving them a new lease on life. Second, the participants knit 9” squares that are sewn together to create afghans for the Supportive Housing Program. Upon moving into their new home, each tenant receives a beautiful, unique, handmade blanket. Last year, they received thousands of squares, made 40 blankets in one day and raised nearly $20,000 to support the program.

Register for the Knit-a-Thon by contacting Marissa Pinksten at http://www.pinestreetinn.org/ or at 617.892.9185. Knit or crochet 9”x 9” squares. They accept any yarn, any color, any weight, and any pattern. Each afghan requires 35 squares, but you don’t need to make an entire blanket’s worth. Please label the squares as “hand wash” or “machine wash" and please weave in your tails! Send or deliver the squares to:

Robyn Belsky, GE Healthcare, 116 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02116 - to arrive before November 8th.

This seems like a great opportunity for those who cannot finish enough squares for an afghan (moi) or have odd lengths of yarn around (also moi).

Mother's Banana Bread

2009-10-17T00:51:00.013-04:00

This is in response a question from my friend Lisa (known for her fondness of the Maize and Blue) today whether anyone really likes banana bread, and would choose it over a brownie or a lemon bar. Well, the brownie would have to be pretty stale or full of nuts for me to pass it up. But I am fairly sure I would pick banana bread over a lemon bar, and I suspect Lisa just hasn't had the right banana bread. This is the recipe I grew up with and even a non-cook like me can whip it up relatively quickly.

In fact, although my mother copied this recipe down for me from memory when I left home, I believe it originally came from the American Women's Cook Book that once belonged to my grandmother. Most annoyingly, it was recently featured on AbeBooks as being one of the bestselling out of print cookbooks. Annoying, I say, because my mother donated it to the Roxbury Latin Yard Sale several years ago.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (one stick) margarine
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed banana* (about 3; it helps if they are mushy)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder

Instructions:

Cream shortening and sugar together in medium size bowl. Add eggs, mix well. Add lemon juice to bananas and stir gently into batter. Add baking powder to flour and sift into bowl. Mix thoroughly until flour is completely absorbed.

Bake:

Bake in loaf pan (I think mine is 8.5 x 4.5) at 350 for about an hour until top is firm and slightly brown. Stick knife in - if still gooey in center, cook for 5 more minutes.

Serve warm and with butter! Or cold - it cuts better once it's cooled.

Enjoy!

* My brother always had a Johnny Malone-like ability to eat all the bananas just as my mother was about to make banana bread.

Shipping up to Boston

2009-10-12T23:30:00.006-04:00

I am pleased to hear that ALA Midwinter is going to be in Boston this year, just a few blocks from my office. I have attended ALA conventions twice, once tagging along with my mother, then a librarian at Northeastern, and as an exhibitor in 1999 in DC, but those were in the summer and it is in the winter that the Newbery Medal is awarded. For those who are interested, there is a blog at School Library Journal that actively discusses the potential contenders.

Constance and Tiny

2009-10-08T23:42:00.004-04:00

My name is Constance. I am locked up in an evil mansion.

Say hello to Constance, a sweet, grateful, good little girl—NOT!
In fact, she’s a mischief-making, rule-breaking imp with a wicked gleam in her eye. Wherever she goes, trouble (and her enormous cat, Tiny) surely follow. That’s why children will go absolutely mad for her: Constance does exactly what they dream of doing in their naughtiest moments…and she’s never repentant.

Making the delicious Constance stories even more fun: the comic contrast between the deadpan text and the outrageous illustrations. Like the cheeky character herself, the pictures always say the opposite of the words.

However, the New Yorker does not care for this character, calling her a manipulator of demonic proportions! Isn't this writer taking the book(s) just a bit too seriously?

The Literature of Childhood

2009-10-06T23:26:00.008-04:00

How fun - Harvard is offering its alumni the opportunity to take a course with a noted Folklore and Mythology Professor, something I haven't done since the days of Hugh Flick* and Albert Lord!

Through the Looking Glass: The History, Philosophy and Literature of Childhood

“Childhood is unknown to us,” yet there are many different routes we can take to understand its deep complexities and compelling appeal. Join Professor Maria Tatar and alumni worldwide online as you look at the wonders and curiosities of childhood reading and study the revelatory power of classic tales. Register to take part in this exclusive program that will take you down the rabbit hole, into the wardrobe, and through the looking glass."

It consists of twelve online lectures, available through a special website or through podcasts, plus additional commentary from the professor, student discussions sessions and bonus guest lectures with authors Lois Lowry, Michael Buckley, and Gregory Maguire.

Sounds like more fun than my last two degrees, don't you think?!

* Since I last saw Hugh Flick (which I guess was at my sister's Yale graduation), he has been busy, having acquired a JD and MBA. I suppose he could say the same about me but he also has a PhD in Sanskrit and two Master's Degrees and his undergraduate Harvard degree! He was my roommate's thesis advisor; her topic was Sea Serpents.

Join us to discuss Heaven to Betsy!

2009-10-04T09:46:00.005-04:00

The Greater Boston Betsy-Tacy Society invites you to
discuss the beloved, timeless books of Maud Hart Lovelace,
back in print by popular demand!

What: Heaven to Betsy by Maud Hart Lovelace, ISBN 9780061794698
In a new edition with Betsy In Spite of Herself, illustrated by Vera Neville, with an introduction by bestselling author Laura Lippman

Where: More than Words, 376 Moody Street, Waltham, Mass.

When: Thursday, October 29, 2009, 7:00–8:30 p.m.

In Heaven to Betsy, Betsy is a freshman at Deep Valley High School.
There are new friends to make and old friends to catch up with,
studies aplenty—including Latin and the dreaded algebra—hikes, picnics,
singing around the piano, choir practice, parties, making fudge—and boys!

More Than Words: Empowering Youth to Take Charge of Their Lives by Taking Charge of a Business. For more information, contact them at 781/788-0035 or visit http://www.mtwyouth.org/.

Betsy-Tacy Back in Print

2009-09-29T22:32:00.010-04:00

Today is the day the Betsy-Tacy high school books are being relaunched by HarperCollins! I have introduced so many people to these beloved books and I am always delighted when there is an opportunity to share them. These lovely new editions should attract a whole new audience -scroll down to see the new cover of Heaven to Betsy.

Stuck in an arbitration all day, I finally got a break and dashed down the long mall corridor to the Barnes & Noble Prudential where I was thrilled to find several copies of each of the new editions! As is my wont, I rearranged them to their best advantage:
I loved the Betsy-Tacy books when I was growing up in Newton, MA but I thought I was the only one! (Heard that before?) Set in turn of the (20th) century Minnesota, the books follow two best friends from age 5 until the outbreak of World War I. The books are about friendship and fun, school and family, but what makes them so special that there are fans all over the world is that Betsy is a heroine we relate to. She is ambitious and wants to be a writer but she is human and makes the same mistakes we all made growing up. She procrastinates when she should be studying. She flirts when she knows she should just be herself. She goes to Europe to find herself but recognizes that when America goes to war that she wants to be home in Deep Valley.
I often think that all roads lead to Betsy-Tacy. When my friend Margery decided to attend Vassar, I insisted she borrow Carney's House Party in preparation, about Betsy's smartest friend, who heads East to college in 1909. When the library complained that the book was overdue, I gave up, retrieved it and paid a hefty fine.* Later, when Margery got married in the Vassar Chapel and I was a bridesmaid, I was so disenchanted by the groom I could barely enjoy the fact that I was on the very campus Carney had attended (my instincts were right: the marriage didn't last). Well, not that I hold a grudge or anything, but it's about time Margery redeemed herself by reading Betsy-Tacy! Maybe she will get one of the two new precious sets of Betsy-Tacy which arrived at my door yesterday.

Happily, I made it back to Vassar years later, leading the Greater NY Betsy-Tacy Society on an excursion from Grand Central. On this visit, we didn't have to worry about ill-fated marriages, just about Carney, Matthew Vassar, Maria Mitchell, etc.

* As my mother likes to say, Newton funded its fancy new library on my overdue fines.

Fall Television

2009-09-26T11:31:00.002-04:00

Should I be watching Glee? Is it too late? Grey's Anatomy was so tedious in its season opener that I switched to the Mentalist halfway through. I like Teresa Lisbon as a character because she comes across as normal but at some point will reveal a complex history.

Remembering 9/11

2009-09-12T00:54:00.003-04:00

I remember the morning of September 11, 2001. It was a busy day for most New Yorkers as it was Primary Day as well as the first day of school. I voted for Mark Green on my way to work. I was hard at work in my windowless office at IDG (but it was a sight better than many places I have worked in since) on Third Avenue and 54th Street when Ginger, a department assistant who was more interested in her auditions than in uploading covers to B&N.com, came in to ask if I had a radio. I am ashamed to say I gave her an impatient glance, thinking, as usual, she would use any excuse not to do some work. Then she said that she'd heard a plane had flown into the World Trade Center and she was worried about her sister who worked there. I told her it was ridiculous, nothing like that could have happened, and she shrugged and walked away. Then I heard the echo of my own voice, and got up to follow her. I said I knew someone who was on vacation who had a radio. We borrowed it and turned it on. I don't recall the moment at which we found out that it was true, but I do remember running down to the 20th floor where there was a TV in the conference room. We watched for a while but it seemed inhuman to watch the news while Ginger sobbed for her sister (who did indeed die that day). While Kathy Neb (naturally - the kindest person around) consoled her, I left the crowded room to return to my office so was not watching when the second tower collapsed, which I regret now.

There were many strange things about that day: the way one felt suspended in time, wondering if the world was about to end; the way the sun kept shining, and one wondered how midtown could be bright and sunny, while people died a few miles away; how suddenly the streets were deserted except for people standing in line at certain sites to donate blood; how the Internet went on functioning although phones were down; how my mother was at my grandmother's in Connecticut and said she was worried about my brother, whose first day of work at the State Department in DC it had been; how my friend Shelia, with whom I'd planned to get together after work, saw people jumping out windows and had to walk to Grand Central but still remembered she'd brought me See's Candy from a recent trip to the West Coast; how I finally gave up working and walked north, passing many other people with strange blank expressions, straight to my middle sister's apartment (the other sister was at ABC, by then hard at work for several hours) but because she didn't want the TV on to scare her toddler, I finally went back to my own apartment. Like so many others, I was glued to my TV for days, trying to understand what had happened and why. We all wondered what would happen next.

TV Series about Publishing

2009-09-03T23:56:00.002-04:00

From Shelf Awareness: Open Books, a sitcom written by Gail Lerner (Will & Grace) that is focused on a book editor and her friends, "has received a pilot commitment" from CBS, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The show "is inspired by the time Lerner spent as a temp in the publishing world at the beginning of her career and by the experiences of her sister Betsy, who worked as a book editor for 15 years before becoming a literary agent."

"It's an ensemble comedy with a female lead set in the publishing world, but it's really about the characters and their relationships," Lerner said. "I like the frustrations, the collaborative process. Publishing is a lot like sitcoms. Although both are supposedly dying, that only makes people more passionate about creating the next great novel or show."

The Game Resumes

2009-08-30T13:15:00.001-04:00

thank you to cartoonist Victor Harville!

Wouldn't you be tempted by a first edition hardcover?

2009-08-26T22:35:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I had to appear in court in an iffy neighborhood and while I was not afraid my car would be stolen, I decided I'd better bring my GPS with me to the courthouse (my brother had his stolen from his locked car a couple months ago). Busy planning what I was going to say to the judge, I gathered my things, put on my suit jacket (pale turquoise with elbow sleeves worn with black skirt), and when I saw it was close to 9, I began to dash. THEN I realized there was a hardcover copy of Betsy and Joe by Maud Hart Lovelace, with dust jacket, clearly visible in the car to any passer-by! Of course, a hardcover Betsy-Tacy is much more valuable than a Tom-Tom! Torn, I hesitated but forced myself to hurry on to the courthouse, and luckily no one tried to break into my car while I was engaged in my legal career. Thank you, Maud, for keeping an eye on my car from the Great Library in the Sky. . .

I saw some very odd outfits on the women lawyer in this particular courthouse. One was wearing an innocuous pants suit but with thick fluffy socks (in August!) and patent leather loafers. One was wearing a sleeveless dress, no jacket - she would have been scolded at my summer law firm in NJ which did not permit bare arms. Another, similarly without a suit jacket, wore a blue and white striped button down shirt, hanging down towards her knees, not tucked in, and reminded me of the shirts I borrowed from my father for smocks in elementary school art class. I was somewhat abashed because the skirt I was wearing was shorter than I had realized - I was signing emails to the partner in charge of the case as "Perry" but I felt more like Ally McBeal. However, I was a radiant vision and veritable legal role model compared to these others!