Posted in Book Reviews
|
I love my book group. We're small (just 5 of us) and very laid back, but we have good discussions. This month's book was Kristin Lavrensdatter by Sigrid Undset, who won the 1928 Nobel Prize for literature. The book is mammoth. It was initially published (in Norwegian) as a trilogy. The titles in English are translated The Wreath, The Wife, and The Cross. Two of us read the 1929 translation, which reads like the King James Bible. (I like to call it the King Magnus translation.) The other two read the 2001 translation, which was much more readable. The book is the story of Kristin, Lavrens' daughter (hence her name), in the middle ages in Norway. It is an amazing chronicle of the history of the time. The writing is evocative: I could see the dale and feel the cold. Initially, I didn't like the book, but my response was really a reaction against Kristin's poor choices. (She is seduced and throws off her fiance to marry her seducer.) But once I pushed through this, the rest of the story really held me captive. I followed her life as Erlend's wife, the mother of many sons, and finally a widow. The characters were all so complex and true to themselves-- "integrated personalities", as my friend likes to say-- that I believed them all. It's a lot of reading, though I suspect the new translation is a quicker read. I learned a ton (relative to my previous ignorance, that is) about Norway's history in the middle ages. And I learned about myself and my own stubbornness through the lens of Kristin. |
Posted in Book Reviews
|
Rick Riordan's The Lightning Thief is a fun read. A friend recommended it for J, as the book is full of Greek mythology. We've raced through it, as well its three sequels, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan's Curse, and The Battle of the Labyrinth. The story is about a boy, Percy Jackson, who lives in New York with his mom. He is shuffled from school to school, never able to fit in or stay in one place, which is eventually explained by his being a Half Blood (like Hercules or Perseus.) Initially, J didn't like it-- it was either too realistic (he doesn't like scary things to happen to real people) or maybe, the school descriptions were too far outside his experience to be interesting to him. I'm not sure. But the second time we picked it up, J was hooked and read the first book in a day and a half. The story is engaging and humorous. The author names the chapters: "I accidentally Vaporize My Pre-Algebra Teacher", "Three Old Ladies Knit the Socks of Death", a device which I love. The allusions to Greek mythology are entertaining. It was a fun read. But I wouldn't call these living books. There weren't any passages I just had to read aloud to my husband because of their beauty. The writing doesn't sing. And if you are uncomfortable with mythology trying to cross the line of religion, you might have to debrief your reader on a few passages. J hasn't gotten to the fourth book, but I didn't enjoy its desciptions of ghosts and trying to "raise the dead." These ideas are prevalent throughout Greek mythology, but somehow imagining them happening in New York in the 21st century made me uncomfortable. I think any child who has been brought up knowing God would not be confused in any way by this book's talk of gods, but you should pre-read it and decide for your own children. |
Posted in Book Reviews
|
Helen and Scott Nearing wrote two books, The Good Life, and Continuing the Good Life, which are now available in one combined volume. I picked it up for vacation reading, sort of as another take on the local lifestyle. The Nearings left the US wage economy in 1932 and became Vermont homesteaders, living as much as they could exclusively in a use economy. For them, this meant living without debt, buying on credit, etc., and producing as much of their own food as possible, building their own homes with found materials as much as possible, and having a small cash crop they produced to buy the necessities of life which they couldn't grow or produce themselves. They did not work for wages or pay others for wages whenever possible, but bartered their labor when they could. They lived this way for nearly more than 60 years-- from 1932 until their deaths. It is a very interesting book: an odd combination of their philosophy (e.g., why they are vegetarians) and handbook (e.g., the measurements of their concrete forms for building their stone buildings and fences). I'd recommend it as an eclectic-homesteady read, though it didn't change my life. |
Posted in Book Reviews
|
Several years ago, my friend Bill recommended this charming children's book. It became a favorite-- not just because the story and iillustrations make us laugh, but because it sparked a game: Daddy makes pizza. Here's Daddy making strombolis (like a pizza, but with the fillings rolling inside the dough.) Daddy makes the best strombolis.
|
Posted in Book Reviews
|
I'm going through a little bit of withdrawal. I have read such a string of wonderful books-- The Wednesday Wars, Waiting for Snow in Havana, Til We Have Faces, Amazing Grace (and others)-- that I'm feeling a little glum as I'm not in the middle of one right now. (The last book I picked up was a disappointment.) Our book group discussion this month was on Til We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis. I am surprised it's not more well-known, because it is a stunning book on many levels. Unlike the Narnia books, this is not allegorical, but it tells a powerful story about faith. He retells the Cupid and Psyche myth, here set in a pagan culture contemporary with ancient Greece. The narrator is Psyche's sister, and the book is her complaint against the gods. The narrator is so compelling, so human, that I found myself following her flawed thinking multiple times, until she-- and I-- were corrected. This is a book on which I'll be chewing for some time to come. |
Posted in Book Reviews
|
Charlotte Mason writes about the power of a living book: one which evokes the history of a time (or thing/person) in such a way that we learn truth, and want to come back to the book again and again. Amazing Grace by Eric Mutaxas is such a book. Lots of folks have recommended the movie, and I'm number four-hundred-and-something on the queue at the library. But I got the book right away. Mutaxas chronicles the life of William Wilberforce both before and after his "Great Change." Writing from a position of faith himself, Mutaxas does an excellent job of recognizing God's hand at work through Wilberforce. The historical details of how his Clapham Circle persisted despite the seemingly immovable forces (which Mutaxas rightly identifies as "principalities and powers") keeping slavery in force are painstakingly represented. Mutaxas also has a wry sense of humor which makes the book a fun read. This is the kind of book that makes me want to be a better person-- for God's glory-- and to turn my eyes (and the eyes of my family) to the injustices that still exist in our fallen world. |
Posted in Book Reviews
|
Bill McKibben's book Deep Economy is a powerful read. I'm not generally one for economics, but this book had me rivetted to the page. I read it on the heels of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and elaborated many of the notions that motivated her.
His premise is this: having More is no longer Better. He bases this not just on intuition, but also on a lot of social science data. So instead of chanting Adam Smith's continuing mantra of "Growth, growth, growth," we-- we being neighborhoods, towns, cities, states, nations, and the world-- need to explore a "deep economy." A deep economy is one that is local and sustainable. The first third (or so) of the book is social science research to back up his claim that More does not equal Better. (He also mentions the reality that there are many places in the world where people still don't have enough. For them, more is still better.) The second two thirds address what we do next. His examples of local economies are simultaneously anecdotal and compelling. This book is an excellent resource for those of us Christians who cannot stomach the reality that our having More means our Christian brothers and sisters elsewhere cannot afford Enough. |
Posted in Book Reviews
|
Another book I enjoyed tremendously of late is The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt. It's the story of an middle-schooler in 1967-68. The book is infused with humor, humanity, and the grace of storytelling. The protagonist (Holling Hoodhood) is a great storyteller... and during the book he learns to love the stories of Shakespeare. I love that this book deals with real issues-- war, the death of heroes, the importance of loyalty-- in a way that is accessible to both kids and adults. I laughed, I cried... you get the idea. But I've been recommending it to everyone I know and love, so make sure you get it from your library before they do. |
Posted in Book Reviews
|
Waiting for Snow in Havana (winner of the 2003 National Book Award) is an amazing book. From the first chapter, I was cativated by Carlos Eire's descriptions of his childhood in Havana before the Revolution in 1959. Reading this was a lesson in history, language, memory, and forgiveness. He writes with the precision of an artist, through the lens of his childhood. The book is both a tribute to the universality of childhood-- the amazingly dangerous things children do, no matter where they grow up-- and the tragedy that was Project Pedro Pan. Watch out if you pick it up-- it is hard to put down! I had the opportunity to hear Carlos Eire speak at Calvin College's conference on Faith and Writing in April. He was delightfully funny, in a way which did not make fun of anyone else. He was the kind of person I'd want to sit down and have dinner with. Quick-- go get this book and read it now! (But don't blame me if you can't get your laundry done until you've finished it.) |
Posted in Book Reviews
|
We’ve been enjoying Beethoven in our Composer Studies. Part of what has been fun is that he fits right into our history studies, as well. We just turned the corner into the 19th Century, and J has been having lots of “aha!” moments as Mozart, Napoleon, and Jospeh II of I wanted to share a few delightful books: The Heroic Symphony, another of Anna Celenza’s books with an accompanying CD. |
Posted in Book Reviews
|
In January, our book club discussed The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte. I mentioned before how this book’s vocabulary made me realize the poverty of my own. However, there is much besides the language to enjoy in this novel. (spoiler alert) We had a fabulous discussion of the male characters in the book: were they believable? Were their relationships with the heroine likely? We discussed the domestic violence in the marriage—one more reminder that there is nothing new under the sun. The protagonist’s handling of her situation is admirable and reminded me of so many of my own patients’ situations: they are willing to put up with violence against themselves, but not when they see it affecting their children. The steps Helen goes through to escape her situation mirror those we recommend to women today: make a plan, hide documents in a safe place, etc.Finally, we spent some time discussing how to protect our own daughters from giving their hearts to unsafe men. Helen’s aunt in the book makes a valiant effort to save Helen from this marriage before it occurs, but Helen has already given her heart to Arthur and cannot be swayed. One of the women in my book group talked about Thomas Jefferson’s idea of books as mentors—that a good book (a living book) read at an impressionable time of life can have the same effect as learning from one’s own experience. I think this could be that kind of a book for a young woman, and it made me want to teach a co-op class for high school young ladies on this book together with Jane Eyre and |
Posted in Book Reviews
|
We've been studying Mozart. So far, we've enjoyed several books I wanted to recommend. Anne Gatti's The Magic Flute is a retelling of the opera's story, with an accompanying CD with selections from the opera. My children enjoyed it a lot. Young Mozart (Rachel Isadora) and Mozart Finds a Melody (Steven Constanza) are very accessible picture books about Mozart. For more depth, we read the biography The Life and Times of Mozart (John Bankston) in the Masters of Music Series. |
Posted in Book Reviews
|
We’ve been studying the American Revolution and the formation of the government. We’ve found some great books at our level (my kids are 7, 5, and 3 ½). Jean Fritz is a writer of historical books for children—we’ve really enjoyed her work. (Incidentally, she is the daughter of missionaries and was born in As I mentioned before, my kids discovered Schoolhouse Rock, and now we’re all singing No More Kings and The Preamble to the Constitution all day long. Other books (though not strictly historical) that piqued my children’s interest in the figures of this era were Ben and Me by Robert Lawson (being the story of Ben Franklin’s life as recorded by his mouse, Amos); The Joke’s on George, and Mr. Revere and I also by Robert Lawson (the story from Revere’s horse’s perspective.) Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Latham begins just after the Revolution and mentions some historical figures. We loved this book. I had planned for us to read Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes, but we’re going to wait on this. I think it’s for a more mature child—at least 10?—not because of the war or the writing, but because the main character is seriously injured (and recovers) and my children are so sensitive to that. |
Posted in Book Reviews
|
Do you remember Schoolhouse Rock: songs/videos like "I'm just a Bill", and "The Preamble to the Constitution" and "Conjunction Junction"? I remember singing along to these songs as a child and loving them. Our library has them, and we watched them all (multiple times) last week. This week I borrowed the CD "America Rock" (just the history/government songs, without the grammar or math songs) from the library. The kids are all singing along with them in the car and reinforcing what we're learning in history right now. This may have to be a CD we buy. |
Posted in Book Reviews
|
"Here is a little mouth to kiss; here are two more feet to make music with their pattering about my nursery. Here is a soul to train for God, and the body in which it dwells is worth all it will cost, since it is abode of a kingly tenant. I may see less of friends, but I have gained one dearer than them all. Yes, my precious baby, you are welcome to your mother’s heart, welcome to her time, her strength, her health, to her most tender cares, to her life-long prayers! Oh how rich I am, how truly, how wondrously blest!" ~ Elizabeth Prentiss (from Stepping Heavenward) Have you read this book? Elizabeth Prentiss is probably best-known today for her hymns, but this little book is a treasure. It is written as the journal of a young woman who becomes wife and mother. I love its description of a soul drawing nearer to God. |
Posted in Book Reviews
|
My friend sent us a beautiful new edition (adaptation) of Pilgrim's Progress, retold by Gary Schmidt. After only a few pages, it became one of those books that have the children begging to read just one more chapter, Mommy! We read it in less than a week-- not that it was long, but it was full. The children quickly grasped the "hard but right way" idea. I recommend it unequivocally. |
Posted in Book Reviews
|
We really enjoyed the Margaret J. Anderson's biography of Isaac Newton, Isaac Newton: the Greatest Scientist of All Time. It had a great mix of his life and his science. The diagrams of the experiments were very clear, and the last chapter was a collection of experiments we can replicate at home. It was a good read, well written, and with lots of clear science. Definitely see if your library has it! |
Posted in Book Reviews
|
We borrowed Farmer Boy (Wilder) from the library on CD for the car. We’ve been listening to the kids’ CDs from their choirs basically every time we’ve been in the car for the last two months, and I needed something different. We’ve read Farmer Boy and listened to this recording in the past; only J remembers it, but he loves it. Before listening to it, J asked me what “You can’t lie to the earth” meant. (He heard this quote somewhere, and was puzzling it through.) I asked him what he thought—a practice I don’t usually remember to do, but I’m trying to learn. He thought for a bit and said, “It means that even if you think no one sees, the earth sees if you throw trash in the river.” Good, I said. Then he said, “And I think an example is that story from Farmer Boy where Almanzo’s father tells him about the boy who said he had sown the seeds but didn’t, and then only weeds came up.”
I love hearing my children make connections. This is absolutely one of the benefits of Charlotte Mason’s narration technique. Because I’m not the one digesting the books we read for the children—to distill them down to the five most important points—the children are required to do it for themselves. And they are making connections between what we read, and what they see and hear, and are learning to express them. |
Posted in Book Reviews
|
Have you read Daniel Dafoe’s book A Journal of the Plague Year? I hadn’t—I’d never even read Robinson Crusoe. But as J is very interested in germs and plagues, I thought I’d preview it. Dafoe writes so compellingly, and the topic is very interesting (to me). It reads as a memoir, not a novel—so far, it’s mostly a description of the slow increase in plague cases and the self-deception of the populous as it tried to imagine that the plague hasn't come back to London.
I’m also working on The Grapes of Wrath (Steinbeck) for my book group. When I started it, I thought there was no way I’d make it through, but I've warmed up to it. But it’s still a good thing I have another month to finish it! |
Posted in Book Reviews
|
We just finished listening to Hans Brinker, or the Silver Skates today. J came over to me, gave me a hug, and said, "I really liked it, Mommy." We both had a few tears. (It's much better to be listening to a weeper on tape, because the kids get annoyed when I can't read because of crying... and it seems everything makes me cry right now!) We enjoyed the story and the skating tour of Holland's early modern history. |