Review: Mistress Shakespeare

"Several mysteries surround the life of William Shakespeare, and one of the most fascinating concerns whom he married. Will evidently promised to wed two women at nearly the same time. In records that survive today, he is listed as being engaged first to Anne Whateley of Temple Grafton. But on the next day in the same book of marriage bonds, he is recorded as being promised to Anne Hathaway of Stratford in the diocese of Worcester."

Mistress Shakespeare by Karen Harper takes this mystery and tells the story from Anne Whateley's point of view. Since there is so much speculation surrounding William Shakespeare, even whether or not he was the one who wrote his plays, it is easy for me to follow along with a what-if scenario of his life.

I chose this book because I thought it would be interesting, but I liked it even more than I anticipated. I really liked the narrator, Anne Whateley, and the story was engaging whether you have any knowledge of Shakespeare or not. This book is good for anyone who enjoys historical fiction or has an interest Elizabethan England. A knowledge of Shakespeare and his life and works will add another level of enjoyment to reading this book. But it is entertaining even if Shakespeare is just some guy who wrote a bunch of plays to you.

Review: The Mistress of Nothing

I think I saw The Mistress of Nothing by Kate Pullinger on an IndieBound List. Either that or an NPR book list. Those are my two main sources of finding new books to read outside my norm. I was drawn to it by the title.

I didn't know till I finished it, but apparently this novel is based on the true story of a English ladies' maid who devotedly follows her lady to Egypt. Lady Duff Gordon lived the last seven year of her life in Egypt, where the hot, dry air kept her living longer than the cold, wet air of England would have allowed her to. The story is told by her maid, Sally Naldrett.

Sally is completely loyal and dedicated to her lady, but her life changes the longer she lives in Egypt. And she discovers how far her lady's own loyalty and gratitude will--or will not--go when Sally tries to live her own life and make her own decisions.

I think I would have liked this book better if I had realized from the beginning that it was based on a true story, because it is such a strange story for the time and the people who lived in it. It was almost too far fetched when I thought it was simply fiction. But it's fascinating when you realize that the basics of the story are true (though the author had to fill in gaps where we don't have any documentation).

So, overall it was an interesting historical fiction. And it was very short and a quick read, especially for a historical fiction.

Review: Becoming Jane Eyre

Becoming Jane Eyre by Sheila Kohler is a work of fiction imagining the writing life of Charlotte Bronte. The writing was good and I enjoyed the story, though it made me wish I knew more of the facts to be able to separate fact from fiction better.

The only downside I see to this novel (and this may be my editor/publisher education talking) is that there is a limited audience for such books. Apparently it was Sheila Kohler's tenth novel and she's won a bunch of awards, so she was probably a pretty sure bet though.

I suppose you could read this book without first having read Jane Eyre, but you would certainly be missing out even if you weren't confused. It also helps to have read Wuthering Heights. And I felt guilty for never having read anything written by Anne Bronte (has anyone read anything of hers? any recommendations?). But the good thing is that it made me want to reread those books again.

If you like historical fiction and like any of the Bronte sisters, then you'll enjoy this book.

Review: Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague

Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague by Geraldine Brooks has long been on my TBR list. When I was finally able to read it this week, it did not disappoint.

The story was engaging, the history fascinating. Though fictionalized, this story of a town that voluntarily isolates itself in order to contain the plague is based in fact. Which makes the horrors witnessed by our narrator and heroine, Anna, all the more vivid and terrifying. I feel very lucky to live in a time and place free of plague and witch hunts.

I definitely recommend this book, though you should keep in mind that many of the images are gruesome.

Review: Sacred Hearts

"She is only a young woman who did not want to become a nun. The world is full of them."

I don't remember where I first heard of this book, but it was a good gamble on an author I hadn't read before. This is my kind of historical fiction--a completely fictional story steeped in history.

The idea behind the book is told best by its brief introduction:

"By the second half of the sixteenth century, the price of wedding dowries had risen so sharply within Catholic Europe that most noble families could not afford to marry off more than one daughter. The remaining young women were dispatched--for a much lesser price--to convents. Historians estimate that in the great towns and city-states of Italy, up to half of all noblewomen became nuns. Not all of them went willingly..."

The story was engaging, the history heartbreaking, the way some of the characters adapted to or fought against their fate inspiring. We've all heard the stories, true or not, of disgraced young women being forced into becoming nuns while their illegitimate children were sent to orphanages and such. But I had never known or considered that such large groups of women were forced into convents.

I was swept up by the story, despairing when the heroine despaired and cheering when she found some little bits of joy or respite. It made me pause and think about the countless real women whose lives were bought and sold by their fathers and husbands. A woman might have been sent to a convent simply because she had a sister who was prettier or more cunning or older. Though often, the convent might have been a safer and possibly happier fate.

How happy I am to be able to choose my own path in life, even if I merely stumble along it.

Review: Heart of a Samurai

Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus was another recipient of a 2011 Newbery Honor. I'm really liking this being caught up on all the Newbery Award Medalists so that at the beginning of each year I have time to check out the Honor books as well, because they're all amazing. I really don't know how you would decide between them.

Heart of a Samurai is too incredible of a story to be fiction. It is based on the true story of a young Japanese boy in the mid 19th century who is lost at sea on a fishing boat, deserted on an island with nothing but rocks and birds, rescued by blue-eyed barbarians (aka Americans), works on a whaling ship, and is likely the first Japanese person to step on American soil.

Can you imagine the kind of prejudice you would have to face from people who had never seen anyone who looked like you? Can you imagine the fear you would experience being rescued by blue-eyed barbarians whom you had been told also eat people?

Manjiro's story is fascinating and strange. This book covers many years, as it has to in order to give you a sense of how remarkable his life was. It also includes beautiful black and white drawings by Manjiro himself of many of the things he saw and did.

If you have any interest in history, in true stories, in adventures on the high seas, or in different cultures, you will enjoy this book.

Review: Moon Over Manifest (2011 Newbery Winner)

Moon Over Manifest is the story of a girl sent to live in the town of Manifest during the Great Depression. As she searches for evidence of her father who lived there as a boy, she discovers the story of a town full of immigrants as they struggled to work together and survive during World War I.

I wasn't pulled into the story immediately, but I think it had much more to do with my mood than the book itself. Because once I got into the book, I was hooked. The characters are real people, the fictional town is a real place, and this story is a true story--as all good stories are, whether fact or fiction. It heartily deserves the Newbery Medal.

I found it interesting that two of last year's best books for young readers (this one and Turtle in Paradise) are set during the Great Depression. We are not experiencing times nearly as hard as that, but maybe in our hard times it is good to remember that people have been through worse and still survived and thrived.


Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool is the winner of this year's Newbery Award.

Review: Wide Sargasso Sea

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys explores the character of the mad woman in the attic from Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre.

I love Jane Eyre and mostly enjoyed Wide Sargasso Sea. The book helps you sympathize with the mad woman that was Rochester's first wife rather than just seeing her as an obstacle to Jane's happiness. It's also an interesting look at what it means to be crazy and almost, but not quite, asks the question of whether or not being treated like you're crazy can eventually make you crazy.

My one issue with this books was that I was occasionally confused about the point of view. The first section was easy enough to follow, but after that we get a few different characters' points of view, but at times, I wasn't sure who we were following.

You could probably read this book even if you haven't read Jane Eyre. But really, if you're going to read one of these books for the first time, you ought to be choosing Jane Eyre.

By the way, I love the 1996 movie version of Jane Eyre, and while I was looking up that link I found out that they are making another version to be released in 2011. Not sure how I feel about that. I will end of watching it I'm sure, but I'm skeptical. One of the appeals about the 1996 movie was that the actress who played Jane was actually plain; the actress for the upcoming version is far too pretty to be Jane.

Comfort Reads

When my real life is turned upside down, I reach for familiar books with happy endings. Nothing too complex or deep, nothing too dark or sad. Just a good story that I know will end well because it ended well the last dozen or so times I read it.

Today that was The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare (Newbery Winning author, but not for this book). Looking at the limited books I have on my shelf in this transition period of life, I think I'll be reaching for Beauty by Robin McKinley next.


What are your comfort reads?

Review: Hattie Big Sky

"My bounce-around life had taught me that dreams were dangerous things--they look solid in your mind, but you just try to reach for them. It's like gathering clouds."

I read Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson because my mother recommended it. I love reading other people's favorite books--it always gives me new insight into who they are. I know why my mother liked this book--she's always loved books about people being resourceful and making a living off of the land.

I loved this book too. I read it quickly and enjoyed following Hattie as she learns to live alone in eastern Montana, attempting to prove up on the homestead her uncle left her. At the same time, Hattie and her neighbors are profoundly changed by World War I though it's being fought far away in another country.

The best evidence of me recommending this book to others is that I'm going to look up the author, Kirby Larson, and see if she has written anything else. Hattie Big Sky won the Newbery Honor in 2007, and is one of those great YA books that is easy for adults to read without even realizing that it's YA.