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summer reading
Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell (Five out of five stars)
Similar to North and South with it’s themes of the class-divide and gap between the poor and rich, the story centers on Mary Barton whose world is shaken when her rich suitor, Henry Carson, the son of a mill owner, is murdered and Jem Wilson, her rejected lover, is accused of the crime. While the book has its faults (this was Elizabeth Gaskell’s first novel), I enjoyed it very much, more than North and South. She painted clear, vivid pictures of Manchester’s filth and disease. Her characters were also well drawn human beings. Seeing Mary change as her world was crumbling around her, I came to like her very much.
Washington's Lady by Nancy Moser (Five stars out of five)
I had never read much about Martha Washington before, only short bios of her in those books that cover all the First Ladies. A friend lent me this historical novel, saying it was very good, but not to force myself to finish it if I didn’t like it. I enjoyed it immensely. Martha’s life was not easy, full of heartbreak and hardship. I learned a lot not only about her, but about George and the struggles to form America. A touching, sad, well written novel.
Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible, Bad Girls of the Bible, Really Bad Girls of the Bible by Liz Curtis Higgs (Five out of five stars)
A series that combines fiction and Bible study, Liz Curtis Higgs takes a look at women in the Bible who were less than perfect role models, and shows the lessons we can learn from them to be godly girls today. Higgs’ writing is very expressing and thought provoking. I devoured these books. They opened my eyes to not only to these Bad Girls, but also to certain things in my own life. Highly, highly recommended.
Cast Two Shadows by Ann Rinaldi (Five stars out of five)
I’ve read a number of Ann Rinaldi’s historical fiction in the past, and I was quickly reminded what a good writer she is. Cast Two Shadows is about the American Revolution in the Southern colonies, seen through the eyes of young Caroline Whitaker. It is through a long journey with her grandmother in an attempt to save her wounded Loyalist brother that she comes to terms with the complexity of her life caused by the war (her Patriot father is imprisoned, and her sister becomes the doxy of a British officer) and her heritage, being both white and black. Rinaldi’s descriptions and characterizations are well developed. I never knew how the Revolution in the South was like the Civil War less than a hundred years later: families ripped apart, brother fighting against brother, and neighbor against neighbor. I found it very sad.
George MacDonald: A Biography of Scotland's Beloved Storyteller by Michael Phillips (Five out of five stars)
Being a big fan George MacDonald’s work, I was very excited when I discovered this biography on him. I knew nothing about his life, so this was an eye-opener for me. He led a hard life, constantly struggling to provide for his family. Yet he was a man a faith, who continually grew in his relationship with God; some found his beliefs controversial then (and even today). I have a new appreciation for George MacDonald, and am eager to read more of his writing.
The Cater Street Hangman by Ann Perry (Four out of five stars)
I borrowed this from my library after seeing a trailer for an A&E film adaptation starring Eoin McCarthy and Keeley Hawes. This historical mystery was a fast, suspense-filled read. Perry’s depiction of Victorian England was fascinating, her characters realistic (especially as the cracks began to show in the Ellison family's heretofore placid exterior when murder disturbed their world). Her heroine, Charlotte Ellison, reminded me some of Sally Lockhart from Ruby in the Smoke: both were strong-willed, spoke their minds, their behavior not as is expected of young women in that era. The romance in the novel was for the most part satisfying, though I felt there wasn’t time for Charlotte to realize her feelings for Pitt were changing.
The reason for the four stars: scattered language throughout the book, and infidelity (all in the past and only discussed). (That got me thinking: In the Bible adultery is wrong and punishable by death to both persons involved. How did we come to view it as an acceptable act on the man’s part, and yet view it as wrong when a woman to do so in the 19th century, to today where it is considered natural for both men and women to do it?)
An Old-Fashioned Girl by Lousia May Alcott (Five out of five stars)
This is the third book by Alcott I’ve read. (The others are The Inheritance and Eight Cousins.) I absolutely loved An Old-Fashioned Girl, it’s heart, realness, and simplicity. Alcott’s style of writing and descriptions is delightful. Polly Milton is so much like the many literary heroines I love: good, moral, gentle, selfless, loving girls who rise above their trials and temptations. I came to care deeply about her and how things affected her. I was so so so happy when I reached the end. I was Tom’s champion from the first! This book will definitely be read again at least once. :D
So what have you all been reading this summer?
Similar to North and South with it’s themes of the class-divide and gap between the poor and rich, the story centers on Mary Barton whose world is shaken when her rich suitor, Henry Carson, the son of a mill owner, is murdered and Jem Wilson, her rejected lover, is accused of the crime. While the book has its faults (this was Elizabeth Gaskell’s first novel), I enjoyed it very much, more than North and South. She painted clear, vivid pictures of Manchester’s filth and disease. Her characters were also well drawn human beings. Seeing Mary change as her world was crumbling around her, I came to like her very much.
Washington's Lady by Nancy Moser (Five stars out of five)
I had never read much about Martha Washington before, only short bios of her in those books that cover all the First Ladies. A friend lent me this historical novel, saying it was very good, but not to force myself to finish it if I didn’t like it. I enjoyed it immensely. Martha’s life was not easy, full of heartbreak and hardship. I learned a lot not only about her, but about George and the struggles to form America. A touching, sad, well written novel.
Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible, Bad Girls of the Bible, Really Bad Girls of the Bible by Liz Curtis Higgs (Five out of five stars)
A series that combines fiction and Bible study, Liz Curtis Higgs takes a look at women in the Bible who were less than perfect role models, and shows the lessons we can learn from them to be godly girls today. Higgs’ writing is very expressing and thought provoking. I devoured these books. They opened my eyes to not only to these Bad Girls, but also to certain things in my own life. Highly, highly recommended.
Cast Two Shadows by Ann Rinaldi (Five stars out of five)
I’ve read a number of Ann Rinaldi’s historical fiction in the past, and I was quickly reminded what a good writer she is. Cast Two Shadows is about the American Revolution in the Southern colonies, seen through the eyes of young Caroline Whitaker. It is through a long journey with her grandmother in an attempt to save her wounded Loyalist brother that she comes to terms with the complexity of her life caused by the war (her Patriot father is imprisoned, and her sister becomes the doxy of a British officer) and her heritage, being both white and black. Rinaldi’s descriptions and characterizations are well developed. I never knew how the Revolution in the South was like the Civil War less than a hundred years later: families ripped apart, brother fighting against brother, and neighbor against neighbor. I found it very sad.
George MacDonald: A Biography of Scotland's Beloved Storyteller by Michael Phillips (Five out of five stars)
Being a big fan George MacDonald’s work, I was very excited when I discovered this biography on him. I knew nothing about his life, so this was an eye-opener for me. He led a hard life, constantly struggling to provide for his family. Yet he was a man a faith, who continually grew in his relationship with God; some found his beliefs controversial then (and even today). I have a new appreciation for George MacDonald, and am eager to read more of his writing.
The Cater Street Hangman by Ann Perry (Four out of five stars)
I borrowed this from my library after seeing a trailer for an A&E film adaptation starring Eoin McCarthy and Keeley Hawes. This historical mystery was a fast, suspense-filled read. Perry’s depiction of Victorian England was fascinating, her characters realistic (especially as the cracks began to show in the Ellison family's heretofore placid exterior when murder disturbed their world). Her heroine, Charlotte Ellison, reminded me some of Sally Lockhart from Ruby in the Smoke: both were strong-willed, spoke their minds, their behavior not as is expected of young women in that era. The romance in the novel was for the most part satisfying, though I felt there wasn’t time for Charlotte to realize her feelings for Pitt were changing.
The reason for the four stars: scattered language throughout the book, and infidelity (all in the past and only discussed). (That got me thinking: In the Bible adultery is wrong and punishable by death to both persons involved. How did we come to view it as an acceptable act on the man’s part, and yet view it as wrong when a woman to do so in the 19th century, to today where it is considered natural for both men and women to do it?)
An Old-Fashioned Girl by Lousia May Alcott (Five out of five stars)
This is the third book by Alcott I’ve read. (The others are The Inheritance and Eight Cousins.) I absolutely loved An Old-Fashioned Girl, it’s heart, realness, and simplicity. Alcott’s style of writing and descriptions is delightful. Polly Milton is so much like the many literary heroines I love: good, moral, gentle, selfless, loving girls who rise above their trials and temptations. I came to care deeply about her and how things affected her. I was so so so happy when I reached the end. I was Tom’s champion from the first! This book will definitely be read again at least once. :D
So what have you all been reading this summer?
So basically, my head is stuck in fantasy-land right now. :D