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Monthly Book Feature--- December 2015 Bastards Mary Anna King There are more books than I can count on the market in which women write about their dysfunctional childhoods. I usually avoid showcasing these books as, although the stories belong to each individual writer, they can begin to be repetitive. This is not the case with Mary Anna King's book, The Bastards. Mary Anna is the second oldest of seven children. Unable to provide for Mary Anna and her older brother and next youngest sister, her parents send them to live with her maternal grandparents, who ultimately adopt them. Her parents then go on to have four more girls who they give up for adoption. Mary Anna and her brother are present when their mother meets with potential adoptive parents in a diner to decide who to give the first sister to. Knowing that at some point Mary Anna will meet these four sisters stays in her mind as she is being raised by her grandparents. Extremely well-written and honest, this book showcases the power of love and family in a vivid and rich way. 
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November 2015 Sisters in Law Linda Hirshman Other than the fact that Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Ginsburg were the first two women appointed to the US Supreme Court, I really knew nothing about them. This book by Linda HIrsham changed that! O'Connor, the Republican from Arizona and Ginsburg, the Democrat from Manhattan, brought rich and varied experiences to the court during a time in which the lives of women in the US changed in part because of their rulings. This book brings the reader into both the private lives of these powerful women and into their legal minds. Each part is equally fascinating and allowed me to appreciate them as women who helped to shape the lives of all women today. 
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October 2015 The Hand on the Mirror: A True Story of Life Beyond Death Janis Heaphy Durham After the death of her husband, Janis experiences stunning events that cause to ask the question: Does life continue after death? As the publisher of the Sacramento Bee and a trained journalist, she brings her reporter's skepticism to her task. In her book, she takes us on her personal journey of loss and survival and her exploration of the afterlife. Her interviews with experts add credibility to her search, but it is her own story that engages the reader fully. 
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September 2015 Anchors and Flares: A Memoir of Motherhood, Hope and Service Kate Braestrup This is the third book of Kate Braestrup's that I have featured. Kate is the chaplain to the Maine Game Wardens, a job that provides the opportunity to share a unique perspective on the human condition. True to her other books, she continues to be a great story teller. In this book, she weaves stories about her role as a chaplain and her role as a mother. She shares her perspective about God and God's role in both parts of her life and the lives of others. 
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August 2015 The Goddess Pose: The Audacious Life of Indra Devi, the Woman Who Helped Bring Yoga to the West Michelle Goldberg Indra Devi was born in Russia in 1899 and died at the age of 102 in the U.S. She is known primarily for her contributions to bringing yoga to the west. However, equally fascinating is how she was able to in some way be a part of most of the major events of the 20th century. The story of her tenacity and her life on four continents allows the reader to see how she constantly reinvented herself to both survive and affect people and events around her. 
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July 2015 However Long the Night: Molly Melching's Journey to Help Millions of African Woman and Girls Triumph Aimee Molloy This is the riveting story of Molly Melching's 40 years working to empower women in Senegal, Africa. As a graduate student in French literature she traveled to Dakar to study and stayed to develop programs to educate women in their local villages. The most significant accomplishment of her efforts is the almost complete eradication of female genital cutting in Senegal-- a task accomplished by helping local women learn about this practice and make decisions for themselves. I would make this book required reading for any student of international affairs. Molly Melching's insights and methods of cross cultural development are a model for all. 
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June 2015 Michelle Obama: A Life by Peter Slevin As I grew up in Chicago, I had an interest in knowing more about Michelle Obama's early life. I was curious to see how her African-American working class Southside experience compared to my Caucasian working class Northside one. This book did not disappoint me. What amazed me most was how throughout her life she was able to be highly focused on achieving the many goals she set for herself. No matter what your politics, you can't help but be drawn into the journey her life has been so far. 
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May 2015 It's What I Do: A Photographers Life of Love and War by Lynsey Addario Lynsey Addario is US journalist and photographer who for almost 20 years went all around the world, visiting all the saddest places on planet where wars are raging, civilians are harassed, innocent children, women and elders are killed. She worked for several eminent newspapers - The New York Times, Time, Newsweek, National Geographic – and received many awards for her work, including Pulitzer prize and Getty Images Grant for Editorial Photography. With her book however she goes a step further, explaining how she became a photographer from person who was just taking photos and the impact becoming a photographer had on her life. 
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April 2015 When I Married My Mother by Jo Maeder Jo Maeder was a high-energy, irreverent Z100 radio "ZJ" in New York City when a series of crises led her to do the unthinkable: leave New York for the Bible Belt- "Greensboring," North Carolina-to care for her estranged, eccentric "Mama Jo." What she thought would be some of the worst years of her life turned out to be some of the best. The same was true for her mother. Jo also discovered there's nothing boring about Greensboro. Though often rocky, this "marriage" was a triumphant success, leading Jo to repair a long-fractured family, smooth her rough edges, and find a new and vibrant life she never imagined. 
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March 2015 Traveling to Infinity: My Life With Stephen by Jane Hawking If you saw the movie, The Theory of Everything, you are familiar with the story of Jane and Stephen Hawking. This book is the memoir upon which the movie is based. As with most good books, the book is better than the movie. The movie focuses its story telling on Stephen, with Jane as his constant support system. In her book, Ms. Hawking shares much more of her story in this partnership. She was a an aspiring academic when she married and put her career on hold to insure that Stephen could grow his. This book lets us into Jane's world with all of its struggles and triumphs. 
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February 2015 Isabella: The Warrior Queen by Kristen Downey When I was in school, history was taught by the voice of those in power. This almost always meant a male voice. So when learning about the rulers of the age of exploration, it was always about Ferdinand, Isabella's philandering husband. Downey triumpantly restores Isabella to her rightful place in history. She vividly narrates the incredible drama of her unending struggle to navigate countless intrigues and the treachery of men who wanted to bring her down. One of her many contributions was her efforts to place her four daughters on the thrones of Europe. These efforts have insured her influence is still felt today. 
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January 2015 Maude by Donna Mabry Born in the late 1800's, by the time Maude was 16, she was orphaned, married, a mother and a widow. Written by her granddaughter, who heard Maude's stories growing up, we learn not only about her early life in Tennessee, but how she also lived through the Depression, both World Wars, and migrated to Detroit as a way to survive. This heartwarming memoir paints the picture of a woman whose adult life spanned more than half of the 20th century, providing us first hand insights into the struggles and challenges many woman faced during this time. Maude stayed with me for days after I read this book! |