43. The Women by Kristin Hannah

listened on Libby
480 pgs. (14:56) read by Julia Whelan

2024
Adult Historical Fiction
Finished 5/11/2024
Goodreads rating: 4.67 (you never see them this high, and there's a reason!)
My rating: 5+
Setting: first half: Vietnam, 1967-1969; second half Coronado Island, southern California (and other places around the US) from 1969 - 1982, ending at the dedication of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. in November of 1982.

My comments:   Oh my.  Once you start this book, there's no putting it down.  I had very little idea of what it was about, which is probably best because I don't think I would have read it.  I was in high school at the time this book was set.  I was a young married mom when it the war was "over."  This story, about the women of the war in Vietnam is potent, real, all-consuming, and beautifully written.  I didn't shed a tear until I listened to Kristin Hannah read her acknowledgements.  This was a very powerful, masterfully written story that I don't imagine I will forget.

Goodreads synopsis:  An intimate portrait of coming of age in a dangerous time and an epic tale of a nation divided.

Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path.

As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is over- whelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets—and becomes one of—the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost.

But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam.

The Women is the story of one woman gone to war, but it shines a light on all women who put themselves in harm’s way and whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has too often been forgotten. A novel about deep friendships and bold patriotism, The Women is a richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose idealism and courage under fire will come to define an era.

27. The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

listened on Libby
narrated by Julia Whelan - Absolutely fantastic.

Unabridged audio (13:52)
2019
388 pgs.
Adult Historical Fiction
Finished 3/25/2021
Goodreads rating:  4.27 - 251,213
My rating: 5
Setting: 1937 eastern Kentucky

First line/s:  "Listen.  Three miles deep in the forest just below Arnott's Ridge, and you're in silence so dense it's like you're wading through it."
 
My comments: Hot damn, I loved this book.  I had read The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek last year, so I was acquainted with the general idea of the WPA eastern Kentucky packhorse librarians of 1935 to 1943.  The narrator was absolutely fantastic.  I loved the characters: seven feisty women, two wonderful gentlemen, and a huge array of small-town folk who were mostly unlikable.  Yes, definitely a love story, but more importantly a wonderful piece of well-researched historical fiction,

Goodreads synopsis:  From the author of Me Before You, set in Depression-era America, a breathtaking story of five extraordinary women and their remarkable journey through the mountains of Kentucky and beyond.
          Alice Wright marries handsome American Bennett Van Cleve hoping to escape her stifling life in England. But small-town Kentucky quickly proves equally claustrophobic, especially living alongside her overbearing father-in-law. So when a call goes out for a team of women to deliver books as part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s new traveling library, Alice signs on enthusiastically.
          The leader, and soon Alice’s greatest ally, is Margery, a smart-talking, self-sufficient woman who’s never asked a man’s permission for anything. They will be joined by three other singular women who become known as the Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky.
          What happens to them–and to the men they love–becomes an unforgettable drama of loyalty, justice, humanity and passion. These heroic women refuse to be cowed by men or by convention. And though they face all kinds of dangers in a landscape that is at times breathtakingly beautiful, at others brutal, they’re committed to their job: bringing books to people who have never had any, arming them with facts that will change their lives.
          Based on a true story rooted in America’s past, The Giver of Stars is unparalleled in its scope and epic in its storytelling. Funny, heartbreaking, enthralling, it is destined to become a modern classic–a richly rewarding novel of women’s friendship, of true love, and of what happens when we reach beyond our grasp for the great beyond.

55. Sotah by Naomi Ragen

read on my iPhone
originally 1992
493 pgs.
Adult CRF
Finished 6/17/2019
Goodreads rating: 4.12 - 2144 ratings
My rating: 4
Setting: contemporary (1992) Jerusalem

First line/s:  " 'Yes, I understand all that!'  Chaya Leah insisted, biting the pillow pressed to her chest to keep from screaming in frustration."

My comments:  I've wanted to read this for years.  There's a WORLD of difference between "cultural" or secular Jews and Orthodox Jews, and another, even huger world between Orthodox Jews and the Hasidic community!  This book takes you right into one family in the Hasidic community of Jerusalem and follows three sisters from adolescence through their young marriages.  Some of it is shocking, some of it fills me with despair, and yet some of it is very enlightening.  All of it, however, fills my feminist being with deep frustration.  Such an interesting story.

Goodreads synopsis: Set against the backdrop of Jerusalem's ancient rituals, Sotah is a contemporary story of sacred and profane love, and a young woman's struggle to reconcile tradition with freedom. Ninety three weeks on the best-seller list.vSotah introduces a family with three daughters approaching the age of marriage: Devorah, Dina and Chaya Leah. In the strict orthodoxy of their world, a Sotah is a wife suspected of infidelity who can be tried by ordeal to prove she is guiltless. Which sister could be capable of such a thought, let alone the act? Into the pious world of strict chaperoning and modest clothing, where a married woman's hair must never be seen by a man other than her husband--insinuates this serpent suggestion of evil. Ragen's powerful tale of three sisters spins endless questions: Which one? Could she? Did she? What changes could come into this orderly world because of unthinking actions?

Poetry Picture Book- Shaking Things Up by Susan Hood

14 Young Women Who Changed the World
2018, Harper
40pgs.
Children's Poetry and AMERICAN HISTORY, Biography
Read June 21, 2018
Goodreads rating:  4.53 - 277 ratings
My rating:  5
Endpapers:  Aqua

14 Women:  The Contents including Poem title follow:

Molly Williams, First Known Female Firefighter in the United States, (1747 – 1821)

                “Taking the Heat”

Mary Anning, Paleontologist, (1799 – 1847)

                “Buried Treasure” CONCRETE POETRY

Nellie Bly, Investigative Journalist, (1864 – 1922)

                “Woman of the World”

Annette Kellerman, Champion Athlete and Inventor of the Modern Swimsuit, (1886 – 1975)

                “Turning the Tide”

Pura Belpre, Children’s Author and First Latina Librarian at the New York Public Library, (1899 – 1982)

                “The Storyteller” ACROSTIC

Frida Kahlo, Artist, (1907 – 1954)

                “Broken”

Jacqueline Nearne, Undercover Operative (1916 – 1982) and Eileen Nearne, Wireless Operator (1921 – 2010)

                “Secret Agent Sisters”

Frances Moore, Lappe, Anti-Hunger Activist, (1944 –

                “Full Circle”

Ruby Bridges, Civil Rights Pioneer (1954 –

                “A New School”

Mae Johnson, First Female African American Astronaut (1956 –

                “Lift-Off”

Maya Lin, Architect and Sculptor (1959 –

                “A New Vision”

Angela Zhang, Scientist and Cancer Researcher (1994 –

                “Break It Down”

Malala Yousafzai, Youngest Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize (1997 –

                “Books, Not Bullets”

Author’s Note

Further Resources for each woman

My comments:  Not only are the poems relevant and interesting, they're really GOOD, really well written and great models of superb poetry for kids.

Goodreads synopsis: "Well-behaved women seldom make history." —Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian
          Fresh, accessible, and inspiring, Shaking Things Up introduces fourteen revolutionary young women—each paired with a noteworthy female artist—to the next generation of activists, trail-blazers, and rabble-rousers. From the award-winning author of Ada’s Violin, Susan Hood, this is a poetic and visual picture book that celebrates persistent women throughout history. 
          Among the powerful pairings: Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall takes on heroic World War II spies Eileen and Jacqueline Nearne; Selina Alko is matched with the brave Malala Yousafzai; New York Times bestselling illustrator Emily Winfield Martin is paired with the inventor of the controversial one-piece bathing suit, Annette Kellerman; and Shadra Strickland introduces America’s first known female firefighter, Molly Williams.
          While women make up over half of the U.S. population, they face discrimination, have less representation in government and other fields, and struggle every day for their human rights. It is more important now than ever to raise a generation of girls who, in the face of adversity, persevere. This book was written, illustrated, edited, and designed by women.
          Includes a foreword by a prominent female activist, an author’s note, a timeline, and additional resources.    
          This book features: Selina Alko, Sophie Blackall, Lisa Brown, Hadley Hooper, Emily Winfield Martin, Oge Mora, Julie Morstad, Sara Palacios, LeUyen Pham, Erin Robinson, Isabel Roxas, Shadra Strickland, and Melissa Sweet.

PICTURE BOOK - She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton

Illustrated by Alexandra Boiger

2017, Philomel Books

HC $17.99

32 pgs.

Goodreads rating: 4.45 - 2139 ratings

My rating: 5

Endpapers:  Bright red

1^st line/s:"Sometimes being a girl isn't easy.  At some point, someone probably will tell you no, will tell you to be quiet and may even tell you your dreams are impossible.  Don't listen to them."

                           

My comments:  Chelsea Clinton, herself someone to be admired, chose 13 really interesting women to inspire the young girls of today.  Each double page consists of a short, informative piece about each woman's accomplishment/s, a quote from her, and an illustration of her "in action."  It was fun to turn each page and anticipate who would be the next person included.  If you, too, would like to anticipate the thirteen persistent women, read no further. 
The are: 
Harriet Tubman, 
Helen Keller, 
Clara Lemlich, 
Nellie Bly, 
Virginia Apgar, 
Mari Tallchief, 
Claudette Colvin, 
Ruby Bridges, 
Margaret Chase Smith, 
Sally Ride, 
Florence Griffith Joyner, 
Oprah Winfrey, and 
Sonia Sotomayer. 
(I would then include Gabby Giffords.)  Great book.

Goodreads:Chelsea Clinton introduces tiny feminists, mini activists and little kids who are ready to take on the world to thirteen inspirational women who never took no for an answer, and who always, inevitably and without fail, persisted.
          Throughout American history, there have always been women who have spoken out for what’s right, even when they have to fight to be heard. In early 2017, Senator Elizabeth Warren’s refusal to be silenced in the Senate inspired a spontaneous celebration of women who persevered in the face of adversity. In this book, Chelsea Clinton celebrates thirteen American women who helped shape our country through their tenacity, sometimes through speaking out, sometimes by staying seated, sometimes by captivating an audience. They all certainly persisted.
          She Persisted is for everyone who has ever wanted to speak up but has been told to quiet down, for everyone who has ever tried to reach for the stars but was told to sit down, and for everyone who has ever been made to feel unworthy or unimportant or small.
          With vivid, compelling art by Alexandra Boiger, this book shows readers that no matter what obstacles may be in their paths, they shouldn’t give up on their dreams. Persistence is power.
          This book features: Harriet Tubman, Helen Keller, Clara Lemlich, Nellie Bly, Maria Tallchief, Claudette Colvin, Ruby Bridges, Margaret Chase Smith, Sally Ride, Florence Griffith Joyner, Oprah Winfrey, Sonia Sotomayor—and one special cameo.

41. The Hundredth Queen by Emily R. King

The Hundredth Queen #1
read on my iPhone
2017, Skyscape
300 pgs.
YA Fantasy
Finished 7-19-17
Goodreads rating:  3.84 - 6963 ratings
My rating:  4
Setting:  Ancient times, Middle east?"

First line/s: "Snowy mountains tear into the ashen sky, their jagged peaks pearly, like wolverine fangs.  Cold winds sting my bare cheeks and exposed hands.  The frosty temple coutryard is barren of the other daughters and sister who reside here.  Only my best friend is with me."

My comments:  For a couple of years I taught Gilgamesh and a bit about ancient Sumeria to fifth graders at Tucson Hebrew Academy.  Interesting stuff.  Emily R. King uses some of the ancient Sumerian religion as a basis for her fictional Tarachand Empire and its religion.  Although there was battling and bloodiness, tournaments and fighting, those parts were not belabored and kept my interest completely.  Excellent characters and characterization.  Some of the bad guys were really bad. Some of the bad guys weren't quite so bad.  Lots of secrets.  Cool setting.  There's something about one guy with 100 wives and at least as many paramours that is very entertaining and though-provoking.  There was nothing boring about this book, I looked forward to returning to it, and I'm disappointed that it's finished.  I know there's a book two and wonder if there'll be more.  Good read.

Goodreads synopsis: As an orphan ward of the Sisterhood, eighteen-year-old Kalinda is destined for nothing more than a life of seclusion and prayer. Plagued by fevers, she’s an unlikely candidate for even a servant’s position, let alone a courtesan or wife. Her sole dream is to continue living in peace in the Sisterhood’s mountain temple.
          But a visit from the tyrant Rajah Tarek disrupts Kalinda’s life. Within hours, she is ripped from the comfort of her home, set on a desert trek, and ordered to fight for her place among the rajah’s ninety-nine wives and numerous courtesans. Her only solace comes in the company of her guard, the stoic but kind Captain Deven Naik.
          Faced with the danger of a tournament to the death—and her growing affection for Deven—Kalinda has only one hope for escape, and it lies in an arcane, forbidden power buried within her.
          In Emily R. King’s thrilling fantasy debut, an orphan girl blossoms into a warrior, summoning courage and confidence in her fearless quest to upend tradition, overthrow an empire, and reclaim her life as her own.

60. Court of Fives - Kate Elliott

#1 Court of Fives
Actually read the just-out, hard-covered book!
2015, Little Brown & Co.
432 pgs.
YA Fantasy/Dystopia
Finished 9/22/15
Goodreads rating:  3.66
My rating:  5/Loved it

First line/s: We four sisters are sitting in the courtyard at dusk in what passes for peace in our house.  Well-brought-up girls do not fidget nor fume nor ever betray the least impatience or boredom.  But it is so hard to sit still when all I can think about is how I am going to sneak out of the house tomorrow to do the thing my father would never, ever give me permission to do.

My comments:  This is a story of class and rank and color, taking place in a world woven by the imagination of Kate Elliott. It's a story of five women - four sisters and their mother, who have had very few choices in their lives, but seem to have cleverly stayed on the shaky path they each have been able to make for themself. Of course those paths are fraught with disconcerting "uh-ohs" at every turn, but the choices they are able to make actually win out - or come close.  They all have an unsteady place in the society woven in this book, and as things go from okay to bad to worse, the story flies along unceasingly. Fast.  Gritty.  I really, really enjoyed it and couldn't put it down.  Sure, some of it was not-quite believable, but I didn't care.  Jessamy, the protagonist, is a winner - and I don't mean in just the court of fives!
          I've read some negative reviews about this book. To each her own taste. I truly enjoyed it, every awkward, eye-rolling happening!
     (I wonder if the next in the series is going to be from the missing-for-most-of-this-book Bettany's point of view?)

From the copyright page:  When a scheming lord tears Jes's family apart, she must rely on her unlikely friendship with Kal, a high-ranking Patron boy, and her skill at Fives, an intricate, multi-level athletic competition that offers a chance for glory, to protect her Commoner mother and mixed-race sisters and save her father's reputation.

Goodreads Summary:
On the Fives court, everyone is equal.

And everyone is dangerous.

Jessamy’s life is a balance between acting like an upper-class Patron and dreaming of the freedom of the Commoners. But away from her family, she can be whomever she wants when she sneaks out to train for the Fives, an intricate, multilevel athletic competition that offers a chance for glory to the kingdom’s best competitors.
     Then Jes meets Kalliarkos, and an improbable friendship between the two Fives competitors—one of mixed race and the other a Patron boy—causes heads to turn. When Kal’s powerful, scheming uncle tears Jes’s family apart, she’ll have to test her new friend’s loyalty and risk the vengeance of a royal clan to save her mother and sisters from certain death.
     In this imaginative escape into an enthralling new world, World Fantasy Award finalist Kate Elliott’s first young adult novel weaves an epic story of a girl struggling to do what she loves in a society suffocated by rules of class and privilege.

Write On, Mercy! – Gretchen Woelfle

The Secret Life of Mercy Otis Warren

Illustrated by Alexandra Wallner

2012, Calkins Creek, Honesdale, PA

Rating:  5

For:  older kids, probably not preschool

40 pages

HC $16.95

Endpapers:  Orange

Title Page:  Mercy’s arm and hand, with quill and melting candle, writing on a stack of papers.

Setting:  Late 1700’s during the American Revolution, in Massachusetts

1^st line/lines:  “From her parlor window in West Barnstable,  young Mercy Otis could watch the tide flow in and out of the Great Marsh on Cape Cod Bay.”

OSS:  Tells the life of Mercy Otis Warren, a woman who told the story of the Revolution in over 1,000 pages that took thirty years.  She would have been a politician if she had lived in contemporary times!

This was an exceptionally fine story about a really interesting person – of the female persuasion – in our history.  The writing is beautiful and sophisticated, the story well-researched and finely told.  A keeper.  Perfect for my 4^th grade biography unit.

Includes Author’s Note, a painting of Mercy Otis Warren by John Singleton Copley (this REALLY makes her a real person for the kids), a 2-page timeline of her life and what was going on politically, an excellent bibliography, and a number of websites.  What a perfect model for a well researched book of history to share with kids! 

Bravo!

About the author:  Woelfe is a writer from LA who loves history, especially stories of little-known people in history.  She’s written Katie the Windmill Cat, All the World’s a Stage: A Novel in Five Acts, and Jeannette Rankin: Political Pioneer.

The illustrator, also a love of history, lives in Yucatan, Mexico.