The World of Downton Abbey, by Jessica Fellowes

As an admitted Anglophile who is completely swept up in the current Downton Abbey craze, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the companion book.  Not only did I expect it to have beautiful pictures (which it does,) but I also thought it would be a fun way to satisfy my hunger for more information on the fictional Crawley family and the time in which they lived.

If you are unaware of what Downton Abbey is, it is a mini-series on PBS set in the years surrounding WWI.  Downton Abbey is the estate belonging to the Crawley family, the patriarch of which is the 5th Earl of Grantham.  The estate, as was the custom, has been handed down to male heirs throughout the years since it was originally bought in the 1600′s.  Robert and Cora Crawley, however, have been blessed with 3 daughters and no sons, which creates an obstacle in the inheritance of the estate.  That obstacle increases when the next heirs, a male cousin and his son, drown during the Titanic‘s sinking in 1912.

What follows is a series of events that are made more intriguing by the fact that they are happening to an aristocratic family with daughters that need to be married off, a family estate that needs a future owner, and a bevy of servants downstairs who are accompanied by their own set of issues. The class system continues downstairs as well, with the butler at the head and the kitchen maids near the bottom.  There are secrets, mysteries, unrequited love affairs, schemes, and other storylines that keep the plot moving forward in a clever and entertaining way.

The Downton Abbey Companion Book does a satisfactory job of being no more than what it claims to be– a “companion.”  It does not give away any of the plot beyond the first season. There are a few behind-the-scenes anecdotes, some history of the house that is used (Highclere Castle,) and explanation of the work that is done to preserve the time period’s authenticity.

But what I most appreciated in the book are the tidbits on real-life people who lived during that time; people upon whom some of the characters are based.  There are quotes from duchesses, butlers, footmen, maids, and others who lived the time and its required customs.  If nothing else, it makes you appreciate the efforts of the writers and production team to create a realistic setting for a fictional family during a time in history when their way of life was slowly becoming more and more obsolete.

The book’s author, Jessica Fellowes, is an author and free-land journalist.  She is also the niece of Julian Fellowes, who is the creator and writer of Downton Abbey.

If it seems odd to include a television companion book on a book review site, my only excuse is my love for this series and the fact that it reads like a book.  And, because the characters are so well thought out, it is refreshing to read about some of their backgrounds, which is provided in the book.  We learn about the history of the house in the series, the courtship of Robert and Cora, and the expectations of everyone in their distinctive social standings.

In fulfilling its intended purpose, the Downton Abbey Companion Book is quite successful.

9/10 Stars

The Kindness of Strangers: Penniless Across America, by Mike McIntyre

Our comfort zones is exactly that…the zone in which we are comfortable.  We rarely travel outside of it.  Is it because of fear?  Anxiety?  Lack of ambition?  Boredom?

In The Kindness of Strangers: Penniless Across America, journalist Mike McIntyre takes the leap and decides to abandon every comfort he knows.  He says goodbye to his job, his girlfriend, his San Francisco apartment, and even his money, in order to conduct a social experiment.  His plan is to hitchhike across the United States–San Francisco, CA to Cape Fear, NC.

The experiment is as much a challenge for himself as for the unsuspecting people he encounters.  As someone who has let fear guide a lot of his decisions in life, he feels like this is his last chance to prove to himself that he has courage.  For Mike, the comfort zone has become a trap.

He has some rules for his trip:  he will accept food, he will accept shelter, he will stay near smaller towns, he will accept rides from 1 man, 1 woman, a man and a woman, a family, but not from 2 men.  He will not accept money throughout the trip.  Not one penny.  He won’t accept it and he won’t carry it with him.  When and if he reaches his destination, he’ll call his girlfriend (collect) and have her mail his ATM card to the nearest post office.

And so he begins…

Food becomes an immediate issue, but less of an issue over time.  Rides vary depending on where he is traveling.

It is the array of people he meets that really make the story, as well as the growth and trust that Mike develops.  In the end, he realizes that the people who have the least, are the most generous.  Makes sense, really, as they understand the plight of someone in need.

There were times, at the beginning, where I found myself rolling my eyes a few times at the description of the people who offered rides.  As someone who is not very comfortable leaving her comfort zone, I was a bit skeptical at the colorful lives and language of so many of the people Mike encountered.  (I’m still a bit cynical after reading James Frey’s A Million Little Pieces, which turned out to be almost completely fabricated.)

But I decided to give the author the benefit of the doubt.  After all, I recently moved from a big metropolis to a small town, and the people are certainly different.  Not better, not worse, but different.

After a while, though, I must admit that some of the people Mike met started to run together.  I focused, instead, on his own growth, of which there was much.  I was also riveted by an experience he had at the end of the book, talking with a man who panhandles for a living.  Apparently there is a lot of that, which is unfortunate for people who are really down-and-out.

As expected, Mike returns home a changed man, but not necessarily how he expected.  The journey affects the way he sees everything, and makes him re-evaluate what is really important.

This is an unusual book about a man who fights his fears and take a journey most of us would never have the courage to do.  It is worth reading.  If nothing else, it restores your faith in the American people.

8  1/2 Stars

Outcasts United, by Warren St. John

Anytime you read a sports biography, you hope to be inspired and you expect to read about obstacles being overcome.  These were the feelings I had as I began to read Outcasts United, the true story of a Jordanian woman named Luma Mufleh, who moved to the United States and, through a series of events, put together a soccer team full of immigrant, at-risk boys from war-torn countries.

As someone who taught at-risk kids for years, many of them immigrants or children of first generation immigrants, I have a lot of respect for someone who can devote so much time helping these kids assimilate to American culture.  The boys in this story were dealing with all sorts of issues, including the psychological trauma of living for years under the umbrella of war.  Many had experienced the loss of a parent or sibling, lived in ramshackle refugee camps with their accompanying starvation and poverty, and little or no schooling.

The US government, in an attempt to give these families a fresh start in the “land of promise and opportunity,” chose the small city of Clarkston, Georgia, to relocate them.  The housing was sparse and in a bad part of town.  And the city’s residents, many of whom had lived there all their lives, did not take to their new neighbors well.  The differences could not be ignored, and many complained or simply moved away.

Meanwhile, a young woman named Luma Mufleh, was dealing with the challenges of going beyond her own culturally acceptable boundaries and the affect it was having on her family, particularly her father.  She was a Middle Eastern woman who did not want to be put into a certain mold. She was searching for her niche at the same time as the Clarkston refugees were in need of sympathetic leadership.

The story, itself, is inspiring.  I grew to really like Luma.  Her courage and tenacity is to be admired.  She became much more than a coach, but also a tutor, a mentor, and a surrogate parent for many.  She had, and has, very high standards for the boys, insisting that they sign a contract and follow certain rules in order to be on the team.  Hard work, dedication, discipline, and respect for rules takes precedent over athletic skill.

Although the story is inspiring, however, I found the writing to be lacking.  There is a monotone quality to the author’s style that detracted from the book’s potential.  Even though you know that it is a true story, the people in it are still treated in a flat, 2 dimensional way .  It wasn’t until I went to the teams’ website and watched their coach being interviewed that I got a full sense of the kinds of kids she was helping.  She’s energetic and spunky, the kids are excited and hopeful.  This should have been conveyed on the page and, sadly, it wasn’t.

7/10 Stars

Value Tales Series, by Spencer and Ann Donegan Johnson

One of the many problems with today’s society is that children do not have adequate heroes and role models.  When little girls want to grow up and be Britney Spears and boys want to be Eminem, there is a real problem.  And, part of the reason the kids look to those people is because they are who they see all the time in the media.  So, one way to combat this is by introducing positive role models to them.  And it should be done early, while they are still impressionable and learning about the world.

When I was a kid in the 1970′s, the media’s influences were slightly more controlled because there was no internet, no cable, to texting, heck, no computers.  A friend of my mom’s gave my brother and me a book called The Value of Patience, the Story of The Wright Brothers.  The story was full of facts about these 2 brothers who invented the first working aircraft, and the pictures were bright and colorful and the writing engaging.  We loved that book.

Soon, we started to collect the Value Tales, by Spencer and Ann Donegan Johnson.  The Wright Brothers’ biography was soon followed by The Value of Determination, The Story of Helen Keller and then it was Beethoven, Jackie Robinson, Columbus, Will Rogers, Johnny Appleseed, the list goes on and on.  By the time I was in high school, I had learned about all sorts of historical figures that never seem to make their way into the history books anymore.  Significant people who have made incredible contributions to the world…Ralph Bunche, Nelly Bly, Elizabeth Fry, Cochise, the Mayo Brothers…how many kids today have heard of these people?  Probably very few.  But all of them have books devoted to them in the Value Tales series.  And they are interesting, fun, colorful and educational.  After all, isn’t the best kind of learning when you don’t even realize it?

When I became a teacher, the Value Tales worked their way into my classroom.  My students loved them.  It didn’t matter that each book is about 60 pages.  I had 2nd graders that would sit through an entire volume, hanging on every word, and part of the reason is because the writing by the Johnsons humanizes the subjects.  We learn where they came from, their families, and their struggles and perseverance to obtain success.  And to make things extra fun, a lot of the subjects have little imaginary friends that pop out somewhere in the beginning and become their inner voice.

There are many biographical series available, but you would be hard-pressed to find one that is better than the Value Tales series.  There are around 40 books.  (I have 29.) They are not in print anymore but you can easily find them on Amazon or other used books sites.  Some are very valuable, like the Lucille Ball Value Tale…probably the most in-demand of the series (I still don’t have that one,) which can run $100 just for 1 volume, but most are much, much less.  If you can find a set for sale somewhere that has 10-15 books for around $100, it is a good buy and well worth the investment for your children.

Isn’t it time you gave your kids some good role models?  You’ll find them in The Value Tales.  My childhood set is in my bookcase about 3 feet from me right now. *wink*

10/10 Stars

Princess Academy, by Shannon Hale

One of the great things about being in a book club is that you get exposed to books and authors that you’ve never heard of before.  After reading several books with heavy themes, it was suggested that we treat ourselves to something a little lighter, even a kids’ book.  We chose The Princess Academy, by Shannon Hale.

Ironically, I already owned the book.  I had been shopping at Target a few months before, and was somehow drawn to this book.  Maybe it was the earnest look on the girl’s face, maybe it was the words “bestseller” and “Newbery Honor book.”  Either way, it sounded interesting.

Technically, you could call the book a fantasy.  But it is one of those fantasies that feels like it could really happen.  The protagonist, Miri, is part of a group of “highlanders” in a fictional land.  The village’s people all work in a quarry, digging a valuable stone out of the earth that is not available anywhere else.  That life is all they know.  They have families, they work in the quarry, and, periodically, the crafty “lowlander” merchants come and buy the stone from them to sell at a profit.  The lowlanders view the highlanders as backward and ignorant.  But many of the highlanders who work in the quarry have a special “gift” that no one else has.

Miri, who lives with her sister and father, soon experiences an interruption in her peaceful life.  The nation’s young prince needs to find a wife, and it has been revealed that the future princess must come from the highlander people.  The only way to prepare for such a thing is to have a “princess academy,” which will train the youngest daughters of each family in ways of grace and gentility.  Only after they have received their sufficient training will the prince choose his future bride.

The idea of the story sounds a little far-fetched, but it works.  Miri is a strong-willed, but charming character who you want to succeed.  She endures prejudice, greed, competition, and even some physical abuse while at the academy.  The dynamics between the girls and their motivations for winning the prince’s affections are fun and interesting to read about.  There are jealousies and alliances, leaders and followers, but all of them benefit from the education.  Miri even learns some things that benefit her entire town.  Ruling over the girls is a strict teacher named Olana, and even she experiences some growth in the course of the story.

There is a crisis towards the end that, I feel, seems a bit contrived, but the story needed something to show how the girls could work together when necessary.

As a whole, this is a very unique tale with a surprise ending.  I think it is this uniqueness, plus the engaging characters and writing that rarely lags, that make this an appealing book.  It is appropriate for all ages.

8.5/10 Stars

A Little Bit Wicked, by Kristin Chenoweth

Anyone who is a fan of Broadway musicals, and a fan of Wicked–one of the best musicals ever– has heard of Kristin Chenoweth.  Like Judy Garland, there is a whole lotta talent and a whole lotta voice in her tiny 4’11″ frame.   So when Borders bookstores were closing down and selling everything at great discounts, I couldn’t resist picking up A Little Bit Wicked.

Like most entertainment memoirs, this is pretty light reading.  But it is fun to read about her beginnings as an adopted child in the Midwest discovering her love of performing and the way she worked her way to becoming one of the Great White Way’s most recognizable stars.  She is also one of the few who has made a smooth transition back and forth between the stage and TV, although her TV characters are usually “larger than life,” as a stage actor is expected to be.  Flashback to her role on the short-lived Pushing Daisies and her many guest appearances on Glee.  Those are some pretty wacky characters.

While I do admire the talent and tenacity it takes to start from the bottom and make your way to becoming a Tony award-winning Broadway star, I do have an issue with one thing.  Kristin calls herself very religious, yet, at the same time, seems pretty promiscuous.  Maybe it was not her intent to give that impression while writing the book, but give it she did.  Perhaps that is her way of justifying the book’s title, but I just found her beliefs and her actions in life outside a bit conflicting.  Perhaps it was just a little too soon for her to write a memoir.  I felt, by reading the book, that this is a very talented small-town girl who still needs to decide who she wants to be.

But that is just me putting things through the filter of my own belief system.  Overall, it is a fun book that needs not be read more than once.

7/10 Stars

Danny, the Champion of the World, by Roald Dahl

One of the reasons why Roald Dahl’s books have remained so popular over the years, is because he treats the children in his stories the way kids want to be treated.  And he does the same thing to his readers.  I first discovered Danny, The Champion of the World as a 9 year old 4th grader, and it was the first book I ever read where I felt a complete connection with the author and the characters.  Roald Dahl’s messages to kids are simple, yet profound:  You matter.  You’re important.  Your ideas are worth sharing.  There is validity in what you contribute to the world, and it doesn’t matter that you’re a kid.

Most of Roald Dahl’s books center around a child in a peculiar circumstance that has an adult ally and plenty of obstacles to overcome.  In Danny, our young protagonist lives with his father in a gypsy caravan in a small English village where they maintain the local filling station and garage.  Danny goes to school and endures the daily tyranny of his teacher, Captain Lancaster.  When at home, he and his father work on cars together and lead a simple, but fulfilling life.  The bond between these two is extremely close. Danny absolutely worships his dad, who tells him fantastic tales every night before bed.

But one evening, Danny’s father nearly falls from his pedestal when he reveals a secret to his son about a late-night hobby– poaching (stealing) pheasants off the land of a wealthy landowner.  Danny must come to terms with this news and decide how to deal with it.

What follows is a father/son adventure of the wildest sort, which involves local villagers, the constable, and even the preacher’s wife!

There are fun, fantastic stories, and there is excellent storytelling.  Danny has both.  One minute you are whisked away in a high-flying balloon and the next you are crawling along in the dark with Danny and his dad on a midnight mission.  Few authors, of children’s or adult books, can bring language to life the Roald Dahl can, and this book is one of his treasures.  It isn’t his most well-known, (most know Dahl as the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach,) but I think it is his best.  I have read it to many of my elementary school classes over the years and it never ceases to mesmerize.

10/10 Stars

A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini

How is it that some writers can blend depth and simplicity, happiness and sorrow, and beauty and disgust all in one amazing tale? That is what Khaled Hosseini has done in A Thousand Splendid Suns.

The book is the story of 2 women. There is Mariam, an illegitimate daughter of her town’s most respected businessman. She lives in a hovel with her cynical and disillusioned mother.

There is Laila, the daughter of a forward-thinking schoolteacher and a mother who is vibrant and outgoing.

The book is divided into four parts. Part 1 is Mariam’s story, which is filled with hopes, determination, and years of emotional numbness after circumstances force her into a harsh marriage.

Part 2 is Laila’s story, which is filled with love, tenderness, loss and redemption. I don’t want to give anything away, so forgive my sketchy descriptions.

Part 3 is where these women’s lives meet, then intersect, then become entwined out of circumstance, necessity, and, ultimately, sacrifice.

Part 4 is where they part ways, each finding a new kind of peace and tranquility and even fulfillment. Although they part ways, they are still very much entwined with each other.

During the tales you see the disintegration of society in Afghanistan. Happy families are torn apart by death and political upheaval. Thriving cities are now piles of rubble ruled over by warlords who are merciless. Rules are imposed that remind you of what the Jews had to endure in Nazi Germany, only this time it is the Afghan women who are being oppressed.

But through it all you see the indomitable spirits of these women. They find a way to survive the most incredible challenges. They love, they hope, they plan for the future. They try to create normalcy for their children. They shake their heads at the men riding by in the backs of trucks with their rifles and airs of self-importance. They even stay optimistic that their lot in life will eventually change.

This book in amazing, just as I expected it to be after my previous experience with Hosseini’s The Kite Runner. Despite the subject matter, it is extremely fast reading. I learned and understand more about the plight of the Afghan people from A Thousand Splendid Suns than anything I’ve seen or heard from the media.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who watches those news stories about the Middle East with a sense of mild apathy. After all, those countries are always fighting amongst themselves and with others. There are so many names of leaders, cities, warlords, and factions we don’t understand. I know my sympathy has diluted over the years because all of these problems seem to melt together until one isn’t distinguishable from the other.

What I most appreciated about this book is that the reader gets an inside perspective of what life was like before, during, and after the Taliban took over the main cities of Afghanistan. You see how lives change. I, personally, felt thankful for having been born in the USA (which is something I haven’t done in a long time.)

Give yourself the gift of an amazing read that will leave you with knowledge of a forgotten group of people–the women of Afghanistan–and a heightened sense of compassion for everyone. Read Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns. It will stay with you for a long time.

10/10 Stars

Forever Liesel, by Charmian Carr

If you asked my mother which songs I sang the most as a child, she would tell you Top of the World, by the Carpenters, and Doe-A-Deer, from The Sound of Music.  In fact, several years ago when we had the thrilling opportunity to meet Julie Andrews at a book signing in Pasadena, that is one of the first things she told her.

I was embarrassed at the time, but quickly got over it, because I’m one of the millions of people around the world who simply adores The Sound of Music.  One of the really nice things is learning about what decent, upstanding people the young cast has grown into.  Forever Liesel, written by Charmian Carr, is a delightful account of what it was like to be a part of this beloved movie.  In a succinct but entertaining way, she talks about learning when she got the part, meeting the rest of the cast, and working with Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer (on whom she had quite a crush.)  Unlike the rest of the “children,” she was of age where she could work longer hours, enjoy the Austrian location with less restrictions, and associate with the 2 stars off the set.

Unlike so many other young stars who shun the very vehicle that shot them to fame, all 7 of the film’s young actors still appreciate the positive impact that The Sound of Music had on their lives.  They spent years promoting it and making appearances without pay, enjoy having cast reunions, and regard each other with warm affection as much as if they were really brothers and sisters.  And, although most have left acting for other endeavors, they still have fond memories of their months working on the project.

Forever Liesel is not especially earth-shattering, but simply a fun behind-the-scenes look at the making of an iconic film.  It is a fast read that will make you want to cuddle up in front of the movie once again and enjoy it with new appreciation.

8/10 Stars

Cold Sassy Tree, by Olive Ann Burns

When I was in college and flying back and forth between Utah and California, there were 2 books that always came with me on the airplane, Jane Eyre and Cold Sassy Tree.  I remember specifically my introduction to Jane Eyre, but I cannot, for the life of me, remember how I discovered Cold Sassy Tree.  I do know that it has been a book I have revisited many times like an old friend, always ready to greet me with its characters and multiple storylines.

Cold Sassy Tree takes place at the turn of the century in Cold Sassy, Georgia.  It centers around a boy and his grandpa.  The boy, Will Tweedy, is 14 years old and experiencing life as most boys that age.  He is caught between childhood and adulthood, surging with hormones, and at the point where rules are not as black and white as they used to be.  He has just lost his best friend and confidante, Bluford Jackson, to a freak accident.  One thing he has no doubt about, though, is his love for his grandpa, E. Rucker Blakeslee, owner of the general store, several homes, and a recent widower.  Rules don’t mean much to him either, but for different reasons.  Rucker feels he has lived enough years that he is entitled to do what he wants.

To prove his point, Rucker shocks his family and the town by eloping with his milliner less than 3 weeks after his wife dies.  Love Simpson is young, brash, flamboyant and, Heaven forbid–a Yankee!

This causes a lot of upheaval in a town that is usually free of scandal, not to mention the embarrassment to Rucker’s 2 daughters and their families.  His only ally seems to be his grandson, Will, who watches his grandpa with a mixture of fear, respect, and awe. Rucker begins stretching social boundaries more and more, even having church in his own living room to show up the ladies of the town who are not accepting of his new, much-younger wife.  Miss Love, herself, is a breath of fresh air in Rucker’s life, bringing new ideas  and a renewed sense of self-worth to the old man.

Cold Sassy Tree is all about good, old-fashioned storytelling.  It is not trying to be something lofty, and yet, because the story is told from Will Tweedy’s viewpoint, we find ourselves discovering life right alongside him.  As he deals with feelings about his grandpa, his parents, his best friend’s death, first love, elitism, racism, and other issues, I found myself transported.  The fact that these issues are dealt with in an entertaining, not heavy-handed way, makes the story all the more special.

The authoress, Olive Ann Burns, died shortly after writing Cold Sassy Tree and in the midst of writing a sequel, called Leaving Cold Sassy.  Sadly, and not because it was unfinished, lightening did not strike a second time with that book.  The original Cold Sassy book ends very satisfactorily, as you wish the remaining characters well and thank them for the glimpse they allowed you into their lives during that hot, scandalous summer.

It is a delightful read that all ages can enjoy.

9/10 Stars