The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore

 

Book Title: The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear
Author: Kate Moore
Audiobook Performer: Kate Moore
My Rating: 4.25/5 stars
Content Rating: PG-13
Quote: "From within the darkness of the Jacksonville insane asylum, a new moon rose, and her name was Elizabeth Packard." 

So I don't consider myself a feminist by any stretch of the imagination. But this book made me mad! It also made me really, really grateful I live now instead of in the mid-1850s. And I also felt a great deal of gratitude for those women, like Elizabeth Packard, who fought for women's rights at a time when so doing could land you in an insane asylum. 

This is the story of Elizabeth Packard. After 21 years of marriage to Theopholus Packard, a preacher 17 years her senior, he had her committed to an insane asylum; because she has disagreed with his doctrine and left his church, AND had the audacity to share her opinions on the matter freely. She had become, in a word, inconvenient. 

While locked away, Elizabeth (who is totally sane) witnesses the cruel treatments of the inmates of the asylum at the hand of its employees, including by the superintendent Dr. McFarland. She also sees that many other women are much like herself: sane, but committed for being a nuisance to their husbands. At a time when women were their husbands' property and certainly couldn't think for themselves (insert angry emoji here), this was more commonplace than we can now imagine. 

But Elizabeth was a woman of great fortitude. She would not be kept down, and she found ways to stand up and, eventually, to be heard. And, in time, she would help her sisters, too. 

Elizabeth Packard was an amazingly strong woman. I was in awe listening to this book. She was determined, a loving mother, and a compassionate friend. There is much I can say, but I will run out of room. This was a very good book (even if it made me mad). And I loved listening to Kate Moore's reading of it. I think anytime I read the name Packard in the future, I will always hear it pronounced just as Kate Moore does it here!

Amber Brown Is Not a Crayon by Paula Danziger

Book Title: Amber Brown is Not a Crayon
Author: Paula Danziger
Audiobook Narrator: Alica Witt
Book Series: Amber Brown series
Reading Level: early middle-grade (3rd through 4th grade)
My Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Content Rating: G

I've seen the Amber Brown books around since my days of working in the Children's Department of my local library (that was 1999, by the way). I never thought to pick them up. At 18, they were not high on my interest-level list. 

But I'm a mom now, and I have a 3rd grader. So I read a lot of middle-grade and YA. A friend gave me 3 bins of old books a year or so ago, and two Amber Brown books were inside! So I gave them a try (actually I did audio for time purposes). Well I loved the books! The first 3, at least (that's all I've listened to).

Amber Brown is in 3rd grade with her best friend Justin Daniels. Aside from her parents' recent separation (and her dad's job moving him to Paris for a year), life is pretty good. Amber and Justin help each other with school, hang out at recess, and save chewed gum to their joint chewed gumball. But Justin's dad has taken a new job in Alabama, and now their house has sold. Nothing will ever be the same again. 

So I'm actually grateful I never picked this up before now. Because I'd have probably forgotten all about it if I'd read it years ago. But this is perfect for my daughter right now. We currently live in Alabama, but we're moving to a new state soon. My husband, in fact, has gone ahead to start his new job, much like Justin's dad in the story. I'm hoping this book might help my daughter not feel quite so alone in this big move. 

Anyway, cute and fun and quick early middle-grade about growing up and learning that life changes. And the audio was well done too! Also recommend You Can't Eat Your Chicken Pox, Amber Brown and Amber Brown Goes Fourth.

Something Like Happy by Eva Woods

 

Book Title: Something Like Happy
Author:  Eva Woods
My Rating: 4/5 stars
Content Rating: R (mostly for a significant strong language in the second half of the book)

What would you do if your were given 100 days to live?

Polly Leonard has recently received such a dire prognosis, and she's decided to do one thing every day for the next 100 days that makes her happy. And she's determined to take Annie Hebden, her new friend (after all, day 1 is make a new friend) along for the ride, whether Annie wants to or not. 

Because Annie isn't currently living her best life. She's at rock bottom, and it doesn't appear that anything will ever get better. Despairing and jaded, Annie tries to refuse the attempts of her new "friend" Polly. But Polly doesn't give up easily, and maybe, for both of them, that's a wonderful and happy blessing indeed. 

This book was just something I needed. It gave me a lot of things to think about. It's so easy to just get in a rut with the day-in and day-out of daily life, and I know I often miss the beautiful moments. And I haven't been the best at creating those moments either.  So at the beginning of this year, our family started the tradition of sharing one happy thing that happened to each of us that day. I know there are so many beautiful blessings in every day I don't even recognize, but I want to! This book just kind of reminded me that I can choose to do and look for those little happy things. 

Content Warning: There are heavy topics in this book, such as death, dementia/alzheimers, infant loss, death of a child, marital infidelity, depression. Also the second half of the book has a lot of strong language. That list sounds depressing, but the book honestly doesn't feel depressing!

The Dark Hills Divide by Patrick Carman

Book: The Dark Hills Divide
Author: Patrick Carman
Series: The Land of Elyon
Reading Level: Middle-grade (I'd recommend for 5th to 7th)
My Rating: 3/5 stars
Content Rating: PG

Alexa is 12 years old when she travels with her father to Bridewell. She's lived her whole life behind the walls that protect the major cities from the mysterious and dangerous things in the Dark Hills. She's curious, though, about what lies beyond those walls. So when a chance presents itself to find out, she takes it. She learns about some sinister plots and a traitor in the city.  Soon she isn't sure who to trust. 

Well. I'm torn. I had really high hopes for this one. And while it doesn't have bad language or any obviously inappropriate content, there were things that really bug me about it. And I'm hesitant to give the go-ahead to my 8 year old at this point. For one thing, Alexa, the main character, does a lot of lying. She's very sneaky, and while this is practically required to further the story, it bugs me. I also found one of the characters very creepy. And yeah, he's supposed to be her nemesis, so he's written to be that way, but I felt uncomfortable with an adult character whose interactions with a child were what they are in the book, at least initially. The character's name doesn't do him any favors either. 

For me as a reader, the book also felt really unbelievable. I can let that go, though, as I'm obviously not the target audience. That said, I think there are many middle-grade reads that are well-developed and believable (even in the fantasy genre) even for adult readers. 

I did like the author's message about the walls we build and whether or not we should. 

In the end, I have decided we'll keep the book on our shelves and give it a couple years. This is strictly my feelings for my kids, and others may feel differently. 

The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain

 

Book Title: The Last House on the Street
Author: Diane Chamberlain
Audiobook Performer: Susan Bennett
My Rating: 4/5 stars
Content Rating: R (mature themes, racial injustice, violence, murder, language)

This was my first Diane Chamberlain book, and it did not disappoint! I went into this one mostly blind, which I don't typically do. But it was audio, so I didn't have a book jacket handy to read a run-down. I knew it had an eerie/creepy aspect to it, but not too scary. But beyond that, I really didn't know what to expect. 

This book is written in dual timeline (1965 and 2010), which is a format I really enjoy. We begin by meeting Kayla in 2010, an architect whose husband died after falling from a ladder while helping build their dream home. After a mysterious visit from a woman who advises Kayla not to move into the house at the end of the street, Kayla is understandably shaken.

Then we meet Ellie, a well-to-do white twenty year old who joins civil rights activists one summer in North Carolina, much to the chagrin of her family and friends.

As the two stories unfold, these two women will find themselves connected in unexpected ways. 

While I was able to figure out some of what was coming, there were a few extra twists I wasn't expecting. And the story itself was very compelling. I think the narrator did an excellent job, which is a big deal for me with fiction, it turns out. 

Definitely a good read, though it makes me sad to contemplate that these kinds of things really happened. Hate is so destructive. 

Content warnings: some language, racial injustice, murder

Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary

 

Book Title: Ramona Quimby, Age 8
Author: Beverly Cleary
Book Series: Ramona Quimby series
Reading Level: middle-grade (3rd through 5th grade)
My Rating: 5/5 stars
Content Rating: G
Tidbit: Eight-year old Ramona Quimby is just trying to survive 3rd grade and do as well as she possibly can at the job she's been assigned in her family.

Third grade isn't for wimps! Just ask Ramona Quimby. When Ramona's father decides to quit his job and go back to school, some things in the Quimby household have to change. Ramona's biggest responsibility is getting along with 4 year old Willa Jean, the granddaughter of the woman who watches Ramona and her sister after school. It's not a job Ramona enjoys. She also doesn't enjoy the cheaper meat her mom prepares for meals; nor her new classmate, whom she refers to as Yard Ape. When Ramona overhears something her teacher says after an egg-fad gone wrong, Ramona is sure this will be the worst year ever. She'll soon learn, however, that there are bright spots on even the cloudy days. 

So I loved this book! I dont think I ever read it when I was young. But I'm glad my daughter did! There were a few parts that made me chuckle out loud. I loved seeing things from an 8 year old's perspective. True, I was 8 once. But that was a very long time ago, and I don't remember how things felt. It was good to be reminded that the things that are hard for my daughter right now may not be hard for me, but they ARE hard for her! I also could identify so well with Ramona's parents, now that I'm of that general age.

My daughter loved this book. She is continuing the series (though I know now that this is book 6... oops).

The Last Green Valley by Mark Sullivan

 

Book Title: The Last Green Valley
Author: Mark Sullivan
My Rating: 5/5 stars
Content Rating: PG-13, possibly R for war-time violence, Holocaust content, some language
Tidbit: The Martel family, seeking safety from the Russian Red Army, follows the Nazis from Ukraine amidst the final days of World War 2 and beyond.
Quote: "Can happiness be that easy? Finding little joys in the worst moments?" and "... in broken hearts and ruins, something always glows."

This is a book about miracles. 

It is based on the true story of the Martel family, German-Ukrainians who fled Ukraine as refugees at the end of World War 2 as the Soviet Red Army advanced. Having lived under Stalin's Communist rule prior to World War 2, Emil and Adeline Martel were determined never to do so again. So when the Nazis promised them protection if they followed with the Nazi retreat, they went, even though they did not believe in the Nazi cause. But when Berlin fell, they found themselves a people without a country living in less than ideal circumstances. The family would endure heartache, loss, and separation as they sought a better life in the West, hoping for a life of freedom in the last green valley of Adeline's dreams. 

This is a book about miracles. 

It is a book about great faith. 

And also a book about a crisis of faith. 

It is a book about despair. 

It is also a book about the indomitable spirit of hope. 

It put me on an emotional roller-coaster and tore at my mama heart. But then it also warmed my heart and drew my mind back to a book I reviewed a few weeks back titled Divine Signatures. I found myself wondering which parts actually happened and which were the fictionalized part, because miraculous is the only way to describe many of the things that happened (fortunately the author's note at the end answers some of this). And while the events may seem impossible, I believe they were possible; because I believe in a God of miracles. 

"Love life like it is a miracle every day, every moment, and dream in a way that helps others... "