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!

Divine Signatures by Gerald N. Lund

 

Book: Divine Signatures: the Confirming Hand of God
Author: Gerald N. Lund
Series: Divine Guidance (Book 2 of 4)
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
Content Rating: G

"What we call coincidence is God's way of letting Himself be known."

There are many reasons I really enjoyed this book. It gave me so many warm fuzzy feelings. Because I 100% believe we are so loved by our Heavenly Father that He arranges blessings and circumstances in our lives to help us and show us His love. I know I've seen His divine signatures in my life... those little moments that can be dismissed as mere coincidence or luck, but I know they aren't.

This book is full of real-life examples of such divine signatures. I loved those best. Many of them gave me a happy tingly feeling. The other aspects of the book weren't as engaging, but were still good. This book was definitely a wonderful Sunday read for me.

And it was especially sweet as I turned the page today and found a scripture that has special significance to me. It was a sweet reminder that I needed today. I'm grateful to be reminded my Heavenly Father is aware of me and my little family in our tiny little corner of the universe.

A Single Shard -- Linda Sue Park

     

Title: A Single Shard
Author: Linda Sue Park
Reading Level: Middle-grade
My Star Rating: 4.25/5
Content Rating: PG

Tree-Ear is a 12 year old orphan who lives with his friend Crane-Man under a bridge in 12th century Korea. Fascinated by the process of pottery-making, Tree-Ear spends many hours surreptitiously watching Min, one of the most talented potters in his village. One day, while Min is away, Tree-Ear decides to take a closer look at the potter's creations. When he accidentally breaks one of the pieces, he becomes Min's apprentice to pay off the debt of the broken piece. In time, Tree-Ear will be entrusted with Min's most prized work in order to seek a royal commission, and his life will never be the same again. 

This was such a good story! I am going to use it as a read-aloud in the not-too-distant future! It was the 2002 Newbery Winner, and I think it was well-deserved.

Pony -- R.J. Palacio

 

Book: Pony
Author: R.J. Palacio 
My star-rating: 4.25/5
Content Rating: PG-13 (mainly for violence and some more mature themes)

"The connections that bind us are astounding, as I've noted. The invisible threads weave in and around us, and tug at us in places and at times that we may not ever see, or that only make sense over time." 

When 12 year old Silas Bird watches his father ride off into the night, a captive of armed men, he doesn't fully realize he's about to leave his childhood behind. But he senses his father needs him, so he determines face his fears and go after his father, though doing so is a direct violation of what what his father has told him to do. So Silas sets off, with a white-faced horse he names Pony, and Mittenwool, a ghost only Silas can see, to rescue his father. What he finds along the way will teach him about his past and the connections which bind us to each other.

I really liked this story! I found it very engaging and beautifully written. The end definitely got my emotions swelling. The characters are rich, and I loved the spiritual aspect of the book that came with Silas's unique abilities. The book takes place in 1860 in the frontier regions, and that setting is so perfect for this novel.

There were some more gruesome and violent events and depictions in the book and some more mature themes, so I'd probably recommend this for 13 and up, based on my own readers.

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

 Book Title: Hatchet
Author: Gary Paulsen
Book Series: Brian's Saga (book 1)
Reading Level: middle-grade to Young Adult
My Content Rating: PG (recommend for more mature readers)
My Star Rating: 4/5 stars
Tidbit: Coming of age survival story geared toward upper-middle grade and younger YA readers.

I've seen this book around a lot over the years. Since my very first job was in the Children's Room of a public library, and then I continued in the library world for years after that, I probably shelved it a time or two. But until now, I'd never read it. I didn't even know what it was about, but it won a Newbery Honor award, so I figured it had to have some value to it.

Turns out it's a survival story.  And it was quite a ride! Brian Robeson is on his way to spend the summer with his dad for the first time following his parents' divorce. Brian is still trying to come to terms with all that has happened, including the secret he knows led to the divorce.  In the middle of the flight, which he alone shared with the pilot, somewhere over Canada, the pilot has a heart attack, and the plane goes down. Miraculously, Brian survives the crash, but can be survive in the wild alone until help arrives? 

I'm not going to lie, this book felt pretty stressful for me. I listened to it on audio, and the added musical aspects certainly added to the suspense and anxiety of the book for me. The reader, Peter Coyote, did a great job, and there were times I thought he reminded me of Tom Hanks (who I listened to reading The Dutch House by Anne Patchett last month, and I'll eventually get around to reviewing here).  Hatchet is a well-crafted novel, and I was very interested to know how it would end. It was also to awesome to watch the character growth. 

I don't feel like there are any major content concerns (though the secret is mature in nature). I would recommend for older middle-grade and YA. But that's based on my own readers. This book would freak my kids out at their current ages.

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald

Book: Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle
Author: Betty MacDonald
Series: Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle series
Reading Level: Middle-grade (4th through 6th grade)
My Content Rating: G (ideal for all readers)
My Star Rating: 5/5 (as a read-aloud!)

This was our family's most recent read-aloud.  We loved it!  My kids are ages 8, 6, 4, and 2.  The 2 year old wasn't engaged much, but the other 3 thought this was such a fun story!

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle lives in an upside-down house, she adores children, and her late husband may have been a pirate who buried treasure in the backyard. Kids love Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, and love to hang out at her house. The neighborhood parents love her, because she has the perfect cure for every childhood "ailment" from won't-pick-up-toys-itis to the fighter-quarrelers disease (this one was our favorite chapter, by the way). Once the parents use Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's cures, life at home is perfect. 

Oh how my kids giggled!!! My 8 year old even said, "it looks like we need a Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle!" This was a perfect read-aloud!

The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner

 

"When people are thrown into an abyss and together find their way out of it, they are not the same people. They are bound to one another ever after..." 

Book:  The Nature of Fragile Things

Author: Susan Meissner
My book rating: 4.5/5 stars

Tidbit: Historical fiction with strong female characters and a bit of suspense and mystery.

I love Susan Meissner's books! This is the 3rd I've read by her, and I am consistently amazed by the stories she crafts with amazing female characters. I also love the historical aspect of them. This one has me wanting to read some nonfiction about the 1906 earthquake. 

This book is set in San Francisco, California, just after the turn of the 20th Century. After answering an ad for a wife - and for a mother for a young girl, Sophie Whalen finds herself leaving the awful tenements of New York and marrying Martin Hocking, a widower, in San Francisco. Sophie has her reasons for making such a choice as to marry a complete stranger. She assumes Martin has his reasons too. In time, though, Martin's behavior begins to seem odd, and an unexpected evening visitor will change the course of Sophie's life... as will a devastating earthquake which will follow the next morning. 

The characters in this novel are tragically beautiful, but also powerful.  I love the connections shared, the friendships formed through mutual understanding of the experiences they had in common. This was a book that kept me up late reading, and I looked forward to every chance I had to read it. I highly recommend!

Starvation Heights: a true story of murder and malice in the woods of the Pacific Northwest -- Gregg Olsen

Claire and Dora Williamson were wealthy spinster sisters in their 30s. They had traveled the world and knew all the comforts of their time. And yet, they were, in a sense, unhappy. Convinced they had medical issues that kept them from enjoying life to the fullest, the sisters were always in search of the next best cure. And so they were drawn to "Dr." Linda Burfield Hazzard, the woman who believed in the fasting cure. Linda Hazzard was a formidable woman -- a strong woman able to convince others to see things her way. She did so with the Williamson sisters, convincing them her fast cure would succeed where modern medicine had failed. She promised them a return to full health. And they believed her.

It was a decision both would come to regret, either in life or in death. The following months would find the sisters wasting away to mere skeletons as they "enjoyed" a diet of tomato "broth" and a regime of intense internal baths (a.k.a. enemas). It was only through the rescue of their childhood nurse that one of the sisters managed to survive.


***Read this book for book club. This book (which takes place in the county where I live) was very intriguing. I was engrossed in the book and amazed at how these sisters were hoodwinked by this "doctor". Maybe it's the foodie in me, but if someone told me I was to subsist on tomato broth for 40-some days, I'd laugh in their face and say goodbye! This book is definitely one of those examples of how truth is sometimes way more haunting (and twisted) than fiction!

The Adoration of Jenna Fox --

When 17-year old Jenna Fox awakens from her 18-month coma, her memory is broken. She can't remember so much of her past, and it disturbs her. What she knows is that she no longer lives in Boston, but now resides with her mother, grandmother, and sometimes her father, in California. She knows she doesn't have friends now. She knows she was in an accident, but she cannot speak of it. And with the help of the videos of Jenna's pre-accident life, which her parents encourage her to watch, Jenna comes to know how very adored she was.

And her memories start to return. Memories she shouldn't be able to remember -- like the time she almost drowned as a toddler, or when she was baptized as an infant. As more memories surface, Jenna starts to realize she is a different Jenna than she was before. Different in ways that aren't legal. Different in ways that may even be highly unethical. But she's still Jenna Fox, right?

Burdened with her newly discovered secrets and all the new questions those secrets raise, Jenna tries to figure out who she is now. A monster? A human? A soul? And what will she do if someone finds out her secret?


***This was an interesting read, particularly in light of today's focus on genetically modified foods and what technology can allow us to do medically. Definitely had me thinking about things. I can't say it was a page-turner, but definitely a worthwhile read.

Crazy in Love -- Dandi Daley Mackall

Mary Jane (aka Plain Jane... aka MJ) is a senior in high school. And she has a massive crush on Jackson House. But Jackson has a girlfriend, even though he HAS been flirting with Mary Jane. And his girlfriend just happens to be in Mary Jane's group of friends. So when rumors start flying about Mary Jane and Jackson... Well, things turn ugly. Her friends can't believe Mary Jane would betray a friend like that. But the truth is: nothing has happened! No matter, rumors fly fast. And soon Mary Jane's reputation is on the line.

As if high school life wasn't complicated enough. Mary Jane is already dealing with her best friend being away at college, her boss at the Twisted Pretzel being a big pain, and her "rents." And let's not even get started on how confused she is about love and everything else in the romance-world. While Mary Jane battles all the outside fiascoes of teenage life, there is a battle going on inside as well: the battle between Plain Jane and MJ, her two alter-egos with totally opposing viewpoints on sex and Jackson House. Because even IF Jackson did like Mary Jane, what would that mean? She'd promised to wait until she was married to have sex. She'd made a pact with her two best friends (both of whom are now away at college). She decides it's all a moot point anyway... Until things DO start changing with Jackson. And now Mary Jane must decide what she wants for her future and who she really is.


***I liked this book for a few reasons. I'd probably give it a little over 3 stars. The story, set in high school, was a little immature seeming most of the time. But that could be that my 34-year old self can't really relate to the high school angst anymore. But there were quite a few messages I appreciated in this book. Like how Mary Jane's best friend Alicia reasoned remaining abstinent until marriage: "Sometimes I feel like there's not so much of me to give, so I better save it for the man I want to marry. Like, I don't want to leave pieces of me all over the place... Plus, who wants to be married to this perfectly great guy but still be thinking about the super sex you had with some loser in high school?" I felt like there was a lot of depth in that. I also like that there wasn't a bunch of bad language in the book. That actually surprised me, and I liked it a lot!

No Unhallowed Hand -- Gerald Lund

It is a dark time in Nauvoo, Illinois, for the Latter-Day Saints: their beloved Prophet, Joseph Smith, and his brother Hyrum have been martyred. Amidst the grief and mourning, there is confusion. Who will lead the Church now? Or are those opposed to the Church correct: will the Church collapse now that their leader is dead? Many step forth, willing to take the reins left by Joseph. But the Lord is at the head of this work, and through a miraculous event, He makes known His will as to who will preside over the Church at this difficult time. Many do not agree and fall away, following others. But the Steed family remains firm in their faith. They witnessed the miracle, and they know who leads the Church. Willingly, they follow Brigham Young, the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

But still, hard times come. When the Church does not implode, as so many opponents to the faith believed would happen, the mobs begin again to terrorize the saints. They burn the homes and farms of families living in settlements outside of Nauvoo. The Governor of Illinois invites the Mormon people to leave the state; suggesting they will be better off somewhere out West. Rumors of the federal government getting involved -- and not to the benefit of the Saints -- also spark fear. And so, once again in the middle of winter, the Saints leave their homes and all they have worked hard to obtain and create in Nauvoo and begin the trek West.

During these troubled times, the Steed family experiences joy and sorrow; miracles and trials. Their lives will be forever changed. They will be called on to serve in a variety of ways and with a variety of difficulties. But serve they will. And they hold tight to the promise that one day they will be together forever.

***I enjoyed this book. I learned a lot about some of what was faced by these early pioneers, and again, it humbled me. I contemplated what I would do if required to leave almost all I have, and I realized how truly unimportant so many of my material possessions really are. I was sometimes surprised by how the Saints were treated in a country which was supposed to support religious freedom -- and I can't help but wonder if there will be similar days ahead.

Heaven is Here -- Stephanie Nielson

Stephanie Nielson had her perfect life: a handsome, loving husband; a beautiful home in Arizona; a supportive family; 4 beautiful children; a popular blog...

Then, on August 16, 2008, Stephanie, her husband, and a friend were in a terrible plane crash. Stephanie was burned over 80% of her body. The miracle was that she lived. Even though, at times, she wished she hadn't. No longer able to be the mother she longed to be -- and the mother she was before, Stephanie was crushed by her inability to do anything. Her children were cared for by her sisters while she and her husband Christian healed in hospitals a state away. Devastated by all she had lost, Stephanie felt incredible guilt for what she had done to her family.

Until a peace settled over her late one night. And she realized what a blessing it was to still be alive. Though she knew it would be hard, Stephanie determined then that she would conquer this trial. That she would, once again, be the mother her children deserved. That she would hope and dream and press on. And with her determined efforts, Stephanie does just that. Along the way she realizes that she is not her body, and that life is a gift.


***I'll admit, initially I was pretty sick of all the sugary-sweetness of her "perfect" life. It seemed a little "too perfect." But as I read on and read the experiences and strength and determination of Stephanie Nielson, I couldn't help but imagine how I would respond, had it been me. My heart broke for her when she told of initially seeing her children for the first time after her accident as I imagined how that would feel for me. And so, for me, the book improved vastly and I really enjoyed it and appreciate the strength of a woman whose trials have far outweighed mine. She is an example to me of how we can CHOOSE to be happy and choose to go forward, in spite of hardships. She is an example of great faith.

Miracle Cure -- Michael Palmer

Dr. Brian Holbrook is trying to get back on his feet after 18 months of recovery from a prescription drug addiction which began in his youth. With his medical license revoked, he doubts he'll ever have the opportunity to work in the medical field again. But fate has other plans for him. When his father suffers a minor heart attack and is taken to White Memorial Hospital, Brian helps a former friend there diagnose a rare condition in a patient, saving the patient's life. When word of his rescue spreads through the hospital, Brian is suddenly given some unexpected opportunities, including a chance to join the staff of White Memorial's Boston Heart Institute (BHI).

The news only gets better, because Brian learns more about the miracle drug being researched at BHI: Vasclear -- a drug that miraculously heals arteriosclerosis, giving people a new lease on life. So encouraged by the Vasclear study results, Brian is determined to get his father on the drug with hopes to save his life. But the more Brian tries, the more he is discouraged. And soon, he encounters patients who were put on Vasclear in the initial trials -- and he begins to notice a troubling pattern about them. With his interest piqued, Brian begins digging into the research on Vasclear -- and meeting up with dangerous opposition all along the way. He is even threatened with a "doctored" positive drug test (and assured subsequent job loss) if he doesn't back off his search.

Undaunted, Brian continues onward after personal tragedy strikes. His gut tells him something is wrong with Vasclear, but can he find the truth before the drug is approved by the FDA? And more importantly, will he manage to stay alive?


***This book just seemed fake to me. The scenarios were too convenient and most of them unbelievable. Like towards the end when he and another doctor are speaking in a sort of code and he manages to figure out everything she is trying to tell him. Yeah right. Pretty sure this just turned me off of Palmer's books. I can't remember the last one I read by him and what I really thought of it, but this one was pretty ridiculous, in my opinion.

The Shade of the Moon -- Susan Beth Pfeffer

It has been 2 years since the Evans family left their home in Pennsylvania and headed for the enclave in Sexton, Tennessee. Much has changed in those 2 years for the family. Matt and his wife Syl moved out on their own and Matt became a courier. Miranda married Alex Morales and became pregnant. Jon moved in with his step-mother Lisa and his 3 year-old half brother, using Alex's slips to permit them entrance into the enclave where food was as plentiful as the privileges they enjoyed. Their father died on the journey to Sexton, and their mother lives in White Birch, just outside of Sexton, with Alex and Miranda, working at a school teaching "grub" children -- those not fortunate enough to be "useful" outside of doing grub work for the more fortunate "clavers."

Two years of living a life of privilege, even when most of his family isn't, gives Jon a sense of entitlement. He sees nothing wrong with the way he lives: the abundance when those around him hunger and live in ignorance; the ability to satiate all his physical desires anytime he desires. But then he meets Sarah, the girl who moved into the enclave with her father, the town's new doctor. While most of the clavers dislike her, Jon is drawn to her. And he is soon forced to choose between her and her ideals and his friends. His comforts and those of his step-mother and little brother are at stake.

But the more Jon hears what Sarah has to say, the more he sees what he ignored before. And when riots break out in White Birch and life changes drastically again for Jon and all his family members, Jon has to choose which side he is on for good -- and deal with the consequences.


*Wow... I was incredibly disappointed in this book. I loved the series... Until this book. The characters seemed shallow and not well thought-out anymore. The book was full of every horror imaginable (which, frankly, disgusted me). And many of the situations and dialogue seemed fake and forced. The author mentions at the end that she isn't sure if there will be a 5th book. Well, I hope there isn't. Because if it gets any worse than this, I don't think I would be willing to slog through it. Very disappointing.

The Silver Chair -- C. S. Lewis

Eustace Scrubb and Jill Pole are students at Experiment House, a place where many are bullied and bullies aren't punished. After a run-in with some of the school bullies, Jill Pole hides behind a building where no one can see her cry. But Eustace happens upon her, and they begin to talk of a place quite different than Experiment House. A place Eustace has visited before where animals talk and thinks are beautiful and full of hope. Longing to go to such a place and leave the unhappiness of Experiment House behind, Eustace and Jill begin pleading to go to the other world.

And somehow, they get there! They soon learn they have been summoned to Narnia by Aslan; for Aslan has a mission for them. They are to rescue Prince Rilian, son of the aged king Caspian. Rilian disappeared years before and no one has seen or heard from him since.

So, with the help of Puddleglum, a Marsh-wiggle, Jill and Eustace set off to fulfill their mission. But the journey is long and hard, and soon the children forget their mission -- thinking only of the comforts for which they long. Forgetting proves to be to their detriment, and they find themselves on the menu for some giants' feast, held captive underground, and enchanted by an evil queen. Soon they are unsure if they will ever succeed in finding Prince Rilian -- or if they'll ever see their world again.


*Cute. I like the parallels between the novel and Christian doctrines. Look forward to reading this with my children one day.

This World We Live In -- Susan Beth Pfeffer

It is April, almost a year since the asteroid struck the moon. Though she had stopped writing in her journal for a while, 16 year old Miranda Evans decides to resume her journaling and describes the goings-on of her family in this world they now live in. For the most part, things remain as they were before: rare moments of electricity, weekly food deliveries, and dark, ash-laden skies.

But soon things start to change. Rain begins to fall, and Matt and Jon, Miranda's brothers, bike ride to the river in hopes of catching the fish that should be running. They return with garbage bags full of fish... But they also bring along Syl, a woman they met in a motel and whom Matt has "married." While the family strives to adjust to its new dynamic, tensions start to rise and only become worse when Miranda's father, his new wife and their infant son, and three strangers (including Alex and Julie Morales) show up. With the food they had already being stretched thin and now being stretched thinner, tempers flare and the definition of family becomes re-defined.

Before long, Miranda and Alex develop feelings for each other as they pilfer houses together in search of food and other items for survival. But Alex plans to leave again with Julie, feeling it is wrong of them to accept the charity of others when they can not repay it. Yet each attempt to leave is thwarted, and Alex and Julie find themselves with the Evans family longer than anticipated. When plans are finally set with a hopeful future for several members of the group, a tornado strikes and, once again, life changes for everyone.

Nineteen Minutes -- Jodi Picoult

On what should be a typical school day in March at Sterling High School, an 11th grader named Peter Houghton enters the school and begins shooting. When the smoke clears, ten students lay dead and 19 more are wounded. Peter is arrested and held in jail while the rest of the town struggles to piece together the events of the day and the aftermath of the tragedy as some bury their own children. Peter Houghton is a monster...

...Or is he?

Through flashbacks and changing perspectives, the reader becomes acquainted with Peter and the key people in his life. Beginning in kindergarten, Peter was taunted, teased, hurt, and humiliated for 12 years, mostly by the same kids. His one true friend abandoned him in 6th grade to join the popular crowd, and his family focused more on his glorified (and tragically killed) older brother. Peter was alone in the world -- or at least he thought he was.

This book forces the reader to ask a lot of questions about actions and consequences, about the importance of friends and status. And it also reminds us that even those we perceive as monsters were loved by someone.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner -- Stephenie Meyer

The story begins with a known conclusion: Bree Tanner will die in the end.

Stephenie Meyer brings to life the character of Bree Tanner, who was first introduced in Eclipse as one of the newborn vampires. Told from the perspective of Bree, the reader becomes acquainted with Bree's story: her "creation" as a vampire, her fears, her experiences. Though "friends" are not plentiful in the vampire coven into which Bree has been inducted, she soon finds a kindred spirit in Diego, a vampire a bit older than herself. Together they discover things about their new selves... thing their leader never bothered to tell them. As they learn more and more, they become suspicious as to why they were created, and why Riley, their leader, is keeping them in the dark. As the days pass and the reason for their existence begins to take shape, Bree finds herself on a collision course with fate as she tries to rescue Diego so they can begin their vampire lives away from Riley and his newborns.

But it turns out nothing they'd been told was ever true. And Bree's second life ends prematurely.

Who are the good guys? Who are the bad guys? It all depends on perspective.

The Dead and the Gone -- Susan Beth Pfeffer

In this second novel in the Last Survivors series, we experience New York City through the eyes of 17 year old Alex Morales during the aftermath of the moon being hit closer in orbit to the Earth. On the night of the occurrence, Alex does not witness the closeness of the moon, because the sky is overcast. The only thing out of the ordinary for Alex is that the power has gone out in his neighborhood. With is father gone to Puerto Rico for a funeral, his mother at work at the hospital in Queens, and his older brother stationed elsewhere with the Marines, Alex takes charge of his two younger sisters Bri and Julie, and they turn in for the evening, completely assured that power will be reinstated the following morning.

And Alex is right: power is back on the next day. And with the power come the startling reports about the moon and the tragedies it has caused world-wide. Fear immediately strikes the three siblings, but they feel confident their parents are fine, that their mother will return soon from work, and so they go about their regular routine and go to school. But things don't return to normal, and before long, his uncle recruits Alex and his youngest sister to help carry the merchandise out of the family's store and then his uncle and aunt leave with their family. Feeling their parents and brother won't be able to find them if they leave, Alex, Bri, and Julie remain in their basement apartment for as long as possible, and find various ways to survive and barter for food.

When Bri becomes sick, Alex moves himself and his siblings to another apartment in the building for a time, leaving a note for his parents in case they ever return, though the chances are slim they ever will... they are just gone. As the weather changes, as more people die, and most of his friends and their families leave New York City, Alex begins to realize the only way to survive is to take himself and his sisters to a refugee camp off the island. But with weakness, sickness, and other things beyond his control, will Alex and his sisters be able to stay alive until they can find a way out of New York City and find refuge?

Thy Gold to Refine -- Gerald Lund

Volume four of The Work and the Glory series finds the Steed family almost completely reunited in Far West, Missouri. The prodigal son, Joshua, has returned with his new family: wife Caroline, son Will, and daughters Olivia and Savannah; and made ammends with his father and his family. Much joy and happiness fills the hearts of all the family members at this reunion, as well as at the family's growth as children marry and begin families of their own; and all seems well with the world. But only for a time.

Meanwhile, the anger of the Missourians toward the Mormons has festered to a point of breaking. Jealousy, fear, miscommunication, and rumors start a horrible ball rolling, and result in mobbings, rapings, and the eventual extermination order by Missouri Governor Boggs: all Mormons are to leave the state or be exterminated. The leaders of the Mormon church are arrested and held prisoner, the people of Far West are brutally attacked -- some losing their lives, and their homesteads are destroyed by mobs and militia alike. With little choice but to leave Far West in the dead of winter and head East to Illinois, many of the Saints find themselves trekking over miles of snow and ice, including the sometimes-frozen Missisippi River, with faith in their hearts that the Lord will see them through and that, when they emerge on the other side of the events, they will be as gold refined.