On the Banks of Plum Creek -- Laura Ingalls Wilder

After leaving "Indian Territory," the Ingalls family arrives in Minnesota and trades their waggon and team for the dugout home and ox team of a man wanting to head West. Pa has big dreams of the wheat crop they are sure to garner and how wealthy they will be as a result. It is a beautiful beginning for the family as the girls enjoy playing in nearby Plum Creek while Pa begins creating a field for planting wheat and then builds a beautiful home for the family on credit -- which he plans to pay back once he harvests his wheat. The girls even start to school for the first time in their lives.

But soon the family learns what the locals meant when they said the mild Winter was grasshopper weather. Because the week before the wheat is ready to harvest, a plague of grasshoppers fall from the sky and eat every living plant in sight -- including Pa's beautiful wheat. Forced to find work to pay his debts, Pa leaves the family and walks East. Ma and the girls hold down the home-front while Pa is away -- not once, but twice -- and learn how harsh a Minnesota blizzard can be. And they all learn the most important lesson of all: what matters most is family.


***Another great book in the Little House on the Prairie series. I love reading about life from Laura's viewpoint in the 1800s.

Desperate Passage: The Donner Party's Perilous Journey West -- Ethan Rarick

The story of the Donner Party: their beginnings, their journey West, their tragedy, and their salvation.

It was 1846, and going West to California was on many Americans' minds. Most weren't willing to uproot their families and themselves and start the arduous journey West across an unforgiving -- and largely unknown -- landscape. But some were. Among those brave enough to undertake the effort were the members of the Donner Party. They were a group better-off than many, as several of the families in the party were wealthier and had made preparations for the long journey. And yet, due to a variety of poor choices (some blatant and others innocent), the Donner Party became trapped in the Sierra Nevada during one of the most brutal winters in an already unforgiving terrain. And so for years the Donner Party was infamous for what occurred while they sat as prisoners to snow and wind, high up in the mountains. Their only hope lay in some of their own surviving the bitter weather to go for help.

***I never intended to read anything about the Donner Party. I mean, it's morbid, right? But then I discovered that this group was going West around the time many LDS Pioneers went West to Utah. I also learned that this group had some wealth and had been preparing for a while and therefore had pretty awesome provisions, all things considered. So I wondered: why didn't they make it? This piqued my interest, so I sought out a book with good reviews and put it on my to-read list. I learned a lot. There were times when the story of the Donner Party lagged a little, but overall, I was intrigued as I read. Horrified by some of the choices made along the trail (given that I know the outcome and hindsight is 20/20); haunted by what happened. As a mother, I can't help but imagine (and pray that I never have to know) the "what if" scenario. I really appreciated the author's statement that the members of the Party were people, just regular people, doing the best they could to survive. Haunting, indeed. But I learned a lot. And I appreciate that the author didn't create a gruesome, gory story.

Brave New World -- Aldoux Huxley

***Thought provoking for sure. Depressing to me. Not my favorite dystopian novel. One thing I do find interesting that is common among several dystopian novels is their view of motherhood, or child-bearing. In The Giver, child-bearing is viewed as a lowly "assignment." In BRAVE NEW WORLD, the term mother is considered pornographic. Again, in both books, the idea of the traditional family is balked at as ridiculous and unnecessary. How interesting it is to me that these books which are written to point out how awful these so-called utopias actually would be also break down the fundamental unit of our society. Methinks the authors, whether consciously or not, recognized the importance of the traditional family.

What Stands in a Storm -- Kim Cross

In April 2011, many states experienced some of the worst storms ever recorded. That month, Alabama was hit with several major tornadoes which killed hundreds and wounded thousands. In some cases, entire towns were demolished. This is the story of some of the worst storms that hit on April 27, 2011, particularly the large tornado which destroyed much of the city of Tuscaloosa where the University of Alabama is located. Damaged though many cities were, example after example was found of people working together to help each other and recover from these devastating storms.


***This book was terrifying, intense, and absolutely eye-opening. I read it, because I lived in Tuscaloosa and attended graduate school at UA from 2006-2008. When the tornado went through, it was shocking. Thankfully, none of my dear friends there were hurt. Reading this book gave me a whole new appreciation for tornadoes and the power they have and the damage they can inflict. It has made me want to be better prepared to help others with first aid in the event of a major natural disaster where I live, because this book painted a picture of how difficult it can be for emergency services to reach people after such an event, and how we all need to lean on each other. I could not put the book down and would recommend it. It was very detailed and vivid, though, so it may be hard to read for some.

The Invisible Wall -- Harry Bernstein

In a small mill town in England before World War I began, an invisible wall divided the Jewish families from the Christian families who lived on the same street. They were neighbors, and yet they were far removed from one another as a result of their differences in religion. Nothing was feared more than possible fraternization between their young people, particularly the young women and young men. There were severe repercussions for those who ignored the unofficial status quo and began relationships with the "other" half.

Harry Bernstein was a young boy then. He saw the invisible wall, but he didn't always understand it. He also saw his mother struggle to make ends meet for their family in spite of an abusive and neglectful husband. And, in time, he saw his oldest sister Lily fall in love with one of "them" -- the Christians. Though he knew what his religion required and what his mother believed, he didn't know if he could feel the same. After all, what if true love could crumble the invisible wall?


***I really enjoyed this memoir. I learned some interesting things about the Jewish faith. My heart was touched by many of the stories shared by Harry.

The Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times

The East End of London in Post-World War II years was a rough place to be. So Jennifer Worth found out when she went to work at Nonnatus house as a midwife. Respected for her profession, she was never in fear of her surroundings; but she recognized the challenges and hardships around her. The East Enders were a tough lot, because their lives were hard. And as she served them and worked among them, she grew to love many of them. She witnessed miracles as she helped bring new life into the world. She witnessed heartache and sacrifice, forgiveness and joy.


***I LOVED the book. But that didn't surprise me, since I'd already loved the TV show. Some of the stories were/are heart-breaking, particularly for anyone who has ever been a mother (in any way). And some of the stories just warm the heart as well. A lovely memoir well-written and even laugh-out-loud funny at times, this was well worth the read.

Deenie -- Judy Blume

Middle school is an awkward time for most teenage girls. But Deenie isn't a typical teenage girl. She is gorgeous. In fact, her mom wants her to be a model and fully believes Deenie has the face to make it happen. These things make Deenie very sure of superiority when it comes to physical attributes, and Deenie isn't particularly kind to her peers who are different. She steers clear of a classmate with what she calls the "creeping crud" and avoids her neighbor who is handicapped. She knows she'd just die if she was like them.

...Until she discovers that she has scoliosis. And that the only way to help her spine is to wear a brace. Mortified, Deenie tries to find a way to escape the hideousness of it all. But there is no other way. And so Deenie must look inside herself to find strength, and look into the hearts of others to find their true beauty. And she may just end up not being a model after all...


***This was on my to-read list because it's one of those well-known pre-teen/teen novels, but I'd never read it. I can totally see the appeal to a 5th to 8th grade girl. Some of the things written are things I can imagine having written in my journal at that age. It was a tolerable read for me as an adult, too, although there were some aspects of the novel with which I don't agree.