Little Britches by Ralph Moody

I first heard this book as a sixth grader. My teacher, Mr. Rude, read it to us daily after lunch. I'll never forget crying with the rest of the class at the end! I also remember begging him to keep reading and not to stop at the end of just one chapter!

I often talked about this book with my children, and am not sure why I never sought it out to read to them! Somehow, Eli remembered this and found a copy through great difficulty, and gave it to me for my birthday several years ago. I read it then, and decided to read it again now. Just for the joy of it. For the reminder about how hard work and honesty and sacrifice lead to fulfillment.

It's also a great reminder about how trials and hard times can build faith, confidence, and character. I love the resilience of Ralph. Because I grew up with horses and ponies, I particularly enjoyed the parts about how Ralph grew to become a great horse person.

One thing that amazed me this time through was this: how did Ralph's mother know how to do all the things she did? His father was exceptional, too, and had great mechanical sense. But much of their gardening, farming, and food preparation was very sophisticated and required special know-how.  Where and how did they learn all of this? If this was "common knowledge" at the time, when and how did they share it? They relied on their neighbors, and I wonder if some of their learning happened with them? I guess this is something a little historical research would reveal...

It's still one of my favorite stories of all time. I think it's because Ralph's father reminds me so much of my own father. Very practical, very knowledgeable, and very mechanical. And not given to much praise! Still, like Ralph, I have always felt very loved.

The Piano Shop on the Left Bank: Discovering a Forgotten Passion in a Paris Atelier by Thad Carhart

This little book is amazing! It opened up a musical world, a piano world, and a Parisian world all at the same time! I probably never would have picked up this book myself...but my friend Sally handed it to me one day and told me she thought I would enjoy it. She was right! She guessed I would appreciate it, even if I wasn't quite what one could call musical. She was right! What I learned about is the marvelous complexity of music, particularly classical piano music. How to play it, how to feel it, how to appreciate it, all came into play. And layered in amongst all that complexity, the author weaves in the history of the piano and its various manufacturers. And this is all told as the author experiences his Parisian neighborhood with its intriguing cast of characters. This is a very enjoyable, engaging read because he's an American who appreciates and describes beautifully his Parisian experiences. It's nonfiction writing at its best, in my opinion. My only frustration was the occasional French quotes that he didn't translate. Many quotes he did; but others, inexplicably, he did not?! And me, with my one quarter of college French, couldn't get it. However, that's a small criticism and my only one...