Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber

 In some of my darker days, this book brought me a little comfort. It was a nice escape this summer when I was trying to figure out how to survive the heat and how to embrace my new life in St. George as the Relief Society president. The negativity was rampant and this book was enjoyable and light.

Too light, really, and very predictable. But the scenes of small town life and people were sweet and you could tell nothing really horrible was going to happen to anyone. It was clear at the beginning that the woman (Anna Kate) was going to stay in Wicklow, that the family mystery would be solved, that everyone would life happily ever after, and even Natalie would find her way. 

What was nice to read about was Anna Kate's love of the little cafe, her garden, and the surrounding mountain woods. She talked to her zucchini plant. She baked sumptuous pies, she used mulberry syrup in the pies from her trees, she listened to the blackbirds sing at midnight, she believed in the dreams that people had when they ate her pie. It's slightly mystical and fun and slightly entertaining. It was so predictable, though, that it got a little frustrating. It's going into the give-away pile that is growing by our front door. 

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

When this book was announced for our reading group, I thought, "Wow...it's been a long time. I read that in high school. I believe I thought it was really good. Okay...I'll read it again." Well, I didn't get to it before our group met, but I went to listen in to the discussion anyway. As usual, it was lively and enlightening. And at the end of the evening, I had snagged a copy to borrow and read. It was surprisingly engaging and wonderful. And...true test of a book I love...I began it all over again as soon as I finished it.

Here's what I notice about my reading of fiction. I get so engrossed in the story that I read fast and miss a lot. So, my second time through, I can slow down and enjoy it and catch many of the subtleties that I missed first time through. This book was very rewarding the second time through...many aspects of what was going on around Scout, the main character, caught my attention. It was just a wonderful story of wonderful people. Scout and her brother, Jem, and their friend Dill captured so much of the wonder of childhood that it was good for this adult to feel a little younger.

I have a friend here in Rapid City who named her son Atticus after Scout and Jem's father. I remember wondering at the time if this was really a character I would want to pin that on. Well, after reading the book again, I totally understand her inclination. Here's a father who treats his children with respect and talks to them expecting them to understand difficult issues. Their family relationships are rich and deep.

I also really enjoyed the part where Scout and Jem go to church with their black cook, Calpurnia. Wonderful scenes that are told with pathos. Calpurnia turns out to be a most worthy and interesting character.

I vaguely recall being amazed in high school that blacks were treated like that in the South. This work was published about the same time I was becoming aware of civil rights. Our country has gone through so much since then, yet this struggle and this story feel very current. Because I enjoyed this author so much, I was anxious to read her other books. But she didn't write any others! This is amazing to me...she said that she had written what she wanted to say and didn't want to say it again. She didn't enjoy the publicity or the spotlight that her success brought her, so she wasn't about to do it again. I think there must be a lot of the plucky Scout in her! This is definitely a classic and a joy and would be worthwhile to read and discuss again and again. Both the courage and the innocence of Scout speak to me.