The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

I don't think I would have read this book, from its description, if I hadn't wanted to be able to discuss it in our Monterey book club. I'm so glad I did! It's one of the best books I've read in a long time. Such good characters, such ethical and strong characters were what propelled this forward for me. Plus, the time period showing what every day life was like in the late 1700's was fascinating.

Martha Ballard is a real historical person, and so are most of the characters in this book. But the story is fictional, which the author clearly explains in the Author's note at the end. It also showed me a lot about the early judicial system of the Maine territory, the culture of that area, and the early upper crust of Boston and Harvard. 

The Ballard family was a happy one to learn about, despite the early deaths of three of their daughters. The rape of women and the powerlessness of women in general was treated with clarity and reality. Yet Martha Ballard was an extraordinary outlier who made a difference in her sphere. I loved being privy to her thinking. I enjoyed the clues that dropped like breadcrumbs along the way as to the murder of one of the two villains in the story. It also felt to me like divine justice was done when the "civilized" justice system failed. I had the sense all along that things would work out...

The difficult birth scenes and violence were not gratuitous and not hard for me as they propelled the story along. I liked the setting of the river and how it impacted life.  I enjoyed the humor as Martha fought her cantankerous horse....for a heavy topic, this story also felt light. I will definitely explore more from this author. 

Fishers of Men (Volume 1 of the Kingdom and the Crown series) by Gerald N. Lund

 I read this volume several years ago, and I remember liking it, but not enough to continue the series. However, our Stonebridge Ward Relief Society is reading this series this summer, so I decided to give it another try, and this time to read all three volumes. It felt like a good thing, especially when I found all three books at Deseret Industries for a dollar or two each! Woohoo!

As before, I found Lund's characters rather superficial and either good or evil, without a lot of nuance. And there's a certain tone that Lund has, as I remember, from his Work and the Glory series that is a little pedantic, a little ueber-righteous. And this book has the same tone. However, he is a good story weaver, and I began to care about the characters despite their flatness. 

I also kept reminiscing about my time in Israel and tried to remember the places that come up and are described. Unfortunately, my memories are fleeting and flashing. Not much detail. Still, it's fun to remember what I can...For example, I still remember Ceasarea as a beautiful coastal city, and part of the story takes place there.

Jesus is introduced, as are his apostles, and their relationships and personalities give context to his life and teaching. It's speculative, this context, but Lund does an excellent job in citing his sources and making clear what is historical and documented vs. his imagination. His notes at the end of each chapter help clarify this as well. So along the way of reading this story, you learn a lot about the culture of the time...what they were eating, how they slept, what they were talking about. This is an enjoyable way for me to learn history!

I'm also making connections to "the Chosen" video series which is SO EXCELLENT! The two genres have similar goals, and kind of reinforce each other. 

This volume ends with a skirmish between Roman soldiers, Zealot warriors, and a band of thieves. It helps give context to the varying groups vying for power in Israel during Christ's time. What made me anxious to get on to Volume 2 was to find out how the Zealot leader, Simeon, is able to overcome this terrible loss, and what happens to the Great Council leader's daughter, Miriam, who gives away part of the secret plans. These characters and their families are interesting and their relationships and conversions and rebellions are good at moving the story along. 

The Tontine by Thomas B. Costain

When we were home in Napa at Christmas, I asked my 91-year old father for a recommendation for a new book for me. I was there longer than anticipated, and had finished everything I had brought along with me. My dad and I happen to love some of the same books (Story Like the Wind; A Far-Off Place, for example), so I was hoping he would have a good suggestion for me. He did! And not only did he recommend it, my sister Ann chimed in and said she had enjoyed it too. And, best of all, he had a copy of it I could keep awhile.

From the first page, I was taken in! Costain weaves a delightful history of life in England around the time of Napoleon's defeat. It's an ambitious undertaking as he follows the lives of several families and generations as England becomes industrialized. The main family, the Carboy's, are importers and factory owners. There's love, there's intrigue, there's peerage, and there's all manner of human frailties. Costain's tone is quite witty; he has a sometimes acid eye as he describes the foibles and interactions of the characters. Sometimes I would laugh out loud at his observations.

The story spans three or more generations and is divided into two volumes. I found the first volume much funnier than the first, but the story carried me right along in the second. It took me awhile to track down and order the second volume, so I had a few weeks in between. By the end of the story in the second volume, I couldn't remember some of the people that the story had circled back around to. So I started back at the beginning of the story in Volume 1, and realize that from the very beginning there is LOTS of subtle foreshadowing of things to come. It's very enjoyable to notice these on the second time through.

Costain's characters are fascinating and memorable. They also tend to be pretty much altruistic (Helen Groody) or stubbornly greedy (Sam Carboy). Although the good ones have their weak moments, the greedy ones seldom have any redeeming qualities; at least any that we can see. What they profess early in their lives (Isabelle Carboy, for example, wanting to marry a duke) stays consistent over the course of their lives. The English passion for their knighted and decorated heroes is fun to read about.

One thing I enjoyed was the comforting world that the author creates around the good characters. It feels reassuring to see good being rewarded with peace! Their lives are not always easy and they suffer serious setbacks, but their peace remains. That's a good thing.

The books I read were published in 1955 and the several pen and ink illustrations by Herbert Ryman in each volume are spare and charming. All in all, worthy of keeping and visiting again in a future lazy day!

July 2016
So...just coming out of a very difficult period...this pair of books (Volume 1 and 2) were a delightful retreat from reality as my brain adjusted to a new phase of life. We moved into a townhome and moved Irene in with us; she's 92 and this has dramatically changed our lives. When things were tough, I would gratefully retreat down to our cool walk-out basement and lose myself again in this wonderful story. I was so exhausted every day, that this was book was also a great reward at night before crashing. It took me over a month to read both this time around, and it was well worth it!

April 2022
I just finished it again! What a delightful story with great characters! We are now living in St. George, and it was a nice spring read when I needed something to help me sleep. I love this story and these characters. I might have to branch out and try a few more of this author's. It's amazing the detail he goes into as he describes the events of the three generations this epic novel spans. We see child labor exploited, we see heroes helping to get child-protection laws passed, we see Napoleon's family trying to gain the throne again, and we see the massive wealth built in England by Sam Carboy utterly lost in a depression.  So enjoyable! It's a keeper, for sure. And kind of bittersweet, now that Daddy is gone, that I can't revisit the story with him. 

The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas

What a joy it was to rediscover this book! Our book club read Magnificent Obsession by the same author, and the cover noted this other book he had written. I smiled in recognition of an old friend...I had discovered this book in the library at Redwood Junior High when I was 13 and had loved it. I thought, I have to read this again to see if it still is as faith-promoting now as it was for me then.
The story is set in Jesus' time, and tells the story of the Roman soldier who won the Savior's robe in a dice game right after his crucifixion. The story is fascinating because it describes life and characters from that time in history. It was fascinating to learn some Roman history as well as glimpsing what every day life and travel may have been like in that time. A joy to read and a compelling story!
I'm also impressed that at such a young age I could understand and appreciate such difficult vocabulary and an involved story. It's no short book...but the characters move the story along magnificently. I was sad when it ended...
Somehow the author conveys the spirit of Christ's teachings through his apostles in a simple and powerful way. As his followers try to live lives of compassion, kindness, and forgiveness, we learn of their struggles and realize...they were not so very different than we are!