Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin

What a delightful find! I was clearing out my classics collection in preparation for our move to Bismarck and realized I hadn't ever read this one. It is a captivating and inspiring story of Rebecca's courage and fortitude. It often reminded me of Anne of Green Gables...a poor girl with remarkable talents and gifts. Although it was written for a young audience, the themes and insights are mature. And there are marvelous ironic observations of the characters made by the author. It's also a wonderful look into another time...The setting is Maine in the early part of the 1900's.  I loved the look into the schooling opportunities that Rebecca had. I also liked that Rebecca's future wasn't settled by the end of the book. One wonders what path she took, and whether Mr. Aladdin was able to marry her. She's a remarkable and humble heroine whom I would recommend to any young reader who is sophisticated enough to also appreciate some difficult language and lovely poetry.

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 Rent Collector by Camron Wright

This unusual book was one of our book club's summer reading choices. We never had the meeting to discuss it, because the book turned out to be expensive and unavailable in a cheaper version. My friend Christy offered to lend me her copy. She thought I would enjoy it, and I trust her taste! She had also recommended The Glass Castle, and said that it was similar in some ways.

Although the setting is abject poverty, it didn't ring as "true" as the Glass Castle. And how could it? The author is American and the setting is a Cambodian dump. Still, there's much to be appreciated here. It's a story of struggle and of finding joy in learning. I certainly relate to the opening chapter when the main character, Sang Ly, quotes a Chinese proverb: The most difficult battles in life are those we fight within. Although the author is a male, his rendering of his female main character is sensitive. I like how he made her thinking visible, so we could sense her struggle. I liked how her growing education was revealed in her thinking and actions. It was also enjoyable to "witness" the learning to read process.

Is it a great classic? A real page-turner? No. A worthy effort and an uplifting one? Yes. It definitely showed how overcoming obstacles and never giving up is admirable. It was hard, though, to "live" through the setting of the dump. Life seemed so hard. It should have made me extra grateful for my comfortable life...and I suppose it did. Sang Ly's indomitable spirit helped me return to the story, even when the setting put me off. A good summer read, but probably wouldn't choose to read it again.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

My friend Amberly loves books like I do, and loves to learn from them and talk about them. When she talked to me about this one, I determined to read it. But somehow it didn't happen. Then my friend Jack, who retired last year, took a "Write Your Memoirs" class and started sending me his chapters. When he called me to find out what I thought about them, he asked me if I had read The Glass Castle. He told me it was an amazing book and gave him a model for what he was after. He said it was funny and tragic and hit just the right notes of resonance with him. Okay, if two people are so enthused about a book, then I decided I had to read it. It was good to be back in our city library where I hadn't been for awhile. Used paperbacks on Amazon are so convenient that I had not been into our library for maybe two years! I found it in the biography section and started in.

It grabbed me from the first chapter. They are short chapters and they can't be done one at a time. You have to take on at least eight or ten. Very hard to put down. Jeannette's story is so incredible and her life so unbelievable that I was riveted and horrified. The story of these neglectful, selfish parents and their children is such a personal look inside a dysfunctional family that it was hard to take, yet I couldn't stop. Another reason I couldn't stop was that the first chapter is told in retrospective so you know she's going to end up in a Park Avenue in New York City. So, you keep reading to find out how on earth she got THERE from what she describes as her life.

I may try reading it again to try to see the humor that Jack saw. I was so distraught over the parents' behavior that I couldn't see the humor in it. What I'm curious about is if Jeannette intended the humor and maybe that will become clearer to me on a second reading. I'm not sure I can take it on again, though. As I read this book, I would occasionally ask myself if I was feeling uncomfortable because I had always feared this kind of life. When we were growing up, we were pretty poor too. I feared that I was "white trash" sometimes. I remember when people would drive up to our house that I knew we were dirty and scraggly and wanted to tell people that even though we looked bad, we were pretty happy. And we were. And then I asked myself what made my childhood so unlike the one described in this book. Was it my parents' education? Was it their basic goodness?

But since I finished it, what I've been wondering about is what made these parents tick. I believe in the basic goodness of people. These people were not evil in the normal sense I use it. But they perhaps they were... And is the father excused because of his alcoholism? I am amazed at the mother's total lack of caring and protection. Was it laziness or something else? I think mothers and fathers love their children and want to protect them. What does it mean when they don't? I'm baffled. Who are these people and how could they desire what they chose?

Jeannette's resilience or somehow figuring out that there was a better life outside of her family is an amazing aspect of this story. How she did that eluded me, or was too subtle for me to catch. How did she become aware of her talents? She mentions some teachers, but it's not really clear to me what saved her. Maybe the books she read? And it's amazing that three of her siblings fought their way clear. It breaks my heart that the fourth one didn't...I wonder what the difference was between the three who succeeded and the one who did not.

One thing that is a definite advantage of this book is that I do have some insight now into the whole world of homelessness and poverty that I didn't have before. It's good to know there is great intelligence and resourcefulness in that world as well as other things...But it's such a waste, such a loss. I guess I always thought that people's intelligence would help them grow. In this case, the parents' never grow or learn or improve. So tragic, and such a loss!

The Pearl by John Steinbeck

This was a difficult book for me to read! It was short and accessible, but I didn't like the setting and I could tell it wasn't going to be a "nice" story.  Everything told me it was going to be sad, sad, sad. And it was. I knew it was "just a story" but I really care about characters, even fictional ones, and I hate to read about suffering. Yet, Kristine told me she had really liked it, so I felt like I should read it to sense more about what she likes. And of course Steinbeck reading has to be good for you, so even though it was hard, I soldiered through it.

Actually, I'm glad I did. I wouldn't choose to read it again...but in thinking about it, it has a most wonderful message. Among them are...listen to the your intuition or Holy Spirit or whatever sense you want to call it. But when it calls, you need to listen. Another message is that there's no use in trying to fool yourself that one simple thing will end all of your problems. Life is never that simple. This was a short but very meaty story. Thank you, Steinbeck, and thank you Kristine.