Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

This sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird is a delight to read because of the well-loved characters of Scout and Atticus. It was bittersweet returning to the South and Jean Louise's world... She saw how her life in New York had influenced her thinking...and how differently her father sees the world than she thought. Their conflict is heart breaking, and I didn't understand all of the nuances... My friend Mary lent me this book, and wants to discuss it. I think talking about it with her and with others like Christy will definitely help my understanding.

Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger

My friend MaryLou thought I might enjoy this book; she says I'm spiritual! I enjoyed that description and I enjoyed the book, although it's more religious to me than spiritual, per se. What I enjoyed about this book was the characters of the two brothers growing up in this little Minnesota town. Their mother was a disturbing presence, and their father was heroic. It has elements that remind me of South Dakota; the anti-Native sentiment, for example. It's sensitively written, and I enjoyed the sense of nostalgia for a simpler time and place.

It definitely held my interest, but it's not a keeper. I will pass it along. There was one compelling part, though, that was impressive. The main character's father, the heroic one, is suffering mightily from the death of his daughter. He questions why God would take his daughter. He says, "Why Ariel? Why not me? The sins are mine. Why punish her? Or Ruth? This is killing her, Gus. And the boys, they don't understand, they just hurt. And it's my fault. All my fault." [He had killed as a soldier in Viet Nam.] His friend answers:

"You think God operates that way, Captain? Hell, that sure ain't what you've been telling me all these years. And as for those sins of yours, I'm guessing you mean the war, and haven't you always told me that you and me and the others we could be forgiven? You told me you believed it as surely as you believed the sun would rise every morning. And I've got to tell you, Captain, you seemed so certain that you got me believing it too." Gus sat forward and looked at his hands which were wax-pale in the candlelight. "I can't see any way that the God you've talked yourself blue to me and everyone else about would be responsible for what happened to Ariel. I can't believe God would hurt that beautiful child in order to call you to account. No, sir, I don't believe that for one moment." 

This seemed odd to me coming from Gus because mostly what I'd always heard from him was a questioning of everything my father spoke for.

"Seems to me you're just kind of reeling here, Captain. Like from a punch in the face. When you come around you'll see that you've been right all along. I know I give you a hard time about your religion but damned if I'm not grateful at heart that you believe it. Somebody's got to. For all the rest of us, Captain, somebody's got to."

Gus stopped talking and I became aware of an odd and disconcerting sound that was growing louder in the sanctuary. I didn't understand at first what it was or its source, and then I realized it was my father crying. Huge sobs erupted from him and boomed off the walls. He bend ant wept into his hands and Gus leaned to him and held my father dearly.

This part was very moving to me. This father was a minister who had patiently endured many trials...and had stood firm in his faith. I loved this part, because it showed how even the most admirable and faithful sometimes falter and need the strength of others... it's beautifully and truthfully rendered here, I think.

The Undaunted by Gerald Lund

Sierra's great friend Megan recommended I read this book as we were preparing for a trip to Lake Powell. We didn't end up going, but I still read the book. Megan told me that some of her family's ancestors appear in the story. It's historical fiction, and has many of the real pioneers featured in the account of this amazing blaze through hard rock.

It's a wonderful account of a complex history as these Mormon pioneers built a route through impassable country. Their faith and courage are remarkable. They knew it was impossible, and they knew it had to be done. They did it!

I really enjoyed Lund's footnotes and detailed explanations of the geography and the hardships these hardy people encountered. He referenced several comprehensive histories that probably would have served me better than this story, but I like to get history in light story-form! What is consistent with Lund's fictional characters though, is that they don't have a lot of depth or reality to them. They are pretty predictable and have sweet senses of humor and only understandable, superficial flaws. It gets a little frustrating to have such flat characters. However, they are "good" and have real struggles and even though they feel contrived and shallow, they do move the story ahead.

Lund does a good job describing the struggles of the faithful and the struggles of the unbelieving. But again, they are not in depth or very authentic-feeling. Still, the stories are always uplifting and optimistic. The part that moved me the most was the part when they were near the end of their journey. The pioneers had to whip and force their animals up a steep incline that ended up maiming and killing some of their loyal animals who had brought them so far. This was heart-breaking, as Lund helped us witness the pain of the owners who felt they had no choice but to move onward this way. This part was, like many parts of the book, historically accurate. This part moved me to tears.

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

My TIE friend Marilyn first recommended this book to me several years ago. She was so enthusiastic about it that I went ahead and ordered it, and then, after reading the back cover, decided Jane would enjoy it too. So I sent it to her. She loved it! She thought our father would enjoy it, so she lent it to him... He loved it! Finally, on a recent trip to Napa, I got a hold of that original copy and got to read it myself. I loved it too...and here's why.

It's nonfiction at its best. It tells a compelling story with rich detail and fascinating portraits of the people and the times. It's set in the Seattle area in the 1930's when that part of the country was fairly new to white settlement. The development of that area and the University of Washington was interesting...as were the boys who made the rowing team. These young men were hard, hard workers who never gave up. They struggled to make a living, to pay their tuition, and to make the rowing team. They feel like a whole different kind of person than one meets today, with the exception of my father's generation. It's inspiring to read of their commitment to the team, to each other, to getting their education, and so on. They just plunge onward through incredible adversity.

The University of Washington rowing team has several meets against Cal, and that's why I thought my sister would enjoy it too. The rivalry is described well, as is the way the sport evolved in the eastern elite schools. I loved the parts about the artistic boat builder and he is frequently quoted throughout the book. Rowing as a single unit is described like poetry!

I also enjoyed the parts about the competition in Berlin. As the Nazi's prepared for the Olympics and being center stage of the world's showcase, it was fascinating to read of these characters. I learned a lot about this painful history. And, as is the case throughout the book, it's thoroughly researched and written in a very engaging way. It's an incredible story on so many levels...poetic, historic, and inspiring.

Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek

My friend MaryLou lent me this book. She is reading it as part of a principal-preparation program. She thought I would enjoy it, and she was correct!!!

This is a very readable book with lots of good examples from business and the military. But it's a book that fits every profession and every person, because it's based on good principles. The main principle is that we need to trust our leaders and our leaders need to be trustworthy. We all need to do the right things for the right reasons. What I like about this is that it's true. What I also appreciated was the many examples of how businesses thrive when they put people and their needs FIRST, rather than profits.

One of the author's main contentions is that our current culture is more or less addicted to dopamine and quick results, rather than on long-term happiness provided by the brain chemical oxytocin. Sometimes this is a big stretch to make his point, over and over, but sometimes it seems to really fit.

I am thinking about giving copies of this book to Mike and/or Don, because I think it would help any businessperson remember that people are their most critical asset. It might also help them think about ways to make their business more altruistic and rewarding and not just profitable. Just thinking about this...not sure I'll really do it!

One "test" he gives is to ask us if we would trust our leader in a foxhole to protect us. That's ultimately what a leader SHOULD do, but somehow, in recent years, we do not. He cites many examples in politics, in bustiness, and other arenas that shows how short-sighted it is to operate without integrity and trust. His contention that leaders need to create a safety zone is well-founded, because it leads to innovation and better practices... Lots of good material here, worthy of putting into practice!!! He's also very worth watching on his Ted Talks! I like it when good principles gain popularity!

Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult

My friend MaryLou offered me this book. Since I really like her, and feel we have similar tastes, I was anxious to read what she thought was a good book.  Because I have read one Jodi Picoult book and didn't particularly like it, I was hesitant. But MaryLou told me I would enjoy learning about elephants, and so I took it.

She was right; this book has a lot of fascinating lore about elephants. These fascinating elephant habits are seamlessly interwoven into a story of love and loss and the parallels between the humans and the captive elephants are amazing. Another thing I really liked was the characters in this book. The first half of the book was captivating because of the off-beat and interesting characters. The story moved ahead in a very enjoyable way.

But... a little more than half-way through, the story took a weird turn, and the ending was completely surreal. I felt like I'd been tricked. I didn't buy the supernatural parts and am sorry it took that turn, and indeed depended on it for the plot to work at all. It's too bad, because otherwise I would have enjoyed sharing this book with others. As it is, I won't bother...

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

My wonderful friend Christy recommended that our Relief Society book group read this treasure. I remembered it only vaguely from when I read it as a young girl. I loved the cover of my book which had a painting of a girl sitting in a big comfy chair reading a book. Now that I think about it, I wonder if it was an abridged version? Because when I found this book in a used bookstore, I was astounded at the length of it! 537 pages! Could I have really read that hefty of a book as an eleven or twelve year old? Perhaps!

I was a little dismayed at first at the tone and the dated feel of it...but I quickly overcame that and found it sweet. It didn't take me long to get swept into the story again and to admire the girls and especially their mother.

There were many, many parts that I wanted to highlight and save...but there were too many. I need to save the whole book!

Parts to add: the position of the father, and how he's an ANCHOR to the family. Very much like God.

How Jo's role in society and in the family was a call for independence and new roles for women. This is modeled after Louisa herself, apparently.

In our discussion, April shared that she had experienced and also knew families whose sibling relationships were as positive as those portrayed in this book. The comment had been made that this was unrealistic.