Escaping Salem: The Other Witch Hunt of 1692

Escaping Salem: The Other Witch Hunt of 1692 by Richard Godbeer


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was very personal to me as it was an ancestor of mine, Elizabeth Proctor, who was accused. Fortunately, things didn't go the same way with her! The book was fascinating. While Stamford, CT didn't get as crazy as Salem. The book is very short, but it gives a lot insight into the thinking of the day.

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="Benjamin Franklin and a Case of Christmas Murder (Great Mystery (University of Pennsylvania)

Benjamin Franklin and a Case of Christmas Murder (Great Mystery by Robert Lee Hall

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This was the second of the Ben Franklin Murder mysteries. I found the mystery interesting and well developed. Franklin's apprentice, Nick Handy, helps him investigate the murder of Roddy Fairbrass, a popular merchant who dies suddenly at a play produced at his house. Franklin surmises that it was something that Fairbrass has seen or heard because of ghosts which have been recently seen in the house.

While the mysteries are interesting, the most appealing thing about these books is that they give the author the opportunity to explore the character of Benjamin Franklin and the times in which he lived. I have read a number of books on Ben Franklin and I believe that Hall has done a good job in representing the character of Franklin in a fictional way and yet agreeing with more scholarly research. The books are fun and flesh out the facts about Franklin that we are all familiar with.


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An Imperfect God: George Washington, His Slaves, and the Creation of America

An Imperfect God: George Washington, His Slaves, and the Creation of America by Henry Wiencek

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I thought this biography of George Washington was excellent. Too often we think of famous people, especially statesmen, as having a set of ideals which are static and consistent throughout their lives. Wiencek has explored Washington's changing attitudes concerning slavery. He was raised with the instution of slavery and accepted it as the way his society operated, but Wiencek believes that as he commanded black regiments in the Revolution he began to see them as human beings and began to see the gross inequity of slavery. He was unable to see the instution abolished in the new constitution, but succeeded in freeing his own slaves and making restitution where he could.

I appreciated the scholarship and lack of agenda in this book. I felt like Wiencek had true admiration for Washington and all he accomplished in his lifetime and yet was able to admit his less admirable attributes that were a part of the time period in which he lived. In fact, I believe that he showed Washington to be an even greater person because he was able to review his own attitudes and to change in a time and place where it was not easy. Washington did not free all of his slaves the moment he became aware of the injustice, but he did begin to prepare them for freedom indicating that he still was conscious of the responsibility of a slave owner to provide for his "people" and to consider their welfare.


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A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the classic tale of a young man, Hank Morgan, who gets hit on the head and wakes up in King Arthur's court. He is able to save himself from being executed first by doing "miraculous" things which make the people consider him a sorcerer and raise the ire of Merlin. As he travels through the countryside, he sees ills and inequalities which he tries to eradicate, but which, given the time period, only get him in to more trouble and bring trouble to the people who have befriended him.

The sophisticated social commentary is as interesting as is the humorous plot. Many of his attempts to right some wrong end up bringing trouble on the people he tries to help and serve to show the reader more clearly that progress involves a change of thinking as well as a change of situations. As with any of Mark Twain's novels, the book is full of humor and adventure as well the social commentary.

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Ghostwalk

Ghostwalk by Rebecca Stott

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was disappointed with this book. The characters were dry and unappealing and the plot seemed to take too long to develop and then veered off into tangents that really didn't lead anywhere. Lydia Brooke, was hired by her former married lover to go through his murdered mother's notes and to finish the book on Isaac Newton and other 17th century alchemists that she had started.

As Lydia continues the research she begins to see an association between several murders in the 17th century which seem to be connected to events in the present. She also resumes her self destructive affair with Cameron who is involved with a fanatical animal-rights organization. While the author makes a connection between all the events, it appears to me to be contrived and doesn't really make sense. Her research on Isaac Newton was fascinating, but never seemed to fit.


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A Bit about Queen Elizabeth I

I have read two books recently about a possible child of the very young Elizabeth Tudor, soon to become Queen Elizabeth I. The first is The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir.



Ms. Weir has done considerable research on Henry VIII and his children, but this is a book of fiction concerning the life of the young Elizabeth. The major focus of the book is the fine line the young heir walks between obscurity and being the heir to the British Throne. Central to the book is the possibility the she bore a child when she was about 14, courtesy of Thomas Seymour.

What is amazing about this story is the shrewdness of the young Elizabeth and her uncanny understanding of politics. Much is because of her outstanding intelligence and composure. While the subject of Elizabeth I has been covered innumerable times, this book has found a way to be fresh and interesting.

The second is The Virgin Queen's Daughter by Ella March Chase.




Continuing on the idea that the young Lady Elizabeth did have a child when she was barely 14, the story is written through the eyes of that daughter. Her position is fraught with danger and intrigue. Despite her mother's protests, Elinor de Lacey schemes to get summoned to court where she finds out that she is the daughter of the queen. At first Elizabeth is enchanted by her, but as time goes on, she begins to suspect that there may be more to Elinor, and that she could be a threat to her reign. The court intrigues are fascinating and the story is well written.

Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith

Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was such a disturbing story.  It is about a splinter group from the Mormon church who have distorted the faith into a cult.  It is just Jim Jones in different clothes.  It is hard to understand how people can justify having such complete control over others and calling it religion.  Sadly, there must be something in human nature than lends itself to these kinds of cults because the crop up over and over.

The book is well researched and well written and it makes for compelling reading.  I just keep thinking about the women and children and wondering what kind of future they will have with this in their past.


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Eats, Shoots & Leaves

Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is such a clever and interesting book on the use of punctuation. Up until I read this book, I never considered the idea that grammar could be amusing, but this is wonderful. Just reading a few pages will convince anyone that punctuation is important.

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Twas The Night Before Thanksgiving

'Twas The Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This little book is a little politically correct, but it's cute.  Little kids go on a school trip to a poultry farm and found that they were all to be killed for Thanksgiving dinner.  The kids smuggle the turkeys home to try to save them.  It may raise more questions than it answers for little kids, so be ready for questions.


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http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63837.The_Last_Report_On_The_Miracles_At_Little_No_Horse" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px">http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355127660m/63837.jpg
" />The">http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63837.The_Last_Report_On_The_Miracles_At_Little_No_Horse">The Last Report On The Miracles At Little No Horse by Louise">http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9388.Louise_Erdrich">Louise Erdrich

My rating: 4">http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/569951976">4 of 5 stars


This was a very interesting book although it seemed to drag at some points.  I enjoyed learning more about Native Americans and the early missionaries.  My grandmother had a cousin and uncle who both worked with Indians as an early missionary and I thought this book was much more like their experiences as contemporary fiction which deals with the missionary period.

I thought the characterization was especially good and I felt as if I knew many of the people.  The author was able to portray the characters as complex people and not a stereotype.



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Cody Posey

I have been following the trial of Cody Posey, a boy who killed his parents and sister when he was 14. This boy has had more trauma that most adults would have by age 70! His mother was killed in an accident when he was present. His grandfather killed his grandmother and abused his own children. Cody was afraid of his father, who was abusive and whose rights had been terminated, and then ended up having to go and live with him. He lived on the isolated New Mexico ranch of Sam Donalson and his father was free to treat him in whatever way he wanted. Cody couldn't just go to a neighbor for help. On the night before he exploded in violence, Cody was burned with a some kind of torch when he refused his father's demand that he have sex with his step mother.

It is always hard to know the truth about a situation like this, but the community has been solidly behind Cody, even the father and stepmother of his half-sister whom he killed. They feel that he is a good kid who finally was pushed over the edge and unfortunately his step-sister was caught up in his explosion. The only ones who seemed to be against Cody were the prosecutor and his father's family. And unfortunately, that family is filled with years of abuse, suicide and mental health problems. I was especially saddened by the vindictiveness of Cody's uncle and it gave me some insight into Cody's father.

Cody sought relief from Social Services and the police and they failed him. Ranch hands, teachers and neighbors saw some of what was going on and yet they couldn't help him. No one seemed to be able to do anything to help this boy, but at least the community took responsibility for their failure and didn't turn against him when he exploded under the pressure.

I watched the proceedings on Court TV and, while they usually try to remain neutral, in this case it was easy to see that they were very sympathetic to Cody. The boy was convicted of manslaughter for the father, second degree murder for the stepmother and first degree murder for the sister and I believe this was just. The judge felt that the circumstances of the case demanded that he be sentenced as a juvenile and he will be getting help from a treatment center until he is 21. It was important to note that the treatment center had dealt with him when he was first incarcerated and felt like he was amenable to treatment and agreed to treat him after his sentencing.

Cody's lawyer, Gary Mitchell, did a magnificent job in representing this boy. He was the public defender and he not only represented him, but he championed him. In many ways he played the role of the father Cody never had. I know that lawyers aren't supposed to get emotionally involved with their clients, but this was a situation in which it was entirely warranted. When he first took on the case, members of the community called him and told him that Cody was a good kid and to fight for him. He could not have done better.

What do I think? The prosecutor approached this trial as if Cody was a mass murderer. She said he would kill again. I think she made a gross error in portraying him this way. I used to be a teacher and educational evaluator for the Department of Juvenile corrections and my experience tells me that an emotionally disturbed child who explodes and kills his family is very different from a child who kills a classmate, neighbor or especially a stranger. The former kills in response to an overwhelming and emotional situation in which he is trapped and sees no other way out. He killed the people who were making the situation unbearable. He is unlikely to ever be in that situation again, especially as he will never be so young and have so few options. The latter have usually had a track record of acting out and a pattern of juvenile delinquency.

As you deal with these children on a day to day basis you see a huge difference in the two types. Street children usually have "all day long, every day" problems with society. They are only a spark away from acting out behavior. The children we saw who were like Cody were generally respectful and compliant. For the most part, they are delightful to deal with because they have learned to not make trouble as a way of survival. They usually want desperately to please. In fact, the problem with a kid like Cody is to get them to react when things really bother them. Every thing I saw in Cody via the trial indicates that this is the case with him.

I feel that the decision was the only fair one. He was a child and he acted like a child, yet his actions did result in the death of 3 people. He didn't have a lot of ways available to cope. Teens are at risk for suicide for the same reason. They have no perspective. They can't believe that the future will be better. They think they will feel this way forever and they see no hope. Cody could have just as easily killed himself.

I think Cody has the support of family and friends and his community. He will be getting psychological treatment at a treatment facility which feels that he can be helped and has a plan for him. On top of dealing with all that brought him to the point of explosion, Cody will have to deal with what he has done. It doesn't surprise me that he has mixed feelings about his family. I have seen kids that were terribly abused cry when their abusive parents didn't come to visit them. He will especially miss his stepsister and I imagine that will haunt him more than the rest. That this will all haunt him is inevitable. He will need lots of therapy to come to grips with it and even if he can begin to forgive himself, he still will be haunted by what he did. I'm just glad that the state of New Mexico didn't fail him and then fail him again by treating him as an adult.

Yellow Journalism

This article by Mark Tapscott raises some interesting points about the media of today. So many of the horrifying stories about the lawlessness mayhem in New Orleans have proved to be untrue. Some of them, such as the reports of people firing at the rescue personnel, have even resulted in deaths. This is especially true of the reports designed to take cheap shots at the government. We all watched news briefings where the press hounded the government with negative comments while most of us were aching for real information that would tell us what was happening and how we could help.


The recent scandals concerning the news media are indicative of the decline in journalism. Or perhaps it is a throwback to the yellow journalism. I picked up this well written description of this practice:

The Sensational Beginnings of Yellow Journalism

In 1898, newspapers provided the major source of news in America. At this time, it was common practice for a newspaper to report the editor's interpretation of the news rather than objective journalism. If the information reported was inaccurate or biased, the American public had little means for verification. With this sort of influence, the newspapers wielded much political power. In order to increase circulation, the publishers of these papers often exploited their position by sponsoring a flamboyant and irresponsible approach to news reporting that became known as "yellow journalism." Though the term was originally coined to describe the journalistic practices of Joseph Pulitzer, William Randolph Hearst proved himself worthy of the title. Today, it is his name that is synonymous with "yellow journalism."

Does this sound familiar? In case you have been in the Himalayas, there was the fabrications by Jayson Blaire and and the misuse of stringers and interns by Pulitzer Prize winner Rick Bragg in 2003. Then there was the situation which led to the early retirement of Dan Rather; a case of his desire to find anything that would cast the President in a bad light. Rather’s bias against the Bush family goes back to the presidency of George Bush, Sr. I will never forget Rather’s blatent rudeness during the debates.

After the irregularities concerning plagiarism and fabrication in 2003, several editors of large newspaper did some investigating and issued memo's to staff to change policy. "The concerns (improper reporting) have even reached the executive suite. Dow Jones CEO Peter Kann, who oversees the Wall Street Journal, said in a memo: "Any and every editor up the line in our editing process has the right -- and the responsibility -- to question sourcing." Kann also cited many potential misdemeanors well short of the crimes of plagiarism and fabrication. . . . I am thinking here of the anonymous negative quote questioning someone's character; the unreturnable post-office-closing phone call that permits a publication to say 'unavailable for comment'; the closed mind to an inconvenient new fact that doesn't fit a story line; the loaded adjective where no adjective is needed; the analysis that edges across the line to personal opinion"

Look at the piece by Mark Tapscott and see if you think things have improved. Fortunately, we are not in the position for the readers of 1898. We have the Internet. We can go back and look, for example, at the speeches of our politicians and find the quotes of President Clinton and many other prominent Democrats concerning Sadam Hussein and weapons of mass destruction. We can hear how they urged the military action that they decry today. We can catch John Kerry in all of his flip-flops and even his time served in Vietnam.

I spend a lot more time getting my news today. I like the Internet because I can go right to the source. I think a lot of reporters have forgotten what it means to simply report the news and not create it, so I am glad that I have another option, but what a shame for a once noble profession.

13 year old babysitter charged in death of toddler. Who is to blame?

This is a hard one. It's a tragedy all around.

A 13-year-old babysitter accused in the death of a toddler claims she was simply trying to calm the child by "wiggling" her, but prosecutors say Ashley Howes murdered Freya Garden in a manner consistent with shaken-baby syndrome.

King County prosecutors say the teen confessed in a police interview to shaking the fussy 19-month-old girl at least twice while babysitting her and her 5-year-old sister.

But defense attorney Bryan Hershman told Court TV that his client never admitted to harming Freya and that the statement does not amount to a confession.

Almost 10 months following the Jan. 16 incident, a Seattle juvenile court judge will begin deciding next week whose version is more believable.

Between Bad and Worse

I haven't seen any more information on the previous article I copied from NewsMax. I wonder if it truly happened? It smells a little fishy to me as well as some other bloggers. See here Even if it isn't true, it brings up some interesting points.

What does a person do when faced with such a choice? Is there a "right" way to choose? What would I do? That's another problem that a disaster like Katrina brings to light. How do you know that you will make the right choice in an emergency situation?

A lawyer probably would say it was safest to simply let the terminal patients die in fear and agony. Isn't it sad that in this era of lawsuits we have to think about being sued when faced with such a choice? Someone becomes a doctor because he or she wants to alleviate suffering. To allow a terminal patient to die in such a cruel way goes against everything the profession stands for.

Does our legal system allow for such impossible choices? I don't have much confidence in our courts anymore. A doctor could just as easily be sued for leaving the patients to die in agony without providing for their relief. If this situation really happened, I bet some lawyer read about it and started looking for a potential plaintiff.

Doctors: Hurricane Katrina Forced Us to Kill Patients

Is this really what happened or just another bit of misinformation or exaggeration from the early days of Katrina?

Doctors: Hurricane Katrina Forced Us to Kill Patients
NewsMax.com
Monday, Sept. 12, 2005

Doctors working in hurricane-ravaged New Orleans killed critically ill patients rather than leave them behind to die in agony as they evacuated hospitals, according to a shocking report in the respected British newspaper the Daily Mail.

One emergency official who spoke on the record, William "Forest" McQueen, told the Mail: "Those who had no chance of making it were given a lot of morphine and lain down in a dark place to die."

McQueen, a utility manager for the town of Abita Springs near New Orleans, told relatives that patients had been "put down," saying medical personnel "injected them, but nurses stayed with them until they died."

The Mail did not name the other members of the medical staff interviewed by the newspaper in order to protect their identities. Euthanasia is illegal in Louisiana.

One doctor said: "I didn't know if I was doing the right thing. But I did not have time. I had to make snap decisions, under the most appalling circumstances, and I did what I thought was right.

"I injected morphine into those patients who were dying and in agony. If the first dose was not enough, I gave a double dose. And at night I prayed to God to have mercy on my soul.

"This was not murder. This was compassion. I had cancer patients who were in agony."

The doctor said medical staffers divided patients into three categories: those who were medically fit enough to survive, those who needed urgent care, and the dying, the Mail reported.

"It came down to giving people the basic human right to die with dignity," said the doctor.

"There were patients with ‘Do Not Resuscitate' signs. Under normal circumstances, some could have lasted several days. But when the power went out, we had nothing.

"Some of the very sick became distressed. We tried to make them as comfortable as possible.

"You have to understand, these people were going to die anyway." According to the Mail, the confessions of the medical staff "are an indictment of the appalling failure of American authorities to help those in desperate need after Hurricane Katrina flooded the city."

New Orleans again...leadership

I saw this Quote by Neil S. Kavanaugh in the "Northside Journal."

"For generations we have elected men and women based on what they say they will give us, not on their leadership ability." It's nice to see something in print that I believe is the root of the problem, not only in Louisiana, but in all or our government. I've been saying it since President Clinton was running for President. Remember Jennifer Flowers, the state troopers and all the allegations? A much quoted sentiment was that Clinton's private behavior was not important. We were told that only his political record mattered. Everything in me screamed, "NO!" Integrity and leadership are the MOST important qualities in a candidate.

Government is incredibly complex. Candidates may promise all sorts of things and they may be entirely sincere, but when they are actually on the job, things are a lot more complicated. That is why a lot of well meaning politicians end up not being able to deliver on campaign promises. They learn that they have to compromise and play the game if they want to see ANY of their ideals realized. We elect politicians because we want the things they promise, but what is the difference between a politician who does his or her best to be true to their consistency and one who simply promises whatever they think the voters want to hear? For example, I recently read an article saying that Hillary Clinton tried to join the Marines. Hmmm...

I'm going out on a limb and saying that integrity and leadership are just about all that matters in an elected position. "Just about" is the operative phrase. That is, provided that the politician knows how to surround himself or herself with talented people who know what they are doing and have the same kind of integrity AND the politician knows how to delegate and accept advice. If I vote for someone who has this type of character and skills, I can be confident that the best is being done for all of us. I've seen this time and time again in local politics. It is a little easier to see on the local level. I'm a great writer of letters to my elected officials. I always love it when they either call or write back to me with the reasons they felt they had to vote they way they did. Even if I disagree, I admire honesty, integrity and leadership. I can have confidence in that kind of person.

So what happened in Louisiana? There has been an entrenched bankruptcy of quality government for a long time. Don't blame the politicians entirely. It's been said that most people get the kind of government they deserve. That is a huge problem in government today. We have a staggering Federal debt and yet people don't want to vote for a politician who says that they will cut programs that effect us. Right now the Federal government is promising the hurricane victims just about anything they want. Is anyone asking if we can afford it? Who is going to pay for this? Why is this hurricane so different? One man, interviewed by FOX, was contemptuous of the money he had been given by the government. He wanted the government to just give victims $20,000 each and let them get on with their lives. So, we are supposed to give him $20,000 because his ancestors came on a slave ship and he chose to live below sea level protected by a levee system that ought to scare just about anyone? Look at the picture. The man has his arm around a white woman and it's so normal it took me a minute or so to catch on to the caption under the picture. We've come a long way from that slave ship.

I live on a barrier island in Florida. I pay a lot for insurance. I pay more for flood insurance. It has never occurred to me that the government should pay me damages because I chose to live here. The people of the United States don't owe me any thing except maybe basic emergency relief. If I will only vote for people who promise to take care of me so that I won't have to take care of myself, then shame on me.

We have got to start electing politicians that will do what is best for this country even if it means giving up our personal gravy train. We have got to give up this idea of "entitlements." We have to elect officials who act responsibly doing hard things like fixing levees, highways and other necessary things that should be the business of government and not pretty things that put money in the pockets of our friends. We have to help our indigent population with programs that require that they help themselves.

We have to look at the character of our candidates and vote for people who will be responsible with the money we pay with our taxes. Louisiana should be a wake-up call for all of us. The Louisiana government gambled and lost. They broke faith with their people because they didn't do the most important thing that government is charged with. They didn't look out for their citizens and keep them safe and they are compounding the lack of leadership by blaming others for their own shortcomings.

On New Orleans

I hate all the blaming! We've all had trying times and wished in retrospect we had done some things differently. Some laws and policies need to be changed, but there is another time for that. I don't think it ever occurred to any of us that so many people would not have evacuated. They've rescued 10,000 people and there are still more! I also didn't realize that there were so many poor, old and elderly who couldn't evacuate. In retrospect, they should have had busses to take the people out before the hurricane, but who knew? I don't think any of us in hurricane areas will make that mistake again. This is the first time a hurricane has hit an area so urban and highly populated. Andrew went through and we all breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn't the heart of Miami or New York or Washington, DC. Our nation's capitol would be an even worse disaster. It is a city of the powerful and the poor. What about the museums? It would be a mess. Who could think of all the variables?

All that blaming keeps me from focusing on all the wonderful things that people have done. I think we should all be so proud of what lengths American people have gone to to help. Focus on Houston and her open arms. Focus on the 15 year old boy who commandeered a bus and drove old people and babies to Houston. Focus on what happened when the full force of the US Government stepped in. Focus on what neighboring states have done. Focus on the prayers and tears of a nation. The outpouring of help is something our nation can be proud of and the grippers and blamers are taking that away from us. When did it get to be this way? I don't remember this kind of second guessing during Agnes, Camille or Gilbert.

I have been watching FOX almost non-stop and I have seen members of the press so effected by what they have seen that they were nearly in tears; and I have seen them doing something about it. So much can happen when we don't take time out to blame. We're all angry about a lot of things that happened or didn't happen, but we knew it was going to be a catastrophic disaster and that is part of what catastrophe means. I'm not aiming this at any of the exhausted, over-stressed people who are in the middle of all this, or the people who are trying to help them. When things go this wrong, we sometimes need people to lash out at. I am aiming it at politicians or special interest groups who take time in a press conference to stir up trouble instead of finding out what else needs to be done. They write articles about everything they see is wrong...even as far fetched as global warming (what caused Galveston or Camille or Gilbert?) when they could use the power of the press to list what we can do in our communities to help. We should all be on the same side...the side of the victims.

I think this is a wake-up call for all of us. It could be called a dress-rehearsal. When the crisis is over and we can sit back and look at what has happened the Mayors, Governors and the Federal agencies should get together and critique the operation. Blaming will get us nowhere. To be very blunt, the Democrats and liberal media who are taking partisan jabs at President Bush and the government are making fools of themselves. Blaming President Bush for the hurricane makes them look like idiots. Did they flunk General Science in high school? Scientists who study hurricanes say that this is just part of a regular cycle. We've actually been blessed with very few hurricanes between 1975 and 1995, but there were plenty of hurricanes in the decades before 1975. Florida suffered from serious drought for several years and the reason was that we didn't have enough hurricanes to replenish the aquifer.

It's embarrassing. Years ago I was a Democrat, but now I am ashamed of the party. I wouldn't want people to know that I am more interested in partisan politics than the plight of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. This disaster needs all of our attention and we should all take note of the people who are sitting back and criticizing instead of helping. I know I am. I want to be a part of a government which is not afraid to look at something like this and say that this response was "unacceptable" and not be afraid to make it right. I am in awe of what was done in 24 hours and I am very proud of it. I hope that the people overseas ARE watching. They saw a situation that got terribly out of hand including the lawlessness and today, in only 24 hours they saw a country rise to meet the challenge in an unbelievable way.

Stop for just a minute and think about what happened in perspective. An area the size of England suffered a double catastrophe...devastation from a strong category 4 hurricane and then the failure of the levee system in New Orleans flooding the poorest sections of the city where about 12,000 residents didn't follow the warning to evacuate. The situation was so dire yesterday that there were questions about ever being able take this city back. In 24 hours incredible progress was made. The Convention Center and the Superdome were evacuated. Lawlessness was brought under control and people were transferred to places where good people were waiting to help them. All of the sudden there is a feeling of empowerment. We can do this. We are Americans. The ones who have will help the ones who have lost everything. We are at our best in times like this. I'd like to see any other country that could have done better.

Summerland

Summerland by Michael Chabon

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book but the plot was convoluted at times. The story is about Ethan Feld who doesn't seem to fit in anywhere and his friend, Jennifer T. Rideout. Both kids are struggling with not belonging, especially in their families. They are on a losing baseball team and while Jennifer is good at baseball, Ethan just wants to quit. Jennifer, however, won't let him. In another dimension is a faerie world that is desperate for a champion, but what they get is Ethan. All of the action brings these two worlds together in a dramatic ending.



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The Red Tent

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Her name is Dinah. In the Bible, her life is only hinted at in a brief and violent detour within the more familiar chapters of the Book of Genesis that are about her father, Jacob, and his dozen sons. Told in Dinah's voice, this novel reveals the traditions and turmoils of ancient womanhood - the world of the red tent. It begins with the story of her mothers - Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah - the four wives of Jacob. They love Dinah and give her gifts that sustain her through a hard-working youth, a calling to midwifery, and a new home in a foreign land. Dinah's story reaches out from a remarkable period of early history and creates an intimate connection with the past. Deeply affecting, The Red Tent combines rich storytelling with a valuable achievement in modern fiction: a new view of biblical women's society.

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The Sherwood Ring

The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Marie Pope

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is one of my all time favorite books. I finally managed to get a copy when it came back in print. It is the story of a young woman who comes to spend the summer with her uncle in the old Revolutionary home which is also populated with a number of ghosts. She has a relationship with the ghosts and a young man she meets on her way to the house. It is a delightful book! While it isn't quite as exciting as it was when I first read it about 45 years ago, it is still a great story.


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