Unbroken

I listened to the young adult audio version of Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. This true story follows Louis Zamperini and his rise from a troubled youth, to an olympic athlete, and finally to a prisoner of war held by the Japanese. The title Unbroken is fitting because after everything he endured he went on to live a relatively normal life. The story was eventually made into a movie, but I have not seen the movie and can't comment on how it compares to the book.

This is an important story to read. There are sometimes ordinary people asked to do extraordinary things. While Louis Zamperini was not necessarily asked to do anything he experienced, he did volunteer. He gave up his Olympic career to serve his country. And then to endure a plane crash and days on a raft only to land in Japan and endure even more is rather extraordinary.

Since I listened to the young adult version of the story, I can't say what I missed. An Amazon reviewer says the language was simplified a bit and there is some abridgement to the story. I felt the changes were relatively minor because I didn't feel I was missing anything. In some parts of the story, I wondered if content had been edited because the torture of the POW's was rather graphic. Still, how does one edit it without losing the seriousness of the situation? After listening to the book, I tracked down the print version to see the pictures.

Laura Hillenbrand did an excellent job in writing this book. For more about Louis Zamperini, I found he wrote his own story.

Book rating: 5 stars

The books I select for review are books which I personally select from my local library. I do not receive any reimbursement from authors or publishers or free books. I do provide links to Amazon as a convenience to the readers of this blog. I do earn a small referral pittance which is not even enough to buy a soda.

Empty Mansions

It is hard to imagine having so much wealth that you could have multiple mansions and allow them to sit empty and unused for decades. And yet, Huguette Clark did exactly that. She spent most of her life as a recluse in an apartment in New York City. Her apartment was large in comparison to most New York City apartments, yet beautiful designed. Even there, she only used a few rooms.

The story of how Huguette Clark came into her inheritance and where that money came from was equally fascinating. I had no idea the influence of her father, W. A. Clark, on the American West and the mining industry. Most of her money was inherited from her father's mining and investments. After her father, and then mother, died, Huguette retreated from life in the 1920's and lived reclusively with only a handful of close assistants. She handled most of her money by phone and people did what she asked. She developed several unique interests in doll collecting and artwork.

Towards the end of Huguette's life, even she could see that she would never spend all of her money. Though she came quite close. She gave hefty amounts to various people, which are now under dispute. And since she has passed away, her distant relatives have now shown an interest in her money and want their "fair" share.

This is a fascinating story of wealth generated during the industrial revolution spanning many decades. It raises many questions about wealth and personal responsibility, finance, and spending. Can you have so much money that you will never spend it all? Most of us will never know, but in the case of Huguette Clark we can see one possibility.

Book rating: 5 stars

The books I select for review are books which I personally select from my local library. I do not receive any reimbursement from authors or publishers or free books. I do provide links to Amazon as a convenience to the readers of this blog. I do earn a small referral pittance which is not even enough to buy a soda.

Life and death in Shanghai

The history books in my high school and college both dedicated a mere 1-2 paragraphs to the Cultural Revolution in China during the 1960s. I was not a History major in college, so I just read the general world history text that skimmed a lot of major world events. It is unfortunate because I really had no idea what the Cultural Revolution was, what it did to China or its people until I read this book. Nien Cheng recounts her life during the Cultural Revolution in her autobiography Life and Death in Shanghai.

Nien Cheng's husband worked for the Shell Corporation in China. His job was to ensure that Shell followed Chinese laws. Nien's husband unexpectedly passed away and Nien assumed her husband's job. She was very good at ensuring compliance with Chinese law, a stressful and difficult job. She loved China and she fully supported her communist government. But very quickly things changed.

Nien worked for a foreign government. She and her husband had travelled the world. They owned very beautiful things and lived in a nice home. As the Cultural Revolution kicked into gear, Nien became a target. Because of her economic standing and employment she was interrogated multiple times and pressed to confess her capitalist sins. Revolutionaries came and destroyed her home. Her daughter was forced to participate in revolutionary activities. And finally, Nien was jailed - locked in a solitary cell for years. She was brought out routinely to be interrogated and asked to confess.

Despite experiencing so much, Nien never confessed wrong doing. Eventually Nien was freed and assigned to live in an apartment not far from her previous home. She finds herself in a changed China. While things appear to have improved on the surface, she senses the same political rumblings. Always looking over her shoulder Nien wonders if her neighbors spy on her in exchange for favors. Very carefully, Nien leaves China and comes to the U.S. - heartbroken and sad for the country and people she so loved but hopeful for freedom.

I read this book cover to cover. I was impressed with Nien's integrity and endurance. Some passages were very long and I wondered how she could survive through so much tragedy. How could anyone? And yet she did. This is an important story. It's one of hope and survival. It's about the truth of the horrors of the Cultural Revolution. It's a must read.

Book Rating: 5 stars

The books I select for review are books which I personally select from my local library. I do not receive any reimbursement from authors or publishers or free books. I do provide links to Amazon as a convenience to the readers of this blog. I do earn a small referral pittance which is not even enough to buy a soda.

My story by Elizabeth Smart

It's hard to write a review on a book with such a difficult subject. I can remember much about the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart because I lived in Utah when it happened. Now, 10 years later Elizabeth Smart has told her story from her point of view. There have been other books written about what happened and none of them compare to this.*

Elizabeth tells her story from that fateful night until her rescue, which had to be difficult to relive. She gives just enough detail that you understand what happens to her but not so much to turn you away. The authors voice clearly reflects one who is looking back. Elizabeth at times comments on the possible motivations of Brian David Mitchell and experiences with the maturity of one who has survived. Elizabeth gives some light to an otherwise heavy retelling by describing some of the miraculous events that helped her survive particular moments. The miracle of her rescue is perhaps the most amazing part of her story and clearly could not have happened without divine intervention.

Book Rating: 5 stars

*There was one terrible account written by a true crime writer who lived with excommunicated Mormons in order to gain perspective on why Brian David Mitchell did what he did. The book was full of inaccuracies about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. None of the people directly involved with the family or investigation cooperated with the author. I tried to find this book again and couldn't. Perhaps its been long forgotten.

The books I select for review are books which I personally select from my local library. I do not receive any reimbursement from authors or publishers or free books. I do provide links to Amazon as a convenience to the readers of this blog. I do earn a small referral pittance which is not even enough to buy a soda.

Call the Midwife

Midwifery is an interesting profession. Women placed at pivotal times in a person's life to help bring new life into the world. It's an ancient practice that has endured until recently in the United States. There are pockets of resurgence, though physician groups have fought it insisting on oversight, licensing, and certified training. Those things are not wrong, but it is ironic considering midwives trained doctors on how to deliver a baby.

The UK has a strong tradition of midwifery. They still provide the primary care for pregnant women today. This is probably one of the most striking differences between our two countries - this attitude about who can safely deliver a baby. Jennifer Worth, a nurse midwife, wrote a memoir detailing her experiences working in the slums of London's East End among some of the country's poorest in the 1950s. The stories are funny, gripping, raw, real, and hard. She describes people who have made some very bad (even immoral) choices in such a sympathetic way that you can't help but feel empathy for them. She tackles topics such as racism, abortion, prostitution, poverty, elder care, rape, incest, workhouses, and the changing situation of London.

I really enjoyed reading these books. It helped me better understand what World War II had done to London and how hard life was for so many. The books have been published with new covers in three volumes.

The BBC has recently adapted these stories into a television show. The show has taken a softer approach to some of the stories of the book. Some of the stories in the books would rightfully be rated R whereas the television show would be PG or PG-13. The first two seasons cover most of the stories in the three books. I'm not sure on the third season as I have not seen it yet, but the producers have started creating additional material. The characters have all been cast with exactly the right actors that have done a great job capturing what Jennifer Worth described.

Book Rating: 5 stars

The books I select for review are books which I personally select from my local library. I do not receive any reimbursement from authors or publishers or free books. I do provide links to Amazon as a convenience to the readers of this blog. I do earn a small referral pittance which is not even enough to buy a soda.

Lady Almina and the real Downton Abbey

 

Downton Abbey has received a lot of buzz as the hottest BBC television show to emerge in recent years. The rich historical drama is nothing more than a soap opera with the rich wrappings of the British upper class. The television show is filmed in Highclere castle and draws inspiration from some of its previous inhabitants.

One of those previous inhabitants was Lady Almina Countess of Carnarvon. And like the television show, there is a hushed scandal when Almina marries the Count. But what draws viewers to the television is more than the occasional scandal. There is intense interest in seeing how the upper class lives in comparison to the lives of those that they employ. That upstairs-downstairs story. This book contains details of what it was like to live as or work for the upper class of late Victorian and Edwardian England.

The most surprising and most interesting part of the book is not about Lady Almina. She made huge contributions to the war effort of World War I, establishing two hospitals and hiring medical staff. It was the details of World War I were interesting and revealing. The transformation of England from the Victorian to the modern era and how that effects the people of Highclere was fascinating. The story of her husband Lord Carnarvon and his discovery of King Tut's tomb was equally fascinating.

The book does not get bogged down in endless biographical details. It sets the mentioned individuals in their historical context. The story wraps up shortly after the death of Lord Carnarvon and how the family members moved on. I appreciated this because it made the book an easy read. I had hoped for more photographs, especially since the author describes photographs which were not included. Still, there is enough of a look into the family's life with what is included.

Book Rating: 5 stars

The books I select for review are books which I personally select from my local library. I do not receive any reimbursement from authors or publishers or free books. I do provide links to Amazon as a convenience to the readers of this blog. I do earn a small referral pittance which is not even enough to buy a soda.

Hope's boy by Andrew Bridge

Andrew Bridge entered the foster care system in Southern California at about the age of 10. His mother was mentally ill and unable to really care for him. What follows is his experiences of growing up in the foster care system while desperately missing his own family.

Andrew explains the constant change that a foster child experiences. Different social workers, different foster parents, different foster siblings. Foster kids grew up in a sea of constant change with little stability. In some ways he withdraws into a shell of protection - protecting his own thoughts and feelings from those trying to care for him. Even though his own situation stabilized by getting a permanent placement, he never felt truly loved or cared for.

Once Andrew enters high school, he makes plans to leave. He studies colleges and applies to some of the most elite schools in the country. He picks up part-time work to save money. He received very little encouragement from those around him - either they didn't know his plans or didn't think he would be able to succeed. Just before Andrew leaves for college, he meets his mother in a mental health facility and comes to the truth of her situation.

I enjoyed reading Hope's Boy and I am glad Andrew shared it. It truly is remarkable that he was able to succeed despite his circumstances. He now works as an advocate for kids in the foster care system. Has he become a part of the bureaucratic system that he so despised? One of those nameless individuals who enter and leave a foster kids life with little effect. It's hard to say because Andrew ends his story with out telling us too much of his life after foster care, but one can't help wondering if he has truly left the foster care system.

Jimmy Stewart: A Biography

Jimmy Stewart is one of my favorite actors. He is up there with his contemporaries - Cary Grant, Spencer Tracy, and others. So I grabbed Jimmy Stewart: A Biography the second I saw it at the library.

Every Hollywood biography I have read lately reveals deeply troubled people who continually made poor choices. The biography on Henry Fonda certainly did this. You read deeply personal backgrounds with all the dirty, sordid details of their life. Of course, their personal lives are very different from their on-screen personas.

I heard the opposite was true about Jimmy Stewart. I was curious to see what his life was really like after reading about him in the Henry Fonda bio. The two were very close friends that shared much of their early careers together. Henry Fonda was known to have been loose and free with women. Well, unfortunately, so was Jimmy Stewart. Many, many Hollywood stars married and divorced multiple times, slept around with their co-stars, etc.

Several chapters in, and I have to wonder how accurately Marc Eliot is in his depiction of Stewart. He appears to assign a lot of emotions and motivations to Stewart that doesn't make sense to me. He implies a strained relationship with his father, yet he respected his father. He talks a lot about Stewart's sexuality while Stewart was faithfully married to one woman - a truly rare feat in Hollywood. The author spends A LOT of time on the sordid details of his life.

In any event, I had to stop reading the book. I decided I don't want to know all of Stewart's past sins. I want to enjoy my favorite movies without knowing Stewart's affairs behind the scenes. I want to escape from reality.

The golden age of Hollywood produced some of the best movies and actors of all time, but the truth behind the magic is very dirty.

Book rating: 2 stars

Who Gets the Drumstick?

Have you seen the movie Yours, Mine, and Ours with Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda? (just pretend the 2005 remake was never made). Who gets the drumstick? is the true story that the original movie is based on. The movie does a good job of telling the story. A few details are changed, but that doesn't seem to detract from the spirit of the book.

The true story is more amazing than the movie. I can't imagine a single mom with 8 children and a single dad with 10 children could come together and have a happy family. Sure there are mishaps and near disasters, but what family doesn't experience those things? The reality is that the two families came together and were happy. Both parents, Helen North and Frank Beardsley, had a strong faith that things would work out. The book is filled with humorous anecdotes and family pictures.

The book is currently out of print. I don't know why the book wasn't re-released with the re-make, but maybe that was a good thing. Used copies are available from Amazon, but you may be able to get a copy through inter-library loan.

Book Rating: 5 stars

Fonda, My Life

I chose to read Fonda, My Life for many reasons. I wanted to understand why his children became the people they are today. Second, I highly respected his filmwork. He seemed to be a really incredible, respectable person.

One thing to keep in mind, if you read a biography of a famous person, you will likely have your preconceptions dashed. Henry Fonda's life is no different. While I still respect his work and military service, there are many troubling things you will learn about. Multiple marriages, dysfunctional family life, health problems. If anything, you will discover that Henry Fonda is a real person.

Another thing I learned is that I would never wish an actor's life on anybody. Years of poverty and struggle followed by wealth and family troubles. An actor does not have any time for his family. They are constantly gone or in the zone of the current character they are portraying. Constant travel and promotion. No stable home life. No wonder Peter and Jane Fonda struggled in their adult lives.

I still am left with questions about Henry Fonda. I still wonder who he really was. There are hints and bits of information throughout the biography, but you only get a sense of him. Even with this tell-all book, you can tell he still remained a bit guarded. Just as well, he deserves some privacy and dignity.

Book Rating: Notable