Nevermore: Cure for Women, Mighty Red, How Hitler Could Have Won WWII, Obitchuary

 

Nevermore March 18, 2025

Reported by Kristin

One of our Nevermore members read The Cure for Women: Dr. Mary Putnam Jacobi and the Challenge to Victorian Medicine That Changed Women's Lives Forever by Lydia Reeder, finding it to be very informative. The book discusses both early female medical practitioners and some of the unspeakable treatments given to women suffering from “hysteria”. Dr. Jacobi became one of the first women accepted into the Sorbonne medical school, and her scientific research made waves in the male dominated field. – AH - 5 stars.

Another reader enjoyed The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich. Set in the prairies of North Dakota, this is a tale of Gary, in love with Kismet, who also has another man in love with her. Erdich combines love, farming, natural resources, secrets, hallucinations, and more into another of her sweeping sagas. Our reader said that this wasn’t her favorite Erdrich book, but she just couldn’t give the beloved author anything less than 4 stars. – MH – 4 stars

Returning to non-fiction, another reader had a disappointing experience with How Hitler Could Have Won WWII: The Fatal Errors That Led to Nazi Defeat by Bevin Alexander. While it looked promising when he bought it used for only $2, our reader found that the military history was only “skin deep” and many facts were skimmed over and skipped entirely in this volume. – RR – 0 stars

Obitchuary: The Big Hot Book of Death by Spencer Henry and Madison Reyes brought a few laughs to the table as one member explained that this was a very good book about what happens to your remains after you die. Our reader had formerly worked in a hospice, so was able to look at some of the history and traditions through her own experiences. From cremation to what the authors call FUNerals, the writing is funny in parts, while also exploring how those left behind remember their late loved ones. – KM – 5 stars

Also mentioned:

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny

Chicken Soup for the Soul: What I Learned from My Dog by Amy Newmark

Presto!: How I Made over 100 Pounds Disappear and Other Magical Tales by Penn Jillette

Horizons: Exploring Creation by Luci Shaw

Lulu Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller

Modigliani by Alfred Werner

North River by Pete Hamill

 

New books:

How to Share An Egg: A True Story of Hunger, Love, and Plenty by Bonny Reichert

You Gotta Eat: Real-Life Strategies for Feeding Yourself When Cooking Feels Impossible by Margaret Eby

Every Tom, Dick & Harry by Elinor Lipman

The Vanishing Point: Stories by Paul Theroux