A Child in the Forest by Winifred Foley

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Winifred Foley, called Poll, was born in 1914 to a miner and his wife, the fourth of eight children. They lived in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, a small, hardscrabble but close-knit community. Foley tells the story with deep affection and love, but doesn’t shy away from some of the hard realities of life.  The children are often hungry, though the parents provide as best they can. Some of her fondest memories seem to revolve around unexpected food treats, such as an extra slice of bread with butter.

While her mam is practical but loving, it’s her dad who brings a love of reading and a sense of fun.  Mam keeps the family on course, but even she can be counted on to occasionally splurge on a sweet while on a shopping trip.   

The story is told with both the wonder and acceptance of a child.  The family doesn’t have a lot of material goods, but they make do with help from neighbors, most of whom are in the same straits.  The children do attend school, but only until they are old enough to work. For girls, that means when they turn fourteen, they will be going away to work as servants in more affluent and often urban households.

The book actually came about as a result of a request on the BBC for memoirs of working class people.  Foley sent in her manuscript, which was turned into a radio serial starting in 1973.  The book followed in 1974, beautifully illustrated by Tricia Newell. I have to admit, it was the illustrations that caught my eye; they capture the beauty of the natural world and give the book a sweeter feel. The artwork is enchanting.

One thing I loved is that in the latter part of the book when Poll goes into service, she's never cowed by her employers.  She is eager and a hard worker, but she will stand up for herself if need be. At one point, she changes jobs in part because her new employer will allow her to come in by the front door instead of always having to go to the servants' entrance. 

While the word “authentic” gets tossed about a lot these days, I really can’t think of a better word to describe this book.  I think that all comes down to Foley herself, who gave us such an honest account. The characters are vividly portrayed; so much so that I found myself wanting to know what happened to them after the book ends.

Fortunately, Foley went on to write several more books, including some novels.  She passed away in 2009, leaving behind quite a literary legacy for her readers.

The Dogs Buried Over the Bridge: A Memoir in Dog Years by Rheta Grimsley Johnson

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Full confession:  I often refuse to read books where I know the animal dies at the end.  I empathize far too much.  This is why I didn’t pick up The Dogs Buried Over the Bridge when it first arrived at the library.  I felt the title said it all.

However, I was looking for something to read and remembered how much I had enjoyed Rheta Grimsley Johnson’s column in the newspaper.  Even when she was writing about something I really didn’t care about (okay, Auburn football), she managed to make it interesting.  She is one of those people who sees the details, especially picking up on the little things that bind us together, and makes life in a swamp seem as familiar as life in a holler. Even better, most of the time she did write about things of interest such as the South and country music.  She even wrote a book about Hank Williams, Sr.

The first chapter in, I knew I had made a good choice.  The book is more memoir than I expected, but that is not at all a bad thing.  I confess I had wondered a bit about her life from various references in her columns and not only was I going to find answers, but they’d be given in her own inimitable style. That’s not to say the dogs got short shrift; they are an important part of her life.  She’s learned a lot from her dogs, but she didn’t start out as an avid dog lover.

 Growing up, the rule was no animals in the house.  It didn’t matter if there was a heatwave or a flood: no exceptions.  When Rheta and her first husband, Jimmy Johnson (author of the Arlo and Janis comic strips) got their first dog, they really didn’t know how to take care of it. Also, they were barely scraping by themselves so didn’t have the money to spare for dog food, much less vet bills or dog accessories.  They ended up giving that dog away, but the seed had been planted.  As she writes, “We dog people are born, not made, and simply need dogs. We aren’t easily discouraged by inconveniences—or reality.”

Johnson writes beautifully.  She is descriptive but she cuts to the heart of the matter.  She is honest about her failures with dogs and relationships, and how hard it is to write a personal newspaper column, to give away parts of yourself to be scrutinized by thousands of readers who believe they know you and can criticize or just come visit at will.

So, yes, there are losses in this book, but Grimsley Johnson is clear-eyed about them all, never maudlin even though you know how much it hurts.  She is more interested in conveying their lives than their passing.  Mabel, her heart dog, is the one who convinced her to get her to get permanent eyeliner because Mabel’s natural “raccoon eyes” always helped her get her way.  It certainly helped Mabel to to become the first of many indoor dogs, breaking once and for all the “no animals in the house” rule.  

Even non-dog lovers will find much to enjoy in this book.

Nevermore: James Herriot's Dog Stories, Hand to Mouth, Book of Separation

 Nevermore 3-19-24

Reported by Rita

 

James Herriot's Dog Stories by James Herriot

Tells the stories of fifty dogs and their unique relationships with their owners.

Loved it – absolutely delightful.   – NH     5 stars

 

Hand to Mouth: Living in Bootstrap America by Linda Tirado

A first book by a widely read, controversial essayist on poverty profiles the realities of the working poor in America and why poor people make decisions that are popularly criticized.

Found on TN R.E.A.D.S. – a real eye-opener.  – CD     5 stars

 

The Book of Separation: a Memoir by Tova Mirvis

The author describes how she left both Orthodox Judaism and her marriage and followed her inner compass to forge a new life for herself and her children while seeking her own path to happiness

Stark, but very moving.  – AH     5 stars

 

Other Books Mentioned

Ultra-Processed People: the Science Behind Food That Isn't Food by Chris van Tulleken

Congo by Michael Crichton

The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip by Sara Brunsvold

Bloodroot: Reflections on Place by Appalachian Women Writers by Joyce Dyer

The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

North Woods: a Novel by Daniel Mason

Carnage and Culture: Landmark Battles in the Rise to Western Power by Victor Davis Hanson

The 5 AM Club: Own Your Morning, Elevate Your Life by Robin S. Sharma

We All Want Impossible Things: a Novel by Catherine Newman

Always Looking Up: the Adventures of an Incurable Optimist by Michael J. Fox

 

New Books

Dear Mom and Dad: a Letter About Family, Memory, and the America We Once Knew by Patti Davis

Beaverland: How One Weird Rodent Made America by Leila Philip

Reading Genesis by Marilynne Robinson

Becoming Madam Secretary by Stephanie Dray

The Super Hero’s Journey by Patrick McDonnell

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Growing up, I was an avid consumer of comics—or funny books, as we called them.  I spent hours with various DC heroes (Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman were my favorites) but also with Casper the Friendly Ghost, Wendy the Good Little Witch, Baby Huey, and especially with Little Lulu and Sugar Spike.  Many’s the time my grandparents would park me at the magazine section of a grocery store and go off to run errands, knowing I’d be happily occupied for hours.

I did not read many Marvel titles, though.  I did read some, but as a sight reader I found some of the dialectal renderings difficult to read. (“Sez” for “says” for example.)  I do remember reading some Namor and Thor, and one of two Spider-Man but I was not a “true believer.”

Patrick McDonnell was, though, and as a devoted fan of his strip Mutts as well as his children’s books, I decided to take a look at The Super Hero’s Journey. This is his story of a childhood growing up with the Marvel universe.  He retells some parts of stories, recreating the art work, giving credit to the original artist who had such an influence on his own life and work.  Most of the reviews call it “a love letter to Marvel” and I can certainly second that.  He is most definitely paying tribute to his artistic heroes.

I’ll admit much of the Marvel storylines didn’t mean much to me, but I did enjoy seeing young Patrick and his romance with the comics.  It brought back my own happy memories.  I was also interested in the glimpses of his childhood.

Marvelites, especially those of a certain age, will thrill to this re-telling; McDonnell fans will still enjoy the book for its personal touches.

Christmas Reading Beyond A Christmas Carol and A Visit From St. Nicholas

 

Appalachian Christmas

Nora Bonesteel’s Christmas Past by Sharyn McCrumb blends two plotlines of Christmas in the region.  In one, Sheriff Spencer Arrowood has to serve an arrest warrant in one of the “hollers,” while in the other Nora Bonesteel is called on to investigate a haunting. As usual, McCrumb does a wonderful job of capturing the people and places of Northeast Tennessee.

Mama, Me, and the Holiday Tree:  A Contemporary Fantasy by local author Jeanne G’Fellers has Centenary Rhodes returning home to try to make peace with her mother.  It may take magic to make that happen.     

Christmas Stories by North Carolina Writers and Twelve Poems, Too edited by Ruth Moose is a wonderful collection of stories, remembrances, and poems including contributions from Lee Smith, Sue Ellen Bridgers, and Kaye Gibbons.  The selections are perfect for that little break in between holiday chores. 

Lee Smith’s Christmas Letters tells the story of a family over three generations through the annual Christmas letter. The story begins in 1944 with Birdie, who is both a new bride and a new mother. She’s living with her in-laws while her husband is overseas fighting the war.  The letters follow Birdie, then her daughter, and finally her granddaughter. Besides getting to know the characters, and then seeing them from a different perspective, the reader also is aware of how times change while some traditions -- like the Christmas letter-- remain the same.

Christmas Fiction

Christmas at the Cat Café by Melissa Daley is a heartwarming tale told through the eyes of Molly, a former stray cat who has found a home with Debbie and her daughter.  Then Debbie’s sister moves in and tensions rise in the family. Not only that, but two of Molly’s kittens go missing. It’s going to take a miracle to make things right again. Even though I am a sucker for cat books, I still was surprised at how much I enjoyed this one.  Part was the setting (UK) and part was having the book told from the cat's viewpoint as she worries about her kittens and about what is happening with her human family as well.

Irish author Felicity Hayes-McCoy’s The Mistletoe Matchmaker celebrates the season with a tale set in the Finfarran Peninsula.  Canadian Cassie decides to visit her grandparents and to see where her father grew up in Ireland. She is soon immersed in the lives of the villagers in this warm and cozy tale of families, friendships, and secrets, filled with memorable characters. It’s the third in a series but can be read as a standalone. 

Luther Krank has decided to skip Christmas. No presents, no tree, nor cards or festive parties.  Instead they’ll go on a cruise and get away from all the madness. Obviously, thing are not going to go as planned. . . John Grisham’s take on the holiday is memorable fun, but don’t take our word for it. Just read Skipping Christmas for yourself. There is also a movie entitled Christmas with the Kranks.  The library has a copy of the DVD.

Even though it's a considered a children's book, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson is beloved by adults as well.  Who can forget the Herdmans? Laugh out loud funny, it still gets to the meaning of Christmas in a way few stories do.

Christmas Memories

An Irish Country Christmas by Alice Taylor is a short but lovely memoir of a rural Irish Christmas in the 1940s. Alice was one of six children who grew up on a farm.  Her account covers the traditional twelve days of Christmas as her family celebrated, and includes details of rural life. (Don't get too attached to the goslings.  Just sayin'.) 

A Gift from Bob is James Bowen’s account of a difficult Christmas. Bowen was an addict struggling to get clean with the help of his friends and a stray orange tabby cat. It's a sequel to the best-selling book A Street Cat Named Bob.  Two movies were made from the books, A Street Cat Named Bob and A Gift from Bob.  Both books and movies are recommended for being sweet but not saccharine, and for being uplifting.  The library holds both books and movies.

A Foxfire Christmas collects stories of Appalachian holiday traditions, including how to make toys like corn husk dolls, recipes, and party games.  These were collected by students in Georgia and are a charming window into the past.

A Christmas Story by Jean Shepherd is a semi-autobiographical collection of essays about a little boy and his burning desire for a Red Ryder air rifle.  Sound familiar?  It should, because Shepherd’s tales became the basis for the beloved movie.  Originally published in two other collections, the stories were pulled together for this special edition.

 

Christmas Series

A number of authors have regularly turned out Christmas tales which have proven very popular.  The list includes Anne Perry, Richard Paul Evans, Debbie Macomber, Donna VanLiere, Susan Mallory, Janet Dailey, Nancy Thayer, Elin Hilderbrand, “Cape Light” series by Thomas Kinkade and Katherine Spencer, and Donna Andrews.

An Irish Country Christmas by Alice Taylor

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Alice Taylor was one of six children growing up on a farm in County Cork in the 1940s. At the time of this story, she was nine years old, an age when Christmas is still magical and filled with wonder. In this book she relates all the activity surrounding the twelve days of Christmas in a tight-knit community.

The book opens with a local merchant receiving his orders of dried fruit, knowing almost exactly how much each household will want for the Christmas baking. There’s a lot to be done to get ready, and Taylor describes it in vivid and loving detail, from going out to gather the holly to cleaning the chimneys.  There are letters to Santa to be written.  Cards arrive, even some from America. The one from Aunt Kate in New York is a glittery wonder this year, arriving far too early for Mr. Taylor’s taste, but the cheerful Santa gives the children hope that Christmas will indeed come—eventually.  The last to arrive is always the one from Uncle Dan, who left when he was 18 to become a sheep farmer in Oregon.

While Taylor beautifully captures all the excitement and anticipation of Christmas, she doesn’t shy away from the realities.  Those darling little goslings, raised so tenderly by Mr. and Mrs. Goose are destined for holiday tables and their wings will be used as dusters. The children all have to help with the farm chores, and lend a hand to neighbors when needed.

Some of these customs will seem familiar but others are relics of their time, or are family specific. The Taylors always bought new records, for example.  After Christmas Eve dinner, the gramophone is brought out so everyone can hear the new records. This year the favorite tune was “Come Back, Paddy Reilly, to Balljamesduff.” Taylor writes that the song was played constantly “until my father began to regret that his mother had not drowned Paddy Reilly in his baby bathwater….”

I was particularly intrigued by the “Hunting of the Wrens” which took place on December 26.  Thankfully, by this time real wrens weren’t hunted.  Instead, people wear disguises and go from house to house to sing for a reward.

I was charmed by the writing, especially the loving descriptions of cooking and chores.  There’s a bit of low key humor, too.  Their jennet is notorious for biting any unwary human who gets too close—Alice thinks it’s a good thing the jennet was not at the stable or baby Jesus would have been at risk, and the heifers don’t care for being rounded up.  Unpleasant things can happen around unhappy heifers. 

There’s no particular plot to this book, just a warm and wonderfully detailed account of Christmas celebrations of times past. I will admit that there were some things I wish had been explained a bit better (Women’s Christmas, for example, which is mentioned in passing as another name for Little Christmas which is January 6) but overall I just went with the flow.   It’s the perfect book to relax with during a hectic season.

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry

Reviewed by Kristin

In this new memoir, Matthew Perry does not hold back. He talks openly about his family, friends, and lovers. He also talks a lot about his love of a good view and the millions of dollars he has spent fighting his addictions. His honesty comes through as he talks about a whole lot of bad choices, and a few good ones, that he has made.

While being shuttled back and forth between his divorced parents, young Matthew was often sent on an airplane bearing a sign “Unaccompanied Minor”. The theme runs through the book, a kid’s loneliness and uncertainty at being put into the care of flight attendants and airport personnel at a young age. Matthew grew up, but the feeling of being unaccompanied continued. The feeling of not being good enough followed him through every relationship. Near the end he does throw out a comment like “Hey, I’m not going to do that in my next relationship, and by the way ladies, I’m still single!”

A major health problem—or you might say a disaster—helped Matthew to the realization that he had to quit smoking, drinking, and taking drugs. No spoilers here: in the very beginning he talks about his colon exploding as a result of opioid use, and the indignity of living with a colostomy bag for a year. Many surgeries later, he is still hoping that everything holds together and he won’t end up with his bodily waste collected outside of his body once again.

The book is certainly a tell-all, mostly about himself but also about those around him. While a few friends and family are always held up as blameless and supportive, Matthew also writes about those relationships that he wishes had gone another way. He’s not above name dropping either, both for celebrity exposure or for shock value. Reviews have lambasted him for mourning the death of River Phoenix and immediately lamenting that yet “Keanu Reeves still walks among us.” Matthew also repeats the line later upon hearing of Chris Farley’s death. He claims to have just picked a name out of the air, but two mentions of Keanu Reeves seems a little harsh.

For those reading just to hear about the ten-year run of the television show Friends, Matthew drops many little details about his time on the set. Mostly, he talks about how he somehow managed to work while his addictions clawed at him, and how his co-actors and producers worked with him through various stints in rehab centers. The cast truly became an ensemble as they supported each other through many highs and lows. (Cue the theme song: “I’ll be there for you, when the rain starts to pour. I’ll be there for you, like I’ve been there before. I’ll be there for you, ‘cause you’re there for me too…”

Yes, I watched Friends like many others around the world. I started rooting for Monica and Chandler to get together way before it actually happened. The show was a comfort watch in the days when you had to turn on the TV at the right time to catch your favorite characters lounging on a big orange couch in Central Perk. This memoir took me back to the places where I was in life while watching the show. It is an unflinching look at the struggles of one man, and I appreciate that Matthew is sharing this with us.

After all his health issues and rehab stays, Matthew says there is just one thing he knows he can do—he can help others trying to get clean and sober. He says that he has worked with hundreds of people in various groups. I hope that someone with their own struggles can also read this and find a bit of hope.

Christmas Stories by North Carolina Writers and Twelve Poems, Too edited by Ruth Moose

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

 

This time of year I especially enjoy a good Christmas story.  Oh, I’ll read one anytime; I’m not one of those to turn my nose up at a book set in a different season, but there’s just something about having the holiday swirl around you when you’re reading a book that enriches both experiences.

The problem is that the holidays bring deadlines, tasks, and gatherings, which puts a crimp into my reading time.  This year I picked up a slim collection by an assortment of North Carolina writers and found it was just the ticket.  The selections are short, many under ten pages, and a few are excerpts from other works.  Authors include Lee Smith, Robert Morgan, Sue Ellen Bridgers, and Kaye Gibbons.

I’m not sure what I originally expected, but I found myself utterly charmed.  While the title had me expecting mostly short stories, I found them to seem more like memoir and essay which I liked.  I first turned to Lee Smith’s “Christmas Letters,” thinking it would be a selection from her novella of the same name but it turned out to be a lovely reflection on those “Here’s what I’ve been doing” letters that show up in the Christmas cards.  As a person who writes such letters, I found her thoughts on it to be enlightening and heartening.  I flipped the pages and randomly selected another entry, “Santa’s Coming,  Regardless” by Robert Inman which was another winner, and one that will stick with me for Daddy Jake’s wise words about Santa. Some selections are indeed previously published –Kaye Gibbons’ selection is from her novel Ellen Foster—but most seem to be original.

This is a fine collection, and some would be good for reading aloud.  The brevity doesn’t affect the quality, and I really liked that they weren’t all tear-jerkers.  Many had a definite Appalachian quality to them.

If you’re looking to take a break this holiday season, I think you’ll find much to enjoy in this volume.

Life Among the Savages by Shirley Jackson

 

Reviewed by Christy

            Shirley Jackson is known for her quiet horror, specifically the novel The Haunting of Hill House and the you-probably-read-it-in-high-school short story The Lottery. While her horror writing is excellent, she also wrote about her family life and the chaos that is raising four children. I listened to her semi-autobiographical collection of short stories Life Among the Savages on audio from READS. It is in one word: charming.

            Having read a couple of Jackson’s domestic short stories, I expected to enjoy Life Among the Savages. What I didn’t expect was to laugh out loud several times, including when I read Jackson’s Wikipedia entry where she referred to this book as a “disrespectful memoir” of her children. I particularly enjoyed listening to their young son Laurie relay the horrible misdeeds of his classmate Charlie. Shirley and her husband are wrapped up in the many stories of Charlie’s anarchy, and Shirley is anxious to meet Charlie’s mother at the next PTA meeting to see JUST what kind of woman raises a wild child like that. Unfortunately, Shirley discovers that although those misdeeds certainly happened, there is no child named Charlie in her son’s class…

            Lesa Lockford narrates the audio book and does a wonderful job. She gives each child a distinct voice that is cute but not overly exaggerated. I think her delivery made the book even more enjoyable than simply reading it would have. But as always, Jackson’s prose is the real star. Whether writing about horrors or hand-me-downs, she is able to make the action or a character’s feelings vividly jump off the page. If you’re a mood reader like me, and need to break up heavier works with something light, I highly recommend these wholesome and delightful stories.