Reported by Kristin
Our first enthusiastic reader began with a book aimed at
young people, but enjoyed by adults as well: Women Who Changed the World: 50
Amazing Americans by Laurie Calkhoven. From colonial women to Oprah and Hillary
Clinton, all the individuals in this book have made a difference. One was Ann Bancroft, (the polar explorer,
not the actress Anne,) known as the first woman to complete a trek to the North
Pole in 1986. Another was Maya Lin,
well-known architect and designer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in
Washington, D.C.
Speaking of Maya Lin,
our reader also read the book Boundaries, in which Lin discusses her
life as a second generation American of Asian descent. Hailed as “a sweet book,” Lin combines
photographs, sketches, and commentary of and about her work as an artist and
architect. Her powerful sculptures are
known worldwide and appreciated by millions.
The following book was Wild by Nature by Sarah Marquis. The author hiked 10,000 miles over three
years from Siberia to Australia, (although with corporate sponsorship and
regular supply drops.) Telling a little
bit about each culture that she experienced, Marquis describes her trek through
very wild territory. Our reader
emphasized that she felt the people of Mongolia were especially terrible to the
author. Despite some close calls, our
reader said, “When she finally got to Australia, I was relieved!”
The next reader learned much about the beginnings of the FBI
from Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
by David Grann. Oil rights made the Osage nation extremely
wealthy in the 1920’s, to the point of causing problems with individuals
fighting over the money. Some tribal
members had guardians to help manage their wealth. As issues over mismanagement and theft arose,
the budding Federal Bureau of Investigation looked into the matter. Our reader noted that although his
investigators did most of the work, J. Edgar Hoover took all of the credit for
himself.
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African
Childhood by Trevor Noah
was the next book discussed. The author
is known for his work on The Daily Show, but this book is a revelation into his
childhood growing up under apartheid.
With a white Swiss father and a black African mother, Noah was
considered “colored,” or biracial, so was not accepted by any group. His mother was very religious and they
attended three church services every Sunday.
Our reader said that the book wasn’t presented chronologically, but that
it did really matter. She praised this
as a great book.
The final book was They
Left Us Everything: A Memoir by Plum
Johnson. The author writes about cleaning
out her parents’ large (23 room) house after their deaths. Every decision sparks a memory for Johnson
and her brothers. Our reader was
reminded of her grandmother’s house in Massachusetts and had in fact drawn out
a floor plan to share with her family members and to describe the adventures
she had had there. Our reader especially
loved that the author’s family walked around the house and said goodbye as they
prepared to leave for the last time.
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