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

Nevermore: Peach Keeper, Florence of Arabia, Overstory, At the Edge of the Orchard, Hand to Mouth, Poisonwood Bible

Reported by Kristin

The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen provided a much-needed light, summery read for one of our Nevermore readers this week. Willa Jackson and Paxton Osgood have known each other for years, having grown up in the same small town although not necessarily running in the same social circles. When Paxton buys and restores the old Jackson family home in order to open an inn, history rises to the present in the form of a skeleton found beneath a peach tree. Allen weaves stories together from generation to generation, creating a captivating atmosphere of friendship.

Following with more fiction, another reader thoroughly enjoyed Florence of Arabia by Christopher Buckley. Clearly satire, this novel approaches Arab-American relations with a level of irreverence sure to enchant and/or offend its readers. In the country of “Wasabia,” a junior diplomat decides to try to fix the injustices of the Middle East by granting full citizenship and rights to women. Our reader found some references to other countries very obvious and some rather subtle, and altogether funny.

In somewhat more serious fiction, our next reader described The Overstory by Richard Powers, winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction, as an awesome book. Beautifully written, this novel examines the natural world through a series of connected stories. As nine different characters are moving through their separate lives, they each discover a connection to trees. Our reader was enthralled by the relationships between the people and trees, and how the manner in which trees live, grow, and even communicate with each other mirrors the interdependency necessary for human survival.

At the Edge of the Orchard by Tracy Chevalier is a frontier story, with James and Sadie Goodenough settling in Ohio in 1838. Their son Robert escapes his difficult family by moving westward with the California Gold Rush. Trees popped up here again (as you might guess from the title,) as the characters were involved in shipping saplings and seedlings from the West Coast to England. Our reader said that it was a very enjoyable book about starting anew.

The discussion then turned to non-fiction with Hand to Mouth: Living in Bootstrap America by Linda Tirado. This is a real working poor memoir by a woman who details her struggles of maintaining multiple jobs while struggling to keep her family above water. Our reader felt that this was a perspective not usually seen, and that the author had done a good job of raising her children to learn for themselves and to be curious in life. Much discussion ensued, with various readers weighing in with their opinions on how the author had included a running commentary on how important cigarettes were to help her get through another long walk to work or to steal even a moment of

relaxation.

Lastly, another reader admitted that she was still in the middle of but still enjoying The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. This epic tale is spun from the perspective of a Baptist missionary’s wife. Nathan Price is dispatched to the Belgian Congo in 1959 along with his wife and their four daughters. Our reader’s main comment thus far was the fact that the wife sees how terribly her husband treats his family, but she still believes in his mission.