The Flight of the Reindeer: The True Story of Santa Claus and His Christmas Mission by Robert Sullivan

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Do you ever find yourself doubting that reindeer can fly?  Maybe even there is a split second where you question Santa’s very existence. Never fear, we have just the book to put things all to rights—and to help you explain to that inquisitive six-year-old just how it all works.

Robert Sullivan devoted considerable time and effort in compiling this thorough investigation in which he reveals the history and the science behind the legend.  He interviews scientists, Arctic explorer and environmentalist Will Steger, a veterinarian, and historians to illuminate the truth.  Of course, some things are limited to speculation, such as the exact site of Santa’s birth, though it was probably in south central Greenland somewhere around two thousand years ago.

Flying reindeer, on the other hand, have a much longer lineage, at least judging from the cave paintings.  Santa’s deer are Peary caribou, who are the best fliers.  They are also very long-lived: the current team has been around for a couple of thousand years, except for Rudolph, who is a mere youngster at about 1500 years. 

Of course, a lot of adjustments have had to be made, especially in the last hundred years or so.  For one thing, airspace is a lot more crowded.  This means that Santa has had to enlist a lot of helpers, from meteorologist Al Roker to the President of the United States in order to make his rounds.

This is all just the tip of the iceberg—or Santa’s sleigh if you will, so you really should pick up this lovely oversized book to get all the details.  The Glenn Wolff illustrations are charming, and there are some nice photographs as well.

I think of this book as sort of The Polar Express for a more scientifically minded audience.  Though it pains me to admit any flaw, I do bemoan the lack of an index. It’s just the librarian in me.

Nevermore: Rats, Welcome to Lagos, Deer Season, From the Alleghenies to the Hebrides, 1619 Project

Rats: Observations on the History & Habitat of the City’s Most Unwanted Inhabitants by Robert Sullivan was the first book reviewed this week.  Our reader was fascinated with the similarities between rats and humans and noted how their societal structures mirror our own.  The author spent a year investigating a rat-infested alley in New York to observe his subjects and imbues this book with heart and insight into these reviled co-dwellers of our cities.  Our reader thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommends this fascinating look at these rodents.  CD

 

Welcome to Lagos by Chibundu Onuzo takes place in modern-day Nigeria, and follows the fortunes of five young people who are struggling not only to carve out a life for themselves in the teeming and unruly city, but to come to terms with the corruption, chaos, and turmoil of living in one of Africa’s largest cities.  Our reader was enthusiastic in her praise for this book, citing its humor and heart, as well as the realism portrayed that while at times jarring, was not gratuitous.  MC

 

Deer Season by Erin Flanagan is a murder mystery set in Gunthrum, Nebraska in 1985.  In this small town lie secrets and desires that will cost lives.  A 15-year-old girl has been killed, and Hal Bullard, an intellectually challenged farmhand is the prime suspect despite a lack of proof.  His de-facto parents, Alma and Clyde, step in to help clear his name and find the killer, and soon the entire town is pitted against them.  Our reader was rather taken with the insightful descriptions of the characters and their motivations and was struck by how “real” the people and setting felt, and highly recommends this story. AH

 

From the Alleghenies to the Hebrides is the autobiography of Margaret Fay Shaw, an American photographer and folklorist who settled in the Hebrides Islands of Scotland in her 20s.  Born in Glenshaw, Pennsylvania, Margaret was one of four daughters.  Her sisters were all academically gifted and while Shaw was not, she was musically talented, learning to play the piano at an early age.  When her parents died a relative in Scotland took the then 11-year-old Margaret in, and thus she was introduced to the language and music of the Gaelic peoples of Scotland.  Returning to Scotland after living in the United States in her late teens, Shaw began a life-long pursuit to record and preserve the folklore of the Gaelic people – on paper, in audio recordings and photographs.  Her recordings and documents remain the largest archive of Gaelic language and music in the world and her photographs have been published in National Geographic and other magazines.  Our reader was amazed that she had never heard of Margaret Shaw before, and was thrilled to have read about this determined, gifted, and passionate woman.  AH

 

The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story by Nikole Hannah-Jones is the Pulitzer Prize-winning book that re-frames American history by placing slavery and its continuing legacy at the heart of the national narrative.  This book consists of 18 intertwined essays, 36 poems, and works of fiction that lay bare how the arrival at Jonestown of 20 enslaved Africans in 1619 still shapes American culture, diet, politics, music, education, and finances.  This book has stirred quite a bit of controversy due to its subject matter and approach, but our reader agrees that this book is a milestone in the public discussion of American History and thinks that every library should have a copy of it.  ML

 

Also mentioned:

The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict

Three Sisters by Heather Morris

Carnival of Snackery by David Sedaris

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

The Black History Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained by DK

The Joy and Light Bus Company by Alexander McCall Smith

An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed by Helene Tursten

White Horses by Alice Hoffman

Chance Developments: Stories by Alexander McCall Smith

The Ride of Her Life by Elizabeth Letts

Bound for Glory by Woody Guthrie

Shamrock:  The World’s Most Dangerous Man by Jonathan Snowden

Rivers Of London (series) by Ben Aaronovitch

City of Mist: Stories by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

The Jeweler’s Directory of Gemstones by Judith Crowe