In Flanders Fields

 

“In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row…”

 

So begins one of the most famous war poems ever written.  The author was John McCrae, a Canadian medical officer stationed in Flanders, France. Tending to the wounded during the Second Battle of Ypres, McCrae was surrounded by death and destruction, but also the graves of the fallen.  Wild poppies grew there in profusion, something that had been noted in previous wars.

On May 2, 1915, a close friend of McCrae’s, Lt. Alexis Helmer, was killed.  In the hours that followed, McCrae penned the poem we know today.  It was published in the British magazine Punch and was an instant success. McCrae’s poem struck a nerve with all those who had fought or knew someone who had fought.  Accompanied by an illustration of bright red poppies in an edition of Ladies Home Journal, the poem resonated with an American woman, Moina Belle Michael and she resolved to wear a red poppy in remembrance of those who had died in the war.

McCrae himself did not survive the war.  He died in 1918 of pneumonia and meningitis, but his legacy lives on.

You can read more about John McCrae and the history of the poppies here:

http://www.greatwar.co.uk/poems/john-mccrae-in-flanders-fields.htm

http://www.greatwar.co.uk/article/remembrance-poppy.htm#americanlegion

 

The library also has a wonderful children’s book entitled In Flanders Fields:  The Story of the Poem by John McCrae by Linda Granfield, illustrated by Janet Wilson.

 

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

John McCrae

The Wild Rose by Jennifer Donnelly

           

Reviewed by Christy H.

Jennifer Donnelly’s Tea Rose series, which began with The Tea Rose in 2002, is a sweeping historical fiction epic in every sense of the word. Crossing continents and spanning years, lost love and found love, it’s probably not for fans of instant gratification.  The last in the series is no exception.

            The Wild Rose begins in 1914 and continues throughout World War I and beyond. While there are several compelling storylines, the heart of the novel is Seamus Finnegan, the youngest of the Finnegan brood, and Willa Alden. (Each book chronicles one of the Finnegan siblings in a mostly stand-alone story. While reading in order may make a reader appreciate character cameos and side plots a little bit more, it’s not necessary. Donnelly does a deft job of explaining – or in my case refreshing – the Finnegan family history.) Willa and Seamus haven’t seen each other for many, many years. Not since Willa lost one of her legs in a mountain climbing accident. Losing the ability to climb almost broke Willa, and she often thinks she would rather be dead than unable to climb and explore. Seamus saved her life, and she couldn’t forgive him for it. Unfortunately, more heartache awaits them both.

            Actually, there is plenty of heartache to go around for all of Donnelly’s characters – and there are quite a few of them too. Along with the Finnegan siblings and their children, there are so many new characters I had some trouble keeping up with them. Fortunately, I found all the side plots interesting even if I sometimes couldn’t remember names. A lot of times with similar books there is always at least one subplot where readers feel disappointed when the narrative shifts back to it because they just don’t care. That didn’t happen here. There is so much going on that it is almost difficult to summarize but I will say this novel includes suffragists, espionage, deadly sandstorms, the underbelly of London, train explosions, a flu epidemic, and even the dreaded Love Triangle. And while the latter is not one of my favorite tropes, I have to say I was never bored. (And to Donnelly’s credit, she does not try to vilify the third wheel in the triangle just to make it easier for readers to root for the other two. Instead, the character is a kind and courageous woman who is easy to like and empathize with.) 

            There were a few contrived plot devices that conveniently helped solve some problems and some of the dialogue felt, at times, unnatural; overall, though, I really enjoyed this novel. The pacing is never rushed but it never seems to drag either. Not an easy feat for a book with over 600 pages. As always, I look forward to Donnelly’s future offerings.

Ghost Talkers by Mary Robinette Kowal

Reviewed by Jeanne

World War I, the “Great War,” is raging.  Desperate for an edge, the Allies have resorted to an unusual form of intelligence gathering:  the dead.  American heiress Ginger Stuyvesant is one of the mediums employed to take down the last reports from those who have died at the front.  It’s a heart-breaking, emotionally draining task, but the information on the German troops is vital.  Ginger’s fiancé, Captain Benjamin Harford, is an intelligence officer with the British army and one of the few who knows about the work of the Spirit Corps.  He’s concerned for Ginger’s safety since the Corps’ secret headquarters is on the Continent, but soon he has another worry: somehow the Germans have learned of this unorthodox method of intelligence gathering and may be targeting the Spirit Corps.  Is there a spy in the camp?

Kowal writes both science fiction and fantasy, and is a Hugo Award-winning author, facts which I was ignorant of before picking up this book.  I like a bit of fantasy, but I’m picky about what I read in that genre and wasn’t sure that this would be a book that would hold my interest, despite many favorable reviews.  It didn’t take long for me to know that this one was a winner; by the end of the second chapter I was definitely hooked.  For one thing, Kowal makes the working of the Spirit Corps very matter-of-fact.  There’s no time spent in convincing the reader that it works or exactly how it works, though part of the latter question is dealt with in bits and pieces later on in the book.  That’s one of my pet peeves with many fantasy or supernatural books:  spending a lot of time convincing the reader that, say, spirit communication is possible.  If I pick up a book which says it’s about a medium who speaks to ghosts, the author shouldn’t spend several chapters trying to convince me it’s possible.  I’ve already bought into the concept by picking up the book based on the jacket copy or (yes, I admit it!) the cover.  

Ginger is a strong heroine, determined and courageous.  She’s also more than a bit headstrong in the grand tradition of American heiresses in the UK.  (Think Cora of “Downton Abbey” or Jenny Churchill.) Characterizations in general are well done, and Kowal touches on some social restrictions of the day with the introduction of a black medium and some Sikh guards.  The bulk of the story is taken up with the search for the spy, who is also a murderer.  Unfortunately, he attacked his victims in such a way that they did not get a good look at his face, so the ghostly reports are of little help.  

Overall, this is a delightful genre-bender of a book that blends mystery, supernatural, romance, and history.  The pace is excellent, moving the story steadily, and for me there were several surprises in store.  I appreciated how the author gave us a fully realized alternate world.  The supernatural felt as real as the trenches. Also, I have no idea whether or not this is the first in a series.  The door is open, but it does well as a standalone novel.  I’d certainly be interested in reading another, but if this is the only one, I’m equally satisfied with it as is.  

I believe this is a book with very broad appeal, and I will be recommending it to a number of people. 

DVD Review: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries

Reviewed by Jeanne

Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries

Let me confess up front that I haven’t read any of Kerry Greenwood’s Phyrne Fisher mysteries.  I’ve known people who enjoyed them, but somehow I never picked one up.  Then several folks on DorothyL wrote how much they liked the TV show, so I decided I’d give it a try.  I knew the series was set in Australia in the 1920s, so if nothing else I figured I’d enjoy the setting and the costumes.

By episode one I was hooked.

For those unacquainted with the indomitable Miss Fisher, let me introduce you:  she’s wealthy, independent, headstrong, and beautiful.  She’s also intelligent and a crack shot with her gold plated pistol.  She moves to Melbourne to set up shop as a  lady detective—not that she needs the money, mind, she just likes a good challenge—and then as the title implies, she’s out to solve a murder a week.  Her foil is Detective Inspector Jack Robinson, a somber faced, no nonsense policeman who, predictably, isn’t enamored of the idea of a civilian, a FEMALE civilian, poking her nose into his investigations.

While the set-up is more or less formulaic, the series manages to sparkle brightly because of the characters and the setting.  From the bouncy jazz-ragtime-Tin Pan Alley music to the marvelous costumes, the show never lets you forget where you are, and it is simply glorious.  But amid the frivolity, there are stark reminders of the recent World War:  all of the characters carry scars, some more openly than others.

And of course there are the marvelous characters!  Phryne, of course, the worldly, sensual woman with nerves of steel and a heart of gold, and stoic Jack, but there’s also Dot, a naïve young Catholic girl who is alternately scandalized and thrilled to be in Miss Fisher’s employ; Constable Hugh Collins, a somewhat wet behind the ears young officer who takes his cues from Jack; Mr. Butler, a Jeeves-like figure with more than a few handy military skills to go along with his mixology; Cec and Burt, two mechanics who end up doing more investigating than automotive repair; and last but not least, Aunt Prudence, a sometimes staid matron who comes to appreciate her niece’s many talents (including the ones not suitable for genteel ladies, like, oh, being a skimpily dressed assistant for a magic act.) 

The series is perfectly cast.  The two leads have great chemistry, but it’s really their interactions with all the other characters that make this such a watchable show.  I’ve enjoyed seeing the characters evolve, especially Dot whose growing maturity mirrors the changing status of women in that era. There’s also an interesting interplay between Jack and Phryne.  The detective quickly comes to admire many of Miss Fisher’s qualities while being quietly shocked at some of her more risqué ones.  Phryne is more than a bit of a hedonist: she drinks, she smokes, and she indulges in passing affairs, many of which are more implied than illustrated.

 While most of the actors aren’t well known to American audiences, I spotted a few familiar faces; but familiar or not, the acting is in keeping with the tone of the series. John Noble (Lord of the Rings, Elementary, etc.) makes a brief but notable appearance; series lead Essie Davis has appeared in the movie The Babadook and will be in the next Game of Thrones series; and Miriam Margolyes (Aunt Prudence) may be best known as Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter movies.  (I, however, recognized her from Blackadder.)

Visually, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries is a triumph.  I’ve already mentioned the wonderful costumes, but the sets and other accouterments are just as important.  Miss Fisher is a bit of a daredevil (yes, that may be classified as understatement) so we are treated to episodes involving early automobiles and auto racing and airplanes, not to mention parties, orphanages, and early radio. Social concerns of the times also crop up, including football scandals, unwed mothers, child labor, the plight of veterans, and more.

Finally, I have to mention the music again.  It’s catchy, mostly upbeat, and wonderful.  Whoever scores the show has done an excellent job using the music of the era to reflect the mood of the scene.

It should go without saying at this point that “Miss Fisher’s Mysteries” is highly recommended. The books are on my reading list too, even though I know the TV show made some significant changes.  The  Sidney Chambers/Grantchester combination of books and film have convinced me that much the same story can be told with significant changes and yet have both formats be totally entertaining. I think this will be another case of two winners

Verdun: The Longest Battle of the Great War by Paul Jankowski

Verdun: The Longest Battle of the Great War, by Paul Jankowski.  Oxford University Press, 2014.  324 pages.  

Reviewed by William Wade

Modern wars have often been highlighted in history by some Titanic battle between the two opposing forces, an clash that often led to a decisive conclusion.  For the Napoleonic Wars it was the Battle of Waterloo, in the struggle between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany it was Stalingrad, and in our own American Civil War, Gettysburg.  For World War I, or the Great War as it was known in Europe, that battle was Verdun.

A strong fortress on the Western front in Europe, it was attacked by a well organized German assault in February 1916.  Determined that this mighty symbol of French resistance must not fall, the French responded with equal ardor and vigor.  The Germans redoubled their efforts, as did the French, and within a short time Verdun had taken on a symbolic presence in both the Allied and German news media. And so attack followed upon attack again and again – and again.  It was not until December that the Germans gave up the effort.  Ten long months – it was the longest battle of World War I.

Thus it is no surprise that Paul Jankowski, an acclaimed member of the faculty at Brandeis University, has taken on the history of this battle during our centennial observances of the Great War.  He writes in detail and with high skill; it is an excellent account.  But it turns out that there is more to this story than just recounting the battles.  One must seek to understand why General Erich von Falkenhayn, chief of staff of the German army, ordered the attack in the first place.  It was by no means the best location from which to assault the French army. And so it has been argued over the years that von Falkenhayn had no intention of seizing Verdun; his real objective was a blood-letting of the French army, an Ausblutung he called it. But because of the symbolic nature of the battle the Germans gave about as much blood.  And the question has remained over the years; was this the real motivation of the German general staff?  The general was not known for the clarity with which he expressed himself. Supposedly von Falkenhayn sent a confidential message to Emperor William II laying out the complete objective of the battle, that document lying for years in the archives of the German army.  Unfortunately, Allied bombing of Berlin in 1945 destroyed those records, and we may never know.

Jankowski tells all of this very thoroughly and then points out that Verdun took on an even greater symbolic meaning when the French built a huge ossuary and deposited in it the bones of 135,000 German and French soldiers who died on that bloody battlefield.  The ossuary as well as the battlefield quickly became a “must see” pilgrimage for French and German families and many more, all of this high-lighting Verdun’s symbolic meaning in World War II.  It survived World War II, and while you may not be able to go there in person, you can visit it – again symbolically – by reading Jankowski’s book.  Some of you are surely already planning your travel agenda for 2016!  Since the battle lasted for the whole year, you’ve got your choice of dates.