The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

Reviewed by Laura

          This book is told through the eyes of Alice Wright, a young English woman who impulsively marries a handsome, rich American named Bennett Van Cleve. She is more than ready to be through with the tedium of English society and imagines a beautiful new life when she follows Bennett to his hometown in Kentucky. Only Baileyville, Kentucky  is a small coal mining town with not a city in sight, and from the first night in her new home, nothing is as she dreamed. Instead of a romantic existence with a dashing husband, she is forced to live in the house of her father-in-law, a selfish owner of the local mine who puts profit above all else. Having the majority of the town’s livelihood, and in fact, their very lives in his hands, he feels he can dictate what is and isn’t acceptable. This includes those in his own household as well as the people of Baileyville. Alice is appalled that her husband lives under his father’s thumb and that the romance she envisioned doesn’t exist.

When a call is made for riders for Eleanor Roosevelt’s new traveling library, Alice is happy to oblige. She can’t stand the thought of spending the rest of her days in the stifling, loveless environment of the Van Cleve household. Being able to move freely in the fresh air of the beautiful Kentucky mountains sounds like heaven. It turns out that it is and it isn’t. The work is hard and dangerous, yet the scenery is breathtaking, and Alice makes true friends among the other members of the packhorse librarians while being taken under the wing of their leader, Margery O’Hare. Ms. O’Hare is a true character in every sense of the word (In fact, she reminds me of my paternal grandmother!). She has never allowed anyone, men included, to tell her what to do. This is virtually unheard of during the depression era in a small Appalachian mountain town. Refusing to follow the mainstream, she still works for the good of the town and is the first to take Alice into her home when life goes awry. As they say, no good deed goes unpunished, and due to a series of events, the packhorse librarians find themselves at odds with the townspeople.

This is a wonderful book filled with suspense, romance, and the unique and incredible power of books. There have been rumors of plagiarism from Kim Michele Richardson’s The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek; but having read both, I found no real evidence of it. Certainly, there are a few similarities, as they are both about the wonderfully brave librarians of Eastern Kentucky, but the stories focus on decidedly differing elements of their legacy. I enjoyed both of these books tremendously. Being from Southeastern Kentucky, I love reading anything set in those beautiful mountains, but for me, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek captured the essence of the mountains and its people in a truer and much more enthralling manner. My advice is to read and enjoy them both, and if you get a chance, let me know which one you preferred!

(Special side note—this book is in development as a major motion picture.)

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek By Kim Michele Richardson

Reviewed by Laura

  

            Cussy Marie Carter is a young woman growing up in the 1930’s in the hollers of Troublesome Creek, Kentucky. Her parents are some of the few mountain people in the area who are the proud owners of a handful of precious books. They pass these and their love of reading on to their only child.  Books are her joy, and consequently, she becomes one of the new Packhorse Librarians, an initiative from Eleanor Roosevelt to increase literacy and get books in the hands of those who would otherwise have none. Cussy rides her mule in and out of the hollers taking reading material to the people of Kentucky. Many are joyous to receive the items, while others are dead set against the idea, and opposition to the program is great. The days are long and hard and the dark mountains can be extremely dangerous for a young woman alone, but Cussy is a strong, determined woman dedicated to her mission and her patrons. She forms lasting relationships with those she serves and becomes a valuable part of their everyday lives.

On the home front, Cussy’s father, having lost his wife, is trying desperately to find a man to take care of his daughter when he’s gone. Trouble is, she’s not sure she wants a man and not too many are interested in a blue woman who might corrupt the family line with blue babies. Cussy is one of the legendary Kentucky Blue People, who share a genetic disorder causing the color of their skin to appear bluish. Pa keeps lighting the courting lamp to let suitors know there is an eligible woman available in the cabin, but there are very few takers, until she meets a handsome stranger on her route, and romance becomes a tantalizing possibility.

The Blue People are outcasts and face discrimination on a daily basis. As throughout history, anyone with a different color of skin is viewed as inferior and suspicious. Cussy is never accepted in polite society and the isolation hurts. When a doctor from Lexington asks her to join his study researching the cause of the blue pigmentation, she is hesitant to agree.  But after having met someone she feels she could care about, she reluctantly consents. However, the medication prescribed has such debilitating side effects, she struggles with the decision of whether or not to continue the treatments.

This is a fabulous book that showcases a young woman’s resilient spirit as she overcomes prejudice and changes her corner of the world with the power of books. I loved this story so much that I plan to add it to my personal collection. Some books just capture your heart and this was definitely one of them. Being a Kentuckian, I have always enjoyed reading anything to do with my beloved home state. Being an avid reader, I have always been fascinated with the Packhorse Librarians, as well as the Blue People of Kentucky. This book is an authentic representation of both. The language and heritage of Appalachia is well-represented and the story is told with heartfelt realism. Read this book as soon as you possibly can—it is extremely powerful and destined to become a classic of Appalachian literature.

Winds of Change, by Mercedes Lackey

Reviewed by Holly White

Winds of Change is the second book in Mercedes Lackey’s Mage Winds trilogy set in her Valdemar universe.  In the first book, Winds of Fate, the great mage-gifted Ancar was threatening the kingdom and Valdemar needed mages of its own in order to stand against him. Unfortunately, they no longer knew who to identify and train their own Gifted, so Elspeth, the Heir to the throne of Valdemar, traveled on a quest with her best friend Skif, another of the Heralds. Together they sought out the Hawkbrothers, mage-gifted men and women who bonded with birds instead of the horse Companions, and who could help Valdemar regain their mages.

In Winds of Change, Elspeth began her training under a Hawkbrother named Darkwind, and the two of them, unbeknownst to the other, began to have feelings (undeclared) for one another.  Meanwhile, Skif teamed up with Darkwind’s brother, Wintermoon, to leave the Vale, the home of the Hawkbrothers, on another quest to try and seek out Nyara, a changechild who was Skif’s true love who had been taken by the evil Mornelithe Falconsbane.  Nyara was undergoing training with the enchanted sword called Need, which was also protecting her from Falconsbane’s schemes.

Then before they were ready, Elspeth and Darkwind found they were going to have to face Mornelithe Falconsbane, who had declared a personal vendetta against Nyara, against the Gryphons (powerful allies of Darkwind who had repeatedly helped defeat Falconsbane in the past), and against everyone in the Vale.  They called in outside help, but would their help come in time?  Would their alliance be powerful enough to defeat Falconsbane once and for all?  Would their ideas and strategies be enough?  And what would be the terrible price if they did succeed?

I really enjoyed Winds of Change, and I think it is a great read for any adult who loves fantasy, magery, and good vs. evil battles.  My next review will be on the third book in the trilogy, Winds of Fury, in which I’m told that some of the Hawkbrothers, the Gryphons, and the Heralds, will have to unite against a powerful alliance of evil. 

Magic’s Pawn, by Mercedes Lackey

Reviewed by Holly White
 

In the first Valdemarian book, Arrows of the Queen, Talia reads a book of ancient legends about Vanyel, the greatest of all the Herald Mages.  In Magic’s Pawn, Mercedes Lackey begins a trilogy which will tell Vanyel’s story, set centuries before the events in Arrows.

Vanyel was the firstborn son of holdowner Withen, destined to take over rulership of the hold after his father.  But it was the last thing Vanyel wanted to do.  Withen and his swordmaster Jervis tried to train Vanyel to war, but Vanyel had no talent for such things.  His dream was to become a Bard or at least a minstrel.  Ultimately, Jervis broke Vanyel’s arm during training, temporarily, at least, putting a stop to either future.  Once he was healed, Vanyel was sent away in disgrace to Haven, the capital of Valdemar, to stay with his aunt, a Herald named Savil.

In Haven, several important things happened.  Vanyel was allowed to be educated, even in music, but found that he had no Gift for Barding.  Disheartened to have his dreams snatched away, he came to depend more and more on his romantic relationship with Herald Tylendel to feed his self-esteem.  Vanyel was a bit jealous of the bond between Tylendel and his Companion.  He also had trouble comprehending why someone would want to be a Herald in the first place.  Tylendel tried to explain the virtue of putting others before oneself and fighting for them, but to no avail.

Then Tylendel’s cousin involved Vanyel in the intrigues of a long-standing family feud, and tragedy upon tragedy ensued, culminating in Herald Tylendel being repudiated by his Companion, something which had never happened before. Unable to deal with being repudiated,Tylendel committed suicide leaving Vanyel bereft beyond belief.

However, with Vanyel’s bereavement came a blessing; he was Chosen by Companion Yfandes, giving him the incredible love and acceptance of a Companion of his own.  However, at the moment of Tylendel’s death and Vanyel’s Choosing, also came the awakening of all Vanyel’s mage Gifts.  Most Heralds had one or maybe two strong Gifts; Tylendel’s four Gifts had been rare, but now Vanyel had them all.  Having these Gifts come upon him so strongly and all at once, without training to shield himself, Vanyel’s mind was now a raw, aching grief with no one strong enough to give him the healing he needed.  With no training to shield others from the power of his Gifts, he was also now a danger to others. 

Savil took Vanyel away from Haven, to some mage friends for healing and training.  With time, Vanyel’s mind and emotions began to heal, but he still resisted the idea of being a Herald.  Then a nearby village was attacked and Vanyel was the only available protection for the innocent villagers.  But the foe was a stronger one than even his teachers had ever had to face, and Vanyel would have to call upon powers that no one, least of all himself, suspected that he had. 

Magic’s Pawn is, so far at least, the earliest book chronologically in the Valdemarian world.  It is the first in a The Last Herald-Mage Trilogy, and is followed by Magic’s Promise, and Magic’s Price.  I would recommend this book for adults or young adults who love stories of adventure, magic, and peril.  My next review will be for Magic’s Promise, which continues the tale of Vanyel and his adventures.

 Note:  Holly's introduction to the world of Valdemar can be found here.

For earlier reviews, please check the entries for the first Friday of each month. 

The Real Horse Whisperer

Remember the book The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evans?  Okay, there was also a little movie made with Robert Redford.  Anyway, the titular character was a man who used compassionate techniques to help troubled horses and people.  While this book was fiction, the main character was based on a very real person:  Buck Brannaman, internationally known for his natural training methods which are designed to create a strong bond between horse and rider. Brannaman is also known for his traditional cowboy skills, such as roping. He spends much of his time traveling to present clinics on horsemanship and to serve as a motivational speaker.

Brannaman is the author of several books, including The Faraway Horses which is part biography, part philosophy and part equine training manual. It also is the basis for an award-winning documentary film called “Buck.”  Main owns a copy of this title as well as his book Ranch Roping:  The Complete Guide to a Classic Cowboy Skill.

Recently one of our patrons attended one of Brannaman’s personal appearances and got both books autographed for us.  Check them out!

Arrows of the Queen by Mercedes Lackey

Review by Holly White

Note:  This review follows a series set in Mercedes Lackey's world of Valdemar.  For those unfamiliar with Valdemar, Holly's overview of the series is here.

At the age of thirteen, Talia had to decide to either get married to a person of her parents’ choosing, or to become a celibate servant of the Goddess. For the Holderkin, the barbaric folk who lived on the extreme borders of Valdemar, those were the only two choices available to a young woman. Talia wanted neither. She didn’t want to marry a man who ruled his family like a tyrant, and she certainly didn’t want to give herself to the boredom of lifelong religious servitude. Although Talia’s father was strict, he had allowed Talia to learn to read (an oddity for Holderkin females), and due to the indulgence of a beloved older brother who had died too soon, Talia had also been allowed to own three precious books of her own. And in those books, Talia had read tales of the Heralds.

When confronted by her father’s wives about her choice to get married or to choose religious servitude, Talia blurted out without thinking that she wanted to be a Herald, only after pronouncing the words, realizing it was indeed true. The wives were shocked, of course. To speak of Heralds was considered unseemly, and so no one did. No one dealt with Heralds at all except for the Elders.

Talia escaped the scrutiny of the wives and ran away crying, to her private place in the woods. As she cried alone there, she dreamed of finding acceptance and love. There she met Companion, a horse-like creature ridden by Heralds.  This Companion, Rolan, is without his Herald-- an unusual circumstance.  Indecisive, Talia considered the options. She could never go back to the Hold anyway; after her unseemly and rebellious outburst, they would never allow her to do anything but be a kitchen drudge. Rolan obviously needed to be returned to his owner. So she decided to begin looking for his Herald, and if she couldn’t find him, to return Rolan all the way to the Herald Collegium so that he could be reunited with his Herald.

On her journey, not only did Rolan himself help her, but she met more than one person willing and even eager to help her along her way, with food, changes of clothing, even a bath. But no one would tell her how a Companion could have gotten separated from his Herald, and everyone just told her to go to the Collegium, that she would find out there. At last, after a weary journey, she arrived at the city of Haven, where the Collegium was.

Rolan was joyfully recognized, and Talia was accorded special respect because she rode him. She was taken to see the Herald, a woman named Selenay, who explained that Rolan had Chosen her, and that she was now a Herald Trainee, if she wanted the position. However, Rolan was the Queen’s Own Companion, meaning that Talia had been Chosen to be the Queen’s Own Herald. If she accepted, she would become the queen’s confidante, the one person with whom the Queen could "let her hair down," so to speak. In return, she would be the Queen’s adviser and speak the truth that others might fail to speak for self-serving reasons. She would also have to deal with the Queen's daughter, a spoiled child called the Brat who should be the Heir to the throne,had not been Chosen because of her attitude. It would be up to Talia to turn the Brat into the kind of person that could eventually be Chosen and rule over the kingdom with wisdom and goodness.

If all this wasn’t responsibility and burden enough, Talia was then informed that the previous Queen’s Own Herald had died under suspicious circumstances and that as the new Queen’s Own, her own life might be in danger.

Would Talia accept that position, and all the responsibilities and danger that came with it? And if she did, how would she handle all the new challenges that were to come her way? Although she knows that Companions don’t make mistakes, she still cannot fathom that Rolan Chose … her … a simple Holdgirl. She has no special talents. How could she presume to advise the Queen herself? How would she make friends after learning the hard way at the Hold not to trust anyone? How would she learn to not be afraid of men, after her Holderkin experiences with tyrant men? How would she unmake the Brat? How would she deal with the dangers, both subtle and unsubtle, that came with being Queen’s Own? How would she learn to use and control her newfound powers to the aid of the Queen? And with all of that, how could she NOT choose to be a Herald, and the Queen’s Own Herald at that?

These questions and more are answered as you read the  Heralds of Valdemar trilogy.    The books are well-written and thought-provoking with a bit of everything- adventure, humor, danger, romance, daring, and drama. I was not able to put Arrows of the Queen down until the end, and then I had to immediately read the next book. I have in my home a "Favorites" shelf, a shelf separate from the rest of my bookshelves, and only the very best of my book collection get to sit there. This book rests with the others of its trilogy on my "Favorites" shelf, the same shelf where C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien sit beside Karen Hancock and Kathy Tyers. If authors like these make it to your favorites as well, please read this one for yourself to find out why it made it to mine. I think you’ll be glad you did.

Note:  the next book in the series will be reviewed the first Friday in June!

Mercedes Lackey and the land of Valdemar

Reviewed by Holly White

Note:  this is an overview to introduce readers to the series.  Holly will be reviewing the books in published order.

Long ago, a good man named Baron Valdemar lived in a land with a tyrant for a king. For a time, Baron Valdemar was content to use his magic  to merely protect his people from the tyrant, but the day finally came when he knew that the only way for the people to survival was to go to a new land which they called Valdemar.  He ruled over them wisely and well until he was old. The day came when he realized he needed to create a safeguard for his people to ensure that no matter what happened, the land of Valdemar would never have a tyrant king like the one they had escaped.

As Valdemar thought these thoughts about the future, three silvery-white horse-like creatures, called Companions, appeared from a grove. Mercedes Lackey says in her book Arrows of the Queen, that Companions, " … transcended horses in the way that panthers transcend alleycats, or angels transcend men." These Companions immediately bonded, one each to Valdemar, one to Valdemar’s son, and the third to the Valdemar’s closest adviser, the Chief Herald.  This set the pattern from then on: only those Chosen by a Companion could rule.

Because the Companions, who were not only sentient but also wiser than humans, were also good and kind, and would only Choose someone who had a pure heart. The Companions never Chose someone unworthy to bear the name of Herald. The Companions never made mistakes. To be Chosen by a Companion means to be bonded for life to a being who knows every thought you’d ever had, every action you’d ever done, every motive you’d ever acted on, and but still loves you anyway with that incredible acceptance. You can hear each other’s thoughts.  The bond is so strong that if one of you died, the other would likely die as well.

The Heralds responsibilities included serving and protecting the Monarchy, being the Monarch’s messengers, fighting the wars, sometimes judging the people, and even doing some healing when a regular Healer could not be found. One Herald is The Monarch’s Own, Chosen by a special companion, and this Herald is the confidant and advisor of the reigning Monarch, the one person with whom the Monarch could be completely honest, and more importantly, the one person who would be completely honest with the Monarch.

Those chosen as Heralds are taken to the Heraldic Collegium, a training school which teaches history, languages, mathematics, logic, and other traditional academic topics, in addition to weaponry training, training in fighting and battle, and training in your special Gift. Most or all Heralds have at least one special Gift, such as telekinetics, skill with a particular weapon, or fire-starting. One Gift is Mindspeech, a kind of extension of the mind-speaking a Chosen does with his Companion, only a Herald or Trainee with this Gift can mindspeak to anyone he chooses, the same way he does with his Companion.  Then the Herald in training spends one year on circuit with a full Herald, a kind of internship, after which, if all else went well, you would usually earn your Whites, the costume instantly recognizable from anywhere in the Kingdom as that of a Herald of Valdemar.

There are other collegia in Valdemar, such as the Bardic, for those with musical talent, and the Healers’, for those with that Gift. Some wealthy, aristocratic families sent their offspring there for schooling, but these students took the classes they chose and were not affiliated with any of the three Collegia, hence were called the Unaffiliates. They were not Chosen by Companions, and so could not necessarily be counted on to be pure in heart. This distinction occasionally presented problems. Indeed, often the Unaffiliates often resent and felt superior to those Herald trainees who were peasants, uneducated, poor, or different in some other way.

This is the life of a Herald Trainee in Valdemar. It has its wonderful points, not the least of which is the lifelong love and acceptance you can now forever count on from your Companion, but also includes the free training, good food (for some the first truly good food they’ve had in their lives), warm comfortable rooms (again, a first for some), and the companionship of others being trained for the same thing, who are of like mind. This life also has its rough points, including light (and not so light) hazing, straining to learn what your Gift is and how best to use it for the Kingdom. In many cases there are feelings of guilt because you were Chosen and this or that family member was left behind, and as often as not, being put into a position where you have to use your newfound Gifts and abilities before you are fully trained in their use in a situation with very real consequences- for yourself and for others.

This is the life of a Herald Trainee in Valdemar. Think you’re up to it? Join me as I begin a series of book reviews on over twenty of Mercedes Lackey’s books set in the Valdemarian world. My first review will be on the book Arrows of the Queen, which begins the tale of Talia, who is Chosen by the Companion Rolan.

Look for the review of Arrows of the Queen on the first Friday in May!

What Horses Say by Julie Dicker

Reviewed by Nancy

It seemed like such a fantasy when I was a child, to be able to talk to the animals. Of course, now I talk to my animals all the time, but who knows what they really understand, and if they talk back to me I don't much get it.

But, it seems, there has been a real-life "Doctor Dolittle" amongst us. Her name was Julie Dicker and with her co-author, Anna Clemence, she wrote the book, "What Horses Say," which details her experiences as an animal healer and communicator.

Ms. Dicker, a resident of the UK who passed away in 2006, developed the ability to communicate with animals during early childhood. It wasn't as if she had learned to speak "horse" and then "cat" and then "bird" and then "dog." I tried this verbal method once myself, and found it to be impossible, especially the "cat." No, Julie Dicker was smarter than I am. She communicated with animals with her mind and her heart.

During the years that she worked as an animal communicator and healer Ms. Dicker built relationships with horse professionals who requested her assistance and insights regarding the behavior of their equine charges.

"What is wrong with my horse?" This is the question that drove many people to seek Ms. Dicker's assistance. According to Ms. Dicker, horses are smart, and have long memories. There is the story of Ozzie, who was a model steed as long as no one got near her wearing green boots. When green boots approached, Ozzie turned from a docile companionable friend into a raging lunatic of a horse, thrashing and churning and lashing out at anyone near.

Ms. Dicker had a session with Ozzie and learned that Ozzie had had some very bad experiences with people wearing green boots in the past. Once Ozzie's owners learned this they ditched their green boots and everything was fine.

This may sound silly to you, but there you have it. The horse was smart enough to connect green boots with bad experiences and also to retain this information for a long period of time.

Five years after learning this little quirk about Ozzie one of her owners forgot about the green boot phenomena one day. It was raining, and since it was raining he was wearing boots, and, uh-oh, they were cursed green boots. When he attempted to bring her in from the pasture she absolutely refused to be caught. He sloshed into the house, complaining to his wife that the usually cooperative Ozzie was determined to stay out in the rain. Once they realized he had on green boots, the wife, who was not wearing green boots, went to the pasture and caught the horse easily.

Then there's Lucy. Lucy was sold at auction, but chose another owner by reaching out of her stall and grabbing the clothes of Pippa, the woman passing by, who smelled good to her.  When Pippa looked at the horse's face and body she knew that she had to have her. She went and found the man who had bought the horse and made a deal with him. It turned out that Lucy had been terribly mistreated early in her life, but fully recovered after receiving healing from Julie.

One of my favorites of the tales related was about Dan. Dan was a bay gelding who had been with the same owner for five years. During this time he had been a great horse to ride, never spooking, and had gotten along quite well with his owner. Then suddenly the good times were over, and Dan was a nightmare to ride, scooting and spooking at every turn.

When Ms. Dicker arrived to give Dan healing he was very eager to tell her what was going on. It turned out his owner/rider had recently started riding with a friend and spent the ride conversing with her friend instead of paying attention to Dan. So Dan decided negative attention was better than no attention. He started spooking at bushes and plastic bags and jumping across the road at every opportunity. When he did this conversation stopped and his rider turned her attention to him. Once this was explained to Dan's owner, she cut the chatter and everything was fine.

I suppose there are two ways to view Ms. Dicker's work. Either it's amazing, or it's just another load of hooey. If you are a person who is very invested in the idea of the mystical, magical unseen world around us, I suppose you might fall into the "it's amazing" camp.

On the other hand, if you are one of those individuals who insists that they believe only in things that they can see and touch, only in things that appear to be concrete, this one might be a little too far "out there" for you. If ever there was a book that might pull a person from the "concrete" camp into the "mystical" camp this might be it. Maybe you should risk a look.