Last week we were in Kansas. The sky was blue with some puffy white clouds and trees were beginning to unfurl their leaves. Blossoms were opening. This morning (back home) I woke up to the ground covered in snow and snowflakes still falling. The joy of spring. The return of winter.…
Donna Everhart has written a novel about the Civil War with a unique perspective. When the Jessamine Grows is set in North Carolina (1860s), in an area where there were subsistence farmers. They didn’t own slaves. North Carolina was drawn into the war, expecting residents to support secession. What would…
When I was growing up, we usually had cardamom in the house—a spice necessary for a Finnish coffee bread, nisu. On special occasions my mother made nisu, and eventually I learned to make it. Cardamom grows only in tropical and subtropical zones. It is curious that it is a popular spice in…
Throughout history there have been women who have made a difference. The Bible records the story of the midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, who stood up to Pharaoh in the first book of Exodus. And there is Hannah (mother of Samuel), Ruth from Moab and Queen Esther. Recently I read a…
Recently two friends have raised political issues in the e-mails we exchange. One friend wanted me to read a book about the divisions between Christians caused by their political views, berating conservatives. The other friend wanted me to view the documentary about Christian Nationalism. There is so much happening in…
Some novels published in recent years have a new pattern. Instead of telling a story chronologically, chapters can go back and forth in time. It is helpful that a date is placed at the beginning of a chapter. Still, sometimes I am confused. I have also read books with several…
We live in a challenging time. There are many distractions and deceptions in social media. Do you worry about the influence of our culture on children and grandchildren? I do. What can we do? As we seek God through prayer and His word, He will guide us. When you pass…
When I saw that our library was having a book discussion for The First Ladies, written by Marie Benedict and Victoria C. Murray, I signed up. The historical fiction novel is a story of the friendship between Eleanor Roosevelt and Mary Bethune. The book describes the work they accomplished together…
When my grandmother was nineteen years old, she came across the ocean by boat. She made her way to Upper Michigan by train. Two of her brothers had settled there. She left behind her mother, father, sisters and brothers whom she never saw again. She didn’t forget them. She wrote…
Today men and women, teens and children will be marching in Washington D.C. It doesn’t matter that it is very cold with the prospect of more snow. Today is the 51st anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision. The marchers will be carrying signs. What do the signs say? LET THEIR…