Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts is a well-researched historical novel. It is a story about family and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. I have seen the movie but have never read L. Frank Baum’s book, which is a central narrative in the novel. Letts’ novel features Matilda Joslyn Gage, heavily…
Jesus was a teacher and storyteller. The book of Matthew records numerous stories. While speaking to a crowd he told the parable of the sower who encountered different types of soil. (Matthew 13) Speaking to his disciples he told the story of the lost sheep (Matthew 18). There are many…
Whenever I visit the library, I check the display of new books. Recently The Hidden Child by Louise Fein caught my eye. This historical novel, set in the 1920s, tells a story that connects the eugenics movement and the plight of a child with epilepsy. (Eugenics is a theory that…
In 1917 eighteen Smith College graduates went to France to provide relief measures and establish order in war torn villages. Lauren Willig has written a novel based on the reports about this group. The author read a memoir by one of the members of the Smith College Relief Unit and…
A couple of books have stirred my thoughts and emotions. I read a lot—sometimes three books in a week. I don’t review many. These two books have touched me. The Children’s Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin is historical fiction based on a real event. In 1888 a blizzard came on suddenly in…
A small group in our church is reading and discussing the book, How to Pray: A Simple Guide for Normal People by Pete Grieg. Grieg introduces the acronym P.R.A.Y. Pause, Rejoice, Ask, Yield. Why do we need to pause? Perhaps that is a silly question when we consider our hectic…
All around us there are designs and patterns that are pleasing to look at. I enjoy the vast array of flowers that bloom indoors and outdoors. Lately I have been reading about a different kind of design/pattern. In the book, The Road Back to You, Ian Morgan Cron describes the…
This year my mind has become weary with the news. The amount of time that I spend watching the news on TV is decreasing and the amount of time that I am reading is increasing. I admit that I have been a bit of a political junkie, and it is…
This year, 2020, might be called the year of disappointment. Everyone has been affected by the pandemic whether it be financially, socially or physically. The politics in our country has been hard to watch. We have flawed men seeking the presidency. The recent revelations of corruption are disheartening. The bias…
A terrible accident took place in the hills of Switzerland. A child sustained a debilitating injury and one boy, Lucien, had provoked the accident. This is how the story begins in Patricia St. John’s book, Treasures of the Snow. This book for children was first published in 1948. As I continued…