Keeping Secrets

The Civil War was perhaps the darkest time in America's history. It wasn't as bloody as World War I or II, it wasn't as pointless as the Great Depression, and it wasn't a desperate fight for freedom like the Revolutionary War. But it represented the depth to which people can sink; it was the split of a nation that had become the most free in the world, and it tore America apart at the seams. Families were divided and thousands of lives were destroyed simply because two sides couldn't see eye to eye and refused to hear each other out. Witness to all this horror and trapped in the middle of it were the Kelly children. Their story can be found in the Orphan Train Series by Joan Lowery Nixon, and in the sixth book in the series, Keeping Secrets. 

Peg Kelly has watched the Civil War rage on for years now. She's seen it ravage its way across America, leaving nothing but destruction in its wake. She saw her siblings rise up to join the fight; she saw them stand up for what they believed in. They came through each trial they faced; they came out bruised and scared but as stronger people. And Peg feels that she is ready to do the same. But Peg, the youngest Kelly girl, is only eleven. The biggest challenges in her life are surviving school and turning twelve. Her mother refuses to treat her like a young lady and no one thinks Peg is old enough or mature enough to do anything for her country - that is except for her brother, Danny, and Miss Hennessy, a new friend who seems ready to trust Peg with anything. And when Miss Hennessy needs help, Peg might just get the chance to help her country yet.

I have read and reviewed the entire Orphan Train series now. I didn't read them in order and there were some books that I liked better than others, but all of them are now reviewed on this blog. This series was geared towards middle school and younger kids, and age demographic that I am not in, but, despite that, I found a couple of the books in the series entertaining if not enjoyable. Sadly, Keeping Secrets was not one of them. The book has many issues that should be addressed: the pacing is strange; the author spends too much time on uninteresting things like laundry and skims over pivotal parts of the story; the main character, Peg Kelly, is a very passive character who spends the book doing nothing and observing what others are doing. It seems like the author put Peg in the story to be the main character but was more interested in other characters and spent more time developing them. Because of this, for the first several chapters I had a hard time remembering who the actual main character was; and the book missed a huge opportunity for some solid character building on Peg's part. As an eleven year old girl she is struggling with very relatable issues, issues that could have been explored further as a lesson to the younger readers who might be struggling with some of the same things. But unfortunately Peg never actually overcomes her struggles they all just magically disappear in time for the exiting climax to the story. Perhaps I'm just too old for this book series and younger kids with enjoy it. Maybe this last book was just too juvenile for me to find it believable. Overall I found this book unsatisfying and found myself wishing I was reading something else.


*****
RJ


Photo Credit: Amazon.com

Lighthouse

Lighthouse, by Eugenia Price, is the first book in the Saint Simon's trilogy. It's a retelling of the building of the first lighthouse built on Saint Simons Island and follows the life of James Gould, who eventually built that lighthouse.

James Gould is portrayed as a very somber, matter of fact young man who has never been without responsibility. His father was badly injured in the Revolutionary War and can really only sit in the house all day. His mother has never really paid James any mind and always assumed that he would take care of himself. James' brother, Horace, is his mother's favorite; he has a very happy go lucky disposition that everyone but James finds charming. After his father dies, James goes off to find work as a builder, his adventures take him all sorts of places, and he becomes a successful business man. His dream is to build a lighthouse, though, and that dream seems too out of reach for a logical man like James.

I enjoyed this book; it was a sweet story of a somber man finding love, joy, and success. If you like historical fiction, then try out Lighthouse. It's a win!


*****
AK

Roots

There is something about history that I find very interesting. I've been studying it for years and have read about many centuries and still haven't gotten tired of it. Perhaps it's the mysteries of long ago eras, where the norm was so much different than today, or maybe it's the sheer elegance found in the pages of history. Many things make the study of history exciting, but I think the most interesting part of history is the people who lived in it. History is full of people who lived very interesting lives, they are remembered throughout the ages. But what's most intriguing is the realization that these faces of history were real people. They lived the lives that were normal to them and were as human as anyone. Sometimes you can trace these faces of history all the way down to today, history transcending time to become real. I recently read a book that did exactly this; it linked generations of history together as one narrative. It was called Roots by Alex Haley. 

When Kunta Kinte was a young man, he never would have guessed that he would be the patron of a long family line. Growing up in Africa, his only thought was to gain the favor of his father and grow into a revered man. Then one day his whole world, including his plans, was shattered. While out walking alone, Kunta was jumped, bound, and kidnapped by white slave traders who, with no regard for the young man's life, placed him on a ship heading to America. Once there, Kunta had to rebuild his life and adapt to a future he hadn't expected or wanted. While he wouldn't live to see its far reaching effects, Kunta's capture turned into something good; he would start a family that would travel down through the ages. His family would see the good and the bad and live through the greatest upheavals in American history. The family would see America, break apart, and then rebuild itself, and its members would build themselves up with it. They would be a true American family, proud, loyal, and always free.

Before I critique this book, I want to make it known that I really wanted to like it. I was expecting to put it on my list of good books. But, sadly, this book just couldn't make the leap to the good side of literature because, Roots makes some critical mistakes that caused me to dislike it. Roots is one of the longest books I've read, and it's also frightfully boring. It started out with the promise of introducing us to Kunta, a likable character who really grows as a person over the course of the story. But by the time his part of the story ends, the book is half over and the other seven generations of Kunta's family aren't even born yet. Roots spends too much time on a few character arcs and has to graze over the rest, creating a weird pacing that throws the reader off. By the end of the book the author had breezed past so many generations that I found it hard to feel connected to the characters anymore. In addition, the book head-hops between characters, in the middle of a chapters, so much that I had a difficult time keeping track of who was talking or thinking. Finally, while this book is very detailed, there are parts that are described in detail that should be left to the imagination. I would also caution parents before a child reads this and only recommend it to high school and older. It could have been a great book and some people may still like it. But I feel that Roots tried to do too much at once and ended up creating more of a mess than a complex story.


*****
RJ

Photo Credit: Amazon.com

The Captivity of the Oatman Girls

The Captivity of the Oatman Girls is a retelling of the true story of Olive, Mary Anne, and Lorenzo Oatman. Published in 1857, it told by the actual Lorenzo and Olive, and gives a good example of Native American life, and Culture.

The Oatman family had been traveling to California when the Apache tribe attacked. Young Olive and Mary Anne were captured and Lorenzo was left for dead. All the others were massacred. Along the way with their captors, the girls faced poor living conditions, malnutrition, and death, but nothing stopped their brother on his journey to find them.

i recommend this book to any adventure lover or anyone curious about Native American culture. It was a great read, and i will read it again

*****
AK

Her Highness the Traitor

England! One of Europe's crowning jewels and the nation that has long been known for its splendor and greatness. Its castles, its countryside, its people, and most of all, its royal families. For years the royals that have graced the throne of Great Britain have amazed the world; people such as King Henry VIII, Bloody Mary, Queen Elizabeth, and Queen Victoria each left their marks on the English monarchy. And each in their turn passed on their crown to the next royal in for the throne. Most of the time the passing down of power goes smoothly and the monarchy is granted a new ruler swiftly and without incident. But there are times when problems arise. Her Highness the Traitor by Susan Higginbotham recounts an example of this, perhaps the most notorious in all of English history.

Very few people know who Jane Grey was; hardly anyone knows her name, and even fewer remember the women who put her on the throne of England. Jane Grey did not know that she was fourth in line for the monarchy; she only cared about her studies and her books. Her mother, on the other hand, wanted her daughter to rise to greatness, she wanted her to be the queen of England; but there was no way to do this. But after young King Edward died without and heir, an opportunity opens up. Together with Jane Dudley, Francis Grey planned to fulfill her plans for her daughter, putting all three women in a dangerous position.

This book was an interesting read. A strange mix of historical facts and character driven story, Her Highness the Traitor gave an interesting look at English court after the reign of King Henry VIII. While it is definitely  a book for teenagers and young adults due to many descriptions of marriage relations, this book was an enjoyable read that history fanatics will enjoy. It is a thinking book and should not be read casually.

*****
RJ

Immortal Wife

It was an age of discovery. The west was completely uncharted and it seemed to call every young and adventurous soul to it. The America we know today was non - existent; only the shell of our borders could be seen. The government in Washington was just beginning, trying to find a way to continue after the deaths of its founders. The west called. What was beyond the wilderness? Where did the land end and meet the sea, and who would pull America's borders further than before? Such is the story contained in the pages of Irving Stone's book Immortal Wife. 

John and Jessie Fremont have been almost lost to history; true, they lived, but their story has been forgotten among the others stories of their time. Tales of great men and war heroes who shaped a nation. John and Jessie fell in love when they were young; they hardly knew what love was but they were determined to stay together no matter what joys, triumphs, pain or sadness they faced; they could not have imagined how hard their determination would be tested. The goal of a marriage is to help and sustain each other in your ambitions, thought Jessie, but what if the ambitions you aspire to pull your love apart?

I did not enjoy this book; this is unusual because I usually love Irving Stone's writing. But this one left a sour taste in my mouth. Perhaps it was the sheer length of the book - it has seven sections, each with at least nine chapters - or maybe it was the characters, who seemed demanding and needy. They didn't seem like people I would want to actually meet. The goal of good writing is to create or portray characters who pull you into the story and have you hanging on their every word; unfortunately, this book failed to do such and actually had me hoping for the end of each chapter. Not the best book I've ever read, I'ed give it a three out of ten.

*****
RJ

Three Years Among the Comanches

I do not usually read westerns, but I decided to try this genre for a change. I settled on Three Years Among the Comanches by Nelson Lee. It tells the account of the author before and after being captured by the Comanche Indians; at the time, Lee was working as a Texas Ranger. In his narrative, Lee describes life in an Indian village with a raw truth, giving out the smallest details of every activity. I found that Nelson Lee had a tendency to ramble on, and I do not particularly like that kind of writing.

Nelson Lee was living a normal yet adventurous life; working for the Rangers required him to always be on the move, but Lee didn't mind. For years, Lee lived this life, traveling from place to place, fighting off Indians and protecting the local settlers. The threat of Indian attack was always on everyone's mind, but with the ever-vigilant Rangers on guard, the fear was minimal. But what happens when the Rangers can't even protect their own? Lee never expected that his companions and he would be attacked by Indians, but they were and in one swift, cruel blow, Lee's companions were either dead or captured and he himself was dragged off as a hostage. Under normal circumstaces, Lee would have been killed immediately, but by the grace of God he possesses the means to protect and maybe even free himself: a small silver watch that he bought only days before his capture. The trinket may intrigue the natives for a short time, but will it keep them transfixed long enough for escape to present itself?

I strongly advise parents to put an age limit on this book, 10 at least. This book contains several accounts of prisoner torture and mass killings, as well as some outright disturbing moments that shocked even me. This was not the best book I have ever reviewed; it tends to take on the form of a history rather than a story. Nelson Lee claims this is a true-to-life account of his life; whether it is or not, this is a pretty good book that I think fans of westerns will enjoy.

*****
RJ

Love is Eternal

Right off the bat, I will say that history buffs will love Love is Eternal by Irving Stone. The story goes through the lives of Abraham and Mary Lincoln with stunning accuracy. For those who prefer fiction, this book also creates fictional accounts of the Lincolns' lesser known personal lives, pulling the reader into their struggles and fears as well as their joys. These two literary genres are completely different, but Irving Stone, like the wonderful writer he is, weaves the two genres together perfectly into a marvelous story based on the Lincolns. Please note that this book is very long and has been broken down into eight smaller books for easier reading.

Mary Todd never expected her life to turn out the way it did; after being the first female graduate of a completely male dominated school, Mary wasn't sure where her life would take her. As was common of the Todd women, she traveled to Springfield in hopes of finding a husband like her two older sisters had. All the Todd women had married respectable doctors of lawyers, so Mary was expected to do the same. What would her family do if they knew what sort of man she was attracted to? He was a tall, gangly young lawyer who had descended into her life quite literally from heaven, dropping through a trap door of the courthouse. He had been raised in the backwoods and had only had a year or two of school learning. He was completely different from any man Mary had ever met, which made him oddly appealing. And his name was Abraham Lincoln. Mary and Abraham seemed to have a doomed love from the start, and they were complete opposites. Were they too different for love?

Irving Stone has outdone himself with this stupendous piece of literature, an instant classic. A treat for young and old alike, no matter your opinion of historical fiction or your views on the Lincolns, you cannot afford to miss this novel. I would not recommend this book to children under 10, as the story ends tragically (Abraham's death), which younger children might find distressing. Also, the story itself revolves around the tension and stress of the presidency, and mild profanity is used a few times. In my opinion, that is a little heavy for children under 10.

*****
RJ

The President's Lady

The President's Lady is an exciting romantic drama set against the explosive mess that is politics. Irving Stone has brought to light a wonderful story of a woman who only wanted to be loved in a world that hated her, and whose husband was continuously dragged away into politics. The story also shows the life of Andrew Jackson, a man who did not know what he wanted, causing him to always fall into failure. But when he finally discovers what he wants, he may have to sacrifice his wife to gain it.

It is a time of frontiersmen, Indians and survival. And Rachel Roberts is right in the middle of it all with her own battles to win - but not the kind of battles you win with a gun. Lewis Roberts, Rachel's husband, is an alcohol-abusing man with an insanely jealous nature. As a result, poor Rachel is subject to Lewis' slanderous remarks on her character and even violence. Rachel cannot see any way her life could improve, but then on a trip to her family home, she meets a young man who is willing to rescue her from her husband. Andrew Jackson is a dashing young frontiersman with vastly unpopular ideas, but Rachel finds herself attracted to this man. Yet no matter how mush they love each other, the lives of Andrew and Rachel Jackson will always be full of slander. Is their love enough to protect from the storm? 

This was a wonderfully haunting story. Rachel Jackson is perhaps the most misunderstood woman in American history, and Irving Stone brings her story to life through wonderfully worded paragraphs that you will remember for a long time. I would suggest that children under ten not read this story due to some rather harsh allegations against Rachel Jackson later in the book. Many people were very suspicious of the Jacksons, and a few even accused Rachel of being and adulteress. I believe children under ten do not need to be burdened with those hateful allegations. This is a very good book that you will enjoy long after you close the back cover.

*****

RJ