A Net in Time

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The Personal Librarian

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I listened to The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, a bit back. I still think on it.  I’d suggest you give it a read (or listen) if you have a chance to.  Let me tell you why.  

You’ll find romance, deception, books, and female determination.  A strong matriarch, children divided about loyalties, and solid look into real life history.  Come discover more about Belle da Costa Greene, personal librarian to J.P. Morgan. 

image shows a pile of books text the personal librarian the story of bella da costa greene

The Basic Details for The Personal Librarian

Title: The Personal Librarian
Author: Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
Narrator: Robin Miles (audio)
Publisher: Berkeley
Pages: 368 pages
Intended Audience: adult
Genre: adult fiction, historical fiction, racism, black & African-American women’s fiction, women’s fiction, American history, biographical, 
Available formats: Paperback, kindle, audio, hardcover
Format Used: audio

About the Book and Author

Belle da Costa Greene lived in a time where black women were relegated to jobs such as maids and washer women.  BUT she had lighter skin and a momma determined not to let people know she had African-American blood. This gave her children more freedom in the jobs they could hold.  Enter in the story of Portuguese blood to help explain their darker colouring.  Family fractures happen. 

This story speaks to the hardship of hiding heritage, to the status of women, and the difficulties she faced.  Learn more about how J.P. Morgan conducted himself, the work of a personal librarian, and catch glimpses into her personal life. 

the authors

Marie Benedict is a lawyer who loves to discover stories about women in history and telling their stories.  She loves to dig into history and discover the nuances about these women and bring their stories into the light of day.  Victoria Christopher Murray has an MBA in Marketing, grew up in New York, and discovered her love for writing in 1997.  She has since received numerous awards for her work.  Some of her awards are for work as an African-American author. 

Looking Deeper

I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about Bella da Costa Greene.  She was a remarkable lady who learned how to function well as a woman in a man’s world.  She did so with style and finesse. 

Even though I admire all the work she did, and how determined she was to make her way, I didn’t like all the choices she made.  It’s not necessary to like everything about a person and still like who they are overall though eh?  🙂  

I loved that she was able to meet the various expectations of her family, both the immediate and the more estranged.  This was a relief to her as well, albeit at times an added pressure to do well. I have a hard time imaging that one person could be so pivotal in helping their whole family do better.  I wanted at times to shake a finger at her adults siblings (and their spouses) and tell them to do better themselves.  That they shouldn’t expect one person to make it all more bearable. 

I liked the story in and of itself and was happy to to have listened to it.  For those who want to learn about a remarkable woman of history, listen to this story (or go read it).  🙂  You’ll see hard life decisions being made, see the joys of procurement of rare items, and satisfaction of learning the business end of life. Being able to scoop your rivals… fantastic!  🙂 

Author’s Remarks

I did wish that I didn’t listen to the author’s remarks.  Like many author’s remarks I expected to hear how the story was changed.  This was accurate, but then they went to on to say why they wrote it and brought racism into the picture and tied it into life today.  I would rather NOT have heard that part.  It changed the story from one that I enjoyed into “one I should have used to learn hard life lessons.”

That’s not what I wanted. I wanted to learn more about a woman from history.  Being, in essence, forced to consider deeper issues changed the whole impact of the life shown to me. It was a spoiler, not a help.   A help to me is “this is the true story, this is how I revamped it to make it read better”.  Or these things happened, but I changed the order, etc. 

Final Thoughts

So go read The Personal Librarian.  Skip the author’s remarks.  Enjoy the story and let the history of the day seep into your beingness.  Learn, but mostly just enjoy her story. 

John the Baptist is Born

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It’s funny, I keep thinking of how Elizabeth’s baby leapt in the womb when Mary came in.  How amazing it was to really catch his excitement.  And today we get to see who that baby is to be.  John the Baptist is born as seen in Luke 1: 57-66.  Sorta following along with Unexplainable Jesus bible study.

Luke 1:57-66 

57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” 62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. 

63 And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. 64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. 65 And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, 66 and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.

image of baby. Text: John the Baptist is born

John the Baptist is born

57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 

We already knew that Elizabeth was going to have a boy.  The angel had told Zechariah this right?  So this starting line is SO not a surprise eh?  But what would they call him?!?!   It should be Zechariah after his dad right?   So let’s go forward with that eh?  But then his momma steps in and days NO!  That’s not his name!! 

58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.”

They Argued

This is the part that I think is so odd.  Her neighbours and relatives argued with her!  It’s like why would you argue with a parent about what they call their child?  Their reasoning?  None of their relatives have that name, so why would you use that?  It made no sense to them.  Defying tradition and all that. 

Admittedly that would be hard to do at times right?   I watch this lady on YouTube that helps people learn how to express and hold to a boundary WHILE understanding why you might get pushback.  Some of the stories she tells I find hard to hear.  I can’t really understand vitriol people spew at those who should be loved ones.  For instance a MIL who gets cut off from one part of her family because she wildly upset that a grandchild wasn’t named after her.  And then treats DIL badly because of it. Son steps in and says “Mom, enough, you can’t do this, you won’t stop.  So done with it all.”. 

61 And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” 

So, since they lived in a patriarchal family, they asked Zechariah what the babes name should be.  He confirmed it was to be John. 

62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. 63 And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.”

Zechariah’s Obedience

Zechariah did what he was supposed to.  His silence, the consequence of his actions earlier, was finally broken.  And I bet all the neighbours and relatives had even more questions.  More wonder!   And Zechariah praising God after all that had happened.  

I so love that eh?   That Zechariah endured the whole of Elizabeth’s pregnancy in silence.  Unable to talk.  Being reminded everyday to keep firm to his faith in God.  And in the end, he praises God.  We so need to do that eh?  After discipline, to be grateful and able to praise God above.

And they all wondered. 64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God.

And yes, the neighbours and relatives had a reaction.  They were afraid.  They talked so much about what had happened and wondered what would become of John. 

I’d have done the same.  After seeing Zechariah become mute, affirm John’s name, and then immediately become unmute! It’s a wow and how can it be situation and would certainly have my brain and emotions whirling.  Doesn’t it do the same for you? 

God Made a Path

 65 And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, 66 and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.

This isn’t just a vague story.  This is actual history.  A story of God at work in the lives of his people. It should send us all into a time of praising God.  John’s story is part of the fabric of our faith history.  We need to see the wonder and the fear in it.  God’s spread the news of John.  He prepared the way for this man to speak of his Son, to prepare the way for the Lord.  Rather awesome eh? 

Follow Along

I’ve been using The Unexplainable Jesus study as a background to my devotional time.  

The Inquisitive Raven

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product The Inquisitive Raven through Douglas & McIntyre. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and it is so much appreciated. 🙂

The Inquisitive Raven introduces us to Rueben.   He’s a smart raven who wants to know everything about everything.  A lover of his community and a teacher of what he has learned, he loves to help as much as he loves to learn. But he is sometimes laughed at, and this bothers Rueben.  Whatever shall he do? 

the inquisitive raven by robert wagamese, a review

The Basic Details

Title: The Inquisitive Raven
Author: Richard Wagamese
Illustrator: Bridget George
Series: The Richard Wagamese Storybook Collection
Publisher: Douglas & McIntyre
Pages: 32
Intended Audience: children, 6-8 years,
Genre: indigenous, Canada, children’s Canada books, children’s growth, creation, indigenous stories
Available formats: Hardcover
Received: hardcover
Reviewed for: Douglas & McIntyre

Book and Author

Richard Wagamese also wrote The Animal People Choose a Leader which I also reviewed.  A member of the Obijway people, he was a gifted storyteller.  Despite being abandoned by his parents and being ill-treated in the foster care system, Richard learned to read. His life was not an easy-one, he was married, divorced, fathered children, and lived his life.  He lived out his calling of being a storyteller with several published works. 

In The Inquisitive Raven we learn about Rueben.  He’s such a smart, inquisitive bird, sticking his beak into everything.  He wanted to know as much about his world as he could, and he shared his knowledge with his community.   One day he noticed an eagle soaring high above and watched how the other animals respected the eagle.  He also wanted to be respected, and so we get to read of his experiences.

Looking deeper into The Inquisitive Raven

Oh, the artwork in The Inquisitive Raven helps to bring the story to life.  It has a very indigenous feel to it. You can see the beauty in his coat, and the intelligence in his eyes.   He seems like a very likable chap not wanting to miss an iota of life. 

page from the inquisitive raven book

Some pages are full colour images and others only have an image on part of the page.  Lots of white space to allow for ease of reading. 

Large font makes it easy to read to a group of children.  Wouldn’t it be fun to read with a group and stopping once in a while to ask questions?   Thinking about the story you are listening to and building anticipation.  What will Rueben learn through all of this?  Can we learn together you think? 

You’ll find that it’s a beautiful hardcover tome.  It done up so nicely with a slightly rough texture making it very easy to handle/hold.  The Douglas and McIntyre of have done a wonderful job of presenting Wagamese’s story.  Rueben learned so much in this story, won’t you come and see the learning?  

You will love this story and the artwork.  It gives a good touch to First Nations language and history.  Learn with Rueben. Accept what you have and who you are!   

Gold Rush

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product Gold Rush through Quarto. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and it is so much appreciated. 🙂

Did you know there was some controversy over who first discovered the gold that started the Klondike Gold Rush?   I didn’t!   Granted, I had no idea who or what started it, but definitely didn’t consider there would have been any argument about it.  So was it a first nations woman or was it some guy?  This story explores this story from the viewpoint it was started by a first nations woman.   Come along on this trip of discovery.  Loads of illustrations, complete with explanatory text, showcase this tale.  Let’s Go!

gold rush by Flora Delargy

The Basic Details for Gold Rush

Title: Gold Rush
Author: Flora Delargy
Illustrator: Flora Delargy
Series: Hidden Histories
Publisher: Wide Eyed Editions
Pages: 80
Intended Audience: 7-11 years
Genre: First Nations, Gold Rush, Picture Book, Indigenous, history, American History, Women & Girls Issues
Available formats: hardcover
Received: hardcover
Reviewed for: Quarto

Author and Story

Flora Delargy comes from Belfast and has written a couple of children’s books.   She not only writes them but illustrates them as well. In 2019, she was selected for the Illustrators Exhibition at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair.  She attained a master’s degree in Children’s Book Illustration. 

In Gold Rush, Delargy brings us into the discovery of gold in the Yukon.  She makes excellent illustrations showing the forbidding mountains, rickety railway tracks, dogsledders, and the beauty of the Yukon countryside.  She walks us through all the steps to getting the gold in the Yukon.  Supply lists, who the adventurers are, the treatment of First Nations people, and so much more.   Learn the legacy of the Gold Rush! 

gold rush by Flora Delargy

Looking Deeper

Wow!   You can really tell Delargy spent some time in art school.  Her illustrations really help to tell the story.  Can’t you just see yourself struggling up this mountain pass?   Both women and men struggling through snow and ice all in the search for gold. That climb could make or break you couldn’t it?

There is SO MUCH information contained within these pages.   Six chapters

  • Kate Carmack (Shaaw Tiaa): the Discover
  • Martha Black: The Stateswoman
  • Belinda Mulrooney: The Boomtown Entrepreneur
  • Nellie Cashman: The Prospector
  • The Beauty of the North
  • The Impact of Kate Carmack

Within each of these chapters we’ll learn about supplies needed, places to live, how to mine for gold, impact on First Nation folk, those who stayed after the gold rush was over, and everything in-between. 

I so enjoy the artwork found within. The period dress, the action, the animals, and the natural beauty of the northlands. 

So my one big complaint about Gold Rush is the text.  It is SO small.  The headlines are a reasonable size font for reading, but the text is done in what I think is an 8 maybe a 10 point font.  Not good to read if you want to share with a group, and difficult enough to read yourself just for enjoyment. 

Do not misunderstand me, this an issue for me with the size of the text, not with the quality or quantity of the written material.

Recommendation

If you are studying Canadian History, learning about the Gold Rush, or curious get this book.  I love how it covers the Klondike Gold Rush so thoroughly, and broaches on issues other books generally don’t.   My consideration has never before been how the Gold Rush would have affected the native population.   I knew they used the people as porters (so some good income could be made for a while), but never thought of it would be culturally or just even short-term with the congestion and lawlessness. 

Flora Delargy did a good job pulling all her research together into an easily accessible resource.   Gold Rush does an good job of teaching (and showing) it’s readers about this part of history. 

Born Survivors

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When I picked up Born Survivors I thought I would be getting a novel telling a story about three fictious women in war-torn Europe.   Instead I got a story that was more of a documentary about women who actually survived the Nazi reign of terror.  I met the most amazing women Rachel, Priska, and Anka.  I am so inspired by their outlook on life and how their perspectives helped them to survive.   All links provided are to amazon of which I am an affiliate.  Costs you nothing, helps me provide you with reviews!

Born Survivors by Wendy Holden

The Basic Details for Born Survivors

Title: Born Survivors: Three Young Mothers and Their Extraordinary Story of Courage, Defiance, and Hope
Author: Nicki Pau Preto
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Pages: listened on audible 13 hours and 8 minutes
Intended Audience: adult
Genre:  WW2, history, Holocaust, Jewish, documentary
Available formats: Audio, Hardcover
Read: Audio book on Audible.   Give audible a try for free, get a free book each month with a paid membership! 

What Did I Think?

This story takes us into the world of three women surviving till the end of the war under the reign of the Nazis.  Young women with husbands and extended families.  None had been married long, all were well attached to their extended families, none were orthodox Jews.   And then the Germans came and life changed.  Bit by bit, push by push until ghettos were formed and concentration camps filled. 

They focused on their life perspectives: one of which was “find the beauty in the everyday.  Look for the beauty in life”.   Through love, family, focusing on goals, following their instincts, and sheer determination, they survived.   And I am so privileged to have heard their stories. 

They avoided the trap of Josef Mengele and his “are you pregnant” questions.  Miracles occurred when towns intervened to feed unfed prisoners, when Zyklon-B tanks ran empty, and when forgotten women were found and medical intervention happened for starving infants. 

It was lovely to be able to follow their lives post-WW2, reunions and meetings.  Learning of the other babies born in concentration camps who survived and just how these women built up their lives after suffering so terribly.   

I am not going to say Born Survivors is easy to listen to.  There were times when it is so hard to listen to what was done to them.  BUT there were also times when you could see the miracles, and feel the love, and see the growth that hardship wrought.  THAT is worth listening for!

Give Born Survivors by Wendy Holden a listen and see if you to might be inspired by their courage and determination as well!  

The Curse of the Shaman

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So I’ve been slowly sorting through books that I held for my boy to read during our homeschooling years.   Sometimes I go “hey, that might make a good read” so I grab it up and kept it in my stash.  Unlike me, my lad didn’t turn into much of a reader, I would have liked for him to read though The Curse of the Shaman. Themes of determination, community, and help from unexpected sources.  

The curse of the shaman

The Basic Details for The Curse of the Shaman

Title: The Curse of the Shaman
Author: Michael Kusugak
Illustrator: Vladyanan Krykorka
Series: A Marble Island Story
Publisher: Harper Collins
Pages: 168
Intended Audience: 9-12 years, Elementary Students, Middle School
Genre:  first nations, Canada, folk lore, Inuit, 
Available formats: Kindle, Paperback
Read: Paperback

About the Author 

Michael Kugusak is a Canadian author who has written several books.  Growing up in Repulse Bay, NWT he currently lives in Sooke, BC.   As a child he rode dog sled, went hunting and fishing, and lived a traditional Inuit lifestyle.  This history can be seen in The Curse of the Shaman. 

About the Book

The Curse of the Shaman takes us into the life of Wolverine from birth through to young adulthood.  We get to see him grow up within the Inuit lifestyle. The anger of a Shaman led to a curse which is later rescinded, but Shaman’s magic helper disagreed. And so the story unfolds…. 

The curse of the shaman

What Did I Think?

There were things I loved in this story and things that took me a bit to adapt to.   

I struggled with some of the names in this story as well as some of the Inuit language.  And a part of me wanted the author to make it easier for me!   How my… how selfish of me is that eh?   Good thing I recognize that eh?   Changing the names would also have changed fundamental parts of the story, which I so much enjoyed. 

The focus on family and community is fantastic!  People care for their family units deeply, and getting together with others is a time of work, celebration, and appreciation of each other.  People shared what they had and who they were freely because that was the best way to live in community.  Share and share alike is how folks survive in a harsh environment. 

Stories told to Wolverine as a youngster prove to be invaluable, again showing the importance of family.  And as children grow up and develop new skills, so do shamans!  🙂   It is good to see not only children learn new skills but the grown ups on their lives as well!   It’s a pleasant twist on a story, and another twist (though as an adult reader I rather anticipated it) is a good one as well.  🙂 

All in all, a good story that immerses us into the lives of the Inuit and a possibility of how shamans work their magic.  The Curse of the Shaman is well worth reading if you are looking at doing a study on Inuit of Canada.    

The Warsaw Sisters

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product for The Warsaw Sisters through Nuts about Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and it is so much appreciated. 🙂

Good and evil are part of what it means to live life isn’t it?   In war we often see more of the nasty side of what people can be.  Amanda Barratt takes the time to show us the courage of two young women, living in Poland, during WW2.  Walk into the wartime lives on Helena and Antonina. Marvel at their determination and survival skills as they manage the Nazi occupation of Poland. 

The Warsaw Sisters by Amanda Barrat

The Basic Details for The Warsaw Sisters

Title: The Warsaw Sisters
Author: Amanda Barratt
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Pages: 384
Intended Audience: adult
Genre: Christian fiction, Contemporary Christian fiction, World War ll historical fiction, 20th century historical fiction, Christian historical fiction, 
Available formats: Hardcover, Kindle, Audio, Paperback

The Author

Amanda Barratt says on her website “I’m passionate about illuminating oft-forgotten facets of history”.  And in The Warsaw Sisters I saw snippets of history brought to life I didn’t previously know about. Ms. Barratt is a Christian author who has written several books.  She often writes about WW2 as she’s fascinated by the contrast between good and evil. 

The Warsaw Sisters 

Takes in the lives of Helena and Antonina.   Sisters in Poland trying to survive the Nazi invasion of WW2. Through them we get to see how some of the Polish fought back against the invasion.  How they fought for their people and for the Jewish who lived among them. The question we have is, will their fight against the evil of the Nazi regime drive them apart? 

My Thoughts

I very much appreciated that each time the voice changed, or a date changed, we were clearly informed by section headings.  The font was easy on the eyes and made reading comfortable.  The story, though delineated by days/voices, was indeed a story and not a recitation of facts. 

The fact that the speaker varies between the two sisters means, that for me at least, this novel would not work as an audiobook.  BUT others might be better able at discerning the difference while listening. 

The added historical notes at the close of The Warsaw Sisters are informative, showing how the story was derived from the research that Ms. Barratt did. Very interesting and helpful.

I’m not going to tell you that The Warsaw Sisters is a happy read.  There’s lots of sadness throughout.  We see Germans doing some very nasty things and we see Polish turning a blind eye to atrocities. War is a horrible thing, and wars that include genocide are particularly nasty.  It spans the time of 1939-1945.

But I’m also not going to tell there is no hope or joy.   Joy in helping those who most need it.  Courage of people choosing to fight instead of giving up like sheep.  Bravery in choosing to do hard things.  Intelligence in learning new and necessary skills.   Wonder at the birth of a child.  The hope of the city of Warsaw rebuilt.

So it’s just like Ms. Barratt says ” In times of some of the greatest evil and inhumanity our world has ever known, there emerged glimmers of courage, resilience, and sacrifice. The juxtaposition of those fragments of light against the darkness is extraordinarily powerful and inspires me as I write.”  She fulfilled her own mandate don’t you think?  That balance between good and bad clearly seen in the lives of these women and the army they fight against.