An Opportunity to Learn

Way back in the Dark Ages when I first wrote on this blog, the first one I tried to bring to your attention was Barbara Kingsolver's Animal.Vegetable,Miracle. In it, she told a fascinating story, but the book was essentially about food.
The one I just finished was about food also, but told in a completely different way. This was The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan (2006). What a writer this guy is! This book tells you about growing corn, feed-lots and cattle, growing grasses, and hunting wild pigs and mushrooms, but it does it in such a way that you're glued to every word. Even if the idea doesn't interest you, if you'll take a look at the book, it will probably captivate you -- just as it did me.

A Cut Above

Once in a while, you read a book that even though it's set in the past, is perfectly in tune with present-day happenings. That was the case with one I just finished. The title of this down-to-earth, no-nonsense bit of realism is The Hearts of Horses by Molly Gloss (2007). I had the opportunity to read this while I was spending two weeks at my daughter's home in Northern New Mexico. My daughter has a contract with the Forest Service to gentle the mustangs that they capture on public lands. Her entire approach to these wild beauties is with positive reinforcement, and sometimes in as little as two or three weeks, the horses she works with are ready to be adopted into a new home and receive further training. This gentle and loving attitude is almost the same as the attitude displayed by the main character in Ms. Gloss's book. The period of time was in the early 1800's, and horse training at that time was more "breaking" than "gentling". The book is very well-written, and is not one of those that romanticize the animals or the people. Give it a try -- It's excellent!

Change of Pace

I've just finished a good book that was full of fun. It is THE UNDOMESTIC GODDESS by Sophie Kinsella (2005). In this book, an overworked, stressed young woman who is an attorney working for a top-notch firm, makes an error which costs someone a great deal of money and costs the young woman her job. When she realizes what has happened, she runs from the office building, hops on a train, and rides until she arrives at a small town, but along the way has several alcoholic beverages to try and calm herself. Aside from being slightly inebriated, she has developed a headache, so she knocks at the door of a lovely home to see if they would give her an aspirin and some water. The lady of the house thinks her caller has been sent by an agency to apply for a job as a domestic housekeeper and cook. Through a series of circumstances our girl gets the job. Egad! This kid can't even boil water! The book is loads of fun and I recommend it to anyone who would enjoy a good laugh.

Another Winner

At last, one that inspires me to sing its praises. The book is THE NOTEBOOK OF LOST THINGS by Megan Staffel (1999). The title got my attention, but I had no idea what the book might be about. It is about the memories of a brave woman who lost everything except her child in the bombing of Dresden during World War II. She found that in writing short descriptions of the way things used to be, she could release those memories and no longer have to hold them inside herself. Her story is told in flashbacks and by being remembered by persons who loved her, as she is no longer alive when the story takes place. She raised a magnificent daughter and loved a man who felt unworthy of being loved by anyone. It's a beautifully written book, with the story told in a simple and direct manner. It's well worth looking for.