The Women by Kristin Hannah

 

Kristin Hannah delves deeply into the Vietnam War in The Women. I was living in a different country during this era and although some of the news covered the war, we were somewhat sheltered and I didn't realize the full impact until I visited the Vietnam War Memorial with nearly 60,000 names of the fallen etched into black granite. Wars are never a good solution, but this one seemed so senseless. And sadly the women who were nurses, worked for the Red Cross and many other services were not recognized. The Women is definitely going on my list of favorite books for this year.

Twenty year old nursing student Frances McGrath was raised in the idyllic world of Southern California but when her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam she imagines a different future for herself.

Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war when she arrives in Vietnam. But when she returns home the real battle begins with protestors, people spitting and shouting at those returning home and the nightmares that follow. The novel  is about deep friendships and shines a light on women who put themselves in harm's way and whose sacrifice is often forgotten.

A Calamity of Souls by David Baldacci

 

I haven't read any of David Baldacci's novels for a while and a friend recommended A Calamity of Souls. Apparently, having grown up in Virginia, David Baldacci had formed a story in his mind over a decade ago and finally put pen to paper. Set in the Vietnam War era, A Calamity of Souls highlights the racial divide in the south with a white lawyer fighting for his black client. It's quite a powerful novel and thought provoking. But it seems that no matter what the era, there is always a divide, black v. white, rich v. poor, and now in the U.S. it's a political divide of Democrats v. Republicans. 

From the cover:
Jack Lee is a white lawyer from Freeman County, Virginia, who has never done anything to push back against racism, until he decides to represent Jerome Washington, a black man charged with brutally killing an elderly and wealthy white couple. Doubting his decision, Lee fears that his legal skills may not be enough to prevail in a case where the odds are stacked against him. 

The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel

 Set in WWII German occupied France, The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel follows the story of two women: Juliette and Elise. One, because of her husband's involvement with the French Resistance, needs to flee Paris and leaves her daughter with her friend. After the war, Juliette moves to New York with her only remaining child, but Elise is still trying to find out what happened during the fateful bombing in the Paris district where many were killed. 

The story is heart wrenching on so many levels with the treatment of their Jewish friend, the bombing by the allies who hit a Renault factory, taking with it many Paris suburb homes and shops, and the choices mothers make to protect their children. 

The ongoing quest for power, fame and control affects so many lives whether it be during war or just the out of control actions of a lawless government. I wish people would just leave each other alone to live their lives.

The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult

 

Jodi Picoult always leaves the reader with a lot to ponder. The Book of Two Ways delves into Egyptology, views of death and the role of a present day death doula.  

After a scary situation, Dawn decides to take a trip to Egypt and recover her prior life as an archeologist and also her prior love, Wyatt. She leaves behind Brian, her husband, and her vocation as a death doula. Feeling she has two paths she could chose from and wondering what she will leave behind when she leaves this earth, the novel gives an in depth look of both lives she has to choose from.

My thoughts: I've always loved Jodi Picoult's novels, but I found it difficult to wade through all the Egyptology descriptions and explanations of archeology and scientific studies. I feel that a lot of it could have been condensed without losing the story. It's also difficult to understand the timeline as it isn't written chronologically.  Kirkus review of The Book of Two Ways had similar comments.

Meditations - Marcus Aurelius

 Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius lived between 121 and 180 AD. His death was considered the end of the Pax Romana and instability lead to the eventual fall of Western Roman Empire.

His musings in Meditations are common sense and surprisingly follows a lot of bible teachings despite his references to "the gods." He was considered a Stoic Philosopher.

Quote:

From my governor
I learned endurance of labor, and to want little and to work with my own hands and not to meddle in other people's affairs, and not to be ready to listen to slander.

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

 

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams was an interesting story but I found it didn't hold  my attention. The story is taken from the history of the Oxford English Dictionary.  James Murray (the editor) gave his children the task of sorting the slips of paper into alphabetical order. The original collection contained 10 volumes!

From the cover:

Esme is born into a world of words.  Motherless and irrepressibly curious, she spends her childhood in the Scriptorium, an Oxford garden shed in which her father and a team of dedicated lexicographers are collecting words for the very first Oxford English Dictionary. Esme's place is beneath the sorting table. One day a slip of paper containing the word bondmaid flutters beneath the table. She rescues the slip and begins to collect other words. As she grows up she realizes words relating to women and common folk often go unrecorded. She begins her own dictionary . . .

The Falling Woman by Richard Farrell

 The Falling Woman by Richard Farrell covers the investigation of a cross country flight. When the jet comes apart mid-air, National Safety Board Investigator, Charlie Radford, has the difficult task of finding the cause. To add to the mystery is a woman found alive in a barn and appears to be one of the passengers. But while the investigating team are trying to discover who she is, Erin Geraghty is intent on staying out of the limelight and prefers to be presumed dead.