This is the second book by Laura Ingalls Wilder, but instead of her family, this book details a year in the childhood of her future husband, Almanzo Wilder. He grew up in upstate New York, near the town of Malone. This is very close to the border with Canada, and not too far west of Read More
Author: Julie Crain Miguel
The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck
I had not previously read this book, but I am glad that I finally did. You definitely see why it is considered “Literature”, but it is also a powerful story, with unique, imperfect characters. In some ways, I can’t say I really related to any of them, but you do understand their motivations. I have Read More
The Indigo Girl, by Natasha Boyd
This book is based on the true story of Eliza Lucas. The author was inspired to create this novel when she learned about Eliza after overhearing one of her descendants talk about her. Eliza lived in South Carolina in the early 1700’s, and was instrumental in starting the indigo trade there. At the time, much Read More
The First Conspiracy, by Brad Meltzer & Josh Mensch
This subtitle of this book is: The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington. And while no one who knows anything at all about American history knows the plot did not succeed, who even knew there was a plot? In fact, that seems to be why the author wrote the book in the first place. Meltzer Read More
A Front Page Affair, by Radha Vatsal
This is the first of two books, at least so far, about a wealthy young woman trying to become a reporter in New York City right as the US is deciding to enter WWI. I said “at least so far” because these are described as a “series”, and I think you need more than two Read More
The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair
This is a book I have heard about since High School, but I had never read it before. I see why it was mentioned in High School; apparently the descriptions of the meat processing plants helped .lead to food safety regulations. I also see why the book itself was not required reading. It is a Read More
The Chaperone, by Laura Moriarty
At the beginning of this book, we learn that Cora was transported by the Orphan Train in the late 1800’s to Kansas, where she is one of the lucky ones, chosen by a family that actually want a daughter, not just a servant. She thinks she is lucky again, when she meets and marries Alan Read More
Last Call, The Rise and Fall of Prohibition by Daniel Okrent
I thought I knew enough about Prohibition, which lasted from 1920 to 1933. I’d heard of Carry Nation, bathtub gin, and bootlegging. But this book is a detailed look not just at the time period between the passage of the Eighteenth and Twenty-First Amendments, but also what led up the passage of each. Okrent also Read More
In God We Trust, by Jean Shepard
You may not recognize the title of the book, but you should recognize the move it inspired – “A Christmas Story”. You will find some of the scenes in the movie in this book, a few verbatim, along with various other stories that would not necessarily be appropriate for a family movie. The story is Read More
The Alienist, by Caleb Carr
If you enjoy gritty police procedural mysteries, then you would appreciate this book. An “alienist” is what we would refer to today as a psychologist, in this case a police psychologist. Set in New York City in 1896, the description of the city is very detailed, and important to the plot. I’ve visited NYC, but Read More