I read quite a lot in March, which means I'm a little behind in my quick write-ups! A good portion of what I read over the past month was in the autobiography/memoir category.
L. M. Montgomery Short Story collections: 1902-1903; 1904; & 1905-1906
"She was all sympathy - or, at least, as much sympathy as a woman can be who must listen while the man of men sings another woman's praises to her. She sent Roger away in perfect good humour with himself and all the world, then she curled herself up in the snuggery, pulled a rug over her head, and cried."
In March, I finished off three more of Montgomery's short story collections that Amazon had for free on Kindle. I think that Montgomery shows more refinement in her stories as time goes on; that said, the main storylines and themes are pretty consistent throughout all the collections I've read. Everything turns out all right in the end, good decisions are rewarded, long-lost family members are suddenly found again, etc. etc.
On the whole, these collections make for wholesome, calming reads. They're definitely worth perusing if you're a fan of Anne of Green Gables or any of the author's other books; for me, these short stories have served to round out the settings and tones of her novels.
(Bonus, I learned a new word: snuggery!)
Maus & Maus II - Art Spiegelman (1986 & 1991)
"You heard about the gas, but I'm telling not rumors, but only what I really saw. For this I was an eyewitness."
The format of this two-part graphic novel series about the author's father's experiences as a Polish Jew during WWII is rather unique. Spiegelman portrays the characters as anthropomorphized animals (Jews are mice, Germans are cats, Poles are pigs, etc). He also switches between present time, where he's interviewing his father, and the past as his father is telling his story. The result is a sobering, somewhat jarring read that is sprinkled with moments of humor and unexpected intensity. The author's distinct art and storytelling style allows for a way of looking at a familiar story with new eyes and introducing topics such as survivor's guilt, the rift between generations, and generational trauma, and at times, it serves to further underscore the horrors of the Holocaust.
Related Reads:
Kiss Every Step (Martin)
Rings Around Us - Ernestine Gilbreth Carey (1956)
"...The incessant comments about women drivers would come again and again.
'Where does that stupid daughter-of-misery think she's going today?'
'Please, Chick, watch your tongue'...
Soon Charlie was copying him. 'What else can you expect from a woman? Eh, Dad?'"
Because this book was written by one of the co-authors of the beloved book Cheaper by the Dozen, I was eager to get my hands on it. However, it ended up being a rather disappointing read. Ernestine writes rather blandly about her life after marriage and having two children and hardly references her childhood at all, and she makes barely a mention of her parents. While on one hand it's interesting to see one of the "dozen" as an individual, it also makes for a rather dull and ordinary book.
The main thing that stood out to me when I was reading was Ernestine's husband Chick; even by her trying-to-be-humorous portrayal, he comes off as a terrible person. Granted, this book was written in the 1950's about marriage during the 30's-40's, so I suppose some misogyny was a given, but reading again and again about how Chick was rude, dismissive, or overtly chauvinistic got old fast. And while Ernestine's writing style blended well with Frank's in Cheaper by the Dozen to create a riotous, colorful prose, here, without the polishing of Frank's style, the prose is somewhat grating and annoying.
I'd only read this if you're looking to completely round out your Gilbreth family knowledge or want to get a view into marriage in the 1930's. Otherwise, give it a pass.
Related Reads:
Time Out for Happiness (Gilbreth)
Breaking Free - Rachel Jeffs (2017)
"I realized Father was causing a lot of people to turn into lunatics."
Rachel writes from a unique perspective of being the first child born into polygamy of the infamous FLDS (Fundamentalist Mormon) cult leader Warren Jeffs. Breaking Free is written in a fairly matter-of-fact, straightforward way, which makes Rachel's story (which is full of genuinely gripping events and perspective) suffer a little in terms of reader engagement. But at the same time, I can't really fault this overall style because, as she notes near the end, part of the book's purpose is to lay out the facts of what she experienced to her extended (mostly still FLDS) family. Because of Rachel's unique position within the FLDS before she escaped, this book is necessary reading for anyone interested in learning about Warren Jeffs and the cult as a whole.
I'll include a content note that throughout the first 50 pages or so, Rachel recounts the sexual abuse that she suffered as a young child from her father. And throughout the book, she makes brief references to her sex life in the context of being a plural wife under the headship of her husband, someone she was taught to obey as if he spoke for God, as well as noting her father's practice of marrying (and sexually abusing) increasingly younger girls.
Related Reads:
Lost Boy (Brent Jeffs)
The Witness Wore Red (Rebecca Musser)
Church of Lies (Flora Jessop)
Escape (Carolyn Jessop)
A Very Fine House: A Mother's Story of Love, Faith, and Chrystal Meth - Barbara Cofer Stoefen (2014)
"I wasn't sure I had the answers to all my questions, but I knew I had to do something. I had to save Annie. So I began by chasing after her."
If you're looking for a book that describes what life with a close family member who's a serious drug addict looks like, this is it. A Very Fine House is honest and straightforward without crossing into raw or gritty territory like many others within this category. Normally I would consider this tempering to be something of a detriment, but Stoefen manages to convey real emotion and honesty while at the same time censoring out swear words and summarizing certain difficult situations rather than digging into them. This "cleaning up" makes the book more widely accessible to readers, and I can appreciate that. Stoefen also writes honestly about her struggles with her faith and her issues with codependency, something many other similar books don't address.
To summarize, A Very Fine House, though not necessarily stellar in terms of prose, is a relatively easy and engaging read on a difficult subject. It's deep without being emotionally shattering. It's hopeful without being trite or overly optimistic. It educates about the subject without getting dry or political. And I could relate to pretty much every experience the author writes about, so I'll attest that it's a good window into the lives of families affected by severe addiction. If you read this - and I think you should - you'll gain some understanding and insight, and that's always a good thing.
Related Reads:
Beautiful Boy (Sheff)
Ben Behind his Voices (Kaye)
(see also author's list in back of book)
When Broken Glass Floats - Chanrithy Him (2000)
"It's only been about eight hours since I first encountered war, but already I am beginning to worry like an adult... Oh, how much I want to tell Pa that I'm scared, but I'm even too scared to tell him this. I've learned from grown-ups that you don't think about or say terrible things or else they will come true."
In this memoir, Chanrithy Him writes about her childhood during the Khmer Rouge regime. It's a well-written and at times shockingly detailed recounting of her experiences. It should come as no shock that the book is fairly heavy and depressing. But it's an important and necessary story from a survivor.
Him focuses more on her country's culture than many others similar books I've read, using Cambodian proverbs, terms, and phrases throughout (usually translated into English for the reader's benefit). While I appreciated this and felt it made the book all the more true-to-experience and immersive, I personally found it a little confusing at times, particularly because Chanrithy (nicknamed Athy or Thy) had nine siblings and many relatives and family friends, all of whom went by various nicknames and titles.
Related Reads:
First They Killed My Father (Ung)
Children of the River (Crew)
(continued in Part 2)
L. M. Montgomery Short Story collections: 1902-1903; 1904; & 1905-1906
"She was all sympathy - or, at least, as much sympathy as a woman can be who must listen while the man of men sings another woman's praises to her. She sent Roger away in perfect good humour with himself and all the world, then she curled herself up in the snuggery, pulled a rug over her head, and cried."
In March, I finished off three more of Montgomery's short story collections that Amazon had for free on Kindle. I think that Montgomery shows more refinement in her stories as time goes on; that said, the main storylines and themes are pretty consistent throughout all the collections I've read. Everything turns out all right in the end, good decisions are rewarded, long-lost family members are suddenly found again, etc. etc.
On the whole, these collections make for wholesome, calming reads. They're definitely worth perusing if you're a fan of Anne of Green Gables or any of the author's other books; for me, these short stories have served to round out the settings and tones of her novels.
(Bonus, I learned a new word: snuggery!)
Maus & Maus II - Art Spiegelman (1986 & 1991)
"You heard about the gas, but I'm telling not rumors, but only what I really saw. For this I was an eyewitness."
The format of this two-part graphic novel series about the author's father's experiences as a Polish Jew during WWII is rather unique. Spiegelman portrays the characters as anthropomorphized animals (Jews are mice, Germans are cats, Poles are pigs, etc). He also switches between present time, where he's interviewing his father, and the past as his father is telling his story. The result is a sobering, somewhat jarring read that is sprinkled with moments of humor and unexpected intensity. The author's distinct art and storytelling style allows for a way of looking at a familiar story with new eyes and introducing topics such as survivor's guilt, the rift between generations, and generational trauma, and at times, it serves to further underscore the horrors of the Holocaust.
Related Reads:
Kiss Every Step (Martin)
Rings Around Us - Ernestine Gilbreth Carey (1956)
"...The incessant comments about women drivers would come again and again.
'Where does that stupid daughter-of-misery think she's going today?'
'Please, Chick, watch your tongue'...
Soon Charlie was copying him. 'What else can you expect from a woman? Eh, Dad?'"
Because this book was written by one of the co-authors of the beloved book Cheaper by the Dozen, I was eager to get my hands on it. However, it ended up being a rather disappointing read. Ernestine writes rather blandly about her life after marriage and having two children and hardly references her childhood at all, and she makes barely a mention of her parents. While on one hand it's interesting to see one of the "dozen" as an individual, it also makes for a rather dull and ordinary book.
The main thing that stood out to me when I was reading was Ernestine's husband Chick; even by her trying-to-be-humorous portrayal, he comes off as a terrible person. Granted, this book was written in the 1950's about marriage during the 30's-40's, so I suppose some misogyny was a given, but reading again and again about how Chick was rude, dismissive, or overtly chauvinistic got old fast. And while Ernestine's writing style blended well with Frank's in Cheaper by the Dozen to create a riotous, colorful prose, here, without the polishing of Frank's style, the prose is somewhat grating and annoying.
I'd only read this if you're looking to completely round out your Gilbreth family knowledge or want to get a view into marriage in the 1930's. Otherwise, give it a pass.
Related Reads:
Time Out for Happiness (Gilbreth)
Breaking Free - Rachel Jeffs (2017)
"I realized Father was causing a lot of people to turn into lunatics."
Rachel writes from a unique perspective of being the first child born into polygamy of the infamous FLDS (Fundamentalist Mormon) cult leader Warren Jeffs. Breaking Free is written in a fairly matter-of-fact, straightforward way, which makes Rachel's story (which is full of genuinely gripping events and perspective) suffer a little in terms of reader engagement. But at the same time, I can't really fault this overall style because, as she notes near the end, part of the book's purpose is to lay out the facts of what she experienced to her extended (mostly still FLDS) family. Because of Rachel's unique position within the FLDS before she escaped, this book is necessary reading for anyone interested in learning about Warren Jeffs and the cult as a whole.
I'll include a content note that throughout the first 50 pages or so, Rachel recounts the sexual abuse that she suffered as a young child from her father. And throughout the book, she makes brief references to her sex life in the context of being a plural wife under the headship of her husband, someone she was taught to obey as if he spoke for God, as well as noting her father's practice of marrying (and sexually abusing) increasingly younger girls.
Related Reads:
Lost Boy (Brent Jeffs)
The Witness Wore Red (Rebecca Musser)
Church of Lies (Flora Jessop)
Escape (Carolyn Jessop)
A Very Fine House: A Mother's Story of Love, Faith, and Chrystal Meth - Barbara Cofer Stoefen (2014)
"I wasn't sure I had the answers to all my questions, but I knew I had to do something. I had to save Annie. So I began by chasing after her."
If you're looking for a book that describes what life with a close family member who's a serious drug addict looks like, this is it. A Very Fine House is honest and straightforward without crossing into raw or gritty territory like many others within this category. Normally I would consider this tempering to be something of a detriment, but Stoefen manages to convey real emotion and honesty while at the same time censoring out swear words and summarizing certain difficult situations rather than digging into them. This "cleaning up" makes the book more widely accessible to readers, and I can appreciate that. Stoefen also writes honestly about her struggles with her faith and her issues with codependency, something many other similar books don't address.
To summarize, A Very Fine House, though not necessarily stellar in terms of prose, is a relatively easy and engaging read on a difficult subject. It's deep without being emotionally shattering. It's hopeful without being trite or overly optimistic. It educates about the subject without getting dry or political. And I could relate to pretty much every experience the author writes about, so I'll attest that it's a good window into the lives of families affected by severe addiction. If you read this - and I think you should - you'll gain some understanding and insight, and that's always a good thing.
Related Reads:
Beautiful Boy (Sheff)
Ben Behind his Voices (Kaye)
(see also author's list in back of book)
When Broken Glass Floats - Chanrithy Him (2000)
"It's only been about eight hours since I first encountered war, but already I am beginning to worry like an adult... Oh, how much I want to tell Pa that I'm scared, but I'm even too scared to tell him this. I've learned from grown-ups that you don't think about or say terrible things or else they will come true."
In this memoir, Chanrithy Him writes about her childhood during the Khmer Rouge regime. It's a well-written and at times shockingly detailed recounting of her experiences. It should come as no shock that the book is fairly heavy and depressing. But it's an important and necessary story from a survivor.
Him focuses more on her country's culture than many others similar books I've read, using Cambodian proverbs, terms, and phrases throughout (usually translated into English for the reader's benefit). While I appreciated this and felt it made the book all the more true-to-experience and immersive, I personally found it a little confusing at times, particularly because Chanrithy (nicknamed Athy or Thy) had nine siblings and many relatives and family friends, all of whom went by various nicknames and titles.
Related Reads:
First They Killed My Father (Ung)
Children of the River (Crew)
(continued in Part 2)
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