Thursday, March 12, 2009

Book Reviews

Three of my favorites from recent reads:

  • The House at Riverton, by Kate Morton. A little mystery, a little bit of "Gosford-Park-ian" upstairs/downstairs classism, and a lot about relationships. Great read - full of interesting characters, a good story line, and inter-generational connections.
  • The Red Leather Diary: Reclaiming a Life Through the Pages of a Lost Journal, by Lily Koppel. Koppel, a writer for the New York Times, comes upon a dumpster full of trunks and boxes cleared out of her New York apartment building's storage area. One of the treasures she finds within the castoff trunks is a red leather diary. Its author, Florence, came of age in New York during the 20's and 30's. Lily finds Florence and pieces her past together into this delightful little book. What a fun trip, to see the world through Florence's bright, longing eyes.
  • The Dance of the Dissident Daughter, by Sue Monk Kidd. This book is the story of Kidd's journey "from Christian tradition to the Sacred Feminine." As soon as this book was in my hands, I knew I had to read it. I've been exploring women's history, myths and symbols, feminism and faith, and wrestling with the Church's patriarchy for the past few years. I think it's something I will continue to struggle with, to come to uneasy and easy truces with. I found Kidd's journey to be familiar, inspiring, and soul-baring.

So what next? A biography of Houdini, or "The Shack?" Or something entirely different?

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