8/31/21 Mrs. Lincoln’s Sisters: A Novel by Jennifer Chiaverini
Historical Fiction
Three words: insightful, sad, eye-opening
Review: I am a sucker for anything having to do with Abraham Lincoln, but I honestly did not know much about Mary Todd Lincoln beyond her being from a southern family, suffering massive losses throughout her life, and struggling at the end of her own life with mental illness. This book was an interesting way to learn about Mary Todd Lincoln’s life before Lincoln, a bit during her life with him , and a lot about her life after his death. Seeing everything through her sisters’ eyes was a refreshing and new way to think about what Mary Todd lived through and how she behaved. This is historical fiction, so a lot of the emotional assumptions of the sisters was left up to the author, but it was evident through reading that great care was taken in researching and following the most reasonable path of description in thoughts and actions of the characters. It was interesting to learn of the legal processes anyone (particularly women) had to endure when mental illness was involved.
Summary: The story is told mostly from Mary Todd Lincoln’s older sister, Elizabeth Todd Edwards’ viewpoint. Clear and strong personalities of the five Todd sisters emerge. Elizabeth, Emilie, Frances, Ann and Mary at one point, were very close but as the country was torn apart by war, the sister’s had to choose sides as well. The story begins when the eldest sister, Elizabeth learns from a reporter on her doorstep that her sister, Mary attempted suicide and was in an asylum. From there, flashbacks of the sisters’ childhood and young womanhood are interwoven with current day legal battles Mary encounters with her eldest, and last living child, Edward. The focus of the book is not on the Civil War, but obviously the war plays a large role in all the lives of the Todd sisters. As Mary battles being deemed “legally insane” her sisters rally, or don’t, to save their beloved sister.
9/15/21: Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Fiction
Three words: edgy, frustrating, relatable
Review: This story was interesting and kept my attention. I enjoyed the progression from the 1950s to 1980s, following the family and their trials and tribulations. The bond between siblings I found endearing and relatable but did want a bit more character development for each. Once the story transitioned to the party (the main crescendo of the book), I did find the craziness a bit outlandish, but I did remind myself that it was set in the 80s and there was a lot of outlandish, crazy “stuff” going on in that decade when it came to Hollywood and parties. I used the word “frustrating” as one of my three choices because honestly, the parents of the main characters really made me angry. Their choices and inability to put their children first struck a note with me and I couldn’t shake it. I didn’t sympathize or empathize with either of them at all. Ultimately my investment in the characters and my frustration means that I was emotionally invested in the book overall and would definitely recommend it.
Summary: The Riva family is famous. Mostly because of their crooning father, Mick Riva, but also because the eldest sister Nina has (reluctantly) become a pinup model. Every year they have a party in their beloved town of Malibu, and this year it is supposed to be THE party of the year. Malibu is brimming with excitement ready to attend the “it” family's annual bash, but Nina is dreading it and is only holding it at her mansion because she feels obliged, as always. Her brother Hud is dreading it as well, but for much different reasons. The last of the four siblings, Jay and Kit, are looking forward to it until they are in the thick of it. Figuratively speaking and literally speaking, when all is said and done, the party goes down in flames.
9/29/21 The Girls in the Stilt House: A Novel by Kelly Mustian
Historical Fiction
Three Words: Maddening, Sensitive, Empowering
Review: For some reason, I became quickly invested in the two main characters in this story, two teenagers, one white and one black. Both young women faced unacceptable and horribly harsh circumstances yet both of them had contentment at some point in the story. At times, I was left with a similar feeling as other historical fiction novels I have read where race is a focal point of the story; angry, frustrated and disgusted. I would often become mad with Ada, the white girl, for being so naive and helpless. I would then get frustrated with Mattie, the black girl, for not opening up. Then I would realize that is how they had to be at the time. They needed to use those qualities to survive. Similarly to when I watched Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds and felt little to no sympathy for the nazis the Jewish soldiers killed, I found myself rooting Ada and Mattie on in murder. Yes, I said it! “Justice” is a very strange thing when it is something terrible happening to someone who has perpetrated terror on others. I highly recommend this story if you are up for some stereotypical good versus evil plot lines with some not so stereotypical solutions to stopping the evilness.
Summary: Ada is young and naive. Her mother died when she was 9 and she lived a rough life in the swamp with an abusive, alcoholic father before running away with a boy. She never wanted to come back, but has nowhere to go but back to the Trace of Mississippi and the swamp house of her Father, Virgil. Mattie’s parents are Sharecroppers working on a farm while being forced to help the white family who owns the land, run a bootlegging operation. Though they have little, they love one another fiercely and protect one another at all costs. Ada and Mattie’s story intersect suddenly and violently and although they may not like the circumstances, they become inextricably entwined.
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