"I had to double down on my intention to stick to my own knitting and let these so-called burdens roll right off. My first responsibility was to Lloyd and Sam. Then came Lillian, Hazel Marie, and their little ones, and after them would come a number of others. To my way of thinking, I had my hands full, and I intended to remind the Lord that He'd already piled my plate quite high enough."
-Miss Julia's musings, from the novel
When I found this Miss Julia book on the shelf at the library I was pleasantly surprised. I thought I had read all in the series, some 17 by now, but lo and behold, I discovered two I didn't know existed! I thought I was on the author's mailing list but I guess I am out of the loop. Luckily I read this one first because the other, Miss Julia Weathers the Storm, refers to the plot of this one. Ms. Ross always seems to be able to "catch the reader up" with past episodes which would surely help anyone reading the novels out of chronological order.
Miss Julia already has several irons in the fire when she is shocked at being named executor of the will of an acquaintance. She is faced with getting rid of a houseful of furniture, as the title would imply, but also must determine how to reconcile the generous wishes of the deceased with the meager assets she's left behind. To complicate matters, a strange man shows up claiming to be a long-lost great-nephew.
Miss Julia enlists the help of a friend and a furniture appraiser to help prepare the furnishings for auction but soon a seemingly valuable cellarette goes missing. (I had to look that one up---a liquor cabinet.) Friend Etta Mae is a huge help by deciphering a mysterious note and even saving Julia from a "wild ride"! I remember she has helped Miss Julia in other plots.
Reading this novel was almost like "coming home" since the setting and characters are so familiar. It might not be my favorite of all in the series but I will give it a 5 for sheer enjoyment!
I would love it if you would leave your comments!
Saturday, April 28, 2018
Sunday, April 15, 2018
The Horse Dancer by Jojo Moyes
""Because it is a rare person, a rare person, who can contain their own pain and still give a child the support and understanding it needs. In my experience, most parents haven't got the time or the energy to make sure it happens. Perhaps they're just too selfish. But what do I know? I'm not a parent. I'm not even married. I'm just one of those unfortunate people who gets paid to pick up the pieces. " -teacher Constance Devlin, from the novel
I do not remember how I came to select this book for Page Turners. Maybe just an interesting title and a familiar author. At any rate, as I began reading I had second thoughts on the choice since I had a difficult time getting into the story. Too horsey, perhaps? I know next-to-nothing about horses although I do think they are beautiful creatures. About halfway through the book, it became a page-turner because I was involved with the characters and it was all about the people, not so much the horse.
Natasha Macauley is an attorney, a solicitor advocate, what we might call a guardian ad litem. She has been separated from her husband, Mac, and planning a divorce when he appears at the home they own together and moves in, supposedly on a temporary basis. Inconvenient, to say the least. Sarah Lachapelle is a 14-year-old living with her aging grandfather, an expert horseman who trains Sarah and her very special horse called Boo. When Sarah's Papa has a stroke and must be hospitalized, Sarah is taken in reluctantly by Natasha and Mac. The situation is complicated by Sarah's disappearances when she visits Papa or secretly goes to the stable to care for Boo. (It takes some time for Natasha and Mac to learn about the horse.)
When Sarah is threatened about money by Maltese Sal, the new owner of the stable, she steals from the Macauleys but still loses Boo to Sal's evil plan---he sells the horse to cover her debts. Sarah then runs away to find her horse and follow her dream. To say much more might spoil the plot.
I learned more than I wanted to know about the Cadre Noir. It is a corps of ecuyers, or instructors, at the French military riding academy Ecole National d'Equitation at Saumer in western France, founded in 1828. It also performs as an equestrian display team. Its name comes from the traditional black uniforms worn by riders It is considered one of the most prestigious horsemanship schools in the world. [See photos]
I had no idea who Xenphon was either, except that he is quoted at the beginning of each chapter, all advice on handling horses. Wikipedia helped me there: Xenophon was a Greek historian, philosopher, soldier and mercenary who wrote a short treatise "On Horsemanship," obviously the origin of the quotes.
I am not sure I would have finished this novel if it had not been a Page Turners selection but I liked it in spite of myself. I will rate it a 4. Looking forward to hearing reactions from the group!
More after the meeting......
https://binged.it/2HyMRwJ
Above is a link to a short YouTube video of a Cadre Noir presentation.
Page Turners met today, our first outdoor meeting in quite a while. The weather was beautiful and 18 people were in attendance. The group rating for The Horse Dancer is 4.1, with most folks voting a 4. One participant is a horse owner and gave us a wonderful perspective on the realism of Sarah's bond with Boo. Two in the group were able to translate the French sentences and phrases while the rest of us figured out what we could from context. Several of us agreed it was difficult to visualize the area around London where Sarah rode on the first leg of her journey.
Our discussion was stimulating with some talk centered around the lies, deception and lack of trust in the story that built much of the plot. We thought the author developed Sarah's character quite well but left Natasha rather one-dimensional until she finally found her heart.
I do not remember how I came to select this book for Page Turners. Maybe just an interesting title and a familiar author. At any rate, as I began reading I had second thoughts on the choice since I had a difficult time getting into the story. Too horsey, perhaps? I know next-to-nothing about horses although I do think they are beautiful creatures. About halfway through the book, it became a page-turner because I was involved with the characters and it was all about the people, not so much the horse.
Natasha Macauley is an attorney, a solicitor advocate, what we might call a guardian ad litem. She has been separated from her husband, Mac, and planning a divorce when he appears at the home they own together and moves in, supposedly on a temporary basis. Inconvenient, to say the least. Sarah Lachapelle is a 14-year-old living with her aging grandfather, an expert horseman who trains Sarah and her very special horse called Boo. When Sarah's Papa has a stroke and must be hospitalized, Sarah is taken in reluctantly by Natasha and Mac. The situation is complicated by Sarah's disappearances when she visits Papa or secretly goes to the stable to care for Boo. (It takes some time for Natasha and Mac to learn about the horse.)
When Sarah is threatened about money by Maltese Sal, the new owner of the stable, she steals from the Macauleys but still loses Boo to Sal's evil plan---he sells the horse to cover her debts. Sarah then runs away to find her horse and follow her dream. To say much more might spoil the plot.
I learned more than I wanted to know about the Cadre Noir. It is a corps of ecuyers, or instructors, at the French military riding academy Ecole National d'Equitation at Saumer in western France, founded in 1828. It also performs as an equestrian display team. Its name comes from the traditional black uniforms worn by riders It is considered one of the most prestigious horsemanship schools in the world. [See photos]
I had no idea who Xenphon was either, except that he is quoted at the beginning of each chapter, all advice on handling horses. Wikipedia helped me there: Xenophon was a Greek historian, philosopher, soldier and mercenary who wrote a short treatise "On Horsemanship," obviously the origin of the quotes.
I am not sure I would have finished this novel if it had not been a Page Turners selection but I liked it in spite of myself. I will rate it a 4. Looking forward to hearing reactions from the group!
More after the meeting......
 |
| Xenophon |
https://binged.it/2HyMRwJ
Above is a link to a short YouTube video of a Cadre Noir presentation.
Page Turners met today, our first outdoor meeting in quite a while. The weather was beautiful and 18 people were in attendance. The group rating for The Horse Dancer is 4.1, with most folks voting a 4. One participant is a horse owner and gave us a wonderful perspective on the realism of Sarah's bond with Boo. Two in the group were able to translate the French sentences and phrases while the rest of us figured out what we could from context. Several of us agreed it was difficult to visualize the area around London where Sarah rode on the first leg of her journey.
Our discussion was stimulating with some talk centered around the lies, deception and lack of trust in the story that built much of the plot. We thought the author developed Sarah's character quite well but left Natasha rather one-dimensional until she finally found her heart.
Friday, April 13, 2018
Idella Parker From Reddick to Cross Creek by Idella Parker with Bud and Liz Crussell
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| Idella Parker |
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| The tenant house at Cross Creek |
"It's strange to me how in those early days at Cross Creek we knew it wasn't slavery; but our life there must have been similar to plantation life. We lived crowded in the small unpainted, tin-top tenant house, with little comforts. We had to do what we were told, and we were isolated from other people. We couldn't leave the place unless Mrs. Rawlings let us use her car or truck, and we were always told what time to be back. The only difference between that and slavery, I think, was that the slaves were not paid like we were."
-Idella ParkerFor a few years I have taught classes centered around Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. In preparation, I read several books by and about her, including one called Idella: Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings' Perfect Maid by Idella Parker with Mary Keating. I had found it very enlightening, showing a very different perspective of Rawlings. Recently I discovered this one, another autobiography? Well, yes, and it seems Idella's purpose was to tell more of her own story---describing her hometown of Reddick, FL, her family, her love life and the time before and after she worked for Rawlings. I will rate it a 3. I found it interesting although much of the portion about MKR, about a third of the book, was repeated to some degree from the first book.
Idella had a fairly challenging life in pre-Civil Rights north central Florida. (see quote) I didn't realize she had taught school before working for Rawlings and was a teacher of educable mentally handicapped children later. Idella's mother's reaction to Marjorie's offer of blood after Idella's surgery was quite amusing. I would have to say I learned a lot about Parker but didn't find much new material on MKR---disappointing. But I really liked that Idella maintained a relationship with Marjorie's second husband, Norton Baskin after her passing.
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