The Path Between the Seas by David McCullough

“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

            - Theodore Roosevelt, as displayed in the Rotunda of the Administration Building

I honestly would never have undertaken the reading of this book except for a planned cruise through the Panama Canal. Aside from being 600+ pages, it was quite technical at times and had so many names to remember. McCullough's historical writing, though, is so much more interesting than most nonfiction and far more entertaining than a textbook.

The Path... definitely presented more information than I needed to know and likely a lot I won't remember. However, when I hear lectures offered on the cruise ship I'll have some background and probably recall some of the pertinent facts.

Some surprising things I learned in reading (and I confess I knew very little beforehand):

• Interest in and research of the idea of a canal to connect the oceans began in earnest with Grant's term.
• The French began the canal in Panama and worked on it about 8 years before the project went bankrupt.
• When a canal was being discussed in the U.S., many in authority wanted a Nicaraguan route.
• Theodore Roosevelt made the final decision to continue the canal in Panama, influenced greatly by a Frenchman named Phillipe Bunau-Varilla.
• When Columbia would not sign a contract to allow for the building of the canal, the U.S. fomented a rebellion of Panama, then part of Columbia. When Panama won independence in an almost bloodless revolution, thanks to the U. S. Navy, an agreement was reached with the Panamanians.
• Three chief engineers were in charge of the building: John Findlay Wallace, John Frank Stevens and George Washington Goethals (the only name I actually remembered.)
• Though Goethals was given a great deal of credit for the success of the canal, he later said "the real builder of the Panama Canal was Theodore Roosevelt."
• William Howard Taft was very influential, as well. As Secretary of War he visited Panama 5 times and as president, twice. More importantly he hired Stevens who had a huge impact on the successful start of the U.S. efforts and recommended Goethals who brought it to a conclusion---the "giant engineering feat of the ages." [Roosevelt]

I am very glad I read The Path Between the Seas; I will rate it a 4.  Now I'm looking forward to reading a novel for fun!

One Summer by David Baldacci

"Because life doesn't work that way. You can do everything perfectly. Do everything that you think you're supposed to be doing. Fulfill every expectation that other people may have. And you still won't get the results you think you deserve. Life is crazy and maddening and often makes no sense."
                             -Jack to his daughter, Mikki

I have been trying to finish this one for at least 6 weeks, not because it was so challenging; to the contrary, it was an easy read. I just had to keep putting it aside to finish other things, the last two book club selections and research for the class I was teaching. Compared to all of those, One Summer was a breeze.

At the beginning of the novel main character Jack Armstrong has a terminal disease and is making preparations for his death. By a cruel twist of fate, his wife dies in a tragic accident. But Jack makes a sudden, inexplicable recovery to the point of being labeled "Miracle Man" by some. Thinking they would be orphans, Jack has already had their three children "farmed out" to grandparents. Now Jack wants to get his kids back, move them to the South Carolina coast (his wife's childhood home which he has inherited) and try to make a good life for them all.

Short chapters and familiar subject matter made this one pretty easy to read, as I mentioned, especially after finishing The Space Between Us with foreign words and phrases of India and The Wright Brothers with quite a lot of technical details. The plot is fairly predictable and simplistic. I will give it a rating of 3: pretty good but I doubt it will stay with me for long.

The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar

"And so I have to live. Even though I'm already dead, I know I will have to live. Because we live for more than just ourselves, hai na, beta? Most of the time we live for others, keep putting one foot before the other, left and right, left and right, so that walking becomes a habit, just like breathing. In and out, left and right."
                       -Bhima's thoughts at her daughter's funeral

This was the first Page Turners selection made by someone other than me in quite a while. I thought the writing was beautiful and the story compelling. I gave it a rating of 5 but the group average was 3.7. A couple of members rated it a 2. It wasn't exactly an enjoyable read but for me it was a page-turner.

The story is set in Bombay and revolves around two women of different classes and circumstances. Bhima is the hired servant of Sera. Bhima is the guardian of her granddaughter and Sera, a widow, is living with her daughter and son-in-law who are expecting a baby. From this point of the story, both Bhima and Sera frequently flashback to their courtships and early marriages giving the reader insight into their behaviors. Suffice it to say, neither marriage turns out as planned and neither woman has a "perfect life."

I want to avoid any spoilers so many of my comments will be general. As I mentioned I thought Umrigar's writing was excellent, often profound, sometimes poetic. Her use of Indian words and phrases made the setting seem more authentic to me though it was a challenge. (see the quote) Some readers in our group were put off by that. In the dialogue there was the use of rhyming pairs or doubling of words quite often, e. g. hard-hard, money-foney, big-big, bhola-bhala, friends-schends. Odd, but interesting.

The relationships with mother-in-laws reminded me of my own. My husband's mother told me years ago that her mother-in-law was quite hateful to her and she had vowed, as a result, to be a kinder, gentler one when her sons married. She was true to her word, a wonderful mother-in-law! It also came to me how blessed I am to be an educated, liberated American woman with many options for my life!

If you want a fun read, this one might not be for you but I am glad I read it!

The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith

"A clear picture of the killer was emerging out of the mass of disconnected evidence, and the image was stark and terrifying: a case of obsession, of violent rage, of a calculating, brilliant but profoundly disturbed mind."
                                -from the novel

I read The Cuckoo's Calling a few years ago and I think I liked it. I certainly knew Robert Galbraith was the pen name of J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series which I loved. When I recently noticed Career of Evil on the Hot Picks table at the library and realized it was another in the series, I picked it up and took it home. I enjoyed it but soon realized it was the third in the series and I had been completely unaware of the second, The Silkworm.

I think The Silkworm would have been a page-turner if I had had time to do more sustained reading. I was researching and planning lessons for an adult class this month so I had little time for pleasure reading. I will rate it a 4.

The Silkworm again features Cormoran Strike, a detective who wears a prosthetic leg as a result of an IED encountered in Afghanistan. In this novel he takes on a search for the missing author of Bombyx Mori, Owen Quine. When Quine is found brutally murdered, the list of suspects is long and centered in the publishing world where Quine had angered many by his representations of them in his novel. As it turns out Quine was slain in a manner described in Bombyx Mori. The chief suspect of law enforcement is Leonora Quine, the wife who hired Strike to find her husband, and whom Strike believes is innocent. Added to this interesting plot is the romantic tension between Strike and his assistant, Robin, who happens to be engaged.

Rowling, aka Galbraith, is an excellent writer. She knows how to weave a plot and the vocabulary is challenging. The Cormoran Strike series takes place in London and I enjoy the British jargon and references to landmarks since I visited there last spring. My followers know I like quotes but in this novel the author begins each chapter with an unfamiliar quote, leaving me confused as to why they were there. A couple referred to silkworms but as to the others, I have no clue.

I wondered for some time about the title Bombyx Mori. Upon further reading one discovers that  it translates silkworm.

I recommend reading this series in order. If you like detective stories, you will probably find them more "meaty" than most!

The Wright Brothers by David McCullough

"I like to think about that first airplane the way it sailed off in the air...as pretty as any bird you ever laid your eyes on. I don't think I ever saw a prettier sight in my life....It wasn't luck that made them fly; it was hard work and common sense; they put their whole heart and soul and all their energy into an idea and they had the faith."
               -John T. Daniels, eyewitness to historic 1903 flight of the Wright Brothers

The Wright Brothers was selected for February at the recommendation of another book club which came with the offer of a couple of copies to loan. I was familiar with author McCullough, well-known for his biographies and histories so I knew he was an excellent writer.

I can't say I loved the book and it surely was NOT a page-turner. However, I am glad I read it because I learned a great deal about two true American heroes. My foreknowledge was limited to the invention of the airplane and that Kitty Hawk, NC was involved. So for me the book held many surprises---the closeness of the Wright family, their beginnings as bicycle manufacturers and much of their early work being done in France. The speed of development in the field of aeronautics was amazing, as well, considering how much competition the Wright brothers had just a year after their break-through events. When one thinks of the progress in manned flight since, one cannot help being inspired by these two brilliant, unrelenting scientist inventors!

I enjoyed the photographs included, not just of the flying machines but also of family, friends and supporters of Orville and Wilbur. They helped to humanize these larger-than-life characters. Some of the technical aspects were well over my head, but necessary for the accuracy of the story. I couldn't help being impressed with the amount of research required for such a book. I have decided on a rating of 4 for the reasons I have mentioned.

I had visited the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. a few years ago and vaguely remember seeing the Wright Brothers exhibit including the 1903 Flyer, noted as the first airplane. I do wish I could return having read McCullough's book. I would appreciate it so much more now!

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When our Page Turners group met, our average rating was 3.9, with a preponderance of 4's. Our members were glad to have read it. In our midst were two lady pilots who may have enjoyed it (and understood the technical parts) better than the rest of us. In discussing the differences between the brothers, it was said that they complimented each other. One participant went so far as to predict one could not have accomplished the same feats alone.  We noted that both brothers were patient, persistent, and determined with great vision and imagination. While Wilbur was an intellectual genius, Orville had amazing mechanical ability. The teamwork was invaluable.

Most participants did not realize the "French connection" of the Wrights, just as I had not. One member who has read more extensively on this topic said that France had been fascinated with flight for years before the occurrences in this book, especially balloon flight. That would be a major reason why the early accomplishments of the Wrights were embraced and celebrated by the French more than in the U.S. at first.

In discussing the rapid and plentiful changes in the world of aeronautics after the 1903 break-through, one member used a popcorn analogy. Discoveries made in science, much like Wilbur's first flights, are like the first kernels of corn that pop slowly. It doesn't take long for the popping to become fast and furious.

We were surprised that the whole Wright family was so supportive, encouraging and proud of Wilbur and Orville. Chapter One begins with this quote from Wilbur: "If I were giving a young man advice as to how he might succeed in life, I would say to him, pick out a good father and mother, and begin life in Ohio."

All the Stars in the Heavens by Adriana Trigiani

"Alda had also observed how strange Hollywood could be. Nothing was as it seemed, including the emotions under the surface. Gorgeous actresses who wore furs and jewels and waved to the crowds at premieres, in private had crushing bout of self-loathing and engaged in all kinds of self-destructive behavior. Actors who were handsome, strong, athletic, and robust on the set, in private could not stop drinking. Their working world of heightened emotions and perfection was an illusion that fed their unworthiness."                             -from the novel

This historical fiction tells the love story of Loretta Young and Clark Gable. Loretta, whose real name is Gretchen Belzer, confesses that she falls in love with all her leading men. On the rebound from her involvement with Spencer Tracy, she stars in Call of the Wild with Gable and she falls hard for him. I found myself wondering if I ever saw that movie and thinking I would like to watch it.

The other main character is Alda Ducci, an aspiring nun, who is dismissed by the Mother Superior as not being ready and ends up working for Loretta Young. She is treated very well by the family and ends up being a true and valued friend and advisor to the actress. Her own love story is woven into Miss Young's affairs of heart.

I remembered several actors mentioned in the story---especially Spencer Tracy, David Niven and Hattie McDaniel. Of course, I knew Clark Gable, mostly from "Gone with the Wind." I knew he was very handsome but apparently he was also quite charming with a great sense of humor. He did have a roving eye for the ladies---was married 5 times!

When I began the book, I knew who Loretta Young was though  I couldn't recall a specific movie in which she had performed. In reading her story I admired her willingness to take risks as in using radio and, later, television to keep working and maintain her fan base past an age when many actresses could not. I think I remember her TV show in the 50's.

I was surprised that at age 21, Loretta already had several movies to her credit. It was interesting to find that she was a devout Catholic, though certainly not a pious one. It was not surprising that the Hollywood of the early days was similar to how we think of it today with faithful, lasting marriages being few and far between.

My rating is 3.5, an interesting story but not really compelling and having little literary value.

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

"There have been Starcatchers on Earth for centuries, Peter. Even we don't know how long. But our task is always the same: to watch for the starstuff, and to get it, and return it, before it falls into the hands of the Others."
                         -Molly, from the novel

I had not read this youth novel before I saw a play entitled "Peter and the Starcatcher" at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater. The play was a wacky but enjoyable pirate story. I decided I needed to read the book from which the play originated. I can tell you the play was loosely based on the novel. It featured the same human characters but many of the fantasy elements couldn't be portrayed on a stage---things like flying animals, devilish mermaids and talking porpoises.

This novel was written as a sort of prequel to the familiar story of Peter Pan. Did you ever wonder how Captain Hook lost his hand, how Peter connected with Wendy and Tinker Bell, or what happened to make Peter stay a boy? Those questions answered and more in this 450-page book!

Though I read the whole book, I wondered why, because I didn't really enjoy it that much. I guess I was just curious enough to see how it would end. I will rate it 2.5.  Fantasy is not a favorite genre of mine although I LOVED the Harry Potter series and thought all seven were superbly conceived and written.

I can see how boys would like this pirate saga with the adventure and fighting and some magic thrown into the mix. I would recommend it for upper elementary to middle school age.

There were numerous errors in the edition I read;  it should definitely have been edited more thoroughly. There are 2 other novels in this series but I won't be searching them out!