The Night Portrait by Laura Morelli

 

"I have come to accept that war is inevitable. Beauty is fleeting. Only love and art endure. At least that's what Master da Vinci taught me."

          -Edith Becker, from the novel

Unbeknownst to me, I had read another novel by this author early in the year, The Last Masterpiece, with the same subject---saving valuable works of art from the Nazis in WWII. The story involved two timelines---1490's and 1940's---and four major characters: Leonardo da Vinci, Cecilia Gallerani, Edith Becker, and Dominic Bollini. 

Da Vinci is commissioned by Ludovico il Moro, Regent and later Duke of Milan, to paint his mistress Cecilia's portrait in Milan, Italy in the 15th century. The painting would be called Lady with an Ermine and would become very famous and extremely valuable. 

In the 20th century, Edith Becker is an art conservator in a museum in Munich when she is forced to work for the Reich in its efforts to "relocate" (think steal) the most important art of Poland. Dominic Bollini is an American soldier who becomes involved with a group trying to find and eventually restore the stolen pieces to the original owners and locations, the Monument Men (Monuments, Fine arts and Archives Program or MFAA).

I had never heard of the painting of the Lady with an Ermine, nor did I know of the other two of the Great Three most valuable works in Polish collections: Landscape with the Good Samaritan by Rembrandt and Raphael's Portrait of a Young Man. So naturally, I had to look them up. I also had never heard of Hans Frank who was known as the Butcher of Poland. (Poor Edith ended up having to work with him.) 

I thought this novel was well-researched and well-written. I learned a lot and liked it better than the author's The Last Masterpiece. It seemed less scholarly and more reader-friendly. I have rated it a 5. It has left me wanting to see the film "The Monument Men."

The Case for Christmas by Lee Strobel

 

"A Journalist Investigates the Identity of the Child in the Manger"

    -subtitle of The Case for Christmas

There was to be a Bible study class using this theme so I purchased the book. The classes would actually entail using the videos that complement the book. I did read it, however, and learned a great deal. It was not your ordinary Bible commentary but more like a detective story with someone looking for evidence, not of a crime, of course, but of the birth and origin of Jesus Christ. (see subtitle at the top)

With only 100 pages the book is in 6 parts: Introduction, Ch 1The Eyewitness Evidence; Ch2 "The Scientific Evidence"; Ch3 "The Profile Evidence"; Ch4 "The Fingerprint Evidence" and the Conclusion, "The Verdict of History." I gained new knowledge in each part. The author is an investigative journalist seeking information and theories from several experts, including a Messianic Jew. He quotes from interviews with these authorities.

One of the most striking quotes was from philosopher William Lane Craig, who first found the virgin birth a stumbling block but after study came to this conclusion: "If I really do believe in a God who created the universe, then for him to create a Y chromosome would be child's play!"

I am rating the book a 5. Easy to read, informative and perfect for December!

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

 

"The state opened the school in 1899 as the Florida Industrial School for Boys. 'A reform school where the young offender of law, separated from vicious associates, may receive physical, intellectual, and moral training, be reformed and restored to the community with purpose and character fitting for a good citizen, an honorable and an honest man with a trade or skilled occupation fitting such person for self-maintenance.' The boys were called students, rather than inmates, to distinguish them from the violent offenders that populated prisons. All the violent offenders, Elwood added, were on staff."

            -description of the Nickel Academy, from the novel

I had been interested in reading this novel for some time and a friend recently offered it for loan. I was especially intrigued by the fact that it was inspired by stories from the notorious Dozier School for Boys in Marianna, Florida. There was considerable uproar in the state around 2014 when at least 43 graves were found in the area by a group of archaeologists. Since then, more has come to light about the horrendous treatment of the boys. Some have survived to tell the story.

In this fictional account, Elwood Curtis is young black male in Tallahassee during the Jim Crow era. A smart boy, he is working and about to finish high school with college in his future when he inadvertently gets in trouble with the law. He is sent to the Nickel Academy mentioned in the quote. There he meets Turner who will become a friend but is subjected to terrible conditions and cruel punishments for the least infraction. For comfort and hope, he hangs onto many quotes of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Part 3 confused me a bit because Elwood was suddenly an adult living in NY and running a business. In this part, the time setting goes back and forth which I did finally get used to. It is not until the final chapter and Epilogue that the reader finds out what happened to Elwood and Turner after leaving Nickel. (No spoilers!)

It was difficult to read of the vicious discipline of the "Nickel Boys" but Whitehead's writing is beautiful, and the story is compelling. My rating is 4.

The Road to Grace by Richard Paul Evans

 

"I suppose if I were completely honest with myself (which I've already established I'm not), I'd have to admit that I'm not really walking to Florida. Key West is as foreign to me as any of the towns I've walked through on the way. I'm walking to find what life may hold. I'm looking for hope. Hope that life might still be worth living, and hope for the grace to accept what I must live without."

              -Alan Christoffersen's thoughts

This is the third book in The Walk series and the third I have read. I guess I am hooked. Another 5 rating.

Our sojourner, Alan Christoffersen, began walking in Seattle with the goal of making it to Key West. In this installment, he started in Custer, South Dakota, where he met a woman from his past. She ended up stalking him (6 chapters!) seeking his forgiveness. Near the Badlands, Alan visited Wall Drug, a famous place I'd never heard of.

When Alan became extremely ill on the road, he was aided by a good Samaritan, a Polish fellow by the name of Leszek, who got him to the ER and then took him in until he recovered. During that time Jewish Holocaust survivor Leszek told his amazing story of escape from the Nazis and spoke to Alan of forgiveness. A very poignant part of the novel.

I was amused by Alan's brief meeting with ladies of the Red Hat Society in Sioux Falls. I was once a Red Hat member.

When Alan reached Sidney, Iowa, he figured he was about halfway to Key West. A lonely woman named Analise invited him to her home. Later he met Israel, a self-professed tramp with a "most unfortunate view of God."

Alan enjoyed some tourist time in Hannibal, Missouri, home of Mark Twain, but nearing St. Louis, he became very ill again and ended up in St. Lous University Hospital. When he woke, he was surprised to see Falene, his former employee and good friend from Seattle. She had to give him difficult news.

Now I can look for Book 4, A Step of Faith. I surely hope Alan makes it to Key West!

Missing on the Gulf Coast by Andi Lodge

 "Aunt Pearl sometimes teases me about my 'strays' but she has one of the biggest hearts around. We're not saints, nor do we want, or expect praise. When it does come, we try to deflect it to the ones who have earned it. We make it understood these people earned it by making the choice to work hard and improve their lives."

         -Hilda Mae Palmer, from the novel

I selected this book because it was a mystery and set in Florida, where I live. At first, I liked it. Main character, Hilda Mae is an amateur detective and a down-to-earth, rather quirky young woman and I found her amusing. But the last quarter of the book was very confusing and, I felt convoluted, not very believable. Also, I found a number of typos or other editing errors that bothered me. Guess I am just that much of a grammar geek. Anyway, I rated the book a 2, which is rare for me. I won't be looking for another in this series.

Cinder Bella by Kathleen Shoop

 

I selected this book because of the title---my youngest granddaughter is called Bella and the cover made it look like a Christmas story. I only read a few chapters because it quickly seemed like a mix of romance and magical realism, my least favorite genres! So, no rating on this one. No quote either.

The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans

 

"And to this day, the Christmas Box remains a source of great joy to me. For though it appears empty, to me it contains all that Christmas is made of, the root of all wonder in a child's eyes, and the source of magic of Christmases for centuries to come."

             -from the Epilogue

Why did I choose this book? It is December so I was in the mood for a nice holiday story plus I have gotten into The Walk series by this author. I feel The Christmas Box is a memoir and one of Evans's earlier writings. It was very short---less than 150 pages, inspirational but perhaps too sentimental for my taste. I would say his writing is vastly improved from 1995. I am generously rating it a 3.

Evans tells the story of moving his young family into a mansion to be of help to the elderly owner, Mrs. Mary Anne Parkin. In storing some of their things in the attic, he comes across the Christmas Box of the title which is part of a collection of Mrs. Parkin's late husband. Evans and his wife, Keri, discover that the box has a poignant secret and one that leads to an important life lesson for Richard. (I could never find a preferred first name for him.)

One humorous part of the book is when Mary Parkin tells the others about a collector's item called the "wicked Bible" because in Exodus the seventh commandment reads "Thou shalt commit adultery." A pretty shocking misprint! Coincidentally, I had just seen a "Jeopardy!" episode on TV where that Bible was the subject of a clue.

Miles to Go by Richard Paul Evans

 

"This is a story of contrasts---about living and dying, hope and despair, pain and healing, and tenuous, thin places between both extremes where most of us reside.

I'm not sure whether I'm walking away from my past or toward a future---time and miles will tell and I have plenty of both. As the poet Robert Frost said, I have 'miles to go before I sleep.'"

    -Alan Christofferson, from the novel

Well, I guess I am hooked on this series now. Book 2 of The Walk series was just as good as the first one. The author has an easy style, so readable, and I felt this one had more humor than the other. Our journal keeper Alan starts in Spokane where he is recovering from a beating and gets as far as Rapid City, SD in this installment. (I like that the author includes a map of Alan's current progress.) I'm determined to get him to Key West, so bring on Book 3!  

Alan meets several likeable characters in Miles to Go. There is a kind and encouraging nurse in the hospital, Norma. Angel is the woman he helped with a flat tire who turns up at the hospital and offers him her home as a place to convalesce. As they get to know each other, it becomes clear Angel has some secrets and eventually reveals her real name is Nicole. Together Nicole and Alan make a positive difference in the lives of two others. Alan's father reconnects with him when he hears of his serious injuries. 

When he can finally restart his journey, Alan meets teenager Kailamai when he saves her from an attack by some young men. She has run away from a foster home and has been hitchhiking but decides to walk along with Alan. They travel together almost as far as Yellowstone NP when Alan has a brilliant idea how to help her in a more lasting way. 

Some of the humor in this book came with the joke-telling of Kailamai and a memory of a Yellowstone tourist. I enjoyed mentions of places I've been like Old Faithful Inn and other familiar things like the Auburn-Alabama football game (I'm a long-time Auburn fan.) and Alan's mother's love of The Carpenters' music---I loved them, too. And I learned about the Crazy Horse National Memorial monument in SD.

All in all, I enjoyed the book, rating it a 5, and will definitely finish the series.