The Narrow Road To The Deep North

The Narrow Road To The Deep North is a historical fiction book set in Australia. The author is Richard Flanagan. The story takes place in the 1930's, 40's and 50's. One of the main characters is a surgeon named Dorringo Evans. Before entering the service in world war two he has an affair with his uncle's wife. The memory of her, Amy, haunts him. When he and his troop are captured by the Japanese and taken t a prisoner of war camp, Doringo tries to keep everyone's spirits up. Various diseases plague the camp. Beri-beri, cholera, typhus, and malnutrition are common.  The men in the camp are charged with building a railroad track to Burma. This is an impossible feat given the few tools they have to work with. Plus everyone is starving so they don't have the strength to use the few tools that they have. The Emporer of Japan is asking for impossible progress. Doringo tells most of the story but a Japanese commander also has some chapters to narrate. This sad tale of war and destruction was informative and eye opening.

 

 

Shred Sisters

 Betsy Lerner is the author of Shred Sisters. This fiction novel takes place over two decades. Amy and Olivia are the Shred sisters. Olivia is older, wild and impulsive. Amy is younger, cautious and rule abiding.  Olivia craves the spot light. Amy wants to be unnoticed.  Over the years, as Amy tries to find her place in the world, Olivia breezes in and out of her life in unpredictable ways.  Olivia has bi-polar disorder so it is easier for Olivia to have Amy for a sister than it is for Amy to have a sister like Olivia. This was an interesting story about family dynamics and grief.

 

 

 

 

Anita De Monte Laughs Last

 I was drawn to read Anita De Monte Laughs Last because of the name of the author who is Xochitl Gonzales. This is a book about artists. The story is told by Anita (in the past) and Raquel (in the present). Raquel is an art history student. Her original intent was to research the famous husband of Anita who works in large geometric sculptures. Anita's story has been overshadowed by his. He intended to overshadow his wife's work. The size of his ego is huge.  Anita is originally from Cuba and there is some haunting in this story. Because of Raquel, though, Anita does get the last laugh which I very much appreciated.

 

 

Happy Mother's Day

 

The Other Side Of Disappearing

 I was drawn to the cover of the book The Other Side Of Disappearing by Kate Clayborn.  The story revolves around two sisters. Jess is a hairstylist who has been taking care of her sister, Tegan, since their mother left the family to take off with a con-man. Jess is overprotective. She hovers over Tegan to an extreme level. To protect her sister from heart break Jess conceals infrequent correspondence from their mother. Tegan, about to head off to college, goes behind Jess' back. Tegan finds the five postcards and poses as Jess to ask a reporter to find her mother. The night before Tegan is to leave on a cross country trip with the reporters Jess finds out about the scheme. The trip is life changing for Tegan and for Jess. Despite all of Jess' hesitation and skepticism, the trip turns out to be a good thing for both sisters. 

Fresh Water For Flowers

 A horrible mother-in-law is an appalling character in the novel Fresh Water For Flowers by Valerie Perrin. The book was translated into English from French by Hildegarde Serle. This moth-in-law spoils her son. She thinks no one is good enough for boy. When he takes up with Violette they get a job as a railroad crossing. Their job is to lower the boards so cars can't run into the train. Violette does all the work because he is lazy. When Violette has a baby the mother-in-law doesn't like the name of the child so she calls her Catherine instead. She thinks Violette isn't taking good care of the girl. She encourages her son to marry Violette to prevent Violette from leaving her son and taking the girl away from them. When the girl is 7 the grandparents take her on vacation. The girl makes friends with another girl. The grandparents want the girls to go to a rural camp for a week together. During the night at the first day at camp a fire breaks out in the kitchen and three girls die including Violette's daughter. The school blames the 3 girls for leaving their bedroom and making hot cocoa and leaving the pot burning on the stove. After the death Violette leaves her husband and gets a job at a cemetery taking care of the graves, assisting with burials, and selling flowers. One day she meets a police officer who researches what really happened to start the fire. The fire was not the fault of the girls. I never saw this ending coming. This was a great story to read.

 

 

Lady Tan's Circle Of Women

 Lisa See is the author of Lady Tan's Circle Of Women. This book takes place during Lady Tan's life in China during the 14th and 15th century. Chinese medicine is typically conducted by men and by men behind a curtain. The male doctors are not allowed to look at or touch the women. Lady Tan's grandmother and grandfathers are doctors and she is learning from them. After her mother died from an infected bound foot and her father goes to another town to work for the government, she is in her grandparent's care until her marriage at age 15. Her grandmother made sure that Lady Tan made a friend with the midwife's daughter. The two girls form a life long friendship. The descriptions of the foot binding are horrific to read. The toes are folded back to the heel and bound with strips of cloth. As the bones eventually break the feet are so deformed it hurts to walk. This is so barbaric but without bound feet a woman will not be able to get a good marriage. Even more barbaric to read about Lady Tan binding the feet of her 3 girls. At age 50 Lady Tan writes a book about 40 or so common illnesses or women's issues and how to resolve them with herbs and teas and foods. Actually a Chinese woman wrote this book and it is available to read in English and Chinese. In the story Lady Tan goes to Beijing to attend the birth of the Empress. There is a true story about the Emperor of Japan punish a midwife who was attending the Empress for giving birth to her own child within sight of the Empress. She was flogged. If Lady Tan was there is fiction. Times were tough in China. Gender roles were strictly enforced. Some people managed to lead happy lives but not all.

 

 

A Fever In The Heartland

I just finished reading a long and tragic book called A Fever In The Heartland: The Klu Klux Klan's Plot To Take Over America And The Woman Who Stopped Them. This history book was heartbreaking to read. Why was there so much hate in the 1920's? The KKK hates people of color, Jews, and Catholics as well as southern Europeans. Most of the story takes place in Indiana. I never realized how much the KKK was in northern states. D.C. Stephenson was a con man who moved to Indiana. He could be charming and influential but he was a liar and a cheat. Somehow he got to the top of the KKK organization. He skimmed money off the top. All the police were members of the KKK. Most of the judges were in the klan. City leaders and the governor was in the KKK. Stephenson was also an alcoholic. When he got into certain moods he would beat women by striking them, pulling out hair, and by biting their bodies. There was a woman named  Madge Oberholtzer who wanted his help with a child nutrition program. He agrees because he thinks he can make money on it by having her write a school textbook about nutrition which he would then sell to the schools.  Madge, who is 28, is popular and well known in her community. One night Stepphenson gets in a mood and he basically kidnaps her at gunpoint, forces her to drink tainted alcohol, beats her, rapes her, bites her. He keeps her in a hotel room. She wants to leave. When an arm guard takes her shopping at a drug store she takes some poisonous pills. He denies her any medical treatment so, in despair, she takes some of the pills. Eventually her broken body is brought back to the house where she lives with her parents. A doctor is called and treats her wounds. The toxins in her body are shutting down her kidneys. Before she dies she, with the help of a lawyer, makes a statement explaining how Stephenson hurt her. The attorney brings it to the judge to make an indictment. The judge is a member of the KKK. He finds another judge. He wants the police to arrest him and they won't do it. Eventually he finds one officer who will arrest him. At the jail Stephenson is given cigars and whiskey and full meals. The trial is held in a small farming community. Those twelve farmers are the heroes in this story. He was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. The the Governor doesn't help Stephenson he gets his revenge by exposing all the corruption and all the politicians that were bought off. In the end, Stephenson's goal was to be elected to the US Senate and to run for President. After finishing the book I researched the KKK in Minnesota and there were several klans. Hate is so corrosive.

 

 

Three Wishes

The Australian author, Liane Moriarty, wrote Three Wishes. This is a family drama about female triplets celebrating their 33th birthday. They are loud and boisterous at the restaurant. Their names are Lyn, Cat and Gemma and they are equally beautiful. When asked how they felt about being a triplet, one says it's great, one says it's not good, and the third says it didn't matter to her. The novel covers their 33rd year. The writing was witty and hilarious. 

 

 

The Book Swap

 Tessa Bickers is the author of The Book Swap, a contemporary novel. Erin is in her mid twenties. Her good friend has just died of cancer and she is a mess emotionally. Her friend who died gave her a poem which she treasures and keeps in her book To Kill A Mockingbird. This book is all marked up with her comments and observations in the margins. In the process of moving she accidentally puts that book in one of the free little libraries. When she realizes what she has done she goes back to the free little library repeatedly. One day she finds her book with her treasured poem intact. Another person has written in a different color ink his comments and observations. He asks her to read Great Expectations. They correspond for months via great books. When they finally meet Erin learns that he was the boy who totally humiliated her in high school.  Erin has a long history of not forgiving people. This book was a light read, not great but good.

 

 

Heartwood

 Amity Gaige is the author of Heartwood. This book is based on a true story. The story is based on Valerie Gillis, a fictional character, who is hiking the Appalachian Trail in the flip flop manner. Flip flop is when you start in the middle, hike to one end, then return to the middle and hike to the other end. Her husband is supporting her. When she is more than a day late to their meeting point, he reports her missing. This area of Maine is sparsely populated. It is also the site of a very private military installation. The Maine search and rescue start looking.  Volunteers come to help search. Search and Rescue dogs are brought in. Press conferences are held. Her parents offer a reward.  Beverly is the Maine State Warden in charge of the search. The Game Wardens interview other hikers who met her along the trail. She is a slow but competent hiker who people really seem to like. There are conspiracy theories being discussed. Most people think she will make it because she is a nurse and nurses are smart. As she hikes she realizes that she has fallen out of love with her husband. She enjoys her time more on the trail away from him. He takes the news in stride and continues to support her on the trail. He would prefer that she give up the adventure because she is moving so slow she will have to walk in the winter time. This was a good story and I enjoyed reading it.

 

 

A Redbird Christmas

Fannie Flagg is the author of A Redbird Christmas. The story starts out with Oliver T. Campbell going to the doctor only to learn his lungs have worsened and he should get his affairs in order. The doctor recommends moving out of Chicago to a warmer place. He brings out a pamphlet that his father, also a doctor, had about a hotel in Alabama. Oliver lives alone in a hotel in Chicago. He tries to call the hotel but learns it has burned down years ago. He calls the city community hall to ask for housing recommendations. Francis is there setting up for a community picnic. She talks to Oliver and explains the situation. The next day Frances calls Oliver back and says she found him a place to stay. He can stay with a neighbor's spare room. Her neighbor lives there with her mother who has dementia.  The price is right and all meals are included. So Oliver moves to Lost River, Alabama where the mail comes by boat to the mailboxes on the docks. Oliver gradually makes friends with people in the town including the store owner, Jack. Jack rescued a redbird from two kids who shot it with a pellet gun. Now the bird lives in the store. The story is a charming sculpture of small town life. Ordinary people doing ordinary things. I loved this book.

 

 

The Silent Patient

Alex Michaelides is the author of the fiction novel The Silent Patient. My college roommate recommended it to me because it had a great ending. I agree. The ending was great. A famous artist, living in her house with her husband, shoots him 5 times in the face and then she never speaks again. She is housed in a facility for the insane and heavily medicated. A new psychotherapist, Theo, applies to her facility specifically to work with her. He wants to be the one to get her to talk. His techniques are nontraditional and reckless. He wants to know her motive so bad he can taste it. He is consumed by her motive. Makes me wonder which one of the two was insane.

I'll Take You There

 Felix Funicello (cousin to Annette) is the main character in Wally Lamb's novel called I'll Take You There. Felix is a film professor. He has a monthly meeting with a group of film buffs to see films in an old theater and discuss them. He has a daughter who is a feminist journalist. Her assignment is to write about the Miss Rheingold contests that the Rheingold brewery used to put on every year. Felix has a complicated relationship with his sister Francis. One day as he is reviewing an old film, one of the actresses speaks directly to him. He thinks he is loosing his mind. She invites him to cross over into the film which he does. He sees films of his early life with his parents and Francis. So think about that. If you had the ability to go into a film and watch situations or conversations you had as a child, would you want to? In this case seeing their childhoods on film helped him understand why Francis suffered as a child more clearly. Felix seems like a nice guy and I enjoyed reading about him.

 

 

Train To Warsaw

Train To Warsaw is a historical fiction book written by Gwen Edelman. The story is about a man and a woman who lived in Warsaw during World War Two. They were in love but got separated. Years later they reunited in London and became a couple. Jascha wrote a book about his experiences during the war and is now a famous author. When Jascha is invited to a book event in Warsaw he says he never wants to go there. Lilka persuades him to go. They take a train to Warsaw and stay in the best hotel. While in Warsaw they can't escape their memories. They reveal things that happened during the war that they had never shared before. I enjoyed this short, sad book. Lilka and Jascha are very much in love and it was nice to read how they cared for each other.

 

 

 

The Landing

Today I visited The Landing which is a three rivers park. On special days they have costumed reenactments of frontier life. I spent a couple of hours walking along the Minnesota River and looking at all the buildings. They had houses, shops, school houses, a train depot and some barns. Most of the buildings were moved to this location from other cities. One fine house was from the Cedar Riverside area of Minneapolis where the tall apartment towers now stand.

There were loads of bees buzzing around. On my way back to my car I saw 2 bee keepers wearing white suits, gloves, hats and nets. They were using a smoking device and taking out the slides covered with honey. I was going to watch them for a while until I noticed the taller bee keeper's pants were too short. Two inches of bare lower leg were showing. That was an accident waiting to happen so I kept walking. I could tell that sometimes chickens, sheep, pigs, and cows are kept here but the animals weren't here now.

In the merchant store I saw two ads for invasive species.

The ad reads: These cold hardy plants will provide excellent fencing and form strong hedge rows for stock and field. Buckthorn will establish quickly and can bear pruning better than any other shrub grown for this purpose. Hedges will produce leaves early in the spring and retain them well into fall. Buckthorn will not be damaged by animals or insects. These plants are easy to propagate by seed, it as if they plants themselves.

 

Hokokata Ti

I am spending a couple of weeks exploring Shakopee. I walked to the historic district from my hotel to visit the library and to look around.

Today I visit the Hokokata Ti Bultural Center which is near the Mystic Lake Casino. Admission was only five dollars. The museum was well done. There was some writing but not too much. Videos and audio information was interspersed. I was lucky. Today they were having a "language bowl."  Students from around the area came here to participate. There were 42 teams. 

Teams sat around the tables. One team asked questions in native language and the other team answered the questions. The docent who gave me an introduction said they have only one person left who spoke Dakota as a first language. For the rest of them, Dakota is their second language. During the lunch break I listened to some drumming and singing. This room is usually closed to the public. The room is used for tribal government functions as well.

 

The Hired Man

The author of The Hired Man, Aminanna Forma, is from Scotland and Sierra Leone. The story is set in Croatia. An English woman comes to a small town. She bought a house and is going to renovate it. She hires a neighbor man named Duro. As Duro repairs the roof and replaces some walls and windows, he gets to know the woman and her two children. Grace is 12 and very observant. Her brother is 17 who sleeps a lot because he misses the internet. With the woman's interactions with the people in the town, she learns about local history including the Yugoslav Wars. I enjoyed the descriptions of the forests around town and the wild animals that lived there.

 

Why Mummy Swears

I didn't realize that when I read Why Mummy Swears by Gill Sims it was actually the second in a series. The first in the series is Why Mummy Drinks. The story is set in London. Each chapter is a month of the year. Mummy has two children. The eldest, Jane, is 11 and is seriously hoping for a career as an influencer on TikTok. Her mother won't let her get a TikTok account until she is 13. Peter is younger and seriously attached to his IPad. Her husband is often traveling for work to exotic locations. So Mummy handles it all and she does swear quite frequently. I enjoyed this modern take on parenting. I could certainly relate to why Mummy swears.

 

 

Roman Stories

Jhumpa Lahiri is the author of the collection of short stories called Roman Stories. All the stories take place in Rome. Some of the characters are permanent residents of Rome and others are visiting. The book has 9 stories. In one story, an "empty nest" couple go to an annual party in Rome. Year after year they meet mostly the same people. All goes well until one of the couple crosses a social line. After that, there is no turning back. I enjoyed the descriptions of the neighborhoods and the cafes and the buildings. I enjoyed reading her "slice of life" stories.

 

 

 

Happy Easter

 

The Wonder Boy Of Whistle Stop

 I have loved Fanny Flagg since she was on television on Candid Camera. I also love the books she writes. Fanny Flagg's real name is Patricia Neal. At the time she was an actress, another Patricia Neal was registered with the Actors Equity so she had to take a stage name. Personally, I would never take the name Fanny. Her latest book, The Wonder Boy Of Whistle Stop, was published in 2020. I enjoyed reading every single sentence. Fanny writes about people in small towns. The people she describes are ordinary people whose lives include extraordinary moments. The wonder boy, in this book, is now in his 80's. He is widowed and depends on his daughter for emotional support. His name is Bud and he longs for the days when Whistle Stop was a busy town. He remembers his Aunt Idgie who was a hell-raiser and a very fun person to be with. If you are in need of some home-spun southern humor, this is the book for you.

 

 

Runt

 Runt is a novel written by Kerry Casey. The story is about a baseball coach who is moving to a small town in Iowa to teach social studies at the high school and to coach the 12 year old's little league team. A rich woman in town left money for a new ball field and equipment with  the condition that they replace the current coach. The current coach is a dastardly man who is mean to the kids and racist. The new coach comes to town but along the way he nearly strikes an abandoned puppy sitting in the middle of a country road. He picks up the puppy. The town veterinarian is the man who recruited him to come so he brings the puppy to him. The new coach and the vet are good people. One of the kids trying out for the team is small. His nickname is Runt. The found puppy was also a runt. Runt and his new dog come to try outs together. The story is very heartwarming. I am not big on sports and I skimmed the finer points of baseball strategy but I did enjoy this wholesome book.

 

 

Confessions Of The Other Sister

Beth Harbison is the author of Confessions Of The Other Sister. The story is set in current times. The sisters grew up on the east coast. The older sister had to work hard for her successes. The younger one seemed to have good luck and success fell on her without much effort. That is how things looked on the surface. As the book goes through each sister's confession (point of view alternates every chapter) we learn that they are not incompatible and can learn from each other's point of view. The story was heartwarming and, at times, hilarious.

 

 

 

Mum & Dad

Joanna Trollope is the author of Mum & Dad, an entertaining novel about a family where the parents are not always right. At present, Mum and Dad are living in Spain on a farm where they grow grapes and make wine. Dad has a stroke. The three children, all adults and with children of their own, come to Spain to help out. Dad isn't adjusting to the repercussions of having a stroke. The one that upsets him the most is the inability to drive. Which one of the 3 children will inherit the farm? Will it be the eldest (anxious) son whose wife doesn't get along with his Mom? The middle daughter who is a successful solicitor in London and whose 3 daughters have issues? Or will it be the youngest son with his wife and darling baby girl? I found this book to be fascinating. I am grateful not to be a part of this family.

 

 

The Life She Was Given

 Ellen Marie Wiseman is the author of The Life She Was Given, first published in 2017. The story starts out in 1931. Nine year old Lilly is looking out the window and in the distance she sees a circus. Lilly has lived her whole life in the attic hidden away from everyone. Her cold and distant mother usually brings her food and insists she read the bible. Her warmer father brings her toys and some praise but he visits seldom. In those days people with defects are kept away from the general public. Lilly doesn't know what her defect is but she longs for fresh air and sunshine. Lilly's story was fascinating. The abuse she suffered from her mother went on to the next generation as well. I was familiar with this authors works from reading The Orphan Collectors which is another terrific book to read.

 

Three Rooms

 Three Rooms is a fiction novel written by Jo Hamya. Set in London, in our current time, a female millennial tries to find a place to stay while she works. As a graduate student working as an assistant, she does have her own room. Later, in London, she rents a couch from a woman who gradually becomes harder and harder to live with. Everyone needs a room to live in. Within the space of a year she goes from apartment, to couch, to her parent's home. Her story is mixed with British politics some of which goes over my head. The author doesn't use quotation marks so sometimes it is hard to tell if she is talking to someone or just thinking out loud inside her head.

 

 

Long Island Compromise

I read Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner. This is a novel about a Jewish family in New York. Carl is the head of the household. He owns a Styrofoam company and he is quite wealthy. He and his wife have 2 sons and his wife is pregnant in 1980 when Carl is kidnapped as he gets into his car in the driveway. Five days later Carl is released after the family pays a $250,000 ransom in a paper sack on the luggage return at JFK airport. Their wealth made them a target but their wealth also got Carl back. Carl is never the same. His wife and his mother try their best to keep up appearances. The entire family is stricken with anxiety. One of the sons is so anxious he can't be successful at his law firm. The other son seeks refuge in food, drugs, alcohol and sex. The daughter, born after the kidnapping has her problems too. As their fortunes dwindle, the family looks back on how wealth has affected their lives. This was an interesting story to read.

 

 

Barcelona Calling

I listened to Barcelona Calling, a novel written by Jane Kirkpatrick. I didn't love it. The story is about a writer in Milwaukee named Annie Shaw. Her first novel sold well. Her second novel was a flop. Now she is writing another novel and trying to promote it. Nearly everyone gives her the same advice which is to ask Oprah to read it. Annie has a good network of friends who try to brainstorm ideas for promotion. A series of humorous mishaps follow. Although I didn't like the book, I thought it had a great ending.

 

 

Our Missing Hearts

Years ago I read The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. The truth of that fiction novel seems to be coming alive in society now. I feel the same way about Celeste Ng's dystopian science fiction novel called Our Missing Hearts. The story is about a 12 year old boy named Bird. He now lives with his father, a former professor of linguists, now a librarian on a college campus. Bird's mother moved away from the family 5 years ago. His father warns his son to make no mention of his mother, to pretend he didn't agree with her political views, and to blend into society without drawing attention to himself. Bird gets a cryptic note. The American society is following the PACT act. PACT stands for Preserving American Culture and Traditions. Families who do not follow PACT, or who protest against PACT, end up with their children taken away from their families and never seen again. Bird's mother, who was of Chinese descent, did not protest PACT. She did write a book of poems when Bird was first born. One of those poems was adopted by the PACT protesters.  The poem has the phrase our missing hearts. This is all a story but there is a ring of truth to it that scares me just a little.

 

 

The Day I Dreaded For Ten Years Has Arrived.

Ten years ago or so a eye doc told me I had cataracts and could expect to need cataract surgery in about ten years. This last January I went to another eye doc because I was having trouble reading the fine print on microwave meals. Why they use yellow font on a white background is beyond my understanding. After the exam he told me my cataracts were ready to be removed. He also said I shouldn't drive at night.  I was shocked. I had no idea my eyes were that bad. I had just returned from a cross country trip where I was driving at night some of the time. He said eyes worsen gradually. Not to drive at night is super inconvenient. How can you go to concerts or plays if you can't drive at night? I followed his advice except for that one time I needed to drive a rental car from Key West to the car rental place near the Miami airport. I had to drive at night or I would have missed my Greyhound bus. Other than that I have not been driving after dark. Today Offspring #2 drove me to an eye surgery center in Minnetonka. I had written an argument on my phone to read whenever my anxiety crept up on my eyeball being punctured. I was checked in and given instructions. My surgeon came in to talk to me. He said I would be so happy with the results and then he came back with one of those white blankets that has been heated. I love those hot white blankets. An X was written above my right eye ball. I had an IV put in. I was given Versed and Ketamine and some other drug. We were all talking, the anesthesiologist, nurses and I. I had a hair net on. Clear tape was put on my forehead I guess to keep my head from moving. When I felt a metal retractor fitted onto my eye ball I decided it was time to stop talking. I felt cool fluid on my eye. Then I saw the most amazing pinks and yellows and green. My vision was like a beautiful abstract painting. I felt no pain.. Then the tape was removed and a clear plastic shield taped over my eye. I asked what the cataract looked like. I asked if it looked like yellow jello. The anesthesiologist said from what he could see it looked like muddy river jello. Then they were all discussing what muddy river jello would look like. I was wheeled out of the surgery suite. Only one hour elapsed between getting out of Offspring #2's car and getting back in. The surgery went about how I expected. I can already see better than before. I have to instill 12 eye drops per day in my right eye. When I have my left eye done I will be putting 12 drops in the right eye and 12 drops in the left eye. I am grateful that although I had a medical problem, it was one that could be solved.

Birnam Wood

I read Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton because it was on Barack Obama's favorite books list. This is a literary mystery novel set in New Zealand. Mira and Shelley are the main two women working with a collective gardening group. This group plants gardens secretly on other people's property. They are driven to do this good work to help their community. Sometimes they plant in parks or private property or public verges. When a landslide cuts off a road in another small town in New Zealand, the group goes to plant there. A billionaire American is on the property and he offers to sponsor them financially. This sounds too good to be true. The ending was a big surprise to me. I enjoyed the story. The book has no chapters. There are three sections. One character in the story, Tony, was loud and verbally aggressive.

 

 

Unlucky Seppman

I have made 3 visits to Minneopa State Park. On my second visit I didn't see any bison but a fellow hiker told me they were opening up the road through the bison prairie probably the next day. So today was warm weather so I went out there again. I drove over the cattle grate to get in. I saw the bison near the Seppman Mill. Louis Seppman decided a mill was necessary. He was a stone mason. He started building the mill in 1862. Construction was finished in 1864. On a favorable windy day he could mill 150 bushels of wheat into flour. In 1872 lightening struck the mill and broke off 2  the arms of the 4 armed wind mill. He repaired the mill. In 1880 a tornado came and tore off 2 arms. In 1890 another storm came and damaged the mill beyond repair. 1890 was the last time the mill ever produced flour. The mill was repaired in 1970 but no wind mill arms were ever attached. The doors on the mill were all locked but there were gaps to look inside. The inside is empty but I could smell the dank, musty air that flowed coolly out of the gaps in the wood. After a quick lunch I drove out of the bison prairie, parked my car, and walked around the perimeter again. Lots of people had the same idea today. The picture below shows the bison on the prairie and in the background you can see a truck driving down the gravel prairie road.

Good Bad Girl

 Alice Feeney is the author of the novel called Good Bad Girl. This is a twisted, convoluted mystery. We hear the story about an elderly woman unhappily living in a care home, her daughter, a young girl who works at the care home in housekeeping, and another woman working at a women's prison as a librarian. All the women distrust each other. The ending resolves att the mystery in a way I never thought to expect. I think the theme of this entertaining book is that the line between good and bad can be very thin.

 

 

Death Valley

 Melissa Broder is the author of Death Valley. This fiction novel is about a woman who goes to  a Best Western to escape from her life. Her father is in the ICU. Her husband is chronically ill. She takes a hiking path that the Best Western staff suggested. On her hike she finds a huge cactus that really shouldn't exist in this area. On her hike she gets lost. This is where the book hooked me in. How many times have I gotten lost on a hike. My old friend always tells me the first rule of safety is to tell someone where you are going. Do I listen? Yes, but I don't do it. I really enjoyed this comical novel.

 

 

 

Quarry Hill

 

A few days ago a friend from college asked me where I was. I said Mankato. She suggested I drive over to Rochester an join her at her hotel. We could explore Rochester, go out for dinner and enjoy the hot tub at her hotel. So I drove to Rochester which is a little over an hour from here. We met at her hotel. She drove me over to Quarry Hill Park and Nature Center at the suggestion of the desk clerk. We got there only 15 minutes before the nature center closed for the day. Wow! What an awesome nature center. The naturalist, with blue hair and a nose ring had just finished cleaning the cages for the leopard frog and salamanders. She put them back in their habitats. My friend showed her a picture of a green frog that came in with her outdoor plants last fall. Besides the salamanders and leopard frogs they also had a green frog, three snakes, a hissing cockroach, and fish. Their aquarium was large. In the middle of the aquarium at the bottom was a tunnel that small kids could climb under and look up at the fish from the bottom. They had perch and sunfish and bass and walleye and three gar. The gar kept to themselves at one end of the aquarium. Just before 4 p.m. the naturalist suggested we come and watch as she fed the fish. She counted 1,2.3, minnow before pouring a bucket of shiner minnows into the tank. The fish knew the drill. They were ready for her. Most minnows were swallowed whole and quickly by the fish. But the gar were different. The gar pinched the fish between their jaws, held them for 30 seconds, moved them closer to the gullet, and then swallowed them. Kids, adults, and seniors were fascinated by watching the fish eat their dinner. The naturalist talked about how different aged kids view this. Most kids think it's cool to watch fish eat. 13 to 15 year old would not say it's cook but they also don't look away. That is the advantage of having a young, enthusiastic naturalist on duty. When the center closed we walked over by the lake, by the limestone quarry, and finally there cemetery where patients at the Rochester State Hospital were buried. We looked at graves from the 1860's until the last one was buried in 1965. Most of the patients lived until their 70's. Then we walked the labyrinth. By now the snow was coming down hard and we decided dinner and a hot tub soak were next on our agenda. Today she has a conference on Habitat For Humanity as she is on her local board of directors.

 

 

The Women

 The other day I was in the library and I read a list of the best historical fiction novels. Kristin Hannah's book, The Women, was on the list. Then I saw the book sitting on the large print book shelf. So I took it down and read the first 240 pages. That was last week. Today I found the book again and read it to the finish. It was a great story about the women who served as nurses during the Vietnam War. The story is about a woman names Frances (Franky) McGrath. After her brother joined the Navy and was sent to Vietnam, she decided to enlist as a nurse. The Navy wouldn't take her because she had only a couple weeks of nursing experience after graduating from nursing school. The Air Force wouldn't take her. The Army Nurse Corp let her join and sent her there totally unprepared. She made friends for life with two other nurses. Franky found her calling in life serving as a nurse. She saw appalling injuries and events with massive casualties. She decided to sign up for a second year. Coming back home she was spat on and called a baby killer. Her story about transitioning back to civilian life is sad and tragic like it was for many Vietnam vets.

 

 

Walking Around Town

Today I was walking around downtown Mankato, looking at historic houses. This town has quite a few places on the national historic register. He is the old Blue Earth County Courthouse. At the top is a statue of a lady holding the scales of justice.

They also have art installations all over town. Some are not as appealing. I liked this one. The paper reads: Dear Jumbo, Eggsiting news! The research is conclusive. THE EGG CAME FIRST! Signed, The World Poultry Council.

 

East Of Eden

 Finally I finished reading East Of Eden by John Steinbeck. This massive novel, published in 1952 too be 9 and a half hours to finish. The beginning of the book is set in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Over half the story takes place in the Salinas Valley in California. The story starts with the Trask family. Adam and Charles are brothers on a farm. Adam's father forces his to join the Army and fight Indians. Eventually Adam returns to the farm and works with Charles. When their father dies Adam and Charles inherit a considerable amount of money. Adam moves to California with his wife, Cathy. He buys a great farm in the Salinas Valley where he meets the Hamilton family. Sam Hamilton has a large family. Unfortunately his farm is too rocky to produce much produce. He gets by with blacksmithing and helping other families. Most of the time the author keeps the story about the people. Once in a while he throws in a chapter criticizing American society and their thoughts about the war. Overall I thought it was a great story. I can see why it was a bet seller.

 

 

 

Reconciliation Park

Today I visited the Blue Earth County Library in Mankato. Located downtown and across the street and the railroad tracks from the Minnesota River. Also in the area is Reconciliation Park.

This park is the location where, on Dec. 26, 1862, 38 Native Americans were hung to death simultaneously in the largest single execution in American history.

 

Minneopa

I am staying in Mankato for a couple weeks. Today I visited Minneopa State Park. First I walked to the waterfalls.

Then I drove to the day use area and decided to take a long (5 mile) walk around the bison pen. I didn't see any bison for the longest time. A half hour before I got back to my car I saw the bison. Despite what the song "Home On The Range" says, we do not have buffalo in Minnesota. Buffalo are native to Asia and Africa. Bison are native to the Americas and Europe.

I watched the bison eat for ten minutes or so. They are digging down below the dried grass to get the new green shoots that are coming up. This prairie had 24 bison. I didn't see any bison calves. March must be too early for them to give birth.