A Sunlit Weapon

 When I borrowed A Sunlit Weapon by Jacqueline Winspear I didn't know I was reading the 17th in a series of books about the psychologist/private investigator Maisie Dobbs. I probably wouldn't have chosen this book if I knew that but it all worked out in the end. The story is set near London during World War II. A young aviator named Jo Hardy is piloting a spitfire plane from one airport to another. Along the way Jo decided to fly the plane under a railroad bridge. As she passes a farm she sees a man firing a gun at her plane. Jo asks Maisie to investigate. Two days later a different female pilot crashes at the very same location. I enjoyed learning about the female pilots used during the war. This was an interesting historical fiction.

Beautiful Country

Qian Julie Wang wrote a memoir about her childhood called Beautiful Country. Qian was born in China. Both of her parents were professors at a university. They lived a comfortable life surrounded by a loving extended family. Her father did not like how the Chinese government restricted free speech so in 1992 he left China for New York City. In 1994 Qian and her mother joined him. Her father had a job in a laundromat. Her mother found work sewing clothes. Qian's mother would bring Qian to work and the seven year old had a job cutting the loose threads out of the inside of shirts earning a penny for each shirt she completed. They had lodgings but had to share a kitchen and a bathroom with other families. They had food but not enough. When Qian went to school, she did not speak English. Later, in 5th grade, she has mastered English. She turns in a paper to her teacher and he accuses her of plagiarism because the paper was too well written for a girl like her to write. After that she includes mistakes in grammar or spelling on purpose for this teacher. On top of all the deprivation the Wang family worried about being deported because they were undocumented. Qian's parents handled all this stress by turning on each other and having loud arguments. I enjoyed reading her memoir because she is a strong person, a great writer, and a success story.

 

Growing Bacteria

 

My newest citizen science project is for the National Resources Research Institute which is an offshoot of the University of Minnesota in Duluth. The project is studying the relationship between bacteria and algae in the hopes to prevent algae blooms on the north shore of Lake Superior. On Tuesday afternoon I took a sterile bag and collected water from the flowing part of Chester Creek which is a five minute walk from my place. I placed it in a insulated pouch with a frozen ice pack and took it home. I mixed 3 ml of the creek water with a growing medium and put it in this petri dish. When I saw algae starting to form 24 hours later, I waited another 24 hours to count. I counted 14 spots of E-Coli. E-Coli are the black or dark purple spots. The pink spots are a different kind of Coli. The white spots are not Coli. When I was finished I entered the data onto a computer form. I poured a thin layer of bleach over the petri dish and disposed of it in the garbage. How odd to be purposefully growing bacteria in my house. This will be a weekly talk until the creek freezes over.

The Tumbling Turner Sisters

The Tumbling Turner Sisters is a historical fiction novel by Juliette Fay. The author has family members who were in the vaudeville circuit and some of the characters are based on her family members but the Turner sisters are fictional. Set in 1919, the mother of sisters Kit, Gert, Winnie and Nell decide to try vaudeville after their father's hand is crushed and he can no  longer work as a boot stitcher. The decide on acrobatics, find an agent, and off they go. They tour small towns in upstate New York. Along the way the meet fascinating people and gets tips to improve their act. The story is told by Gert and Winnie. I thought it was interesting to read Winnie's "glass half full" side of the story followed by Gert's cynical view of the same events. Earning a living on the vaudeville circuit was grueling, interesting, rewarding and sometimes dangerous work.

 

Just Like Mother

I don't like dolls. I think many dolls are creepy. I also don't like horror stories. So I have no idea why I borrowed and then read Just Like Mother by Anne Heltzel. This book was full of horror and creepiness but I was compelled to read it to the end. When Maeve was 8 she fled the cult she lived in. She was close to her cousin Andrea. When the cult was investigated and shut down, Maeve was adopted by a nice family and she never heard from Andrea again. She tried to make a normal life for herself working in the publishing world in New York City. She was curious about Andrea so she did a DNA test with 23&Me and eventually they got in touch. And that is when the horror started. If you like horror and creepy dolls, this is the book for you.

Recipe For Persuasion

Sonali Dev wrote Recipe For Persuasion which is a novel and a loose retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion. In this story Ashna is a 30 year old restaurant owner in San Francisco. Her father owned the restaurant that served Indian food. He died when she was 18 and she is trying to honor his legacy even though he was one of the worst parents I have ever read about. The restaurant is not doing well so that is why she signs up for a reality show Cooking With Celebrities. She hopes to win the biggest prize and have the money to fix the restaurant. The celebrity she is paired with is a famous soccer player and also the guy she dated in high school. Their chemistry is noted by fans of the show. This was a silly romantic book that wasn't terrible but also wasn't great.

 

The Hidden Child

 Louise Fein wrote the historical fiction novel, The Hidden Child, which is set in London just before the second world war. Eleanor and Edward are married. They have a four year old daughter named Mabel. Edward served in World War One as an officer. Now he is a scientist and although he calls himself professor, he doesn't have a degree to back that up. Edward is involved in psychological research regarding intelligence and crime. Edward is interested in eugenics. He thinks that criminals, prostitutes, people with developmental disabilities, foreigners, homosexuals and epileptics should be sterilized for the sake of modern society. Before they were married Eleanor was Edward's research assistant. When Mabel starts having seizures Edward wants to hide her because of his professional reputation. Eleanor wants to help Mabel. Edward and Eleanor struggle over Mabel. As I read the book I grew to love and respect Eleanor while reading this poignant book.