Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls

 

I finally finished one of the 6 or 7 books I've started in April. Life kept me busy and distracted this month. That didn't keep me from buying more books, though. And checking out books from the library. Here's to May coming at us fast, and a pile of books I'm eager to read. Focus, Sue, focus!

Hang the Moon is the latest novel from Jeannette Walls, author of The Glass Castle. I'll admit right here I have never read The Glass Castle (overexposure during my bookselling years), but I thought this novel, set in early 1920's Virginia would be interesting. And boy howdy, it was!

It took me half-way through before the lightbulb popped on in my head. And it does help if you have some historical knowledge of the world. 

Keep reading, and I'll clue you in....

So, this is the story of Sallie Kincaid and her father, Duke Kincaid. Duke runs their small town, and the surrounding area in the backwoods of Virginia. He is the law; it's his little kingdom. The Kincaids have always taken care of the people and in return expect loyalty. Duke runs the Emporium (grocery store) in town; he sells bootleg whiskey, and he lives in the Big House with Sallie, his third wife Jane, and their small son Eddie. What Duke says and does is the final word. He's a big man and his reach is far.

The novel starts out with a young Sallie trying to teach Eddie how to run her wagon down the hill and over the bridge. She's perfected it, and it's time for Eddie to go for a ride with her. Unfortunately, there's an accident, and Sallie is sent away as punishment. Off she goes to live with her Aunt Faye in a dingy shack miles away, until Jane isn't so angry anymore. 

Eight years pass, and Sallie is called to return to her home. Here's where this novel takes off and it's a rollercoaster of highs and lows, tragedy and violence. Alliances made, enemies all around, and a fight for Sallie's survival. She's only eighteen! But she's the Duke's daughter, and she will do whatever it takes to keep the Kincaid family intact. 

Okay, I'll spill it--this novel is a retelling of Henry the 8th and the reign of Elizabeth I. And it is glorious. Once the lightbulb went off, I began placing characters into the Tudor family tree. It wasn't hard to do. But, if you don't know much about Henry and his daughter, Elizabeth I, you may not get that part, and just enjoy the novel as it is. And that is absolutely fine! But wowza the plot takes on a much deeper meaning when you plug the Tudor family into it. Sallie's deep mourning for her mother, the erasure of her mother's footprint in the Kincaid family; her elder sister Mary and her determination to destroy the bootlegging going on in the community (Catholic Queen Mary and her purges). Heck, the author even managed to fit the Spanish Armada showdown into this--you'll know it when you read it. 

Ooh, Jeannette Walls, what an excellent novel. It got me out of my reading rut, and I'll read anything that reimagines the Tudor soap opera in a new setting. Sallie is such a force, and you can't help but admire her tenacity and grit. Her determination to take care of her community and the people she loves. She doesn't blink. She can't. She's just got to keep moving. 

I can't recommend this novel enough. Book clubs, add it to your list. If you're planning a vacation, add it to your vacation reading list. 

Rating: 5/6 for a clever turn of the Tudor saga, set in bootlegging 1920's Virginia. Strong female characters, plot twists galore, and a main character you'll root for until the final page. A great read! 

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Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls

The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum

I'm getting ready to talk about this book to fellow associates at work tomorrow (Thursday).  It's one of the few books I've reread; plus I bought the PBS DVD and have watched that twice.  My fascination with the many ways people die is a strange part of my personality that I just can't deny.  Forensics have always interested me, and this book is a sure hit for anyone who is a fan of chemistry, medicine, forensics,  true crime, and the history of New York City.

Dr. Charles Norris was appointed the Chief Medical Examiner of New York City in 1918, following an outcry from the legislative bodies of the state of New York.  Too many people were being murdered by poisons, and the coroners were complete incompetents.  Usually coroners were undertakers, barkeeps, lawyers, disbarred doctors, and sometimes even shopkeepers.  They took bribes from any and all, altered death certificates, and often times showed up drunk to a crime scene.  There was no procedure, and toxicology was not practiced.  It was quite easy to get away with murder in New York City.  

Dr. Norris was a different bird.  A wealthy and brilliant doctor with high standards, he hired Alexander Gettler as his chief toxicologist, and began the process of building a forensic department in New York City.  These two men were quite simply willing to go to great lengths to prove a cause of death.  Dr. Norris demanded standards for death scenes, taught police the proper protocol for crime scenes, and refused to play the bribe game. Gettler devoted his life to developing tests to accurately measure different poisons in the body, and what these poisons did to people.  His testimony at trials often times was the deciding factor in sending someone to the electric chair, or sparing an innocent life.  

Each chapter is about a different poison:  wood alcohol, carbon monoxide, arsenic, thallium, radiation.  A big portion of the book discusses the disaster of prohibition, and the increase in alcohol deaths that ravaged the city of New York.  The stuff people drank to get a buzz was truly horrifying, with equally horrifying results.  

I love this book.  It was first published in 2010 and I could swear I published a review on it years ago--but no luck finding it on my blog.  This would make an excellent Father's Day gift for your favorite history buff or armchair detective.  Or who knows?  Give it to a budding young scientist and you never know--she may become a toxicologist.  

Available in paperback, audio, and e-book format.  You can also buy the DVD from PBS or your local bookstore.  I bought mine from Barnes and Noble.  

Rating:  9/10 for an excellent science book that is neither boring or slow.  It will keep you turning the pages, cheering on Norris and Gettler.  Almost 100 years after the founding of the New York Medical Examiner's Office, look how far we've come, thanks to these two pioneers.  

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The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum

Audiobook Review: One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill Bryson

I am a big fan of Bill Bryson.  I've read most of his travel books and his hilarious memoir, but I haven't ventured into his science and history books until now.  One Summer: America, 1927 has been on my "to read" list since it came out a few years ago; my commute gave me the perfect excuse to listen to it--all 13 discs.  It took me two weeks of commuting to listen to it, but I am so glad I did because it is a fascinating look at an America that no longer exists.

I am always interested in the 1920's simply because my Dad was born in 1928, and I've wondered what the world was like when he was a child.  It's a way of connecting with him because there aren't a lot of photos of my Dad growing up.   When he met and married my Mom and had eight kids, well there are oodles of pictures of him as my Dad.  But as a small boy, I've only seen a few pictures of him.  I think about how much the world changed during his lifetime and I wish I had asked him what he thought of it all before he died in 2004.  

Back to 1927.  There was a lot going on, and Bill Bryson deftly weaves the stories all together to give the reader (or listener) a story of an America that was growing in leaps and bounds, and faced the same issues we face today.  There were times when I thought I was listening to news of today:  there were acts of terrorism with bombs all throughout the states; race riots, men who became heroes overnight (but ended up with feet of clay), and as always, the glamour of Hollywood.  Charles Lindbergh flies to Paris from New York and becomes an sensation who finds the crowds and relentless hero-worship extremely uncomfortable and annoying.  People loved him anyway.  There was Babe Ruth and the magical Yankees, and that year of 60 home runs.  Herbert Hoover was steadily moving up the ranks in government, while Calvin Coolidge preferred to be a president who didn't do much, because everything was ticking along just fine.  No need to fix what isn't broken.  

Life was fast, people were on the move, and automobiles, motion pictures, and radio were fast becoming giants in the everyday life of Americans.  American culture began to spread around the world through radio and film--completely unintentional in the beginning, but a byproduct of the booming movie industry.  A lot of people think the American cultural influence didn't really start until much later in the 20th century, but it was the "talkies" that started it all in the 1920's.

This is a fascinating historical book, and so chock full of information it can make your head spin.  Bill Bryson narrates it, and it is full of his usual wit and little factual details that keep the story flowing.  My one beef, and this  was huge for me, was Bill Bryson's voice.  He has a very interesting mix of American Midwest accent coupled with a bit of British.  It made for some pronunciations that were a bit odd to my ear, and it really distracted me throughout the whole 13 discs and two weeks it took me to listen to this audio.  I can't help it!  I talked to a friend who also listened to the audio, and she said "I know exactly what you mean".  I feel bad about that, but there it is.  Bill Bryson has such a soft speaking voice that I had the volume turned way up in my car to catch it all.  Other than that, I enjoyed this look at 1927 America very much.  

Rating:  7/10 for a superb, historically fascinating tale of America after World War I, and before World War II; that time of prohibition, aviation, and baseball. What an amazing decade.  My only issue was completely personal in the occasionally jarring accent and quiet voice of the author.  But I can't imagine anyone else narrating this!

Available in paperback, hardcover, audio, and e-book.

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Audiobook Review: One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill Bryson

Empire Girls by Suzanne Hayes and Loretta Nyhan

Glad to see Suzanne and Loretta have teamed up again to write another novel!  Their previous book, I'll Be Seeing You took place during World War 2 and was all told in letters between two women who become pen  pals while their husbands are serving overseas.  Neither author had met the other until after the book was finished.  Just goes to show the talent both ladies have; can you imagine writing a novel with someone else you've never met?  

This time, the setting is 1925 New York City.  I've discovered a budding interest in the 1920's; I think it's due to my Dad.  He was born in 1928, and I've only seen a few photos of him as a small child.  But in those photos are some fantastic cars and my father as a little boy who looks amazingly like his great-grandson.  My Dad died in 2004, so I can't ask him about life during those turbulent times, but I can imagine what it was like thanks to books like Empire Girls.  

Ivy and Rose are two sisters living in upstate New York with their father.  He suddenly dies, and they find out the house they've always lived in is about to be claimed by the bank for back taxes.  They also find out their father had another child; their older brother Asher.  A picture their father kept shows Asher in front of a place called Empire House.  He looks just like Rose; and to top it off, their father left Asher the house.  If they don't find him, they will lose the house.  

Off to New York City Ivy and Rose go, determined to find Asher and have him sign the house back to them.  Ivy is a singer and wanna-be actress; Rose is the homebody who writes, cooks, and sews.  They are like oil and water together. They find Empire House, which is run be Nell.  She's tough as steel and rents the attic out to the sisters.  With little money, they have to get jobs to live in New York City and save to pay the taxes on their home.  But what about Asher?

Ivy and Rose keep running into dead ends.  No one is willing to even admit they knew Asher.  Why all the secrets?  How will Ivy and Rose find him?  

There's a lot in this novel to talk about.  World War I is not far in the past; two sisters who have never been close and must work together; and two young women who are discovering who they are in the most wonderful, vibrant place around: New York City.  You'll be surprised at how Ivy and Rose change and their struggle to decide how each feel about Asher; is he a welcome part of their family of two?  And most of all, you'll fall in love with 1925 New York City.

This is a fun, quick read.  I have decided I need to try an orange blossom drink very soon.  Here's a link to the recipe:  prohibition cocktail.  You'll see what I mean when you read the novel.  There are reading group questions in the back of the book, as well as an interview with Suzanne and Loretta.  

Rating:  7/10 for a vibrant portrait of a bygone era; two main characters who you grow to love, and secondary characters who round out a perfect summer read.  

Available as a paperback and e-book.

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Empire Girls by Suzanne Hayes and Loretta Nyhan