Rest and Be Thankful

Finished May 14

Rest and Be Thankful by Helen McInnes

I read many of this author's romantic suspense novels when I was a young woman and enjoyed them, so picked this title up when I saw it fit one of my reading challenges. It is a very different book from the others of hers I've read. First published in 1949, it follows two women, close friend. Their friendship was forged by their experiences during World War II and earlier when Margaret Peel, the older of the two, guided Sarah (Sally) Bly through a very difficult period of her life. 

They are driving across the continental United States, with their driver a middle-aged Hungarian man who goes by the name of Jackson. In Wyoming, the end up in the middle of a cattle drive, and go to the lodge at the ranch the cattle are from. The ranch is owned by Jim Brent, a veteran of the war, as are some of the cowboys who work there. 

They love the atmosphere of the mountains and the lodge itself, built as a family home, but now housing only Jim. Jim is fighting for the ranch's future and when the women ask about buying the lodge to use as an occasional writers' retreat, he agrees.

The women plan for a month-long retreat for that summer when Atherton Jones, a man they know, has his venue fall through. He sends them the information on the writers he planned for and while they have a different idea of how the retreat will work, they do give in to some of his ideas. The group of writers is mixed consisting of both men and women, older and younger people, and people of different political views. 

The life of a ranch and its work is depicted well, as is the landscape of Wyoming. Many of the characters are working their way through their own issues, whether they realize it or not, and we growth in almost all of them. MacInnes' insight into human behaviour shows here, and while in some ways the novel is very much of its time, it also has themes that are more timeless. An enjoyable and thoughtful read.

Missing Mike

Finished May 27
Missing Mike by Shari Green

This children's novel centers on one 11-year-old girl, Cara Donovan, as she and her family deal with the threat of encroaching forest fires, evacuation, and worry. The town that Cara's family lives in, Pine Grove, is a fictional place that could, unfortunately stand in for many Canadian town which have been devasted by fire, but for me it brought to mind the terrible scenes from Fort McMurray and the evacuation of that community.
Cara, her older sister, Sloane, and their parents live in a town that is threatened by encroaching fires. They have an emergency kit, and their mother asks them to pack an overnight bag with essentials, just in case. Cara has been planning for a great summer, exploring on the new bike she got just as school let out, an early birthday present. As the book begins, she is out on a trail with her dog Mike. Mike is named after Mike Wazowski, a one-eyed monster from Disney movies. Mike is a dog that Cara chose two years ago, when she convinced her parents she was ready for a dog. Her parents steered her toward the cute puppies at the shelter, but Cara was drawn to Mike, an older dog, who shows the scars of past fights, include a tattered ear and the loss of an eye. And they've been practically inseparable since.
Mike still has nervous moments though, and it is one of these that causes him to disappear just when the Donovans have to evacuate. Cara is despondent, and the trip to the distant town they are evacuated to is a tense time, as the fire stays close for a long while, and others leaving need help along the way.
Cara tries to keep herself busy, spending time with Jewel, the foster daughter of their host family, and volunteering at the evacuation center. She quickly finds out how to fill out a form to let authorities know about her dog, but nothing really distracts her completely from her loss.
The desperation of the situation, while fleeing the fire is expressed well, and Cara's focus on her loved pet Mike is a constant.
The book is written in free verse, which adds an interesting flow to the story. And I loved that Cara was a crossword fanatic, mulling over word definitions and able to consider how a word might mean different things to different people. A big part of Cara's musings throughout the book are around the word "home" and how the word can mean sometime differnt to people given their experiences, personalities, and situations. A book that will get the reader thinking.

Home Leave

Finished May 18
Home Leave by Brittani Sonnenberg

This novel begins in a small town in Mississippi, with a very different speaker, a house. As the house tells us its history looking back on it with longing and regret, it also tells us the story of the family who lived in it, and the book continues the story of one of the daughters of the house Elise, as she leaves, marries a man who works and lives in different places in the world, has children of her own, and those children and her try to define home for themselves.
Elise left home when her mother didn't believe the terrible truth she finally had the courage to confess. At first she found religion, and sang in a Christian group as well as tried to spread the word of her church. But as she grew older, she found a man who she connected with and married him, soon becoming a seasoned ex-pat in a world she hadn't imagined as a girl.
We also see the background of Chris, the man Elise married, and the farming life he ran from. As the couple and their two daughters, Leah and Sophie, continually adjust to life in different cities and countries, it is when a tragic loss occurs that they find themselves redefining their lives and looking for more meaning and connection.

Crafting a Colorful Home

Finished September 20
Crafting a Colorful Home: a room-by-room guide to personalizing your space with color by Kristin Nicholas, photographs by Rikki Snyder

The book appealed to the creative side of me when I spotted it at the library, and I found several things in it that appealed to me. As the subtitle indicates, it is organized room by room, with a few techniques and projects spelled out for each room or area. These instructions are very well done, with photos for the different steps and clear wording.
I would have liked more photos and discussion on what she's done in her own rooms as some of the room shots showed interesting things that I would have liked to see closer and learn about how/why she did them.
As the title indicates the rooms here have two themes. One is color, lots of it, mixed with thought but not looking too planned. Vibrant colours played across more subtle ones. She does discuss color palettes and layering of colors in the first chapter to get you familiar with good color design practices. The second theme is crafting. A lot of her home has been done by herself from painting to textiles to useful and decorative objects. Nothing here is too difficult for a beginner which is great. She also provides templates for the projects.
The areas she covers are: studio; garden and entryways; kitchen; living room; dining room; library; and upstairs bedrooms and stairway.
As a librarian, I also liked how she worked books into her rooms. It made it feel very cozy and comfortable to me.
Lots of ideas here, and I'll plan to put some into action.

More Poetry

Finished October 30
Chez Nous by Angie Estes
I came across a review of this book in a copy of The Believer, and it intrigued me, so I bought a copy of the book. I've been reading it slowly, savoring the poetry (and occasionally struggling with the French words included). The poems included here have a relationship to home, whether it is to be at home with language, or with place. The poems use layered meanings to convey themselves and include references to literature and history. I found the poems lyrical and full of meaning. Very enjoyable.