Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More


May 09

11

The Help By Kathryn Stockett

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on May 11, 2009
Posted in Civil rights • Historical Fiction • Kathryn Stockett  | 19 Comments

Amazing Journey

Skeeter Phelan just graduated college and is trying to go about her day to day living, like a good white Southern woman should. She is a active member in the Junior league, she plays Bridge with her friends, and even goes out on a date that her best friend Hilly set her up with. Her over bearing mother wants nothing more for her daughter than to marry, live in a nice house, and have a black maid. So what’ s wrong with her? Why isn’t this enough?
Skeeter has her own aspirations and dreams big, for a southern white woman. She wants to actually make use of her college degree and become a writer. She sends her resume to Harper and Row in New York City. Amazingly she actually hears back from the editor. Not with a job but with some sound advice. Skeeter quietly follows it.
On her path to becoming a writer, Skeeter starts to question the norms of the southern society she lives in. This is when she forges an unlikely friendship with two black maids. The book is narrated in turn by Skeeter and the two maids, Aibileen and Minny.
This is an amazing book about race relations in the south during the Civil Rights era. Reading this book was like Kathryn Stockett put me in a rocket and transported me back in time to the 1960’s south! I lost hours of sleep and had a hard time prying the book out of my hands.
The character and plot development were stellar, that of a seasoned writer. Imagine my surprise when I learned that this is Stockett’s first novel! I rarely read a book more than once because there are so many that I want to read however, this book is worth a return visit! I see quite a promising writing career ahead for Kathryn Stockett and cannot recommend this book highly enough!

5/5
Thanks so much to Bronwyn Kienapple of Penguin Group (Canada) for answering my plea to read and review this book!

Also reviewed by (please let me know if I missed anybody):

Devourer of Books
Under a Blood Red Sky
Lesley’s Book Nook
At Home With Books
Book Room Reviews
Shhh I’m Reading..
The Bluestocking Society

Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin’? »

ANovelMenagerie

Copyright 2007-2010: All the posts within this blog were originally posted by Teddy Rose and should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Apr 09

25

Signora da Vinci by Robin Maxwell

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on April 25, 2009
Posted in Books Read in 2009 • Historical Fiction • Italy • Robin Maxwell  | 12 Comments

Stirring Portrait of Renascence Italy

Historical records tell us very little about Leonardo Da Vinci’s mother, Caterina. All that is really know is that she had Leonardo out of wedlock and that he was taken from her by his father’s family and raise by them.

Robin Maxwell tries to fill in the blanks and the remarkable work of historical fiction. Caterenia grew up in a small village with her father, Ernesto, an apothecary. Her mother died when Caterina was very young. Ernesto was a true believer in education and educated Caterina even though it was almost unheard of for a woman to have an education. He also taught her how to be an apothecary.

One day Caterenia was gathering plants for the apothecary when she happened to meet Piero, the son of the richest family in the village. After that they met regularly until he finally propose marriage. With the promise of marriage, they consummated their love for each other.

Piero went home to tell his family about his future wife and he was forbidden to see her again, let alone marry her. A couple months after that, Caterina realized she was pregnant. After she gives birth, is when the story really spices up!

Caterina was an intelligent, kind, caring mother who would do anything for her son, even at great personal risk to herself and her identity.

Robin Maxwell writes a very colourful story of Caterina and her relationship with her son. She captures the essence of the Italian Renascence with vivid prose and includes details of real people such as Leonardo da Vinci and Lorenzo de’Medici.

Maxwell did make one mistake, when Leonardo was almost 16 years old, Caterina was 21. She was 15 when she had him. The math does not add up at all. LOL!

Despite that, Maxwell wrote a stirring portrait of Renascence Italy and Leonardo da Vinci’s mother. Highly recommended!

4/5

Stay tuned, in mid-May I will be posting my interview with Robin Maxwell and a giveaway!

Also review at:

Devourer of Books

My Friend Amy

Reading Room

Copyright 2007-2010: All the posts within this blog were originally posted by Teddy Rose and should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Apr 09

3

King’s Fool: A Notorious King, His Six Wives, and the One Man Who Knew Their Secrets by Margaret Campbell Barnes

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on April 3, 2009
Posted in Books Read in 2009 • Historical Fiction • Margaret Campbell Barnes • Tudors  | 14 Comments


He’s No Fool

Will Somers starts out with a dull life in the country on the family farm. Even his family admits that he doesn’t make a good farmer. That doesn’t leave him with any real options, until an option lands in his lap.

Will is one of the few lucky country children that had an education. He is given to a merchant, Richard Fermer , to work for. He has a good head for numbers and he must do the books and take inventory. He is good at what he does, but it bores him. The one shining light in his new life is Joanna, Master Fermer’s daughter. He knows that it would not be possible to marry her, yet he dreams of a life with her.

One day Master Fermer told Will that he would be going to Court with him to conduct business. He meets King Henry and while the king and other royalty bowl, Will cracks a joke. With that, Henry scoops up Will to be his royal fool.

Will witnesses everything at court. The six wives, Henry’s mood swings, everything. He become King Henry’s companion and confidante and stand by him through it all. However, he still pines for Joanna through the years.

I could go on and on about this wonderful book but I wouldn’t want to give you any spoilers. This book was first published in 1959. It is now being re-published by Source Books and is coming out this month. Though it was out in 1959, I didn’t find it dated by today’s standards.

My only small complaint is that I would have liked it a bit longer. Some of King Henry’s six wives are barely touched upon.

Margaret Campbell Barnes envelopes the reader into the pages of her book. It is a compelling read and captures the period and Will Somers well. This book is hard to put down! Highly recommended!

4.5/5

Thanks to Danielle L. Jackson for a ARC of this wonderful book.

Also reviewed by:

Passages to the Past
The Tome Traveller’s Weblog
Devourer of Books
A Hoyden’s Look at Literature

Copyright 2007-2010: All the posts within this blog were originally posted by Teddy Rose and should not be reproduced without express written permission.

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