Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More


Jul 08

7

Ringside 1925: Views From the Scopes Trial by Jen Bryant

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on July 7, 2008
Posted in Books Read 2008 • Historical Fiction • Jen Bryant  | 4 Comments

Written for Young Adults, but Just as Engaging for Adults

The year is 1925 in small town Tennessee. The school year is winding down and the children are excited about having a laid back summer. However, when it comes to the towns peoples attention that the science teacher, J. T. Scopes taught Darwin’s theory of evolution in class, he is arrested and the children realize it won’t be the same summer they planned after all.

The title Ringside is quite accurate, as the town turns into a virtual circus for the trail with nationwide publicity: reporters, lawyers, scientists, religious leaders, and tourists.
The only drugstore in town orders in all kinds of monkey memorabilia to sell and even rents a real monkey to sell the items. Many of the towns people also cash in by setting up tables outside the courthouse to sell food and all kinds of things.
Some of the friendships in town became strained because of the differing point of views. In the end, some friends were able to come to terms with their differences and even see their friend’s point of view but a few could not.
Bryant tells the story from the town’s people’s and reporter’s point of view, each narrating in turn. By writing it this way, we really get to know the town and all it’s people, both it’s children and adults with differing point of view.
She writes in fresh lyrical prose. This small and fast paced book really packs a punch. Both children and adults will learn more about the real life Scopes trial while being thoroughly entertained at the same time.
I loved this book and highly recommend it!
5/5
A special thanks to Jen Bryant for sending me a copy of this extraordinary book!
Note: If you have also reviewed this book, please feel free to post your link in the comments. I will then add it to the end of my review.
Copyright 2007-2010: All the posts within this blog were originally posted by Teddy Rose and should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Jul 08

6

The Horseman’s Graves by Jacqueline Baker

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on July 6, 2008
Posted in Books Read 2008 • Canada • Historical Fiction • Jacqueline Baker  | 14 Comments

A Worthwhile Journey

This is Jacqueline Baker’s first novel. Set in the early 1900’s in the Saskatchewan’s Sand Hills, The Horseman’s Graves is about a community of German immigrant settlers’ in particular, two families; the Schoffs and the Krausses.

Both families have lived next door to each other since their families immigrated. Now in the second generation, the families continue to hold a grudge for each other. Leo Krauss is scorned by the community for his rudeness and his odd behavior. Stolanus and Helen Schoff are outcast from the greater community after their son gets run over by a wagon. He lives but must endure growing up physically scarred, perhaps with mild brain damage, and suffering from seizures. Many of the superstitious community still believe that seizures are the work of the devil.

Despite all this, the Schoff farm prospers and with the help of Lathias, the Schoff’s young farmhand the boy grows up. Meanwhile, Leo Krauss gets married to a woman who has a teenage girl, Elizabeth. Lathias and the Schoff boy befriend Elizabeth and starts taking almost daily horseback rides to the river. One day in the winter the Schoff boy and Elizabeth go to the river alone and argue about Lathias. The boy walks away, but looks back and no longer sees Elizabeth. It is presumed that she fell through the ice and drown, but the body is not recovered. There is speculation the Schoff boy may have done something intentionally, but this is never proved.

Though this story takes a slow meandering path, it depicts the beautiful yet harsh landscape of the Saskatchewan Alberta boarder and has many plot twists and turns. It does go somewhere, but you must be willing to travel slowly, at least at the beginning. I am not always the most patient reader. I usually like to get into the plot rather quickly. However, I enjoyed the slower journey that Jacqueline Baker’s takes us on. The journey of passion, sin, redemption, through an amazing landscape of time, place, and people.

I look forward to reading more by Jacqueline Baker and recommend this book.

4/5

Thanks to Harper Collins for a copy of this book!

Note: If you have also reviewed this book, please feel free to post your link in the comments. I will then add it to the end of my review.
Copyright 2007-2010: All the posts within this blog were originally posted by Teddy Rose and should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Jun 08

13

Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on June 13, 2008
Posted in Anne Michaels • Books Read 2008 • Canada • Historical Fiction  | 4 Comments

Just a Little Too Poetic for This Reader’s Taste

The book opens with Jakob Beer as a seven-year-old child hiding in the bog in order to escape the Nazis. His family did not escape and were killed. Jakob was found by Athos Roussos, who smuggled him out of Poland and brought young Jakob to live with him in Greece. After the war, they immigrated to Canada. Jakob later becomes a poet and translator. The story is told by Ben, who discovered Jakob’s diaries, a man whose parents are Holocaust survivors.

This is primarily a story about memory, love, and loss. Anne Michaels is an accomplished poet, which is really demonstrated in this, her first novel. Every sentence is carefully crafted poetry. Her descriptions have great depth and make the reader see the great beauty and great horror.
This book is not a fast read. I found myself having to stop and ponder a lot. This was both negative and positive for me. I am not a huge fan of poetry, so in that sense this book was too lyrical for me. However, by being forced to stop and ponder I found some wonderful pearls.
I saw the movie version, which is what prompted me to read this book. The movie was a gem and I loved it. Sometimes it takes an overly lyrical novel to make a great film. It is very rare that I like the film version better than a book, but this is one of those cases.
I’m glad I read the book. I got to explore the characters more deeply. Now I want to see the movie again.

3.5/5

Note: If you have also reviewed this book, please feel free to post you link in the comments. I will then add it to the end of my review.
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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