Harriet Tubman’s accomplishments in the abolition of slavery, the Civil War, and the women’s suffrage movement changed the arc of American history. She was born Araminta “Minty” Ross to Harriet Green and Benjamin Ross sometime between 1820 and 1822 on a plantation in Dorchester County, Maryland. When she was five years old, Tubman’s owners rented her out to neighbors as a nursemaid where she was whipped whenever the baby cried. Two years later, she was rented out to set muskrat traps and later as a field hand. Early signs of her resistance to slavery came at age twelve when she intervened to keep her master from throwing a heavy weight […]
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The Guide – Book Review
Guess what I know about fly-fishing? Zip. Nada. Diddly squat. But it didn’t matter because Peter Heller told me all about it. Have I been to a fancy resort for the uber-wealthy in the Colorado wilderness? Nope, but Peter Heller told me all about it. Kingfisher Lodge, boutique fishing at its finest, is nestled in a canyon along the most pristine river water on the planet, and locked behind a heavy gate. Sandwiched between barbed wire and a meadow with a sign that reads Don’t Get Shot! Kingfisher offers a respite from Covid for wealthy clients and for newly arrived fishing guide, Jack, a return to normalcy. Jack has lost […]
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The Man Who Died Twice – Book Review
It’s an intricately woven whodunit with delightful characters and witty dialogue, a laugh-out-loud, quirky gem I couldn’t put down. There were so many twists and turns that I was guessing until the very last pages. The friendships between the septuagenarian sleuths are poignant and added depth to the eccentric novels. Of course, I loved that the primary character was a woman of a certain age. Book #2 was even better than the first — great entertainment during trying times. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5. Synopsis: “More women are murdering people these days,” says Joyce. “If you ignore the context, it is a real sign of progress.” Richard Osman, The […]
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Clara Barton, philanthropist
Clarissa “Clara” Harlowe Barton, is one of the most honored women in American history. Her contributions in education, during the Civil War, and at The Red Cross made a difference in the lives of an untold number of people. Clara began teaching at age 18, founded a school for the children of mill workers, and established the first free school in Bordentown, New Jersey when she was 31. She resigned when she discovered that the school had hired a man at twice her salary. “I may sometimes be willing to teach for nothing, but if paid at all, I shall never do a man’s work for less than a […]
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Game On – Book Review
If you have never read a Stephanie Plum novel, you should! They are funny, upbeat, and irreverent and will keep you entertained from the very first sentence. Who is Stephanie Plum you ask? Well, she is a sassy bond enforcement agent for her sleazy cousin Vinnie’s bail bond business in Trenton, New Jersey. She is in one scape after or another, but is always rescued by her police detective boyfriend, Joe Morelli, or hunky fellow bondsman and security expert, Ranger. She gets help from a hooker named Lula, and her Grandma Mazur, who is always on top of the latest Burg gossip in this wildly successful series. Author Janet Evanovich’s […]
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Katherine Stinson, Aviator
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-B2-1234] I don’t enjoy flying—well, actually sitting in an airplane while somebody else flies it is problematic. There’s something about hurtling through the air locked in a metal box that freaks me out. Call me crazy. So when I read about Katherine Stinson, who was clearly unafraid to fly, it duly impressed me. At 19, she became one of the first women in the United States to receive a pilot’s license. One year later, the Stinson family established the Stinson Municipal Airport and the Stinson School of Flying, where Katherine and her sister, Marjorie, opened a flying school, teaching their […]
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The Christie Affair – Book Review
I know a book is going to be good when it begins like this: “A long time ago, in another country, I nearly killed a woman. It’s a particular feeling, the urge to murder. It takes over your body so completely, it’s like a divine force, grabbing hold of your will, your limbs, your psyche. There’s a joy to it. In retrospect, it’s frightening, but I daresay in the moment it feels sweet. The way justice feels sweet.” Part mystery, part biographical fiction, The Christie Affair is a clever, mesmerizing read written by a talented novelist. Nina de Gramont brilliantly weaves together two storylines, that of Agatha Christie, and the […]
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My Favorite Book of January 2022
Amanda Dykes knocked it out of the park with Whose Waves These Are. The story is so beautiful it changed me. It inspired me. It made me weep. Her book made me feel warm inside and her words were medicine for my weary soul. I could feel God in them. And her writing is gorgeous; lyrical and sweeping. I like to highlight passages when I read for later reflection, but if I did that with this book, my eBook would have been more yellow than not. Don’t even get me started on her characterization. I fell in love with the people and their way of life. I envied their sense […]
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The Greatest Women in History – Marie Curie
Photo by Henri Manuel, Public Domain March is Women’s History Month here in the United States of America, a time when we can collectively celebrate women’s contributions to American history. It began in 1978 as a week-long celebration in Santa Rosa, California, and a consortium of women’s groups and historians successfully lobbied for national recognition the following year. It took until 1987, but now every March is designated Women’s History Month by presidential proclamation. Sadly, many of the women who changed the world remain obscure to most, a tremendous disservice to champions of science, literature, the humanities, the armed forces, politics, and business. Each day this month, I’ll be profiling […]
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The Last Thing He Told Me – Book Review
Owen Michaels, a coder for a prominent tech company, vanishes just before his boss is arrested for corruption. He leaves two things behind: A duffle bag full of cash for his 16-year-old daughter, Bailey, and a cryptic note to Hannah, his beloved wife of one year: Protect her. Hannah quickly realizes her husband isn’t who he said he was. Despite their complicated relationship, Hannah and Bailey set out to discover the truth and find some surprises along the way. The author deftly handled Hannah’s dual timelines, which alternate between Hannah’s early days with Owen and her current hunt for him. I loved some parts of the book, but others made me […]
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