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Here is an idea that you might be able to incorporate into your summer travel plans ....



In Concord Mass not far out of Boston, is Orchard House - The home of Louisa May Alcott who wrote Little Women. Visitors go through by guided tour and learn so much about the Alcott family its sets your head spinning. I have been through twice, once in winter and once in early fall. Have any of you every been there? I really enjoyed it both times, so did the rest of my family - even my non-bookish husband! My daughters are ages 8 and 5 and their interest was captured for the whole tour.

For people who have read Little Women (or seen one of the movie versions) it is especially fascinating, because the book was based on Louisa May Alcott's real family. There is so much information to remind you of the book. The tour is also interesting to people who haven't read the book (as demonstrated by my husband and father) because of the history involved and the eccentricities of the Alcott family.

I love the way that books capture a piece of history and culture. When I visited the Alcott Orchard House it reminded me of the living connection to the past that books provide. Louisa May Alcott was quite an inspiring woman who was very courageous. I read a biography about her when I was 17 and I found it really fascinating to learn about her childhood. Transcendental philosophy had such an impact on the way she was raised and educated.

I must not forget to mention the lovely little gift shop! There are obviously lots of books to purchase and many other interesting gift items. My mother must have spent about an hour in there! I mostly benefited because it was just a couple of days until my birthday at the time we visited.

Here is the link to their website where you can find out the cost, the opening hours and when they have special events on: http://www.louisamayalcott.org/

Review: Strength In What Remains

Title: Strength in What Remains: A Journey of Remembrance and Forgiveness
Author: Tracy Kidder
Publisher: Random House 2009

Award winning author Tracy Kidder writes a biography of a journey of survival against unbelievable odds. The main character Deo is a young medical student in Burundi, a country neighboring Ruwanda. He amazingly survives the genocide and escapes to America in 1994. In New York Deo begins the life-long process of recovery. He starts out living in New York's central park and working as a grocery delivery boy. He is plagued by horrifying memories and nightmares and endures many difficulties before meeting some compassionate Americans who tend to his needs and help him to achieve his goal of going back to university.

Strength in What Remains traces Deo's many journeys both physical and spiritual. Part one, titled Flights, tells his first journey to America. It then gradually unfolds the details of his original flight for his life which took him across Burundi, into a refugee camp in Ruwanda and then back to Burundi. He narrowly escapes death many times and witnesses unspeakable horrors. Part two is titled Gusimbura which is a word that means to remind someone of something bad. In part two Deo and Tracy Kidder makes a journey to Burundi together, where they revisit the places of Deo's childhood and also visits many memorial sites. Kidder describes Deo's attempt to understand what he and his country had been through and how to move on from it. Part two of the book contained statistics and some research into the history of the events. My only criticism is that I found this section to be a little drawn out.

Kidder's book is inspirational. While it reminds us of one of the most tragic events in recent history, it is actually an incredibly positive story. The seriousness of the topic is tempered by some occasional laugh-out-loud humorous moments that are interspersed though the book. Deo's humanity is sustained by his long term vision to bring free health care to the impoverished people of Burundi, reminding the reader that peace and progress is accomplished through the hopes and determination of compassionate individuals.

Author Review: Geraldine Brooks

Survivor Stories

Geraldine Brooks is a Pulitzer Prize winning contemporary author who has written 3 works of historical fiction which all tell detailed stories of survival. Born and raised in Australia she currently lives in the USA. All her books challenge the reader with interesting moral questions. Through her characters, Brooks examines the challenges of self identity when surrounded by death and conflict. Her writing talent is superb and her themes deep.

Year of Wonders (2001) traces a young woman who looses all her loved ones to the plague in a 17th century small English village. The rector convinces the villagers to isolate themselves in order to stop the spread of the disease. As the protagonist struggles to find the will to keep living, she learns that the survival of her own soul is linked to that of the others in the village. It is a story of courage and human dignity in the face of death, disease and superstition.

March (2005) is the story of Little Women's Mr. March, the absent father who is a chaplain in the American civil war. As an idealist faced with the moral challenges of war time and the disillusionment of his own human frailties, Mr. March grapples with his own internal demons as much as how to give moral comfort to the soldiers he serves.

People of the book (2008) imagines the history of the Sarajevo Haggadah, an illuminated Hebrew passover manuscript. As it is being restored by an expert, the manuscript yields various clues which trace the journey that it has taken through history. Not only does Brooks chronicle the amazing survival of this early text, but she tells the stories of people who risked their own lives and careers to ensure its safety. Once again Brooks gives voice to important questions of survival, as she writes about conflicting faiths and traditions.

Article: Why Read the Classics?

With so many interesting books constantly being released why should a reader (who is not a lit student) go back to the classics?

Going back to classic literature can be difficult because it can be hard to adjust to the older style of writing and can often be heavier with lengthy descriptions. If you persevere it is very rewarding and you do get back into the flow of the style after a little while.

One of the main benefits of reading older books are that they allow you to transcend your current time period. It seems that each period of history has its own problems to solve and its own preoccupations. By reading works not just set in the past but also written in the past, you are able to leave aside your own views and opinions and enter into another way of looking at the world. It is very enlightening to engage with a different set of ideals. While contemporary historical fiction also provides a glimpse of another time, it is written with the authors cultural assumptions which stem from your own time. I have often read historical fiction that had characters who seem to possess contemporary ideas and it is so unrealistic.

Classic literature also provides its own sort of escapism. You can take a break from the current problems in society and wind down from the fast pace of modern life. It is often the case that the style of classic literature is slower and wordier. Back in the day it took them longer to say something. They did not get straight to the point and pair down the language as we do today.
It is a luxury to be able to slow down and savor a story which really gets into the minds of the characters, describes the settings in detail, and is rich and full in its word choice.

Some other side benefits of reading classic literature is the expanding of your own vocabulary, the educational benefits of exposure to the 'greats', and the improvement of your own writing style. They are the books that history has proven excellent, so in effect you are saved the trouble of discovering something that is worth reading. The classics may in some cases be an acquired taste particularly if you are used to only reading lighter style books. In my opinion it is worth the effort because it is rewarding to be not only in touch with your own culture and times, but also to understand where it all developed from.

Book Review:The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe

Title: The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane Author: Katherine Howe Published:May 22nd 2009 by HarperCollins Canada / Hyperion Voice

Katherine Howe's debut novel The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane engages the reader in an unexpected story rooted in the Salem witch trials. The protagonist Connie is a Harvard graduate student who stumbles upon a key in an old Bible in her grandmothers abandoned house. Inside they key are the words 'Deliverance Dane'. The story traces Connie's quest to find the significance of this key and name. Her research into its origins leads Connie into new relationships, dangerous discoveries and the awakening of latent supernatural powers. Working with the assumption that at least some of the convicted witches really did poses supernatural powers, Howe links numerous generations of women and tells how their powers affected their lives and relationships. The novel transitions back and forth between historical periods with ease while the plot unfolds by degrees. There are many twists and turns in the narrative, but they are fairly easy to follow. The plot was interesting and fresh in it's mix of historical detail and imaginative outcomes, but I would have liked the main characters to be more complex. The main characters seemed to have only surface level reactions and uninspired relationships. Howe's writing is pleasingly descriptive and at times emotionally intense. Many of the scenes in the novel were beautifully and vividly rendered. Howe's academic background shows through in the solid base of historical research evident in the novel. Overall it was an imaginative tale with an interesting perspective on an episode of American history.

Katherine Howe will be appearing in various locations for author signings in the months of June and July 09