April 2012

"Against Their Will:  North Carolina's Sterilization Program and the Campaign for Reparations" by Begos, Deaver, Riley & Sexton         

A eugenics, or involuntary sterilization program, was prevalent in North Carolina until the mid 70's.  During this time a sterilization Board would pass judgment on over 7,600 people.  At first the program targeted mentally ill individuals but then expanded to include welfare recipients, "feeble-minded" individuals and anyone deemed promiscuous or high risk.  Young unwed mothers were forced to undergo sterilization or lose welfare benefits for themselves and their families.

     This book appears to have been written in 2003.  If it is a re-release, it would be nice to know if anything has happened in the area in the past 9 years.  Further, I would have liked to have read more survivor stories.  They would have helped to put the book into context.  My other criticism is that the book seemed to be all over the place time-wise.  It was not written chronologically, which made it a bit hard to keep up.  Otherwise, I enjoyed the newspaper articles scattered throughout.  They brought the issue closer to home and put everything in context.  Despite my criticisms, I did think the book was well-written.  It brought to light an issue I had never heard of before, which makes it immensely valuable.

"The Games" by Ted Kosmatka         

Set in a futuristic America, Silas Williams is the geneticist in charge of creating the U.S. entity for the Olympic Gladiator competition.  The competition is a fight to the death between genetically (no human DNA) created creatures.  For this event, the U.S. Olympic committee has allowed a supercomputer to design its gladiator.  Unfortunately the creature is more intelligence than they had ever expected.

     I thought that the book was well written and the characters were interesting.  However, this just wasn't my type of book.  I think people who are interested in science fiction or genetics would have appreciated it a bit more than I did.  Overall, not a bad read, I think many will enjoy it.

"After the Fog" by Kathleen Shoop         

In 1948 in the mill town of Donora, Pennsylvania, a suffocating smog and fog descended over the town for four days.  Rose, the community nurse, has her hands full in a way that she could never have imagined.          

I found this book very hard to get into.  The characters were very gritty, making them appear unrealistic.  I also found it difficult to like the characters.  It seemed that the author focused so much on every tiny detail that it took forever to get to the story.  I have to admit that I couldn't finish this book, therefore I cannot recommend it to others.

"And Laughter Fell From the Sky" by Jyotsna Sreenivasan         

Rasika wants to be a good Indian daughter.  And part of that is entering into an arranged marriage before the age of 26.   Out of the blue she runs into a childhood friend and despite their class differences they find a powerful attraction between them.  The book is full of twists and turns and really takes the reader on a roller coaster journey.          

Overall, I thought the writing style was beautiful.  At times I got annoyed with the characters choices, but that just goes to show how realistic they came across.  I learned a lot about Indian culture and feel like I got an in depth look into problems American-Indians face. 

"Veil of Pearls" by MaryLu Tyndall         

Adalia was born onto the island of Barbados and despite her "white appearance" is part black.  When her parents die in a hurricane she is enslaved by a horrendous man who forces her to do her bidding.  Chance favors her, and she is able to escape and board a boat to Charleston.  With her skill in herbal remedies she finds work and board with a local doctor and settles into a life of freedom.  Morgan Rutledge, a child of one of the wealthiest men in Charleston, takes a fancy to Adalia and despite her protests, the two begin socializing.  He takes her to parties, opera's and more as they slowly fall in love.  But Emerald, a socialite is enamored with Morgan, and is determined to uncover the truth of Adalia's past.

I enjoyed this book.  I thought it was well written and well paced.  The characters seemed rich and diverse and not at all stereotypical.  My only complaint is that at times the book over-emphasized Christian ideals and Adalia's coming back to Jesus.  Those parts felt a bit trite and forced.  Overall, not a bad book though.

"Quiet:  The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking" by Susan Cain         

In a world were exuberance, fast-talking and charisma is highly valued one-third of the population is introverted.  Introverts prefer small groups or solitude, are better listeners than speakers and tend to be labeled as quiet or shy.  Cain looks at a number of introverts throughout history and points out how their quite style has contributed greatly to society.  In the second half of the book she looks at psychology and neuroscience to reveal further differences between extroverts and introverts.

Overall, I thought this was a very interesting book.  As an introvert I often feel undervalued because I prefer quiet and solitude.  I thought Cain's explanations about the differences in personality were spot on and well researched.  I think this would be a valuable book for managers, professionals and parents.

"Full Body Burden" by Kristen Iversen         

Kristen and her family grew up in the shadow of Rocky Flats, a nuclear-weapons plant.  This book alternates between scenes from Kristen's life and stories of Rocky Flats, the most contaminated site in America.  Producing tons of radioactive waste, polluting the nearby area and covering up a variety of accidents are only a few of the problems created.  Increased rates of cancer, poor health and death affect a population who tries to ignore the truth about Rocky Flats.

     I thought this was a very well written and researched book.  I enjoyed the stories of Kristen's life and felt that it served to really bring home the issues.  It also showed how the population around Rocky Flats trusted the government and allowed themselves to be misled.  Overall, I highly recommend this book.

"Sandcastle Girls" by Chris Bohjalian         

This book alternates between the present day life of writer Laura and her grandmother Elizabeth Endicott.  Laura is trying to uncover information about her grandparents’ life, specifically their involvement with the Armenian genocide.  Elizabeth has just arrived in the city of Aleppo (Syria) where she has traveled to help the refugees of the Armenian genocide.  Elizabeth becomes interested in Armen, an Armenian refugee who is looking for information on his "deceased" wife and infant daughter.

     I found this book to be fascinating.  I knew of the Armenian genocide before reading this book, but I had no idea of the widespread scale and atrocities committed against the Armenian people.  I wish the book had skipped the present-day.  Laura's story was a bit boring in comparison to Elizabeth's adventures.  I also thought the book shifted perspective at odd and random times.  However, I enjoyed the characters, the story line and learning something new.

"Pursuing Hope:  A Journey From Sorrow to Triumph"by Ric DelleCave         

Abandoned at an orphanage by his mother Rick is subjected to abuse, neglect and hardship.  Despite his mother's callous attitude he enjoys her visits and longs to be back with her.  After his mother remarries Rick and his brother are brought back to live with Mom and their new step-siblings.  However, Rick finds himself watching his mother being beaten by his step-father and he himself is subjected to his stepfather and stepbrothers violent mood swings.  After deciding he can't take the abuse any longer Rick leaves home and finds himself living on the streets.

     I found this book to be extremely compelling.  It is a story of survival and overcoming one's challenges in life.  I think this is an important story, not only for survivors of abuse but for anyone wanting to learn more about it.  Overall, highly recommended.

"Into the Free" by Julie Cantrell         

"Into the Free" takes place during the great depression in Mississippi.  Millie lives with an abusive father and a depressed mother, who has trouble functioning day-to-day.  Each spring the Gypsies come into town and Millie finds herself following and then befriending them.  At the age of 16, Millie decides that she wants to know more about her family and goes to the rodeo to watch her father compete.  Thrown off, her father is gored in the chest and is immediately taken to the hospital where he dies.  Her mother dies a few days later from a morphine overdose and Millie is left alone.

     This book was incredibly touching.  It is a coming-of-age novel that shows the strength and determination of a young girl who has been dealt a bad hand in life.  Despite her abusive upbringing and the mental illness throughout her family, Millie is able to grow and live.  I thought the characters were very well developed and sympathetic.  The plot line moved slowly at times, but overall was well paced.  This book reminded me a bit of "The Glass House" and other memoirs set in the era.  Overall, I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

"Grave Mercy" by Robin LaFevers         

Born after her mother took poison to induce a miscarriage, Ismae has a terrible scar running down her side.  Touted as a daughter to Saint Mortain, the god of death, she is an outcast among townspeople.  At a young age her father sells her into an arranged marriage.  Once her husband sees her scars he runs off to find the village priest.  Ismae is secreted away by a local wise woman and sent to the convent of St. Mortain.  There she is given a choice, a choice to learn the ways of death and become an assassin.  One of her first assignments takes her straight to the court of Brittany, where she must uncover traitors and meet out St. Mortain's justice.

I highly enjoyed this book.  I found myself not wanting to put it down.  The characters were well developed and the plot line moved swiftly.  I did think the traitor was a bit easy for the reader to discover, but that didn't take too much away from the plot.  I would have liked to have read more about her training period, but the author skipped over most of that time period.  Overall, I would like to read the next book in the series and plan on closely following this author.