Rough Riders: Theodore Roosevelt, His Cowboy Regiment, and the Immortal Charge Up San Juan Hill

Rating: 4 Stars

I do not typically read anything involving military history, tactical planning, etc.; it really is not that interesting to me. But I found this one while wandering the library a month or so ago and thought it would be a great addition for my 2017 President Challenge, where I am attempting to read at least one book about each of our former presidents. Needless to say, once I started writing my own book, this goal kind of got buried.

But FINALLY I have finished this one and it was worth diving into. The day I picked it up from the library, it occurred to me that while I knew who the Rough Riders were, I really had NO IDEA what battle they took part in besides knowing the phrase 'San Juan Hill'. As far as wars go, this one kind of got ignored in history class, what with all the murder and mayhem caused by the Nazis during WWII.

As I recently wrote on the Challenge page, due to time constraints, the books I read for this challenge may not have the typical review I would give, were I not involved in my own work at this time. Basically, I won't be spending nearly the time I usually do on writing reviews.

Despite my aversion to books about military history, I was not bored by this one. So many puzzle pieces fell into place for me as I was reading and finally figuring out what this war was all about and why 'charge up San Juan Hill' was so important. Especially in our time with all the weapons and technology now available, even war seemed so much simpler then, if war can ever be simple. I also greatly appreciated the use of contemporary sources. There are tons of photographs of the men, as well as references to telegrams, letters home, orders, etc. 

Here are a few lines I enjoyed, or struck a chord, or amused me:

The first quote comes from the very first page, from a Medal of Honor ceremony in 1906 during Roosevelt's presidency. He was the first to insist on a ceremony, where the medal was given by the president to the recipient. It is crazy to me to think that the medals were ever sent by mail.

"This is the first time a Medal of Honor ceremony has taken place in the White House, the first time since the nation's highest military honor was created during the Civil War that a president of the United States has personally presented. In all previous years, Medals of Honor simply came in the mail" (page 1).

Not-So-Fun Fact: Roosevelt felt he deserved this very medal for his part in the battle. While he would not receive it in his own lifetime, it would be posthumously awarded to him by President Clinton in 2001 and received by his great-grandson, Tweed Roosevelt.

On Roosevelt's character:

"Roosevelt made no effort to hide his inexperience as a cavalry officer. He was often seen in camp holding the thick cavalry drill manual and loudly practicing various commands, completely oblivious to the troopers just steps away. His boyish enthusiasm for any task was contagious, and he talked down to no man - unless he deserved it" (page 39).

After San Juan:

"Some Rough Riders apparently thought the law didn't stand a chance, either, and when they got on the wrong side of it, they seldom failed to call on the influential colonel. An exasperated Edith Roosevelt felt "as if we were the parents of a thousand very large and very bad children" (page 257).

The very last lines of the book:

"But Roosevelt did much more than leave a legacy to his children. He and his men authored one of the iconic moments in American history. The Rough Riders forever charge up San Juan Hill, and Roosevelt forever leads them. In that way, they are immortal. And it is all because Theodore Roosevelt craved something "worth doing" " (page 278).

Definitely recommended.

First Line Friday Non-Eleanor Edition III

First I would like to say my apologies for not making it around to all of the blogs last week, especially those who commented here. I hope everyone saw my quick note about having gotten a concussion last Thursday and being unwell in the following couple days while the headaches and nausea did their work and finally subsided. I will be much more functional this weekend and make it around to see what first lines you've all chosen.

Happy Friday! it has been rainy all week and I am excited to do nothing this weekend except read and work on my book. Of course, I am trying to hack my way through my TBR list while still researching and writing about Eleanor of Aquitaine. A couple months ago I was incredibly lucky to have received a copy of my book for this week from Amberley Publishing. Unfortunately the file format was kind of wonky and I could not adjust the size of the words to read with ease. So naturally I did the next best thing: I submitted a purchase request to my public library and finally got my hands on the physical copy a couple weeks ago.

Totally. Worth. The. Wait.

I love Catherine. Truly, completely am in such awe of her strength and intelligence, and how she held fast to the title that was rightfully hers, Queen of England. She did, after all, learn from her mother - the indomitable Isabella of Castile and it is tragic and heartbreaking not only that Catherine and Mary were separated after Henry's break with Rome and subsequent marriage to the Concubine (Chapuys' words, not mine), but that even in illness and the face of death, they were never allowed to see one another again.

This week's first line is actually three sentences, because I do what I want:

"This story begins with a map. A map that depicts a world that no longer exists; a map painted on paper that has itself disappeared - burned, lost, drenched or reused at some point in more than five hundred intervening years."

Leave a comment below about my line or feel free to share one of your own. Then take a look at what my fellow First-Liners have for you this week.

Bree - Bibliophile Reviews

Rachel - Bookworm Mama

Heather - Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen

Beth - Faithfully Bookish

Katie - Fiction Aficionado

Lauraine - Lauraine's Notes

Andi - Radiant Light

Carrie - Reading is my SuperPower

Robin - Robin's Nest

Sydney - Singing Librarian

Kathleen - Kathleen Denly

Amanda - With a Joyful Noise

Jessica - A Baker's Perspective

Happy Friday and Happy Reading!
Sarah

Top Ten Tuesday!

Courtesy of The Broke and the Bookish, Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme about making lists. And I love making lists, so it is a match made in Heaven. This week's topic is:

March 28: Top Ten Authors I'm Dying to Meet/Ten Authors I Can't Believe I Met (some other 'meeting authors' type spin you want to do).

Now, I know what you might be thinking. If you are someone who reads my blog regularly, you know that I am slightly into history. It makes sense then that I would want to meet historians. And I so frequently talk about my obsession with Dan Jones and his books, (it probably makes him slightly uncomfortable), so you are assuming this whole post will be about him.

Well guess what?!

You're not totally wrong, I wrote the most about him. And Bernie. But more on that later.

My list this week is going to seem slightly wonky (some of the authors are no longer living, that creates a problem), and I am naturally not totally following the rules, but here are a few authors I would truly love to meet and ask them endless questions about their work and lives and if we can BFFs. Here they are, in no particular order:

1. Mindy Kaling

(Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? and Why Not Me?)

 

Okay, so technically she is not ONLY an author, and she was known for her acting and such first. But she has two books published now so she counts. I dare you to read either of her books and not tell me she is the coolest. I just know we would be BFFs if we knew each other in real life. It is hard for some comedians to be funny in multiple formats, but here she is just as funny as on her television shows. I so desperately hope she is as down-to-earth as she comes across in her books.

2. William Shakespeare

(I seriously doubt anyone needs me to list any of his work)

See what I mean, this one being tricky and all, because he's been dead 400+ years. My reasons are two-fold - I absolutely adore Much Ado About Nothing and would love to meet the person who created Beatrice and Benedick to congratulate him, while at the same time asking wtf is up with Claudio and Hero. I mean, really. Arguably two of his wittiest characters and two of his dumbest. Though, full disclosure, I could really have it in for Hero because Kate Beckinsale absolutely annoyed me in the movie.

3. L.M. Montgomery
(The Anne of Green Gables series)



Again, we have the issue of life and death getting in the way of this meeting.

Oh how I loved Anne Shirley and wanted to BE her, Anne with an 'e'. Every day at recess my best friend Amy and I would play Anne of Green Gables. I would be Anne, she would be Diana, and we would pretend to have all the adventures that those two had in the books we loved so dearly. Unfortunately we could never convince any of the boys to be Gilbert Blythe to re-enact the pond scene. Oh, well. The first book has always been my most favorite, though I loved them all. I loved seeing Anne grow, and then her children as well. I can't wait for my daughter to read this series and I hope she loves it as much as I do.

4. Louisa May Alcott
(Little Women, Little Men, Jo's Boys)

(I could not find the covers of my own copies on Goodreads because, as you an imagine, there are hundreds of different covers to scroll through and ain't nobody got time for that.)

Yes, another deceased author. I know. But it's my list so...whatever.

Little Women is one of my all-time favorite books. I had read the book several times in elementary school, but THEN it was made into a movie and Christian Bale was Laurie and it was all over for me. I was completely obsessed and had to own as many of the different covers as I could find. Every time I went to the bookstore, I had to find a copy of Little Women. I was so heartbroken that even in Hollywood, Jo and Laurie wouldn't be together (though as an adult I realize even Hollywood recognized they couldn't change that; it would change the entire book and that would have infuriated even more people). I treasure my hardcover copies of all three and can't wait to share these with my daughter.

5. Rita Williams-Garcia
(One Crazy Summer, P.S. Be Eleven and Gone Crazy in Alabama)

 

I had the pleasure of meeting Rita Williams-Garcia earlier this month at a family night event at the school where I teach. During the afternoon she gave a presentation to the intermediate students, as school-wide we are reading her first book in this trilogy, One Crazy Summer. I am loving it so far and definitely recommend it, though my class and I are not done with yet. After the presentation students could have their books autographed, so I also got an autograph, asked her a bit about her career and said I was a writer too. She took such a genuine interest in my project, I could have talked for another hour to her, picking her brain about her own journey into authorship and everything that goes along with it. She then returned during family night and gave a presentation to parents about her books. I had brought my daughter to family night and she ended up winning  copy of the third book Gone Crazy in Alabama in the raffle. Afterwards Mrs. Williams-Garcia signed my daughter's book as well, and had been so patient with her when Eleanor insisted on showing off her art project she had made at one of the stations. She was amused and even in her autograph of Eleanor's book, mentioned the art project; it was a very personalized autograph, which she was in no way obligated to do. I thought that was very cool of her.

6. Dan Jones
(The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England
The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors
Magna Carta: The Birth of Liberty
Summer of Blood: England's First Revolution)

Imma try real hard to not be crazy here. Bear with me. Basically, Dan Jones is my favorite historian. I've read all his books and am so excited for his Knights Templar book that I can't even stand it. But it is not being released until September and the wait is killing me. I also am quite fond of his series 'Secrets of Great British Castles'. One of my favorite parts of the show is obviously seeing these magnificent structures that still stand today, some I've even been to - Stirling Castle is quite possibly my favorite castle ever. My OTHER favorite part of the show is how adorable it is when he asks the castle historians questions that he already knows the answers to but pretends he doesn't.

Something else that makes Dan Jones pretty cool is that he actually responds to his fans on Facebook and Twitter. I have been lucky to interact with quite a few of my favorite historians, mainly via Twitter. It enhances the reader's experience to know that their opinions are valued by someone they admire. (Also super awesome about this: Tracy Borman and Amy Licence. AND they're great writers too. What a deal.) And here's a little brag: Dan - I can call him by his first name now, right? Like, we're cool like that? - even linked to my review of Summer of Blood. On his Facebook page. And called it 'a kind review'. His statement is pretty kind, because even I did not think it was my best review. Even when his crazy fans write okay reviews, he makes them feel like a million bucks.

All jokes aside, I do have an actual reason for my affinity for him (besides the tattoos, British accent, history knowledge, and the fact that he's a very good-looking man). When I was pregnant with my daughter in 2013, I had just moved to a new city for a new job. I did not know anyone and had no friends. Basically, I lived at the library because all I did was read. I was also in a bind because I had no idea what I was going to name my baby girl. Had she been a boy, no problem, Cameron David (Cameron being 'Cameron Indoor Stadium', where Duke plays and 'David' being my grandpa), boom, named. But I had no name for a girl. Or, I had names, but none sounded right. Then, about a month before my girl was born, I read The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England and I met Eleanor of Aquitaine. I'd found The Name.

So Dan Jones, thank you for helping me find the absolute perfect name for my sweet girl. That is one of the many reasons, but the most important one to me, that I adore you and your work so much.

7. Bernie Sanders

What?! He's not an author, you say?? Then what is this:



I'll tell you what it is. It is a book that made me so happy and was so comforting in those dark days between the election and that event on January 20th. While there was a lot of information I already knew it was still great to read, and as I was doing so, it was like Bernie was reading it to me because it was his voice I was hearing in my head instead of my own. I've never felt the way about a presidential candidate before the way I felt about Bernie and his campaign. This election cycle was the first time I have ever caucused (with my daughter in tow), the first time I donated (multiple times), the first time I bought t-shirts and signs. I truly believe in Bernie (still do) and his message and without getting too political, it is disgusting what is happening to our country right now. That being said, I am not looking for political debate here and will not entertain it. If you want to argue politics, go find someone on Twitter or Facebook to bother.

It's not often you get to see your hero in person, let alone shake his hand, take a selfie, tell him you love him, and ugly cry (see what you have to look forward to Dan Jones?!) while photographers ask for your name and email address. It's also pretty neat when those same photographers email you photos of it all. I am holding my daughter in the picture below and she knew very well who Bernie was. We caucused for him in March of 2016 and she loves watching Bernie videos. Her favorite by far was the one when the bird landed on the podium. We still watch it. It was kind of overwhelming when she saw him in person and she suddenly got shy. But he patted her on the back and told me I had a tired baby, then graciously took a photo with us. It was an unforgettable night and I am so glad Eleanor and I had this opportunity.

So there you have it. Two author I've met, two I hope to meet, and three I can't meet because they are unfortunately no longer living. Which authors are you dying to meet, or which authors have you already been lucky enough to meet? Let me know!

Happy Reading,
Sarah

OUCH! Update

Hi all,

I just wanted to let readers know I have a mild concussion and will be a bit slow responding to comments this weekend. But I will respond, it just may take longer than usual.

Thank goodness I already have my Top Ten Tuesday post ready to go, I couldn't miss this one.

I hope you all find something exceptional to read this weekend,
Sarah

First Line Friday: Non-Eleanor Edition II

I have been in writing mode the last few evenings so I thought I would take a very short Eleanor-related break and show off some of the other fun stuff I am reading right now.

This week's line is from Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah. Now let me be the first to say I was very wrong about Trevor Noah. I loved The Daily Show. Loved, loved, LOVED! I love Jon Stewart, I love Stephen Colbert, I loved all of them. Then came The Colbert Report, and eventually he moved on to a more traditional late-show spot because he could no longer play such a buffoon of a character, and then a few months later Stewart announced he would be ending his run with Comedy Central. I was sure there was no one who could replace Jon Stewart. No way this Trevor guy could ever be even a fraction of as awesome as Jon.

Boy, was I wrong.

Trevor Noah is fucking awesome. Don't get me wrong, Jon Stewart will always be the person I think of first in fond memories of The Daily Show. But Trevor Noah is incredibly intelligent and funny as hell. I am so glad I came around to the idea of anyone else hosting the show, because Trevor's spot-on impression of trump is some much-needed humor in this living nightmare.

I am cheating and using two first lines. Ahead of every chapter, there is a brief section relating to the history of apartheid in South Africa (in addition to the horrifying things I am learning from the chapters themselves), So, for this one I am using the first paragraph from the apartheid section, followed by the first paragraph of Chapter 1: Run

"The genius of apartheid was convincing people who were the overwhelming majority to turn on each other. Apart hate, is what it was. You separate people into groups and make them hate one another so you can run them all."

and

"Sometimes in big Hollywood movies they'll have these crazy chase scenes where somebody jumps or gets thrown from a moving car. The person hits the ground and rolls for a bit. Then they come to a stop and pop up and dust themselves off, like it was no big deal. Whenever I see that I think, That's rubbish. Getting thrown out of a moving car hurts way worse than that."

(And for the record in case you are wanting to know, he knows this because when he was nine his mother threw him out of a moving car, then herself jumped out, while holding Trevor's baby brother. All were okay - his brother did not have a mark on him, Trevor says -  but they most certainly would not have been had they stayed in the car.)

Leave a comment below about my line or feel free to share one of your own. Then take a look at what my fellow First-Liners have for you this week.

Bree - Bibliophile Reviews

Rachel - Bookworm Mama

Heather - Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen

Beth - Faithfully Bookish

Katie - Fiction Aficionado

Lauraine - Lauraine's Notes

Andi - Radiant Light

Carrie - Reading is my SuperPower

Robin - Robin's Nest

Sydney - Singing Librarian

Kathleen - Kathleen Denly

Amanda - With a Joyful Noise

Jessica - A Baker's Perspective

Happy Friday and Happy Reading!
Sarah

Top Ten Tuesday!

Courtesy of The Broke and the Bookish. Be sure to check out the blog for plenty of other TTTs from fellow readers.

Well now, it's been a minute, hasn't it?

So many of the first weeks of 2017's TTTs were more difficult for me and some seemed so much better suited for fiction that it gave me time to focus elsewhere for a bit, but I am excited for both this week's topic and the next (FYI: it's about authors I'd like to meet/have met/etc. Basically, it will be an essay about why Dan Jones is the coolest.) This week's, on the other hand, is one that makes me seem markedly LESS crazy:

March 21st: Read in One Sitting Theme: ten of the shortest books I've read, top ten books I read in one sitting, ten books to read when you are short on time, top ten books that will make you read the whole day away, etc.

Mine will be kind of a mix of the suggestions offered. So, here they are in no particular order:

1. Where do I even begin with this one? I could not put it down and it baffles me as to how William Marshal, the greatest knight to ever live, has yet to have his life played out on the big-screen. Of course, I would hate whatever Hollywood came up with because they would inevitably screw it up in a really awful way and I would be furious at them for ever impugning on his honor. So, perhaps it is best there is no movie. If this age, and knights especially, are of interest to you then like me, you will easily read it in one sitting and not be the least bit sorry you did.

2. It's pretty much a given at this point that nearly every TTT I participate in will include a book written by Dan Jones. The reason is simple, he is a fan-fucking-tastic historian and writes in a way that makes that history accessible without being condescending or dumbing anything down. Like the first book on the list, this book is a great way to spend a few hours or a day, depending on how fast you read. Before I really got cozy with the Plantagenets, I thought the Tudors were my favorite dysfunctional family. I had no idea there was an even more insane dynasty before them. Bonus, this was the book where I first discovered Eleanor of Aquitaine, in the final stretch of my pregnancy. So, basically, Dan Jones helped me name my baby. He doesn't know it, but no matter. I am forever grateful to him for introducing me to easily the biggest BAMF in history.

3. This gem was a very recent read and GUH. I could not put it down, except in the time where I had to force myself to put it down so I could go to sleep. But the actual combined reading time was just a couple of hours total. Dillard tells such a beautifully tragic story and you just want to pull Jane out of the awful situation she is in, but you can't because, well her fate was pretty much sealed the moment Catherine's affair came to light. She had survived the beheading of one queen but there's no way she could be so lucky twice. Though there is so much we will never know about Jane Boleyn, this is a book very much worth reading.

4. Here is another that I read in a few hours. It should not have even taken me that long, but once the sobbing started, it was hard to see through the tears. I had first seen this ESPN short, written by Tom Rinaldi and narrated by Ed Burns on the tenth anniversary of the attacks. I bawled watching the segment, and still do. This young man could have saved his own life, but instead he gave his to save others. September 11th has always been particularly hard for me; it was my freshman year of college and I was far from my family when the devastation occurred. It was a time of great change and I think I feel so connected to this story, because this young man was only a few years older than myself. Would I have had the courage to do what he did in that situation? I hope so, but I don't know. But I also recognize that the impact it had on me in no ways compares to the victims, both living and deceased, and their families. This story will stay with me forever and I happened on the book by chance just a few months ago. I'd stopped at a local bookstore after driving by it for the past three years. Perusing the shelves, I saw the spine of a book and before I even saw the title, seeing the bandanna pattern, I knew instantly what it was. It is well worth your time, but have tissues ready.

Here is the ESPN segment. Please, if you don't read the book, at least watch the video; learn the story of Welles Crowther and the last, heroic hour of his life.

5. Here is yet another that I read in technically two days, but easily could have finished in one afternoon had I not stopped every ten seconds to make note of this, that, or the other. While it seems a bit cheeky at first, this is legitimately one of my favorite reads of 2016. I did not get caught up in the hype of Hamilton in that whirlwind, but I knew a long time ago (circa House, season 6) that Lin-Manuel Miranda was awesome, so pretty much everyone else was late to the party. I picked this one up on a whim at the library and it did not disappoint. A lot of really sound advice, definitely a solid addition to your TBR list.

6. This might be one of the only times I am willing to entertain alternative history - because I want so badly to know how differently England and Europe might look today, had Harold won at Hastings. This awesome little treat serves up a variety of alternative endings to 1066, and I am also pleased to say that many involved a bad end for William the Bastard. What if the Anglo-Saxons had remained in control of England? Or, possibly worse than the Normans, what if Harald had defeated Harold at Stamford Bridge? Though, I admit I have a bit of a soft spot for the last great Viking - and who can't get behind a berserker? I mean, really. The stories don't have to be read in order, all are completely independent of one another. And if one idea is not of great interest to you, move on to another. I, however, read them all and was smitten. Bonus: G.K. Holloway has previously written a historical fiction novel called 1066: What Fates Impose that I would also recommend.

7. I am a sucker for a good city biography. It is partly due to my love of history, but also my love of seeing a city start and grow and change over time. (It is one of the reasons I will be forever obsessed with NYC, as it is alive and thriving, constantly moving and changing.) This is by far one of the better city bios that I have read and it was another that I breezed through within a short amount of time. More than one afternoon for sure, but collectively it was still one I read in a matter of hours. I know no idea that the history of New Orleans was so checkered and I learned a great deal about the place.

8. Love, love, love, love, love, I really loved this book. Really, really. I snagged the hardcover edition from my library when it was first out and could not put it down. There is something about New York City that is forever calling to me and I can not wait to travel there some day with my daughter to see the sights and hear the sounds of a truly living city. St Marks is arguably one of the most well-known neighborhoods in the US, and perhaps only Haight-Ashbury could compete for the top spot. You will devour this one in only a few hours, no question. Bonus: At the end of the book Calhoun records various times in which St Marks is mentioned in pop culture, with lists broken up by music, television, and film. As I perused the television list I saw one glaring piece of tv history missing - the mention of St Marks Comics on FRIENDS from The One With The Mugging (Ross was mugged by Phoebe when they were younger). I asked the author about it and that mention was added to the paperback release! So, there is my contribution to St Marks history.

 

9. Technically this is cheating but I have never really been on to follow the rules so...whatever. What makes both of these books so captivating is the story itself: Huguette Clark, one of the richest women in the world, chose to live most of her adulthood as a recluse, and spent the last twenty years of her life living in a hospital despite being healthy. Her story is so enthralling and heartbreaking and though it disgusted me to see how she was taken advantage of at times, I do think she was a lot more aware of what was going on than anyone gave her credit for. It is very easy to get lost in her story in either one of these books. Or both. Definitely both.

 

10. Big surprise, I am cheating again. I love Mindy Kaling. I think she is hilarious and a talented writer. Like so many others have said, I feel like Mindy is someone I could be best friends with and we would have so much fun and be BFFs forever. Both books are easy reads because they feel more like you are hanging out with a friend and chatting (although it is a very one-sided conversation of course, since she is the one doing the talking). Definitely a fine way to spend a couple hours.

BONUS!

   

11. I know, I know. But I love this series. I have read several good ones so far and there are still more to read. As you can see, the ones I have displayed here revolve primarily around the Tudor period, but I hear there is a 1066 one coming out, and it is my great hope that there will be at least one Plantagenet dynasty-related one in the near-future (wink, wink). These are well-written and well-researched overviews of their subjects. They truly do mean "in a nutshell", so do not expect great in-depth exploration of very specific areas related to each topic. That is not their purpose. Even so, you will get a lot of information in a short read and I highly recommend them.

So there you have it. As you can see, most of mine ended up in the category of 'books you can lose an afternoon with' and that is kind of how I expected it to go. Hopefully you found something of interest. I would love to hear your thoughts on my list, especially if you have read any of these titles, and have the chance to take a look at your list as well.

Happy Reading!
Sarah

The Woman Who Wasn't There: The True Story of an Incredible Deception

Rating: 3.5 Stars

This will undoubtedly be one of my shortest reviews, because I do not want to give this woman any more attention than she has already received. She makes me absolutely sick, and the depth of her deception is astounding. There is also a Netflix documentary by the same name to coincide with the book, which I watched a few years ago that is equally as infuriating, given what we are talking about here: claiming to be a survivor of the worst attack on US soil since Pearl Harbor. AND, not only making that claim, but perpetuating the lie for YEARS and becoming the face of the survivors' groups. Perhaps I am too bold, but there is a special place in Hell for people such as this.

You might have read other reviews I have done of other books related to September 11th. This was an event that impacted me very deeply, despite being halfway across the country from where any of the events took place. But it occurred in the first weeks of my freshman year of college, where I was hours from my family, at a time when I was already dealing with a lot of change. That is one of the reasons I will not even name this woman who conned so many people. I know that, though it impacted me a great deal, that is nothing in comparison to the men and women who survived, and the loved ones left behind of those who did not. I could not for one second even entertain the thought of doing what this woman did, claiming to be a survivor of the 78th floor sky lobby, where Welles Crowther rescued many when he did not have to. He could have walked down those final steps and out into the rest of his life. He chose to return to certain death, trying to save as many people as possible from the same fate. To know that this woman met with his family, told a story full of lies, a story that was not hers to tell, makes me sick. There is a section devoted to just that meeting between her and the Crowthers and I can't even imagine the pain it caused his family to later find out she was a fraud. Of course, they still had the truth from others who he HAD truly rescued, but it must have felt like such a betrayal that someone who had not even been in the country at the time of the attacks would take something so personal and make her own game out of it.

The read itself was quick, and often punctuated with recreated conversations, something that bothers me so. The writing is fine, but nothing spectacular - which seems odd considering Fisher has been nominated for a Pulitzer twice. Yet this kind of narrative journalism is exactly what she teachers at Rutgers so, there you go I guess? The story itself begins with us first introduced to the woman and her lies as though it is factual, as though she is simply retelling the same story that she's told so many times to fellow survivors. In fact, unless you did not know the premise of the book or who she is, you might think what you are reading did in fact happen. It would be very easy to get caught up in her story, though one would also start to poke holes in it when looking at the whole picture, much like those around her did when everything started to unravel.

The strength of the book is that we have the complete story she wove together, her entire pack of lies laid out for everyone to see. The unfortunate part is that there is no answer as to why she did it, what made her con so many people already in such deep, unending physical and/or emotional pain. Part of me doesn't care and hopes that the remainder of her life is not comfortable in any way. Another, smaller part though, needs to understand what could possess someone to hijack the stories of others and use it for her own gain. But I don't understand that level of malevolence, and I never will.

First Line Friday: Eleanor Edition V

It's already Friday, which on one hand is soul-crushing because it means Spring Break is almost over. On the other hand it's neat because I get to share another line about my favorite queen and rebel for First Line Friday.

This week my line comes from the afore-pictured book, one that is so expensive, I had to use InterLibrary Loan just to get my hands on. Shout out to Western Michigan University for sending it so promptly. No joke, the least expensive copy I have found so far is going for $116 on Amazon, last I checked. I have searched other sites as well, such as the Book Depository, AbeBooks, etc. If you know of another site I could try, please let me know! I have tried so hard to be responsible and not purchase the most expensive of the books, but this one is just so, SO GOOD. I need it for the collection I've created for my daughter. It is already a must-have and I am not entirely done reading it yet. Perhaps I can start a GoFundMe?

I took this week's line straight from the introduction:

"Fixed in many French imaginations as a reverse image of Joan of Arc, Eleanor of Aquitaine still fascinates and puzzles historians of today, who, for many reasons which this book will try to clarify, still seek to penetrate the mystery surrounding her."

I am very tempted to include the whole paragraph following this sentence, but I am REALLY trying to stick to the FIRST LINE thing.

Leave a comment about mine, or share a first line of your own, then head over to the blogs of my fellow First-Liners to see what they have this week:

Bree - Bibliophile Reviews

Rachel - Bookworm Mama

Heather - Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen

Beth - Faithfully Bookish

Katie - Fiction Aficionado

Lauraine - Lauraine's Notes

Andi - Radiant Light

Carrie - Reading is my SuperPower

Robin - Robin's Nest

Sydney - Singing Librarian

Kathleen - Kathleen Denly

Amanda - With a Joyful Noise

Jessica - A Baker's Perspective

Happy Reading!

Sarah

Demons of the Hellmouth: A Guide for Slayers

Rating: 5 Stars

*Sigh* I really miss this show.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer consumed my high school years. I saw the show by accident one time and cursed myself for months following that I had not witnessed the greatness from the beginning. I very clearly remember the first episode I ever watched: Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered. It was life-changing. I was obsessed. I was also way behind, as season 2 was nearly over so I had to process everything before, through the season 2 finale, in a very short amount of time. And Angel being sent to hell, don't even get me started. I sobbed. Over a tv show. And a fictional character.

But they felt so real to me, and that is the beauty of Joss' creation. The Scoobies might have been battling mythic beasts and big bads, but the message was clear: they were (usually) metaphors for very real things teenagers and young adults face.

But I suppose I should be on to the book now, no?

I did not purchase this one intending to learn new information about any of the demons Buffy and her pals faced in their seven years on the Hellmouth. That is not the point, and people expecting anything more kind of missed the boat on this one. This was a nice walk down memory lane with characters I know so well. Given that it is intended as a guide for all the new slayers, it made sense for Giles to be the one to "write it", and I was also pleasantly surprised to see the introduction from Anthony Stewart Head. An addition to the text are comments in the margins from Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Faith. I am conflicted on these. The comments feel right in terms of context and in keeping with their characters' personalities, but would Giles really have allowed them to write in his guide? On the other hand, given that nothing else was typical about Buffy and her slaying, perhaps it should not be a surprise that he allowed it. I don't know. It was nice to "hear" their voices again, but I could have also done without them and not been bothered either way. The one that will seem out of place to many people is Faith, given her history with Buffy and her friends. However, people should also remember how she finally was 'rescued' herself and became the slayer they needed her to be. Still, the purist in me would have liked if it had just been the originals, Giles, Buffy, Xander, and Willow.

This book is a must for die-hard fans. Casual fans may not be as interested, but those like me who want any and every scrap of Buffy-related stuff we can find, will enjoy this comfortable chat with old friends.

First Line Friday: Non-Eleanor Edition!

It's First Line Friday! I decided to take a week off from sharing my love of Eleanor of Aquitaine to introduce you to a fantastic historical fiction novel about Jane Boleyn, wife of George Boleyn and sister-in-law to Mary and Anne Boleyn. I read it in a matter of hours and if you are interested you can find my review HERE. If you are interested in Tudor history, I recommend it highly. Though it is fiction, I really enjoyed it. There's so little we know about so many of these Tudor women, it is kind of nice to imagine what they might have been like and lucky for us, Adrienne Dillard was happy to fill in the missing pieces of what Jane's life might have been like.

"November 12, 1541

Journey to the Tower

The river was as calm as I had ever seen it."

I won't say any more because I don't want to spoil a thing, so leave your own line or a comment about mine and then visit my fellow First-Liners to see what they have for you this week

Bree - Bibliophile Reviews

Rachel - Bookworm Mama

Heather - Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen

Beth - Faithfully Bookish

Katie - Fiction Aficionado

Lauraine - Lauraine's Notes

Andi - Radiant Light

Carrie - Reading is my SuperPower

Robin - Robin's Nest

Sydney - Singing Librarian

Kathleen - Kathleen Denly

Amanda - With a Joyful Noise

Jessica - A Baker's Perspective

If you would like to participate in First Line Friday, let Carrie know.

Happy Friday!

Sarah

The Raven's Widow: A Novel of Jane Boleyn

Rating: 4 Stars

I received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher, MadeGlobal, in exchange for an honest review. I also must make note that I have read Dillard's Catherine Carey in a Nutshell and you will find a quote from my review of that book prior to the start of the novel.

Who would've thought, my first post NOT about my own book is not my typical fare, but historical fiction instead. I became acquainted with the author, Adrienne Dillard, not surprisingly, through Dan Jones' Facebook page because of course. We bonded over our love of history and these families and I was very interested to learn that Dillard was writing a book about Jane (Parker) Boleyn. Up to this point I had only read one non-fiction book about Jane, by Julia Fox and entitled Jane Boleyn: The True Story of the Infamous Lady Rochford. While that book did the best it could with the material available, there is unfortunately little we actually know in the way of facts. Perhaps that is why I was drawn to one of the historical fiction variety.

I could not put this book down. I mean, okay, I had to physically put it down to go to sleep, but collectively I read it in a matter of hours. For those who have only seen Jane and George as portrayed by Showtime's The Tudors, this will be something quite different. Now, don't get me wrong, I loved the show because I could stare at Henry Cavill and Jonathan Rhys Meyers until the end of time. But it was definitely not an accurate portrayal of the family. Here in Dillard's novel we see Jane and George actually caring for one another, and nothing of the violence as the show gave us a glimpse of. Dillard is able to take information from the period and apply that to Jane and George, such as portraying their attempts to have children and the miscarriages that resulted each time. There is no evidence either way that these ever occurred, but that is not unsurprising. We only know Jane's name for two reasons: 1) she was Anne Boleyn's sister-in-law and 2) She was labeled a co-conspirator in Catherine Howard's affairs and thus executed alongside the disgraced 5th queen. Very little is known of her life and while that is frustrating now, when in the 21st century we want to know everything about these intriguing figures from history, it would not have caused anyone then to bat an eyelash about lack of documentation on her life.

Very early on I could not help but notice simply how beautifully this novel is writing. The major contrast of course first being the way Jane and George were portrayed elsewhere, but also in the way Jane herself is thought about and considered and discussed. She is often seen as this vengeful wraith who gave evidence against George in his trial and Anne's, then threw herself into helping Catherine carry on her affair with Culpeper because she supposedly just liked to meddle and be involved in dangerous, deadly games.

I have to admit that I was skeptical at first when discovering the book was written in first person. This seemed like an odd choice to me, because the end of Jane's life was a fact: she was executed along with Catherine for her involvement in the affair and supposedly helping Catherine. This part was a definite struggle for me. However, it also became clear that for once, Jane needed to have a voice and tell her story herself. Her story could be told in no other way, especially in order to combat the rumors about her. Given the view from inside Jane's mind, the speculation of why she did the things she did seem to make sense in that yes, it may very well be that she lost her mind and was innocent of the charges, but simply was doing what she was told in aiding Catherine.

Fun Fact: I have discovered that no matter what, fiction or nonfiction, I really hate Anne Boleyn. Her arrogance in all of it makes me want to slap her in the face. I know it is kind of mean, but I not-so-secretly hope that the scene around 52%, when Anne and Jane had to escape quickly by boat from the mob of women supporting Katherine, is something that actually occurred in real life.

While Jane is the focus of the novel, I loved the portrayal also of Mary Boleyn. Mary is easily my favorite of the Boleyn siblings and I really appreciate that she is given a voice here also. I do not always think she is given a fair shake and history has been somewhat unkind. Perhaps my favoring Mary over Anne also comes from the fact that they seem like opposites in so many regards. Either way, yay Mary.

The questions surrounding Jane's sanity are touched on time and again throughout the novel. This again is why, though first person was strange to me at first, very quickly I came around to the idea of it, because we had to be in Jane's head to see how she viewed what was happening around her, to her, and to those she loved. The scene where she is finally given permission to visit George's grave is beyond heart-wrenching - though I also teared up when the end arrived as well. Jane throughout seems to be very aware of the thin line she walks between sanity and insanity. I wonder if it is always that easy for some to recognize that they have gone mad, or perhaps that is the clarity she had once she had lost everyone around her.

I greatly appreciated the fact that the author had a rather lengthy note following the novel. In it she explained the choices she made and offered up sound reasoning for doing so. She refers to documentation from Jane's lifetime, as well as nonfiction works by modern authors. Additionally, she has prepared book club questions that could be of value either to an individual reader or for use in a group. Overall, I must say that I highly recommend this one whether you are like me and wade very rarely into the fiction pool, or dive in head first every chance you get.

First Line Friday: Eleanor Edition IV

This week my First Line comes from one of my favorite books on medieval queens - partly because Eleanor is given a lot of attention, and also because I do not personally care much for Elizabeth I and like to see other women who ruled before her, even as consort, given their proper attention.

I am cheating a bit again, as I am taking my first line from section III, which is where Eleanor's story begins:

"A casual observer at Henry II's court in September 1166 might have been forgiven for thinking that Eleanor of Aquitaine was the most conventional of queens."

I don't know how anyone could have thought that for a moment - especially her contemporaries!

After you leave your first line below, check out what my fellow First Liners have waiting for you this week. If you want to play too, contact Carrie from Reading is my SuperPower.

Bree - Bibliophile Reviews

Rachel - Bookworm Mama

Heather - Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen

Beth - Faithfully Bookish

Katie - Fiction Aficionado

Lauraine - Lauraine's Notes

Andi - Radiant Light

Carrie - Reading is my SuperPower

Robin - Robin's Nest

Sydney - Singing Librarian

Kathleen - Kathleen Denly

Amanda - With a Joyful Noise

Happy Reading!

Sarah