Last month, I heard a young woman say, “You cannot become what you cannot see.”
I thought of the well-known fairytale Cinderella after recently reading Rebecca Solnit’s updated take on the old classic. Solnit is a brilliant writer, philosopher, feminist and author of a number of books, including Men Explain Things to Me.
She wanted her niece to grow up with the charm and transformation of the Cinderella story while working out a more palatable exit for Cinderella’s plight than the one we all … [Read more...] about Cinderella Liberator

THIS TENDER LAND  is part Coming of Age, Huck Finn, Grapes of Wrath and Wizard of Oz. The narrative starts at the Lincoln (Minnesota) Training School in 1932—The Great Depression.  WAIT!  Before your mind goes ballistic with “Who wants to read something juvenile and depressing?” I assure you this book is not that! Yes, you’ll be sad about some of it, but you’ll be more fascinated and inspired by most of it.  Even though the narrative begins in the Indian orphanage with some of the themes we’re … [Read more...] about This Tender Land

Richard Powers’ THE OVERSTORY is a tour de force.  It’s also a Pulitzer prize-winner which is being made into a movie. When I say a tour de force, I’m not kidding—it’s 502 pages long and it has a complex structure—but don’t be put off by that.  And don’t be put off by the fact that the characters are introduced in vignettes that might make you think you’ve come upon an anthology of short stories.  By the end of the book, you’ll know each of these characters intimately and you’ll be glad you do. … [Read more...] about The Overstory

Gobbled this book down in two days. Gave me such insight into other people. She's a remarkable writer who with wit and wisdom captures her journey from lonely, bulimic twenty-six year old (also at the top of her law school class) to confident adult, wife and mother. Relatable, insightful, and funny. … [Read more...] about Group: How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life

I've always been a fan of this man. Watching his heroic battle with Parkinson's disease over the years, I knew I wanted to read his book.

From the jacket cover: Michael shares personal stories and observations about illness and health, again, the strength of family and friends, and how our perceptions about time affect the way we approach mortality. Thoughtful and moving, but with Fox's trademark sense of humor, his book provides a vehicle for reflection about our lives, our loves, and our … [Read more...] about No Time Like The Future

It was a chance encounter with a high-level Smithsonian Institution official at a luncheon held in Massachusetts that led the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Geraldine Brooks to the 147-year old skeleton of America’s greatest stud sire and champion thoroughbred.
The life of that distinguished stallion, named Lexington in homage to his city of birth, provides both the imagined and true subject of Brooks’ newest historical novel, fittingly titled Horse.
Horse transports readers to the racially … [Read more...] about Horse

I became interested in Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth’s younger sister, after watching the Netflix series The Crown. 
So when I discovered Lady Anne Glenconner’s book Lady in Waiting:My Life in the Shadow of the Crown, I was delighted.
One morning at the beginning of 2019, Lady Anne Glenconner’s phone rang.
Hello?
“Lady Genconner? It’s Helena Bonham Carter.”
The actress asked if she could visit Lady Anne who’d been lady in waiting to Princess Margaret for 30 years to get some insights … [Read more...] about Lady In Waiting

I adored this book. Caroline Paul was recovering from a bad accident and thought things couldn't get worse. But then her beloved cat Tibia disappeared. She and her partner, illustrator Wendy MacNaughton, mourned his loss. Yet weeks later, Tibia waltzed back into their lives. His owners were overjoyed. But they were also...jealous? Betrayed? Where had their sweet anxious cat disappeared to? Had he become a swashbuckling cat adventurer? Did he love someone else more? His owners were determined to … [Read more...] about Lost Cat

Billie Jean King, No. 1 tennis player in the world and tireless advocate for women’s equality, would earn 39 Grandslam tennis titles, triumph over Bobby Riggs at the Battle of the Sexes, be voted one of the 25 most influential people of 1981, earn the medal of freedom from Obama at the White House in 2009, and champion inclusivity for all.

Even so, there was one battle that was harder to win and would almost destroy her in the process. If she could win it though, it would give her the … [Read more...] about All In: An Autobiography