UNCLE TOM'S CABIN By Harriet Beecher Stowe

Publisher:  Wordsworth Classics
Release Date:  1999
Pages:  438
Genre:  Classics
Reviewed By WC

Book Description:  The narrative drive of Stowe's classic novel is often overlooked in the heat of the controversies surrounding its anti-slavery sentiments. In fact, it is a compelling adventure story with richly drawn characters and has earned a place in both literary and American history.

WC's Review:  This is one the experts got right. Uncle Tom's Cabin is indeed a classic. It remains a classic though few folks read it. Folks who understand significance and care about the travails of America's foundation will appreciate this extraordinary book of the horrors of slavery.

Lincoln once greeted the author, Harriet Beecher Stowe, with the backhand compliment that through this book she was the gal primarily responsible for creating renewed fervor over the long stagnate issue of humans regarded as property. Some even proffer that she is also accountable for hastening the beginning of the inevitable war of Southern independence/Northern aggression.

The character purity in this historic masterpiece is rarely replicated. Little Eva is a treasure, father St Clare is a genuine man of integrity, as are many plantation owners, the slaves, Aunt Chloe and others in the cabin are righteous, Cassy is clever, and Uncle Tom is proof that men after God's own heart walk the earth. Nefarious slave trader Simon Legree is testament that Satan destroys the souls and spirits of the downtrodden.

There are increasing works on the deep wound that keeps America from achieving true humanity. This remains the most powerful.

About the Author:  Harriet Elizabeth Beecher Stowe (June 14, 1811 – July 1, 1896) was an American author and abolitionist, whose novel Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) attacked the cruelty of slavery; it reached millions as a novel and play, and became influential, even in Britain. It made the political issues of the 1850s regarding slavery tangible to millions, energizing anti-slavery forces in the American North. It angered and embittered the South. The impact is summed up in a commonly quoted statement apocryphally attributed to Abraham Lincoln. When he met Stowe, it is claimed that he said, "So you're the little woman that started this great war!"

STOLEN LIVES: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail By Malika Oufkir, Michele Fitoussi

Publisher:  Miramax
Release Date:  2002
Pages:  304
Genre: Biography
Reviewed By WC

About the Book: 
A gripping memoir that reads like a political thriller--the story of Malika Oufkir's turbulent and remarkable life. Born in 1953, Malika Oufkir was the eldest daughter of General Oufkir, the King of Morocco's closest aide. Adopted by the king at the age of five, Malika spent most of her childhood and adolescence in the seclusion of the court harem, one of the most eligible heiresses in the kingdom, surrounded by luxury and extraordinary privilege.
Then, on August 16, 1972, her father was arrested and executed after an attempt to assassinate the king. Malika, her five younger brothers and sisters. and her mother were immediately imprisoned in a desert penal colony. After fifteen years, the last ten of which they spent locked up in solitary cells, the Oufkir children managed to dig a tunnel with their bare hands and make an audacious escape. Recaptured after five days, Malika was finally able to leave Morocco and begin a new life in exile in 1996.
A heartrending account in the face of extreme deprivation and the courage with which one family faced its fate, Stolen Lives is an unforgettable story of one woman's journey to freedom.


WC's Review:  Malika Oufkir is a changed woman. Malika will never again be the vibrant, outgoing young lady she was as a nineteen year old beauty in 1972 in the beautifully serene desert country of Morocco. Twenty years in seclusion with the sole mission of surviving changed her forever.

The adopted daughter of the King of Moroco's closest aide, General Oufkir, young Mafkir revels in the luxury of privilege in the court harem. Circumstances change when her beloved father is executed for managing an attempt to assassinate the King. Her family is subsequently thrown into the prisons at Tamattacht and Bir-Jdid.

Extreme starvation and deprivation envelope her and her family, eviscerating the desire to continue to struggle on. But survive they do, largely through the determined efforts of our heroine to see her mother and her sisters and brothers experience the outside world again.

Creative perserverance and faith enable Malika to conquer the quiet desperation of prison life. Brief glimpses of her mother, her sisters, and her two brothers, keep the minute flicker of hope for the Oufkir family alive.

"In prison,' the author writes, "hatred helped me to survive." Years later, Malika realizes she still has a long way to go to overcome her deep resentment of her stolen youth.

Worthy of the effort, this biography captures the inner soul of survivors.  4 Stars

About the Author: Malika Oufkir (Arabic: مليكة أوفقير) (born April 2, 1953) is a Moroccan writer and former "disappeared". She is the daughter of General Mohamed Oufkir and a cousin of fellow Moroccan writer and actress Leila Shenna.

THE AQUARIUMS OF PYONGYANG: Ten Years in the North Korean Gulag By Kang Chol-Hwan, Pierre Rigoulot

Publisher:  Basic Books
Release Date:  August 2005
Pages:  272
Genre:  Non-Fiction

Reviewed By WC

About the Book:  North Korea is today one of the last bastions of hard-line Communism. Its leaders have kept a tight grasp on their one-party regime, quashing any nascent opposition movements and sending all suspected dissidents to its brutal concentration camps for "re-education." Kang Chol-hwan is the first survivor of one of these camps to escape and tell his story to the world, documenting the extreme conditions in these gulags and providing a personal insight into life in North Korea. Part horror story, part historical document, part memoir, part political tract, this record of one man's suffering gives eyewitness proof to an ongoing sorrowful chapter of modern history. 

WC's Review:  Ten years is a long time when you are incarcerated. Ten years is a longer time when you are used to going about where and when you want to, such as it is in Japan.

Author Kang delves into the horrors of his ill-advised journey to the idyllic valleys of North Korea to witness firsthand its celebration of leaders, Dip II Song (Kim II-sung) and Slip on-a Dong (Kim Jong-il). He did not expect his sojourn to last a decade.

This is not a biography of constant torture. Kang is able to enjoy bucolic moments of meditation and solitude with vistas of spiraling mountain peaks and blue skies while planning how to capture a few rats for his nightly supper of Korea's delightful cuisine.

American elitists continue to view the current dictatorship in North Korea as the last surviving bastion of the vestiges of beloved communism.

Kang's tale of subjugation will remain a delusional fantasy to folks who think they are wiser that we are, folks who have taken it upon themselves to compel commoners how to live functional and fruitful lives through the wisdom of avuncular state experts.

Obama is paying attention.

My rating is 3 stars.

Quote by the Author:  “People who are hungry don't have the heart to think about others. Sometimes they can't even care for their own family. Hunger quashes man's will to help his fellow man. I've seen fathers steal food from their own children's lunchboxes. As they scarf down the corn they have only one overpowering desire: to placate, if even for just one moment, that feeling of insufferable need.”
― Kang Chol-Hwan, The Aquariums of Pyongyang: Ten Years in the North Korean Gulag

KILLING PATTON: The Strange Death of World War II's Most Audacious General (The Killing of Historical Figures) By Bill O'Reliily, Martin Dugard

Publisher:  Henry Holt & Co
Release Date:  September 23, 2014
Pages:  368
Genre:  American History
Reviewed by WC

Book Description:  Readers around the world have thrilled to "Killing Lincoln, Killing Kennedy," and "Killing Jesus"--riveting works of nonfiction that journey into the heart of the most famous murders in history. Now from Bill O'Reilly, anchor of "The O'Reilly Factor," comes the most epic book of all in this multimillion-selling series: "Killing Patton."

General George S. Patton, Jr. died under mysterious circumstances in the months following the end of World War II. For almost seventy years, there has been suspicion that his death was not an accident--and may very well have been an act of assassination. "Killing Patton" takes readers inside the final year of the war and recounts the events surrounding Patton's tragic demise, naming names of the many powerful individuals who wanted him silenced.

WC's Review:  It remains a mystery how Bill O'Reilly comes up with this stuff. How does he know that our most outspoken General had an affair? How much does O'Reilly dream about a missed opportunity to party with Hitler's mistress and wife, Eva Braun? Too young, of course.

Were the drunken soldiers who careened into Patton's limo on a suicide mission?

The portrayals of peers whose lives impacted Patton are vivid. Some come off as good guys: Churchill, George Marshall, and the men of Patton's beloved Third Army; many more others as rapscallions and less than humane: Eisenhower, Montgomery, MacArthur, Roosevelt, and Truman; others as downright evil: Hitler and Stalin. Indeed, it is Patton's insight into the true character of Papa Joe that sets him up for retribution.

O'Reilly makes the case that Stalin may have been involved, that the kowtowing behavior of the rapscallions listed above may have emboldened the efforts of the murderer of Moscow.

Churchill also knew.

About the Author:  Bill O'Reilly is an American television/radio host, author, syndicated columnist, and political commentator. He is the host of the cable news program The O'Reilly Factor. Prior to hosting The O'Reilly Factor, he served as anchor of the entertainment program, Inside Edition.

O'Reilly also hosts The Radio Factor, a radio program syndicated by Westwood One, and he has written seven books.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/billor...

THE LOOK OF LOVE By Sarah Jio

Publisher:  Plume
Release Date:  November 25, 2014
Pages:  320
Genre:  Romance

                                                                                                                                                                    

Born during a Christmas blizzard, Jane Williams receives a rare gift: the ability to see true love. Jane has emerged from an ailing childhood a lonely, hopeless romantic when, on her twenty-ninth birthday, a mysterious greeting card arrives, specifying that Jane must identify the six types of love before the full moon following her thirtieth birthday, or face grave consequences. When Jane falls for a science writer who doesn’t believe in love, she fears that her fate is sealed. Inspired by the classic song, The Look of Love is utterly enchanting.

Wanda's Thoughts:   Jane was told that she must identify the six types of love before sunset on her 30th birthday. If she should fail to do this, she will lose the ability to experience love for herself. She was also told that she would be drawn to a child, on the day of her birth, and she would pass her powers onto her. But the circle must be completed by then. And the story unfolds as six couples experience love relationships.

The premise of the story had a lot of potential and I found myself enveloped in this magical storyline early on. However, as the book developed, it seemed to me to be a different style of writing than I’ve experienced in the past. I’ve read all of Sarah Jio’s books and have enjoyed them immensely. But this one was different. I didn’t approve of the couples who were already married and having an extra marital relationship. Also Flynn being attracted to a woman while watching her through his apartment window was not appealing to me. I’m sorry to say, it cheapened the storyline for me.

That being said, the book did have many redeeming qualities. Many of the characters were very personalized and wonderfully portrayed. There were many poignant moments where some tough choices had to be made – not all of those choices had happy endings. There was also emotion with conflict present throughout. The book is certainly readable and interesting, but in my opinion, just not one of Sarah Jio's exceptional reads. I personally like her old style of writing better. My rating is 3.5 stars.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

About the Author:   Sarah Jio is the New York Times bestselling author of THE LAST CAMELLIA, BLACKBERRY WINTER, THE VIOLETS OF MARCH (a Library Journal Best Book of 2011), THE BUNGALOW, and the forthcoming, MORNING GLORY (11/26/13), all from Penguin/Plume. Sarah is also the former health and fitness blogger for Glamour.com. She has written thousands of articles for national magazines including Redbook, O, The Oprah Magazine, Glamour, SELF, Real Simple, Fitness, Marie Claire, and many others. She has appeared as a commentator on NPR’s Morning Edition. Sarah lives in Seattle with her husband and their three young boys.


 

THE GARDEN OF LETTERS By Alyson Richman

Publisher:  Berkeley Trade
Release Date:  9/2/2014
Pages:  384
Genre:  Historical Fiction

Book Description:  THE NEW NOVEL FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE LOST WIFE

Set against the rich backdrop of World War II Italy, Garden of Letters  captures the hope, suspense, and romance of an uncertain era, in an epic intertwining story of first love, great tragedy, and spectacular bravery.

Portofino, Italy, 1943. A young woman steps off a boat in a scenic coastal village. Although she knows how to disappear in a crowd, Elodie is too terrified to slip by the German officers while carrying her poorly forged identity papers. She is frozen until a man she’s never met before claims to know her. In desperate need of shelter, Elodie follows him back to his home on the cliffs of Portofino.

Only months before, Elodie Bertolotti was a cello prodigy in Verona, unconcerned with world events. But when Mussolini’s Fascist regime strikes her family, Elodie is drawn into the burgeoning resistance movement by Luca, a young and impassioned bookseller. As the occupation looms, she discovers that her unique musical talents, and her courage, have the power to save lives.

In Portofino, young doctor Angelo Rosselli gives the frightened and exhausted girl sanctuary. He is a man with painful secrets of his own, haunted by guilt and remorse. But Elodie’s arrival has the power to awaken a sense of hope and joy that Angelo thought was lost to him forever.

Wanda's Thoughts:  My emotions were strongly engaged in this deeply touching story. The author certainly has a style of her own, writing in a lyrical way, bringing to life this dark period in our history. You’ll become entangled in sadness throughout, with the atrocities and horrors of the war. The brutality of the Nazis was unbelievable.  

The author cleverly weaves together different time periods in Italy, bringing the characters stories and lives together.  

Elodie, a young Italian girl in her early twenties, was destined to become a great cellist. But outside the world is blackening with the encroaching war. It had been more than twenty years that Italians had been living under Fascism, but in the past five, it had become unbearable. Mussolini’s insatiability for more power overtook him, and his alliance with Hitler was betraying the men, women, and children of Italy. Italy begins preparing for a German invasion.  

The brutality of Fascism becomes even more evident to Elodie when her father is beaten beyond recognition. Elodie and her friend, Lena, become involved with Italy’s early Resistance. The partisans in the mountains were relying on them to get their messages to their contacts in the city. Elodie has two necessary things to complete this mission - her fantastic memory, and her musical talent. And the story unfolds, as Elodie, a cello student from Verona, becomes a staffetta for the Resistance when she carries hidden codes for the Resistance within her music.  

There was much depth and complexity to the characters. The author certainly brought these people to life in this multi-layered storyline, and captured life in Italy during WWII in vivid detail. The Garden of Letters is an amazing read and definitely a favorite for 2014. My rating is 5 + stars.

Ayson Richman is the author of "The Mask Carver's Son," "The Rhythm of Memory (formerly published as Swedish Tango)," The Last Van Gogh," and the national bestseller, "The Lost Wife." Her books have been published in over fifteen languages. She loves to travel, cook, ride her yellow bicycle, and do ballet. She currently lives in New York with her husband and two children. Her novel, "The Garden of Letters" will be published on September 2, 2014 by Berkley/Penguin.
She is currently working on a novel novel about the 19th century courtesan, Marthe de Florian and her Paris apartment which remained untouched for over seventy years.

My Days with Princess Grace by Joan Dale, Grace Dale

Publisher:  In-Lightning
Release Date:  September 14, 2014
Pages:  352
Genre:  Non-Fiction

Book Description:  Get to know the real Princess Grace, from the first years of her marriage to the last days of her life. "My Days with Princess Grace of Monaco: Our 25-Year Friendship, Beyond Grace Kelly" chronicles what it was like to be best friends with an iconic princess, with 70 never-before-seen personal photos, letters and diaries that give a behind-the-scenes look at Grace Kelly's life after she became Princess Grace. Gain rare insight into her final days through a detailed account of her last family vacation the month before her tragic death. This is also the true story of the historic events depicted in "Grace of Monaco," in which Grace Kelly was to return to Hollywood at a time when Prince Rainier almost lost his crown and country. 

Wanda's Thoughts:  This is truly an insightful and beautiful memoir about a lovely Princess - Princess Grace of Monaco. Taken from the fond memories of a close friend, Joan Dale, a beautiful picture was painted of Princess Grace.

The fairy tale wedding, and the wedding of the century, to Prince Rainier III was just the beginning. Prince Rainier and Princess Grace were a magnificent couple. Her presence filled a room, more beautiful than one could imagine, and the Prince was affable, with a magnetic personality, although somewhat shy.

The book takes you through the crises with France, and the threat of Prince Rainier losing his throne. Prince Rainier had to deal with DeGaulle and his ultimatum stating that if Rainier kept his stance of remaining an independent and absolute ruler,he would depose the Prince. The issue was finally resolved in 1962 when Prince Rainier announced that a new constitution would soon be implemented.  

Princess Grace was portrayed as a very genuine person, being compassionate and caring, warm and loving, and most importantly, humble and down to earth. During her 26 years as Princess of Monaco, she had a charismatic presence and a beauty that shone brightly from deep within. There are no tawdry details revealed in this book - kudos to the author for that!

My only negative comment - too much information, and I must admit I did some skimming over a lot of details. But that being said, for the most part, this was a good read. My rating - 3.5 stars.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

From the Author

ABOUT THIS BOOK, from co-author Grace Dale (goddaughter of Princess Grace)

If you want to know the truth about what Princess Grace was really like, then this eyewitness account is the book you've been waiting for (but if you are seeking more gossip and lies about Grace Kelly, there are plenty of other books written by people who never knew her). This is a personal memoir shared by Joan Dale, one of Princess Grace's closest friends, filled with intimate stories and behind-the-scenes details that no one has ever heard before, including:

- The true story behind the events that are completely fictionalized in the film, "Grace of Monaco", in which Nicole Kidman portrays "Princess Grace"

- What really happened when Grace Kelly tried to return to Hollywood?

- Why did President Charles de Gaulle threaten to depose Prince Rainier and take over Monaco?

- What was Princess Grace's marriage really like with Prince Rainier?

- How was Grace Kelly's daily life as Princess of Monaco in the early years, and what was she like as a wife, mother and friend?

- What was it like to go on month-long vacations with the Prince and Princess?

- And, for the first time, discover what Princess Grace's final days were like with her family in a detailed diary of their last family vacation just one month before her tragic death...

This is a unique story unlike any that has been published before of what it was like to be in the inner circle during quiet moments with the Princely Family, and throughout periods of tremendous political crisis, with excerpts from hundreds of personal letters written by Princess Grace and Prince Rainier. Joan Dale was an ordinary young American woman who became best friends with a Princess, and found herself living an extraordinary life in an extraordinary place at an extraordinary time.

This book lets you experience life in Monaco during the golden age of Princess Grace, surrounded by Hollywood royalty and crowned heads of the world. From parties aboard the yacht of Aristotle Onassis, to sumptuous galas filled with world-famous stars, extraordinary opulence, sumptuous food and extravagant jewels, to personal moments with Grace and Rainier in their mountain hideaway of Rocagel, and dancing all night in their private apartments at the Palace of Monaco, "My Days with Princess Grace of Monaco" will take you there...