Turn of the 19th Century True Crime

Skull in the Ashes  by Peter Kaufman

     I really enjoyed this book.  I feel it has four different parts.  The book captured my interest right away.  We read of the aftermath of the crime and the skull found in the ashes.  Here, we meet the people of the small Iowa town where the crime took place.   This was especially interesting to me since I am familiar with the area, but anyone interested in life at the turn of the 20th century would enjoy this book.

     The second part of the book covers the manhunt for the suspect.  This takes the reader all the way from small town Iowa to a mining town in the Yukon.  It was incredible the lengths taken to arrest the suspect.  In this part of the book, you also learn about private detectives and what their work was like in the 1890s.  

      Third comes the trial.  All the evidence against the suspect was circumstantial, which would make a conviction from this trial groundbreaking.  The interactions of  large personalities and adept arguing were enjoyable.  We also get a detailed look at the newspapers and journalism of this era.  

     Lastly, we learn what prisons were like at the turn of the century.  Again, local knowledge peaked my interest, but I was also fascinating to learn about the penal system at that time.  I learned so much throughout this book while getting to enjoy "the chase".

      There were so many new or relatively new advances that help lead to the conclusion of this mystery, including photography and telephones.  Which the author discusses, but I most appreciated the way the author ended his book.  He came back to remembering the victims in this crime, helping us to remember this was not just a thrilling manhunt and trial, but a tragedy, too.

     I would recommend this book to anyone interested in history, true crime, or mystery, and those who want to get a slice of life from 1890s while being entertained.

America Rewrite Your History Books--the Irish Do It Again!!

The Brendan Voyage by Tim Severin

A medieval text leads to a fantastic journey chronicled in The Brendan Voyage.  According to the medieval text, St. Brendan and some fellow Irish monks, sailed to North America centuries before Columbus and before the Vikings.  I was interested in reading this book based on personal recommendations, my Irish ancestry and my Lakota ancestry which, I think, gives me a predetermined dislike for Christopher Columbus. 

Tim Severin sets out to silence skeptics by replicating St. Brendan's voyage.  (He is no stranger to replicating other explorers journeys as can be seen in his other books.)  Severin locates the same type of wood and leather St. Brendan used to make his boat.  The ox hides are tanned using the same methods employed to make St. Brendan's boat.  Even flax rope is used for the stitches to hold the ox hides together.  There is no doubt that boat is an authentic copy of St. Brendan's boat.  If the crew can make it across the Atlantic, they will have proven how plausible the medieval texts are. 

It is an interesting book.   Without any knowledge of sailing, I was still able to get a picture of what was going on to build and sail the boat.  Yet, I think I would have enjoyed the book more if I was more familiar with sailing terms.  There are times of wonder and danger aboard The Brendan.

I especially liked the end of the book when Severin does a great job of summarizing what the voyage teaches us about the knowledge, strength, and faith of the Irish and the spirit of the human being.

St. Brendan is described as one of Ireland's most beloved saints.  I feel bad I had never heard of him.  While looking for The Brendan Voyage if found an historical novel about St. Brendan by Morgan Lleywelyn, a proven author, and children's book, Saint Brendan and the Voyage Before Columbus, by Michael McGrew, and a musical CD based on St. Brendan's voyage by Shaun Davey.

Lost in a Good Book

Lost in Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuckoff          

This book tells the story of a true rescue mission in New Guinea towards the end of World War II.  An officer rewards some of his workers stationed in New Guinea with a flight over a newly discovered civilization in a valley on the island.  The plane crashes; only three aboard survive.  The survivors are located by plane, but the military has few plausible ideas on how to remove the survivors from the deep forested valley.  As they wait to leave, the survivors meet the "locals". 

Mr. Zuckoff does a great job of painting the picture of life at the base camp so we can understand the people on the flight.  He expertly weaves the story of the crash and rescue with interesting information about the native inhabitants, the history of the war, and types of military equipment.  The book also contains photographs.

It's got to be a good book, when you know the ending but you still can't wait to read it. 

Left With a Lasting Impression

THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS by Rebecca Skloot

Booker...
I don't know how I missed this book when it first came out.  It was even awarded a Discover award from Barnes and Noble, and I missed it.  I'm glad is was promoted again when it came out in paperback.

What an interesting book.  It tells the tale of the cells taken from Henrietta Lacks without her knowledge or permission and how they changed the course of medicine, making possible so many of the medications and advancements we know today.  It also tells the story of the hardship faced my Henrietta Lacks and her children.  As Henrietta's cells multiplied and flourished, her orphaned children faced poverty and abuse.

I was shocked when I realized, the cells discussed in this book started the cell line that I had used when I worked in a lab in college.  And like so many others, I had no idea the history behind them.  I didn't realize they came from cervical cancer cells removed from an African American woman in the 1950s.  I didn't realize that though the lab I worked in paid hundreds, probably thousands of dollars for these cells, while her children couldn't even afford medical insurance. Henrietta's cells led to the creation of medications her children needed, but couldn't get.

The story is not all sad though.  There is courage, determination, and hope.  This book would be an excellent choice for a book group because there are so many things to discuss--the civil rights movement, poverty and access to medical care, the ethics of taking tissue samples and using them for profit, and privacy issues.

I predict this leave quite an impression on you.  It may not leave an immortal impression, but it will last a very long time.

Erin Go Bragh--Ireland Forever

MALACHY MCCOURT'S HISTORY OF IRELAND by Malachy McCourt

Booker...
Mr. McCourt (yes, brother of Frank McCourt) has written a wonderful synopsis of Ireland's history.  He does this by telling mini biographies of important people throughout the history of Ireland.  By reading this line of biographies, the reader develops an understanding of the timeline of events and the impact of these events in Irish history.  And McCourt follows Irish tradition by not just informing us about these influential Irish, instead, he tells us the story of their life and times with personal anecdotes included in the story.  This was a very fun way to learn the history of Ireland.  I highly recommend it!