The Earl and the Pharaoh

Today's nonfiction post is on The Earl and the Pharaoh by The Countess of Carnarvon. It is 400 pages long and is published by Harper. The cover is blue with a castle at the bottom and a pharaoh's mask on top. The intended reader is someone who is interested in the history of the Earl of Carnarvon. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- In November 1922, the world was mesmerized by news of an astonishing historical find in Egypt's legendary Valley of Kings: the discovery of the tomb of the Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun. George Herbert, himself a famed amateur Egyptologist and noted antiquities collector, financed the expedition and excavation headed by lead archaeologist Howard Carter, and accompanied him inside this sacred space that had remained untouched for centuries.
Inside the tomb, the explorers found King Tut's sarcophagus and a treasure trove of astonishing artifacts: chariots and model boats, board games and paintings, a coffin made of pure gold. But these objects were more than just beautifully crafted works of art; they shed new light on Tutankhamun world and this fabled period of history, and changed our understanding of how the ancient Egyptians had lived--transforming overnight what had been formed through centuries of history and myth.
Drawing on Highclere Castle's archives, Lady Fiona Carnarvon pays homage to her ancestor on the 100th anniversary of this extraordinary event. In vivid and dramatic detail, she brings into focus the larger-than-life characters and lustrous settings--as well as those twists of luck and tragedies that shaped Herbert's life. Across the early 1900s, Highclere saw no less drama than the fictional Downton Abbey, with early tragedies for the Earl and love affairs, as well highs of exorbitant wealth and trials of punishing debt. But above all there was adventure. While Herbert first went to Egypt for his health, this mysterious, romantic land would become a second home; the beloved place where he funneled his attentions over a period of decades, never quite realizing how great the fruits of his labors would prove.

Review- This is not a book about Egyptology and the discovery of King Tut's tomb. It is a biography of the Earl of Carnarvon and his life, in which he was interested in Egyptology but that was just a small part of his life. The book starts with his birth and goes until his death and it covers everything in between. Herbert was a man of many interests, from flying to racing horses and Egyptology was just one. He did help Howard Carter get funding and help to do his excavations. He did have a collection of many priceless artifacts but I was expecting a story just about the discovery of the tomb not a life story of a man tangentially involved in the discovery. The writing is fine but at times can drag with all the details about the Earl's life. If you are a fan of Downton Abbey and want to learn more about the real people that inspired it, then you may like this book. But if you are looking for an in-depth book about the discover of King Tut's tomb, then you should pass on this book. 

I give this book a Three out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

The Correspondents: Six Women Writers on the Front Lines of World War II

Today's nonfiction The Correspondents: Six Women Writers on the Front Lines of World War II by Judith Mackrell. It is 464 pages long and is published by Doubleday Books. The cover is a picture of a woman with a camera standing on car in uniform with a press armband. The intended reader is someone who is interested World War II history and women's history. There is some mild foul language, discussion of sex and sexuality, and discussion of war and violence. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book-  On the front lines of the Second World War, a contingent of female journalists were barred from combat zones and faced with entrenched prejudice and bureaucratic restrictions, forced to fight for the right to work on equal terms with men. The Correspondents follows six women: Martha Gellhorn, Lee Miller, Sigrid Schultz, Virginia Cowles, Clare Hollingworth, and Helen Kirkpatrick. From chasing down sources and dodging gunfire to conducting love affairs, and socializing with luminaries like Eleanor Roosevelt, Picasso, and Man Ray, these six women are captured in all their complexity. 

Review- This is a very thick and comprehensive book following these six women over the course of WW2. Mackrell does give background information on the women and what they were looking for, to make them go into journalism but the main focus of the book is the war and their lives during it. Mackrell's notes are very useful for future reading about these women and the people in their lives. The writing is good, detailed but not overwhelming. At start of the book, Mackrell gives each women a chapter to herself to give the reader a good understanding of them. Then she dives right into the war itself and everything they went through. I would recommend this book on forgotten WW2 and women's history. 

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

The Rust Maidens

Today's post is on The Rust Maidens  by Gwendolyn Kiste. It is 250 pages long and is published by Trepidtio Publishing. The cover has a female figure transforming into something inhuman. The intended reader is someone who likes horror with lots of character development. There is some foul language, no sex, and very mild violence in this novel. The story is told from the first person perspective of the main character, Phoebe. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Something's happening to the girls on Denton Street.
It's the summer of 1980 in Cleveland, Ohio, and Phoebe Shaw and her best friend Jacqueline have just graduated high school, only to confront an ugly, uncertain future. Across the city, abandoned factories populate the skyline; meanwhile at the shore, one strong spark, and the Cuyahoga River might catch fire. But none of that compares to what's happening in their own west side neighborhood. The girls Phoebe and Jacqueline have grown up with are changing. It starts with footprints of dark water on the sidewalk. Then, one by one, the girls' bodies wither away, their fingernails turning to broken glass, and their bones exposed like corroded metal beneath their flesh.
As rumors spread about the grotesque transformations, soon everyone from nosy tourists to clinic doctors and government men start arriving on Denton Street, eager to catch sight of 'The Rust Maidens" in metamorphosis. But even with all the onlookers nobody can explain what's happening or why- except perhaps the Rust Maidens themselves. Whispering in secret, they know more than they're telling, and Phoebe realizes that her former friends are quietly preparing for something that will tear their neighborhood apart.
Alternating between the past and present, Phoebe struggles to unravel the mystery of the Rust maidens0 and her own unwitting role in the transformations- before she loses everything she's held dear: her home, her best friend, and even perhaps her own body.

Review- This book was a woman's scream frozen in print. All the women in this novel are fighting to get out of whatever is trapping them, from a unplanned pregnancy to disapproving parents with other plans for her life. Only Phoebe has a plan and parents who are going to help her get out of this hopeless place. This novel is about women and their fight to be more than just wives and mothers and sometimes that fight is won in a very disturbing way. But the heart of the story is Phoebe and her dealing with what happened to the Rust Maidens and how it affected the rest of her life. It is in the end a hopeful story but at times, I wondered if Phoebe was going to make out and she does but she doesn't. The writing is incredible, the characters are so vivid that I could hear the girls screams and songs and the world are so real as on of the main plot points is something that happens in the real world all the time. I would highly recommend this novel, it is just incredible. 

I give this novel a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Lady Baltimore, Vol. 1: The Witch Queens

 

Today's post is on Lady Baltimore, vol 1: The Witch Queens by Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden, Bridgit Connell, and Michelle Madsen. It is 144 pages long and is published by Dark Horse. The cover is Lady Baltimore with her sword. The intended reader is someone who likes reimagining of history. There is some mild foul language, no sex, and lots of violence in this comic book. The story is told from third person close of following the characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Once she was Sofia Valk, living in a village overrun by evil. In time she became Lord Baltimore's most trusted ally. Now, more than a decade after his death, Europe has erupted with the early battles of world War II and dark forces are rising again. With witches, vampires, and Nazis on the march, Sofia must embrace the title of Lady Baltimore! But can she fight monsters without becoming a monster herself?

Review- A fast and fun comic about hunting witches and Nazis. Lady Baltimore has hunted evil wherever it was and protected the innocent. When an old friend comes with a story about her husband's ghost being seen in battles across Europe, she goes to investigate and the plot goes from there. This is a very fast read with lots of action and some world building. The world on the brink of World War II with witches leading the way. I would have liked to learn more about the different witch types and other magic in this world but that did not stop me from having a good time with this story. The art is good, very western, so no big eyes here, with a muted color plate but that helps the action stand out more. I hope that this series will be continued has it was very fun and interesting. 

I give this comic book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this comic book from my local library.

The Woman All Spies Fear: Code Breaker Elizebeth Smith Friedman and Her Hidden Life

 

Today's nonfiction post is on The Woman All Spies Fear: Code Breaker Elizebeth Smith Friedman and Her Hidden Life by Amy Butler Greenfield. It is 328 pages long and is published by Random House. The cover is a picture of Friedman. The intended reader is someone who is interested in women's history, code breaking, and World War II history. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- In the summer of 1916, a young woman from Indiana set out to solve a mystery. It involved an oddball millionaire, a volume of Shakespeare's plays, and the secret world of codes and ciphers. Within a year, she had transformed herself into one of America's top code breakers.
During World War I, Elizebeth Smith Friedman cracked thousands of messages, but that was only the beginning of her brilliant career. In the 1920s and 1930s, she pitted her wits against the mob. When World War II broke out, she hunted Nazi spies.
Despite her fame, she was a woman of many secrets, and later she was pushed into the shadows. To get the true measure of her hidden life, you must delve deep, the way a code breaker would, searching for the truth that lies just out of sight.

Review- An interesting and well researched biography of a hidden woman and what she gave her country. Elizebeth Smith Friedman was a woman who refused to hide her gifts and in fact, she insisted on using them for her country. She learned how to break codes with her future husband and together, they they broke codes for the Army in WWI. Then she continued to work to stop mobsters and then Nazis. Her life was full of challenges, not just from the codes but from the men around her, the men on both sides of the law and the wars. They underestimated her and the mob/Nazis paid the price for doing so. This is a biography written for young adults but the writing is excellent and an adult who wants to learn about Friedman will not be bored with this book. It is very well researched from primary resources from letters and other first hand documents. I would recommend this book. 

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

The Devil's Harvest: A Ruthless Killer, a Terrorized Community, and the Search for Justice in California's Central Valley

 

Today's post is on The Devil's Harvest: A Ruthless Killer, a Terrorized Community, and the Search for Justice in California's Central Valley by Jessica Garrison. It is 318 pages long and is published by Hachette Books. The cover is a landscape picture of a grape grove with a barn on it. The intended reader is someone who is interested in true crime. There is foul language, discussion of sex and rape, and lots of violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- On the surface, fifty-eight-year-old Jose Martinez didn't seem evil or even that remarkable- just a regular neighbor, good with cars, and devoted to his family. But in between taking his children to Disneyland and visiting his mom, Martinez was also one of the most skilled professional killers police had ever seen.
He tracked one victim to one of the wealthiest corners of America, a horse ranch in Santa Barbara, and shot him dead in the morning sunlight, setting off a decades-long manhunt. He shot another man, a farmworker, right in front of his young wife as they drove to work in the fields. The widow would wait decades for justice. Those were murders for hire. Other he killed for vengeance. 
How did Martinez manage to evade law enforcement for so long with little more than a slap on the wrist? Because he understand a ark truth about the criminal justice system: if you kill the "right people"- people who are poor, who aren't white, and who don't have anyone to speak for them- you can get away with it.

Review-An interesting investigation into one of the most prolific killers for hire that America has ever seen. Garrison comes at this story from the beginning of Martinez's life and how that childhood shaped the man he would become. Garrison does her research, she interviews anyone involved in any of the cases that is willing to talk with her, some of the victims are still afraid of, The Manos Negra, The Black Hands as Martinez called himself. The reader follows more than just Martinez and the cops on his trail, the reader also follows the survivors of his murders, the families left behind. Their stories are moving, going from shock and grief to learning how to live without their fathers, husbands, and sons. The families are determined to survive and honor their lost loved ones. .I enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to any true crime fans.

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Hannibal: Rome's Greatest Enemy

 

Today's post is Hannibal: Rome's Greatest Enemy by Philip Freeman. It is 216 pages long and is published by Pegasus Books. The cover is a painting of Hannibal and his armies. The intended reader is someone who is interested in Hannibal. There is no foul language, no sex, and descriptions of violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Over two thousand years ago one of the greatest military leaders in history almost destroyed Rome. Hannibal, a daring African general from the city of Carthage, led an army of warriors and battle elephants over the snowy Alps to invade the very heart of Rome's growing empire. But what kind of person would dare to face the most relentless imperial power of the ancient world? How could Hannibal consistently outnumbered and always deep in enemy territory, win battle after battle until he held the very fate of Rome within his grasp?
Hannibal appeals many as the ultimate underdog- a Carthaginian David against the Goliath of Rome- but it wasn't just his genius on the battlefield that set him apart. As a boy and then a man, his self-discipline and determination were legendary. As a military leader, like Alexander the Great before him and Julius Caesar after, he understood the hearts of men and had an uncanny ability to read the unseen weaknesses of his enemy. As a commander in war, Hannibal has few equals in history and has long been held as a model of strategic and technical genius. But Hannibal was much more than just a great general. He was a practiced statesmen, a skilled diplomat, and a man deeply devoted to his family and country.
Roman historians- on whom we rely for almost all our information on Hannibal- portray him as a cruel barbarian, but how does the story change if we look at Hannibal from the Carthaginian point of view? Can we search beneath the accounts of Roman writers who were eager to portray Hannibal as a monster and find a more human figure? can we use the life of Hannibal to look at the Romans themselves in an unfamiliar way- now the noble and benign defenders of civilization but as ruthless conquerors motivated by greed and conquest?

Review- A quick reader about a great historical figure. Freeman is a great writer, who takes thousands of year old history and makes it interesting and new. Freeman takes the reader from the beginning of Hannibal's life until his death. He uses many different sources both ancient and modern. He casts a very, justly, critical eye to the Romans and the way they portray Hannibal and themselves. Hannibal was an interesting man and the reader gets to know him over the course of his life and the lives of those around him. If you are looking for a great way to study Rome and Roman history from a very different perspective, then you need to read this book. I hope that Freeman writes more Roman history in his very readable style. 

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Code Beaker, Spy Hunter: How Elizabeth Friedman Changed the Course of Two World Wars

 

Today's nonfiction post is on Code Beaker, Spy Hunter: How Elizabeth Friedman Changed the Course of Two World Wars by Laurie Wellmark and illustrated by Brooke Smart. It is 48 pages long and is published by Abrams Books for Young Readers. There is no sex, no foul language and no violence in this book. The intended reader is someone who is interested in women's history. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Elizabeth Friedman dedicated her life to cracking and deciphering secret messages. Until recently, her role in taking down Nazis and outsmarting criminals had been hidden away with her classified files, stamped TOP SECRET ULTRA. With just paper pencil, and her sharp wit, Elizabeth thwarted smugglers, uncovered spy rings and evn cracked the unbreakable Enigma codes. Author Laurie Wellmark and illustrator Brooke Smart reveal Elizabeth's accomplishments and bring her incredible true story to light. 

Review- A fun and interesting nonfiction read for children about an interesting and important woman. Elizabeth Friedman helped cracked spy and military codes for the United States during both World Wars and until 2015 all her work was classified. Now she story can and should be told. Wellmark and Smart bring her story to life in this colorful book for all ages. They tell her story from beginning to the end of her life but we spend the most time with her during her years in the wars. There are codes that you can solve as you go through the book and you learn how to make a basic code yourself. This was a fun read and easy read. Elizabeth Friedman was a brilliant woman, whose work saved lives, and deserved to be remembered. 

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Taking Down Backpage

Today's nonfiction post is on Taking Down Backpage: Fighting the World's Largest Sex Trafficker by Maggy Krell. It is 176 pages long and is published by New York University Press. The cover is a picture of the author with a seedy motel behind her. The intended reader is someone who is interested in true crime, court proceedings, and internet culture. There is mild foul language, discussion of sex an rape, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- For almost a decade, Backpage.com was the world's largest sex trafficking operation. Seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day, in eight hundred cities throughout the world, Backpage ran thousands of listings advertising the sale of vulnerable young people for sex. Reaping a cut from every transaction, the owners of the website raked in millions of dollars. But many of the people in the advertisements were children, some as young as twelve, who are forced into the commercial sex trade through fear, violence, and coercion.
In Taking Down Backpage, veteran California prosecutor Maggy Krell tells  the story of how she and her team battled against this sex trafficking monolith. Beginning with her early career as a young DA, she shares the evolution of the anti-human-trafficking movement. Through a fascinating combination of memoir and legal insight, Krell reveals how she and her team started with the prosecution of street pimps and ultimately took down the largest purveyor of human trafficking in the world. She shares powerful stories of interviews with survivors, sting operations, court cases, and the personal struggles that were necessary to bring Backpage executives to justices Finally, Krell examines the state of sex trafficking after Backpage and the crucial work that still remains. 

Review- An interesting examination of human trafficking from the point of view of the other side of the table. Krell starts with when she was a new prosecutor and noticed all the very young girls who were being taken in Vice stings and were saying the same things when being questioned. Over the years, she put together what was happening and she helped create a task force to stop the biggest internet page that advertising escorts. It is well written and interesting without getting too graphic with details, the average reader can understand what is happening without the gross details of what the girls lived through. I would recommend this book if you like true crime without too many gross details about the survivors. 

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library. 

The Man Who Hated Women: Sex, Censorship, and Civil Liberties in the Gilded Age

Today’s nonfiction post is on The Man Who Hated Women: Sex, Censorship, and Civil Liberties in the Gilded Age by Amy Sohn.  It is 386 pages long and is published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. The cover is extracted out newspaper clipping with two of the women that Comstock jailed. There is some foul language, very mild sexuality, and mild violence in this book. The intended reader is someone who is interested in American history, women’s rights, and where they meet. There Be Spoilers Ahead. 

From the back of the book-Author Amy Sohn presents a narrative history of Anthony Comstock, anti-vice activist and U.S. Postal Inspector, and the remarkable women who opposed his war on women's rights at the turn of the twentieth century. Anthony Comstock, special agent to the Post Office, was one of the most important men in the lives of nineteenth-century women. His eponymous law, passed in 1873, penalized the mailing of contraception and obscenity with harsh sentences and steep fines; his name was soon equated with repression and prudery. Between 1873 and the ratification of the nineteenth amendment in 1920, eight remarkable women were tried under the Comstock Law. These "sex radicals" supported contraception, sexual education, gender equality, and a woman's right to sexual pleasure. They took on Comstock in explicit, bold, personal writing, seeking to redefine work, family, sex, and love for a new era. The Man Who Hated Women tells the overlooked story of their valiant attempts to fight Comstock in court and the press. They were publishers, editors, and doctors, including the first woman presidential candidate, Victoria C. Woodhull; the birth control activist Margaret Sanger; and the anarchist Emma Goldman. In their willingness to go against a monomaniac who viewed reproductive rights as a threat to the American family, they paved the way for modern-day feminism. Risking imprisonment and death, they redefined contraceptive access as a human civil liberty.

Review- An interesting and well written biography of Anthony Comstock and the people he fought with. Sohn takes the reader from the beginning of Comstock's life and his childhood influences that made him into the man who saw the human body as a vile, sinful thing that must be hidden or destroyed. The reader also spends time with the people who Comstock saw as the bringers of filth and evil to young minds. From Free Lovers to nurses and other medical professionals, they all fought against the ignorance that Comstock believed was the root of a woman’s purity and the only way to be a good mother, and motherhood is the only goal that a woman should have. He was a dangerous man to all women and he did his best to make that all women were trapped by marriage and childbirth. Sohn does a wonderful job bringing this piece of women’s history to a modern reader and this is a timely book. I recommend this book for everyone to read. 

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library. 

She Come By It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs

Today’s nonfiction post is on She Come By It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs by Sarah Smarsh.  It is 187 pages long and is published by Scribner. The cover is a black and white picture of Dolly Parton with her guitar. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. The intended reader is someone who is interested in Dolly Parton, her life, and her music. There Be Spoilers Ahead. 

From the back of the book-  Growing up amid Kansas wheat fields and airplane factories, Sarah Smarsh witnessed firsthand the particular vulnerabilities—and strengths—of women in working poverty. Meanwhile, country songs by female artists played in the background, telling powerful stories about life, men, hard times, and surviving. In her family, she writes, “country music was foremost a language among women. It’s how we talked to each other in a place where feelings aren’t discussed.” And no one provided that language better than Dolly Parton.

Smarsh challenged a typically male vision of the rural working class with her first book, Heartland, starring the bold, hard-luck women who raised her. Now, in She Come By It Natural, originally published in a four-part series for The Journal of Roots Music, No Depression, Smarsh explores the overlooked contributions to social progress by such women—including those averse to the term “feminism”—as exemplified by Dolly Parton’s life and art.

Far beyond the recently resurrected “Jolene” or quintessential “9 to 5,” Parton’s songs for decades have validated women who go unheard: the poor woman, the pregnant teenager, the struggling mother disparaged as “trailer trash.” Parton’s broader career—from singing on the front porch of her family’s cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains to achieving stardom in Nashville and Hollywood, from “girl singer” managed by powerful men to leader of a self-made business and philanthropy empire—offers a springboard to examining the intersections of gender, class, and culture.

Infused with Smarsh’s trademark insight, intelligence, and humanity, She Come By It Natural is a sympathetic tribute to the icon Dolly Parton and—call it whatever you like—the organic feminism she embodies. 

Review- An interesting series of essays about how Dolly Parton is seen by the people that she writes about in her songs, the rural and working poor. Smarsh grew up working poor and she watched her mother and grandmother listen and live the songs that Parton writes. Smarsh interviews many people, those around Parton herself, Smarsh’s friends, and music industry experts about Patron, her influence, and her business sense. Smarsh has a deep respect and love for Parton and that is reflected in these essays. The book is broken up into different sections about different times in Parton’s life and in the world around her. From when she was the ‘girl singer’ on the Porter Wagoner Show to being the boss and owning her own music label. It is an inspiring journey, about an inspiring and kind woman. We could stand to be a little more like Dolly. 

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Sex Cult Nun: Breaking Away from the Children of God, a Wild, Radical Religious Cult

Today’s post is on Sex Cult Nun: Breaking Away from the Children of God, a Wild, Radical Religious Cult by Faith Jones. It is 384 pages and is published by  William Marrow. The cover is blue with a fish hook and the symbol for female on it. The intended reader is someone who is interested in memoirs, cults, and survival stories. There is mild foul language, lots of sex and sexuality, and some violence in this memoir. There Be Spoilers. 

From the dust jacket- Educated meets The Vow in this story of liberation and self-empowerment—an inspiring and crazier-than-fiction memoir of growing up in and breaking free from the Children of God, an oppressive, extremist religious cult.

Faith Jones was raised to be part of an elite army preparing for the End Times. Growing up on an isolated farm in Macau, she prayed for hours every day and read letters of prophecy written by her grandfather, the founder of the Children of God. Tens of thousands of members strong, the cult followers looked to Faith’s grandfather as their guiding light. As such, Faith was celebrated as special and then punished doubly to remind her that she was not.

Over decades, the Children of God grew into an international organization that became notorious for its alarming sex practices and allegations of abuse and exploitation. But with indomitable grit, Faith survived, creating a world of her own—pilfering books and teaching herself high school curriculum. Finally, at age twenty-three, thirsting for knowledge and freedom, she broke away, leaving behind everything she knew to forge her own path in America.

A complicated family story mixed with a hauntingly intimate coming-of-age narrative, Faith Jones’ extraordinary memoir reflects our societal norms of oppression and abuse while providing a unique lens to explore spiritual manipulation and our rights in our bodies. Honest, eye-opening, uplifting, and intensely affecting, Sex Cult Nun brings to life a hidden world that’s hypnotically alien yet unexpectedly relatable. 

Review- An interesting, at times horrifying, story of one young woman’s life and escape from the cult she was born in. Faith Jones was a second generation child of the Children of God with its founder as her grandfather. She was raised believing that the end of the world was coming soon and she needed to help save as many ‘sheep’ as she could. One of the ways ‘sheep’ could be saved was by flirty fishing, where female members of the sect would have sex with men to then preach to them about God’s love. Jones was raised to think that all women should be free with sex with all men who asked or demanded in too many cases. At times this book is very hard to read, as Jones talks about being molested at a young age and those acts being good and godly. The reader follows her from her earliest memories to coming into her own and free from the cult. If you think that you can stomach the darker parts of Jones’ story, then I would recommend this book. 

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

There She Was: The Secret History of Miss America

Today’s nonfiction post is on There She Was: The Secret History of Miss America by Amy Argetsinger. It is 356 pages long and is published by One Signal Publishers. The cover is a vintage picture of Miss America. There is mild foul language, no sex, and no violence in this novel. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- The sash. The tears. The glittering crown. And of course, that soaring song. For all of its pomp and kitsch, the Miss America pageant is indelibly written into the American story of the past century. From its giddy origins as a summer’s-end tourist draw in Prohibition-era Atlantic City, it blossomed into a televised extravaganza that drew tens of millions of viewers in its heyday and was once considered the highest honor that a young woman could achieve.

For two years, Washington Post reporter and editor Amy Argetsinger visited pageants and interviewed former winners and contestants to unveil the hidden world of this iconic institution. There She Was spotlights how the pageant survived decades of social and cultural change, collided with a women’s liberation movement that sought to abolish it, and redefined itself alongside evolving ideas about feminism.

For its superstars—Phyllis George, Vanessa Williams, Gretchen Carlson—and for those who never became household names, Miss America was a platform for women to exercise their ambitions and learn brutal lessons about the culture of fame. Spirited and revelatory, There She Was charts the evolution of the American woman, from the Miss America catapulted into advocacy after she was exposed as a survivor of domestic violence to the one who used her crown to launch a congressional campaign; from a 1930s winner who ran away on the night of her crowning to a present-day rock guitarist carving out her place in this world. Argetsinger dissects the scandals and financial turmoil that have repeatedly threatened to kill the pageant—and highlights the unexpected sisterhood of Miss Americas fighting to keep it alive. 

Review- An interesting and informative look into Miss America from the 1950’s and beyond. Argetsinger gets personal interviews with past Miss America’s and the people who helped them get to the crown. She takes the reader from small local pageants and the girls who compete in them.  The reader gets an insider look into the nuts and bolts that make Miss America and into its current troubles. The writing style is very engaging, with each chapter following a different Miss America or hopeful, going from the past to the current present. Afgetsinger enjoys her topic and that makes this book even more engaging to read. I had a very enjoyable time reading this book. 

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

The Saint Makers: Inside the Catholic Church and How a War Hero Inspired a Journey of Faith

Today’s nonfiction post is on The Saint Makers: Inside the Catholic Church and How a War Hero Inspired a Journey of Faith by Joe Drape. It is 256 pages long and is published by Hachette Books. The cover is a picture of the bible and a rosary. There is no foul language, no sex, and mild violence in this book. The intended reader is someone who is interested in biographies and how saints are made. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Part biography of a wartime adventurer, part detective story, and part faith journey, this intriguing book from a New York Times journalist and bestselling author takes us inside the modern-day making of a saint.
The Saint Makers chronicles the unlikely alliance between Father Hotze and Dr. Andrea Ambrosi, a country priest and a cosmopolitan Italian canon lawyer, as the two piece together the life of a long dead Korean War hero and military chaplain and fashion it into a case for eternal divinity. Joe Drape offers a front row seat to the Catholic Church's saint-making machinery—which, in many ways, has changed little in two thousand years-and examines how, or if, faith and science can co-exist.
This rich and unique narrative leads from the plains of Kansas to the opulent halls of the Vatican, through brutal Korean War prison camps, and into the stories of two individuals, Avery Gerleman and Chase Kear, whose lives were threatened by illness and injury and whose family and friends prayed to Father Kapaun, sparking miraculous recoveries in the heart of America. Gerleman is now a nurse, and Kear works as a mechanic in the aerospace industry. Both remain devoted to Father Kapaun, whose opportunity for sainthood relies in their belief and medical charts. At a time when the church has faced severe scandal and damage, and the world is at the mercy of a pandemic, this is an uplifting story about a priest who continues to an example of goodness and faith.
Ultimately, The Saint Makers is the story of a journey of faith—for two priests separated by seventy years, for the two young athletes who were miraculously brought back to life with (or without) the intercession of the divine, as well as for readers—and the author—trying to understand and accept what makes a person truly worthy of the Congregation of Saints in the eyes of the Catholic Church. 

Review- An interesting and moving account of a man’s life and what his legacy is. Father Kapaun was a man of faith from a very young age and when he became an army chaplain, he found his calling. He died doing the Korean war, the men he served starting to pray to him for guidance and influence. Then some miracles happened when people prayed to Father Kapaun, so the Vatican started investigating to see if they had a new saint on their hands. This was an interesting look into the life of a brave man of faith and how new saints are made by the Vatican. The writing style is engaging, the story is interesting and Father Kapaun was a moving figure. I learned about how saints are made, how Father Kapaun is being considered for sainthood, and why it takes so long for a saint to be recognized. An interesting book if you want to know more about how saints are made or to learn about a moving man of faith. 

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.