Behind the Scenes: or, Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House by Elizabeth Keckley

Information

Goodreads: Behind the Scenes
Series: None
Age Category: Adult
Source: Library
Published: 1868

Summary

Elizabeth Keckley recounts her years as an enslaved person, how she bought freedom for herself and her son, and how she became a dressmaker in Washington, D.C. and modiste for Mary Todd Lincoln.

Review

I picked up Elizabeth Keckley’s memoir Behind the Scenes because I wanted to learn more about a woman who was born in slavery, bought her freedom and that of her son, and then worked her way into the inner circles of society in Washington, D.C. during the years of the American Civil War. The strength, resilience, and cleverness she must have had would have to be phenomenal. I was, then, a bit surprised to discover that only the first three chapters of her book describe her years being enslaved and the rest is dedicated to providing an intimate look at the Lincoln household. The longest, most detailed chapter recounts Keckley’s service to Mrs. Lincoln after the war, when Mary wanted to sell her clothes for monetary relief, and Keckley traveled to New York to aid her. Behind the Scenes is certainly a valuable look at the private lives of public figures–one written with a keen eye for detail as well as much sympathy for Mrs. Lincoln. I really wanted to know more about Keckley, however, and had to satisfy myself with some more research after finishing her book.

Behind the Scenes is really a striking book in many ways. It does not fit the general mold of the slave narrative–accounts written largely to enlist public sympathy for the cause of abolition. Keckley almost seems to gloss over the account of her own life, particularly the years when she was enslaved, instead choosing to draw a veil of silence over the more uncomfortable and horrific aspects. For instance, she notes that she stayed with her husband for eight years, but left him as he was a delinquent; no more is to be said of him. She also veils the identity of the white man who raped her when she was young, and passes over the abuse she endured at his hands, instead giving readers the poignantly simple statement that she became a mother. Who can blame her? It is not something a person would want to relive, even in memory. She passes over this quickly so she can get to the meat of her story–her observations of the Lincoln’s household and her defense of her friend Mrs. Lincoln.

The book also feels a bit scandalous for a memoir of the 1860s, as it reveals private details of the lives of public figures. I was truly startled to find an appendix full of personal, private letters that Mrs. Lincoln sent to Keckley, all of them about her efforts to sell her clothing for money after the war. Keckley preempts the reader’s criticism by saying she does this in defense of her friend, who was being torn apart by the newspapers for the clothing sale. I felt for Keckley. I even believed her. But one suspects that the public was not quite ready to have a Black, female dressmaker reveal conversations that the late president had with his wife, or letters from the former First Lady. Scandalous indeed! My research later revealed that the book did cause a sensation upon its release, but then quickly disappeared. Some believe Robert Lincoln suppressed it, and that seems like a distinct possibility to me.

What I really wanted from this book was some historical context and literary criticism. I read the 1988 OUP copy from the library, and most of the introductory material covers the reasoning for the series of which the title was a part. It does not dwell with great insight on the content of Behind the Scenes. I really wanted to know things like why Keckley would choose to write about Willie Lincoln’s death in detail, down to reprinting articles written about the boy, but gloss over the death of her own son (a Union soldier in his first battle) in one paragraph. Or why she was so particular about expressing love for her former enslavers, even narrating her visit to the family after the war and how kind they were to receive her. One suspects that some sort of politics were at play here. Maybe the editor thought the Lincoln material would sell better than Keckley’s own personal grief? Was there some sort of push to placate the South and not raise uncomfortable memories about the practice of slavery? That kind of critique from scholars would be really helpful to put Keckley’s memoirs in context.

Keckley’s account does showcase her incredible talent, kindness, and force of will, even when she tries to direct the spotlight at someone else. She singlehandedly financially supported the entire family of her enslavers with her needle (when they could not earn money themselves), earned the respect of enough prominent women to get a loan to buy her freedom and that her of son, made her way to D.C. where she was successful enough to become the dressmaker for the First Lady, spearheaded efforts to support new freedmen after emancipation, and sacrificed a lot of her own time and even money to support Mary Todd Lincoln after the war, when Mrs. Lincoln was destitute. Elizabeth Keckley is fascinating! And though she focuses much of her efforts on apparently trying to rehabilitate the reputation of Mrs. Lincoln, barbs of insight come through, showing her ferocious intellect. For instance, she witnesses young Tad Lincoln fail at his lessons, and remarks how he has this luxury as a white child, while a Black child who showed such obstinacy and lack of knowledge would be taken by society as a sign that his race was not worthy.

One wishes for more such moments of clarity and truth, and a bit less of apologizing for Mrs. Lincoln’s finances. The record on Mary Todd Lincoln is harsh, yes, and perhaps unduly so in some respects. But it’s also true that Mary was in the habit of spending more than she could afford, no matter how sorry Keckley wants us to feel for the widow of the man she calls the “great friend” of her people. So my sympathy for Mary Todd Lincoln is mixed, especially since she seems quite content to have Keckley, a working woman, make personal and financial sacrifices on her behalf, while she sits around writing letters about how sad she is no one will donate money to her. But it is certainly a testament to Keckley’s own generosity and nobleness of spirit that she was willing to do so much.

Behind the Scenes is worth reading for the intimate glimpses into the Lincoln household, which is, I believe, how many historians have traditionally used it. It is, however, also worth reading for Keckley’s own story. Though she tries to obscure much of it and chooses to fade into the background, glimpses of her remarkable personality and life still come through. I really wish she had written more about herself. She leaves so much unsaid, but she is worth reading about!

The War That Forged a Nation: Why the Civil War Still Matters by James McPherson

Information

Goodreads: The War That Forged a Nation
Series: None
Age Category: Adult
Source: Library
Published: 2022

Summary

A collection of various essays on the Civil War, ranging from an examination of Lincoln as Commander in Chief to the naval strategies of the Union to Reconstruction.

Review

James McPherson is a highly regarded historian of the American Civil War, perhaps most widely known for his work The Battle Cry of Freedom–-considered one of the best single-volume treatments of the war. So when I saw that he had published a volume of essays dedicated to exploring the connections between the Civil War and the present, I immediately put in a request at my library. The topic seemed especially important today, when Americans appear more politically divided than ever, even as the country grapples with its continued legacy of racism. However, while The War That Forged a Nation is a highly readable and well-researched look at various aspects of the Civil War, the book never really delivers on its promise to explain why the war still matters. Read this one if you enjoy Civil War history, but do not expect any wise observations on the current state of affairs or how they are linked to the past.

Many of the essays included were apparently published previously, which may explain why none of them appear to be thematically linked, either to each other or to the ostensible purpose of the book. Topics range from the Mexican-American War, the U.S. naval strategy, and death in the Civil War, to a treatment of Lincoln as Commander in Chief and critiques of Union general like McClellan. Several of the essays appear to be written in response to the works of other historians, variously building on their work or openly challenging their conclusions. It is all very interesting. It just has little to do with Why the Civil War Still Matters.

Personally, I am interested in the American Civil War, and I like McPherson’s writing, which always seems as engaging as it is well-informed. I particularly like the nuance and insight he brings to controversial topics such as Lincoln’s stance on slavery. I think even readers new to the history of this time period would find his work accessible and even enjoyable. So, I do recommend The War That Forged a Nation to readers who like non-fiction. I would only point out that the title seems a bit misleading, or at least is an unfulfilled promise.

Dante’s Bones: How a Poet Invented Italy by Guy P. Raffa

Information

Goodreads: Dante’s Bones
Series: None
Age Category: Adult
Source: Library
Published: 2020

Official Summary

Dante, whose Divine Comedy gave the world its most vividly imagined story of the afterlife, endured an extraordinary afterlife of his own. Exiled in death as in life, the Florentine poet has hardly rested in peace over the centuries. Like a saint’s relics, his bones have been stolen, recovered, reburied, exhumed, examined, and, above all, worshiped. Actors in this graveyard history range from Lorenzo de’ Medici, Michelangelo, and Pope Leo X to the Franciscan friar who hid the bones, the stone mason who accidentally discovered them, and the opportunistic sculptor who accomplished what princes, popes, and politicians could not: delivering to Florence a precious relic of the native son it had banished.

In Dante’s Bones, Guy Raffa narrates for the first time the complete course of the poet’s hereafter, from his death and burial in Ravenna in 1321 to a computer-generated reconstruction of his face in 2006. Dante’s posthumous adventures are inextricably tied to major historical events in Italy and its relationship to the wider world. Dante grew in stature as the contested portion of his body diminished in size from skeleton to bones, fragments, and finally dust: During the Renaissance, a political and literary hero in Florence; in the nineteenth century, the ancestral father and prophet of Italy; a nationalist symbol under fascism and amid two world wars; and finally the global icon we know today.

Review

If I am being honest, I was expecting a bit more of a thriller from the account of Dante’s remains. The book opens with a startling discovery in 1865–Dante’s tomb is empty! The book then goes back in time, recounting the politics surrounding the Florentine exile’s burial in Ravenna, the many attempts by Florence to reclaim the body, and the many poets and political figures who paid homage at Dante’s (empty!) tomb. Once the mystery is revealed, however, the account becomes pretty straightforward. I recommend Dante’s Bones to ardent enthusiasts of the poet’s work, but admit the scholarly tone might not resonate with more casual readers of history.

Though I have read several biographies of Dante, I was not familiar with the story of his remains, nor in the ways those remains have been claimed by various political movements throughout Italy’s history. So I was hoping to gain from this book not only a riveting account of the attempts to steal his body back to Florence, but also a greater understanding of the ways in which Dante has been (re)interpreted to give legitimacy to conflicting ideals. I give Guy P. Raffa credit. This book is well-researched and really goes into detail. But, at times, I found myself hoping for more of a big-picture interpretation, and not a list of every poet who ever paid tribute at Dante’s tomb.

Indeed, Dante’s Bones seems determined to leave no stone unturned, delving even into the nuances of questions such as whether a bit of dust from Dante’s tomb could even be said to be the poet’s remains or just…dust from his coffin. For many people, the question is possibly unimportant. What becomes really clear for Raffa’s narration is that Dante is is basically venerated as a saint, and that dust from his coffin is a relic, with or without scientific confirmation. I like Dante and I regularly read his works. But I still found that I don’t care enough to want to know the intricate history of every piece of his alleged dust.

Still, readers who love Dante and want to know everything about him will find a well-researched and thorough account of the history of his remains–and how people respond to them–in Dante’s Bones. The volume takes care to trace Dante’s remains from his burial to the present day, along with the fascinating stories of how people have fought over those remains, in an attempt to claim a little of Dante’s glory for themselves. Certainly fascinating for a certain audience.

Snails & Monkey Tails: A Visual Guide to Punctuation & Symbols by Michael Arndt

Information

Goodreads: Snails & Monkey Tails
Series: None
Age Category: Adult
Source: Library
Published: 2022

Official Summary

From the period to the question mark, the semicolon to the em dash, symbols and marks are an integral part of language. In graphically engaging spreads that utilize typography in an innovative way, Snails & Monkey Tails examines the evolution of these mighty linguistic tools—from the punctum, or point, created by an ancient scribe to the guillemet, used most commonly in lieu of quote marks by the French (and named in honor of a typographer Guillaume Le Bé). With verve and insight, Michael Arndt explains their proper usage and how they came to be universally accepted today.

Review

In Snails & Monkey Tails, Michale Arndt takes readers on a joyful adventure through the history of punctuation.  From the period to pilcrow, the book is replete not only with information, but also with stunning graphic design that moves from the bold to the fanciful.  Any lover of grammar will delight in this book.  But its short length, accessible style, and arresting visuals will also attract the attention of more casual readers interested in the English language.

When I first read the description of the book, I admit I was not sure what to expect.  Was the book supposed to be a guide to grammar?  Was it simply illustrations and not much text?  Was it a history?  The volume, in fact, combines all three of these things.  It begins with a brief history of each punctuation mark, stating where the mark is believed to have originated and how it may have received its name.  The book then provides examples of how the marks should be used in context.  But, most importantly, the book does this all with bold red, white, and black graphics that show how punctuation can be transformed–to inspire, to captivate, to create meaning.  The volume would not be nearly as memorable without the graphics.

The short length means that the book does not feel particularly meaty.  It is, however, interesting, and I felt like I picked up a few trivia bits, and even learned about some less-familiar punctuation marks.  I have already tried to use some of the facts I learned to impress friends and family.  I do not know if this is a volume I will return to again and again.  But it worth a look, especially for those who really enjoy grammar.  

Fun Facts from the Book

• Three asterisks in a horizontal row, showing a page break, are called a dinkus. 
• Before the 1970s, typewriters did not have a key for the exclamation mark.  Typists would type a period, backspace, and then type an apostrophe.
• The Swedish name for the at symbol (@), kanelbulle, translates to “cinnamon bun!”

Overdue: Reckoning with the Public Library by Amanda Oliver

Information

Goodreads: Overdue
Series: None
Age Category: Adult
Source: Library
Published: 2022

Official Summary

Who are libraries for, how have they evolved, and why do they fill so many roles in our society today?

Based on firsthand experiences from six years of professional work as a librarian in high-poverty neighborhoods of Washington, DC, as well as interviews and research, Overdue begins with Oliver’s first day at an “unusual” branch: Northwest One.

Using her experience at this branch allows Oliver to highlight the national problems that have existed in libraries since they were founded: racism, segregation, and class inequalities. These age-old problems have evolved into police violence, the opioid epidemic, rampant houselessness, and lack of mental health care nationwide—all of which come to a head in public library spaces.

Can public librarians continue to play the many roles they are tasked with? Can American society sustain one of its most noble institutions?

Pushing against hundreds of years of stereotypes, romanticization, and discomfort with a call to reckoning, Overdue will change the way you think about libraries forever.

Review

Overdue: A Reckoning with the Public Library sounded, from the official marketing, like it would an incisive critique/expose of the ways in which public libraries are losing sight of their mission as employees are overburdened with taking on the roles of social workers. That is kind of true, but not really. In actuality, Overdue is part memoir, part library history, part random musings on topics such as social media and cancel culture, and part critique of public libraries based on the author’s nine months working at a public library in Washington, D.C. The book raises some interesting questions, but in a way that seems to be without any particular method. In the end, it is not really clear who Overdue was written for, or what it seeks to accomplish.

Overdue starts out with what clearly seems to be shock factor, chronicling the time author Amanda Oliver witnessed a violent act in the library, and was subsequently threatened and stalked by the perpetrator. The message is clear: public libraries are not the safe havens the public imagines, nor should they be romanticized as the upholders of democracy or envisioned as ivory towers where those seeking to be educated and enlightened gather. No, the public library welcomes everyone–and this often results in chaos and danger, especially as library staff are not equipped to work as social workers, and often feel unsupported by library administrators, government officials, and the public.

So far, so good. It may seem over the top to those who do not often frequent libraries, but I have heard and read enough stories that I understand public libraries have their problems. I welcomed Oliver’s opening statement since Oliver at least seems willing to admit to some of these problems–I think sometimes current employees feel pressure not to admit that they often feel unsafe and unsupported. However, while I thought this opening would lead to a critique of the state of public libraries, it actually launched instead into: a chapter on the history of libraries to expose their racist roots, a look at Oliver’s childhood upbringing, an account of Oliver’s six years as a school librarian, a look at the homelesseness crisis in the U.S. and its causes, some anecdotes about Oliver’s nine months as a public librarian, her subsequent guilt for leaving the profession, and then some final chapters focusing on other issues facing libraries today–before ending with a seemingly unrelated chapter on cancel culture and a final call to reimagine the future of libraries. It is very disjointed. Half the time, I did not even know what I was supposed to be reading. Is this book about public libraries, or is it Oliver’s memoir, or is it just a random assortment of tangentially-related essays?

When Oliver does discuss public libraries, it is very interesting. Although she admits halfway through that she only served nine months in a public library, the scenarios she describes are harrowing–as is her administration’s reluctance to address the issues front-line staff tried to raise. What Oliver experienced seems enough for a lifetime. She even states that she and another coworker were separately diagnosed with PTSD as a result of her time working in a place where staff were consistently subjected to harassment and the threat of violence. Though some may feel her time in public libraries was not enough for her to speak to the profession, I think Oliver’s ability to speak about what she saw actually stems from the fact that she left, is no longer so emotionally involved in trying to rationalize what was happening to her so she could keep helping people, and has the freedom to speak up without worrying that she will be fired.

The fact that Oliver still feels guilt about leaving, and still tries to walk a fine line in her book between noting a problem and trying to pretend maybe everyone could have lived with the problem for the sake of the less fortunate is extremely telling. For example, Oliver notes that library rules like not allowing people to use the bathroom sinks for baths or only allowing one bag instead of ten were rules the public also wanted enforced–I assume because slippery floors are dangerous and also because no one wants to walk in on a person in the nude, or because having ten bags in the aisle is a safety hazard–but then Oliver seems reluctant to commit to some of these reasonable rules because she feels bad for people who need to bathe or store their ten bags.

Librarianship seems to be a job that attracts empathetic people, so it makes sense that Oliver would struggle with enforcing rules that most buildings have as a matter of course. The problem is that is this precise guilt that allows libraries and their staff to keep being pressured to do more, more, more. The really reasonable thing to do would be to build more shelters, so people could wash with dignity in an actual shower where no one will walk in on them, or a place that has lockers so people know their belongings are safe and do not have to lug them all around town all day. Librarians’ empathy that makes them want to allow bathing in the restroom is just one factor of many that allows public officials to not spend money on actual solutions, because they figure the library will do it free.

Interestingly, one of Oliver’s proposed solutions for libraries being forced to act as homeless shelters because of the closure of such shelters is…to turn libraries into homeless shelters. She envisions new libraries, not having fancy fountains and impressive architecture to impress the tourists, but instead having showers, lockers, and needle containers. Left unsaid is whether the library will still provide any books or databases, or if all the “information professionals” will turn into social workers instead. While I have long supported the idea of libraries partnering with social workers precisely because libraries serve so many individuals in need of such services, I am perplexed at the idea that we should wholesale turn libraries into homeless shelters. Why not both? Why can’t the library still exist to provide equal access to information, while more shelters are built to fulfill other needs? On the other hand, I am not perplexed at all. Libraries have spent so long trying to fill in the gaps in social services, that many librarians see themselves as social workers anyway.

Overdue raises plenty of interesting questions, some of which I will likely explore in upcoming posts. As a book, however, Overdue is admittedly disjointed, jumping around from topic to topic without any clear thread connecting them. And, it is unclear to me who the intended audience is. Is it the public, who may be shocked to learn that library staff see their job as unsafe? Is it library administrators and government officials, who have the ability to make change? Is it library staff, who want to be heard? Is it just people interested in Oliver’s memoirs? I have no idea! I do know that many of the topics raised likely already exist somewhere on the internet as an article, so I would recommend people do some research to find those quicker, more focused reads, or maybe check out what current librarians are talking about on Twitter to get an idea of the state of libraries, rather than reading this book.

The Dark Queens: The Bloody Rivalry That Forged the Medieval World by Shelley Puhak

Information

Goodreads: The Dark Queens
Series: None
Age Category: Adult
Source: Library
Published: 2022

Official Summary

The remarkable, little-known story of two trailblazing women in the Early Middle Ages who wielded immense power, only to be vilified for daring to rule.

Brunhild was a Spanish princess, raised to be married off for the sake of alliance-building. Her sister-in-law Fredegund started out as a lowly palace slave. And yet—in the 6th-century Merovingian Empire, where women were excluded from noble succession and royal politics was a blood sport—these two iron-willed strategists reigned over vast realms for decades, changing the face of Europe.

The two queens commanded armies and negotiated with kings and popes. They formed coalitions and broke them, mothered children and lost them. They fought a years-long civil war—against each other. With ingenuity and skill, they battled to stay alive in the game of statecraft, and in the process laid the foundations of what would one day be Charlemagne’s empire. Yet after Brunhild and Fredegund’s deaths—one gentle, the other horrific—their stories were rewritten, their names consigned to slander and legend.

In The Dark Queens, award-winning writer Shelley Puhak sets the record straight. She resurrects two very real women in all their complexity, painting a richly detailed portrait of an unfamiliar time and striking at the roots of some of our culture’s stubbornest myths about female power. The Dark Queens offers proof that the relationships between women can transform the world.

Review

Shelley Puhak’s The Dark Queens is one of the most riveting books I have read this year–and one of the most fascinating nonfiction books I have ever read. This narrative nonfiction delves deep into history to recover the stories of female power and leadership that later generations wished to erase. The result is a story so wild, it rivals fiction in its sheer scope of intrigue, wickedness, and just plain weirdness. A recommended read to all who enjoy medieval history or even fiction set in medieval-esque worlds.

One of the key traits that I associate with great nonfiction is readability. It is a talent to be able to draw in a non-specialized audience to a work one is intimately familiar with. Puhak does this seemingly effortlessly, weaving her research into a tapestry so rich and varied it feels like settling down to hear a story from a bard. It possibly helps that Puhak has written a narrative nonfiction, a work rooted in research and real events, but one that sometimes has to fill in the gaps a bit with phrases such as, “Perhaps she felt,” or, “She may have then.” That is, we do not always know exactly what happened or why, but Puhak can make reasonable guesses based on the evidence.

The story itself verges on the fantastic, with Queens Brunhild and Fredegund matching wits in a decades-long struggle for political supremacy. They are surrounded by a rich cast of characters–loyal friends, treacherous villains, smug priests and politicians–who help keep the tale lively and, again, very, very weird. My favorite interlude was the nuns’ revolt, where a group of the sisters essentially barricaded themselves in to endure a siege because they were unsatisfied with the conditions at their convent. This is the kind of history I want more of! Just as Briana noted in her review of The Dark Queens, I found myself gasping aloud.

The Dark Queens is a highly accessible, highly entertaining introduction to an overlooked period of medieval history, as well as an incisive look at whose stories get told and why. I highly recommend it to one and all–not just nonfiction readers!

Pet That Cat!: A Handbook for Making Feline Friends by Nigel Kidd, Rachel Braunigan (ARC Review)

Information

Goodreads: Pet That Cat!
Series: None
Age Category: Middle Grade
Source: Quirk Books for review
Publication Date: July 12, 2022

Official Summary

A fun and informative handbook for young readers on understanding and caring for our feline friends from the kid behind the popular Twitter account I’ve Pet That Cat!

Pet That Cat! A Handbook for Making Feline Friends is an illustrated guide to understanding, befriending, and caring for cats by Nigel Kidd and his mom, Rachel Braunigan. 
 
This fact-filled and fun guide features:
   • A guide to cat body language—what does it mean when your cat’s tail looks like a question mark or is puffed up?
   • Helpful tips on how to safely interact with new feline friends. Hint: Let them approach first!
   • Advice for adopting and caring for your own cat. Choose the perfect cat for you!
   • Stories of cats throughout history and myth-busting facts—did you know every cat has a unique noseprint?
   • A cat personality quiz and your very own Cat Tracker to record all the feline friends you meet!

This kid-friendly handbook pairs charming illustrations with an interactive format. With step-by-step guides, fascinating stories, and tips from cat experts and Nigel, Pet That Cat! is a must-have handbook for feline fans of all ages.

Review

Pet That Cat! is an excellent introduction to cats that will be a hit with anyone who enjoys cats, whether they already have one or are dreaming of adopting one. A mix of information and fun activities keep the book engaging.

The book starts out with some pretty basic information, like how to approach someone else’s cat to pet it, so it would be a great gift for a child (or even an adult!) who wants to adopt a cat or their own or will be soon. However, the information gets more in-depth after the first chapter, including the history of domesticated cats, some fun stories about famous cats, tips on reading the body language of cats, caring for your cat, etc. My parents had cats when I was growing up, so I am not a complete cat newbie, and there is lots of information here I found fun to read.

The end of the book also has some just-for-fun activities, like a guide to picking a (silly!) cat name and a quiz for figuring out what type of cat you are like. There’s also a little notebook section at the back where you can keep track of the cats you meet and try to see if you can find a lot of different breeds of cats to meet/pet, so that could also be fun for a young reader who would like to adopt a cat of their own but probably won’t be anytime soon due to veto power of parents/guardians.

Fun facts and lively illustrations add some interest to the book, and the overall effect is very cute. Definitely a recommended read.

Dante: A Life by Alessandro Barbero, Trans. by Allan Cameron

Information

Goodreads: Dante: A Life
Series: None
Age Category: Adult
Source: Library
Published: 2020

Official Summary

Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy has defined how people imagine and depict heaven and hell for over seven centuries.

However, outside of Italy, his other works are not well known, and less still is generally known about the context he wrote them in. In Dante, Barbero brings the legendary author’s Italy to life, describing the political intrigue, battles, city and society that shaped his life and work. The son of a shylock who dreams of belonging to the world of writers and nobles, we follow Dante into the dark corridors of politics where ideals are shattered by rampant corruption, and then into exile as he travels Italy and discovers the extraordinary color and variety of the countryside, the metropolises, and the knightly courts. 

This is a book by a serious scholar with real popular appeal, as evidenced by its bestseller ranking in Italy. It is a remarkable piece of forensic investigation into medieval Italian life.

Review

Dante: A Life by Alessandro Barbero delves deep into the historical annals to uncover what we really know about Dante Alighieri. While some biographical accounts assume certain facts about Dante’s life, Barbero’s account explains precisely what we know with certainty, what scholars disagree on, and what conclusions we can draw from various other known facets of medieval life. This biography is one for the Dante enthusiast, the one for whom no detail is too small or too dry.

While I count Dante as one of my most beloved authors, I have to admit that I struggled a bit reading Dante: A Life because of how dry–and how roundabout–it seems. This is not a straightforward account of one man’s life from birth to death, but rather a meandering biography arranged somewhat thematically. It opens with chapters discussing what we can determine about the status of Dante’s family based on such things as where and how they served in the military, when and if they received a last name, and so forth. The prose does not sparkle, however; this is no narrative nonfiction and possibly not even popular nonfiction. This is straight research, a series of facts told in a fact-like manner.

Even so, I found myself drawn into the account because of how honest it is. There are certain aspects of Dante’s life that I took for granted, because it seemed like everyone knew and accept them. Barbero, however, reveals when the historical record is shady and makes arguments that at times other scholars may have missed clues. I was fascinated, for instance, by Barbero’s argument that Dante and Gemma Donati were not engaged absurdly young, but that a record keeper may have marked an incorrect date. That…actually makes a lot more sense. Other intriguing tidbits are also scattered throughout the book.

Dante: A Life is a remarkably thorough account, one that uses the author’s apparent expertise in the minutiae of medieval life to piece together the likeliest scenarios for Dante’s biography. I do not know that it is a highly readable book–and thus perhaps not best suited for a reader just starting on their own Dantean journey. It is, however, an impressive one. I certainly closed the pages feeling that I had learned more about Dante than I had ever known I could.

Nancy Drew and Company: Culture, Gender, and Girls’ Series ed. by Sherrie A. Inness

Information

Goodreads: Nancy Drew and Company
Series: None
Age Category: Adult
Source: Library
Published: 1997

Summary

This anthology includes critical essays on various girls’ series from L. M. Montgomery’s Anne books to Cherry Ames, Nancy Drew, and Judy Bolton. Lesser-known works such as the Linda Lane and Isabel Carleton books are also covered.

Review

Nancy Drew and Company, published in 1997, argues that the girls’ (and children’s) literature, though long overlooked by the academy, deserve to be serious objects of literary study. Through such literature, Sherrie A. Inness asserts, we can gain a greater understanding of our history, both in how it is depicted in popular literature, but also through the ways in which literature seeks to shape history. Girls’ series provide role models for readers that can simultaneously challenge and reinforce class, gender, and social roles. Thus, these books reveal, as Inness argues, “our culture’s values, mores, and biases” (10). The essays in this book explore a variety of girls’ series, from more popular books such as Nancy Drew and Cherry Ames, to some lesser-known series such as the Linda Lane and Isabel Carleton books. Each essay opens a window into how literature works to shape society’s understanding of womanhood.

If there is any recurring theme that seems to link all the essays in Nancy Drew and Company it is that girls’ series often sought–usually unsuccessfully–to balance new ideals of womanhood with old ones. That is, even as these series asserted girls’ independence, assertiveness, and agency, they sought to convince readers that the protagonists were not interested in changing the status quo. Automobile girls might drive across the country seeking adventure, but they were also still concerned about appearing feminine and dating boys. They might be mistaken for suffragettes, but they were quick to tell everyone that their motives were not political. In the same way, many of the other heroines of girls’ series tried to balance domesticity or motherhood with their independence, creating contradictions that were never fully resolved.

These contradictions, however, are possibly what helped to make such series so successful. No matter what a reader was looking for in a heroine–assertion or passivity, independence or romance, adventure or domesticity–these qualities could be found in girls’ series. My own theory is that many modern adaptations of Nancy Drew have failed because they do not match up with readers’ expectations. And readers’ expectations can be vastly different precisely because of the way the original books are written. Some readers might laud the feminist bent of Nancy Drew, while others appreciate her old-fashioned values. Nancy Drew is a contradiction–something contemporary adaptors have to grapple with.

Nancy Drew and Company relies on the fame and popularity of Nancy Drew to lure in readers, but all the essays included are thought-provoking and fascinating. The book will have readers rethinking old favorites, but will also introduce them to many more interesting pieces of girls’ literature that have hitherto faded into history.

The Real J.R.R. Tolkien: The Man Who Created Middle-earth by Jesse Xander (Guest Review by Rosie Amber)

Every year on March 25, the anniversary of the Downfall of Sauron, the Tolkien Society hosts Tolkien Reading Day. This year’s theme selected by the Tolkien Society is Love and Friendship. The primary goal is to promote the reading of the works of J.R R. Tolkien! To celebrate, Pages Unbound will be hosting several days of Tolkien-related posts. In addition to our own thoughts, we will be featuring a number of guest posts!

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Official Summary

The Real JRR Tolkien: The Man Who Created Middle Earth is a comprehensive biography of the linguist and writer; taking the reader from his formative years of home-schooling, through the spires of Oxford, to his romance with his wife-to-be on the brink of war, and onwards into his phenomenal academic success and his creation of the seminal high fantasy world of Middle Earth. “The Real JRR Tolkien” delves into his influences, places, friendships, triumphs and tragedies, with particular emphasis on how his remarkable life and loves forged the worlds of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. Using contemporary sources and comprehensive research, “The Real JRR Tolkien” offers a unique insight into the life and times of one of Britain’s greatest authors, from cradle to grave to legacy. 

Review

Jesse Xander believes that much of the success of Tolkien’s writing is because of its believability, which Xander suggests is due to the way Tolkien immersed himself totally in the worlds he created. Xander shows the author’s complexities, his beliefs and ideologies, giving his audience insight into the man behind the books. Secondly, Xander goes on to consider the inspirations for Middle-earth.

Tolkien said: “One writes such a story not out of the leaves of trees still to be observed, nor by means of botany and soil-science, but it grows like a seed in the dark out of the leaf-mould of the mind.”

Xander has a passion for the world of Middle-earth, understanding how the communities, histories and languages of the inhabitants were considered on an anthropological scale. Once Xander saw the whole picture it was easier to fully appreciate Tolkien’s work.

The book begins with Tolkien’s early years: his birth in South Africa and the history behind the name John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. Xander suggests that the recurring theme of multiple names for Tolkien’s characters may have stemmed from the many different names that family and friends knew him by over the years. Xander discovered that Tolkien’s relatives, many of whom were lovers of storytelling, may have influenced his need to create fiction.

In 1896, Tolkien’s mother moved her family to the village of Sarehole; at an impressionable age, Tolkien is said to have found himself in the “heart of the English countryside.”

Jumping ahead to the summer before Tolkien went to Oxford University, his aunt took him and his younger brother on a trip to Europe, part of which involved trekking in Switzerland through mountains and valleys and a visit to the Aletsch Glacier. Some of the locations from this trip were some of the real places that inspired his work. There is also the suggestion that the all-male world of Oxford University may have been reflected in Tolkien’s works; as Xander said,  “Many of the women in Middle-earth are noted by their absence.”  A side discussion considers the following:

“Hobbit women appear either as deceased rebels, redeemable crones or love interests with barely anything documented about them.”

I was very interested in Tolkien’s background knowledge of ancient languages and dialects and how this evolved through his time in academia. While at Oxford, he was encouraged by one of his professors to study the Celtic languages; he began with ancient Welsh, and his love of languages became a part of his writing, for example the Elven script. I also liked how the author linked events and experiences with such detail from Tolkien’s writing, giving a clear picture of his influences.

There are a few black and white photographs to break up the writing, which were just enough to leave me with some images in my mind of the author. There is, however, much more in this book as it follows Tolkien’s life, family, friendships and his written works. I found the book interesting as previously I knew only the author’s name and very little else, while Xander offers some fascinating discussion topics which fans of Tolkien might like to consider.

I was brought up in the beautiful Hampshire countryside. I started blogging to combine a love of reading with a desire to embrace social technology; since then it’s developed into a passion to introduce avid readers to new writers, and offer a platform for little-known talent. Visit Rosie Amber’s blog here.