August Book Reviews
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The Dirty Life: On Farming, Food, and Love by Kristin Kimball (audiobook) ★★★★☆
Kristin was a writer in NYC when she fell in love with a farmer who avoided technology and other modern advancements in the agricultural world to stay as true to ancient farming as possible. Though he seemed a bit backwards and even crazy to prefer outhouses to the modern conveniences of a toilet and electricity, she fell hard for him and for the rural life. In this memoir, she depicts the first years of farming with him, from choosing their driving horses (rather than tractors) and milking cows (that they milked twice a day), to preparing for their rustic wedding on their farm during a hectic harvest. She explains how they fulfilled their dream to provide their local customers with locally sourced food to avoid grocery stores (beef, pork, chicken, milk, eggs, maple syrup, grains, flours, dried beans, herbs, fruit, and forty different vegetables), all from their own farm. It was impressive to read about the hard, and yes, very dirty work, that goes into owning a working farm. It was interesting to read about Kristin's initially impulsive decision to start this grueling new life with a man she hardly just met, then to slowly realize what it would entail, and to grow to enjoy the work as it not only became her husband's dream, but also her own. Rating: PG (a bit of language and sexual references that I can recall, but not a lot)
Rainbow Valley by L.M. Montgomery (audiobook) ★★★★☆
I read the previous six Anne of Green Gables books, but it has taken me years to finally read this one. I think I assumed it would only be from Anne's children's perspectives, and I didn't want to only read about their little adventures rather than hearing from some of the beloved characters in the series, like Anne herself. I am glad I finally picked it up because it was much different, and so much more enjoyable, than expected. Swapping character perspectives in each chapter helped to get a bird's eye view of the whole plot, from Anne and her family to the new minister and his children to many other lively characters in their town. I adore Anne, so the last few books haven't been as enjoyable since they aren't so much about her. But this one was delightful, maybe because the eldest of the minister's children was a girl who resembled Anne as a little girl. She was spunky and got into embarrassing situations, but it was never out of mischief, only misunderstanding and ignorance to the social expectations (like not wearing stockings to church because she gave hers away to a poor girl and then realized she didn't have an extra pair). There was a tender love story that definitely wasn't the focus along with the hilarious gossipy chatter of Anne's elderly neighbors and maid. I enjoyed this sweet end to the Anne of Green Gables books.Rating: G
Come Rain or Come Shine (Mitford #13) by Jan Karon (audiobook) ★★★★★
Dooley Kavanagh, Father Tim's adopted son, is getting married in this sweet novel that brings back beloved characters while also introducing a few new ones. Father Tim and his wife Cynthia are doing all they can to help make the rustic wedding dream become a reality, but the "simple" wedding gradually becomes a lot more complicated than the bride and groom-to-be expected (isn't that the reality of weddings?!). I have enjoyed all of the Mitford novels and am sad that I am drawing an end to this wonderful series. I feel like I have come alongside so many of the characters, particularly the young couple to be married, and watched them grow from children who were rough-around-the-edges due to living in abusive and neglected homes, to the transformation, hope, and joy they experienced when loved, accepted, and encouraged by their loving adoptive parents. This book champions adoption, definitely not skirting around the messy, difficult parts, but showcasing it as a way to love others in a Christ-like way that transforms. Rating: G
Mother by Kathleen Norris (audiobook) ★★★★☆
A charming classic about a young teenage girl who resents her simple country life, especially growing up in a large family who were barely getting by on her father's salary. When the opportunity to work in NYC presents itself in a way that both parents approve, she experiences the glamour she thought she always desired. Yet she eventually is slowly drawn back to the loving, trustworthy, and hard-working arms of her mom, who taught her what was really important in life. This is a Christian classic that was written in 1911, yet reads like a contemporary book with themes that women still struggle with. It was short; I definitely wanted more at the end! I enjoyed it and felt like it was similar to another beloved Christian classic, Stepping Heavenward (by Elizabeth Prentiss), also about a young woman growing up.Rating: G
The Hundred-Year Walk: An Armenian Odyssey by Dawn Anahid MacKeen (audiobook) ★★★★☆
I had minuscule knowledge of the Turkish genocide of the Amernians during WWI prior to reading this book, so my mind was blown by the horrific details and heartbreaking storytelling of one man's experience. Told creatively from dual timelines (a granddaughter in modern times and the grandfather as a young man during WWI), it chronicles the mass deportation to internment camps across deserts that led to starvation and brutal murders. It was hard to read because of the heart wrenching details, but I felt like it was important to complete the book because I wanted to know about this event in history that I had not learned about before.Rating: PG-13 due to violence in a lot of detail (including brutality against women and children)
Daughter of Rome by Tessa Afshar (audiobook) ★★★★★
A powerful Christian historical novel based on Priscilla and Aquila, a couple who worked and showed hospitality and friendship with the Apostle Paul. Though the author used creative license to paint a gripping backstory for each of the characters that is most likely not based on facts (their story is mainly found in Acts 18 and does not include any backstory), it still is believable and honors the Biblical narrative and overarching gospel message of the novel. I am very picky with Biblical fiction because I don't like when Bible characters are portrayed in a way that is very different than what the Bibles says about them, but Tessa Afshar has a unique gift for weaving the Biblical story with research of Jewish history and customs with her own imagination to fit the themes she wants to highlight through her books. I don't typically gravitate towards love stories, but this was a realistic and beautifully imagined love story between Priscilla and Aquila, though the focus was not only on their love story, but on the gospel message they were passionate about spreading to others in their community.Rating: PG
The Scent of Water by Elizabeth Goudge ★★★★☆
When Mary Lindsay-- who spent her whole life in London -- inherits her father's cousin's country cottage, she moves to the small village of Appleshaw. Here she befriends the villagers and witnesses the hardships as well as the joy around her in the new friendships formed. But most special to her was uncovering journals of her father's cousin, which helped her understand her in a way she never could before. The book jumps around to different character's perspectives, which sometimes is jolting, but worked for this book. I really enjoyed the journal entries since the cousin struggled with mental illness in a time when it was poorly understood, so it was interesting to read about (though understandably sad too). There were some Christian themes in the book as the author is Christian, most of which I agreed with and felt like they added a depth to the book. It was slow at times and didn't captivate me quite as much as I hoped, but I still enjoyed it overall. Rating: PG
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