June Book Reviews

A Summer Day, 1893 (George van Millett, an American artist )

 Bringing Up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting by Pam Druckerman ★★★★★ 

I first read this book while pregnant with my first child. It was fascinating and enjoyable then, as a mother-to-be- and now, five years (and two kids) later, I still enjoyed it. I may have to preface that I love all things Parisian, so I am biased, I suppose. I also have a thing for memoirs about North Americans living in France and learning new skills (French Kids Eat Everything by Karen Le Billon, Lunch in Paris and Picnic in Provence by Elizabeth Bard, The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry by Kathleen Flinn, and the Madame Chic trilogy by Jenifer L. Scott) That said, I still think it is a valuable book to think about parenting outside the American bubble.  It is jam-packed with in-depth, fascinating  research, both anecdotal (from the author's experience raising her three children in Paris) and also a more formal format from leading child psychologists (French and American) as well as longitudinal studies on different aspects of child development. Using her journalistic skills coupled with her own experiences and sprinkling some of her amusing humor atop it all, this was a delight. Duckerman praises the French on many child-rearing methods, including mastering the art of babies "finding their nights" (most French babies are sleeping through the night as early as a few months old), teaching children to wait (including pausing before picking up a crying baby at night to help them learn to self-soothe as well as teaching toddlers and older children to wait until their parents are done talking with an adult, encouraging discovery and play in daycare more than rigid educational objectives, and giving them space even as toddlers to learn to be independent). There were certainly things I wouldn't incorporate in my own child-rearing (for example, French moms rarely breastfeed since they have excellent access to formula and starting around age five, many parents allow their kids to go on week-long field trips with their class), but there was a plethora of things I marked down as wanting to try out five years ago because they made sense, and now realize I still do many of them. I think this is because I was into Montessori when my first was pretty young and there are a lot of similarities between the two.  Druckerman compared the French and American child-rearing methods without looking down on Americans or being snobby (in my opinion, though many disagree in book reviews on Goodreads). I wouldn't say I am aiming for either French or American parenting, especially since both vary so much from household to household, of course. Over the nearly five years of parenting, I have learning to take what makes sense from different parenting styles and philosophies, and leave what I don't want without feeling married to a certain style... aware that it may change in a few months depending on my kids' development, what works for us as their parents, our Christian faith, etc. Still, it was a great experience to read and think through the book a second time with a bit of experience under my belt!

Content rating: PG (I think I remember one curse word, maybe?)

Habits for a Sacred Home: 9 Practices From History to Anchor and Restore Modern Families by Jennifer Pepito ★★★★★

I love using Jennifer's Peaceful Press homeschooling resources with my son (Peaceful Preschool, her fall and Christmas guides, and we'll be using Nourishing Nature Kindergarten in the fall) and enjoy hearing her talk on different podcast interviews (including her own podcast, Restoration Home), and loved her first book, Mothering By the Book, which focused on dealing with anxiety in motherhood. As a homeschool mama to seven kids, she has learned a lot along the way, making mistakes, repenting to her family and God, and growing in each season. I love her humility and her wisdom, firm in the bedrock of her Christian faith and her identity as a child of God.  Always pointing readers to great books of great people, she doesn't disappoint here. She explains the devotion of the Saint Benedict and the other monks who were set-apart from the immoral ancient Roman culture and how we in the modern world can create our own set-apart space in our home. I love that she focuses so much on restoring the home to be a safe place of simplicity, stability, hospitality, balance and so much more.She dives into these areas and couples them with an inspiring woman in history who exemplified each of the habits she focused on for that chapter. For example, she mentions some of my favorite heroes of the Christian faith (Elisabeth Elliot when she talked about the habits of order, Amy Carmichael on the habits of prayer, Sabina Wurmbrand on the habits of simplicity, Edith Shaeffer on the habits of work, Ruth Bell Graham on the habits stability, and she mentions Corrie ten Boom throughout the book). I also loved learning about women I had never heard of, including Mary Mcleod Bethune (habits of stewardship) and Ella Tweten (habits of hospitality). The habits she discusses are to foster family cultures of rhythm, peace, joyful connection, and communal worship. But she doesn't write out a how-to guide to mirror her own family. As she highlights these wonderful examples of inspiring women as well as her own family rhythms, she encourages readers to jot down their own habits they want to implement. Each chapter ends with reflective questions and opportunities to craft your own "rules" for your home. 

Content rating: G

Year of Wonder: Classical Music to Enjoy Day by Day by Clemency Burton-Hill ★★★★★

I have enjoyed classical music since I was a child and love introducing some pieces to my children to cultivate an appreciation in them as well, so I was excited to dive into this book, which has 366 classical works, ranging from choral, orchestral symphony (my favorite), jazz, and even a few more modern electronic pieces. Each day's classical piece is accompanied by a page-length of description of the composer, sometimes drama in their lives and sometimes historic context for their musical contributions. I really enjoyed learning tidbits about well-known composers as well as being introduced to many new ones. I would read that day's page and then find that song on YouTube to listen to it. It was a great way to start the morning after my quiet time in the Bible. It took me a year and a half instead of 366 days, but I enjoyed being immersed in new classical music whenever I opened the book, and will refer back to it in the future. Some of my favorites include The Lark Ascending (Ralph Vaughan Williams), Love Bode Me Welcome (Judith Weir), Ma Vlast - My Homeland 2. 'Vltava' (Bedrich Smetana), and The Lamb (John Tavener).

Content rating: PG (the author mentions some of the risqué  drama of a few composers; nothing graphic)

Domestic Monastery by Ronald Rolheiser ★★★★★

Although I am not Catholic and don't plan to be, I have often been intrigued by the lives of monks and nuns, maybe because I loved movies like Sister Act and The Sound of Music growing up, but also because I loved the tiny, but powerful book Practicing the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence. It seemed like such an intentional way to pursue after God with wholehearted and whole-life dedication, living in community with others who have made the same decision and forsaking earthly entertainment. In this short, but jam-packed book, Ronald Rolheiser explains why the home, filled with obligations, loud children, and interruptions, can be a similar sanctifying space for Christians. Rather than the monastic bells that call nuns and monks to stop their work and move to the next thing (because they understand time is not their own, but God's), our "monastic bell" are babies crying to be fed or changed, hungry toddlers needing a snack, preschoolers popping out of their rooms a million times during quiet time, and so many other "interruptions". If we allow these normal "interruptions" to remind us that time is not our own either, and that our daily challenges as parents can push us closer to God, our home can be a safe and God-honoring place of worship, growth, love, compassion, and community, similar to a monastery. I was encouraged to remember that motherhood, with all its exhaustive work, can be a beautiful offering to God. These children He's entrusted for us to raise by His help are repeatedly reminding me of my need for God every day because otherwise in my own power, I run out of patience, compassion, and love. This little book helped me remember this is hard, messy, but beautiful, holy work to be a mother who is seeking God. 

"For years, while she is raising small children, her time is not her own, her own needs have to be put into second place, and every time she turns around some hand is reaching out demanding something. Years of this will mature most anyone. It is because of this that she does not need, during this time, to pray for an hour a day. And it is precisely because of this that the rest of us, who do not have constant contact with small children, need to pray privately daily.”  

“What is a monastery? A monastery is not so much a place set apart for monks and nuns as it is a place set apart, period. It is also a place to learn the value of powerlessness and a place to learn that time is not ours, but God’s.” 

The Girl They Left Behind by Roxane Veletzos ★★★★★

Through this riveting novel based on the author's mom's life, I learned so much about Romania's history surrounding WWII and the aftermath with Soviet control and Communism ripping apart the land, particularly for the wealthy families. In the first chapter, a three-year old Jewish girl is left on the steps of a building on cold winter's night as her parents try to escape the murder of Jews. It was their desperate attempt to save her life, which leads to her being adopted by a wealthy family who adores her. Through this family, you follow along decades of Romania's hardships, first from their alliance with Germany during WWII, then Germany's retaliation when Romania changes sides and declares allegiance to the Ally forces, and then the grueling years of Soviet rule afterwards. This little girl grows into a young women among these tragedies and ends up falling in love with an older man from her past who holds the key to helping her escape everything she knows in exchange for freedom. I wasn't crazy about the "love story" (if you'd call it that; the guy was a jerk), but I see how it all fit into the story. As a Romanian who immigrated to America as a young child, many of the details of Romania's history is hazy to me since I didn't grow up learning about my birth country other than stories I'd hear from relatives or pastors in the pulpit recounting their persecution at the hands of Ceausescu's regime. But in the last few years, reading a fictional account (I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys) and a memoir (Saving My Assassin by Virginia Prodan) of Romania during Ceausescu's reign of terror, I have been intrigued to lean more about other times in history in the country. Although some of it was fictionalized, it was crazy to think that a lot of it was based on what happened to the author's mother.

Content rating: PG to PG-13 (a short-lasting extramarital affair that covered a few chapters and did not have graphic details)