The Blackbird Girls is a Middle Grade, Historical Fiction book with dual timelines running during World War II and the disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Difficult circumstances thrust together two girls from different backgrounds, who have a history of not getting along. Through the love of a Jewish grandmother, one girl overcomes her prejudices, and the two girls become best friends.
Besides accepting those of other cultures and religions, secondary themes of child abuse and government oppression unfolding in the two settings give the reader a broader understanding of the world and its peoples, history, geography, and possibly even self worth.
I enjoyed the audio version of The Blackbird Girls, 10 hours and 6 minutes. The two narrators for the different time periods help the listener clearly follow the storylines.
Blankman masterfully melds the timelines near the end of the story, showing that human kindness can come from anyone, be needed by anyone, and may just save a life. This is a timeless message! Thanks to my Aunt Esther for recommending this book to me!
Alex Kershaw writes masterfully about Americans awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor during World War II. Can you name a WWII Medal of Honor recipient? Unless you are a history buff, your guess is probably Audie Murphy.
Murphy came out of WWII with a limp, but few other lasting physical wounds. He also had a chest full of medals as the most decorated man of the war (including the Medal of Honor), and plenty of mental and emotional battle scars.
Maurice “Footsie” Britt, former pro football player, was the next most decorated soldier. He lost an arm in the war. Britt earned the Medal of Honor.
Michael Daly washed out at West Point, and couldn’t seem to earn his soldier father’s admiration. But as one of the youngest leaders in battle, Daly earned the Medal of Honor.
Keith Ware was normally a behind-the-scenes tactician, but when he got word that German soldiers had pinned down his men, he led a charge up “Bloody Hill” in the face of artillery, mortar, machine gun, machine pistol, and rifle fire, earning the coveted Medal of Honor.
Kershaw profiles other men’s heroics in this book; they also earned the Medal of Honor. The one thing all the recipients shared was unflinching courage in the face of certain danger. Some of these men saved many lives by their actions; some made the ultimate sacrifice of their own life.
If you’d like to learn more about the Congressional Medal of Honor recipients in the context of World War II as it progressed, you’ll enjoy this book. And if anyone asks if you can name any WWII Congressional Medal of Honor recipients, you’ll have all the answers.
Dan Hampton, pilot and military aviation expert, has a new book being released May 3 by St. Martin’s Press, Valor: The Astonishing World War II Saga of One Man’s Defiance and Indomitable Spirit.
Valor is the true story of Lt. Col. Bill Harris’ life and military career. Ordered to surrender to the Japanese in the Philippines, Harris was immediately and brutally mistreated. He hatched a daring escape plan, barely avoiding the Bataan Death March.Hampton records perils Harris encounters as he tries to escape the Philippines and rejoin the Marines, including sharks, natives loyal to the Japanese, recapture, and surviving in a POW camp.
Hampton has done academic-quality research to preserve Harris’ story, with an impressive bibliography. Besides dozens of historical books, Hampton accessed Harris’ personal correspondence and exchanged phone calls and emails with survivors of Harris’ family.
This isn’t some dusty tome; there’s plenty of action, a dash of romance, and loads of inspiration in reading about Harris’ experience. Available for pre-order now from Amazon.
Katie McKenna, a physically fit, early 20s, NYC dweller decides to go for a quick bike (bicycle) ride before work one morning. At a light she signals she is she is turning, and she thinks the truck driver in front of her sees her in his mirror. He doesn’t, and McKenna is horribly crushed as both front and rear tires roll over her and her bike.
That doesn’t sound funny, but McKenna (who narrates the audiobook) had me laughing out loud during the first part of the book. If anyone is going to overcome these types of injuries, it will take a personality like hers that can see the funny side of tragedy, and a support system like she had. Her family was THERE for her through long months in the hospital and after discharge. They were so attentive and supportive; it seemed too good to be real.
McKenna and her family consumed a LOT of alcohol. She enjoyed bar hopping before the accident, and her parents began sharing a bottle of wine with her in her hospital room each evening. I don’t have anything against drinking in moderation, but nowhere was there a hint of warning against mixing booze with the strong, constant, necessary pain meds she was on. After discharge and still on pain meds, the drinking continued. I hope no one gets the wrong idea from this book that this is okay; it can be deadly.
McKenna made an attempt to answer the question, What about the truck driver? Although she devoted an entire chapter to this topic, she mainly discussed her feelings of being bitter or not toward him. No resolution was mentioned. Did she take legal action against him, or decide not to? This was never addressed. Her injuries left her in permanent pain and fundamentally changed who she is. McKenna should have let us in on how she came to terms with this. All we see is an unflagging determination to be positive.
This is a riveting book that I stayed up way too late listening to.
Mention “Pediatric Neurosurgeon”, and the first thing that came to my mind (before reading this book) is Dr. Ben Carson, who performed the first pediatric hemispherectomy, and was famously involved in the separation of conjoined twins. I have read about and watched a movie about the now-retired Dr. Carson.
Thankfully, I didn’t have any children in need of a pediatric neurosurgeon. If I had, I’m sure I would have learned about Dr. Jay Wellons, who practices at Vanderbilt. Wellons, an inveterate southerner, is a talented writer, having also published op-ed pieces in the New York Times. Wellons titled his book, All That Moves Us, with a dual meaning, since we can move because of nerve impulses.
Wellons advanced progress of pediatric neurosurgery beyond what it was in Dr. Carson’s time. Significantly, Wellons is part of a team which corrects spina bifida in utero. Dr. Wellons relates stories about this as well as brain surgeries, nerve repair, and ironically, coming to terms with his father’s ALS.
Now available for pre-order. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the advance reader copy!
Chances were, John Luckadoo wouldn’t make it back. “Lucky” needed to complete 25 bombing runs before going home or taking another assignment. Most bomber crew members only accomplished ten missions before being wounded, shot down, or killed.
Lucky’s original crew completed the required number of missions before he did, so he had to make his last few flights as the senior man with an unfamiliar crew. This made the odds of Lucky completing all 25 missions even steeper.
Lucky’s memoir, written by Kevin Maurer, explores the relationship dynamics of B-17 bomber crews, as well as Lucky’s personal fears and loss of faith.
Lucky and his boyhood friend dreamed of being fighter pilots. His friend enlisted first, joining the Canadian RAF before America’s official involvement in World War II. Lucky enlisted after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and then almost washed out in his quest to become a pilot. On the brink of failure, Lucky got the backing of a patient instructor, and Lucky found the confidence to complete the qualification requirements. This instructor would again figure prominently in Lucky’s life.
Lucky dealt with a cowardly leader who thrust him into harm’s way, and experienced red tape that stymied him in the progress toward his goals. Lucky also experienced devastating loss, and so avoided becoming too close to the men he worked with.
At times, the text has more tell than show, conveying facts and setting up for snippets of dialogue. But if you enjoy military memoirs, you’ll like Lucky’s story.
Lorena Junco Margain grew up in Monterrey, Mexico, but was privileged to travel and study abroad. She married a Mexican national of similar status. Family (including extended family) and tradition were important in their lives. They lived in Austin, TX, with Lorena’s husband commuting to Mexico for work during the week. (By the end of the book she and her husband become American citizens.) Lorena writes eloquently of the non-specific malaise that sent her to several doctors. The closest she got to a diagnosis was postpartum depression until she accompanied her sister on a follow-up visit for thyroid cancer surgery. Because of her sister’s medical history, the doctor suggested Lorena undergo testing as well. A tumor on her right adrenal gland was discovered. She went to the same surgeon who repaired a hernia after her youngest child was born. After surgery, Lorena felt worse but everyone told her she just needed time to recover. Four weeks later, she collapsed in the Red Lobster parking lot and was rushed to the hospital. They discovered a tumor on her right adrenal gland. Lorena thought she was suffering a repeat of what she had just been treated for, only on the other side. It wasn’t until her doctor called her with the news that he had removed the wrong, healthy adrenal gland that she realized what was happening. Lorena’s foundational belief system was an amalgamation of the Catholicism with which she was raised, new age philosophy, and a smattering of Eastern religion. First, she focused on getting out of the health crisis she had been plunged into, then she debated whether she should bring a malpractice suit against the surgeon. It was the worst of circumstances, and the error could not be undone. In Lorena’s words, “…the surgeon made a catastrophic mistake, destroyed my health, and left me with a lifetime of medical issues that can never be fully resolved and will likely take years off my life.” I’ll let you read her book to find out her decision on the lawsuit, but the bottom line is her choice to forgive the surgeon. Lorena had a strong family support system and she was educated and wealthy. She will always suffer the effects of the surgeon’s mistake, but she is choosing to be positive about the situation. I wonder if a low-income and poorly educated woman without a strong support system were in the same situation, could they choose the positivity, choose to forgive? Thanks for the arc, @NetGalley!
Characters from the first two books in this series, Adventures in Dinosaur Land and Florence the Fashionable Flamingo, come together to learn a lesson about diversity. Eddie Dinosaur sees that Florence Flamingo differs from dinosaurs or people and tells her he doesn’t want to play with her.
Key Concepts include diversity, feelings, being sorry, apologies, forgiveness, acceptance, make-believe, and aspirations.
There is an element of fantasy in this story with humans playing with a flamingo and a dinosaur; animals that think, talk, travel, and have feelings; and the characters pretending to have various occupations.
This book is appropriate for both boys and girls; and for children who are learning about diversity and the other above mentioned Key Concepts.
Key Vocabulary Words
(Does not include vocabulary from the previous two books in this series.)
Amazing
Astronaut
Backpack
Badge
Blue
Captain
Crying
Different
Feelings
Forgive/Forgave
Glasses
Gloves
Goodbye
Hats
Home
Horse
Human
Legs
Librarian
Masks
Mean
Microscope
Packed
Sad
School
Scientist
Sheriff
Ship
Shoes
Skinny
Sorry
Space Suit
Spots
Stout
Student
Test Tubes
Trip
Visit
Wonderful
BONUS: There’s a small butterfly on each page. Can you find it?
Discussion Topics
How did Florence feel when Eddie and Hudson said she was different from them?
Do you play with people who are different from you?
People who are different from us can show us new things. What did Florence bring to play with?
Have you ever asked someone to forgive you when you have been mean?
What do you imagine when you play make-believe?
What do you want to do when you grow up? You can do anything!
In the process of writing and publishing thirty-seven novels, I’ve come up with a truckload of characters. A big truckload. Each book has two or three major characters, several secondary characters and who knows how many characters that walk on stage for a few scenes or perhaps only a brief mention.
As the author and creator of those characters, I get to bring them to life through their thoughts and actions. The major characters get the most author treatment since the success of a story depends on the reader wanting to know what happens next with those story people. But the secondary characters add much to the stories too, and I love it when some interesting folks show up to help my story along.
Getting to know those additional characters is sort of like getting to know one’s extended family or friend circle. The same as any of us, characters have those extra people in their lives too. In many of my books, especially those I’ve published in the inspirational market, an older character with plenty of commonsense wisdom shows up to help my characters navigate their story trails.
In my Heart of Hollyhill books, Scent of Lilacs, Orchard of Hope, and Summer of Joy, Wes is an uncle/grandfather figure to my young character, Jocie. Aunt Hattie and Graham serve that same purpose for Kate in the Rosey Corner stories, Angel Sister, Small Town Girl, and Love Comes Home. Aunt Lindy is the character who keeps things on track for my deputy sheriff, Michael, in my Hidden Springs mysteries. Granny Em shares mountain wisdom with Fran in These Healing Hills.
In my current release, Along a Storied Trail, Perdita Sweet is that older character with a lot to say. She’s a little different from the other characters I mentioned in that she gets her turn to grab the story reins and share what’s happening from her viewpoint as she interacts with my packhorse librarian, Tansy Calhoun, and other characters. I really enjoyed jumping into Perdita’s skin whenever it was her time to step up as the main character on the story stage. She came to life with the first word I typed from her viewpoint.
Perdita is a contrary old mountain woman but at the same time she believes in the Lord and has always been ever ready to send up prayers of praise or for help. One of her promises to the Lord is that she will try to be less contrary. Not an easy task for Perdita. Everybody calls her Aunt Perdie even though, as she crankily points out, she is not an actual aunt to any of them. And it is easy to believe that plenty of Aunt Perdie stories circulate among the mountain folks.
As one of my other characters, Caleb says, once you meet Aunt Perdie, you aren’t likely to forget her. I sort of hope that’s true with those who pick up my book, Along a Storied Trail, and share her story.
Do you think characters like Aunt Perdie are fun to get to know in stories?
ANN H. GABHART has been called a storyteller, She’s lived up to the title with thirty-seven books published and more stories on the way. Ann likes wrapping her stories around interesting historical times and events in her home state of Kentucky. Her Shakers books, The Refuge, The Outsider and others are popular with readers. She’s headed to the Appalachian Mountains for TheseHealing Hills, An Appalachian Summer, and now Along a Storied Trail. She’s mined her family history for Angel Sister and Scent of Lilacs, found a feel good story, River to Redemption, set during the 1833 cholera epidemic in Springfield, Kentucky, and more. Even her cozy mysteries under the author name A.H. Gabhart take place in the little town of Hidden Springs, Kentucky. Ann keeps her keyboard warm out on her farm where she likes walking with her dogs or discovering the wonders of nature with her nine grandchildren. To find out more about Ann and her books visit www.annhgabhart.com.
Philip Yancey grew up in a religiously strict, fundamentalist home, raised by a single mother. Philip’s parents planned to be missionaries to Africa. While his parents prepared for the mission field, Philip and his brother Marshall were born. At age 23, Philip’s father developed polio and an iron lung took over his breathing. Not wanting a life of being paralyzed, Philip’s father checked himself out of the hospital against medical advice, and left the life-saving iron lung. Philip’s parents proclaimed God would heal him. He died two weeks later.
Comparing herself to Hannah, the mother of Samuel in the Bible, Philip’s mother dedicated her young sons to be missionaries to Africa, while prone upon her husband’s fresh grave.
The family struggled financially, living near Atlanta well below the poverty line. Philip’s maternal grandparents will not help, and this provides a clue to Philip’s mother’s harshness. Philip’s mother is moody, and a rift opens between her and her sons. Marshall and his mother never overcome this divide.
Philip explores the racism taught to him in church and in school, racism endemic to the Bible Belt and white southern culture. I didn’t grow up as far south as Philip, but I can easily relate to the same inculcation of injustice and easy use of the n-word.
Both boys are bright, even exceptional. One after the other they go off to Bible College in South Carolina. The college has sixty-some rules, and the atmosphere there seems like an extension of their legalistic church and home life. Marshall responds by turning from God, endeavoring to break every rule the school has.
Philip has a similar crisis of faith, yet in his skepticism God meets him in a life-changing encounter. This is where the light fell. Philip’s description of that event is one of the book’s highlights for me.
Marshall and Philip’s paths continued to diverge. Philip becomes a writer, well-known in Christian circles, while Marshall indulges in the excesses of the world and eschews belief in God. Philip contemplates how brothers raised in the same environment can come to such different lives.
If you’ve read any of Philip’s books, you’ll enjoy getting to know the man behind them.
