October 2.0

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
Admittedly, I have not been a huge fan of Patchett in the past; she lost me with State of Wonder (such a weird book). However, this new one is a slam-dunk, cannot miss, five-star read! I love me a good family saga, and this one hits every correct note. First, it begins with a quirky, odd setting - the Dutch house, named thus because of the Dutch family that built it and lived in it, with all the encompassing sadness held within their walls. However, this story is about the next family who buys the run down old mansion in a well-to-do suburb of Philadelphia and tries to make it their home. First and foremost are Danny and Maeve, brother and sister with the real estate developer father, abandoned by their mother, raised by the two women who cook and clean for them, emotionally neglected by their stepmother, making their own way in the world of the 1960's and beyond. Maeve may be my most favorite literary character in quite some time; she is brilliant, loyal, honest to a fault, determined, righteous, and thoroughly authentic. And if you enjoy a good audio book, Tom Hanks tells this story and is one of the best narrators I have ever heard. Seriously, read this book.

The Women of Copper County by Mary Doria Russell
Mary Doria Russell could put out her grocery and I would buy it; I have read every one of her books and loved them all. She is unique in her variety of topics: sci-fi The Sparrow and Children of God, Westerns in Doc and Epitaph, Otherworldly in Dreamers of the Day, WWII history in Thread of Grace, and now social justice in this story of union organizers at the beginning of the 20th century. Big Annie Clement, a real person of the early union movement in the upper peninsula of Michigan is quite a woman. Standing well over six feet tall, she begins and maintains a strike of the copper miners. We get to see the best and worst of humanity: the manager of the mine who will not negotiate nor bend for any reason; the journalist who feels compelled to share the heroism of the women and children; Mother Jones, the fiery union activist who traveled the country in support of unions; the women and children who suffer for the corporations who ignore the safety of their husbands and fathers; and Annie, who carries a heavy flag at the head of each parade, who is jailed, beaten, and starved. I had forgotten the value of unions that were needed during these times of abuse, the loss of life during strikes as well as work time, and the heroes who rose up to the challenge. It is not the happiest book due to the content, however, but I admire Russell for putting this story back into the public eye.


On the Clock: What Low-Wage Work Did to Me and How It Drives America Insane by Emily Guendelsberger

I dare anyone to read this book and feel good about ordering from Amazon, being rude to a call-center employee, or being impatient at a fast-food restaurant. Yikes, working a low wage job in America is not easy, nor is it profitable, or good for one's health. Journalist Emily Guendelsberger goes to three different places of employment, works for a month, gathers stories from others, and has now written an explosive, often wry and funny, frequently shocking, story of her time at an Amazon fulfillment center, a call center, and an Oakland, California McDonald's. Reminiscent of Nickeled and Dimed, it takes a different direction as life has changed over the last twenty years, as has technology. This was truly eye-opening.

Three Women by Lisa Taddeo
It is hard to know where to begin with this one. Non-fiction, incredibly well written and researched, often uncomfortable, frequently depressing, sometimes shocking, quite provocative, ultimately powerful and unforgettable, but probably not for everyone. Lisa Taddeo, a well-respected journalist, interviews and relates the story of three women and their sexual lives. Yes, it's about sex. Each woman is uniquely herself; Maggie, a young troubled woman who has accused her high school English teacher of abuse from years ago; Lina, a lonely married woman with young children, involved in an affair with an old high school flame; and Sloane, a privileged woman and restaurant owner, who has an open marriage and a husband who likes to watch her have sex with others. I told you, not a book for everyone. There were many times when I felt like I wanted to take a shower, yet I was also fascinated by each woman's choices, her justifications, her humiliation, her sense of power, her helplessness, her victimization. Ultimately, we humans are sexual beings and this book provides many conversation starters about what that means.

Brain Rules: 12 Principles For Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School by John Medina
As always, I am fascinated with any non-fiction book about brains, particularly as it relates to how we all learn. This was a fantastic listen from libro.fm (this company benefits your local indie bookstore, rather than Amazon - I'm a huge fan!). However, I think this book would also be very engaging to read as well. It is organized into the twelve chapters and the author uses intriguing anecdotes to relate how sleep, exercise, stress, genetics, etc. all play into how our brain works. I highly recommend this one to my teacher friends as it explained a few things to me, like how does one child survive trauma and abuse and succeed while another child from the exact same family struggle for years? Fascinating book.