August Read

Title: The Case of the Daring Divorcee
Author: Gardner, Erle Stanley
Genre: Mystery
Book description from amazon.com
     While Perry Mason and Della Street were away from the office a woman came in who feared for her life. But after giving her name, Adelle Hastings, she stepped out to the corridor and did not return. Then Perry received a phone call from Mr. Huntley L. Banner who is representing Garvin S. Hastings in the divorce. So Perry gets Paul Drake to investigate the individuals. Perry and Della follow the clues by flying to Las Vegas to investigate Adelle Hastings. Now the complications begin (Chapter Three). Adelle Hastings tells her story. Perry points out the inconsistencies, and says the police are too thorough and clever to be fooled by it. If Adelle was telling the truth she has an imposter pulling tricks on her. On the return charter flight Perry learns that a young woman had questioned the pilot about them (Chapter Four)! Adelle has realized that something is very wrong, and comes to see Perry at his office (Chapter Five). And yes, they learn that Garvin S. Hastings has been murdered. Then Huntley L. Banner calls with information he just got from Garvin Hastings! There is an educational part about people in a line-up who appear similar. Did Garvin fail to make a will to provide for Adelle, his third wife? Could his second wife have cooked up this scheme?

August Read/John

Title: HOME BEFORE MORNING
The True Story of an Army Nurse in Vietnam
Published in 1983

Author:  Lynda Van Devanter
with Christopher Morgan

Graphic horror: were words numbers to be added, that might total the sum of them. If it were possible to actually do so. Her wartime experiences as a young and naive nurse in Vietnam full of hope and compassion, who was not long out of nursing school, came vividly alive in gory detail. The book is an odyssey of a girl growing up, gallow's humor, suffering and healing, despair and redemption. 

So too for the narratives that described her mental  anguish and emotional suffering of the tortured existence she and so many others laboriously endured while giving the best of themselves to patch and help heal the broken bodies, minds, hearts, and spirits - including their own -of the grievously injured and sick under terrible conditions. They even persevered many times while under attack. 

The PTSD she and others experienced from the uncaring hands of fate slowly built as she described PTSD's inextricable escalation. She then gave an account of what her life became during its harsh control, and the self medication by consuming copious amounts of alcohol, smoking grass, and failed relationships.  And finally, she laid out the long and anguished journey back to a plateau of normalization by many hours of therapy, working with other veterans, a trip back to Vietnam, and help from friends. 

August Read/Kirsten

Number the stars (Lois Lowry)

How begin a report about this poignant book?

It takes place in Copenhaguen, Denmark, in 1943, during the Second World War. Annemarie is 10 years old. She ‘s used to tell fairytales to her little sister Kirsti, with queens and kings. Her best friend is Ellen, a Jewish young girl.

During the 1943 fall, the German are beginning the “relocation” of all Danish Jews. But thanks to some Danish politics “leaks”, the Jew community is warned during the New Year that something was going to happen.

It’s the story about the Danish resistance, helping thousands of Danish Jews to escape to Sweden, which is not invaded by the Nazis. It’s this story told by a young girl, not naïve, but who has genuine thoughts about the adult world.

I’m half Danish. But from Denmark, I essentially know about culinary culture and Christmas. I didn’t know anything from the Second World War. My grandmother told us a very few, as we couldn’t speak Danish at that time. But I know about the rationing: rye-bread and some potatoes, and that was all. I had no idea about how the Danish people protected their friends. How the King Christian sank his float, so the German couldn’t use it…

Sometimes, I’m wondering if I would be as brave as Annemarie if I lived during the war. Anyway, I would advise you this book, very well written, in a simple English with just enough new words to enjoy the story AND learn English. The emotions are simple, but very poignant.

Thank you Sherri, for sharing this book with me.