MONDAY MEMORIES: The Best-Loved Doll by Rebecca Caudill

Today I'm taking part in a meme started by Annette at Annette's Book Spot called Monday Memories.


Here's the deal, it's a meme to "feature favorite books we've loved from the past. You can link to an old review, or write something new about a beloved book from your past. Really, what's important is not the book, but why it is memorable to you."

Do you have a book that brings back swarms of warm fuzzies? Head on over to Annette's and tell us about it.

This is one of mine: The Best-Loved Doll by Rebecca Caudill. If you've ever read it, you're probably feeling warm and fuzzy right about now, as memories flood back to you.

When I was young, that just-entering school age, I was not a girly-girl, but I did love my dolls. I knew they weren't real, but there was that part of me that believed they almost had feelings. I had a favorite, Ruthie, but I didn't want the other dolls to know because I didn't want to hurt their feelings.

So when I read this book about Betsy and her four special dolls: Melissa -- who is antique, Belinda -- with her hand-sewn, fine clothes, Mary Jane -- a mechanical doll who can sew at a sewing machine, and Jennifer -- a plain, rather worn-out, best-loved doll, I was spell-bound. Betsy is invited to a birthday party and asked to bring a doll along. There will be prizes for oldest, best-dressed, and for the doll who can do the most things. But Betsy decides to bring Jennifer.

The book is utterly sweet. Any child who whole-heartedly loves a toy will empathize completely with Betsy and will have her heart warmed by the conclusion.

And I love this story even more because I rediscovered it when my own daughter was at that doll-loving age. It's a perfect read-aloud story. And it's a beautiful favorite for mothers and daughters to share.

GOLDEN OLDIES (GUEST BLOGGER): Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

We finished Pride and Prejudice. My guest blogger today is my daughter Lila.

          The title of this book is so well known as to almost be cliché: Pride and Prejudice. Most people have heard the phrase long before they connect it to a story, or even realize what the words mean. Even as a fan of classics like Little Women and The Secret Garden, I always thought of this book in the same way as War and Peace or Don Quixote: one of those ancient grown-up books that everyone has heard of, but almost no one endeavors to actually read. It took another book, an adaptation of sorts called The Mother-Daughter Book Club: Pies and Prejudice to make me actually pick it up, and now I am so glad I did.

          Written by Jane Austen around the beginning of the 19^th century, Pride and Prejudice has captivated generations of readers. This classic contains everything a good modern romance would—love at first sight, misunderstanding, changes of feeling, competition, scandal, suspense, and a happy ending—except the coarse language and adult scenes. Though the characters behave with early 19^th century English etiquette, their personalities are still strong and relevant today. Austen tells the story of Elizabeth Bennet and her four sisters—Jane, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia—after jovial Mr. Bingley, his sisters, and their reserved friend Mr. Darcy move into nearby Netherfield Estate.

          The society of Hertfordshire immediately gets an impression of Mr. Darcy as very arrogant. “Mr. Darcy danced only once with Mrs. Hurst and once with Miss Bingley (Mr. Bingley’s sisters), declined being introduced to any other lady, and spent the rest of the evening in walking about the room, speaking occasionally to one of his own party. His character was decided. He was the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world . . . .” For the Bennets and their friends, this picture of his character is further supported by a comment to Mr. Bingley. When Mr. Bingley asks Mr. Darcy to dance with Elizabeth, who is sitting alone, Mr. Darcy proudly replies “She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me; and I am in no humor at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men.”

Elizabeth overhears, and before ever talking to Mr. Darcy herself, she concludes that he is a very disagreeable man. When Mrs. Bennet hears the story, she is insulted and resents Mr. Darcy even more than Elizabeth does. “‘. . .Lizzy,’ said her mother, ‘I would not dance with him, if I were you.’ ‘I believe, Ma’am, I may safely promise you never to dance with him.”  Elizabeth proceeds to break her promise at the Netherfield ball weeks later: “. . . she found herself suddenly addressed by Mr. Darcy, who took her so much by surprise in his application for her hand, that, without knowing what she did, she accepted him. He walked away again immediately, and she was left to fret over her own want of presence of mind.” Despite this time spent together, Elizabeth holds fast to her first impression for the entirety of Mr. Darcy’s first stay in Hertfordshire. “‘Are you much acquainted with Mr. Darcy?’ (asked Mr. Wickham), ‘As much as I ever wish to be,” cried Elizabeth warmly, “ . . . I think him very disagreeable.’”

Mr. Darcy’s pride and Elizabeth’s prejudice keep them on edge with each other for their first several meetings. I won’t spoil the ending by telling it here, if you don’t already know. Austen’s distinctive characters keep you anxious for their story throughout the four hundred plus page novel, and witty comments by Elizabeth and Mr. Bennet will bring a smile to your face. Pride and Prejudice is one of the best books I’ve ever read, and I would recommend it to anyone twelve and older.

Review by Lila 

THURSDAY- GOLDEN OLDIES: Watership Down by Richard Adams

I first read Watership Down by Richard Adams when I was in grade school. I remembered it as being a pretty hefty book, but one that kept me spellbound. I read it at an age when I was just learning to how to read for deeper meaning and was rewarded with an extraordinarily rich experience. When my own children reached that age, it was one of the books I couldn't wait to read with them. They both loved it, and I fell in love with the book all over again.

If, by any chance, you’ve only heard of Watership Down in passing, yes—it is a story about rabbits. But don’t let that scare you off. I don’t usually read book with animals playing all the lead parts. This is about rabbits, but it is about so much more.

As it opens, the heroes of the story, two brothers, Fiver and Hazel, have emerged from their warren for their evening grazing. Fiver has a terrifying vision. He senses impending doom. Vague though this is, he is so certain and so terrified that he convinces Hazel they must leave immediately. They gather up a tiny group who are willing to follow them either because they have become disaffected with the warren or because they trust Hazel and find Fiver’s fear contagious. Among these is a large, strong rabbit named Bigwig. He’s a member of the Chief Rabbit’s police force, a position of privilege in the old warren, but he is willing to leave and start anew. Bigwig becomes one of the most critical members of the group, but each rabbit has his own unique personality and they all make important contributions on the journey.

The group embarks on a search for a new home. They undergo a series of adventures that teach them about themselves, about cooperation, and about the essential nature of rabbitness. The adventures drive the story and are compelling enough to entrance children and adults. The characters, even though they are rabbits, are so well developed that they capture your heart. It’s the type of story you won’t want to see end.

Watership Down is truly one of my favorite books of all time.

THURSDAY- GOLDEN OLDIES: The Believers by Janice Holt Giles

Janice Holt Giles is one of the grand old dames of Kentucky literature, having written numerous novels about Kentuckians of the past.

In The Believers, young Rebecca Fowler marries her childhood sweetheart, Richard Cooper, and expects that she will live happily ever after. She adores Richard and he is devoted to her. Unfortunately, she gives birth to a stillborn child, and Richard is unable to come to grips with the loss. Convinced they are being punished by God, he looks to the new Shaker religion and, liking what he hears, he joins their community, bringing Rebecca along. At first, stunned by what she finds, particularly the fact that men and women must lead separate lives, she expects their stay will be temporary. If Richard loves her, he, too, will decide this is not the life for them. But Richard becomes more and more wedded to the Shaker community and his only interest in her is the control he retains over her—he is her husband; therefore, she must (in his mind) do as he commands. This includes signing over the deed to their farm to the Shakers. When she refuses to do this, he considers her to be willful, stubborn, and sinful. He assumes continued enforcement of the Shaker rules will wear her down.

Rebecca clings to the tiny bit of autonomy she is able to retain as she continues her life in the community. She refuses to commit entirely to the Shakers because she is unable to accept their doctrines wholeheartedly. But how can she leave if Richard is determined to stay?

Rich in the details of late eighteenth century Kentucky living, as well as those of the Shaker community, The Believers is an engrossing tale of a strong woman caught in a situation that may remind readers of the modern-day closed religious societies that capture headlines from time to time. It is a coming-of-age story and a lovely romance. Trusting her own judgment, Rebecca must make difficult choices and defy the man she has always loved. Two caveats. It is a bit heavy on the use of dialect. Moreover, the way it deals with/portrays Rebecca’s slaves is embarrassing. Nevertheless, it’s a good book to read if you want to give Janice Holt Giles a try.

THURSDAY- GOLDEN OLDIES: Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn

Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn is a difficult book to categorize, so I’ll just call it incredibly clever. It’s an epistolary novel, and I have a soft spot for those, but it is also a word game. The plot manages to be both quirky and sweet, and the protagonist is heroic and funny. Here’s the deal...

Ella Minnow Pea is just a small town girl living on the island of Nollop off the coast of South Carolina. (The fictional island is geographically close to the US but is autonomously governed.) She is witness to, chronicler of, and activist in the fight against the bizarre events that unfold.

Her island home revolves around (worships) its most famous deceased resident, Nevin Nollop, the author of the phrase that was once memorized by budding typists everywhere: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." This famous sentence was purportedly the shortest known sentence to use all the letters of the alphabet. As such, it was immortalized with tile letters atop a statue of Nollop in the town center. One day, the letter "Z" falls from the monument!!!

The town council rejects the possibility of repair, opting instead for the choice that Nollop is obviously commanding from beyond the grave. The letter "Z" must be excised from the alphabet. Henceforth, the inhabitants of the island are forbidden to use it. This option takes some of the islanders by surprise. It seems a bit extreme. But after all, it’s only a "Z."

As time goes by, and more letters fall, the council goes to greater lengths to ensure that letters are obliterated from existence. Neighbors begin to inform on one another. People are exiled from the island. Ella is one of the few brave resistance fighters, seeking sanity in a world gone mad.

Written as a series of epistles, the writers don’t dare use the banned letters or they risk harsh penalties. The contortions they go through to obey the laws are funny and inspiring. The amazing thing about this novel is that Dunn drops letters from the book as they fall from the statue. (And the options left get very limited, but he keeps on–like a verbal limbo– how low can he go?)

It’s a silly book. And yet through this silliness Dunn is showing us things about human nature and human resilience. Ella is a shining example of courage and common sense. And through it all, the love of language shines brightest of all.

THURSDAY- GOLDEN OLDIES: The Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett

"Lymond is back."

It was known soon after the Sea-Catte reached Scotland from Campvere with an illicit cargo and a man she should not have carried.

Thus opens The Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett. I read those words years ago, and was lured across the threshold of one of the greatest reading adventures I’ve ever had. After a few thousand pages, innumerable battles, a couple of continents, and several fictional years, I reached what I still consider to be the most—the most—romantic moment in literature. I still smile to remember it. Sigh.

(Any Dunnett fans out there? Can anyone guess the scene I’m thinking of? Or alternatively, what do you consider to be the most romantic scene you’ve ever read?)

Anyway, to reach the moment, you have to be willing to invest in the Lymond Chronicles series- a worthwhile investment for historical fiction lovers. Dorothy Dunnett is not an easy read. Her protagonist is brilliant and likes to show off his learning. It’s hard to keep up. The plot twists and turns are not always entirely plausible, but everything moves so fast, there’s no time for doubt.

The first book in the series begins in 1547 Scotland, a country threatened by England most immediately and by political machinations just about everywhere else. No one can be trusted. Even inside Scotland traitors abound. One of these (the man who should not be back in Scotland) is Francis Crawford Lymond. He is back to redeem his reputation, but goes about it in a way that seems designed to condemn himself further. He will either be the savior of his country or help bring about its ruin. Even those closest to him doubt his intentions. But as we watch Lymond at work, the reader can’t help but root for a man of such savage cleverness. A man who pretends so hard not to care must care a great deal.

This book, this series, is not to be missed.

THURSDAY- GOLDEN OLDIES: Firebrand by Marion Zimmer Bradley

2009- Roc



1987 Pocket Books



Many years ago, after reading The Mists of Avalon, I was desperate to find something else in the same vein by Marion Zimmer Bradley. I was happy to come across Firebrand. This is a re-imagining of the Iliad through the eyes of Kassandra, the sister of Hector and Paris. She is the ill-fated prophetess of Apollo, doomed to always tell the truth but never be believed. Kassandra is "priestess-born," beloved of Apollo but also sworn to honor and obey an older and more potent Earth Goddess. Many of the same feminist themes present in The Mists of Avalon are also explored in Firebrand. (Kassandra spends time among the Amazon tribes and is more comfortable in foreign lands where women have autonomy and strength than among the Trojans where they are subject to their warrior menfolk.) The storyline essentially follows the outline of the Fall of Troy in the Iliad, but with digressions to explore Kassandra’s development. And it’s these sidetrips that give Firebrand its soul. It’s a passionate and tragic story–how could it be otherwise?

While not exactly a literary tour-de-force (see tomorrow’s post for that), Firebrand is a compelling story that will make your heart ache for Kassandra. Having read it so long ago (and yet it, like Mists of Avalon, the story stayed with me) I was a little worried it might be a difficult book to find. But luckily, it was re-released in 2009 by Roc (with a less cheesy cover than my 1987 paperback) and so is still in print.

THURSDAY- GOLDEN OLDIES: Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster

I love epistolary novels. Letter writing, good letter writing, is a true art, one that I admittedly never mastered. It seems a rather archaic talent at this point, since so few people have the time or inclination to write letters anymore. Maybe the epistolary novel will disappear as people forget what real letters looked like, which would be a shame. (Although new forms are evolving all the time. Tweeted novels, etc.) They do still exist, of course. Historical fiction is the most obvious place to find them. The wonderful The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society is as fine an example as you could hope to find. And, thankfully, if you want to settle back and read someone else’s delightful story in letters, you can always go back to a golden oldie.

One of my favorites, from way back, is Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster. I can’t remember how old I was when I first read this book but I saw it referenced in the Mother Daughter Book Club series by Heather Vogel Frederick and fond memories came flooding back. I wondered if the book was something that would stand the test of time, or if a rereading would disillusion me.

I’m pleased to report, the book (written in 1912!) retains the power to charm.

Jerusha (or sometimes Judy) Abbott is a promising orphan who was given a scholarship to a girls’ college by an anonymous benefactor with the simple requirement that she write him letters to update him on her progress. I should say almost anonymous. Jerusha caught a quick glimpse of the man and knows him to be very tall. Being something of a free-spirit, rather than using a stuffy To- Whom-It-May-Concern, she addresses her letters to Dear Daddy-Long-Legs.

What follows is a delightful coming-of-age tale of a guileless, generous, honest young girl who is intellectually curious, friendly, genuinely grateful for the opportunity she has been given, and utterly determined to be a credit to her benefactor and ultimately repay him. She has a few moments of self-pity but never wallows in it, and it is lovely to see her express her lows with as much whole-heartedness as she does her highs. As we follow her years at school, its impossible not to grow as enchanted with her as her benefactor does.

Can the reader see the twist at the end coming before Judy does? Well, yes. But rather than making her seem dumb, Judy’s naivete is somehow quaint. Isn’t the book a little hokey? Yes, a little. But that’s part of its charm. Aren’t we all pretty sophisticated now? A bit jaded and cynical? Forget all that. Every once in a while, it’s a simple pleasure to read a well-written book that shows a girl facing the world with wide-eyed wonder and ending up joyfully surprised.

THURSDAY- GOLDEN OLDIES Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote

　
On a recent vacation, I set myself the goal of reading Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote. It’s one of those classic stories that I should have read at some point in my life, but never did. I saw the movie many years ago, but remember being more impressed with Hepburn than with the actual movie and had a hard time remembering much of it.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s is a poignant novella told by an anonymous writer looking back on a relationship/friendship of his youth. He was poor, honest, and earnest, living in his first New York City brownstone, and met a young woman whose memory would stay with him the rest of his life—Holly Golightly. She was a true independent, yet she survived in a rather parasitic fashion. She sought security and love, unfortunately confusing the two. As far as her relationship with the narrator was concerned, she was capable of a very generous, as long as it was temporary, friendship. The book is a rich character study, not only of Holly and the narrator, but of all the secondary characters that flit in and out of Holly’s sphere. The reader won’t envy Holly, she is a melancholy creature for all her gaiety, but you can’t help but admire her spark. You’ll end up hoping, along with the narrator, that she eventually did find what she sought.

THURSDAY- GOLDEN OLDIES Great Maria by Cecelia Holland

Great Maria by Cecelia Holland was re-released in August by Sourcebooks Landmark for a new crop (I won’t say generation because I’m not that old!) of historical fiction lovers to discover and enjoy. Hooray! I’m thrilled this book is coming around again. Nevertheless, I undertake this review with trepidation because Great Maria is one of my favorite books. Can I possibly do it justice? How do I explain why I love this novel so much?

The first time I read this I was a fairly young thing, looking for some historical fiction at my local library. Although sucked into the medieval world, glued to the pages, and ultimately moved by the story, I have to admit the brutality bothered me. Maria is beaten by her husband. A beloved child dies and he refuses to speak of it even though she clearly needs to grieve with him. I had trouble "getting" their relationship.

1993 re-release The Hera Series

Well, younger me, guess what? It’s the middle ages!

Despite finding some aspects of the relationship a bit off-putting, memories of the novel stayed with me over the years. When I came across it in a book store several years later, I bought it to re-read. This time I was completely floored. What an extraordinarily beautiful love story. There was brutality, yes, but also poignancy and tenderness. And a dry humor that made me laugh out loud. This couple was well-matched indeed.

So what is this story about? Loosely (very loosely?) based on the Norman conquest of Sicily, Maria is the daughter and heiress of a local petty baron. Richard is a Norman knight in his employ– a mercenary. Richard is accompanied by a couple of his brothers, including his handsome, charming younger brother Roger. Maria has eyes for Roger, but ambitious Richard wants the baron’s castle and, being somewhat belligerent and threatening, he manages to convince the baron it would be a good idea to let him marry Maria. The baron lets Maria decide. At first, she says no. She doesn’t particularly like the brutish Richard. But Richard gives her a glimpse of his ambition. And Maria intuits enough to realize Richard has something Roger does not.

The book tells the story of their life together, forging a kingdom and a marriage. What makes Great Maria so remarkable is the detail of a strong medieval woman’s life, how she uses her role in order to be a full partner to her ambitious husband. Generally she supports him but at times she opposes him – and sometimes she wins. Their marriage is full of give and take, all within the context of the grit, bloodshed, and political intrigue of their medieval world.

Cecelia Holland is a masterfully subtle writer. The character development is so flawless that she doesn’t have to explain for the reader what a gesture might have meant– the gesture speaks for itself. A few well-chosen words pack an enormous emotional wallop. Their fleeting moments of happiness and playfulness are a precious gift in lives filled with turmoil and struggle and I felt like I was living it all right along with Maria.
I love this book. I’ve read it three times. And I just might have to read it again.