Reading in the Garden

  Dignity, Purity, Hope. Purple. White. Green.   (read the book to find out what that means) WOW!  This book pivots on roles three women played in the enormous Woman Suffrage Procession in 1913 that was interrupted by a chaotic mob.  The ladies' activism is a great reminder of the long and hard-won road to women’s right to vote that we should not take for granted!   Alice Paul was a young suffragette who had participated in the British, more radical, demonstrations.  Later she was the lead organizer of the 1913 parade.  Such a remarkable feat: the logistical magnitude of managing 5,000 participants, sparring for security and the route they wanted, all in a short time-period!   Secondly, Maud Malone was a spirited librarian who used her voice to bring attention to the cause while riling up the political candidates of the time. Her vociferous persistence paid off with a free trip to jail compliments of future President Woodrow Wi...

 WWII Quick Picks Summer 2021 The following Quick Picks are all books about World War II.  Each book offers a unique and interesting aspect of the devastating war that reached all corners of the earth.  There are endless tales to tell and this is a great group of historical fictions that have recently been published.  The Woman with the Blue Star  by Pam Jenoff  Pub date: 5/4/21 This story revolves around Jews hiding in the sewer system in Krakow to avoid deportation to a concentration camp.  One day a young Polish woman walks by and sees a pair of eyes looking at her from the sewer grate. And so starts a friendship and fight for survival.  Excellent book! The Forest of the Vanishing Stars  by Kristin Harmel  Pub date: 7/6/21 I was awestruck by the stunning tale of Jews surviving in the forest as the Nazis hunted them during WWII.  Based on true events, it’s a monumental story of courage, heroism, and a shin...