As I wait for knee surgery I have been reading and knitting. I can not do a lot as hobbling from place to place isn't very efficient or fun. Yes, I am grateful and I do mean this that my injury is small. I don't have much to complain about at all with this injury.
The first book I read was Consuelo and Alva Vanderbilt:The Story of a Mother and Daughter in the 'Gilded Age', by Amanda Mackenzie Stuart.
I found the mother, Alva, to be a woman I would have despised! In the same breath, I admired her ability to function in this time period with her wealth and social restrictions. The bizarre life style of the extremely wealthy families in the late 1800s and early 1900s is staggering to me! I wonder if I would have just run away, conform, or suffered in silence during this period. The clothing, homes, society of the wealthy, the limits . . . of course one wouldn't have known differently as this was the environment one was born into and expected to maintain. I was drawn right into the book and the author did a great job researching her topic. I was given a good clear look into these two women's lives. The daughter Consuelo was forced into a marriage by her mother. The marriage was to give Consuelo a title and her husband needed funds. The English world Consuelo was forced into was interesting to learn about. The people Consuelo was surrounded by was impressive. She was great friends with Winston Churchill! Consuelo at a very young age had to figure out British elite society on her own. She did remarkably well with this when you consider she had nothing to prepare herself to run an estate at the age of 18. The book also focussed on the women's suffrage movement in both the US and the UK. Through this period of time, it was insightful to see how the movement developed in these two countries. I enjoyed the read as it was nice to read something out of my normal interest. I would give this book a 4 out of 5 stars, as it dragged on a bit in a few sections. If you are interested in this time period, by all means, have an enjoyable read through history.
A Year in the Woods, is a typical read for me, nonfiction, a personal memoir of an outdoor lifestyle. Colin writes with great detail about his daily life as a ranger in England. This is the type of book I often read slowly and just pick up at random to continue reading as I feel. I will not rush through it. I may read just a bit nightly or when I want a quiet peaceful distraction from my day. I often call these books my "
James Herriot" reads. I am a sucker for books set in the UK both fiction and nonfiction.
Now I am totally drawn right into this great story! Oh my gosh, I am loving this read. I am torn between sitting down and reading it from cover to the last page and trying to slow myself down to savour the story. I have not seen the movie that was made. I know I will watch it once I am done reading the book. I have always loved row and am just fascinated by the team work a rowing scull requires. To see rowing sculls cut across the water is nothing but absolute beauty! I have only begun this book and will update once I finish. I know this is going to be a perfect read as I have my knee repaired. Perseverance, the ability to fight and push one's self forward, resiliency . . . to fight and not give up . . . I know this book will be and encouraging, and motivational read!
