March was a really heavy reading month, both in terms of volume and content; between the glass ceiling facing early women aviators, the abuse of the Métis nation by the Canadian government, the Troubles in Northern Ireland, and the soul-deadening misogyny that Kate Beaton faced in the Alberta oil sands*, I was pretty down on humanity in general. But the books were awesome and also thank goodness for plenty of happy escapist fiction with which to pass the time. I’ll take it easier next month. (Especially since it’ll be fall break for the kids’ school.)
* Beaton’s book just won Canada Reads though, so I guess that counts for something! Well deserved.
It’s been a busy month; only nine books to talk about, and one was a novella and one a short story. I also hit “deliver later” on a bunch of library books that came off the hold list; hopefully I’ll have time to get to them next month (there are quite an intimidating number of them!).
In the meantime, very much enjoying visiting with family and friends. Really can’t complain.
This month featured a heap of escapist fiction as well as some great nonfiction reads that were suggested at the latest book club meeting. I was delighted by Four Lost Cities, which examined the archeological record to explore how civilizations adapted to change; and also by How the Word Is Passed (still in the middle of this one), which is an absolutely beautifully written treatment of how America is dealing with the legacy of slavery. Both feel very germane to the current state of affairs in America, in which I feel there is a fundamental clashing of visions of what the country ought to be, and the role of certain peoples in it. Almost sad that I voted for Pandora’s Jar over both of them, except that Pandora’s Jar is about how the women in Greek myth were simplified and edited down over time, molded to reflect the priorities of those in power, which ALSO feels relevant to current events.
Anyway, in case it helps you, because it helped me: here is a quote from How the Word is Passed, from a veteran who came back to be a tour guide at the Monticello plantation: “…I believe in the idea of America. I don’t believe this country was perfect. I don’t believe it is perfect. I don’t believe it’s going to be perfect. I believe that the journey to make this a better place is worth the effort and that the United States, if you conceive it not so much as a place to be in but an idea to believe in, it is worth fighting for.”
