Books I Read in 2009

It is 1962 in Jackson, Mississippi and the separation between blacks and whites is very clear. Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, recent college graduate, budding writer and social activist is trying to find her place in life. A book publisher tells her to write about what disturbs her and she somehow manages to get a dozen maids to tell their stories about working for white women. The characters are rich and the story is compelling. It is a hard book to put down.

Visit Kathryn Stockett's website for reading group discussion questions.

O'Brien started a company called Allergy Kids, selling products for kids with allergies so that she could help fund research. In the process of her own research, she uncovers several connections between large corporations, researchers, and government agencies that turn her world upside down.

This is an extremely clear and well-written book that will have you looking twice at food labels. She covers the potential perils of soy, milk, and corn-based foods. Backed by other well-known activists like Erin Brockovitch and Robert F. Kennedy Jr, she makes a compelling case for the toxicity of our food supply. I highly recommend this book!

Marilynne Robinson is author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, "Gilead." Her newest work, Home is a story of family and is a favorite of book clubs. The entire novel mostly takes place in the home of Reverend Robert Boughton and revolves around his daughter Glory, son Jack, and best friend Ames.

Glory is one of the youngest Boughton children and, after a failed relationship and the death of her mother, comes home to care for her father. A surprise visit by Jack, who has not seen the family in over 20 years, forms the core of the story. Jack has a troubled past. He was the bad boy of the family and never lived up to his father's expectations, although his father never stopped loving him. Jack is trying to change his ways, but the novel asks whether you can ever really live down your past?

Also, it explores the questions of pre-destination and fate. Are some people destined to have a certain type of life and must they pay for the sins of their fathers? Glory is the real hero here. While she does have some pre-conceived ideas about Jack, she is at least aware of them and is nothing but kind to both her father and Jack.

I highly recommend this book.

Although she grew up in Utah, Amy Irvine is what is called a "Jack Mormon" or lapsed member of the Church of Latter Day Saints. She is also a wilderness activist and, therefore, has two strikes against her. She and her new partner, Herb, go to live in southern Utah's redrock country after her father's death. Herb is a lawyer for wilderness activists.

The story weaves her own personal demons along with their attempts to make a home amongst mostly Mormons. It is a very honest story of her struggles and her triumphs.

I know that John Updike is a very respected writer, especially for his Rabbit series, however, I have not read any of his books before this one. His latest, "The Widows of Eastwick," a sequel to the very popular "The Witches of Eastwick," written in 1984, arrived at my house by mistake. I decided to give it a go and did not like it one bit. It was a struggle to even finish but I did so that I could do this review.

Alexandra, Jane, and Sukie, witches and widows after several marriages, reunite in Eastwick years after the death of Jenny Gabriel. Apparently, they were responsible for this death due to a spell. I found the women, as well as many of the other characters in the novel to be extremely narcissistic and cruel. I really wouldn't want to inhabit their world.

A tribe, according to Seth Godin, is any group of people, large or small, who are connected to one another, a leader, and an idea. In the past corporations and churches were examples of tribes. Today, with the Internet and no barrier to communication, tribes develop over shared interests. Squidoo lensmasters are certainly examples of a tribe.

I really enjoyed this concise, easy to read, and inspiring book. Seth encourages us to think of new ways of doing things - be a heretic, not a "sheepwalker." He emphasizes the power of individuals who have a passion about something to lead. Leadership is a choice. He writes, "The art of leadership is understanding what you can't compromise on."

Read this book if you want to live the life you've always dreamed of.

Mary Pat Kelly tells the story of an Irish family named Keeley (Kelly) that survives the potato famine, ending up in the Chicago area of Brightwood. It just happens to be the imagined story of Kelly's own family, told through the eyes of her great-great-great grandmother Honora Keeley. Through extensive research and the personal stories of her cousin, Agnella (who lived to be 107), Kelly weaves a tale that is spell-binding.

The first half of the book takes place in Ireland (Connemara in County Galway) as Honora and her husband Michael build a family and a life growing potatoes. The second half of the book takes us on the journey to "Amerikay" and we see a fascinating look at the beginning of the city of Chicago.

This book was extremely personal to me since my own great-great grandfather arrived in Grosse-Ile, Quebec in 1846, my sister and I visited Counties Galway and Mayo in 2008, and I now live near Chicago.

When I was in Frederick, Maryland a few weeks ago, I went into a wonderful store called "A Thousand Joys," a very peaceful place with many Buddhist/Zen items. It had a large book selection, but since my husband was waiting outside, I quickly scanned the shelves and was immediately drawn to this book.

Saki Santorelli is the director of the Stress Reduction Clinic at UMass Memorial Medical Center, where one of his colleagues is Jon Kabat-Zinn (who wrote the Foreword for the book). I am very interested in how meditation (or mindfulness) not only helps in healing ourselves but has ripple effects.

Interspersed with beautiful quotes by Rumi and others, Sakorelli tells of his experiences in the Stress Reduction Clinic. What I found most interesting was his take on the doctor-patient relationship. He stresses that we are all connected and whole and have something to teach each other.

An excerpt from Rumi's poem "Childhood Friends" summarizes this book well. "Don't turn your head. Keep looking at the bandaged place. That's where the Light enters you."

I was very excited to read another Ann Patchett novel since her previous novel "Bel Canto" is one of my favorite books of all time. This book is not in the same league as Bel Canto but is a very enjoyable read all the same. What seemed like just an interesting story revealed, by the end, underlying reflections on race, class, politics, and what it really means to be family.

Every year on my birthday, I get a book by a Canadian author from my friend Norah. This year it was "October" by Richard B. Wright, an author I had not heard of. Apparently, he lives in the city where I was born, St. Catharines, Ontario, and has written 11 novels, including the highly acclaimed "Clara Callan."

With very deep underlying themes of aging, death, euthanasia, and the impact of childhood memories, this was a great book to read on vacation and it made me want to read his other books.

This book was highly recommended by a friend but I'm still not sure how I feel about it. Frederica Hatch is a teenager who lives on a college campus with her professor parents and is the narrator of this book. She seems to be the most sensible person of the bunch, although I think her parents intentional way of raising her was quite interesting too. It's a good story that kept my interest but the whole situation seemed a little unreal to me. When Laura Lee (her father's first wife! How weird is that?) arrived, I thought that she would be the most interesting character, but her flaws made her just seem bizarre. I guess that was the point.