Book Review: Becoming, by Michelle Obama

Since DH has done most of the driving on our road trip, I've had some extra time to read.  A friend lent me Michelle Obama's new memoir, Becoming, and, as the miles went by on one interstate after another, I finally had the chance to finish it.

Mrs. Obama divides the book into three parts: “Becoming Me,” “Becoming Us” and “Becoming More.” 

In “Becoming Me,”  Michelle Obama recounts her experiences growing up in a small apartment on the south side of Chicago alongside her mother, father and brother, Craig. She remembers her father's strong work ethic in spite of multiple sclerosis and the time her mother spent teaching her to read. She recalls the times she sat with her Aunt Robbie and labored over piano lessons (Boy, could I identify with that!). At school, even in kindergarten, she notes that she "just wanted to achieve". She shares her mother's advice about bullies: "Just remember that they're just scared people hiding inside scary people". That advice served her well long after she left childhood behind.

Due to her hard work, and her parents' support and high expectations, Michelle was accepted at Princeton, where she was a minority student for the first time, learning to navigate in a white world. She then went to Harvard to study law, followed by her first job, where she met her future husband, Barack Obama.

Michelle at Princeton

In "Becoming Us" and "Becoming More", Mrs Obama opens up about her marriage and children, including her experiences with in vitro fertilization.  She shares stories of  her time on the campaign trail and insights into her transition to life in the White House. 

The theme woven through Michelle's story is how a few key people in a life can support a young girl and elevate her, so that she, in turn, can elevate others. It is with this in mind that she developed her priorities in her years as First Lady.

I enjoyed Becoming. Probably because I admire Michelle Obama. The book was written in a conversational style and the story drew me in. It read almost like a novel and, even though I knew what was going to happen next, I couldn't wait to read about it in Michelle Obama's own words.

My sense is that if you liked the Obama's, you'll like this book.  If you did not, you probably won't.

OK, I admit it: I included this next photo for two not-very-literary reasons:

                             1. I LOVE the dress, and,

                             2. Who wouldn't love a man to look at them that way?

Both as a teenager and later as First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama asks the question many women and girls ask themselves, "Am I good enough?" 

She insists that the correct answer is, "Yes I am."

This post is linked to:

Happiness Is Homemade Link Party 262 at Bluesky at Home 

Sundays at Home at Little Farmstea

Over the Moon Link Party at Eclectic Red Barn

Wonderful Wednesday at The Eclectic Red Barn

Keep In Touch #60 at Let's Add Sprinkels

Jell-O Girls

I found this book, wrapped tightly in its corrugated Amazon sleeve, peeking out of the snow on my front porch one day in early January. Upon opening it, I saw that it was from a very old friend (and former sister-in-law!) of mine who is now an Open-And-Affirming UCC minister. We are both Boomers who grew up in similar somewhat dysfunctional middle-class households, went to college together, and became family a long time ago. We both endured difficult childhoods and have spent years trying to figure our respective mothers out. I knew the minute I read the back cover why Carolyn had sent this book to me.

I've been dealing with some personal issues since last Fall, so I put off opening the book. I wasn't sure I was emotionally ready to read it, or anything potentially autobiographical, just yet. The book, you see, is a memoir ("memwah") - the story of three generations of mothers and daughters. Somehow that is all woven into a feminist version of the evolution of Jell-O that actually makes sense as the story develops.   
    

I had no idea that I was about to be pulled into a narrative that would make me cry and haunt me for days. Nor did I realize as I grabbed my yellow highlighter to mark a sentence I wanted to remember, that I'd be underlining so many sentences that it would eventually border on ridiculous. I had intended to highlight the parts of the book I didn't want to forget—which turned out to be almost everything.

"I have read many feminist tomes in my life, non-fiction and opinion. I have read family stories linked to true history. Never before though, have I read a book that deftly combines American history, family love and trauma linked to that history, and all wrapped up with a social malady that affects everyone. As an aging second gen feminist, I thank you Allie Rowbottom, from the depths of my heart." ~Vicki L. Burnham

"Beautiful, brave and poignant memoir. I read the entire work in a single sitting. I was riveted and heartbroken by the patriarchal parameters that suppressed the women of Rowbottom's maternal line, but uplifted by the positive, if gradual change that occurred over the generations (interwoven with and mirrored by Jell-O's marketing and how the company depicted women and the work of meal preparation over the decades.) The author releases her mother and grandmother -women with stories they burned to tell- from their oppressive silence, by sharing the truth of their lives." 

~Francis Fairman 

The fact that this book mirrors issues in the lives of Carolyn, myself, and many other women "of a certain age" is made even more ironic by the fact that Carolyn and I have always had the tradition of one of us serving her mother's "Jello-O Salad" on every holiday we share. Here it is - I kid you not!

It was my turn to make it this Christmas.

 (It seems that we were "Jell-O girls long before the publication of this book.)

As a retired English teacher, I've always dreamed of writing a memoir. I've actually started a few and never finished. Maybe now I won't have to. Because, although the details are not exactly the same, the soul of Mary's story is mine. The theme of my memoir is here, in Jell-O girls.

Maybe Carolyn's is too.

The Jell-O Girls

This book knocked me over. 

This post is linked to:
Happiness Is Homemade Link Party # 256 at  Bluesky at Home
Best of the Weekend Link Party at Calypso In the Country
Amaze Me Monday #300 at Dwellings
J & J Link Up #178 at Plucky's Second Thought
Inspire Me Tuesday #487 at A Stroll Through Life
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Snow Day

There's something magical about waking up to the sound of the wind gusting outside the window, hearing the pings of hail hitting the skylight, and slowly opening the bedroom curtains to expose a world turned white.  I feel like a kid again, ready to yell, "Snow Day!"

As a kid, that meant getting out our ice skates and and heading to "the Pond".  Now, although my choices are a little less physically challenging, I still love that gift of unexpected, unplanned time.

Time to  . . . 

          Work on the Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle.

Sew buttons on the two cardigan sweaters my friend Margaret just completed. Margaret is my knitting "mentor". In exchange for her help with my simple projects, I sew the buttons on her more complicated ones.

                    Margaret's sweaters are always colorful; just what I need to work on on this gray day.

Yesterday, Margaret showed me how to interpret the directions for this hat project which I got at Fiber College. I love the hand-dyed yarn. I promised to allow myself some time to start this project today. We'll see. Snow Days have an uncanny way of flying by!

And, every Snow Day should include some time for a good book, right? 

Here's my current stash!

In addition to everything else, DH and I spent an hour of our snow day working on travel plans. We're headed to Portugal (a magical place!) and Spain in October. I finally hit "Purchase" and booked the airline tickets today: Boston to Lisbon, Portugal and then  home to Boston from Barcelona, Spain, Can't wait!

                  And finally, this unplanned Snow Day is providing time to catch up on my little blog.

So much to do at Applegate Lane.

Happy Snow Day!

This post is linked to:

Sundays at Home Party at Little Farmstead

Happiness Is Homemade Link Party #254 at Bluesky at Home

Amaze Me Monday #298 at Dwellings

485th Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Through Life

A Tisket, A Tasket at the Library

I love libraries. I love the bookish smell of them, the quiet, the anticipation of stories to be told and mysteries to be revealed.  At our little town library, I especially love the August fundraiser . . .

 "A Tisket, A Tasket". 

Any member of the community can create a themed "basket", donate it, and watch the bids increase as the Silent Auction progresses through the month of August. Isn't this "Fairy House" basket beautifully done?

 Here are the "rules" (Just in case your library, school or club would like to replicate this idea!)

My partner in crime friend and I have had so much fun thinking up themes, scouring our "stashes" and making baskets. . . .12 of them this year!

There are about 60 baskets (any container counts as a "basket") at the library already and they are so much fun to browse through. I'm amazed at the creativity of my fellow book-lovers.

Some of the themes on display include Quilting, Movie Night, "Mom, I'm Bored" (kids' crafts). Martini's, Lobster Dinner, Book-Lovers Basket, Pretty in Pink, Glitzy Home Office, Vintage Christmas, Grandma's Kitchen, and a "Campfire Basket" with S'more supplies, popcorn,  and a book of scary ghost stories!

I could bid on them all!

Now I'm kind of sorry that my baskets are finished. In addition to the fun of making them, they are a great way to down-size my craft room, kitchen, and hidden-away collectibles. It's nice knowing that things I love, but no longer need, are going to people who will enjoy them.

This is a such a fun project and the money raised will be used to buy new books.

What could be better than that?

This post is linked to:

Flaunt It Friday #412 at Chic On a Shoestring
Happiness Is Homemade 234 at Bluesky at Home
Sundays at Home at Little Farmstead
Amaze Me Monday #277 at Dwellings

Three Good Summer Reads!

I've been doing a lot of reading this summer.

Since I'm always looking for new authors and new books to try, I thought you might be too. 

Here are three "beach reads" you might enjoy:

The first book I read was The Lost Girls by Heather Young. I loved this book! It's a beautifully written mystery about the devastating power of family secrets. Secrets whose effects are felt for generations to come. It's a tale of sisters, of love, of loss, and of redemption. that takes place in a remote Minnesota lake house over four generations.  I simply didn't want this book to end!

The second book I read was extraordinary. It was The Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly. I finished it three days ago and still can't stop thinking about it. In fact I was on my computer until 2:00 a.m  this morning reading about the real women who inspired the book.

The Lilac Girls is a work of historical fiction which takes place during World War II. It tells the stories of three young women between 1939 and 1959 - one a New York socialite, one a Polish prisoner at Ravensbruck Concentration Camp, and one a German doctor.  The characters become very real and their stories eventually intertwine as the unforgettable plot unfolds. If you enjoyed Kristen Hannah's The Nightingale, The Lilac Girls is a book you will love.  It is still haunting me.

The most recent book I read was the new novel by Bill Clinton and James Patterson, The President Is Missing.  Although I love thrillers, I don't generally read James Patterson anymore since he has started using "co-writers" to collaborate on his novels. But this time, since his co-writer was Bill Clinton, and since I'm a political junkie, I made an exception.

The President Is Missing was not in the "haunting"/"I'll remember it forever"  category of  The Lost Girls and The Lilac Girls, but it was a suspenseful mystery and a page-turning summer read. It's a tale of cyber-terrorism that feels all-too-real. The story is told in the first person with the President as the narrator. The plot twists are vintage James Patterson but the narrator's voice is classic Bill Clinton. A fun read!

I hope you have the chance to do some reading for enjoyment this summer and that, if you read a really good one, you'll pass your recommendation along to me!

Happy Reading!

This post is linked to:
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Reflecting on Two Years "Away"

A lot can happen in two years. 

Here's what's been going on while I've been goofing off away from my blog.

I turned 70 . . . OMG!  The Good News:  I celebrated my birthday with my best friend (DH!) drinking champagne on a balcony overlooking the ocean in Portugal!

I taught myself to knit . . . again. My current repetoire consists of scarves and pussyhats.  I'm looking to expand my "collection" once I learn how to knit something that is not rectangular.

I lost 10 pounds . . . and gained it back over the holidays. Freestyle? I can do this!

I danced like no one was watching (thank God) in a pub in Dublin. (No, that's not DH!)

I lost my dear friend, Anita, to cancer.  When will we find a cure for womens' cancers?

I got dreadlocks. Sort of. They're clip on so I can be a part-time free spirit to balance out my latent OCD. (Did I mention that Fiber College is always a great time?)

DH got one too!

I camped. A lot.

I crossed Elton John off  my Bucket List!

In fact, I crossed Liverpool off my Bucket List too!

And I made things . . .

Tote Bags 

and aprons for friends.

Baskets for the library fundraiser.

A memory quilt, with Miss Stella from Gee's Bend.

 Altered Books.

and Sea Glass jewelry.

A busy two years.

No wonder I didn't have time to blog!

Linking to:
 Amaze Me Monday 252 at DWELLINGS - The Heart of the Home
Show & Share #393 at Coastal Charm