MARMEE & LOUISA : THE UNTOLD STORY OF LOUISA MAY ALCOTT AND HER MOTHER
by Eve LaPlante

When Louisa May Alcott died on March 6, 1888, at the age of fifty-five, she was the most popular author in the country. She was quite prolific having written twenty-four novels, hundreds of stories, and articles for newspapers and magazines. Little Women would make her quite wealthy and brought her family out of poverty. It was always assumed that Bronson Alcott, Louisa's father, was the source behind her brilliance, that he was the one who influenced her to write. Author, Eve LaPlante, who is the niece of Louisa and the great-niece of Abigail, discovered from reading family correspondence that it was Abigail who nurtured Louisa and encouraged her to write.
Abigail was a writer in her own right and her diaries and letters display her beautiful prose. She worked to abolish slavery, fought for women to be educated (she, herself was a teacher), to have the right to vote, and to elevate themselves in society. Louisa mined her mother's writings and used them for her fiction. When she had her first book published at sixteen years of age, she dedicated it to Abigail. The two of them were so intertwined that they became each other's support especially when Bronson was absent from their home for months at a time. He was an idealist and didn't believe in supporting the family so they were constantly begging for money from relatives. Louisa vowed to always provide for her mother and be there for her.
When I was a young girl, I read Little Women a thousand times over. I couldn't get enough of this book. I loved the writing, the characters, the setting.  Marmee & Louisa takes you deep within the Alcotts and you see how they figure into the story. "Marmee" was as vibrant in real life as she was in fiction. Abigail is finally brought out of the shadows and is no longer invisible.
This book is a terrific read and the writing is marvelous. If you're a fan of Louisa May Alcott, you'll absolutely love Marmee & Louisa.
Very highly recommended.

CHANEL BONFIRE : A MEMOIR
by Wendy Lawless

Wendy Lawless and her sister, Robin, grew up with a not-so-normal "mother" (parenting skills were virtually nil with this chick). Georgann Rea loved mink, wore Pucci clothing, had Louis-Vuitton luggage, and always had a lit Dunhill in her cigarette holder. She liked anything in pants and went through men like a box of tissues. Georgann had two husbands and actually kidnapped the daughters away from the second one telling them (lying) that he was no longer interested in them. They took off for London on the QEII and lived in high-end townhouses where it was late night parties all of the time. Georgann craved glamour and wealth. When she would run out of money, it was off to another city to reinvent herself and continue with the same lifestyle.
By the time Wendy was seventeen, she realized that her mother was not exactly normal and was ashamed to bring anyone home. Between the excessive use of alcohol, the back-and-forth mood changes, ugly and disturbing fights, living with Georgann was chaotic. The sisters knew that they had to get out of their toxic and dangerous environment.
Chanel Bonfire is such an appropriate title for this book. Georgann was beautiful, perfumed, stylishly dressed but had a frightening dark side that smoldered. She would have been a good example for psychologists to write about. What is amazing is how the daughters survived through such turmoil.
Wendy writes with searing honesty that, at times, is funny but also sad. It grabs your interest immediately and is a quick read (two days for me). To come out normal from such a dysfunctional family and to be able to write about it without bitterness or hate is remarkable.
Recommended.

THE WATCHMAKER'S DAUGHTER : A MEMOIR
by Sonia Taitz

Simon Taitz was a watchmaker. Known as a master restorer of both watches and clocks, people would come from miles around to seek him out. This skill would save him and others at Dachau. The Germans loved order and punctuality so they gave him their broken timepieces and actually respected his ability.
Gita, Simon's wife, could have been a concert-pianist had the Nazis not ruined her fledgling career. She and her mother survived the concentration camp Stutthof by pretending to be dead among the newly killed corpses when the Germans knew the allies were closing in and wanted to leave nobody alive behind.
It was within this insular environment that Sonia was born. The family lived in Washington Heights in a very small apartment. Yiddish was the language spoken at home. The Holocaust was a never-ending subject. Simon and Gita lived in the past and wanted their daughter to know what happened to their families and themselves over and over again.
Sonia wanted to live the American dream and be independent. When she finally left home to forge new adventures, Simon made her promise to always keep her faith.
There have been many books written on the Holocaust (I have certainly read the gamut) but not any, perhaps, of being the daughter of concentration camp-survivors. The love that Sonia has for her parents, in spite of all their flaws, is truly amazing. She wants them to move forward instead of constantly backwards. Sonia's experiences and the people that she meets opens her parents' eyes and helps them heal.
The Watchmaker's Daughter is extremely moving, sad, funny and gorgeously written. Sonia is quite the wordsmith. Every page is both descriptive and lyrical. I loved this book and didn't want it to end.
Very highly recommended.

MASTER OF THE MOUNTAIN : THOMAS JEFFERSON AND HIS SLAVES
by Henry Wiencek

He was one of our Founding Fathers, a lawyer, a statesman, author of the Declaration of Independence, helping to bring about the Louisiana Purchase. His magnificent mansion, Monticello, was designed and influenced by his many years living in Paris. To many people, he was thought of as the great emancipator. It certainly seemed to start out that way. In the 1770s, he both spoke and wrote about stopping the slave trade. It was even written in the Declaration but then later deleted.
In the next ten to twenty years, Thomas Jefferson changed his tune. Instead of speaking out against it, he became silent. Jefferson realized that he couldn't live without slaves; they're what made things run smoothly at Monticello. Slavery was a huge investment and quite profitable for him. For Jefferson, this was a way to have status and power.
Master of the Mountain has already become very controversial especially among ardent Jefferson supporters. This book flips everything that you think you know about Jefferson upside down. Henry Wiencek used many of Jefferson's papers that have never appeared before. There's so much information and much of it is disturbing but you can't stop reading it. The writing is superb and so was the amount of research done.
This is one book you don't want to miss.
Very highly recommended.
 
 

THE POPE'S JEWS : THE VATICAN'S SECRET PLAN TO SAVE JEWS FROM THE NAZIS
by Gordon Thomas

Eugenio Pacelli (better known as Pope Pius XII) has been castigated for years by critics for not standing up to Hitler during World War II. Why did he remain silent and not do anything for the Jews? Pius XII has been erroneously accused. On the contrary, he set up this tremendous network of priests, nuns, and the citizens of Rome using monasteries, convents, the Vatican, and private homes to hide both Jews and Allied soldiers.
For many years, Pius XII had been a great friend to the Jewish community in Rome. Hitler actually considered kidnapping him because he was such a threat to Nazism. (That idea was quashed.)
As the Nazis came ever closer to Rome, visas were forged so that the hunted could escape to the United States and Palestine (eventually called Israel).
The Vatican provided false documentation for the Jews proclaiming them to be baptized Catholics. They were given shelter in the Vatican and every effort was made to keep them fed (a kosher butcher was hired and food was brought by trucks), safe, and protected. Even a hospital (Fatebenefratelli) was able to keep German soldiers away by telling them that their patients had an illness (K-Syndrome) which was highly contagious (the patients were told to cough, intentionally). It was totally false but many Jews were saved by the courageous doctor and nuns who looked after them.
In reality, Pius XII was not "Hitler's pope," was not anti-Semitic (he made forty speeches attacking racial hatred of the Nazis and the Holocaust plus wrote many papers) and saved thousands of Jews. So, he was not silent after all.
The Pope's Jews is a tremendous story. Gordon Thomas is quite prolific having written forty books and he does justice with this one. He is an expert in secret intelligence (he has been writing about it for fifty years) and is a true master with bringing all of the characters together (there are six pages at the beginning of the book of the Key Principal Personae).
There were many heroes who risked their lives to help those less fortunate. Pope Pius XII is at the top.
Very highly recommended.

HUMAN GAME : THE TRUE STORY OF THE "GREAT ESCAPE" MURDERS AND THE HUNT FOR THE GESTAPO GUNMEN
by Simon Read

Stammlager Luft III, in Sagan, Germany, (Permanent Camp for Airmen 3) and known as Stalag Luft III was supposed to be built in such a way as to be escape-proof. The ground was not solid so digging a tunnel was almost impossible. The barracks were on stilts because in other camps, the prisoners had removed the flooring and escaped. The place was pretty well covered by patrol units of dogs, men, and watchtowers.
On March 24, 1944, seventy-six  Allied airmen broke out of the camp. Within a couple of days, all but three men were captured. On Hitler's orders, it was decided to execute the fugitives. Himmler proposed to kill fifty and it was approved. They were taken to isolated fields around Germany and shot.
Two years later, Winston Churchill upon hearing about these murders, wanted justice. He sent military police led by Francis P. McKenna to Germany to try and track down the perpetrators. It would take three years.
Human Game is a MUST read if you love books about WWII. The writing is terrific and extremely well researched. There's a list of all of the characters involved and small capsule pictures of the airmen. Simon Read certainly knows how to tell a good story and it keeps you riveted. The movie was exciting but the book goes far beyond and keeps you spellbound until the end.
Highly recommended.

CONSTANCE : THE TRAGIC AND SCANDALOUS LIFE OF MRS. OSCAR WILDE
by Franny Moyle

Constance Wilde (nee Lloyd) was not exactly someone that people knew and talked about. She came from the upper echelons of society and was quite beautiful. It was not until she married Oscar Wilde that she was brought forward into the limelight. Constance would balance the marriage: Oscar was flamboyant, extravagant, arrogant, and shocking and Constance was stylish (she followed Aestheticism), charming, honest, and innovative. She was quite prolific on her own becoming a writer of children's books, fluent in many languages, artistic, always taking up new challenges. Constance adored Oscar and constantly supported him. For the first couple of years, they were the "it" couple and society was entranced by the two of them. After the birth of their two sons Cyril and Vyvyan, Oscar was no longer attracted to Constance and turned his interest to young men instead. He became involved with Lord Alfred Douglas known as "Bosie" and their scandalous relationship ruined Oscar's reputation (he was thrown in prison) and destroyed Constance. She escaped to Switzerland with her children and changed their last name to Holland.
Many people are surprised to hear that Oscar Wilde was married since he was a well-known homosexual. Before he met his wife, he had many other relationships with women and men were never in the picture. That happened a few years after his marriage. Oscar was extremely vain and a very weak man who gave in to temptation much too often. Constance was loyal and loving in spite of his despicable acts and she hung on even though he treated her so miserably. She refused to see herself as a victim.
Constance is a great biography of a brave woman who accomplished quite a lot in her short life.
The book is well-written with tons of fascinating information.
Recommended.