All About Agatha - Part II

When I decided to write twice for the Agatha Christie Blog Tour I originally planned to make my final post a Q&A of sorts -- or at the very least I thought it might be a "Did you know" type post that was full of fascinating and little known details about one of the most famous authors of all time. To help with my writing I began my research. I decided I needed to read a biography on Agatha Christie... And that's when I discovered something even better -- her autobiography!

Some people may think it's rather narcissistic to write the story of your own life, but I don't agree. Who better to tell about your life, your experiences, thoughts, conversations, and memories than you? Yes, you might be tempted to paint yourself in a better light than some objective researcher, but there is the indisputable fact that they will never be able to capture on paper the emotions and memories that you have unless you previously expressed them.

From page one of Agatha Christie: An Autobiography I was immediately captivated. Her writing is light and refreshing, interesting and descriptive. Unlike some autobiographies and historical nonfiction pieces this book is a page-turner. Each time I picked it up I felt as though I was stepping through the pages of time and seeing historical events unfold through her eyes as they happened. At 519 pages it is a very thorough, though admittedly not entirely complete story (she leaves out any reference to her infamous disappearance). Still, the result of this large volume is a book that masterfully weaves together a personal life story with first hand accounts of life in a time and place so completely foreign to life when the memoir was published in 1965 (and even more so today in 2010).

Agatha Christie, when referring to her own memoir said:

"This is not a travel book -- only a dwelling back on those memories that stand out in my mind; times that have mattered to me, places that stand out in my mind; times that have mattered to me; places and incidents that have enchanted me."

And so it is from the first page to the last I found Agatha Christie: An Autobiography absolutely fascinating. And safe to say probably one of the most fascinating reads I've picked up all year.

Here are some of the highlights:

* Agatha Christie had a vivid and very creative imagination as a child. She reminded me a lot of the fictional Anne in L. M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables, only with a happier childhood.

* As a child she loved math and problem solving, story telling and reading. Much to her mother's horror (who thought it bad for the eyes for a child to read before the age of 8), Agatha taught herself to ready by age 5. All these are just glimpses of gifts that would help her later in life.

* The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope was Agatha's first romance read. She was completely smitten with the poor king imprisoned in the dungeon. During this age she had many impossible crushes, including one on the young and handsome King Alfonso of Spain. (Yes, this is the same King that Betsy, Tacy and Tib fall in love with in Maud Hart Lovelace's Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown). Later these crushes bloomed into opportunities for true love. Agatha relates what life was like in an era when ladies hid their ankles and kissing was saved for only those in a serious courtship.

* Agatha was an avid reader all her life. She enjoyed Dickens and claimed Bleak House was her favorite of his works. She also was a great fan of May Sinclair and claimed that she was "one of our finest and most original novelists... I cannot help feeling that there will be a revival of interest in her some day."

* She gives a descriptive and interesting narrative of life in an upper-middle class British home in the early 20th century. The details of marriage and family life, of a young girl's education, friendships and courtships, and the interaction of master and servant. It is an era and a people now long gone.

* As a child Agatha's nanny taught her etiquette. Agatha wished to one day be "Lady Agatha," but Nanny said that she could never be -- you have to be born a Lady -- little did either of them know that little Agatha Christie (nee Miller) would one day be both Dame Agatha AND Lady Agatha.

* Agatha took music lessons and sang a little opera. She was once told she was good enough to become a concert singer if she so desired, but she lacked the strong lung capacity needed to sing opera professionally.

* Although Agatha Christie is now a world-famous author it was her sister, Madge, who was initially considered the "writer" in the family having published several short stories in Vanity Fair magazine. But Agatha's fate was sealed the day her mother suggested she take up writing. Sick and bored in bed, Agatha began a story which she finished a mere 24 hours later. It was titled The House of Beauty and she later recalled, "I think on the whole that it is good; the first thing I ever wrote that showed promise... Amateurishly written, of course, and showing the influence of all that I had read the week before. This is something you can hardly avoid when you first begin to write. Just then I had obviously been reading D. H. Lawrence..." (Pt IV, Chpt 5, pg 181)

* Agatha began plotting her first detective novel (The Mysterious Affair At Styles) while she worked in the hospital pharmacy during World War I. It was partially because her sister said she couldn't do it (they were just too difficult to write) and partly because she was bored that she even began plotting the story. It was also at this time that she gained her vast knowledge of poisons, something that would later come in handy in her career as a crime story writer. And it was the Belgian refugees who fled to England during this time that inspired her most famous detective, Hercule Poirot.

* After World War I, Agatha and her first husband, Archie Christie did a little globe trotting. They left their daughter with Agatha's sister and traveled around the world, stopping over in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, and Canada. During their time in South Africa and Hawaii Agatha and Archie spent many hours surfing. (Imagine Dame Agatha Christie on a surf board!)

* In the years leading up to World War II and post World War II Agatha spent a great deal of time in the Middle East. Her second husband, Max Mallowan was an archaeologist. She drew from her life with him and used it in several of her books both as Agatha Christie and under her pen name Mary Westmacott. Because she loved this part of her life so much she even wrote a short little book about their experiences titled Come, Tell Me How You Live.

* One of their archaeologist friends pressured Agatha to write a historical detective novel, something set in ancient Egypt. Hesitant at first Agatha eventually gave in and with the assistance of this friend she researched and then wrote her only historical fiction novel: Death Comes As the End.

* Agatha did not like that she had to include a romance within her mysteries and thrillers. She felt it was forcing a "love motive into what should have been a scientific process" and it went against the grain. So why did she include them? In that era it was expected for that genre. Personally I am glad, I've always loved that aspect of her thrillers.

* Contrary to rumors that she wrote her final Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot books for the insurance of future money, she actually wrote them during World War II and gifted the proceeds of the books to her daughter and husband upon her death. She was certain she would be killed during the war as she spent so much time in London. In the end these two novels were not published until her death in the mid 1970s.

* Agatha once said she was inspired every day, every where in every way. Sometimes ideas came when she was eating lunch and overheard a conversation. Other times she was looking in a shop window. Clearly she had her eyes wide open and her mind constantly engaged. She was alive and alert. Everything in life had the potential to influence or be a story.

To me it is no wonder Agatha Christie has won the title of "Queen of Crime"and is considered the all-time best-selling crime writer. She was an interesting person who led a full and fascinating life. She had a spectacular imagination and was a gifted storyteller. Whether you are like me, a fan of Agatha Christie's novels, or just a fan of the mystery genre in general, or even someone who is merely interested in learning more about life in England and Europe during the first half of the last century then you really should read Agatha Christie: An Autobiography. It is most definitely a worthwhile read.

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Related Links and More about Agatha Christie:

Agatha-Christie.com
Fun Trivia - Agatha Christie Quizzes
Hercule Poirot Central And Other Agatha Christie Info
Agatha Christie Reading Carnival

Spoken From the Heart by Laura Bush

439 pages
Published May 2010, 1st edition
Scribner, A division of Simon & Shuster, Inc.
New York, NY

Ever since I first learned that former First Lady Laura Bush was planning to write a memoir I have been curious to get my hands on a copy. I have always been fascinated by American history and more specifically presidential history and the history surrounding our nation's capital. But even more so I was interested in Mrs. Bush's book because I was interested in learning more about the life and thoughts of a president and first lady who, over the course of eight years, I have come to respect and appreciate. The Bush Administration faced some difficult times, but I believe they performed a great service to Americans by helping to maintain American freedom and advocating our way life to the world.

Spoken From the Heart is not an autobiography in the sense of telling Mrs. Bush's entire life story, yes, she includes details about her ancestors and facts and memories from her own childhood and early adult years, but the main focus of this book covers the years that she served with her husband, George W. Bush at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC. The book ends shortly after the Bushes retired to their ranch in Crawford, Texas in 2009.

The early years: I found the first quarter to third of the book very interesting as it sets the foundation for the rest of the book. Mrs. Bush writes about her parents generation and life in Texas in the years leading up to World War II and then her birth; of the dusty draughts and the year where it didn't rain once in a 12-month period; of the hardships of living in a time and place where modern medicine was unavailable to save the lives of her mother's three premature babies. And of the early years when her love for reading, for learning and life was born. From the first few chapters it is clear that Mrs. Bush inherited her love of books and nature from her own mother.

"When I came through the door in the afternoon, I was greeted by the soft rustle of book pages and my mother, her feet propped up, book open on her lap." (Page 46)

The middle years: The next section of the book focuses more on Mrs. Bush's adult life -- her time as a librarian and as a school teacher, as well as the early years of her marriage to George W. Bush. This then leads the reader on to their life as grown children of a vice-president and later president (George H.W. Bush) and ends with George W. Bush's time as governor of Texas. Again, most of the information contained within this section of the book reads to me as history as I was either not yet born, too young, or not paying attention when it was actually happening. Still, it's interesting to learn more about our former first lady, her life with George and their twin daughters. From the start I was fascinated with Mrs. Bush's natural desire to help others, especially women and children. Because of her husband's role in public office even more opportunities were opened up to her, which she not only took on, but was successful in making a difference for many people.

The White House years: The last third of the book is the longest and contains a variety of details and events as well as Mrs. Bush's personal memories from the 2000 presidential election year through the end of President Bush's second term in the White House and the Bush's departure from Washington in January 2009.

It was a little surreal for me when I read this part of the book. I was flooded with some of my own memories from those dates, places, and events. I remember clearly the year President Bush was elected and the long drama of recount after recount in November and December. I was in Washington, DC for his first (and second) inauguration. (It was cold!) I was one of the thousands (millions?) standing soaking wet on the Mall on that VERY HOT July 4th in 2001 when the rain only just let up in time to watch the fireworks. And I will never forget where I was and what I was doing on Tuesday morning September 11, 2001 when the planes crashed into the World Trade Center and Pentagon just as own parents will never forget where they were and what they were doing on November 22, 1963. I remember hearing of various state dinners and visits abroad, including when the President and Mrs. Bush traveled to visit the Queen at Buckingham Palace. Or the time that President Bush surprised the troops and spent Thanksgiving with them in Afghanistan. At Christmas I laughed and enjoyed the "Barney-Cam" videos the White House released and twice I had the honor of joining hundreds of other guests to visit the White House and enjoy a close up of the festive holiday decorations. I remember where I was and what I was doing the morning we learned terrorist and dictator Saddam Husein had been captured. And I was one of thousands to stand in line for hours so I could pay my respects to former President Ronald Regan's flag draped casket in the United States Capitol Rotunda. So many memories...

Amongst all this reminiscing I did learn something new about the years the Bush's were in the White House. Although I was aware that Mrs. Bush did travel abroad advocating freedom and women's rights I had no idea the depths she went to meet with and help those in depressed places like Afghanistan, Iraq, and Africa. If you doubt at all the freedom a woman has living in the United States then read this book (or one specifically dedicated to that topic, Azar Nafisi has written several) and you'll see how different it is for women in the Middle East. I am grateful that Mrs. Bush took a personal interest in the women and children of these countries.

There was so much that occurred in the eight years that President and Mrs. Bush were in Washington, DC and I really couldn't sum up my thoughts of those years and the President's role in shaping history than Mrs. Bush's own thoughts when she wrote:

"He [President Bush] simply did what he believed to be right and expected to be judged based on outcomes and history not daily headlines or pundits on talks shows." (Page 383)

For a reader curious to learn more about Laura Bush, or even for an inside glimpse of what life was like for the president and first lady during the first decade of the 21st century there couldn't be a better book than Spoken From the Heart. Not once did I feel Mrs. Bush pushing her view or misrepresenting history or a particular person. She was candid, but polite. She was respectful, but factual. She didn't balk at addressing some of the sensitive or personal subjects that made headlines during her husband's career in politics. She is sincere and tells her story in a clear and detailed way making it one of the more enjoyable memoirs that I have read in a long time and a definite worthwhile read.

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Related Links:

The White House

The Laura Bush Foundation for America's Libraries

George W. Bush Presidential Library

The President's House by Margaret Truman

First Ladies by Margaret Truman (reviewed)

Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi (reviewed)

The Betsy-Tacy Companion by Sharla Scannell Whalen

514 pages
Copyright 1995
Portalington Press
Whitehall, PA

I did not think I could complete my own Maud Hart Lovelace Reading Challenge without first reading a biography of Mrs. Lovelace and without a doubt the best biography out there is The Betsy-Tacy Companion by Sharla Scannell Whalen.

The Plot:
"The Betsy-Tacy Companion is a biography of the author Maud Hart Lovelace. Lovelace is best known for her children's books, the Betsy-Tacy series. These books are strikingly autobiographical, and the Companion focuses on the people and events from the series, revealing the counterparts in Lovelace's own life. Betsy was Lovelace herself, Tacy was her best friend, Frances Kenney, etc.

The Companion begins by describing the time period shortly before that in which the first book, Betsy-Tacy, is set - the years 1883 to 1896. Companion chapters then cover, one by one, each of the Betsy-Tacy books, representing Lovelace's childhood (starting in 1897), taking her through high school a trip to Europe before the First World War, and to the early years of her marriage in Minneapolis, Minnesota. the last two chapters detail Lovelace's later adult life and writing career...

The Companion discusses not only similarities between the fictional Betsy and the real Maud, but equally importantly, reveals events in the author's life which were carefully omitted from the series. An overall picture of Lovelace as a woman and an author results." (Summary courtesy of the publisher, inside dust jacket flap)

My Thoughts:
I thought I had read The Betsy-Tacy Companion several years ago when I was reading through the Betsy-Tacy high school years for the first time, but when I picked it up for the Maud Hart Lovelace Reading Challenge I quickly realized I had not. Perhaps I just flipped through the book and looked at the pictures? At any rate this was my first time reading about the life of Maud Hart Lovelace and how closely it was tied with her alter-ego, Elizabeth (Betsy) Warrington Ray.

At 514 pages The Betsy-Tacy Companion is chocked full of details, pictures, and sketches about Maud, her life in Minnesota and elsewhere, and of course the people, places and events within the Betsy-Tacy series. Of course this is probably much more than the average reader would care to know, but for me a life long fan of the series, I found it absolutely fascinating.

Most of the notes I made while reading I have compiled in a final Maud Hart Lovelace Reading Challenge post which will appear later this week, but for now I have just a few thoughts I want to mention.

Learning more about Maud not only strengthened my love for her books, but also my opinion of her as an author and a person. Like any of us, Maud wasn't perfect, but from all accounts she appears to have been a loving and intelligent woman, who had a strong faith in God.

Towards the end of the biography Mrs. Whalen includes an excerpt from an article that Maud wrote about prayer. I'm including a quote from it here because I think it is an excellent example of who Maud was and what she believed:

"I believe in praying as I believe in breathing. An involuntary procedure, prayer runs along with the day, following the convolutions of work and play, duties, problems, and delights... It is my way to turn to God at any hour, with a small joy as well as with a sorrow, with plans, hopes, thanks - even wishes. Not that I expect Him to stay the course of the planets while He grants my often misguided petitions. But since He is love and is everything, 'nearer than hands and feet,' one may share everything with Him, and there is a blessed release in doing so. What He gives, I earnestly believe, in response to such spontaneous prayers, is strength, insight, appreciations, serenity, but above all a continuing reassurance of His presence..."

In addition to this example of her faith, I found numerous examples of Maud displaying love and kindness to her family, friends and even her fans! Case in point, at one time late in her life Maud considered writing a memoir Living with Writing, but "between answering her ever-arriving fan mail and the many interests she and Delos pursued together, Maud never completed another book." (TBTC, Chap. 14, pg. 475)

Initially I was disappointed to know that Maud had started, but didn't finish a book of memoirs. What rich reading they would have made! But then I realized two things, first as The Betsy-Tacy Companion subtly reveals, the Betsy-Tacy series was in a way her memoirs. Second, I think it says a lot about Maud that she would take the time not only to spend each day with those she loved, but to take the time to respond to those who loved her books. What a treasure those letters must have been to the readers who received them. I wish I had had such a chance.

In closing I want to add the following. The Betsy-Tacy Companion is not for everyone, but it is definitely a fun and extremely interesting read for those who have read and loved Maud's books. I particularly enjoyed getting a closer look at her relationship with Delos -- the real life Betsy and Joe and finding the "Then What Happened" part of Maud/Betsy's story post-Betsy's Wedding.

My only regret in reading and enjoying The Betsy-Tacy Companion so much is that it is not readily available. Published nearly 15 years ago it has fallen out of print and is only available in the form of expensive used copies. Of course I checked with my local libraries, but the only copy they had was listed as "reference" and thus could not be checked out! In the end I was fortunate enough to find a copy at a library near my husband's work that he could borrow for me. All that to say, don't give up if your library doesn't have a copy, or the only copy is catalogued as "reference." Check the ILL system or other libraries within your state.

John Adams DVD - Mini Review

John Adams

HBO Miniseries, Spring 2008

I am embarrassed to admit I have never finished reading John Adams by David McCullough. Early in our marriage my husband and I tried to read it together, aloud before bedtime. We made it maybe two chapters in before that tradition died. Reading before aloud before bedtime just doesn't work for us.

Since then the book has sat on my bookshelf awaiting my renewed interest, but that fact didn't stop me from watching the miniseries adaptation by HBO now available on DVD.

The miniseries is made up of seven 1-hour segments, which shouldn't take very long to watch... but took me four months. I had to borrow the DVD's from my local library at least five times before before I actually finished watching it -- but it was well worth the time.

The miniseries is well made and relatively accurate. I say relatively because I know there were some things left out (any strong focus on Adams' religious beliefs) and there were some things portrayed differently than historians believe is the truth (i.e. Adams' relationship with his youngest son, Charles). But over all it was a very good adaptation of the book... which I now have renewed interest to read.

I though the choice in actors was well made and the settings, costumes, etc. just added to the richness of the film. The only complaint I have outside of the above liberties taken is the sound quality. At times the conversations were so low I could barely make out what was said. I'd turn the volume way up only to be blasted when someone yelled or some loud noise was made. It was a tad annoying.

But that said, my favorite part was actually an extra on the DVD -- an interview with author David McCullough. It's a 39 minute interview covering the life of McCullough and his works. Very interesting and it causes me to retract my previous statement. If I could meet any living author I would choose McCullough. I'd forgotten about him when I answered the meme, but he is definitely someone I'd like to meet.

All this to say... I need to read John Adams. (I've read at least one other McCullough book and it's worth the time it takes to read.) I enjoyed John Adams the miniseries, but know the book will be even better.

For those who haven't seen the miniseries, yes I'd recommend it. But be warned. There are two scenes of nudity. The first is when a man is tarred and feathered, the second is when a women undergoes a mastectomy. There's enough warning for the viewer to look away if you know these instances exist.

For those of you who have seen the miniseries and have read the book -- leave your comments. I'd love to hear what you think.

Queen Victoria by Noel Streatfeild

I don't remember what sparked my interest, but last autumn my friend Alison and I both watched the film, Victoria & Albert, a biographical movie about the life and love of the United Kingdom's Queen Victoria. The movie was very well made and the story very interesting. Alison, curious to learn more about Queen Victoria asked a used book seller she knows for a recommendation on a biography.... the result was Queen Victoria by Noel Streatfeild published in 1958.

While there may be other superior biographical works on the Queen's life, Ms. Streatfeild's work remains a worthwhile read. It is interesting, factual (sources were primary, including the Queen's personal diaries), and reads like a novel, which in my opinion is a good thing. It's also a fairly quick read at 180 pages.

The book opens with the birth of Alexandrina Victoria, Princess Royal and the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Kent. Born into a family who had no expectations of her ever becoming Queen, Victoria ended up ascending the throne at the young age of 18 and spent over 63 years ruling the United Kingdom. Queen Victoria ends with the death of Victoria. The text in between her birth and death contains much about her life, love, family and the life and times of England during the mid to late 19th century. I found the latter especially intriguing as the timeline of her life and ruling coincides with many classical authors, including Charles Dickens, Lewis Carroll, Wilkie Collins, Elizabeth Gaskell, and Anthony Trollope just to name a few.

Because it is out of print Queen Victoria may be a difficult book to locate (I bought mine through Alibris.com), but if you have access to a copy I encourage you to read it. Victoria is a fascinating person and impacted so much of our world history. But the story of Victoria is more than history -- it is a fairy tale; it is a romance; it is the story of a passionate young girl who grew up to be a devoutly religious woman and a good Queen. At times she was misunderstood and at times she made mistakes, but ultimately she was loved and respected. I thoroughly enjoyed Queen Victoria and am interested in learning more of the era when she ruled.

As a side note, the author, Noel Streatfield is the same author of the "Shoes books": Ballet Shoes, Theatre Shoes, Skating Shoes, etc. Ms. Streatfeild wrote most of her books between the 1930s and 1950s. Her "Shoes books" are mentioned by Meg Ryan's character in the film, You've Got Mail, which I admit, was the first time I had heard of the books and their author. On further research I find that four of her "Shoes books" are currently available in paperback at almost any book store and it appears more of the series will be reprinted in the upcoming years. I'm glad of this because I like Ms. Streatfeild's writing and am hoping to read some of her fictinal works in the near future.

On a further side note, I recently learned that in addition to her biography of Queen Victoria, Noel Streatfeild also wrote a biography and critical analysis of E. Nesbit titled, Magic and the Magician. As you may recall, E. Nesbit is the author of The Enchanted Castle, which I reviewed here.

Home by Julie Andrews

A few months back I saw an interview with the lovely actress and singer Julie Andrews. During the interview she discussed her latest book, an autobiography. (I say latest because she has written several, mostly children's books and mostly under her married name of Edwards.) This autobiography covers the early part of Ms. Andrews' life and is called Home.

Home is a key theme in this autobiography, in fact in her opening chapter Ms. Andrews mentions that her first word (according to her mother) was in fact, "home." As entertainers, her parents were on the road a great deal and this meant they were rarely at home, but when they were it was a retreat of sorts. Unfortunately her home life was not always a happy one.

I found the book a little slow to start, but mostly because there were so many details, so much groundwork that Ms. Andrews needed to lay before she could progress with the story of her life. As her own musical and entertaining career picked up, so did the book. By the middle I was thoroughly engrossed. I found her telling of life at the end of the Vaudeville days and the dawn of modern Broadway most fascinating.

Surprisingly, Ms. Andrews' book ends in the midst of her stage career -- at the brink of her first staring film role in Disney's Mary Poppins. I suspect that at some point in the future she will complete her story with a final autobiography, though she may wish to wait until much later in her life as she still living out chapters through her current adventures.

My memories of Julie Andrews are a mesh of a beautiful singing voice in Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music and as a much older woman in films such as Shrek and The Princess Diaries. As a friend recently remarked to me -- it is interesting, even fascinating that Julie is able to balance a reputation as a wholesome actress and yet, is praised for her role in Victor/Victoria by groups endorsing "alternative lifestyles".

Overall, I found the book interesting, one I'm glad I took the time to read, and I hope to have the opportunity to read the rest of her story some day if she makes it available. Unless you are an avid fan of Ms. Andrews I would suggest passing on the purchase of this book and borrow it from your library.

My Grandfather's Son by Justice Clarence Thomas

The following review is from my personal archive. This book, like the three previous Gaskell books I reviewed, was one I read earlier in the year. Look for reviews on new books I've read later this week.

My Grandfather's Son by Justice Clarence Thomas was a very good read and one I’d recommend to anyone I know. The book is well written. Even those without a legal education who may worry the book will be dry or difficult to understand because of legal jargon should put their fears aside. The book is interesting, clear, and an effortless read. The copy I read was borrowed from my local library and was a total of 289 pages.

My first memory of Thomas was in 1991 when the Senate’s confirmation hearing was broadcast on TV. I remember being at my grandparents house and asking my parents what was going on. I was told that a man (Clarence Thomas) had been nominated to the Supreme Court by President Bush and the Senate was holding a hearing to determine if he should be a Justice. They also mentioned that the Democrats were being difficult and causing problems and that some woman named Anita Hill had come forth with a story that the man had done bad things to her, but it wasn’t true.

Eight years later I was able to see Justice Thomas in person when I attended a hearing at the Supreme Court. Thomas doesn't talk very much during the hearings, in fact he's quite notorious for sitting and listening and only speaking on rare occasions, leaving the questions and arguments to his fellow justices. On that particular day I was at the Supreme Court I did not hear Justice Thomas speak, however he did call a clerk over and whispered something to him. A few minutes later the clerk returned with a large atlas. I’ve always wondered why Thomas wanted the atlas as it didn’t seem to fit with the current conversation between the lawyer and the other Justices, but then… who knows.

Over the years I have always been curious about who Justice Thomas and Justice Scalia are. For years both men were the only true "strict constructionists" on the bench, but I knew so little about them.

Reading Thomas' memoir changed that – at least as far as Justice Thomas. He begins the book by recounting his birth and childhood in the deep south of Georgia in the late 1940s and ends after he is sworn in at the Supreme Court in the early 1990s. In between I learned who Clarence Thomas was and how he went from being a very poor uneducated child to one of the most esteemed men on the bench of the highest court in our country. Thomas discusses his faith, family, life choices, education and careers in a very candid manor. Of course, and yet unfortunately, the memoirs could not be complete without the retelling of the three-ring-circus that was his confirmation hearing with the US Senate and the "Anita Hill scandal". (Be warned, there are some explicit details of the harassment she claimed to have experienced.)

At times it felt very surreal to read this book. Persons in and around the political circles of DC were mentioned as they came in contact with Thomas. Many of these people are people I or my husband have heard of, seen, or even met in our work. And some are just familiar names from the news.

At the end of Thomas' memoirs, I came away with even more respect for him -- as a judge and as a person. Thomas is a man of faith who has worked hard to get where he is and truly desires to what is right and just. We all could learn a lot from him. If only more people – and I don't just mean conservatives – would read his memoirs and take what he says to heart.

First Ladies by Margaret Truman

First Ladies: An Intimate Group Portrait of White House Wives by Margaret Truman is an interesting book about the women behind the most powerful men in our country.

Margaret Truman's authority as an author of White House and First Lady history is grounded not only by her degree in American History, but also her personal experience in the White House. Her father, Harry Truman served as Vice President under Franklin D. Roosevelt and later as President on his own right. Thus, Margaret had first hand experience living for several years with a First Lady, her mother Bess Truman.

My first thought when I picked up this book was that it would include biographical sketches of each First Lady and maybe a little of what life was like for her in the White House. I was in for a surprise.

While some biographical information is included in this book, it is by no means a biography of the 43 First Ladies (*The book was published during the Clinton administration, so while the count at the time was 42 Presidents the First Lady count includes second wives of Presidents). The best way to capture what this book is about is to use Harry Truman's quote from the beginning of the book, an obvious inspiration to his daughter, "I hope some day someone will take time to evaluate the true role of the wife of a President, and to assess the many burdens she has to bear and the contributions she makes." That is exactly what this book is about.

Throughout the book Margaret Truman highlights various First Ladies during their life in the White House and their relationship with the President, their husband. Very little information is given about their childhood and life proceeding the White House or life after the White House. As I said, it is not meant to be a biography.

I should note that Truman does not include every one of the First Ladies. I noticed that some of the lesser known ladies were not mentioned at all and a few were mentioned only in a passing. I was a little disappointed in this as the book didn't seem quite complete without a paragraph or chapter dedicated to each first lady, but that may be just my opinion.

One other note that is rather obvious to the reader from the very first chapter -- Harry Truman was a Democrat. Margaret Truman writes as a Democrat and she makes no apologies for her worldview.

A case in point: the set up of the chapters. For the first half of the book Truman's focus is mainly on Presidents and their wives elected from the Democratic Party starting with the "darling" of them all -- JFK and his wife Jackie. After a few chapters of mid 20th century politicians (Kennedy, Truman, Roosevelt, Wilson, etc.) Margaret turns to the first First Ladies (i.e. Martha Washington, Dolly Madison, etc.) and focuses on early politics (Federalists and Anti-Federalists).
Oddly enough -- or maybe because of her political views (or... maybe the fault of the book's editor), Margaret doesn't get around to discussing Republican Presidents and their First Ladies until over halfway into the book. When she does get to them she has very little in the way of positive comments to make about either husband or wife, an exception being her admiration of the relationship between certain Republican Presidents and their First Ladies, although she also makes the statement that while she admires this, she cannot admire their political views. Fair enough, we were warned -- she is a Democrat. To be fair, I think Maragret made an effort to be objective as she wrote, but in the end her political views did color her text.

If a reader has a dislike for the Democratic party they may find the book a little irritating at times, but if the reader is willing to look past this, they will find an interesting portrait of our First Ladies.

Interesting... That is exactly how I found the book. It was interesting, but not by my definition fascinating. My copy was 355 pages and for the most part was an easy read, though not one I could do in one sitting. It took me about a week to work this one. I'd recommend it to anyone curious to learn more about the relationship between First Ladies and their President husbands as well as what they accomplished while in the White House. I'd also suggest borrowing it from your library if you can. I was gifted my copy and think I may donate it to our library now that I'm done with it. It wasn't in my view one worth storing on my bookshelf to re-read in the future.

On the other hand, if you run across Margaret Truman's The President's House I highly recommend reading that book and even purchasing a copy. It's a book on the history of the White House and its grounds. I read it a few years back and found it absolutely fascinating, a book I definitely plan to re-read some day.

As a side note, I noticed two other recently published books on First Ladies available through Amazon.com. The First Ladies Fact Book: The Stories of the Women of the White House from Martha Washington to Laura Bush by Bill Harris and Ladies of Liberty: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation by Cokie Roberts. I've heard little to nothing about either of these books and would be interested if anyone out there has read them and what they thought of them.