I am never sure it's a good idea to follow up a classic piece of literature with a sequel, especially so many years later. "To Kill a Mockingbird" is a hard act to follow.
Harper Lee took her time getting to the point of this novel. I kept waiting and waiting as Jean Louise ("Scout") meanders through her visit back home. I figured there would eventually be a significant message in the story, but I couldn't figure out what it would be based on the first 3/4 of the book! I was sad about how her meeting with Calpurnia went. Although I understand that Calpurnia was their slave, I was still surprised that she didn't seem to have stronger feelings toward Jean Louise. Calpurnia was the closest thing that Jean Louise had to a mother, so I thought it was odd that Calpurnia just seemed to blow her off when she visited. I won't presume to know what it felt like to be a slave for another person. Calpurnia raised Jean Louise though, so that was a difficult scene for me.
I, like Scout, couldn't believe that Atticus and Henry would defend such a bigoted racist! With that being said, I got frustrated with Scout that she wouldn't/couldn't hear what Henry was saying - or her uncle - or her father. She just kept saying such awful things to both Henry and Atticus, and although I didn't understand why they were defending such a horrible person either, I just wanted her to get off her high horse and listen to them! I kept thinking there would be a good explanation and I wanted to hear it! The result is something I did not expect. I really liked it though. First of all, I loved the reminder of what being a "bigot" actually means! Jean Louise was definitely being a bigot in her attack on Atticus and Henry! Being a bigot is not the same as being a racist. Those two terms are often thought of as interchangeable. Really good reminder to us all.
Atticus Finch was like a god to Jean Louise. Such high expectations! Atticus is human. Humans do things for all sorts of reasons, and some of them may have you questioning why. Atticus believed he was doing something for the greater good, despite how it looked. I think it's hard for someone who lives in Minnesota in 2016 to understand the south in the 1950s. In the end, I loved how proud Atticus was of Scout being so adamant about all people being created equal and standing up for that belief even against her father. I also liked that Scout had such strong convictions and wasn't afraid to express them. This is one of those books that you have to read to the last page in order to find the true value of the story.
I was a little sad about Henry though. Even though I predicted how Jean Louise's relationship with him would end, I still was bummed about it. Henry was such a wonderful man. Why can't people return the love of those that love them most...?
Wendy's Rating: *** 1/2
Saturday, January 30, 2016
We Never Asked for Wings by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
I loved "The Language of Flowers", Diffenbaugh's first novel, so I didn't want to get my hopes up for this novel. Well, I loved this one as much as her first, maybe more.
First of all, I loved the title! Sometimes I don't understand why an author chooses the title they do, but this title was perfect. Obviously there is the bird theme throughout the novel, and the collection of feathers. More importantly, Letty's parents finally give her her wings. The characters in this book were all faced with difficult decisions: Maria Elena had to choose between her husband and her daughter and beloved grandchildren; Letty's father had to choose between his home in Mexico and the home he made for himself and his family in California; Letty chose to set Wes free when she got pregnant - because he would have stayed if he had known about the baby; Alex chose to go with Wes to Africa instead of staying home with Yesenia; Letty chose Rick over Wes; Wes chose his career over Letty and the family they could have potentially made. Such difficult decisions, all of them!
Alex made such a bad decision when stealing - borrowing - Mr. Everett's keys and breaking into his computer!! Sometimes really smart people do really stupid things! He thought he was doing the right thing for Yesenia though - and he was such a good kid. I had a really bad feeling about all of that, and the result was a more significant consequence than I even thought it would be. Yikes. He owned up to it all though, taking full responsibility, which showed a sense of responsibility a lot of 15 year olds wouldn't have. Then he decides to leave Yesenia for four months to spend time in Africa with Wes. Loved it! Oh, I loved that he wanted to wait until marriage to have sex. Very responsible decision.
Rick was awesome too. He was such a steadfast influence on Letty. He didn't "take charge" of her life; he gently guided her to options in her life she didn't think were possible at first. When Wes first came back into her life, I wasn't sure who I wanted Letty to end up with. He had never married; he welcomed Alex with open arms; he didn't hold a grudge against Letty for not telling him about his son. Really wonderful person. Meanwhile, Rick was falling for her and I really liked them together. Eventually though, as Letty was still "waffling", I chose Rick (Team Rick!) and I was thrilled that she did too! Sometimes you just can't go "back".
So, I loved the theme, loved the characters, and I loved this book. Since it took Diffenbaugh over four years to write this book, I guess we will be waiting awhile for her third novel. I am sure it will be worth the wait.
Wendy's Rating: *****
First of all, I loved the title! Sometimes I don't understand why an author chooses the title they do, but this title was perfect. Obviously there is the bird theme throughout the novel, and the collection of feathers. More importantly, Letty's parents finally give her her wings. The characters in this book were all faced with difficult decisions: Maria Elena had to choose between her husband and her daughter and beloved grandchildren; Letty's father had to choose between his home in Mexico and the home he made for himself and his family in California; Letty chose to set Wes free when she got pregnant - because he would have stayed if he had known about the baby; Alex chose to go with Wes to Africa instead of staying home with Yesenia; Letty chose Rick over Wes; Wes chose his career over Letty and the family they could have potentially made. Such difficult decisions, all of them!
Alex made such a bad decision when stealing - borrowing - Mr. Everett's keys and breaking into his computer!! Sometimes really smart people do really stupid things! He thought he was doing the right thing for Yesenia though - and he was such a good kid. I had a really bad feeling about all of that, and the result was a more significant consequence than I even thought it would be. Yikes. He owned up to it all though, taking full responsibility, which showed a sense of responsibility a lot of 15 year olds wouldn't have. Then he decides to leave Yesenia for four months to spend time in Africa with Wes. Loved it! Oh, I loved that he wanted to wait until marriage to have sex. Very responsible decision.
Rick was awesome too. He was such a steadfast influence on Letty. He didn't "take charge" of her life; he gently guided her to options in her life she didn't think were possible at first. When Wes first came back into her life, I wasn't sure who I wanted Letty to end up with. He had never married; he welcomed Alex with open arms; he didn't hold a grudge against Letty for not telling him about his son. Really wonderful person. Meanwhile, Rick was falling for her and I really liked them together. Eventually though, as Letty was still "waffling", I chose Rick (Team Rick!) and I was thrilled that she did too! Sometimes you just can't go "back".
So, I loved the theme, loved the characters, and I loved this book. Since it took Diffenbaugh over four years to write this book, I guess we will be waiting awhile for her third novel. I am sure it will be worth the wait.
Wendy's Rating: *****
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