Book Review: Seabiscuit: An American Legend, by Laura Hillenbrand

After reading Unbroken several years ago, I realized I had Seabiscuit, also by Hillenbrand, and decided I should read it. I'm glad I finally did.

I'm not even a horse racing fan, but I really enjoy the way Hillenbrand tells a story. She has a way of building the tension and excitement that is unique.

We are introduced to the original owners of Seabiscuit and then told how he ended up with the Howards, who eventually were successful. We are introduced to the trainer (Smith), and the jockey (Pollard). And then we follow them through the training, and race by race, through the ups and downs of Seabiscuit's inconceivable career. 

We are also introduced to the atmosphere of early horse racing, where jockeys took their lives in their hands every time they went out. Not to mention the starvation in order to make weight. Pollard suffered several life-threatening injuries, which each time used up all of his savings and then some. During some of this time, Seabiscuit had a different jockey, Woolf, who was also famous. It was a brutal, dangerous life.

Seabiscuit's rise to fame took place during the Depression when the public needed some distraction. And boy was he a distraction. People would come from all over to watch him race and the race tracks were overflowing. If you weren't watching him, you were listening to the races on the radio.

Some sections were perhaps a bit too detailed for me, but most of the time, I couldn't put Seabiscuit down. Like I said, it's the way she tells the story. So if you are a fan of Hillenbrand, even if you aren't a horse fan, you should consider this book. Even without the horses, it's a fascinating look at a unique aspect of the Depression.

Published by Random House, 2001 
Copy obtained from my library (not sure where I got it)
347 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Audiobook Review: The Four WInds, by Kristin Hannah

The Four Winds was a mesmerizing book about the Dust Bowl, once it got going.

The characters were amazing, the setting -- well -- unbelievable. The Four Winds puts you in the middle of the dust bowl, but also in California, where thousands of people went to find work during The Depression. As you can imagine, it didn't work out well for them.

It's one of those "I can't believe this happened in the USA" stories. And they keep bringing up that point as they are living through the horrors. You get an interesting take on Communism and the Red Scare, as these "Communists" tried to unionize the workers to help them get a living wage. I mean, they literally could not survive on what they were paid, even when the men, women, and children were all picking. The huge growers would cut wages on a whim. They had their own company stores where people could get credit, and of course, they could never get out from under the debt.

Elsa was an amazingly strong woman and no one could not become attached to her and her family. My only complaint is that the beginning was slow. There was too much time spent on Elsa's childhood and life with her parents. I get that her background makes her who she is, but I still thought it went on too long. So the message is:  don't give up. This is a minor complaint, and it is well worth the effort to get through that part. I also would have rather had a different outcome for Elsa. That's all I'll say.

I would recommend The Fours Winds to anyone. The audio version is excellent, although my listening kept getting interrupted by audiobooks that I had on hold at the library. (You only get them for three weeks.) So when another one became available, I borrowed The Four Winds book from my sister and read the last 60 pages.

Published by St. Martin's, 2021. Audio by Macmillan
Audiobook purchased from libro.fm
464 pages

Rating: 4.5/5

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Audio Book Review: Serena, by Ron Rash

What a strange, unusual book Serena is. I found it entertaining, if a bit slow, and it certainly made me uncomfortable at times.

George Pemberton has met and married Serena in Boston, and he's bringing her back to the mountains of North Carolina. Pemberton is rich and makes his living by logging the vast acres of timber in these mountains. Serena soon establishes herself as a shrewd business woman, as well as being tough enough to stand up to the men in the logging camp. It's 1929.

George and Serena are also fighting the government that wants to take away their land to establish the Smokey Mountain National Park.

So, you think, "Cool. A tough woman, who didn't fit the feminine stereotype of the day." Not. I don't think I've ever read a book with a main character like Serena. She's evil. She's manipulative and ruthless. She's awful and there isn't much to like about her. But, you have to keep reading to find out what she's up to next.

George has fathered an illegitimate child before he met Serena, which also ends up playing a role in Serena. Suffice it to say they cut down anything and anyone in their way to achieve what they want. George ends up being dominated by Serena, but his love is blind.

It does take a while to get the story established. We learn a lot about the logging industry and especially how dangerous these jobs were.

The narrator, Phil Gigante, is OK.  Not my favorite narrator, but he didn't annoy me. Well, his female voices did get on my nerves a bit, but I still found Serena easy to listen to.

I enjoyed this mostly because I was fascinated by the depth of Serena's evilness, and I also enjoyed the historical elements. It's not a book for everyone, but I tend to be less picky about my audiobooks, so it was OK. Serena is an adult book, and while there's nothing inappropriate for teens, I just don't think the subject matter has much appeal for the average teen.

Published by Ecco, 2008, Brilliance Audio
Audio book obtained from the library
384 pages

Rating: 3.5/5

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Audio Book Review: Blackberry Winter, by Sarah Jio @sarahjio

Sarah Jio is a great storyteller. Blackberry Winter is the third book by her that I've read, and I just always sink right into the story easily, and am left with such a warm, wonderful feeling when I'm finished.

Blackberry Winter follows two main characters, and two different time periods. But the Seattle setting is the same for both stories -- and that's where they meld together.

Vera has a 3-year-old son, Daniel she is raising alone. It's 1933 and Vera is poor. She must leave her son home alone, while she works the night shift as a hotel maid. She still doesn't make enough money -- and is behind on her rent. They live in an apartment above a saloon. When a freak May snowstorm hits, Vera has trouble getting home from work and when she gets there, Daniel is gone. With no help from the authorities, Vera's desperation to find her son causes her to make some mistakes, but the reader can only keep hoping for the best for her.

Claire is a reporter for the Seattle Herald newspaper, and when a freak snowstorm hits in May of 2010, her editor wants her to do a feature article comparing this storm to the one that hit on the very same day in 1933. Claire finds an article about a little boy who went missing during the 1933 snowstorm, and decides this will be her angle. As Claire investigates, she feels a connection to these people from 1933. But, we also find out that Claire, herself, has suffered a huge loss, and she and her husband are drifting farther and farther apart.

There are a lot of coincidences that bring these two stories together. And, yes, some are a bit much. But it's a STORY, so just enjoy it. If you don't like contrived situations and happy endings that you may figure out early, then you should avoid Blackberry Winter. But if you enjoy a feel-good story with characters that you can root for and care about, then you shouldn't miss Blackberry Winter.

The narrator for the audio version is Tara Sands, and she did a good job. I would recommend the audio version if you like audio books.

Published by Plume, 2013. Audio by Brilliance Audio
Copy obtained from the library
320 pages

Rating: 3.5/5

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Book Review: All the Earth, Thrown to the Sky, by Joe R. Lansdale

When I first read this title I wondered why someone would name a book All the Earth, Thrown to the Sky. When I began reading and realized it's about the dust bowl, it all made sense.

All the Earth, Thrown to the Sky is a book about three kids who, because of circumstances beyond their control, end up escaping Oklahoma and having quite an adventure while trying to find a life for themselves.

Jack has lost both of his parents. His mother died of respiratory problems, and his father committed suicide because he couldn't handle it. So now Jack is alone, in the middle of Oklahoma, with dust storms occurring more and more often and no means of support. When two neighbor kids, Jane and her little brother Tony, make it to his house, he allows Jane to talk him into leaving. They take a car from another neighbor, who has died on his porch.

The adventures they have keep the pages turning quickly. They face danger and also encounter great wealth. But nothing ever stays the same for long. While somewhat far-fetched, it does make for an interesting tale. And that's what All the Earth, Thrown to the Sky is. An entertaining tale. Jane is a creative liar, and makes up a different story for every person they meet. These were some of the most humorous parts. Yes, it's historical, but we really don't learn much about that period except what the dust storms and locust attacks were like. And, how everyone, pretty much everywhere, was poor.

The ending is satisfying. Not everyone gets what they want, but it stays true to the characters. All the Earth, Thrown to the Sky is a quick, easy read. Those who enjoy some adventure with a little historical bent will enjoy it.

Published by Delacorte Press, 2011
Copy obtained from the library
227 pages (qualifies for my Books You Can Read in a Day Challenge!)

Rating: 3.5/5

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Book Review: The Opposite of Hallelujah, by Anna Jarzab

I just don't know about The Opposite of Hallelujah. Good writing, decent characters, interesting premise. But, it was so looooooong, and really nothing happens until the last 1/4 of the book.

Caro's sister, who has been in a convent for over 10 years (and left when Caro was 8 years old) is leaving the convent and coming back home to live. Caro doesn't know her sister, Hannah,  who is now 27, and doesn't feel any great attachment to her.

When Hannah comes home, there is obviously something wrong. She doesn't eat. She sleeps all the time and barely comes out of her room. (Can you say "depression?")

There are things from Hannah's past that Caro figures out -- at least parts of it -- from reading what Hannah wrote when she was young. Caro's parents won't tell her anything. Caro wants to solve the mystery and figure out what's up with Hannah.

There's a romance. A new boy at school who Hannah starts seeing. It's a rocky relationship, with ups and downs, and I guess it was OK. But it didn't really add much to the story. Caro has friends, but she keeps them so far from her family problems that they really don't mean anything in the novel -- except when it comes to the partying (more about that in a minute.)

The best part of the story is that Caro decides to confide in Father Dan, a priest at their church. Neither Caro or her parents are devout. I really liked the discussions that they had. It was the best part of The Opposite of Hallelujah for me -- a lot of philosophizing and talking about beliefs. I love all the references to M.C. Escher. It wasn't preachy, but there is some discussion of belief in God, so if that turns you off, stay away from The Opposite of Hallelujah. 

I am happy that Caro's parents were very involved in their children's lives and tried to do what was right. I really didn't like that they were so stupid. They didn't understand why Caro wasn't all excited about Hannah's return. They were so stupid about the relationship between the sisters. They didn't really do anything (except talk) for Hannah, when she was obviously having serious problems.

It took 350 pages for the problem to get serious enough that something actually happened. The last 100 pages were the entire story. I almost gave up on The Opposite of Hallelujah, but I got through it, even though I KNEW what was likely to happen. Entirely predictable. I guess I was hoping for a surprise or twist. Nope.

I rarely give content warnings about books. I live with teens every day. I know they drink, swear, and have sex. And guess what? THEY know it too. So, there's a lot of casual, no big deal, "drinking on the weekends" kind of partying in The Opposite of Hallelujah. Cara is a "straight A" student. No one ever drives when they are drunk. But they pretty much get drunk on the weekends. *gets on soapbox* By the time a kid is in high school, most of them have decided whether they are going to drink or not. If they haven't decided, they will succumb to peer pressure, NOT what's in a book! If teens don't drink, they still know that a lot of teens DO drink. They have chosen not to. And reading about teen drinking in a book isn't going to change their minds. It's just a realistic story about teens. Not all teens, but some teens. And they all know that. Give them some credit. So, I wouldn't keep this book from teens because of the drinking. *steps off soapbox.*

However, I will have a hard time recommending this book to teens because of its length. The Opposite of Hallelujah just never grabbed me, or made me feel any kind of anticipation or emotion. This is an ARC, so my only hope is that there is some severe editing in the final copy, but I know that isn't likely.

Published by Delacorte, October 9, 2012
ARC obtained from NetGalley
464 pages

Rating: 2/5

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