Faith in a Time of War: No Bullet Got Me Yet

No Bullet Got Me Yet: The Relentless Faith of Father Kapaun 

by John Stansifer

Servant of God Emil Kapaun is from our diocese, so I basically buy every book published about him. Stansifer's book is well-researched and delves deeply into Father Kapaun's time in Korea.

Father Kapaun was a farm boy in Kansas who enlisted as a chaplain. He served in World War II and in Korea, where he was captured while heroically staying behind with wounded men and later died in a prisoner of war camp. After the war, soldiers who knew him and those who only heard about him, told stories of a man of courage and compassion that (we believe) prove he's a saint.

Stansifer interviewed many veterans, but he also had access to some amazing primary sources with stories of Father Kapaun I'd never heard, and I try to read everything about him. 

I had a few quibbles with the text. I was disappointed the author used the term "native" to refer to the people of some Asian countries where Father Kapaun was stationed. These weren't quotes from letters or documents of the time, but author's words. It felt disrespectful to me. I also felt like sometimes it was difficult to tell if the author was quoting someone else. Sometimes there were quotation marks. Sometimes the text was indented. Sometimes an entire section seemed to be from an interview or a letter, but there weren't any quotations or indentations, so I wasn't sure. He also mentions at one point that a pope invokes papal infallibility at a canonization Mass, which is not official church teaching. (I'm married to a theologian, so I can't let that go.)

Despite my pickiness, this is an excellent book for the adults in your life. I ultimately decided my upcoming eighth grader (Level 4) would read A Shepherd in Combat Boots, which is sadly out of print. Both are good, but A Shepherd in Combat Boots is a little less graphic in its descriptions of war and the prison camp, so I thought it a better fit for a middle school student.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. I purchased this book. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links.

The Nile in Context: River of the Gods

River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile 
by Candace Millard

I loved Millard's River of Doubt, so when I saw she was doing an event at our big city's main library for her new book (this would have been in May 2022), I knew I had to go. First Daughter went with me. We had a fabulous evening and bought a book each, both of which the author graciously signed for us.

River of the Gods fills in all the Nile River gaps a Mater Amabilis mother or student would have after reading A Book of Discovery. It's full of intrigue, disease, adventure, and death. The personalities and tragedies of the European explorers come to life, but Millard also supplies contextual information on the people of Africa who accompanied (or attacked) the adventurers. Millard's research seems excellent (to a non-historian such as myself) with extensive endnotes and bibliography.

I loved it. I'm becoming a bit of a geography and travel book addict, though. I think it would be a great book if you have a high schooler who was particularly fascinated by the search for the source of the Nile or the exploration of Africa by Europeans. It might be a tad slow-going for a casual reader.

I have received nothing in exchange for this review. I purchased the book. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links.

November and December 2021 Book Reports

Calvary Hero: Casimir Pulaski by Dorothy Adams (American Background Series) - I picked this book up used at a big sale because my grandmother was Polish. I remembered stories she would tell about celebrating Casmir Polaski Day at her Polish school (in Illinois) when she was a little girl. This book is from an older series, well-written and enjoyable, though his life story has many tough times. It's a good supplemental book for a Revolutionary War study, if you happen to be particularly interested in Polish war heroes. (purchased used)

Anthony Burns: The Defeat and Triumph of a Fugitive Slave by Virginia Hamilton - I'm not sure where I heard about this book, but I wanted to add it to Second Son's history reading for the year (Level 2 Year 2, when he was still reading This Country of Ours, because I rearrange our history). It provides an interesting perspective of a slave's life in the years before the Civil War, when the patchwork of laws in different states were confusing to everyone, especially to the enslaved. (purchased used)

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison - This book is on the Mater Amabilis high school schedule for English in Level 6 Year 2 (twelfth grade). First Son was starting his senior year, but because he started high school on the beta plans and was taking a college writing course in the spring, I adjusted his English assignments. I pre-read this book, planning to assign it to him. It's a tough read, because the language is sometimes fluid and fast, the action is alternatively slow and shocking, and the subject matter is difficult to absorb. It's a masterpiece, but in the end I decided not to overwhelm First Son's schedule by adding it. (He did a semester of English with me in the fall in addition to a whole credit's worth of writing in the spring at a local college.) I feel like most high school students would be overwhelmed by this book without a wise teacher to walk through it with them, and I am probably not that teacher. If First Son continues in the seminary, he will read it in college, and that's probably a good plan. (Kansas Dad's course copy)

Lights in a Dark Town: A Story about John Henry Newman by Meriol Trevor - link to my review (purchased copy)

30 Poems to Memorize (Before it's too Late) edited by David Kern - link to my review (purchased copy)

Rainbow Valley by L.M. Montgomery - I've read this book many times, of course, but it's been decades. I think I enjoyed this book more now that I'm a mother; I found it easier to keep the children separate in my head. I encouraged Second Son to read it, even though he hadn't read the books between this one and Anne of Green Gables. He's always on the search for relaxing bedtime reads. He laughed at all the words they considered bad. There are a number of funny stories. If you're reading aloud to younger kids, this is a good book to follow Anne of Green Gables. (gifted copy)

Home by Marilynne Robinson - This is a slow gentle book I found a bit more depressing than Gilead by the same author, but still beautifully written. (library copy)

Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad by Ann Petry - I can't remember where I first found this book, either, but it was a good fit for Second Daughter's American History study in seventh grade (Level 3 year 2). I wanted something on the Underground Railroad. This is a well-written biography for middle grade readers that covers Harriet Tubman's life in slavery and freedom. (purchased copy)

Woman and the New Race by Margaret Sanger - link to my review (available free online)

My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse - I wanted something funny and light-hearted to listen to while riding in the van with First Son. Neither of us had read or heard any Wodehouse. This had some truly hilarious moments, and we both enjoyed it in our little thirty minute increments. (purchased audiobook)

King Lear by William Shakespeare - This was First Son's final Shakespeare play. He read all three of his senior year plays in the first semester (to finish them before his college writing class in the spring), so it was a quicker read than we usually do. King Lear is an excellent choice for twelfth grade; it's one of the more referenced Shakespeare plays, and therefore a good one to read before going to college, but it's also grim and depressing. So, read it, but save it for your older high school students. (purchased copy)

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Amazon, Bookshop.org, and PaperBackSwap are affiliate links.

Oxford at the time of Newman: John Henry Newman: Snapdragon in the Wall

John Henry Newman: Snapdragon in the Wall

by Joyce Sugg

First Son was reading Apologia Pro Vita Sua by St. John Henry Cardinal Newman in his senior year religion reading, and he was struggling a bit. It's challenging reading, but I noticed he was mostly hampered by a lack of context. I happened to be considering how to handle the readings when Kansas Dad and I had an evening out, which included a visit to a local bookstore. While perusing the shelves, I found this little biography of St. John Henry Newman and impulsively bought it.

This is not a scholarly biography, but the author had previously published two books about him, including an anthology of his letters. It reads almost like a story but is full of quotes from his published works and letters. It's far less challenging than reading the Apologia, but it is probably best suited for adults, high school students, or interested middle school students.

The title comes from a flower which grew outside Newman's rooms when he was a student at Oxford. The poem he wrote, Snapdragon, is printed at the end of the book.

In one of my favorite scenes, she describes how Newman created a little oratory in his rooms at Oxford after he became a fellow.

He hung up a picture of all the saints praying in Heaven. He would go into the oratory, straight from all the work and turmoil of his life, and his heart would lift at the sight of that perpetual adoration. 'Why! There you all are - still at it!' he would say, smiling, and then settle to his own prayer. (p. 69)

I cannot say whether this is the best biography of St. John Henry Newman. I enjoyed it very much, and it served its purpose. First Son took a break from the Apologia and read this book, three or four chapters a week. When he returned to the Apologia, he had a much better understanding of the events of Newman's life and the general religious context of England at that time. I intend to schedule it first for my three other children.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links.

Continental Drift and Weather: Ending in Ice

Ending in Ice: The Revolutionary Idea and Tragic Expedition of Alfred Wegener
by Roger M. McCoy

This book explores the life and legacy of Alfred Wegener, the scientist who first provided extensive multi-disciplinary evidence for the movement of continents. He was mistaken in many of his arguments, but his ideas are now recognized more formally in the theory of plate tectonics.

The first chapter of the book is a brief biography of Wegener. Then there are a couple of chapters outlining his revolutionary ideas about the movement of continents. The author shares many ideas here about how new scientific ideas are accepted (or not) and why, a topic that is continued in the last few chapters of the book.

Then there are eight chapters detailing Wegner's expedition to Greenland and his disappearance. These chapters are a thorough and fascinating window into Arctic (and Antarctic) expeditions between the World Wars. Dramatic advances in mechanical engineering and aeronautics have since eliminated many of the most dangerous aspects of arctic research.

The last two chapters discuss Wegener's contributions to science from his research as a meteorologist and for geology and earth sciences through his ideas about continental drift. The last chapter covers a lot of technical information on plate tectonics in a readable way.

One of the aspects of the proofs of the continental drift theory the author pointed out was the transition from science by an individual (Galileo, Newton, Curie) to that of vast organizations and governments. The evidence that led to the understanding of continents moving over time was only possible because governments invested in extensive ocean floor mapping during and after World War II. No single individual could have undertaken such a task. 

The author explored reasons why Wegener's theories were initially refuted. One of the main problems was that his ideas about how continents moved were recognized as incredibly weak. Scientists therefore, erroneously as we now know, discounted his entire theory of continental drift. This is a good reminder to us all that one point of weak evidence does not negate an overall idea. It is best to consider all the evidence, setting aside that which is weak, but giving full consideration to that which remains.

I appreciate books that describe the history of scientific ideas in a way that shows how scientists communicate and assess each other's work. Scientists are people, people who have disagreements and make mistakes. Science is also a discipline in which people offer best guesses based on the current information. Over time and with the accumulation of new information, theories coalesce. This is an important lesson in a world that expects answers at the swipe of a touchscreen or the posing of a question aloud to a computer.

This book would be an excellent choice for a supplemental reading book on North American geography. It combines a relatively recent understanding of plate tectonics, an interesting story about climate research in Greenland, and a biography of a fascinating scientist. It does feel a little like a book inside a book rather than a coherent whole, but that's a small complaint.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. I borrowed the book from my library. Links to Amazon are affiliate links.

A Level 4 Biography: Edith Stein

Edith Stein: Woman of Prayer

by Joanne Mosley

As my daughter entered eighth grade, Level 4, I wanted to offer her some female twentieth century saints. First Son read about Pope St. John Paul II, Servant of God Emil Kapaun, and Bl. Stanley Rother. All of these are excellent options, but this is what we do, right, always looking for the next best thing. I found a wonderful option for St. Teresa of Kolkata, but I also wanted an option for St. Edith Stein because I think First Daughter would appreciate her intelligence. Many of the books on St. Edith Stein, though, examine her philosophy in a way that's inaccessible to a young teenager. This is one that is on the list on the Mater Amabilis Level 4 page so I bought a used copy and read it myself. 

It certainly includes a brief look at the philosophy of St. Edith Stein, and some of that might go over my daughter's head, but overall this is a lovely little introduction to a saint who offered herself up for her people. Part I (Ideals in Edith's Life) describes her biographical details from early life to her death. Part II (Ideal Figures in Edith's Prayer) explores St. Edith Stein's relationships to Jesus, Mary, Queen Esther, and the saints of Carmel.

Early in the book I found an anecdote that reminded me of First Daughter. Canon Schwind helped guide Edith early in her faith. She would visit him every Sunday to question him and learn.

His housekeeper and niece describes how, after one such meeting, he fell into a chair in the kitchen, writing his hands and declaring: 'Oh, this philosopher! She can ask more questions than ten learned theologians could answer.'

The book shares much of Edith's thoughts through her writing. For example, when talking about Love of the Cross:

In this essay, the words, 'joy' and 'joyous', occur almost as often as 'Cross'. How can this be? It was so because, as Edith knew, 'love of the Cross' was not love of a torture, love of a piece of wood, but love of the Person who was on the Cross. Suffering was the very place, therefore, where Edith could always find him, come closest to him, and help him to save the world.

The focus of Level 4 history on the twentieth century is a delicate balance: the horrific tragedies of the century are studied, but with enough grace and light to avoid depressing a young mind and soul. St. Edith Stein offers great insight into her time and ours. She counseled a young student in Echt.

One day, Anthony told Edith he was so concerned about world events that he could hardly concentrate on his work. Edith was adamant: he should get on with his thesis and be grateful he had the chance....it seems she was telling him something else, a message embedded in Carmelite values: to do God's will at the present moment, to carry out our daily tasks as well as we possibly can -- to walk the 'Little Way', instead of musing on 'great' actions to which we have not been called. 

Part II focuses more on Edith Stein's writings and spirituality. I loved these chapters that shared her understanding of the saints of Carmel, but I have decided to tell my daughter they are optional. They may be more meaningful for a more mature reader.

I don't know much about St. Edith Stein, so I can't comment much on whether the author has correctly represented the saint, her thoughts, and her philosophy, but the book seems to be well researched. There are quotes from letters and interviews, many in German, that give a sense of intimate friendship with the saint.

There's a similar book by the same author (Edith Stein: Modern Saint and Martyr) that might actually be a slightly updated or annotated version of this one. The description and number of pages are basically the same.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. I purchased this book used. Links to Bookshop and Amazon are affiliate links.

Across a Continent: Undaunted Courage

Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West
by Stephen E. Ambrose

This book is on the extracurricular reading list for the Mater Amabilis™ high school plans, which you can find linked from the main high school page. It fits well with American history and North American geography. I picked this book up when our library wasn't open and I was reading from the shelves. At almost 500 pages, it supplied plenty of reading material.

Despite its length, it never dragged. Ambrose's prose is lyrical. He is able to coalesce mountains of research into a coherent story. I most appreciated his ability to write eloquently of Lewis and Clark's courage, perseverance, and other virtues, while always gently but clearly acknowledging their failings, in particular in their relationships and treatment of Native Americans and slaves. Every now and then, Ambrose describes some obscure location on the journey and you remember he's literally traveled in their footsteps, in some places more than once.

The book is best for mature readers as there are numerous references to intimate behavior most of us would deem immoral. There are also a few derogatory comments recorded from Lewis about Roman Catholics and other missionaries, though very few. 

This is really a magnificent book. It explains the historical context of the Lewis and Clark journey, provides a detailed description from beginning to end, delves into the personalities of Lewis (and somewhat into the other members of the party), and explores the immediate and long-term ramifications of the exploration and later publication of the journals. Ambrose provides a balanced story, revealing the faults as well as admiring the accomplishments.

It is a long and dense book, one that requires an investment of time and focus many high schoolers may lack. For First Son, I have assigned excerpts of  the journals in his American History course, but decided this book would simply take too much time. My second child, First Daughter, will most certainly read and love it when she is in high school.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. I requested this book from another member at PaperBackSwap.com (affiliate link). Links to Bookshop and Amazon are affiliate links.

A Charism of Challenge: Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa: An Authorized Biography

by Kathryn Spink

My book club read books about Mother Teresa last month. We each read what we had at home or what we could easily find. I had this one on my shelf. It is a thorough biography.

I am fascinated and awed by an order that remains true to its charism, even amidst a culture, society, and modern world that denies such a charism is possible. There is a great tension here, even in the smallest decisions. Early on, for example, the sisters did not wear gloves when caring for the poor because Mother Teresa did not want to put barriers between the sisters and the people. I have seen recent pictures in which sisters are wearing gloves, which seems wise given how diseases are spread. They protect not only the sisters, but all the other poor being treated. There are still, however, accusations by some people that gloves are not always worn or not changed after each patient.

Another great tension is the refusal to address poverty itself. The Missionaries of Charity serve the person of Christ in front of them. They offer water, food, cleanliness, and compassion. They provide education for the young, but purposefully not in a systematic way.

Invariably, however, her response was to seek immediate and practical ways to meet the need as she found it, rather than to condemn what might be seen as the causes of that need.

There are other orders, governments, and programs that should and do address the root causes of poverty. Those should continue, but Mother Teresa insisted that the person in front of her should not suffer while waiting for societal change.

Mother Teresa opened many homes in developed countries like the United States. Though people here do not suffer in the same way as the poorest of the poor in the slums of India, they do suffer from the same spiritual poverty of being unloved and unwanted, even amidst relative wealth

If God loved each person then every meeting with another person involved the unique discovery of that which was the object of God's love in him, of that which came to him from God. Such a discovery allowed no room for condescension or for moral judgments, and took no cognizance of the obsessive search for "concrete results". Mother Teresa called upon those who lived in a world caught up in the race to be rich, powerful, and effective, to be aware of their own poverty, to make themselves weak with the weak and not to see to do big things but only small things with great love.

Writing a big check is too easy. Mother Teresa encouraged and challenged everyone to greet Christ in person, acknowledging the humanity of the poor in a physical way.

Spink brings up some of the critics of Mother Teresa and her work. For example, there are those who said she should not alleviate individual needs because that decreased pressure on governments or local leaders to address the roots of the poverty in their communities. Spink responds to each of these as they come up, always supportive of Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity.

Spink has written an exhaustive biography of Mother Teresa, one that clearly demonstrates the charism of the Missionaries of Charity and the growth of the order through Mother Teresa's lifetime (and a little beyond). It is one that would probably appeal to people of all faiths. If you are looking for a book revealing the depths of Mother Teresa's spirituality, others would be better. I had wondered if I could put this on First Daughter's list for a Level 4 twentieth century saint biography, but I think it would not be as appealing to an eighth grader.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post of my honest opinion. I received this book from another member of PaperBackSwap.com (affiliate link). The link to Amazon above is also an affiliate link.

January 2020 Book Reports

Dutch Girl: Audrey Hepburn and World War II by Robert Matzen - This book tells the experiences of Audrey Hepburn under Nazi occupation for five formative years in the Netherlands. It's a fascinating description of life for the average person during the war and shows how Hepburn's feelings and actions during her adulthood as a Hollywood star and celebrity were shaped by that time. (library copy)

Food: A Cultural Culinary History (The Great Courses) by Ken Albala - link to my post (purchased from Audible)

Girl in Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland - This book of short stories highlights important moments in the "life" of a hidden Vermeer painting, moving backwards in time. Parts of it were lovely. (library copy)

Golden Gate by Valenti Angelo - This is a sequel to Nino. Nino travels with his mother and grandfather to join his father in California. I believe it's based on his own experiences as a child so there are some episodes that might seem jarring or inappropriate for children in today's culture. For example, Nino and his friend discover the body of a deceased Chinese man on his boat, a man they considered a friendly neighbor if not actually a friend. There are also many descriptions of Native Americans and immigrants that don't conform to modern standards. All that being said, I just love the voice of the story and the delightful illustrations. I would happily read it aloud to my children and will allow them to read it on their own. We have lots of discussions that would address anything inappropriate. (purchased copy)

Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo - link to my post (library copy)

Burmese Days by George Orwell - link to my post (copy from Paperbackswap.com
PaperBackSwap.com)

Doomsday Book by Connis Willis - The young historian, Kivrin, is mistakenly sent back to the time of the Black Death in the environs of Oxford. Her experiences illuminate the extraordinary in ordinary lives. This was my second time reading it and it was just as wonderful (and sorrowful) as the first time. (library copy)

An Introduction to the Universe: The Big Ideas of Astronomy by Brother Guy Consolmagno - link to my post (purchased from Audible)

I have received nothing for this post. All opinions are honest and my own. Links to Amazon or PaperBackSwap are affiliate links.

December 2019 Book Reports

The Confessions by Saint Augustine, translated by Maria Boulding, O.S.B. - link to my review (Kansas Dad's copy)

Wild Coast: Travels on South American's Untamed Edge by John Gilmette - link to my review (library copy)

Children of Summer: Henri Fabre's Insects by Margaret J. Anderson - link to my review (library copy)

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah - link to my review (library copy)

The History of Science: 1700-1900 (The Great Courses) by Frederick Gregory - This series of lectures was not as good as The Rise and Fall of the British Empire, but I'm a biologist by training who has always enjoyed the history of science. I appreciated the even-handedness of the professor when discussing the relationship between faith and science. He included frequent reminders that most of the scientists in this time were devout (or lukewarm) Christians and that the apparent separation of faith and reason as understood in modern times really didn't develop at all until later. In fact, he specifically refers to the Scopes trial in the American South. (purchased copy in an Audible sale)

A Man of the Beatitudes: Pier Giorgio Frassati by Luciana Frassati - link to my review (parish library copy)

The Man Who Knew the Way to the Moon by Todd Zwillich - This short audiobook is like an extended NPR segment. It follows the story of one man who championed the use of a lunar module for the Apollo moon landing, in the course of which it explores the history of science, the sometimes contentious relationships of scientists, and the most interesting question of whether we'd be farther along in space travel if President Kennedy had not made a moon landing a political deadline. (one of the free Audible offerings for members in an earlier month)

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows - This book is presented as a series of letters, which I found a bit annoying at first. I find it difficult to keep track of who is writing when the narrator bounces around so much. After a while, though, I was able to enjoy it. The people of Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands between France and England, remain hopeful amid the harsh conditions of the German occupation during World War II. (library copy)

The Sea-Hawk by Rafael Sabatini - link to my post (purchased used)

Antarctica's Lost Aviator: The Epic Adventure to Explore the Last Frontier on Earth by Jeff Maynard - This book focuses on Lincoln Ellsworth who was one of a two-man team to first fly across Antarctica and who must surely rank among the most incompetent successful explorers. It seems to be exceptionally well-researched. In addition, the description of the flight was exciting. Overall, though, I just didn't find Ellsworth inspiring and will look for another option for our high school geography course on Antarctica. (library copy)

Alone Across the Arctic: One Woman's Epic Journey by Dog Team by Pam Flowers with Ann Dixon - link to my post (library copy)

I have received nothing for this post. All opinions are honest and my own. Links to Amazon or PaperBackSwap are affiliate links.

September 2019 Book Reports

Look at the Sky and Tell the Weather by Eric Sloane - link to my post (purchased copy)

Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare (No Fear Shakespeare) - Apparently, this is one of the Shakespeare plays most read in high school, but I'd missed it. Lots of blood and famous lines. First Son is reading this in tenth grade, but I'll assign it to the others in ninth grade (matching up with our study of ancient Rome in history). (purchased copy)

Out of Africa and Shadows on the Grass by Isak Dinesen - link to my post (copy from PaperBackSwap.com)

Hamlet by William Shakespeare (No Fear Shakespeare) - Both my tenth grader and my seventh grader will be reading this play. It's quite long so they won't read an entire act each week. We're right in the midst of memorizing lines from the play using How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare so I thought it was an appropriate choice for the year. (purchased copy)

The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt (Landmark Books) by Elizabeth Payne and The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone: Key to Ancient Egypt by James Cross Giblin - link to my post (purchased copies)

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury - This classic was different than I remembered it, a little less exciting, a little more depressing, and a little more contrived. I think I skimmed over a lot of the "boring" conversations when I read it as a teenager. Those same conversations strike me as disturbingly prescient today. Though it was easy to pick apart the inconsistencies and the instances where the plot seems unlikely, there was something, as always, lovely just in listening to Bradbury's language: lyrical and powerful. (purchased Audible book)

Stanley: The Impossible Life of Africa's Greatest Explorer by Tim Jeal - link to my post (library copy)

Lady Susan and The Watsons by Jane Austen - These two books, one Austen never published and a second she never finished, were recommended by Audible because they know I love all things Austen. I enjoyed listening to the stories, though obviously they are not her best. Lady Susan is written as a series of letters and sometimes it was more difficult in an audiobook to tell who was writing each one. (purchased on Audible)

Not So Fast: Parenting Your Teen Through the Dangers of Driving by Tim Hollister and Pam Shadel Fischer - link to my post (library copy)

The Creed in Slow Motion by Ronald Knox - link to my post (purchased copy)

After Anatevka: Live by Alexandra Silber - This is an Audible original offered as one of the free books of the month. Ms. Silber created this stage performance melding readings from her book, After Anatevka, and performances of songs from Fiddler on the Roof and new compositions written to complement her book. It was enjoyable with some delightful music. (free from Audible in October 2018)

The Rise and Fall of the British Empire (The Great Courses) by Patrick N. Allitt - link to my post (purchased audio book)

Elizabeth II: Life of a Monarch by Ruth Cowen - This was another Audible original offered as a free book of the month to members. I thought it would be interested as a supplement to my recent audiobook on the British Empire. It was kind of an interesting take on Queen Elizabeth's life, but it wasn't a complete biography. There were quite a lot of lurid details of the other royals' love lives. (free from Audible in April 2019)

In Ethiopia with a Mule by Dervla Murphy - link to my post (purchased copy)

Folsom Untold by Danny Robins - This audio book on Johnny Cash and his Folsom album is a little melodramatic, but it was interesting to hear something about the album, how it came about, and what happened later. It looks like it's no longer available on Audible, but if you're interested in all things Johnny Cash, you may want to see if you can find it elsewhere. (free from Audible in February 2019)

I have received nothing in exchange for these posts. All opinions are my own. Links to Amazon, PaperBackSwap, and RC History are affiliate links.

One Man in Africa: Stanley

Stanley: The Impossible Life of Africa's Greatest Explorer

by Tim Jeal

I found this book in our library catalog when I was trying to find the location of a former village along Henry Morgan Stanley's route along the Lualaba River for First Daughter's study guide for A Book of Discovery. (I have made the study guide available in the Mater Amabilis™ Facebook group.) It has excellent and informative maps at the beginning of the book.

Intrigued by the snippets I read, I packed it for our camping trip to the Rocky Mountains despite its heft at over 500 pages.

Tim Jeal has written an exhaustive biography of Stanley, drawing extensively on personal letters and diaries not available to earlier biographers. Stanley's often bewildering behavior as an explorer and writer come into better focus with a deeper understanding of his early life.

The author also addresses the kinds of qualms modern readers have when confronted with the events and actions of European explorers in Africa.

The sensitivity of the early twenty-first-century observer to racial questions makes judging the actions of nineteenth-century explorers with objectivity and fairness extremely difficult.

He goes on to place some of the violence of Stanley and other Europeans in context. Not that we should dismiss those actions as less appalling than they were, but that we should understand how they viewed those actions and how the Africans may have viewed them. Stanley himself saw clearly the chief problem with the entire situation, as quoted by Jeal:

Yet Stanley also put his finger on the central weakness of his own position. 'We went into the heart of Africa self-invited -- therein lies our fault.' 

One of the main themes of the book deals with the question of Stanley's involvement in the beginning of the disastrous Belgium occupation of the Congo. Teal persuasively shows Stanley's ignorance of King Leopold II's plans for the Congo. Throughout his time in Africa, his actions were focused on a effort to convince Britain to restrict the Arab slave trade, which started much earlier than the Atlantic trade and continued for much longer.

Of course, the argument that the slave trade could only be tackled if Africa were to be colonized offered a convenient justification for the politicians, businessmen and adventurers engaged in the 'Scramble for Africa' for purposes of prestige and financial gain. But Stanley's desire to destroy the slave trade was not a cynical stratagem.  

Later, Teal writes about Stanley's involvement in political pressure to maintain and increase British investment in Uganda to support missionaries and protect the African people there from a vicious threat from another group.

Few people can claim that events they have set in train have helped transform a great political party and changed their nation's intentions towards a whole continent, but from 1892 the workhouse boy could do just that, as could the self-made shipping tycoon. [Mackinnon, a friend of Stanley]

I'm currently listening to one of The Great Courses on audiobook, The Rise and Fall of the British Empire, in which Professor Patrick Allitt argues that despite atrocities and disasters within the British colonies in Africa, there were also benefits. I would say the eventual end of the Arab slave trade in eastern Africa is one of those.

With the benefit of hindsight, we know that colonialism had some disastrous consequences: the millions who died in Leopold's Congo, the badly drawn borders causing future conflicts, the German massacre of the Hereros, the Italian genocide in Libya, and British crimes committed while suppressing the Kenyan Mau Mau insurrection. So we virtuously condemn those who did not see these things coming many decades before they actually came to pass. 

I found this book a fantastic help in understanding better what really happened in Africa during the time of European exploration. After reading in our school books like A Book of Discovery about people like Stanley, I appreciated being able to put those stories in historical and cultural perspective, especially in a way that allowed me to continue to appreciate the strength and courage of a man like Stanley, even if his way of life would no longer be tenable in a modern world.

This is a long book, probably too long for most high schoolers as a supplement to the Mater Amabilis™ Level 5 Geography course on Africa. Very interested students may find it fascinating, however. In addition to the expected references to violent and disturbing acts, Tim Jeal unashamedly discusses extra-marital and other unconventional relationships, some coerced or enslaved. Violence is an inherent part of Stanley's life in Africa, but these and other incidents are described in circumspect and dignified ways; this isn't a lurid biography and, in some ways, counteracts the effects of earlier attempts to associate Stanley with those kinds of anecdotes.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post, which contains only my honest opinions. Links to Amazon are affiliate links.

Chemistry and Politics: Antoine Lavoisier

Antoine Lavoisier: Scientist and Citizen

by Sarah R. Riedman

I posted recently about Stuff Matters, which I was considering for our chemistry supplemental reading in tenth grade. One of the comments suggested a biography of Antoine Lavoisier instead. I searched our library catalog and came up with a few options. This book was the best and an excellent choice.

It's a little easier to read than a high schooler would probably need, but the discussions of the phlogiston theory are sophisticated enough for high school. It includes extensive descriptions of Lavoisier's political and philanthropic work, as well as a detailed chapter on the French Revolution.

First Son will read this book in tenth grade as a supplement to Sabbath Mood Homeschool's Chemistry Part 2. In the future, I think I'll assign this book in ninth grade with part 1 and move Uncle Tungsten to tenth grade. It's a little more mature.

I have received nothing for this post; all opinions are my own. Links to Amazon are affiliate links. I borrowed this book from our library, but purchased a used copy for our use in school next year.

The Thrill of Illumination: The Electric Life of Michael Faraday

The Electric Life of Michael Faraday

by Alan Hirshfeld

This year, in ninth grade, I decided to use Sabbath Mood Homeschool's study guides for our science courses. First Son is spending one term studying Chemistry, one term studying Physics, one term studying Weather, and a whole year studying Biology (but only the equivalent of a term as it's only once a week). The study guides suggest students may enjoy reading a biography each term of a prominent scientist of the field. I had trouble finding many of the ones recommended in the guide, but this one was available at PaperBackSwap, so I decided we'd give it a try. I finished it ahead of him as he's been focused on his history independent reading. (I think he's just going in order of his list, rather than trying to match them up to his course-work.) It's a wonderful book on Faraday, covering his personal and professional life in a way that presents the science without overwhelming the non-scientist (or student) reader.

The wonderful aspect of reading biographies like this is how they reveal to the reader the vast intellectual leaps (through often brain-numbing repetition of experiments) by placing scientists within their own time. It also emphasizes the kinds of characteristics that provide a foundation for strong scientific practices.

If there was one overriding element to Faraday's character, it was humility....Faraday approached both his science and his everyday conduct unhampered by ego, envy, or negative emotion. In his work, he assumed the inevitability of error and failure; whenever possible, he harness these as guides toward further investigation.

I was pleased to find one of First Son's first experiments of the year described in the text: splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen. (This experiment was relatively easy to do at home and yet one I would never have considered or attempted without it being listed right there in the study guide. It helped to have Kansas Dad home to supervise, too.)

Faraday's humility and dedication to unimpeachable laboratory experiments are an inspiration. When searching for an effect of magnetism on light, he adjusted polarity, magnetic strength, and pole positions, without any indication he would ever find a change.

Paragraph after paragraph, page after page, nothing but mind-numbing particulars, penned with drab uniformity in his own hand. Until September 13, 1845, paragraph 7,504. Here appears, in stout capital letters and underlined three times, a large exclamatory "BUT." That single word, an island rising above a tedious sea of ink, illuminated Faraday's joy as surely as the lamplight that suddenly illuminated his eye.

There are points where the scientific accounts are more difficult to follow. A student may need to read some chapters more slowly than others. Many of the descriptions are beneficial, though; I still often confuse current and voltage, but there is an excellent explanation of the difference in the book.

Near the end of his career, Faraday devoted some of his time to campaigning for better and extended science education in schools. He wanted students to learn real science not just to draw them into the field, but also to equip them with the knowledge and skills to assess assertions and ideas they would encounter throughout their lives.

During a career that spanned more than four decades, Faraday laid the experimental foundations of our technological society; made important discoveries in chemistry, optics, geology, and metallurgy; developed prescient theories about space, force, and light; pressed for a scientifically literate populace years before science had been deemed worthy of common study; and manned the barricades against superstition and pseudoscience. He sought no financial gain or honorifics from any of his discoveries.

This is an excellent biography for our science studies and complements well the work First Son did in the Physics part 1 guide.

I received nothing in exchange for this review which is only my honest opinion. I found this book recommended in the Sabbath Mood Homeschool study guide above (not an affiliate link). The link to Amazon is an affiliate link. I purchased this book used.

Geology and Faith: The Seashell on the Mountaintop

The Seashell on the Mountaintop: A Story of Science, Sainthood, and the Humble Genius who Discovered a New History of the Earth

by Alan Cutler

Through an unexpected sequence of events, I pre-read this book I was considering for First Son next year (tenth grade) even though there's plenty of this year's pre-reading I haven't done (and may never do). Its excellence has cemented my decision to add a term of geology as our earth science in tenth grade.

He [Steno] showed that the earth had a history, revealed in its own rocks. As a result, the static world assumed by both the scientists and churchman of his day gave way to an evolutionary one. And with that idea came unlimited possibilities.

This biography of Bl. Nicolaus Steno (1638-1686, beatified in 1988) describes his life of science, his life of faith, and how each influenced and fostered the other. As with the best of scientists, faith and reason were so intertwined as to be nearly impossible to unravel.

"In various places," wrote Steno, "I have seen that the earth is composed of layers superimposed on each other at an angle to the horizon."

It is an amazing fact of the history of science that before Steno few European writers had thought this fundamental observation worth mentioning.

Steno's book De solido inaugurated a new science, that of geology. The three tenets he proposed and explained in this book, superposition, original horizontality, and lateral continuity, remain the main principles of the science, ones so instrumental they are general presented in the first chapter of any geology text, even for young students. (I've read a few, so I'm speaking from experience.)

The geological concepts are explained clearly in the biography, so anyone could read it without any scientific preparation. For geology students, however, its principles will echo what they have read in textbooks and, perhaps, reveal the great intellectual leap Steno made to establish them. Once they have been pointed out, it's shocking to imagine they weren't always obvious.

The author is respectful of Bl. Nicolaus's religious beliefs.

Such intimate mingling of science and religion seems strange to us today, but the distance that we now put between the two realms would have seemed equally strange to scientist's of Steno's generation. Most of the prime movers of the seventeenth-century scientific revolution were deeply religious. Conflict between true science and true religion was impossible in their minds because both ultimately came from God. Despite his problems with Rome, Galileo remained a devout Catholic until the end of his life.

Cutler describes Steno's conversion from Protestantism to Catholicism, which surprised many of the scientists of Steno's day. While considering such a drastic step, Steno read, studied, talked with friends, and compared theological viewpoints. In the end, it was a leap of faith (as it always is), but he spent much of his time afterward carefully explaining his views to his contemporaries.

Conditioned by the familiar story of Galileo's persecution by the Catholic Church and by the modern-day clash between scientists and Protestant fundamentalists over evolution in the classroom, we often assume antagonism between religion and science is inevitable. But as much as their methods and ideals differ today, over the history of both there has been easily as much cross-fertilization as conflict. Until very recently, religious and scientific arguments were advanced by both sides in every important scientific controversy. Too often what filters down to us in the history books are the scientific arguments of the winners and the religious arguments of the losers. Thus the picture of a long-standing rift between the two.

It's refreshing to read a scientific biography that gives such balanced thoughts on faith and religion. It's not that there is a conflict between faith and science, but there is an assumption that there is by many in the scientific community and, consequently, in the ones writing biographies. I think this book would be a great supplement to a foundation that prepares students to enter the world where they will encounter this assumption in science classes and books.

Though First Son (and presumably my other children in later years) will read this along with a text in geology, there is quite a bit of geology in the text so it could serve as a geology component of a survey of earth sciences, especially for students who do not intend to focus on scientific studies after high school.

I received nothing in exchange for this blog post. All opinions are my own. Amazon links above are affiliate links.

A Biography of Isaac Newton: The Scientist Who Changed Everything

Isaac Newton: The Scientist Who Changed Everything

by Philip Steele

This biography of Isaac Newton is recommended by RC History for Connecting with History volume 3 at the logic level (7th-9th grades). It was not my intention to buy it. I thought our library would certainly have a biography on Isaac Newton I could substitute without spending any money. So I checked out and read every juvenile biography of Newton...and they were all unacceptable.

So I bought this inexpensive biography and it far surpassed all of the library options. It's brief, only about 60 pages, but is in full color and has supplementary information and a timeline in addition to the text. It's divided into four sections: Young Isaac, Fired by Genius, Secrets of the Universe, and Man of the World.

Many biographies of Newton present what seems to me an unbalanced look at Newton's religious beliefs. This book remains mostly quiet on such matters. It does explain that he did not believe in the trinitarian nature of God, which is known from his unpublished works, but the book doesn't claim he no longer believed in God at all or that he rebelled completely from a life of faith.

I asked my sixth grader to read this. She's an overachiever, but I think most fifth and sixth graders could follow this text without too much trouble. She even wrote an excellent narration on Newton at the end of the book.

I received nothing in exchange for this review and all opinions are my own. I purchased this book new. Links above to RC History are affiliate links. The book is also available at Amazon (affiliate link).

July and August 2018 Book Reports

The Power of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise by Robert Cardinal Sarah with Nicolas Diat - link to my post. (library copy)

In the Steps of the Master by H. V. Morton - link to my post. (purchased used)

Calde of the Long Sun by Gene Wolfe - I'm reading this series again and enjoying it more the second time around I think. Sometime in the past few years, the library copy of the last book was damaged or lost so here's hoping they buy another one for me. (library copy)

Echoes by John Ciardi - I picked this book out of the library catalog when I was searching for poetry books for the children. (How to Tell the Top of the Hill is delightful.) This book is beautifully printed on lovely paper. Many of the poems seemed melancholy or dispirited to me, but a few near the end of the book appealed to me. I liked Ten Minutes my Captive in which he describes a turtle he allows to escape "into the green flecked edge of water and home." (library copy)

Joan of Arc by Hilaire Belloc - link to my post. (purchased Kindle version)

Ember Rising by S.D. Smith - We started listening to this audiobook with Kansas Dad, but he asked us to finish it without him because he found it upsetting that the main characters seemed to suffer worse and worse fates as the book progressed. I'm going to have to go against the current on this series and admit I often find the writing almost painful. There's far too much alliteration and minute descriptions; I'm always thinking there should have been more editing. The story is reasonably good, though, and the children enjoy it. I bought it thinking it would be the last of the trilogy, but it's not. I suppose I'll buy the rest of the books for the children to read but I think I'll pass on the audiobook. (Audiobook received from our contribution to the funding page.)

Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe by Robert Matzen - This incredibly researched book tells Jimmy Stewart's wartime story based on extensive interviews and governmental reports. It gives detailed accounts and descriptions of life for bombers living in England and flying missions over Europe. Stewart's life in Hollywood (with all his exploits) is described just as openly as the often graphic scenes of carnage and struggle in war, so this is a book for mature readers, but it could be a fascinating read for anyone interested in World War II. (borrowed from my dad)

The Blood-Red Crescent by Henry Garnett - link to my post. (purchased used on Cathswap)

Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw - One of the historical fiction books recommended by RC History for Connecting with History volume 1, this is an exciting story of an inadvertent double spy in the time of Queen Hatshepsut. There's a Novel Inquiries guide for the novel which I own, but I haven't decided if we'll use it. First Daughter (sixth grade) is going to read this for independent reading and I might not ask her to do anything in particular other than reading it. It's a good choice for a middle schooler or older student as there is some violence and romance. It's exciting and I enjoyed the story, but I was a little upset at some of the scenes where she flirts with a guard (to get him to let her out of the gate) or her love interest because they reaffirm stereotypes, but First Daughter hears me talk about those things enough for me not to be concerned about her reading them here and there. (purchased used)

Baptism of Fire by Andrezej Sapkowski - This is the third book in the Witcher series. After I read the second book, I wrote that I wouldn't recommend them due to the use of the rape myth in the plot line. Of course, I kept reading them myself and discovered this book has a surprising pro-life message. Entertaining fantasy and moral questions for a mature audience. (library copy)

Crosstalk by Connie Willis - This is a light-hearted science fiction book set in the near future when the instant messaging and texting creates a constant bombardment. I read this book in the twenty-four hours before and during my daughter's surgery. It was nothing major, just pins in a broken finger, but I was worried and this book was the perfect companion as I tried to relax and waited for the results. (library copy)

The Burgess Seashore Book for Children by Thornton W. Burgess - link to my post. (purchased used)

Much Ado about Nothing by Shakespeare - First Son is reading this as his first Shakespeare play of high school so I read it to help myself be prepared. I read the No Fear Shakespeare version (linked) and the one he will read. It helps a lot to have the modern translation and some editorial helps to understand the references. It doesn't include any essays on the meaning, but I found a Cliff's Notes with a bit of information for him to read after he reads the play. (I just requested whatever was available on PaperBackSwap.com.) Reading even those short notes gave me some added dimensions for understanding the play, the characters, and the themes. I am absurdly excited to be reading Shakespeare with First Son and First Daughter this year. (They'll be reading different plays.) I've scheduled three plays for each of them this year, but even if we only make it through two of them, I'll be thrilled. Realizing I didn't encounter Shakespeare at all in college, I've decided this must be a priority for us in middle school and high school. It might be their only experience with the Bard. (purchased book for the play, requested book for the supplementary reading from
PaperBackSwap.com)

The Sea Around Us by Rachel Carson - link to my post. (purchased used)

Usually here I list all the books I'm reading, but that would take too long because I'm reading everything First Son is reading for high school. Yikes! It's a lot.

Excellent Little Biography of a Great Saint: Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc

by Hilaire Belloc

This book is a recommended biography of Joan of Arc for the logic level (roughly grades 7-9) in volume 3 of Connecting with History. Because First Daughter has already read the biography for the grammar level, I thought I'd see if this would be a good fit. (I considered Mark Twain's Joan of Arc, and I think she could read it, but it would have to be an independent read as it's much longer than the Belloc one.)

This biography is relatively short and succinct, but excellently written.

As she stood, a dazzling light shone by her at her right hand, supplanting the day, and she was overcome with terror; till, from the midst of the glory, came a voice which spoke of the faith and its observance, and at last gave order that she should seek the uncrowned King of France, dispossessed by his foes, and rescue him and crown him at Rheims. At the third summons she saw St. Michael in his splendor and about him the soldiery of Heaven.

There are a few parts that made me laugh. Here, she's being questioned by theologians and clergy before the dauphin entrusts his soldiers to her:

The learned Aymeiri put her the question always put to those who assert divine aid: saying that if it were God's will to deliver the realm, He could do so without men-at-arms. Whom she answered that, if they would give her a few knights, they would work out God's will well enough.

Her end, of course, is clear from early on in the book. It's no secret she will be burned on the cross.

In those days--and now from the crowning nearly a month had gone by--as she was riding between the Bastard of Orleans and Regnault the Archbishop, she said in her joy at the people's cheering for the King: "Here are good folk, and here would I lie buried in this earth of theirs, when I die." But never was she to lie at peace in Christian earth beside the blessed dead, but more brightly, through the fire, to strike to Paradise.

There is a high-ranking soldier called the Bastard; it's not meant in a condemnatory way and is merely his title or nickname or something. If you have a child who might repeat it, you'll want to explain it's not a word we throw around casually.

This is a nice little biography of St. Joan of Arc that First Daughter will read this year in sixth grade. It's a good option for those looking who have already read the Vision biography and might not have the time or inclination for Mark Twain's much longer book.

I read a Kindle version of this book (linked below in the italics) which was a good copy overall. There were a few mistakes in the text ("main" instead of "maid") but only a handful. The table of contents was linked and the formatting was decent.

I received nothing for writing this review. The links above are affiliate links to RC History, the home of Connecting with History. I purchased a Kindle version of this book (affiliate link to Amazon). 

Legacy of Nonviolence: Mahatma Gandhi (Level 4 Twentieth Century History)

World Peacemakers: Mahatma Gandhi

by Michael Nicholson

I wrote last August about our plans for the last unit of twentieth century history on Asia, drawing from the Mater Amabilis™ lesson plans for History.

I chose this biography of Gandhi for our study of India from our library's selections. I have not read any other biographies. I simply checked out every book from our library catalog that looked like it might work and then skimmed parts of them looking for something that could be read in two or three sessions over the course of a week by an eighth grader. This one seemed about right.

I only read the biography as I prepared for this week's lessons, but I found it to be insightful and well-written.

Gandhi was born into a land of contrasts: of desert plains, vast rivers, dense jungles, and the highest mountains on Earth. The climate of India is hot in the plains and cool in the highlands, but the vastness of the country creates great variety. India's peoples were separated from each other not only by the sheer difficulty of travel from one region to another, but also by different habits, religions, and more than three hundred languages.

It covers the time Gandhi spent as a student in England and as a lawyer in South Africa in addition to his devotion to his home country of India. It is illustrated with photographs from Gandhi's lifetime and stills from the movie Gandhi. Many of the pages also contain quotes in the margins of those who knew and encountered Gandhi during his lifetime.

Mohandas Gandhi was the light of reason and the voice of love, tolerance, and peace in a century of violence. The little man in the loincloth left behind far more than his modest possessions. He left a legacy of nonviolent protest that has influenced thousands since his death.

We see in the daily news continuous evidence of conflict between those of different faiths and unrelenting poverty remaining in many places in the world. We see leaders who do not live out their faith or philosophy, who seek their own gain without regard for the powerless. Gandhi is a courageous example of a man who lived exactly as he preached, who devoted his entire life to the service of his people. He is the kind of man I want to put before my children and therefore, this brief glimpse of India is an excellent part of our twentieth century history study.

I opted to combine the readings into two days rather than three because we will need to finish school a week or two earlier than planned to accommodate unanticipated June activities. Even so, I think it might be interesting to combine the readings this way to allow a third lesson that looks at India and Pakistan since independence. I have a few years to find something before my daughter is in Level 4.

Updated plans (original plans here):

Lesson 1
Kingfisher History Encyclopedia p 366-367 and p 421
Mahatma Gandhi pp 5-29. Narrate.

Lesson 2
Mahatma Gandhi pp 30-60.
MapTrek Modern World Map 37: Independent for India
Read an eyewitness account of the assassination of Gandhi in1948 at Eyewitness to History
Listen to Jawaharlal Nehru’s extempore broadcast on All India Radio announcing the news of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination on January 30, 1948 and read the text of the speech he gave three days later, found in your Google Doc.
Notebook – Write a brief biography of Gandhi.
Add an event to your Book of Centuries.

Lesson 3 (omitted this year)
-something on India and Pakistan in the years since independence

Our library has the movie, Gandhi, which we may try to watch. It's hard to fit in videos that I don't want the little ones to see since they don't actually sleep before First Son is in bed and I'm not sure I want to juggle our lives around trying to fit this video in, though I imagine it would be a powerful complement to the biography.

I checked this book out of the library. Links to Amazon are affiliate links. The opinions in this post are my own.

Nature Study as a Life: The Girl Who Drew Butterflies

The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science

by Joyce Sidman

I happened upon this book in a library search while searching for something else. Maria Sibylla Merian is not entirely unknown to me as we've read Summer Birds: The Butterflies of Maria Merian. This book, though, is a much more developed biography which incorporates aspects of the culture, industry, and geography of the European world during her lifetime in order to understand her better. It's a biography, but one so bursting with other kinds of information it could fit just about anywhere in a homeschool curriculum (science, nature study, art, poetry, photography, history, and geography, to name a few subjects).

The story of Maria Merian's life is told in twelve chapters, each named after a phase in a caterpillar and butterfly's life cycle, beginning and ending with Egg. They parallel the periods of growth and change experienced by Merian. Throughout the book are maps, photographs, reproductions of engravings and paintings (many by Merian) and quotes from Merian's writings. While it's possible her art was not entirely responsible for changes occurring in scientific studies at the time, Merian's life was remarkable. At a time and in a culture where women were excluded from professional lives by law, she persevered in artistic and business pursuits.

Her personal life was not ideal. She leaves her husband, eventually seeking sanctuary from him in a religious community until he abandons his attempt to convince her to return home with him. He then divorces her and leaves her to financially support their daughters. Undaunted, she not only succeeds in supporting them, but travels to South America to study insects and create a stunning book of her observations.

But her extraordinary skills set her apart. She had the curiosity of a true scientist, the patience it took to raise insects, and the superb artistic skill necessary to share her observations. In short, she was quietly engaged in some of the finest insect work of her time.

This lovely book is going on our read-aloud schedule for next year, when Second Son will be in second grade, the year I order caterpillars we can watch turn into butterflies. I think much of it will go over his head (he'll be eight) but he'll understand enough, and the others will learn a great deal. I hope, too, they feel a little more inspired when we're on our nature walks and pulling out the nature journals.

There is another book on Merian, published just a week earlier. Our library doesn't have a copy and it has fewer pages (according to Amazon), but it might also be interesting: Maria Sibylla Merian: Artist, Scientist, Adventurer.

I checked this book out from the library to read it and received nothing for this review, but the links above are affiliate links to Amazon.