March 2024 Book Reports

The Art of Conflict Management: Achieving Solutions for Life, Work, and Beyond by Michael Dues (Great Courses audio lecture series) - When First Daughter and I met for lunch with a local lawyer to learn about law school and law careers, the lawyer recommended learning conflict management skills. I found this series of recorded lectures from the Great Books program to add to her civics course. The 24 lectures cover a wide range of strategies for understanding conflict and communicating within relationships (or as a mediator) to find win-win solutions. I personally found it helpful in my own relationships and thought it was a great addition to the civics course. (purchased audiobook)

A Severe Mercy: A Story of Faith, Tragedy, and Triumph by Sheldon Vanauken - I read this with my book club. It was my second time reading the book, and I still didn't like it. Vanauken writes of the tragic loss of his young wife to illness after their conversion to Christianity, a conversion he didn't experience fully until after her death. More than anything, I think their love was flawed from the beginning when they decided children would come between them, so they wouldn't have any (though I acknowledge that decision might have changed after they became Christians if Davy hadn't already been suffering from her long illness). I guess it seems like the book is inward focused rather than other-focused, which is odd for me for such a *Christian* book. My favorite part is the afterward in which the author reveals Davy gave a baby up for adoption before their marriage. It completely changed my perspective on Davy and made me wish to understand her better from her own point of view, rather than her husband's. Overall, I think there are better books exploring the meaning of our faith in the face of suffering. (purchased copy) 

Two in the Far North by Margaret E. Murie - Murie was the first female graduate of the University of Alaska in 1924. She married a biologist, Olaus Murie, and together they worked and traveled in the wilds of Alaska. In later years, they traveled all over the world. In this book, she writes lovingly of their adventures in Alaska and the wilderness. Sometimes she and her husband traveled and worked alone; other times with colleagues and even their children. I am not an adventurous woman, but I love to read these kinds of adventures. Murie's describes the natural world with joy and a great thankfulness to be a part of it, even when they struggled. This is a classic of the conservation movement. (an older edition from PaperBackSwap.com)

What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez - This historical fantasy romance was recommended in a local book group I follow just when I was looking for a light read for between book club books, so I requested it from the library. A young woman travels to Egypt after hearing of her parents' tragic deaths and ends up attacked by those who seek to pillage Egypt of its ancient treasures. Honestly, I found the writing painful, the plot convoluted, and the characters uneven. I suffered through the book to give myself closure, only to be disappointed because the author is planning a sequel (or a series). (library book)

Transforming Your Life through the Eucharist by John A. Kane - I have recommended this a number of times since I first read it. I didn't find it quite as striking the second time through, but it's still a good solid book on the Eucharist. (purchased copy)

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September 2023 Book Reports

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, written by Himself - This classic of American history is now one of our assigned books in American history. (You could also include it in civics readings.) I assign it in Level 5 Year 2 (tenth grade) in addition to the Mater Amabilis readings. (purchased used)

The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm: Tales from Alagaesia by Christopher Paolini - I'm a new Inheritance Cycle fan and had to check this book out from the library. The stories are fun little dips back into Eragon's world. (library copy)

David Copperfield by Charles Dickens - I love Dickens! David Copperfield is an orphan who seeks his own fortune, sometimes making mistakes, but always meeting interesting people, some of which turn out to better or worse friends than you might first suspect. This book is assigned in the Mater Amabilis lesson plans in Level 6 Year 1 (eleventh grade). My daughter and I both got so invested in the story we couldn't limit ourselves to the assigned readings. (purchased used) (The inked copy is not the one I own, but is probably a safe edition. Be cautious in your edition; many of the reprints are poor quality.)

Seek that Which is Above by Pope Benedict XVI - This is one of the recommended spiritual reading books for Mater Amabilis in Level 6 Year 1 (eleventh grade). It's the shortest of the recommended books and a good option for a student that wants to complete the readings at adoration. (purchased used)

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The Story of American Government: The Birth of the Republic

The Birth of the Republic, 1763-89

by Edmund S. Morgan

First Son is studying American Government this year, working roughly from the new Mater Amabilis™ high school American Civics and Economics. He had already done some reading based on the previous beta plans so I was mixing and matching a bit. I have been thrilled with all the primary sources selected and scheduled in the MA plans, but I found I was having trouble putting them all in context, so I have been looking for a more narrative text telling the story of American government. 

This book was mentioned in one of the linked articles early in the course. Our library had a copy. Once I'd read enough to know I liked it, I requested a copy from PaperBackSwap.com. (My copy is the third edition; I read online the only difference in the fourth edition is the new introduction.)

It's a thorough but readable account of the events, debates, speeches, and essays leading to the development of the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. It describes prominent people in both Britain and America, allowing their voices to speak out more clearly in the primary sources we were reading. The author is not afraid to share his personal opinions, but he does a decent job of revealing conflicts and blind spots of the founding fathers while still respecting and admiring the dedication they had to the founding of a new country and the substantial contributions they made to our country.

First Son will not reap the benefits of this book. He's doing the readings and narrating them adequately, if not necessarily understanding as well as he might. He's not particularly interested in government, and I don't want to add to his current load. My younger three kids will definitely read this book. First Daughter will love it!

I am hoping to pair this with an additional supporting text just on the Federalist papers. I believe First Daughter will start this course her sophomore year, so I have a year in between to solidify in my mind what I'd like to create. I really just want to add this to what is in the MA plans, but I am cognizant of the need to balance civics and government with all the other things, so there might be some adjustments on other readings to make room for it.

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