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I am not good at understanding war battles. However, I picked this book with the thought of learning more about the Yankees and their fight in the Civil War that divided a nation. Along the way, I found myself deeply involved with picturing the firing of guns at Fort Sumter. I always find it interesting that one state, South Carolina, decided to secede from the Union.  In "Friends Of The WigWam,"  the author, John William Huelskamp, writes Historical Fiction so descriptively. There is the wonderful dialogue between young people. There are Civil War letters and the fictional voice of Stephen Douglas and Abraham Lincoln and Grant. There are photographs, paintings and other historical helps. There is no table of contents which felt strange. Not surprisingly, there is the ugliness of war; bloodshed, the death of young men . I will end with one of the most important characters to me along with Abraham Lincoln. friendsofthewigwam.com/ Ely P

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The Perfect Horse by Elizabeth Letts is about a beautiful horses and an ugly time. It's a time when men like German, Gustav Rau, and others of the Third Reich see the value only in the pure breed of a horse and the purity of the German, Aryan blood. There are kind hearted men like Alois Podhajsky, a veternarian, who sees in a broken horse its ability to thrive and become again valuable. Alois Podhajsky also healed many horses during this horrid time of war and hate. This is Germany, Poland and other Axis Powers during The Thirties and in to World War II. A special horse is Neapolitano Africa, Alois Podhajsky's horse which might have been left unloved and as an outcast without the vet. At first, I thought the nonfiction story disjointed. Then, I began to see the need to fix my eyes on her goal as an author. I chose to look at the theme as one about the Jewish people parallel to the Equestrian History of the Horse. It was then that I could see the richness of the Jewish cultu

  When I don't understand a novel, it's best to take a deep breath, slow down and relax. Because the first impressions can change for better or worse. I decided not to like a novel after reading a few chapters. The language seemed strange. However, something made me keep on reading and not stop. This morning I picked up the book again. A light began to glow. I could relate to a character. The setting seemed very personal and one I would pick for a house. I stopped. There was no need to start from the beginning again. I remembered it. I only needed to follow up on two key words, Dystopian and Survivalist. I've read these types of novels but not in a long while. The last one I can think of is The Road by Cormac McCarthy. I still like to think of the father and the son, their difficulties and the love shared between the two. The novel I'm writing about this morning is about the melting of ice, etc.   It's titled Sunlight Pilgrims by Jenni Fagan. I have an ARC fr

 The beginning of The 100-Year Life by Gratton & Scot t really caught my interest. I felt happy to see the personal story examples of Jane and Jack. I didn't want Jack's story to end. His reality seemed like mine. One where you work all your life, and die soon after retirement. I asked myself, 'where are the golden years?' I thought the future cities interesting also. The book shows clearly that life is going to become revolutionized, all new for the next generation.  I did have a hard time understanding all the statistics. Numbers frighten me. No interest there, but a new interest in exploring the new world of the future where education will increase. Future students will have more universities to choose from in "smart cities." This idea of smart cities seems to contradictory. Is this a reference to more people versus machines and robots working the job market? Perhaps, I fear the word robotics. After reading a couple more case studies, I am lef

In so many ways people are more alike than different. As I read There Was A Man, There Was A Woman by Sandra Cisneros, I thought of the many times missed by not pausing and looking at the gift of nature. There have been a few times nature has gave me a hard nudge. I was forced to look down or look up, as in this instance, at the moon. When I have looked up at the moon, it has always astonished me. Thinking back to the time when men walked on the moon's surface is still incredible. When I was young and heard the older people talking about their fears or their feelings of 'thou shalt not touch or go there,' there was a feeling of why not skip and play and forget about that old moon. When the astronauts brought back moon dust, I began to dream about that distant place in space.  Now, just seeing the word moon written in a book can curl my toes. If walking or riding in a car, there is excitement like seeing a newborn for the very first time. In this short story, two people

Beginning in Sunday school I heard the Bible story about David and Goliath. All Sunday school teachers and preachers taught that God would help me, little David, to fight my giants. All I needed was a sling and a stone. Lina Abujamra repeats the significance and wonder of this Old Testament story and ends with one of her ten resolutions. However, what really caught my attention was her chapter about love. Because of current events there have been many conversations, speeches and church forums about love and its power to rid the world of hate. As the song goes, "all we need is love." Some youths have dared to say it will take more than a song about love. My goodness, such blasphemous talk against God's very own character. In Resolved by Lina Abujamra, there is given place to the thought that showing love, becoming love, giving love is not easy. As the author writes, it is not "easy peasy lemon squeezy." The statement shook me up. If it is not easy to lov