THE DOVEKEEPERS by Alice Hoffman

Alice Hoffman, The Dovekeepers (Scribner,   2011).

Also available in Nook, Kindle, and Apple iStore

(HISTORICAL FICTION)

Reviewed by Lisa Proehl

Alice Hoffman has written more than 20 novels, and several short story collections. The Dovekeepers is her first historical fiction, and in my opinion, her best novel to date. The lives of four amazing, bold, and resourceful women intersect in ancient Israel at Masada, the last stronghold of the Jewish people as they are being threatened by the Roman army. As the threat deepens, the women's lives continue to become more and more intertwined, and their friendships more and more important. According to the ancient historian, Josephus, two women and five children survived. Hoffman bases her novel on that assumption.

The Dovekeepers is a deeply moving story of love and betrayal, magic and faith. As I was reading, I didn’t want it to end, and it has continued to stay with me since I finished. I highly recommend this haunting and beautiful story.

OUT OF MY MIND by Sharon Draper

Sharon Draper, Out of My Mind (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2012).

Also on Kindle and Nook.

(NON-FICTION FOR YOUTH)
 

Reviewed by Emma Proehl, age 9

Out of My Mind is about a girl named Melody, who is not able to walk or talk, because she was born with a disability. She is very smart, but no one knows it until she learns to communicate in a brand new way. In Melody’s school, there are two mean girls named Claire and Molly, who go to the general education classes. Melody goes to a special class for kids who have disabilities. She is very smart and has a photographic memory. The girls are mean to Melody by calling her names and trying to get her in trouble on purpose. Later in the book they learn about having empathy and respecting people who are different. That is a good lesson for the readers to learn. 

I recommend this book because Melody has some interesting adventures and the reader learns a lot about people with disabilities. I also learned a lot about friendship. There is a lot more…but you have to read it for yourself!

THE PRESIDENTS CLUB: INSIDE THE WORLD’S MOST EXCLUSIVE FRATERNITY by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy

Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy, The Presidents Club – Inside the World’s Most Exclusive Fraternity (Simon and Schuster: New York, 2012) 641 Pages.

Also available for Kindle and Nook and on CD.

(NON-FICTION)

Reviewed by Sue Dayton.

The Presidents Club is a book about the fraternity of former presidents of the United States and their relationships with the sitting president. It begins with Harry Truman’s presidency and his relationship with Herbert Hoover and continues up until the presidency of Barack Obama. The format of the book is that each chapter looks at a particular president and former president i.e., Johnson and Eisenhower, Reagan and Nixon, Bush and Clinton. An idea is presented that former presidents are bound together by their experience in the Oval office. The book relates many examples of former presidents as confidants and mentors to the current president, in many cases crossing party lines. Also, there are times when former presidents have stepped up to serve, such as Hoover after WW 2, and, more recently, Bush and Clinton in Haiti. For me, this book served as a great review of the presidency from the 1940’s until the present time.

Chuck and I were fortunate to attend the Chautauqua Institution in western New York this past summer. The topic for the week was titled “The Presidents Club”. Two of the speakers for the week were the authors of this book, Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy who are both editors at Time Magazine. They spoke three times during the week: once on the content of the book, once on the writing of the book, and once about the current presidential campaign. We found them both to be well informed, engaging and articulate.

I recommend this book for those with an interest in American history, particularly the presidency.