Much reading occurred this month. Must have been that week spent on Maui and the 14+ hours spent in an airport and airplanes!
Mental illness. Shame. Stigma. The 1930's. What do they all have in common? The "hidden" people. Most mentally ill people were hidden away in asylums during the Depression, never to be visited or spoken about. Steve's family discovered, upon her death, that his mother was not an only child as she had led them all to believe. Who was Steve's aunt? and how was she hidden for 70+ years?
I skimmed much of this book as a lot was deep history, but the topic was fascinating.
The WWII years were not good for Japanese Americans. Many Seattle residents wanted the Japanese gone from their city, even the Chinese residents. Imagine being a young Chinese boy who's only friend is a Japanese girl--forbidden by his important, distant father. Through the war years and into current day, follow Henry and Keiko as they brave war, friendship, love, and parenting.
I loved this book and definitely recommend it.
Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman)
Ree's ultimate city-meets-country love story. This was a quick, light-hearted read that highlight's The Pioneer Woman's personality and gives us a glimpse into who Marlboro Man really is.
If you read PioneerWoman.com, I recommend the book. If you don't know who Ree is, I'd say skip it.
Is it possible to really, fully know someone? Can one lead the perfect double life? Kathryn Lyon is about to find out. Jack Lyon is an airline pilot who's plane explodes over the ocean. Pilot error? Terrorism? Suicide? Kathryn sets out on a journey to clear the air surrounding her husband's death and discovers so much more.
An Oprah book club selection that I whole-heartedly recommend. Great book!
Infertility can be crippling as Paul & Shannon have found out. Blessed with twin girls through IVF, they decide to expand their family one more time using the frozen embryos leftover from their first round of IVF. When Shannon sets up her appointment, the Morell's are told that their embryos have been implanted in another woman. How could that happen? Is she pregnant? Will she keep the pregnancy? Are they really our embryos? What legal steps will we have to take? An incredible story that is almost hard to believe in this HIPAA-related, patient safety, technological age. Highly recommended.
Immigrant labor: America has a lot of it, but why? Is it because the labor is cheap, readily available, willing? Does it depend on the job? Thompson sets out to answer these questions by cutting lettuce, deboning chickens, and delivering flowers and food. Meeting many immigrant workers, legal and not, along the way, many of these questions get answered.
I learned a TON and while not a particularly enjoyable book, I think it was eye-opening and definitely worth the time.
