The Lovely Bones

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm ten years late to the party, but I finally read The Lovely Bones. Even though I'm behind on this one, I did know the basic premise & wasn't surprised by the beyond-the-grave narration. It was still a different take on a murder mystery - knowing the killer from the get go, but now if or how he's apprehended.

First thoughts: This book goes 0-100 real quick.

Sex thoughts (spoilers): Okay, I was doing real well on suspending disbelief the whole way through, for the sake of a unique style. But the body switch sex scene? Yeah, that felt way out of place. A stretch - if that had been the original premise of the book, maybe...but that's not something you throw in last minute like that. And I couldn't help but feel awful for Ruth in that scenario.

Recommended for: I think almost everyone has already read this book.

Final thoughts: All-in-all, a sad/sweet book. Some strange scenes.


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Why I March

Because women's rights are human rights. We deserve equal pay for equal work, access to affordable health care, and safety from abuse, harassment, and discriminatory laws. This country was founded on liberty and justice for all, but our definition of "all" is still far too narrow and fails to include our most vulnerable citizens.

Because I refuse to normalize a presidency based in greed, misogyny, hatred, and lies. In case anyone forgot, Trump ridiculed a disabled reporter. He won't release his tax returns. He called Mexican immigrants rapists. He spends more time tweeting insults and being offended by everything than he does getting intelligence briefings. He has harassed nearly every woman he comes in contact with. These are only a few of his growing list of scandals.

Because I shouldn't have to explain that my Muslim/Latino/LGBTQ/disabled/Black/female students have worth by virtue of their humanity.

Because I can't remain silent when I have a voice, and when so many others still don't. I marched for the women who don't think they need to march, because they "feel" equal. (You're not. We're not.) I marched for the women too afraid to march - those who were born scared, who didn't have the privilege of becoming scared in 2016.

Because we are stronger together. A peaceful protest is democracy in progress; we must exercise our rights or watch them be taken away.

For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood...and the Rest of Y'all Too

For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood... and the Rest of Y'all Too: Reality Pedagogy and Urban Education by Christopher Emdin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The title pretty much sums this one up: a book about "teaching and learning in urban schools" by a man who was once a student in those schools, and is now an educator.

First thoughts: Emdin has practical advice for teachers, but also writes from a theoretical perspective on the larger picture of white/privileged teachers in urban classrooms. He calls it Reality Pedagogy, or "an approach to teaching and learning with the primary goal of meeting students on their cultural and emotional turf." (p27)

How does it work?: Using this technique, teachers deliver the content, but the students shape how the content is taught. That means no more cookie-cutter lessons delivered in the same style classroom to classroom, from year to year. For example, if I first taught at my alma mater and expected the same lesson plans to fly in my current school, I'd be very disappointed.

The Seven Cs: The strategies Emdin provides for transforming education range from simple things like the way the classroom is arranged and treated by both teacher and students to more complex techniques "Cogenerative Dialogues" where student ambassadors generate plans of action for improving the classroom culture. Each could be used in sequence or in addition to strategies already in place, and could be useful in any classroom, in any zip code.

Favorite quotes:

"Once educators realize that they are biased against forms of brilliance other than their own, they can finally begin to truly teach." -p42 (How true this is...so many teachers forget about all the different types of intelligence our students possess.)

"The kind of teacher you will become is directly related to the kind of teachers you associate with. Teaching is a profession where misery does more than just love company - it recruits, seduces, and romances it. Avoid people who are unhappy and disgruntled about the possibilities for transforming education. They are the enemy of the spirit of the teacher." -p208 (I may have decided traditional classroom teaching isn't my calling, but I've been very lucky to work with some of the best teachers and coaches during my fellowship. If I had decided teaching was for me, I'd be in great company.)

Recommended for: ALL educators - fresh out of school, tenured, suburban, CPS, elementary, middle, secondary...if you work with a group of students, please read this book at least for a better understanding of the variety of students and learning environments that exist.

Final thoughts: I think I could read books on education for a very long time and still have more to learn (and more to want to learn), which is saying something about myself (I should work in education, but not in a classroom) and/or about the state of education in this country (it's got some issues).



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Friday (Day) Links 38

We're going to get through the next four years together or not at all:

For anyone who wants to do something (anything) to help our planet, county, or your neighborhood, from the very simple (give up paper towels!) to the more complex (volunteering with refugee rescue organizations): actions.

For anyone who needs some information (then check out #5 for the action): Post-Election Sanity Guide.

For all my readers: fight hate with books.

For anyone who needs a plan: 8 steps to surviving the next four years.

Whatever you are doing today and the next and the next, do it with love for your fellow human. Be kind to others. If you can't be kind, be quiet.

Hidden Figures

2017 is going to be the year I get better about voting with my time/dollar, specifically in arts and  entertainment. I started strong in the book department with several books by women writers and I'm excited to carry that momentum into movies. Jesus and I watched Hidden Figures last weekend, and we have no  complaints. The acting was brilliant, the music (by Pharrell) was fun, and the story is an important one to tell.

Set in 1960s Virginia and based off a book by the same title, Hidden Figures follows the real life stories of three black women (Taraji P. Henson as Katherine Goble Johnson, Janelle Monae as Mary Jackson, and Octavia Spencer as Dorothy Vaughan) hired as human computers for the NASA space program. While these women and their coworkers all hold advanced degrees, they're still segregated from the (white, male) engineers and their plans for advancement within NASA aren't taken seriously.

Several times one of the characters said something that could have been said in America in 2017 (I know, movies reflect their current culture - but it's always so powerful when they do). When a judge tells Mary that no black woman - or any person of color - has attended a specific school offering the classes she needs for an engineering certificate, she responds with: "I can't change the color of my skin so I have no choice but to be the first." When an engineer tells Katherine that there is no protocol for a woman attending a Pentagon briefing, she responds with: "There's no protocol for men circling the earth either, sir." When a supervisor tells Dorothy that she has nothing against her, she responds with: "I know you probably believe that." Time after time the women meet stubborn injustices and benign racism with common sense, honesty, and composure. We clapped for them several times, both for clever comebacks and for their math genius.

Because each woman has different strengths and goals, we get to see three very different yet frustratingly similar struggles: smart, capable, driven woman unable to progress because of years of ingrained prejudice and racist laws. We also get to see what progress has been made in civil rights, although those advances highlight how far we still have to go. I hope everyone gets the chance to see this movie, especially young students who need to see more examples of American Heroes of all genders and races. 

MLK 2017

How bizarre is it that today we celebrate a man who spent his life working for political, civil, and economic justice and on Friday a man who has shown zero consideration for any of those will be inaugurated president? Barf.

In the name of spreading knowledge & love & empowerment, let's remember that Dr. King was not passive in his beliefs. Often we (white people specifically) want to remember him as only a peaceful protester and law-abiding citizen, when in reality he found himself at odds with the police more than we like to admit. He went to jail 29 times and many of his actions were, at the time, considered illegal. (Some of those actions, like protesting and civil disobedience, are still criminalized today in a way that targets and effects minorities disproportionately.)

King didn't fear the obvious racists, those who were clear in where they stood with him. The real dangers were with the "white moderate, who is more devoted to 'order' than to justice." In the next four years (hell, in the next four days) we have some choices to make - let's not grow complacent just because things lack "tension," or give lip service to the struggles of minorities in this country without backing it up with "direct action." The future is waiting to see how we act. Let's not disappoint it.

*MLK quote here*
*MLK's full "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" here*

Like Water for Chocolate

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Park cookbook, part magical realism, part dramatic love story.

First thoughts: This was an easy and fast read. I enjoyed the story itself and most of the folktale aspects. (In general I do like magic and magical realism, but I still need it to "make sense" or have purpose.)

The food: I don't think I'll be making any of the recipes listed any time soon. They're all pretty labor intensive or meant for large crowds. Still, I did like reading the recipe descriptions and imagining the work put into elaborate meals.

The love story: I wasn't convinced by Pedro & Tita's love. There wasn't enough backstory or description of what exactly they found attractive in each other besides "love at first sight" - I wanted to know what they have in common, what they talk about, what they fight about, and what their love was really based on.

Recommended for: anyone with an interest in book translations or the magical realism of Mexico. Not anyone looking for a book about the intricacies of relationships.

Final thoughts: I guess in the end, my issue isn't with the magical realism, it's with the love story.

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Thanks Obama

I sure did tear up while watching all of these:

When Biden realizes what's happening...


 This is his full speech, but when Obama talks about Biden, Michelle, his daughters...


When he starts to sing "Amazing Grace"...


My Obama moment: Barack Obama is the first and only president I've voted for, and I'm feeling lots of feelings about the end of his presidency. I'm going to miss having such a class act in the White House.  #thanksobama

High/Low: Food Documentaries

Jesus and I watched two food documentaries this weekend. In one, a solitary man and his small team of apprentices serve single pieces of sushi to an intimate group in their small Japanese restaurant. In the other, hundreds of Chinese restaurants dotting highways across America serve their take on a dish we've all heard of (or eaten): General Tso's chicken. The juxtaposition between the delicate art of sushi-making and the widespread popularity of General Tso's was fascinating to me, a person who appreciates the combination of high and low culture (pairing designer tops with thrift store jeans, or eating Kraft mac & cheese on fine china).

Jiro Dreams of Sushi
I've heard of this documentary, but finally found the time to watch (and not judge it too harshly). There's a fine balance between honoring and respecting your craft and living so deeply in your bubble that you aren't quite in touch with reality. I believe that Jiro's sushi is some of (or the) best in the world, and I think the way he approaches his business is laudable, but I'd be lying if I said I don't like sushi from convenience stores. What I found most interesting was the family dynamics at play in Jiro's restaurant - of his two sons, the younger (Takashi) choose to branch off on his own, leaving the older (Yoshikazu) to apprentice and inherit their father's business, as is tradition. This means Yoshikazu is still waiting for his chance since Jiro (at 91) is still doing his thing, while Takashi already has his own Michelin-starred restaurant.


The Search for General Tso
Who knew all the things we don't know about General Tso? I always assumed he was fictional, like KFC's Colonel, or an exaggerated story, like the Earl of Sandwich. And the dish itself? Well, I usually get fried rice or lo mein. The movie gives us some backstory on General Tso himself, and if he had anything to do with the creation of his dish (he didn't), then we hear more about the dish's many variations. The bigger point of the movie was to delve into the familiarity Americans have with Chinese restaurants - everywhere you go, there they are - and I could relate to knowing the comfort of an "all-American" dish like General Tso's.

Blindness

Blindness by José Saramago
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When people in a city all start to experience "white blindness," local authorities send them to an abandoned mental hospital until they can figure out the source of the epidemic. Inside the hospital, the blind lead the blind as strangers learn how to cope with their new reality alongside others who are affected.

First thoughts: I wasn't sure I'd get into this book - it starts slowly and the style takes some time to get used to (it helps knowing that the run-on sentences and lack of dialogue indicators is supposed to make you feel blind as well).

Next thoughts: Once I was into it, I was really into it. I wanted to discuss it with everyone, and especially with a blind person. I wanted to know if Saramago captured the feeling of blindness. While the situation of the book is different than what a blind person would/does experience in reality, I was interested to hear the take of a blind person. That being said, Blindness is about more than "being blind" - it's about our visual society and how blind we can become to the things around us when we don't question what is happening. Taken this way, blindness is an epidemic. It's what happens when we re-tweet or share a story without fact-checking it first. It's what happens when we let ourselves get carried away by mob thought and forget that we have autonomy. It's happening in our country and around the world right now.

Favorite quote: "Fighting has always been, more or less, a form of blindness." -p133

Recommended for: I think many students (high school and college) would appreciate this book, but some may find they can access it better a few years out of school. Free thinkers, status-quo-questioners, and anyone wanting to expand their library to include translated books will find something to like here.

Final thoughts: I was left unsettled, which I think was the point. [Spoilers ahead!] We never learn why everyone goes blind (or why the doctor's wife doesn't), and we also don't learn why they regain their sight. Saramago's next book, Seeing is on my list, so maybe more is revealed then. Either way - this book was intense and apocalyptic, a thinker and one worthy of the struggle.


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First Friday

One day shy of our first full week of 2017, and this blog post sums up how I am feeling about this space specifically. (I don't generally question the point of my day job, something I'm grateful for & challenged by in other ways.) As The Romans Do is 7 years old, and has adapted in those years from online journal to scrapbook to something like a security blanket - comfortable and always there. But what is the point of it, really?

I think the answer, for me, is sanity. If my personal (offline) journal is my place for anything and everything, including the crazy (without judgement), then this space is for edited-but-authentic thoughts and entertainment. I can't save the world with my keyboard, but I can make it more tolerable for myself and anyone else who wants to join in.

We'll call this my intention for 2017 - writing that is kind, honest, and thoughtful.

12.31.16

It's now officially New Year's Eve night. I'm ready to say adios to 2016 (after a few choice beverages and several playings of DJ Earworm's recent mashups) and hola 2017 (which has potential to be a busy, challenging, rewarding, momentous year). Cheers!



Extra: a look back at past years: 12.31.15 & 12.31.14

The Antidote

The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking by Oliver Burkeman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The subtitle says it all: "Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking"...this is a self-help book that subverts the ooey gooey "if you can believe it, you can achieve it" messages.

First thoughts: Yes. This book is for me. I struggle with goals - setting them, sticking to them, believing in them. It's especially challenging as a person who loves committing to, well, challenges. I've done happiness challenges for several years, and while I learned a lot, I can't say I'm any more (or less) "happy" than I was without the challenges.

What about Happiness?: We crave happiness, but we aren't very good at achieving it - despite all of our trying with education, money, more stuff, self-help books, etc...we're still not quite happy. Some of us, yes, but not as a whole. What gives?

A quote: "There are good reasons to believe that the whole notion of 'seeking happiness' is flawed to begin with. For one thing, who says happiness is a valid goal in the first place?" -p6

Okay...so what are our options?: In the face of the paradox of happiness, we can continue to pursue futile solutions, give up, OR take the "negative path" to "happiness" - that is, we can "enjoy uncertainty, embrace insecurity, and value death." -p7-8

More about these Negative Paths:

Stoicism: tranquility through calm indifference of circumstances - examine negative emotions and experiences and decide to be tranquil.
Buddhism: non-attachment to positive and/or negative thoughts - don't cling to or avoid anything.
Insecurity: it's not something to confront - recognize that life is insecurity.
Failure: stretching past your current limit - it's a good thing.

"To fully embrace the experience of failure, not merely to tolerate it as a stepping stone to success, is to abandon this constant straining never to put a foot wrong. It is to relax." -p173

Goals: stop pushing things to 5yrs in the future - enjoy your work in the present.

"...goal-free living simply makes for happier humans." -p95

Goals, continued: The goal chapter was my favorite - I am constantly changing my "goals" and letting them adapt to where I am at the moment. I've learned to be flexible in the path I take to an objective and in changing the objective itself. It's much easier to take action based on who I am right now instead of "where I see myself in 5 years" - 5 years ago I did not see myself a) engaged, b) applying to grad school, c) finishing up a teaching fellowship...and yet here I am, happy as a clam that these things are all true.

Recommended for: everyone. Unless you've already figured all this out, and even then, still read this to affirm your decisions to fail big, pursue your curiosities, and live in composed insecurity.

Final thoughts in a quote: "You can have a broad sense of direction without a specific goal or a precise vision of the future. I think of it like jazz, like improvisation. It's all about meandering with purpose." -Steve Shapiro, p96

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Friday Night Links 37

Much like 2016, my "goals" for 2017 aren't what most people would deem "SMART" - they're not so much a culmination of specific tasks I can cross off while on my way to a grand conclusion as they are feelings I want to feel this coming year (mostly healthy and content). I've essentially given up on goals, because (in their most popular and oft-advertised form) they don't work how they should.

Here's the evidence, and different ways of thinking about accomplishments:

First, this article on "staying happy" when things are not going well. I'll have more to say about Burkeman's book tomorrow, but this article is a nice intro to the idea of positivity in the face of negative news: "Paradoxically, it’s through taking action, despite not feeling happy about the situation, that a deeper kind of happiness can arise."

The above leads nicely into this manifesto, a re-imagining of the news from the stable and positive side and a reminder that most humans are good (normal, boring) people.

Same message, put a little more bluntly: "The desire for more positive experience is itself a negative experience. And, paradoxically, the acceptance of one’s negative experience is itself a positive experience." Pursuing things - goals, happiness, whatever - simply highlights the fact that you don't have those things. Sometimes you "get happy" by giving up and living with the struggle. [Warning: adult language ahead.]

This information is all great if you have a direction you want to struggle in, but for all of us with a "passionless unknown," here are three simple steps to keep going until we stumble upon it...

...and permission - encouragement even - to not love what you do.

Another echo of the same message: "I just worked at whatever I was working on and ended up wherever I am. I continue to approach work and life that same way today."

Followers of this blog know what's coming next...my favorite Elizabeth Gilbert video, the final word on how to think about goals/passions/life choices (it's my top bookmark, y'all):

2016 By the Books

I read 66 books in 2016 (67 if I finish The Help before Sunday (doubtful)). Here's a breakdown of what I read (using my Goodreads Account as my source) :

Total Number of Books Read: 66
Total Pages Read: 21,151
Shortest Book: The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery  (83 pages)
Longest Book: The Crimson Petal and the White by Michal Faber (835 pages)
Average Rating: 3.5 stars
Highest Rated (by Goodreads): The Martian by Andy Weir (4.37 stars)
Highest Rated (by me): 6-way tie between Cravings by Chrissy Teigen, Coraline by Neil Gaiman, The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, The Princess Bride by William Goldman, and The Antidote by Oliver Burkeman
Re-reads: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (also read in 2008 & 2011) and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver (also read in 2011) [It was a good year for women who wrote year-long memoirs with lists as their titles.]
Women Authors: 28 (42% --> gonna do better than that next year)
Authors of Color: 9 (14% --> also working to improve that)
Non-Americans: 18 (27%--> I'm pretty okay with that)
Translations: 4
Books written by Neil Gaiman: 6 (that probably won't happen ever again)
Books with Movie or TV Adaptations: 26
Definitely Better Than The Movie: The Princess Bride by William Goldman was delightful!
Fantasy: 11
Horror: 10
Comedy: 10
Non-fiction: 23
Biggest Surprise: Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
Biggest Letdown: Paper Towns by John Green was the worst - do not waste your time on that garbage!
Still Thinking About: The Antidote by Oliver Burkeman (review coming on Saturday!)

Something I Learned (about reading): Reading has seasons, and books either fit or don't fit those seasons. Reading scary stories not in the fall feels out of place. Reading dense writing in the spring feels laborious. Some books had better "flow" than others based on the season and mood - and I plan on taking better advantage of that next year, instead of forging ahead with something just because "it's on the list".

Goal For 2017: More women, minorities, and translations. Less white dudes.

Brookfield Zoolights 2016

In true form, Jesus and I went to zoolights this year - this time at Brookfield Zoo. We were there early during the first big snowfall of the winter, which meant we had most places to ourselves (until dusk, when the lights turned on & people came in flocks). We saw big sleeping cats and little sleeping cats, giraffe feeding time, and plenty of festive decor. We still prefer Lincoln Park's more condensed light shows and decorations, but Brookfield definitely felt like a winter wonderland when we were there!

The Easiest Cheesiest Garlic Bread

A great way to get more cheese into your life is to stuff it inside and on top of some bread. Chrissy Teigen's Armadillo Cheesy Garlic Bread does just that, and is so simple to put together ahead of time that it makes the perfect party appetizer. Your guests' dinner plate eyes and reaching hands as you pull back the aluminum foil to reveal its cheesy criss-cross pattern will cement your status as bread honcho.

3 c shredded mozzarella (or another cheese of choice)
1 1/2 c grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (we used finely shredded Parmesan)
1 stick butter (original recipe calls for an additional half stick, but 1 was plenty for the size of our loaf)
1/2 c mayonnaise
2 tbsp minced garlic (we used jarred garlic)
1 tsp red pepper flakes (we used paprika)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 pound round loaf bread (Teigen uses French, we did sourdough)

1. Preheat oven to 400 (if prepping ahead, skip to 2).
2. Combine cheeses, butter, mayo, and seasonings in a large bowl.
3. Slice bread (almost to, but not through the bottom) in a diamond pattern, making cuts 2 inches apart.
4. Cover a baking sheet in foil and place bread at center. Using a spoon and/or rubber scraper and/or your fingers, stuff cheese mixture into all the cracks. It works best to start at one end and fold back the cuts to fill in an entire row with cheese. Cover the top of the loaf with any remaining mixture.
5. With another sheet of foil, cover the loaf, curling the top and bottom sheets together to seal in the bread.
6. When ready to serve: bake 20 minutes at 400, then remove top foil sheet and reduce temperature to 375 and bake another 15-20 minutes longer. Cheese should be melty and golden.
7. Serve immediately, though it does reheat wonderfully the next morning for breakfast!

The Kids Are All Right: A Memoir

The Kids Are All Right: A Memoir by Diana Welch

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The four Welch siblings recall their childhood from each of their perspectives in this memoir of growing up together, but individually.

First thoughts: reminds me of The Way Back (movie) and This is Your Life (by Meg Wolitzer). Very of its time, class, and race (80s, upper, white).

A memoir? I know - why do I keep reading memoirs when they are my least favorite genre? I keep thinking they can't all be self-absorbed and dramatic, but that's kind of the point of memoirs. I just pretend it's fiction while I read so I'm not as eye-rolly and unimpressed by rich people problems.

Recommended for: a specific type of person - someone who enjoys memoirs, or grew up with money. Yes, the Welches face events that are tragedies no matter who you are (deaths of parents, loss of finances), but they were uniquely positioned to be pretty okay (All Right, in fact) despite all this.

Final thoughts: Just OK. Well-written, to be sure, and a testament to the power of sibling love. I appreciated getting to hear everyone's perspective (and not being stuck with one narrator). In the end, though, I was still wondering "so what" about everything - I wasn't sure what the underlying motivation for writing the memoir was.

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Winter Solstice

The longest night of the year calls for comfort food and cozy robes, reading scary stories in bed, and a walk around the neighborhood to not let the dark + cold + wintry wind get the best of you. That's how I started my night (which started at, what, 5? 4:30? Way too early, thank God we're on our way back to longer days). I plan on finishing it by snuggling in with my heating pad and Teddy Bear, then waking up to one last day of work for the year.

And what a year it's been. I'm ready to close this chapter and start a new one - no, things aren't going to change just because the calendar does, but the mental shift from 16 to 17 feels overdue. (All this to say, my personal 2016 was pretty okay. Work life, home life, and family life were good. That they were good in such a tumultuous year means I have lots to be thankful for as we countdown to the new year.)

So that's where I'll end on this longest night - with gratitude and the knowledge that long nights make us change our perspective on the rest of our nights. As we learned in 7th grade science this week - if the Earth wasn't tilted at a perfect 23.5 degrees, we wouldn't have seasons. Twelve hours of day would follow 12 hours of night, and Chicago would exist in a perpetual state of chilly 40 degree temperatures. I need seasons. I'm glad we have the tilt. I'm thankful for the longest night, and looking forward to dawn because of it.

My Dear I Wanted to Tell You

My Dear I Wanted to Tell You by Louisa Young
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The story of two relationships and how they grow and change during World War I.

First thoughts: A cross between Atonement and Catch-22, plot-wise, but written in the style of a romance/drama, and less powerful than either of those.

Characters (with potential spoilers):
Riley: WWI soldier. Loves Nadine, but refuses her love for him.
Nadine: Nurse who will deal with the worst. Brokenhearted with love for Riley.
Locke: Riley's commanding officer. Distant and hardened by war, though usually sensitive.
Julia: Locke's wife, who awaits his return from war. Her "talent" is her beauty.
Rose: Riley's nurse. Locke's cousin. Nadine's friend. Julia's confidante.

Recommendations: I could have done with less exposition in the beginning and more conflict working towards a resolution at the end. I almost gave up on this one because not much was going on, until it was.

Recommended for: Fans of wartime love stories will find this enjoyable - the characters are mostly likable, though flawed, so lovers of relationship-driven tales will find something here as well.

Final thoughts: A nice getaway to another time and place, even if you'd rather your WWI books be less "nice" and more real.


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