Matecumbe United Methodist Church Book Reviews:
Review by Sue Miller (9/2/2020)
“Take Me With You” by Catherine Ryan Hyde provided great insight into what children and adults can learn from each other. August Shroeder, a school teacher and an alcoholic, was sober since his nineteen-year-old son died. They always spent the summer traveling, but after his son died, he was determined to make it to Yellowstone, a trip he and his son had planned. Now he’d be taking his son’s ashes. An unexpected turn of events ended up with August taking along two young boys he met along the way. The relationship that resulted was a life changer for both adult and children.
Review by Barbara Haudenshield (8/19/2020)
“The Alice Network” by Kate Quinn is a fantastic read about a small espionage group of women who were very effective in helping the Allies defeat Germany in World War I. The story opens in 1945 when a young female student from United States comes in contact with one of those spies. The student wants to search for a beloved cousin missing in WWII and the older woman wants to seek revenge against a Frenchman who had abused her and interfered with her spy work during the previous war. Together, they go to France in search. Though the two main characters are fictional, their story is based on fact. Both men and women readers, interested in those times, should be greatly moved by this powerful book.
Reviews by Judy Winstel (8/19/2020)
“American Dirt” by Jeanine Cummins. Also recommended by Dana Perino from the “Five”. An eye opening trip about the migrants from Mexico and Central America trying to get to America and escape the drug trade cartels, sex trade bondage and just trying for a better life.
“Dog On It” by Spencer Quinn. For a lighthearted story change of pace try “Dog On It” about a down on his luck P.I. and his dog Chet, who narrates the story. All their exploits while trying to get a Runaway teenage girl back will have you chuckling. This is the first in an 8 book series on the sleuthing team of Chet and Bernie.
Review by Judy Winstel (6/17/2020)
“Lost Boy Found” by Kirsten Alexander. It is a true story about a four year old boy who walks into the woods and never comes out, in the year 1913. His wealthy parents searched desperately for two years to try to find him. When he is found in the company of a tramp, both Mary Davenport and Grace Mill claim Sonny as theirs. The tale describes orphan trains, common in that era ,and to what lengths people go to recover a lost child.
Reviews by Barbara Haudenshield
For those of us by the sea and to you northern folks who wish you were, I am recommending four books which happen to be in the MUMC library:
“Charlotte’s Story” by Charlotte Arpin Niedhauk: If you haven’t read it, you should not be living in The Keys, even part time. Though the book is not a literary masterpiece as it is autobiographical by the woman who lived the story, it is a spellbinding tale of Charlotte and her husband, Russ, living in the islolated Keys in the mid 1930’s. Not only does she describe their life with no modern conveniences, but tells of many strange visitors, rum runners and drug smugglers included. Many longtime members of our church and community remember the Niedhauks as they spent some of their final years living on Lignumvitae Key before it became a state park.
“Unwritten” by Charles Martin is an interesting story with only three important and very “ disalike” characters: a reclusive fisherman living on a boat in the Ten Thousand Islands of Florida, an elderly Priest retired in Miami, and a Marilyn Munro type super star. The priest is able to find a way for the fisherman to save the actress who is loved by thousands, but so lonely she doesn’t want to go on living. Eventually, the pair find the unwritten stories of their pasts.
For those of you interested in what life was like manning a lighthouse, there are two great books:
“The Light between Oceans” by M.L. Stedman ( copy kind of worn as it made the rounds of The Palms as so many loved it). This book tells of an infant and a dead man in a boat, mysteriously washing ashore at a childless couple’s lighthouse home. Having desperately wanting children but apparently unable, the couple had a major struggle in whether to report the arrival of the baby to the authorities or keep her as their own. Tom, a man of strong moral principles, insists they cannot keep the baby, but Isabel says the baby is a Gift from God.
“ The Woman in the Light“ by Joanna Brady takes place on an island and in Key West. The Lowrys make a life for themselves and two children on a key, where Martin manned the lighthouse. Tragically, he disappeared , not returning from a fishing trip. Just as Emily and the children were having great difficulty taking over Martin’s responsibilities and their own, help came with a runaway slave coming ashore. Keeping him to help with the many tasks was highly illegal but the family grew quite fond of Andrew, keeping him secretly. Escaping an oncoming hurricane separated the mother and two children from Andrew. The Lowrys had to make an entirely new life for themselves in Key West, but were unable to forget “ their slave” and struggled to find him. Though not the main feature of the book, reading about Key West in the 1840’s made the read even more interesting.
Review by Judy Winstel
“Call of the Wild” - Jack London’s classic of the Alaska gold rush and the fateful story of a dog named Buck whose life effected those he came in contact with. Great movie out on the book starring Harrison Ford, lots of adventure!
“Girl Most Likely” by Max Allan Collins is a trip back to a 10-year high school reunion. The town’s police chief was a member of the class and solves 3 murders during the event.
Review by Jim Winstel
“Harbinger” by Johnathan Cahn
After having finished the Epicenter at Pastor Bobs’ suggestion I decided to expand my limited knowledge of mid-eastern history by reading the Harbinger by Johnathan Cahn. The book regards the events leading up to the 911 attack on The World Trade Center.
The events and parallels to Isiah 9:10 in a sequential manner opened my eyes to some possibilities that may be in our not too distant futures. This was a good read for me.
Review by Barbara Haudenshield
“Carnegie’s Maid” by Marie Benedict
Clara Kelley, a young immigrant in the 1870’s, was so desperate to help her destitute family back in Ireland, that she stole the identity of another Clara Kelley to become the personal maid of Andrew Carnegie’s mother. In Pittsburgh, Young Andrew and his mother were almost as desperate to acquire great wealth. Though an historical novel,, “ Carnegie’s Maid” tells how this young woman could change Andrew Carnegie from a ruthless business man to the first philanthropist in U.S. history.......best loved for building many, many free libraries. Pam Jenoff of NY Times said, “Downtown Abbey “ fans should flock to this charming tale.
Reviews by Sue Miller
“Always by My Side” by Edward Grinnan
For those of us with dogs that we love, this is a book full of emotions, humor, lessons in compassion. The author, Edward Grinnan, is the editor-in-chief of Guideposts magazine. In the book he tells about the part his golden retriever, Millie, plays in his long-term path of recovery from addiction. With such unconditional love and unbreakable bond … our pets can change our lives!
“Matecumbe” by James A. Michener
When I learned there was a book “Matecumbe” by James A. Michener, I was certain I would love it. Michener was a best-selling author most famous for his lengthy fictional stories about the lives of generations of families in locations which he had meticulously researched. This book was different. It told the parallel love stories of a mother and her daughter, but it was not a long book and historically had little factual accuracy regarding the Islamorada setting. Random House published many of Michener’s books but refused to publish “Matecumbe” fearing it would damage his reputation as a historical writer. He gifted the manuscript to one of his ghost writers and eventually it was published by University Press of Florida. Read the book if you like love stories with an island setting much like Islamorada. Don’t expect to learn anything about the history of Matecumbe.