BOOK REVIEWS – PREFACE January-February 2020
I am partial to historical fiction and “My Dear Hamilton” by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie stood out as a well-researched perspective that offers a forceful and sometimes chilling account of Alexander Hamilton’s personal and political life during the American Revolution.
When I had a chance to meet the author during her recent book tour at the FSU Panama City campus, I was delighted as much as spellbound by Dray’s enthusiastic backstory about how her latest book, “Ribbons of Scarlet,” written with co-authors Kate Quinn, Kamoie, Sophie Perinot, Heather Webb, and E. Knight, came to be. The fact-based fictionalized account of six women during the French Revolution in the 18th century weaves together opposing points of view in an era when women generally did not make history.
During a recent trip to Vienna, Austria, I discovered “Maria Theresa” by Regine Neuhauser. Austria’s capital offers a vibrant cultural scene and impresses with the gilded architectural features of its beautifully preserved historical buildings. My visit set the mood—or perhaps it was the other way around—for the intriguing book that vividly describes Austria’s tumultuous history and Theresa’s prominent role as the initially reluctant empress of the Habsburg throne. She also happened to be Marie Antoinette’s mother. Antoinette, wife of King Louis XVI and the last queen of France, was beheaded during the French Revolution.
My list of historical reading included nonfiction such as “Justice on Trial, the Kavanaugh Confirmation and the Future of the Supreme Court,” by Mollie Hemingway and Carrie Severino. Hemingway is a well-published author and political commentator. Severino is a former law clerk for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, as well as chief counsel and policy director of a conservative legal organization. Regardless of where one may land on the spectrum of American politics, this book is impeccably researched and provides a comprehensive and arguably shocking insider’s look into confirmation hearings at the highest level of our judicial system.
Another revealing nonfiction book was Nikki Haley’s “With All Due Respect.” Haley had little, if any, experience in foreign affairs when she became the U.S. ambassador of the United Nations. Her journey through the quagmire of often contentious, underhanded, and not-always-what-it-seems diplomacy was a riveting read.
Next up in my reading marathon was Cassandra King Conroy’s “Tell Me A Story.” Conroy writes about her life with her late husband, Pat Conroy, revered author of “The Prince of Tides,” and “Beach Music,” to name just a few. What began as an unlikely years-long friendship turned into a marriage that was a healing salve for both of them. She is candid, poignant, and funny as she gives an intimate look into their life together. This latest book offers insight into her own challenging path to becoming the terrific writer she is, including background about one of her earlier novels, “The Sunday Wife,” a story that was much closer to her personal life than I ever imagined. Cassandra King Conroy will be on a book tour in 2020 and will make a stop in Panama City in January.
Rounding out my reading binge was “The Dutch House” by Ann Patchett, a prolific writer of international fame who, over the years, has written a diverse collection of fiction and non-fiction. She is also the owner of Parnassus, a terrific independent bookstore in Nashville, Tennessee, that is well worth a visit. Her latest novel showcases her usual beautiful writing style, telling the story of a 1922 mansion, the family that owned it, loved it, left it, and never really recovered from living in it.
I’d say my year is off to a good start. How about yours? Have you started the year off bookishly? I look forward to hearing about your reading adventures as we move into 2020.