A Slave in the White House: Paul Jennings and the Madisons by Elizabeth Dowling Taylor
I liked this book, but I wanted to love it. Taylor
has put together the very interesting story of Paul Jennings, a slave owned by
the Madisons,
who wrote his own book, A Colored Man's Reminiscencs of James Madison. I
felt the story was really interesting, but I also felt that some of Taylor's suppositions
about what Jennings's thoughts and feelings were did not have that ring of truth
I was looking for in the book. Paul
Jennings was clearly a special man, or the recipient of special treatment. He
was literate, and once freed became a landowner and none of these things would
have happened if by accident of birth (or purchase) he had ended up in a
different family. The book did make me wonder how many more slaves could have
had this kind of success, how many good minds and good hearts never had the
chance to flourish.
Wayward Saints by Suzzy Roche
This was a fun read; Mary Saint is the small town girl who
made it almost all the way to the top as a rock star and then slowly slid back
down and out of the profession all together. There are a lot of 'familiar"
characters in the book; an abusive father, the lover/bandmate who dies
accidentally, and more. But there are also unexpected characters that give a
twist to the story and so you think you know where it is going but you are not
sure. There are several subplots, from
the growth of Mary's mother, to the visions Mary has had, to the sad dreams
of a local high school teacher, but they all work together. The story never
feels muddy or confusing and brings us to a fairly tidy conclusion. Tidy but
not perfect.
Switched by Amanda Hocking
This is the first of a young adult trilogy about changelings
and trolls. It is an updated slant on a familiar fantasy theme, both in
literature and in life, that of not feeling like you belong in your family,
that you are a changeling and your real parents will come for you. When
Wendy's "mother" tries to kill her
because she knows Wendy is not her child, she is locked away as crazy. But she
knew the truth. Wendy finds out she is a princess, that she now belongs in a
sumptuous castle-like house and that she belongs. However, she did not plan on
being a troll nor having to engage in endless social maneuvers. I read the
book straight through in a few hours and I think YA readers will enjoy it.
I am waiting for the second book to see what plays out, as the last few pages
from this first book leave you hanging!
NEXT WEEK: MORE REVIEWS!
