Birds, Bees, Flowers & Trees: “The Birth House” by Ami McKay

Right after I got home from my crazy training in Helena, MT I had a lot put on my plate at the office and at home, which meant my brain was a bit pin-ball machine.  Additionally, I was in a mood for weird books so I read two in a row.  Both of these books were purchased at Goodwill in Helena, MT and this week's book was on my Amazon Wish List for quite some time prior to purchasing it.  Last week's review (as found by clicking here) definitely fit the bill, but this week's book was all sorts of birds, bees, flowers and trees....and not the pollinating, blooming kind.  But, how could it not be with a title like "The Birth House?" 

"The Birth House" by Ami McKay  combines coming-of-age, feminism and embracing womanhood in such a spectacular way.  The book is set in pre and post World War I, Nova Scotia, Canada.  The main characters are Dora Rare and Miss Babineau.  Miss Babineau is the village midwife who takes Dora under her wing and teaches her how to deliver babies at home and use herbal remedies to help women prior, during and after childbirth.  Dora's family is one who has their own set of issues and many times Dora escapes to Miss Babineau's home for refuge.  What starts out as attending a few births with Miss Babineau quickly becomes working as an apprentice and as Dora grows up she starts to attend all the births.  

The story line definitely had some gut-wrenching realities of the dynamics for women during the early 20th century.  Women didn't have a lot of choices in how they could deliver babies, nor did they have the amazing drugs we have now to dull the pain. Women were tough, but also very vulnerable, and many lost multiple babies over the course of their childbearing years.  One of the very first interactions Dora has with helping Miss Babineau is when a child is born prematurely and later passes away.  It was ultra sad. I'm an empath at heart and I struggled hold it together while reading this scene.  The author does an incredible job at portraying Dora's feelings and perspective as a young teen trying to comprehend the magnitude of an infant dying during childbirth.  

One of my favorite aspects of the book was the theme of liberation and equality of choice for women's health care.  One of the many sub-plots of the book involves a modern, newfangled doctor who comes to the area to open a modernized hospital where they give the good drugs for delivering babies.  At this point in history, the idea of being drugged while giving birth was very new and scary for many. We see in the book how the two ideologies of giving birth in a sterile, cold hospital vs. giving birth at home have their lists of pros and cons.  It was interesting to me to read about this because in the last two decades, home deliveries, midwives and doulas have become more mainstream again. My friend is a midwife and some might call what she does voodoo, but really she is the queen of the land of badassery because her every move during pregnancy and childbirth is to make sure the mamma is comfortable and supported.  What's not to love about THAT? Miss Babineau reminded me a lot of my bad-ass midwife friend because she did not give a flying you-know-what if people didn't like her ways; she did them anyway.  She issued herbal tonics and rubs to help women conceive and deliver babies comfortably every day and taught Dora everything she knew.

As Dora grows to adulthood, she is presented with the opportunity to take over being the community midwife when Miss Babineau passes away.  Dora is presented with her own set of trials both personally and professionally and eventually finds herself in a very sticky situation.  I won't give away too much of the details because it was a surprise to me, but I really liked that the author brought an event in to Dora's adult life that allowed for some really powerful flashbacks from her time as an apprentice with Miss Babineau in her youth. 

Without a doubt this book was a solid dose of sex education, hence the title (I crack myself up). In fact, this book reminded me a lot of the BBC show, "Call the Midwife." I was quite amused when I started reading a particular chapter and realized I was headed into the early 20th Century version of the vibrator and all its glory.  Oh so funny. Just hysterical actually.  Women were so confined to having sex when their husband demanded it and without reliable birth control methods, that generally came with the underlying fear that a baby might transpire.  Enjoying their sexuality was often times out of the question. When the magical vibrating machine is introduced to some women in town it is just down right funny how they react and how it is "sold" by the medical professionals.  I cackled when I was reading it.....not gonna lie.  

My recommended reading group would be age 18 and above.  It's a Rated-R read with relationship elements, including sex, emotional abuse by a spouse or family member, death and overall cultural difficulties that come from growing up as a woman in the 1920s through 1940s.

The moral of the story: Birthin' is serious business and one that should always be about the safety, comfort and well-being of the mother and the child, period.  Oh, and don't forget to enjoy the good lovin' from time to time.  

Happy reading, my amazing, geeky lovelies!

-R

Missed last week's book review? Click here to read it!

Other Books by Ami McKay

Extraordinarily Beautiful & Flawed: "Museum of Extraordinary Things" by Alice Hoffman

According to Alain de Botton, "There’s a whole category of people who miss out by not allowing themselves to be weird enough." I couldn't agree more, and many times I find myself gravitating toward the quirky, weird people because they're so much more interesting.  We are lucky to live in a day when weird is embraced a lot more. However, there was a time in history when those who were weird or different were thought to be cursed and a reason to exploit, mock and make a few bucks while in the process.  This week's book, "Museum of Extraordinary Things" by Alice Hoffman, was one that showcased the twisted oddities of this time in history and was a creepy, fascinating and oddly inspiring read.

First, I will admit that this book was well out of my comfort zone at times, but I was fascinated by the author's writing style.  When I found the book at Goodwill in Helena, MT, I kept going back to it on the shelf and thought this story sounds ultra creepy, but also ultra interesting.  I sent a screen shot to my sister (super cool librarian chick) and got her opinion on it before I purchased it.  Needless to say, we both agreed that this book was coming to the cozy book nook.  Interestingly enough, she is reading the book this week and loves it.

The title is self-explanatory of the setting for the book.  The Museum of Extraordinary Things is a multi-faceted "freak show" on Coney Island, New York during 1911. It is owned and operated by Professor Sardie and his daughter, Coralie, is the resident mermaid.  The story is primarily told from Coralie's perspective, but the author really does an incredible job at weaving in the stories and oddities of each of the characters of the book while connecting them to Coralie's life as the daughter of the Professor and member of the cast.  Each character is deeply flawed, not by choice, and they know it, but also know they need to be employed by the Museum to survive.  The Museum is a popular place and Coralie becomes the center of attractions for her superhuman abilities to breathe under water for long periods of time and her naturally-webbed hands. She too is caught in a place of ethical dilemma, personal pride, but also a need for survival while facing struggles with the demands set by her father. 

Probably the most beautiful connection in this book was that made to Charlotte Brontë's book, "Jane Eyre." Many of you already know this, but "Jane Eyre" is, without a doubt, my absolute favorite classic novel. I read it as a teenager and it spoke to me on numerous levels.  I've read it multiple times since then and have always felt such a connection to Jane and her independence, in spite of her circumstances. However, in "Museum of Extraordinary Things," the author shares a perspective that I never, ever considered. She shares the perspective of what it must have been like to be Mr. Rochester's exiled wife.  Woah. That alone might stop a few of you in your tracks if you've read the book. Bertha Rochester is incredibly crazy and she ends up committing suicide by jumping out the window after she's set the manor on fire. It's tragic because Mr. Rochester is blind, but Charlotte Brontë focuses on him, not Bertha.  But, did you ever think that perhaps Bertha did what she did because she felt like there was no other choice because she was different?

In the book, the author introduces us to a character called the "Wolf Man." He has hair all over his body and, at times in his life, has felt like killing himself would be a better option because he is so ridiculed. The Wolf Man and Coralie become good friends and she sees that there is so much more to this man behind the "fur." He shares with her why he relates to Bertha Rochester because she was the person who was exiled because she was crazy and different and the isolation made her worse.  He shares that because of the Professor he was able to come out of his personal exile and make something of a life for himself.  Eventually he gains the confidence he needs to find a better situation for himself, but in the meantime, the interaction he has with Coralie is a very important piece in the story.  I was so touched by this sub-plot and I think it's what kept me reading the book in spite of the creepy, disturbing stuff.  It was powerful for me personally because I knew exactly how Bertha was portrayed in "Jane Eyre" and could connect those lines far more than someone who had not read the book.  Pure. Genius.

One of the oddities of the book itself is an excessive use of italics.  My sister and I have a theory that the author uses this to indicate the thinking of the person that is speaking. The use of italics serves as a way for the reader to differentiate between Coralie's voice and point of view to that of the museum cast members.  It took me a bit to adjust my brain to reading pages and pages of italics (similar to last week's book with no quotation marks), but I eventually caught on and my brain got used to it.  Don't give up on it. 

When I started this blog, I promised myself that I would read different genres to test my own reading capacity, but that I would also be completely honest and transparent about things in the books I read that were potentially unacceptable or uncomfortable for some of my reading friends. So, I will share with you that this book had one element that really rocked my boat and I had to skip some sections because of my personal book boundaries.  There is some forced voyeurism by the Professor for Coralie to appear in her mermaid tank in the nude.  It was disturbing to be sure, but it was the point of the book that triggered some questions about the remaining story line and that proved to support my theories. If you are sensitive to this type of activity in your reading, I would not recommend you read this book.  I will also share that it's only discussed in approximately one and a half chapters. 

Ultimately, this book ended in such a way that I felt resolve. I wouldn't go straight to happy-ending-mode, but it closed up in a well thought out manner by the author.  She gave lots of time from the climax of the book to the end to tie up the loose ends and I appreciated that very much. 

My recommended reading group would be age 18 and above.  It's a Rated R read for the reasons I listed above as well as some violent behaviors shown towards characters in the book.

The moral of the story: Being extraordinary and flawed doesn't mean we aren't beautiful. It is quite the opposite.  We are beautiful because we are extraordinary and flawed.  Never lose sight of your purpose on earth. We ALL have one.

Happy reading, my amazing, geeky lovelies!
-R

Missed last week's book review? Click here to read it!



Other Books by Alice Hoffman

I Go With You: "News of the World" by Paulette Jiles

Not long ago, the question was posed on my Facebook Cozy Book Nook Club of how long someone reads a book before they give up on it.  The answers were varied and I shared my answer which is: I give it 50 pages before I decide. However, the book I'm going to share with you today is one that had I given up at 50 pages I would have missed one of the most intriguing and heartwarming stories I've read in a very long time. Once again I was grateful to have bookworm friends with impeccable taste in books because it meant I sat down and forced myself to read "News of the World" by Paulette Jiles.

As you may recall, my dear friend Tana has recommended a solid number of books for me to read.  The last book I wrote about was "Winter Sea" by Susanna Kearsley. If you haven't read that book or the review, be sure to check it out.  It's such a great book!! Click here for the review.  

"News of the World by Paulette Jiles" was written in a genre that I've never read before.  Based on the raving review my friend gave me, however, I was willing to give it a shot.  The book is based in the wild terrain of Texas in 1870 and explores a side of Native American culture that I had never studied prior to reading the book. The author also writes in a very odd style that doesn't include quotation marks. For many of you who have a solid case of grammar OCD (me!!!) that might be somewhat intimidating, but I promise you'll get used to it.

The main characters in the book are Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd who makes his living by going to towns and reading newspapers from large cities to folks who don't have a lot of access to the world's happenings.  In the course of his travels he is asked by members of the Kiowa Native American tribe to return a beautiful blonde-hair, blue-eyed Caucasian girl, named Johanna, who was kidnapped by other members of the tribe four years prior. The tribe recognizes that she needs to be with her family again and pays Captain Kidd a hefty sum to bring her back to her biological family safely.

What Captain Kidd doesn't realize is this--even though he may have a young child who looks similar to his own grandchildren she does NOT act like his grandchildren. She doesn't speak English, is extremely fearful of being with a Caucasian man and has far more natural instincts of a Kiowa warrior than you'd expect.  Captain Kidd constantly struggles with trying to communicate with Johanna so she feels safe and doesn't run away.

In my personal life, I've recently changed careers and now work with foster children.  It's a very humbling line of work and the real-life experiences I have daily, deepened my understanding and empathy for Captain Kidd & Johanna's struggles.  I've seen first-hand what kind of trauma occurs when children have to be displaced from their home so I could only imagine the sheer terror that would happen in a child's heart and brain if they were kidnapped and held captive by someone.  The perspective of Captain Kidd and Johanna are written so beautifully and the reader can really feel both sets of emotions.  As I shared earlier, at first the missing quotation marks made it a little challenging to keep track of character voices, but over time, I recognized the humor and voice inflection of Captain Kidd and other characters.  Johanna slowly learns some words and she figures out how to communicate with Captain Kidd on a very simple level.

The climatic event of this book was truly one of the BEST I've ever read.  The writer's ability to share the details of characters, the scenery and logistics of the event were astounding. I felt like I was in the middle of a Oscar-worthy film.  This particular scene is also when the reader knows 100% that Johanna loves the Captain and she will defend him forever.  It melted my heart, but also had me reminding myself to breathe.  Oh Nelly, it was incredible.  I will also say this--I will never look at dimes the same. Ever. Brilliant moment in the book. One of many.

There are a number of elements in this book that really touched my heart. I loved to read about the devotion this man channeled for this girl because he was such a devoted father and grandfather. It was refreshing to read about. He did a lot for Johanna that he didn't have to do, but chose to because he would want someone to do the same for his grandchildren.  Next, there was a sweet element of love between a widow and Captain Kidd that was only in a few chapters. This sub-plot gave even more depth to both Captain Kidd and Johanna all through introducing this amazing woman to the story. Brilliant writing.  Lastly, I really enjoyed learning about pieces of American History that I had no idea existed through such well-written fiction.  The author really did a wonderful job at setting the stage for each event and I felt like I was in the middle of it. 

As you know, I am a very tough critic of how authors end books.  I despise books that it's obvious the author wrote the last chapter in a hurry and tied too many loose ends because they didn't plan their plot well enough and had publisher deadlines and standards to meet.  This was not the case in "News of the World." In fact, what happened at the end completely surprised me and had me cheering. Captain Kidd is faced with some ethical dilemmas and he goes against what is expected by the characters in the book and definitely the reader. I loved every element of the ending and can honestly say it was so happy. 

My recommended reading group would be age 16 and above.  It's a PG-13 read with violence between the characters.

The moral of the story: Sometimes what meets the eye is not the full reality and we may have to go against the grain to stand up for those we love.

Happy reading, my amazing, geeky lovelies!
-R

Missed last week's book review? Click here to read it!

Like what you read above - purchase this book by clicking the Amazon link below! Thank you for reading The Thrifting Ginger.  

Other Books by Paulette Jiles