Hope on the Horizon: "The Rebel Wife" by Taylor M. Polites

Hello, friends! It's been a long time since I've blogged about my latest read because there hasn't been much reading this summer. Busy, busy, crazy bee over here has not had the time or energy. I can definitely say that my brain reads more when I'm preparing for or in hibernation so I know my reading schedule will get back to normal.  There is hope on my personal horizon to be sure. But, enough about me....let's sit a spell and talk about "The Rebel Wife" by Taylor M. Polites.

Once upon a time I loved a silly Civil War movie called "Gone With the Wind." I was a kid and didn't really understand the magnitude of the cheesy or the drama of Scarlet O'Hara, but I definitely loved the costumes. I also had a super secret crush on Ashley (who didn't?).  When it came time to leave for college, I was lucky to attend a university in southern Virginia aka Civil War Country.  Once again, my fascination for the Civil War and all the intricacies of the actual event, not Hollywood's version, came to life.  I even took a Civil War class one semester that was easily the most difficult and fabulous class I took in all of my college career.  Knowing this, it goes without being said that I was instantly drawn to this book because of my love of Civil War history.  Remember me sharing some of those fun details about the class in THIS BLOG POST???

The setting for "The Rebel Wife" is post-Civil War Alabama.  Our main character, Augusta Branson, opens the book, by losing her husband to a mysterious death....likely the fever from the extreme heat.  Augusta aka Gus Is faced with a long list of personal dilemmas following the death of her husband. She is a widowed white woman so she doesn't have the right to own property or vote. She is young so she has a lot to learn and last, but certainly not least, she's not really sure she actually ever loved her husband in the first place so why should she be sad?

The author presented a lot of thematic struggles in the plot.  Augusta is a strong female character who struggles with her conscious on numerous items.  Her own father was very well-respected by his slaves and as a result there are a lot of people in their community who don't respect Augusta because of it.  She is constantly battling with her emotions and how she should really feel about the freed slaves who still work on her property.  Many of them have been with their family since her childhood so they are more of a family than the biological family in front of her.  Ultimately, Augusta finds that she can trust her devoted slaves more than the Caucasian people around her. This point definitely provided much food for thought in comparison to modern day.  Equality definitely has made progress, but we have a long way to go as far as I'm concerned.

There is an element of mystery in this book which is what initially drew me to the plot line. There are some items that Augusta and her family are desperately looking for and the slaves know that as soon as these items are found they have a free ticket to leave.  This definitely causes tension in the plot and I liked it.  Along with the element of mystery there is definitely a lot of plot development centered around the superiority of men vs. women. I can't say that I threw the book accross the room because of jerky, condescending male characters, but I came close. I'll also add that I'm most grateful to live in a time when I can vote.

One of the main thematic elements I found quite interesting was the talk about post-war emotions and what war did to people's mental health.  I'm a junkie for historical fiction set in times of war because, almost always, the topic of mental health and courage has to come up.  This book was no different.  We meet a couple of characters who have come back from the war-front completely messed up. Disastrous alcoholics and depressed men who once loved Augusta.  It's downright sad and the drama of it all is portrayed well.  And once again, I'm glad I live when I do.  I couldn't handle the lack of knowledge surrounding mental health.  No. Way. No. How.

My recommended reading group would be age 16 and above.  It's a PG-13 read with racial, political and social struggles that might not be understood by a younger audience.

The moral of the story: Sometimes hope is all that we can hold on to when the horizon is bright, but we aren't quite sure how we will get there.

Happy reading, my amazing, geeky lovelies!
-R

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Life: A Garden of Possibilities - "The Queen of the Big Time" by Adriana Trigiani

Life in non-fiction land has been a little bit whirlwind for this thrifting ginger, but I'm so excited to be jumping in to my favorite month (besides October)....my BIRTHDAY month! This year I'm so grateful to be where I'm at in life after a very, very challenging year with so much growth. I myself have lived and learned (once again) to appreciate small miracles and really big miracles while observing that life is truly a garden of possibilities.  So, it seems most appropriate that the first book review of July is about a book that touches on this particular subject.  "The Queen of the Big Time" by Adriana Trigiani was a great reminder that sometimes life goes in a completely different path that we expected.....or wanted.... Should that surprise anyone? Anyone? Buehler?

Adriana Trigiani is one of my newish, favorite authors.  She wrote "The Shoemaker's Wife" which is part of my Favorite Things Book Giveaway (see below to enter). Her writing is magnificent and has a way of transporting the reader through multiple decades without missing a beat.  She writes about complex people with complex struggles, just like the rest of us.  "The Queen of the Big Time" is no different and introduced me to some great characters.

Nella Casteluca is the main character.  She and her large, Italian family live in the countryside of Pennsylvania.  They are a true Italian family who are strict observers of the Catholic religion and take marriage, family and hard work very seriously  Nella is constantly hoping and dreaming for something better and dreams about moving to the city to find her own way.  She is smart for her age and one of her teachers really encourages her to step outside of the norms and try for a better life.

One of the best parts of this book is the way the author describes the every day relationships of the characters.  They are hopeful of a better life while being hopelessly realistic about the way their life will be. Much of the book is the daily conversation and debates of which way to turn and how to solve life's difficulties.  As it is in non-fiction world, the main character falls deeply in love with someone who she never expected to love and their relationship is one that can't last because of circumstances.  I legitimately felt bad for Nella when her life path steers away from her first love because I know how that feels.  It's so incredibly hard and a person spends their entire life wondering if they'll ever see that person again and will it be awkward. Been there, am there, have a few t-shirts. Nella finds resolve in her adult life, but there is always the looming conflict of making the right decision about how she handled being in love for the first time.

As is customary for my reviews, I will share one element that I wish would have been done better.  I felt like this book wasn't long enough for how much time it covered.  I felt like the reader was whisked through a time period in 2 or 3 pages and then suddenly it's 10 years later.  This book was uncharacteristically short for the author which drew me to read it, but also had me really wishing for more content when in it was over.

Overall I really enjoyed this book! One of the quotes that caught my eye and summed up how this book inspired me was this-- "Many intellectuals believe self-education is as valid as any degree from a university." How true that statement really is and I continue to live it in my own life.  We are truly blessed in so many ways and never know how our path will lead to something or someone better.

My recommended reading group would be age 16 and above.  It's a PG-13 read with relationship elements and adult themes not suitable for a younger audience.

The moral of the story: Life is a beautiful garden of possiblities, but we have to water and nurture it through our faith and hope.

Happy reading, my amazing, geeky lovelies!
-R

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GUEST BLOGGER: "I'm Still Here" by Clélie Avit

Note from the Thrifting Ginger: I'm so excited to have my sister, Lena, as our guest book blogger this week.  I often refer to her as "Super Cool Librarian Chick" in my posts because she is a librarian at the Public Library in Billings, MT. She is a regular contributor to their blog and this book was one that really resonated with her and me when she described it.  Many times she has a different taste in books than I do, so be sure to check out her latest post by clicking here.  Enjoy & happy reading, my geeky lovelies! -Raylynn

Most people (myself included) can attest that at least once at some point in their lives,
they’ve fallen in love with someone they couldn’t have. The agony of being so close to them, yet
so far at the same time is excruciating. I hope you’ll pardon my usage of an overworked cliché,
but I have valid reasoning for doing so, I assure you. In Clélie Avit’s debut novel, I’m Still Here,
we see just how unconventional, unexpected, miraculous, and transcendental love can be. More
importantly, we see this cliché questioned and exposed in an innovative light.

Immediately, we are introduced with the first of the novel’s two protagonists, Elsa.
Critically injured in a climbing accident, Elsa has been in a coma for the past five months with a
fragile thread of a chance to wake up. Seeing their daughter/sister so seemingly deteriorated and
vegetated beyond hope, her family is on the verge of giving up and pulling the plug.

Enter Thibault, our second protagonist. He is haunted by the mistakes of his brother and
the memories of his past relationship with his train wreck ex-girlfriend. Every week, he drives
his mother to the hospital to visit his brother. The bitter hatred Thibault harbors towards his
brother and the mistake that put him there prevents him from joining the actual visit. Instead, he
wanders the corridors aimlessly until one day, he happens to wander into Elsa’s room. Grateful
to have a place to be “alone,” he settles in to wait for his mother. Before too long, Thibault
begins to rant and unload his burdens to Elsa, feeling refreshed to be talking to an unbiased
individual, even though she is unable to respond, let alone hear him…or can she…?

Nobody, not even the doctors or their high-tech monitors, knows that Elsa has regained
just enough consciousness to hear the things within her surroundings. As time progresses, she
starts to fall in love with Thibault and looks forward to his weekly visits. Thibault starts to fall in
love with Elsa as he gets to know her through her family and friends, who have come to accept
and appreciate this new presence in Elsa’s, albeit in the most unusual of ways.

One day, Thibault comes to realize that Elsa can, in fact, hear him. Does she share his
affections? He understands the unlikelihood of Elsa’s awakening, but he hopes that with love,
she will harness every ounce of strength she has and defy the narrow odds. Does it work?
Spoilers. You’ll just have to read the book and find out.

This beautiful novel, translated to English from its original French, presents a
contemporary twist on the classic fairy tale, Sleeping Beauty. Avit’s flawless prose and dialogue,
as well has her masterful utilization of alternating points-of-view exceeds all of the typical
expectations I would have for a debut novel. It was a riveting read to the very end, pushing all
sorts of boundaries on all sorts of levels. I couldn’t put it down. If you’re a sucker for tender
romance and a connoisseur of all things avant-garde like I am, this book will bolt to the top of
your list of favorites.