The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Heels

If you enjoy a sweet love story with some laughter along the way, then Ree Drummond's book is for you. Ree has returned home (Oklahoma) from California, to sort out her life and move on to Chicago. That is until she sees "Marlboro Man" across the room at the local dive and falls in love with those blue eyes and smooth voice. Ride along with Ree as she adjusts her entire line of thinking from city girl to a rancher's wife. This isn't just a love story. Its the story of a cowboy, And Wranglers. And chaps. And the girl who fell in love with them.

Review by Denise R.
This book can be found at http://www.newberglibrary.org/

The Four Ms. Bradwells

"The natural & proper timidity & delicacy which belongs to the female sex evidently unfits it for many of the occupations of civil life.... The paramount destiny & mission of woman are to fulfill the noble & benign offices of wife &mother. This is the law of the Creator" US Supreme Court Justice Joseph P Bradley from his 1873 opinion in Bradwell v. Illionois, denying Mrs. Myra Bradwell the right to practice law.

Four young women in law school in the early 1960s. Fifty years later, Betts is being considered for the Supreme Court. As the hearing nears its' last day, a question is voiced about an incident that happened during spring break of the girl's senior year of law school. Betts quickly gives a "non" answer and leaves the room. She is joined by her 3 girlfriends where they escape to Cook Island to mentally recreate what "really" did happen that weekend.

Meg Waite Clatyon (The Wednesday Sisters) has written a great book about women struggling to find their place in a primarily man's world in the 1960s.

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

Major Pettigrew (retired British army) leads a quiet life valuing the proper things that Englishmen have lived by for generations: honor, duty, decorum, and a properly brewed cup of tea. But then his brother's death sparks an unexpected friendship with Mrs. Jasmina Ali, the Pakistani shopkeeper from the village. Drawn together by their shared love of literature and the loss of their respective spouses, the Major and Mrs. Ali soon find their friendship blossoming into something more. But things get complicated as the Major gets interwined in his son's job & girlfriend, the ladies social event, golf club membership, Mrs. Ali's nephew and more. I wasn't sure what would actually be the "last stand" until the last chapter. Helen Simonson has written a delightful book with twists throughout.

Review written by Denise R.

This book can be found at: http://www.newberglibrary.org/

The Little Giant of Aberdeen County

Meet Truly, a "large" woman, sister of the beautiful Serena Jane who grow up in Aberdeen, a community stuck between a village and a town. The book is about Truly, shunned due to her size, Marcus the wiz kid in the school, Serena Jane the beauty queen and all the other unique personalities which make up the small minded town. We share in Truly's struggles growing up, her friendships, her lack of family and her heartaches and her dreams.

Along the way, Truly discovers an old and a new secret which end up changing the community and herself forever.

This book is about learning to accept ourselves and others. The book is full of little revelations :"Here's what I know about small towns: People in them are either all-forgiving or intolerant as mules, and the way they choose often comes down to the issue of what you're willing to sacrifice". Throw in a bit of humor and you have a great read.

This book wirtten by Tiffany Baker can be found at http://www.newberglibrary.org/

Review by Denise

The Calligrapher's Daughter

Living in Korea during the early twentieth century, Najin Han is the daughter of a famed calligrapher, from a long line of prestigious artists. Her life spans the Japanese occupation of Korea, the Second World War, and the end of the last Korean dynasty. This debut novel by Eugenia Kim, follows the lives of the Han family as Japan infiltrates the country, their traditons and their lives. Najin, with the support of her mother, seeks independence in a traditional family. She is educated, refined, and equipped to survive war and occupation. Male & female roles, food, living arrangments, marriage, work and the arts are all intertwiend as Father Han stubbornly refuses to let go of tradition and Najiin carefully moves forward to the new world order.

This reveiw by Denise R

This book can be found in our catalog www.newberglibrary.org

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Rebecca Skloot has written a moving story of the historic "HeLa" cell. (HeLa standing for Henrietta Lacks) This was the first human cell that could be duplicated and thus opened countless doors for research in many fields. Since its origination it has played a roll in producing the polio vaccination, helped scientists learn more about many cancers and lead to important advances such as gene mapping.

Rebecca first heard about this cell when she was 16 and sitting in on a community college biology class. Though required to learn about the cell, she wanted to know more about the person. There was little known. And so a quest was started. It took her 10 years of research and personal interviews to put this book together. But the effort was worth it. Rebecca has indeed immortalized Henrietta Lacks, the person.

Review written by Denise R

You can find this title at: www.newberglibrary.org

The Girl Who Fell from the Sky

Heidi Durow's book is a story of despair and hope. It is the story of a 14 year old girl in the 1980s trying to figure out who she is and what she is. Rachel, the daughter of a black serviceman and a Dutch mother, lives in Chicago with her mother. After her mother's and sibling's shocking death, Rachel moves to Portland OR to live with her black paternal grandmother. Race now becomes apparent to her. "I learn that black people don't have blue eyes. I learn that I am black. I have blue eyes". The story progress as Rachel matures and grapples with the question "What are you? while at the same time Durrow gradually reveals what really happened to Rachel's mother and siblings on the rooftop.

I really enjoyed the fact that most of the story takes place in Portland, naming familiar sites like Laurelhurst and Oaks Park.

Reveiw by Denise R

This book can be found at http://www.newberglibrary.org/