I’ll tell you right now, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. My mind was set to thinking at all sorts of levels. On top of that, I got rather emotional about some of the characters and the issue of the death penalty.

The book won a new award created in 2011. It’s the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction. Join me for my review here: Quirky Girls Read.

1. bandy-legged: He was a broad, bandy-legged little man . . .

A person who is bandy-legged is someone whose legs curve out at the knees. I’ve heard of bowlegged, but bandy-legged was different.

2. carrion: Jody hated them (the buzzards) as all decent things hate them, but they could not be hurt because they made away with carrion.

Carrion is the decaying flesh of dead animals.

3. Singletree: They marched past the cypress, where a singletree hung from a limb to butcher the pigs on.

A singletree is a crossbar pivoted in the middle, to which the traces are attached in a horse-drawn wagon or plow.

Wondrous Words is the creation of Kathy at Bermuda Onion. Please visit Kathy for ore new words.

Author

Publisher: Covici Friede, 1937

Genre: Classic Fiction

My Rating: A

Summary:

Four different stories, centered around a young boy named Jody, make up this book. The stories are set on a ranch in Salinas Valley, California during the early twentieth-century. Jody is an only child and the ranch is isolated, so it’s possible to see this book as a sad downer. But – Jody is a good old-fashioned boy and his personality shines through the ups and downs of life on the ranch.

• The first story, The Gift, is about a little a red pony and a red leather saddle that is a rare gift from Jody’s father. Jody’s status among his friends at school increases and he learns the hard lessons of caring for a special animal. Jody’s eyes are also opened to the harshness of life.
• In the second story, The Great Mountains, Jody meets an old man who was born on the ranch long before it was owned by Jody’s father. The man has now come “home” to die. Jody’s father forbids him to stay for more than one night. The old man points out that Mr. Tiflin treats his old horse better than a person.
• The third story, The Promise, is about another horse. This time Jody is the one who takes their mare to another ranch to be bred with their stallion. Then Jody must wait nearly a year for the birth of what will be his horse. Again in this story, Jody must face the harsh realities of life and death.
• The fourth story, The Leader of the People, feature the stories of Jody’s maternal grandfather. The man is not welcomed by Jody’s father as he says the grandfather just keeps telling the same old stories over and over again. The stories are about how the grandfather led a group of people across the plains. Jody loves them as they spark his imagination.

My Thoughts:

The Red Pony was the book selection this month for one of my book clubs. All but one of us loved the book. Our lone dissenter thought the book was too sad and depressing. I thought it was more bittersweet. The writing is so amazing that it was a joy to read.

Steinbeck’s descriptions of people and places captivated me and I found myself highlighting phrase after phrase. Here are a few I liked. The first is a description of Billy, the farmhand:

He was a bandy-legged little man with a walrus mustache, with square hands, puffed and muscled on the palms. His eyes were a contemplative, watery gray and the hair which protruded from under his Stetson hat was spiky and weathered.

And this one describes Jody:

He was only a little boy, ten years old, with hair like dusty yellow grass and with shy polite gray eyes, and with a mouth thar worked when he thought.

And here Steinbeck describes Jody’s behavior after he receives his very own pony:

It became his habit to creep out of bed even before his mother was awake, to slip into his clothes and to go quietly down to the barn to see Gabilan. In the gray quiet morning when the land and the brush and the houses and the trees were silver gray and black like a photograph negative, he stole toward the barn, past the sleeping stones and the sleeping cypress trees.

I read this book slowly over a three week period. It’s hard to express in words how much pleasure this little book gave me. I think it may have been how the author made me see life through the eyes of a child – very plain, quite curious, and with loads of imagination.

The Red Pony was a good book club selection. Our leader dug out numerous facts about Steinbeck that really enhanced our understading and appreciation of the book. Since nearly everyone in the club is around my age, we also spent some time talking about the attitudes of “old-people” today as compared to the second story in this book. A very interesting discussion.

There were some passages, like those above, that I read, re-read and then read aloud to my husband or anyone else hanging about. John Steinbeck was truly a gifted writer. If you aren’t familiar with his work, I’d suggest starting with one of the four stories in The Red Pony. Each story stands alone, although they all feature the little boy Jody and life in the Salinas Valley.

This book count as one of the 50+ I’m reading for the Classics Club.

Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland is a beautifully written historical novel. Here is a brief summary:

It’s 1893, and at the Chicago World’s Fair, Louis Comfort Tiffany makes his debut with a luminous exhibition of innovative stained-glass windows that he hopes will earn him a place on the international artistic stage. But behind the scenes in his New York studio is the freethinking Clara Driscoll, head of his women’s division, who conceives of and designs nearly all of the iconic leaded-glass lamps for which Tiffany will long be remembered.

Never publicly acknowledged, Clara struggles with her desire for artistic recognition and the seemingly insurmountable challenges that she faces as a professional woman. She also yearns for love and companionship, and is devoted in different ways to five men, including Tiffany, who enforces a strict policy: He does not employ married women. Ultimately, Clara must decide what makes her happiest-the professional world of her hands or the personal world of her heart.

My thoughts:

I liked reading about the conflict and dilemma Clara faced, especially during this time-period. We all like to think that the struggles for full equality for women began within our own lifetimes. This was a good reminder that this struggle has been going on for a very long time.

The story was also a good reminder of the tussle women experience between their professional lives and their personal lives. During the time period of the story (late 1800s) women were not employed after marriage. I’m sure there were a few exceptions, but Mr. Tiffany had a firm rule on the subject. Thus our protagonist, Clara, had to choose between her desire for love, companionship, motherhood, and her strong desire to express her art.

In addition to the story of Clara’s dilemma, I enjoyed learning about the glassmaking  and New York City at this time. There’s a lot to enjoy in this story – a definite must-read for historical fiction lovers. In the back of the book there’s an interview between the author and her editor I found very interesting. In addition there’s a set of questions and topics for discussion, making this a great book club selection.

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of the book and thanks to TLC Book Tours or including me on this tour. If you’d like to read the other reviews on the tour, the schedule is here:  TLC Book Tours

Clara and Mr. Tiffany was published by Random House, March 2012. My rating: B

So, I’ll heed his warning and take life slow for a few weeks. I don’t want to get to the point where I can’t knit or type or do any of my other favorite hand activities. As it is now, even holding a book hurts. For the next few weeks I’ll be doing all my reading via audiobooks. I’ll have to figure out a way to make notes so I can tell you about them when I get back.

In the meantime I’ll read your blog posts and try to keep up on what’s happening with you. I just won’t be able to leave a comment.  As soon as I get the okay, I’ll be back with a few posts. And today, I’ll happily accept a few prayers for my right wrist and the doctor’s steady hand.

1.  I found vicissitude in a review of the book Half-Broke Horses.

Walls revisits the adrenaline-charged frontier background that gave her own mother a lifelong taste for vicissitude.

Vicissitude means a change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant

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2.  While reading their review of Salvage the Bones I found protean.

She already knows that nature is protean and mischievous, that the gods tumble to earth to chase mortal women, girls can turn into trees, a hurricane can laugh, and the creek will rise out of its bed and wend its way into her house “to eat and play.”

 Protean means being able to do many things, or versatile.

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3.  And, in an interesting article titled It Could Be Old Age, or It Could Be Low B12, I found sublingual.

Although most doctors are quick to recommend injections to correct a B12 deficiency, considerable evidence indicates that, in large enough doses, sublingual tablets or skin patches of B12 may work as well as injections for people with absorption problems, even for those with pernicious anemia.

Sublingual means under-the-tongue.

Wondrous Words Wednesday is sponsored by Kathy at Bermuda Onion. Visit her for more new words.

Christie’s challenge? How can all ten people be killed, according to the old nursery rhyme, with no outside interference? Main-landers have been instructed to leave the island alone. Besides, no one can come to the island is bad weather, and the weather is stormy.

As each guest unpacks they notice a framed copy of this nursery rhyme on the wall of each room: Ten Little Indians

Ten little Indian boys went out to dine;

One choked his little self and then there were nine.

Nine little Indian boys sat up very late;

One overslept himself and then there were eight.

Eight little Indian boys travelling in Devon;

One said he’d stay there and then there were seven.

Seven little Indian boys chopping up sticks;

One chopped himself in half and then there were six.

Six little Indian boys playing with a hive;

A bumblebee stung one and then there were five.

Five little Indian boys going in for law;

One got in Chancery and then there were four.

Four little Indian boys going out to sea;

A red herring swallowed one and then there were three.

Three little Indian boys walking in the zoo;

A big bear hugged one and then there were two.

Two Little Indian boys sitting in the sun;

One got frizzled up and then there was one.

One little Indian boy left all alone;

He went out and hanged himself and then there were none.

One by one each of the ten strangers begin to die. At first the reader decides there has to be someone else on the island. Then the reader becomes fascinated with how the method of each death matches the nursery rhyme. This reader then thought that, by the time there were only four people left, someone or something would intervene and save the remaining favorite characters. Finally, by the end, I was completely puzzled. I figured it had to be someone very well hidden on the island or one of the ten. But — who, and how, and why? The reader must wait for the Epilogue to explains it all.

And Then There Were None is, by far, THE BEST Agatha Christie mystery to date. Suspense fills every ounce of this story. It was impossible for me to figure out who would be the next victim and who was doing these heinous crimes. If you only want to read one of Ms. Christie’s books, read this one. It’s that good. Expect to be stumped.

I listened to the audio version of this book. It was beautifully narrated by Hugh Fraser. His voice was perfect for this story; his drawing-room accent mingled well with the creepiness of the plot.

And Then There Were None was first published in the UK in November 1939 as Ten Little Niggers. Three months later it was published in the US with the title changed to the last few words of the nursery rhyme. The story has been rewritten several times as plays, movies and a TV show. Just stick with the original story.

I read this novel as part of the Agatha Christie Reading Challenge. (Click the button below for more info.) This is book number 31.

Lily and her husband managed a ranch of considerable size for investors in England. It was an extremely busy life for all of them. Not too long after taking this job Lily decided she needed to eliminate some of her jobs. She decided to clean house only every other month or so. Cooking was another job she simplified.

“I kept the cooking basic as well. I didn’t make dishes the way fancy eastern housewives did–souffles and sauces and garnished this and stuffed that. I made food. Beans were my specialty. I always had a pot of them on the stove, and that usually lasted two to four days, depending on how many cowboys we had around. My recipe was fairly simple: Boil beans, salt to taste.When we weren’t having beans, we had steak. My recipe or steak was also fairly simple: Fry on both sides, salt to taste.”

Yes, that’s pretty basic cooking. I’d like to think Lily had a garden out there on the ranch and was able to add some veggies to the family’s diet. My book club isn’t the only one to read and talk about this book. In The Book Club Cook Book (my review is here), a book club in Lebanon, Pennsylvania read the book and devised a dish to match the story. They developed Cowboy Hash served on Cornbreaed Fritters. I thought it sounded delicious and decided to give it a try.

The Cowboy Hash is very similar to how I make chili: ground beef, chili seasonings and beans. I usually add tomatoes but they added kernels of corn. What really caught my eye was that they served the Cowboy Hash on Cornbread Fritters. Cornbread squares or muffins are familiar to me, but I’ve never made Cornbread Fritters. I decided to give them a try. Here’s the recipe.

Cornbread Fritters

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 2.5 teaspoons sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon oil, plus enough for frying the fritters
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, stir together cornmweal, sugar, salt, flour and baking powder. In s small bowl, beat together egg, oil, and buttermilk. Stir liquid into dry ingredients. Mix well.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. The recipe called for 1/3 to 1/2 cup. I thought that was too much so I used XX.
3. Drop by spoon into the hot oil – similar to the way you make pancakes. Cook on each side for about 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve the Cowboy Hash (chili) over the top of the Fritters.

This made 20 Fritters, each about the size of a silver dollar. They had a nice crunchy corn taste and were good mixed with the Cowboy Hash (or chili) on top. Overall, the Fritters were good but not great. My husband said they reminded him of Johnnycakes. He said they were good but he likes my regular cornbread better.

Because I am counting my carbs, I figured this one out. Each Fritter was 8 grams of carbohydrates. Not bad for carbs. I don’t think I want to know the fat grams as I suspect it’s high.  I won’t be eating these on a regular basis.

Weekend Cooking is a weekly feature at Beth Fish Reads. Click the button below and it will take you there.

The first pick was The Glass Castle, published in 2005. This is the author’s memoir outlining her erratic childhood and early adult life.

Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his children’s imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted and wrote and couldn’t stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an “excitement addict.” (from the publisher)

The kindest thing I can say about the author’s parents is that they were incredibly unfit to be parents. Because of alcoholism, the father was seldom employed and the mother was so disconnected she didn’t even bother to feed her children. The abject neglect and poverty depicted in this memoir was painful. It was so painful I only made it half-way through the book. In my opinion, what the Walls did to their children was unforgivable. The author saw it differently however. She forgave her parents and seems to see them more favorably than I did.

After that introduction to Jeannette Walls I wasn’t sure I wanted to read her second book, Half-Broke Horses. But, from the first page, I loved this story. Lily was born in a dugout in 1901 and grew to be a plucky young girl who handled whatever life threw at her. Lily experienced so many incredible adventures, especially for a young woman during that time period.

Lily survived tornadoes, droughts, floods, the Great Depression, and the most heartbreaking personal tragedy. Half-Broke Horses is Laura Ingalls Wilder for adults. Lily learned to drive a car and fly a plane. And, with her husband, Jim, she ran a vast ranch in Arizona. She raised two children, one of whom is Jeannette’s memorable mother, Rosemary Smith Walls. (from the publisher)

Lily made a wonderful character for this fictional novel based on the author’s grandmother’s life. At several points during the book I wanted to suspend all belief. I found it hard to believe that Lily had actually done all that the author said she did. I can understand how that happened. This is, after all, an oral family history. As each person tells the story it gets changed a little bit each time. But then, if Lily only did half of what’s in this novel, she’s still an amazing person.

If you haven’t read Half-Broke Horses yet, I seriously recommend you give it a try.