The Night Travelers

The Night Travelers by Armando Lucas Correa 368 pages

 

This is the story of four generations of women that spans from 1931 and 2015. It covers the majority of the major world events yet stays focused on these four women.

 

First is Ally, a published poet with a bright future, in 1931 Berlin. White Ally is dating /living with the Marcus, a Black musician. The novel opens on the night their daughter, Lilith, is born into a world demanding racial purity. Marcus is long-gone, fleeing from Hitler’s madness. In order to hide Lilith, Ally only takes her out at night, when there are fewer people out to discover Lilith’s heritage. Ally continues to write and composes a poem just for her daughter.

 

As Lilith reaches school age, Ally understands she must send her away. She obtains false papers and sends the girl to Havana with an older Jewish couple who are also fleeing Germany. Ally tucks the poem into her travel bag. Lilith becomes their adopted daughter.

 

Lilith, now an adult, has few memories of her mother. The poem, “The Night Travelers,” is her most prized possession. Her husband, Martin, is a close associate to the Batista Government. To them is born a daughter. As the Cuban Revolution begins to take shape, The family is in constant danger. Martin refuses to leave the country, and Lilith vows to stay by his side. While they are willing to face the consequences, they will not put their newborn daughter, Nadine, in any more danger. Lilith arranges for her daughter to be sent to America and raised there. Natalie sends her treasured poem with her daughter out of fear of what could happen to her and Martin.

 

Nadine is raised by a Catholic couple with the belief that her parents are dead. Life seems simple and easy going for Nadine. She meets wonderful boy, they fall in love, marry, and have a daughter they name Luna. When Nadine’s mother-in-law is accused of Nazi war crimes and is returned to Berlin.

 

Nadine becomes a well-respected scientist in Germany. But as Luna grows, she develops a fervent desire to writer, much like her great-grandmother Ally. Luna also wants to know more about her family’s past. Researching her family’s history doesn’t come without consequences. She learns things that she cannot unlearn.

Excellent writing makes The Night Travelers a book to be read slowly and enjoyed. However, given what is happening in the world around them, readers won’t be able to put down their story. It did drag in a few places, but once author Correa got back on track, the tension increased. The Night Travelers receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

 

Premonition: A Cotton Lee Penn Historical Mystery

 

Premonition: A Cotton Lee Penn Historical Mystery by Tower Lowe   324 pages

I read the first book in the Cotton Lee Penn historical mysteries back in 2015. I enjoyed it a lot. I especially like the character Cotton Lee who suffered from polio and people who thought she couldn’t do anything with a limp other than sit at home and stare at the wall.

Cotton has returned with a new case. Like before, author Lowe uses dueling timelines. This time the periods are 1864-1885 to 1972 and involve some rare gold coins from the Civil War era.

The story opens with the mysterious death of Anselm Bannon.  He was out deer hunting when he was hit by a bullet. Was it a stray or did someone have in it for him? 

Although this novel has a good story, its execution is awful. Author Lowe didn’t remind readers of who many characters were and how they intersected with each other. For example, going back to my review of the first book, I had noted that Max Mayfield was a lawyer who often hired Cotton Lee to help him with his investigations. Unfortunately, I didn’t think to go back and read that first review until I had finished this new work. I was lost with most of the characters, trying to figure out who was who and why they were involved in the story.

Besides not reminding readers of existing characters’ background, there are numerous errors in the book. There are missing words, wrong names, run on or fragmented sentences that don’t work. And it was convoluted…I felt the story was going in circles.

But like I said, the mystery of the gold coins was quite interesting. It fired my imagination in ways not connected to this work. The most frustrating part of the book was that after 324 pages, I’m not sure who killed Anselm Bannon or the origins of the gold coins.

Normally I would give “Premonition: A Cotton Lee Penn Historical Mystery” 1 out of 5 star, but since the gold coins did strike an interest that kept me reading the entire work, I give “Premonition: A Cotton Lee Penn Historical Mystery”2 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

The War I Finally Won

The War I Finally Wonby Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, 385 pages

As the frightening impact of World War II creeps closer and closer to her door, eleven-year-old Ada learns to manage life on the home front. This is an amazing work of historical fiction about England in World War II.  This is a sequel, although the books could be read as stand alone stories and I think I liked this one better than the first.  This story has as much action as the first and really hits all of the emotion that anyone could possibly want in a story.  I would highly recommend it to kids who like historical fiction.

The Parker Inheritance

The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson, 331 pages

“Twelve-year-old Candice Miller is spending the summer in Lambert, South Carolina, in the old house that belonged to her grandmother, who died after being dismissed as city manager for having the city tennis courts dug up looking for buried treasure--but when she finds the letter that sent her grandmother on the treasure hunt, she finds herself caught up in the mystery and, with the help of her new friend and fellow book-worm, Brandon, she sets out to find the inheritance, exonerate her grandmother, and expose an injustice once committed against an African American family in Lambert.”  This was a great story.  Kids who like realistic fiction, mysteries, or puzzles, will love it.

The Button War

The Button War by Avi, 229 pages

“Patryk and Jurek are as much friends as rivals in the small Russian-occupied Polish village where they live. When, in August 1914, Patryk finds an old button on the forest floor, Jurek becomes wildly jealous. World War I comes to Poland, bringing one invading army after another to the village. Jurek devises an exciting dare among the boys: whoever steals the best military button will be Button King. The contest is on. It's only Patryk who tries to stop Jurek's increasingly dangerous game before it leads to deadly consequences.” This is one of Avi’s most disturbing books.  It’s a good story, well crafted, and interesting characters.  It’s a fast read as well, but the subject  matter is really difficult and not all of the characters are very likeable.  I would recommend it to kids who like historical fiction and aren’t bothered to be reading about death.  Very sensitive children might have trouble with this book.

Different Days

Different Days by Vicki Berger Erwin, 270 pages

“Twelve-year-old Rosie is fiercely proud to be an American, and has a happy life with her family in their comfortable home in sunny Honolulu, Hawaii. Then, on the morning of December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor is bombed and everything changes. Rosie's parents, both of German descent — but American citizens who have lived in Hawaii nearly all their lives — are immediately rounded up by the military. Though they've done nothing wrong, they are interrogated as German spies and imprisoned, and all the family's possessions are seized. Within days, Rosie and her brother are abandoned and homeless. A relative begrudgingly takes them in until their beloved aunt (who was also rounded up, but released) comes for them. Even then, the children's once-idyllic lives are filled with darkness and discrimination as they can only wait — and hope — for their parents' safe return. Based on true events, Different Days tells the story of a little-known aspect of World War II: the Internment of German Americans.” I had no idea that German Americans were also sent to internment camps during World War II.  This book felt a little unfinished and unpolished to me but I liked the story.  Kids who like historical fiction would like it.

Jefferson’s Daughters

Jefferson’s Daughters: Three Sisters, White and Black, in a Young America by Catherine Kerrison        Audio Book: 17 hours, 3 mins      Hardback Book:  448 pages          

A most excellent telling of the family history of Thomas Jefferson and his progeny.       Very well researched and told.    This book gives the reader a look at Jefferson’s background, his political life and his family life, both his time in America and the time he spent as a diplomat in France.    It discusses his marriage and loss of his wife and how Sally Hemmings came to be at Monticello and when he and his daughters took her with them to France as a servant and companion to his daughters while there.     The author’s research shows that France did not recognize slavery and when Jefferson left France, Sally Hemmings could have stayed behind a free woman though she had no ready income of her own and would have had to find work and living quarters without help from the Jeffersons had she done so.   The author shows that Jefferson made a pact with her that he would free any children born of their union upon his death and would see that their children would not have to do field labor during his life but would be employed as house servants with some income.     Sally Hemmings and Thomas Jefferson had 6 children, four of which survived to adulthood.   Their three sons, Beverly, Madison and Eston were said to be the spitting image of Jefferson and all were able to pass as Caucasians.     Jefferson and Hemmings’ daughter, Harriet, is thought to have done so. Too, as James Madison said that he knew her well, she was living in Washington, D.C. and had married and had a family.    He would not disclose any more than that about her nor her brother Beverly as Madison kept in touch with them for many years  and would only say that Beverly and Harriet appeared to be happy and doing well, were prosperous and had children of their own and were wealthy members of the community, and both were well thought of bytheir peers.     In so doing, they assured their children of a life of privilege and not servitude which they would have been forced into in those days.   In reinventing themselves,  they denied their parentage and took up another identity thus assuring their heirs a better life than they had started out with by very effectively erasing themselves from known history and Harriet never saw her mother nor two siblings back at Monticello thereafter.     Really in-depth and enthralling.    You will learn much here you hadn’t heard about in your American History classes.   Bravo!   Well done!  I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is history a buff, who finds American history captivating and who would like to know more about what happened to the descendents of Sally Hemmings and Jefferson.   Excellent book.   And you will find out Jefferson left a LOT of debts and why.    (Let’s just say his daughters by his wife were users and expected him to keep them, their non-working husbands and their broods of children in a courtly lifestyle while they did nothing to contribute to the household income.   YEAH that blew through the cash real quick then they ungratefully blamed him and the country for not providing for them until their deaths.)   Reader, you will learn a lot from this book.   Well done.   I highly recommend this book.

Crossing Ebenezer Creek

Crossing Ebenezer Creek by Tonya Bolden, 230 pages

“Since the start of the Civil War, Mariah has dreamed of a Yankee victory that will grant her and her fellow enslaved men, women, and children their freedom. After Union soldiers show up to loot her Georgia plantation in November 1864, she, her younger brother Zeke, and many others join the 14th Army Corps of the left wing of General Sherman's army as it marches through Georgia. When a kind black man named Caleb invites her and Zeke to ride in his wagon, Mariah-generous hearted herself-accepts, bringing along a traumatized woman who cannot care for herself. The attraction between Caleb and Mariah is allowed to grow slowly and quietly, expressed only in each one's thoughts, over 12 days on the march. Readers learn, along with Mariah, about the war through Caleb's stories; the close-knit ties among the formerly enslaved members of the company are depicted through their experiences on the march, while the trials of their daily lives are revealed through Mariah's mostly silent memories. Bolden (Capital Days) bravely concludes this concise, moving story with a historically accurate and horrifying ending.” This was a good book but the ending, especially, was hard to read.  Although I liked the book, it felt a little disjointed throughout.  There was a lot of skipping around in history and point of view, and it was hard to follow sometimes.  However, overall I enjoyed it and would recommend it to kids who like historical fiction.

The Masterpiece

 The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis   368 pages

I’m in love! I have added a new writer to my list of those whom I’ll read everything they write! I have wanted to read Fiona Davis’ first two books, “The Address” and “The Dollhouse,’ but somehow they never quite reached the top of my TBR list before there was a wait list at the library. It was this latest novel that made me determined to read it; something about the cover clicked in my heart, and I couldn’t let it go. Thanks to NetGallery and Penguin Random House I got my hands on a first edition, which I devoured in three evenings.

The story’s structure is one of my favorites, dualing timelines. The story vacillates between 1928/30 and 1974/6. I think I know why Davis chose the mid-1970s to place the second part of the story, but I won’t tell. No spoilers here!

In 1928, Clara Darden is an artist, an illustrator, working as a teacher at the Grand Central School of Art. She is also a freelance illustrator. Her students are dropping out at an alarming rate, and she fears not being asked back next semester. Part of the reason is that she is a woman, the only one among the remaining manly faculty. A number of the faculty becomes prominent artists, but not Clara, well not really

Fast forward to 1974. Virginia Clay is a newly divorced woman, still somewhat stuck in her 1950s role as housewife and mother. She is applying for a job, which takes her to the rundown facility that is an eyesore, Grand Central Station. It’s dirty, infested with drug addicts, and has almost been deserted. The terminal’s owners have their office under the buildings eaves. After blowing her interview, she asks for the restroom key and heads down the hallway. Instead of the facilities, she finds herself in the abandoned art school. Pictures still hang from the walls, and although the place is covered in dust, it looks as if the students had just been yesterday. As luck would have it, Virginia is offered a job in the Information Booth, with a cast of odd characters. This gives her a chance to further explore the old art school, but is stunned to discover that someone else is also haunting the area. Then, Virginia finds a painting that could set the art world on its ear. A painting that someone is willing to kill to own.

I loved the juxtaposition of the art/art school and the architecture of Grand Central as masterpieces. Both Clara and Virginia are well drawn (no pun intended) and fascinating women, both with a stubborn streak that just begins to make itself known. I can’t wait to meet Davis when she comes to St. Louis on her book tour.

 “The Masterpiece,” receives 6 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

Katherine Of Aragon The True Queen

Katherine Of Aragon The True Queen by Alison Weir, 602 pages

“A princess of Spain, Catalina is only sixteen years old when she sets foot on the shores of England. The youngest daughter of the powerful monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella, Catalina is a coveted prize for a royal marriage--and Arthur, Prince of Wales, and heir to the English throne, has won her hand. But tragedy strikes and Catalina, now Princess Katherine, is betrothed to the future Henry VIII. She must wait for his coming-of-age, an ordeal that tests her resolve, casts doubt on her trusted confidantes, and turns her into a virtual prisoner. Katherine's patience is rewarded when she becomes Queen of England. The affection between Katherine and Henry is genuine, but forces beyond her control threaten to rend her marriage, and indeed the nation, apart. Henry has fallen under the spell of Katherine's maid of honor, Anne Boleyn. Now Katherine must be prepared to fight, to the end if God wills it, for her faith, her legitimacy, and her heart.” I like Weir’s writing, both in fiction and nonfiction.  This is an excellent story about Katherine.  People who like historical fiction, especially about the Tudor era, will want to read this.

Tiger Tiger

Tiger Tiger by Lynne Reid Banks, 195 pages

"Two tiger cub brothers are taken from the jungle to ancient Rome, where one becomes the pampered pet of Caesar's daughter and the other becomes a man-eating 'entertainment act' at the Colosseum." This is a fascinating story.  Although the people are made up, Banks makes them as realistic and true to the time period as possible.  This is a very enjoyable book and would be a good choice for kids who like historical or adventure stories.

Emerald

Emeraldby Karen Wallace, 277 pages

“Emerald St. John is in trouble. She has been condemned to marry a man she hates, her enemies are conspiring to have her pet bear Molly torn apart in the baiting pits, and the man she loves is far away on the high seas. And she has stumbled into a web of spies with a plot to poison Queen Elizabeth I. To save herself and the kingdom, Emerald must beat the spies at their own game - which means transforming herself from a country girl into a lady of the court. Can she do it in time?” I enjoyed this story.  It wasn’t one of the best books I’ve read about this time period but it was engaging.  Teens who like historical fiction or adventure type stories will enjoy it.

Gwendy’s Button Box

Gwendy’s Button Box by Stephen King, 171 pages

“It's 1974 when 12-year-old Gwendy Peterson is offered a magic box by a man named Richard Farris, whom she meets at the top of one of the cliffside Suicide Stairs in Castle Rock, Maine. Farris wears a "small neat black hat" and seems to know just who Gwendy is and what she wants. Eight buttons grace the mahogany box he offers to Gwendy, and a lever dispenses silver dollars and intricate chocolates that Farris claims will help Gwendy lose weight and escape being called "Goodyear" by her classmates. Lose weight she does, but that's not all. Wonderful things keep happening in Gwendy's life, and she's happier than she's ever been. But when she decides to press one of the buttons, the consequences are horrendous. The novella follows Gwendy through high school and beyond, capturing the golden-hued joy of childhood and the wonder of friendship and first love, all under the shadow of temptation.” This was entirely creepy and I loved it.  Anyone who likes horror will love this book.

A Plague Of Bogles

A Plague Of Bogles by Catherine Jinks, 330 pages

“Jem Barbary becomes a bogler's apprentice in 1870's London and gets the fright of his life in a city where science clashes with superstition and monsters lurk in every alley.” This book combines two of my favorite genres: fantasy and historical.  It also has a touch or horror about it.  Kids who like the combination will definitely want to read this series.

The Steep And Thorny Way

The Steep And Thorny Way by Cat Winters, 335 pages

“A thrilling reimagining of Shakespeare's Hamlet, The Steep and Thorny Way tells the story of a murder most foul and the mighty power of love and acceptance in a state gone terribly rotten. 1920s Oregon is not a welcoming place for Hanalee Denney, the daughter of a white woman and an African-American man. She has almost no rights by law, and the Ku Klux Klan breeds fear and hatred in even Hanalee's oldest friendships. Plus, her father, Hank Denney, died a year ago, hit by a drunk-driving teenager. Now her father's killer is out of jail and back in town, and he claims that Hanalee's father wasn't killed by the accident at all but, instead, was poisoned by the doctor who looked after him--who happens to be Hanalee's new stepfather.The only way for Hanalee to get the answers she needs is to ask Hank himself, a "haint" wandering the roads at night.” This book was a little hard to read because of the subject matter but it was very well done.  Teens who like historical fiction need to read this book.

Love Letters Home

Love Letters Home by Chapman Deering   450 pages

I wasn’t sure, exactly, what to make of this book when it arrived. Was it fiction or nonfiction?  And to be honest, I’m not really sure after finishing it.

In the Introduction, Deering explains that about fifteen years ago, “she found a cache of letters hidden in the attic of her family home. Her mother had died and  her father was moving into assisted living.” It’s that third person voice that made me wonder exactly what genre this book fell into. It sounded like fiction in that voice, but Deering’s signature makes it feel as if she is describing how the letters and the novel came to be.

There were more than four hundred letters, and it took the speaker/Deering three years to read and transcribe them. Ultimatey “the box contained one side of a nearly fur year correspondence.”

What Deering has created an amazing read.  While she fabricated what appears to be her mother-to-be’s side of the story, she used her father-to-be’s letters to tell the story of their romance and courtship.

Readers get to be a fly on the wall as the couple fight for their relationship as much as they are fighting for their country. Ruth LeBlanc and Jim Doughtery have been dating only a few months when the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor and  he joins the Army Air Corps (forerunner to the Air Force).

The timeframe for the novel is 1942 to 1945. What I really like about this story is that how hard it was on the homefront, and the honesty of Jim’s letters. Jim encourages Ruth to have a life, to go out and have fun. Ruth tries, but the stress of their apartness make it difficult. Beisdes, most of the men have joined the service and she does love Jim with her entire being.

I was glad that Deering touched on how the homefront had grown tired of the war after three years and began to feel less than supportive of those fighting overseas. I was also fascinated to witness their fighting via letters. At times, Jim really ticked me off with his, what we call today, male chauvenstic attitude.

I was terribly disappointed when this novel ended. I want to know how life turned out for the two. Maybe Deering will write another book about Ruth and Jim. 

“Love Letters Home” receives 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

The Inquisitor’s Tale or The Three Magical Children And Their Holy Dog

The Inquisitor’s Tale or The Three MagicalChildren And Their Holy Dog by Adam Gidwitz, 363 pages

“Crossing paths at an inn, thirteenth-century travelers impart the tales of a monastery oblate, a Jewish refugee, and a psychic peasant girl with a loyal greyhound, the three of whom join forces on a chase through France to escape persecution.” This book is pretty amazing.  Any child who likes historical fiction needs to read it.

My Brigadista Year

My Brigadista Year by Katherine Paterson, 198 pages

“A historical novel about a young Cuban teenager who volunteers for Fidel Castro's national literacy campaign that taught those throughout the impoverished countryside to read.” I knew nothing of this time period in history and I really liked learning a little about it through this novel.  This is really well done and kids who like historical fiction will love this book.

Anne Boleyn: A King’s Obsession

Anne Boleyn: A King’s Obsession by Alison Weir, 541 pages

“In this second novel of Alison Weir's epic Six Tudor Queens series, the acclaimed author and historian weaves exciting new research into the story of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's most infamous wife, a woman ahead of her time whose very life--and death--forever changed a nation.  Born into a noble English family, Anne is barely a teenager when she is sent from her family's Hever Castle to serve at the royal court of the Netherlands. This strategic move on the part of her opportunistic father also becomes a chance for the girl to grow and discover herself. There, and later in France, Anne thrives, preferring to absorb the works of progressive writers rather than participate in courtly flirtations. She also begins to understand the inequalities and indignities suffered by her gender. Anne isn't completely inured to the longings of the heart, but her powerful family has ambitious plans for her future that override any wishes of her own. When the King of England himself, Henry VIII, asks Anne to be his mistress, she spurns his advances--reminding him that he is a married man who has already conducted an affair with her sister, Mary. Anne's rejection only intensifies Henry's pursuit, but in the absence of a male heir--and given an aging Queen Katherine--the opportunity to elevate and protect the Boleyn family, and to exact vengeance on her envious detractors, is too tempting for Anne to resist, even as it proves to be her undoing. While history tells of how Anne Boleyn died, this compelling new novel reveals how fully she lived.” I’ve always loved both fiction and nonfiction about this time period in history.  Weir is a fantastic writer and researches her books thoroughly, such that even her fiction is historically as accurate as possible.  This is a great choice for people who like historical fiction, especially about the Tudor era.

Remembrances and Celebrations

Remembrances and Celebrations: A Book of Eulogies, Elegies, Letters and Epitaphs edited by Jill Werman Harris                   Paperback Book: 319 pages            Genre:  Historical remembrances and odes to famous people and sometimes their pets who were laid to rest alongside the family and letters, eulogies, words of sympathy offered in the passing of family and friends

Really interesting book, not morbid like you would think, but, genuinely filled with emotion, sometimes remorse, sometimes celebration of the person’s life and effect on the deliverer of the kind and sometimes funny memories of lives of consequence.     Dear words for dearly loved ones.     Honestly, the bereaved parents of children who have passed will bring a tear to your eye with their loving words and despair, as will the grief poured out in poetic verse and prayer over martyred men and children but, as joy comes in the morning and the darkest hour means the dawn is in sight (see Psalm 30:5) there are witty and even laugh out loud funny quips, rhymes and brief enlightenments even one blatant salesmanship job engraved in tombstones from the middle ages on down to now.    I enjoyed reading the heartfelt letters sent to the bereaved and the eulogies delivered.   They give you a look into the actual person do the writing/speaking.   Some of the epitaphs here are akin to the salty limericks passed down from sailors over the years.    I can’t help but appreciate the humor or humour delivered in some of the punches actually put on someone’s tombstone for every one to read and laugh over.   One even invited the viewer of the grave to stop and urinate on it before they go, using the slang word for the action so that it rhymed with the sentiment delivered.   Names you will find here are the Kennedys, Jackie Onassis, Malcolm X, Medger Evers,  Abraham Lincoln, C. S. Lewis, Lady Diana former Princess of Wales, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart,  Thomas Jefferson, John and Abigail Adams,  Benjamin Franklin, Mark Twain, Virginia Wolfe who wrote a goodbye letter to her husband and mother when she could no longer write because the voices in her head had gotten too loud so she simply put heavy rocks in her pockets and walked into the water and drowned herself.    There is much background information included in very short digestible bits on what was actually going on at the time and the relationship to the writer or orator involved.   The names will come to life when you learn of their love,  respect and deep compassion for the ones they eulogize, the letters bearing their own utter despair or fond memories of the departed soul to the ones left behind.    There is so much comfort here that is offered to those in mourning, Lord Byron, Lord Tennyson,  Herman Hesse, James Michener, Edgar Alan Poe, Langston Hughes, Ozzie Davis, Bishop Desmund TuTu, The Ghandis.   The poem, “Funeral Blues,” by W.H. Auden, resurfaced and gained much attention after being read in the film, “Four Weddings and a Funeral” is included here.  T.S. Elliot,  Dashiell Hammett, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, Dame Agatha Christie, Mammy Caroline Barr who raised William Faulkner and his siblings  whom they loved as their mother and wrote on her tombstone, “Her white children bless her.”  Henry Miller praises Anais Nin,  Duke Ellington, Paul Robeson, Yitzhak Rabin eulogized by King Hussein.   Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is eulogized by both ReverendRalph D. Abernathy and David Dinkins, Ogden Nash, Daniel Webster, George Burns, who lived to be 100 years old, too bad he didn’t get to do that last stint in Vegas before he left this world.   Laurence Olivier, Karl Marx, Jerry Garcia, Jackie Robinson whose eulogy was delivered by the Reverend Jesse Jackson, so many wonderful and bittersweet stories told here.   Not so melancholy honestly, just wait till you get to those hilarious ditties in the epitaphs section, some so honest they talk about a lady who let’s just say had been a “working (the streets) gal” in her day whoever paid for her tombstone described how many times she had been “tapp’d” over the years – yikes!  Frank Oz delivered Jim Henson’s moving tribute.   Horace Greely, George Bernard Shaw, Leonard Bernsein..    This book is truly a who’s who of the dead set.    It is actually a good read, I come away from this book feeling I have a better understanding of many historical and contemporary figures inner character.   I did enjoy this book and I would highly recommend it to adults who do not  have qualms with the topic of death.   I would not recommend it to young people while it isn’t harsh, I think some of the emotions expressed and the deep despair poured out in places might be a bit overwhelming for the tender-hearted and those not touched, yet, by the sorrow of losing someone.   Those who have undergone the loss of loved ones will find kindred spirits here and understand their pain and their hope for tomorrow.    Excellent book.   Well done Jill Weman Harris.   I end with one of the ditties on Dr. Potter, Archbishop of Canterbury (1736) has on his tombstone/plaque,  “Alack and well a-day, Potter himself is turned to clay.”   You can’t make this stuff up.  J