Mary E. Trimble

The Moonshiner’s Daughter: A Southern Coming-of-Age Saga of Family and Loyalty by Donna Everhart is a novel loaded with authenticity and grit, set in North Carolina, 1960.

Moonshining in the Brushy Mountains of Wilkes County, North Carolina had been a popular occupation for generations, even though it was against the law. The law wasn’t based on dangers to health, it was based on taxes, originally put in place right after the American Revolution to pay off its war debt. Even though illegal, it was common practice. Well-hidden stills dotted the heavily forested hills, and it became a lucrative but dangerous business, dodging revenuers while making their runs on the hilly mountain roads. It was common practice to bury ill-gained money rather than betray their occupation by depositing large amounts of cash in banks.

Jessie Sasser’s family had made moonshine for generations. But she wants no part of it. When she was four and her little brother Merritt two, Jessie had the horrible experience of watching her mother die when her clothes caught fire while she and Jessie’s father made sour mash. Jessie’s father refuses to talk about her mother or what they were doing at the time of her death.

Even though Jessie, now sixteen, and her brother are expected to help in the family business, she deeply resents it. She doesn’t want to be known as a moonshiner’s daughter. She attempts to seek comfort in food and develops an eating disorder, constantly binging, then purging, harboring a distorted vision of her body with feelings of shame and worthlessness. A school nurse tries to help Jessie see what she’s doing to her body and health, but Jessie is in denial. She feels unpopular at school, is a loner, rarely speaks to the other students, and doesn’t care about her appearance.

When an unexpected revelation occurs, Jessie sees her family and her own strengths in a different light, an insight that changes her life.

I found The Moonshiner’s Daughter fascinating. I was soon accustomed to the local dialect: “I reckon I might could do that.” Although the story is believable, I found it hard to relate to Jessie. My school days were filled with friends and total involvement with my school’s extensive music program. But I was vaguely aware of girls who obviously viewed themselves as misfits. After reading this book I wish I had reached out to those girls, shown friendship. I would highly recommend this book to women and teenage girls, not to learn how to make moonshine (though interesting), but to become more aware of how mental attitude affects our health and feelings of well-being. Plus, it’s a riveting, entertaining story.

Book Review: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Posted on November 11, 2024 by Mary

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, the first of five volumes of autobiography by Maya Angelou (1928 – 2014), with a Foreword by Oprah Winfrey, is a joyous but painful memoir about the early life of a Black woman who was raised in the bigoted South.

Although both her parents were still living (but separated), Maya and her brother Bailey, one year older, were sent to live with their father’s mother in Stamps, Arkansas. The family—grandmother, a crippled uncle, and the two children lived in the back of their grandmother’s small grocery store. Though strict, their grandmother was a powerful influence on Maya, lessons that provided the strength and determination she would need in life.

As a young child Maya was aware of the unfairness Blacks suffered, especially in the South. People who worked in the cotton fields never made decent wages and were always in debt, but many didn’t have the money to relocate. The schools children attended were geared for Black children with the idea that when they graduated their “careers” would be as carpenters, farmers, handymen, masons, maids, cooks and babysitters. Maya was an exceptional student and far ahead of other children in her classes.

For a brief time she stayed with her mother in St. Louis, but that visit ended in tragedy. At a later time, she visited her father in California, but he had no sense of responsibility and Maya narrowly missed catastrophe while with him. Later, she again lived with her mother in St. Louis, attended school, and at the age of 16 had an unwanted pregnancy that changed her life forever.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings captured my heart. Things white people take for granted—freedom of where they will live, be educated, get medical care, etc. were denied to Blacks, especially in the South. Many of these issues have improved in recent years, but many prejudices still linger.

Angelou says it best: “The fact that the adult American Negro female emerges a formidable character is often met with amazement, distaste and even belligerence. It is seldom accepted as an inevitable outcome of the struggle won by survivors and deserves respect if not enthusiastic acceptance.” I think every American should read this memoir. It is an honest representation of life in the South even in our lifetime.

Book Review: The Children’s Blizzard

Posted on November 4, 2024 by Mary

The Children’s Blizzard, a novel by Melanie Benjamin, is a well-told story based on actual histories of survivors of the devastating Nebraska Dakota Territory blizzard of 1888.

Following a cold spell, January 12, 1888 was an unusually warm morning. School children were delighted to shed their heavy winter coats. At the hour when most prairie schools were letting out for the day, a terrifying fast-moving blizzard blew across the plains. Schoolteachers were suddenly faced with life and death decisions: keep the children in school or send them home.

Raina Olson, 16, taught in a rickety one-room school house. She boarded with a family near the little school. The family she lived with was strange. The father showed special, inappropriate attention to her; the overbearing mother in the family hated her life, hated the prairie. Also in the household was Anette, a young servant girl whose mother sold her to the family for a pig and two chickens. The little girl was given too much work for one so young.

Gerda, 15, Raina’s sister, had a secret boyfriend. Her parents wouldn’t have approved of him, but Gerda was in love, even though all he really talked about was going out West, being a cowboy. Gerda was also a teacher and she’d planned to let the children out early on this surprisingly lovely day so she could spend time with her boyfriend.

When the blizzard suddenly struck, Raina was in a quandary. Should she keep the children at school, or take the chance on letting them make their way home? She realized the schoolhouse didn’t have enough fuel to keep warm for long, and when the window blew out she realized she really had no choice.

Gerda had already made her decision to let the children out early. When the storm struck, the children were in immediate danger. Some of them had a distance to walk, most of them in unsuitable clothing for the raging storm they faced.

Life was already hard for these immigrant homesteaders. Most of them had come from Europe, lured by unrealistic promises of wealth to be had in this unclaimed “land of plenty.” The sudden storm added misery to their lives. Countless died, and even though some survived, many were maimed as the result of frozen hands and feet. Some bodies weren’t found until the spring thaw.

The Children’s Blizzard, is a stark reminder of nature’s ferocious strength and the price to be paid for unpreparedness. I tore through this powerful book. Knowing that the story was based on historical events added to the fascination for me. The Author’s Notes were also intriguing and added depth to this story of fiction based on facts.

Book Review: Jackie

Posted on October 28, 2024 by Mary

Jackie, a novel by Dawn Tripp is a fascinating story of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and other important historical figures of the 20th Century. The story is mostly told through Jackie’s point of view.

The novel begins with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas, November 22, 1963, then flashes back to Jackie’s first introduction to Senator Kennedy, their marriage, their children, and when John became President of the United States. Throughout the book Kennedy is referred to as Jack, the name his family and friends called him.

The story eloquently captures Jackie Kennedy’s imagined thoughts and conversations with family, friends and others. Jackie was an extraordinary person, intelligent, well read, had a keen appreciation of fine art, and was athletic. She came from wealth and she married into wealth, allowing luxury travel and advantages a “normal” person can only dream of. Nevertheless, she maintained high standards and met her obligations with grace and wit.

There were scandals—Jack and other women—but although hurtful, Jackie chose to accept it. Her life was fulfilling, especially with their children, Carolyn and John. She was deeply traumatized when President Kennedy was assassinated, but as the world watched, she carried her heavy burden with dignity.

Jackie had met Aristotle Onassis years before, but as time went on after Jack’s death, they often had dinner together in New York when he was in the States on business. Their friendship blossomed into marriage. They lived in Greece in unimaginable luxury, but it was not a happy union.

Widowed again, Jackie yearned to lead a meaningful life, to contribute. She became an editor at Viking Press, then later at Doubleday, work she found fulfilling.

This review only skims over the story of Jackie Kennedy Onassis. The book is so much more with meticulous research and exquisite prose. Although it is a novel, much of the story follows well-known historical events. I was raising a young family when President Kennedy was assassinated, but I clearly remember that awful day and the subsequent chain of events. I watched on television his flag-draped coffin as it was carried on a horse-drawn caisson to the Capitol to lie in state. In my mind I can still see Jackie, stricken with grief, with her young children watching the procession, and little John, only three years old, saluting his father’s coffin.

I loved this novel and recommend it to anyone interested in that era of our country’s history. The book is more than just about Jackie, it delves into America as it was in the sixties and later. It’s a story of love and power, tragedy and reinvention.

Book Review–Roads: Driving America’s Great Highways

Posted on October 21, 2024 by Mary

In Roads: Driving America’s Great Highways, Larry McMurtry crisscrosses our nation’s scenic highways, reminiscing along the way about the places he’s seen, the people he’s met, and sharing stunning landscapes from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Coast.

This memoir was written over a period of time and published in 2001. In most cases McMurtry flew to his destination, rented a car, then drove back to his native Archer City, Texas. He preferred driving north to south toward warmer weather, and east to west toward the big skies. Based on sites he visits, he talks about history, plus interesting stories about writers and the books they have written. On his various routes he mentions familiar names of true characters such as Kit Carson, Jim Bridger, George Custer, William Frederick Cody (Buffalo Bill), Charles Goodnight, Crazy Horse, Red Cloud, and one of my favorites, Quanah Parker. McMurtry talks of various Native tribes and their conquests and demise. Along his travels he notes the places where the characters in his many books either resided or did their deeds.

Being a Washingtonian, I enjoyed the section in Eastern Washington where McMurtry describes the diverse landscapes. He follows the paths that Lewis and Clark walked, rode, or floated. McMurtry claims Highway 2 has everything—the wildest vistas, the greatest skies, prolific history, the mountain men, famous and infamous Native Americans.

Volunteering with the American Red Cross for twenty years, I’ve driven on many of the highways McMurtry mentions in Louisiana, Texas, Missouri, Nevada, California, and Tennessee. The differences between our destinations, however, is that McMurtry traveled to see the sites, but my trips were to deal with disasters. I wish I’d had the leisure to delve into the history that McMurtry shares in this delightful book.

Travelers and history buffs will enjoy Roads: Driving America’s Great Highways. It’s a fascinating read as well as enlightening, both in American history and in McMurtry’s personal history.

Book Review: Enduring Promise

Posted on October 14, 2024 by Mary

Enduring Promise, an engaging novel by Susanna Lane, takes place in Nebraska, 1878.

Bryce Enders has had a varied, hard life. He served in the Civil War, panned for gold, was a train guard, and long ago, worked cattle. Now he’s in search of his younger brother whom he hasn’t seen in years, since Bryce went off to war.

In Ogallala, he asks about his brother Cort and learns that Cort has a ranch, the Double E, within a two-day riding distance. The ride is fraught with near disaster, but when the brothers finally reunite they’re almost strangers, though there is a strong family resemblance. The 20,000-acre ranch is thriving and Bryce is welcomed to sign on, work the ranch with his brother.

While tracking down cattle, Bryce comes across a neighboring run-down ranch house. He sees that all of the buildings are in disrepair. Hannah, the attractive owner, explains that a storm wrecked the house and barn. Then, more recently, Cort’s cattle broke her fence and scattered her livestock and chickens. Bryce and the other hands repair the damage. In digging a little further, Bryce learns that Hannah’s abusive husband is seldom around. He has a bad reputation and is gone for long periods of time.

As Bryce helps to restore order on Hannah’s ranch, they can’t deny their attraction to one another. However, Hannah takes her wedding vows seriously and resists acknowledging her strong feelings toward Bryce. Even though Bryce restrains himself, he is determined to free Hannah from vows that apparently mean nothing to her husband. Bryce’s determination to free Hannah could back-fire, putting himself and her in terrible danger.

Enduring Promise, the second of the “Promise” series, is a fast-paced novel packed with action and strong characters. The author effectively captures the attitudes of the time period with gripping scenes and well-defined characters. It is a worthy sequel to Imperfect Promise, the first book of the series.

Book Review: The Diary of a Young Girl

Posted on October 7, 2024 by Mary

The Diary of a Young Girl: The Definitive Edition, commonly referred to as The Diary of Anne Frank, is a poignant writing of a Dutch Jewish girl while she and her family were in hiding during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands.

The story begins with Anne’s thirteenth birthday. The diary was written like letters to a dear friend she calls Kitty. Anne describes in detail all the restrictions forced upon Jews: they couldn’t attend public places of recreation, they could only shop during a brief time at the end of the day, they had to turn in their bicycles, they couldn’t ride in cars (even their own), could frequent only Jewish-owned barbershops and beauty parlors, could not attend public schools, etc. Every Jew had to wear a conspicuous yellow star.

Because of the severe restrictions in Frankfurt, Anne’s family—her father, mother, and sister, who was three years older—moved to Amsterdam in 1933. Anne’s father owned a pectin processing company. When Germany occupied Amsterdam, being a Jew, he could no longer own a business. To avoid the Holocaust, they quickly prepared a hiding place in a building they called the Annex, her father’s former place of business. The building’s upper floors grew narrower toward the tip of the building. They lived in cramped quarters on the top three floors. They moved into the Annex in 1942. Soon another family of three joined them, and then a single man, a dentist. Eight people in the cramped space was challenging. Their beds were make-shift: Anne’s bed was a sofa extended by chairs to fit her body. During the day they had to be quiet so those working on the lower floors would not hear them. They had to cover the windows, avoid using lights at night, and dispose of garbage during the night when they couldn’t be observed.

The peaked building where the Frank family lived

They did have outside help who brought food and reading material to them, but the whole country was in distress and food was often inadequate to sustain a healthy diet.

Some of Anne’s writing was typical of a thirteen and fourteen year-old girl, but much of it was far beyond her years, especially by American standards. She studied French, Latin, English, German, and Dutch languages, geometry, algebra, history, geography, art history, mythology, biology, and Bible history. She was a precocious girl and saw humor in much of her surroundings; yet complained of the many restrictions.

Anne writes of typical teen angst concerns: she didn’t get along with her mother much of the time, but she adored her father. Anne and her older sister were not close. The family that lived with them had a son, 16, and he and Anne became friends.

The diary ends abruptly when the family was captured in August, 1944. The edition I read furnished pictures of the building where the families lived, and a brief history of the individuals involved.

I’d heard about this book for years and am so thankful I’ve had the opportunity to read it. Anne was an exceptional girl, though typical in many ways. It’s hard to imagine the hardships Jews have endured, and how those atrocities could be justified. I recommend this book to adults and teens

Book Review: You Never Know

Posted on September 30, 2024 by Mary

You Never Know, a fun, funny and sometimes poignant memoir by Tom Selleck, is an entertaining story by one of Hollywood’s most beloved actors. Selleck has been a favorite of mine for years and I loved reading about the ins and outs of his interesting life.

Attending University of Southern California on a basketball scholarship, Tom Selleck was a mediocre student. His close-knit family was very supportive and throughout the memoir he refers to his family with love and respect.

Tom took acting classes and slowly built up his career, typically with smaller roles, eventually becoming one of Hollywood’s favorite leading men. He found fame in the long-running, award-winning television series Magnum, P.I. which was filmed in Hawaii. Each step along the way brought energy to his budding career. As Selleck is fond of saying, “I’m a bricklayer, one brick at a time.” He’s had setbacks, but learned from them. He found mentors and friends from whom he sought wisdom and encouragement. He often quotes words of wisdom from friends such as Sam Elliott, Frank Sinatra, Carol Burnett, and often pays special tribute to his mentor James Garner. He speaks of the challenges actors face in creating movies and TV shows, the long hours, the delays, and the discomforts of various situations.

The memoir takes us along on his several movies and television series. I’ve seen many of them and for years have enjoyed following his career.

I admire Tom Selleck’s forthright style of writing, and his honesty in facing the many challenges of television and movie productions. I very much enjoyed Selleck’s genuine way of sharing his professional and personal life.

Book Review: The Reluctant Pioneer

Posted on September 23, 2024 by Mary

The Reluctant Pioneer, a novel by Julie McDonald Zander, is an inspiring story of faith and determination of a family who treks two thousand miles along the Oregon Trail.

Matilda Koontz loves her life. She and her husband Nicholas are the parents of four rambunctious boys ranging in ages from eight to three. They live on a Missouri farm, but Nicholas fears the land won’t be enough to sustain their sons when they grow up and have families of their own. Matilda balks when Nicholas suggests they sell their farm and trek two thousand miles west where they can claim free land. She eventually agrees and they sell their farm and say goodbye to their Missouri family. Matilda realizes she will probably never again see her beloved aging mother.

In the spring of 1847 the Koontzes join a wagon train and embark on their grueling journey westward bound for the Willamette Valley, Oregon. Their covered wagon, pulled by four oxen, is stuffed with essential tools, clothing and food. Rather than ride in the wagon as it bounces and jerks along on the rough trail, they walk. Matilda is just beginning to realize she is again pregnant, but she often carries their youngest son or at least holds his hand as they trudge along the hot dusty trail. They are sobered at the sight of fresh graves, people who have died along the way of disease or accidents. Matilda cooks their meals on an open fire. As their supplies dwindle, the men hunt, or sometimes the families are able to replenish at forts along the way. Their journey seems endless and fraught with danger.

When tragedy strikes, not once but twice, their dreams are shattered. How can they possibly continue? What happens next is a testament to faith and determination.

Although The Reluctant Pioneer is a work of fiction, it was inspired by a true story. Author Julie McDonald Zander has also written an award-winning non-fiction story of this brave woman: The Story of Matilda (Glover) Koontz Jackson. Both the novel and non-fiction books are inspirational and worthy accounts of this brave woman

Book Review: The Sea Runners

Posted on September 16, 2024 by Mary

The Sea Runners, a novel by Ivan Doig (1939 – 2015), is yet another excellent story told by an exceptional author. The story begins in 1853 in Russian-ruled New Archangel, which today is an independent city within Sitka, Alaska.

Four men, indentured Swedish servants, plan an escape in a stolen Tlingit canoe from a Russian Alaska work camp. Melander, the mastermind behind the escape, and Karlson, Wennberg and Braff gather maps and smuggle provisions.

The canoe, about twenty feet long by three feet wide, is a well-built craft, but small for the grueling journey ahead. Their destination is the Port of Astoria, Oregon, where they can start life anew as free men. They escape Christmas Eve while their captors celebrate the holiday.

As their harrowing 1,000 mile journey unfolds, the men suffer rough seas, freezing cold winds, sore arms and blistered hands from their constant rowing. At night they beach the canoe, make a fire, eat what scarce provisions they brought, then later what they gather along the beach. They encounter hostile Tlingit Indians, but their biggest struggles are mere survival, overcoming sea-sickness and fatigue, plus harboring doubt and distrust of one another. They long for a roof over their head, a square meal, and clean clothes, but they’re determined to keep on keeping on.

The Sea Runners is based on a true story. Ivan Doig was a masterful storyteller and the struggle with sea, wind, and the blending of different personalities are exquisitely portrayed in this novel. The rugged Pacific coast is vividly illustrated and the men’s struggle for survival starkly realistic. My husband and I crossed the Pacific on a forty-foot sailboat, and while it had its challenges, it was nothing but smooth sailing compared to what these men endured.