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Aside from a comprehensive story of the atom bomb, MacGregor covers a lot of detail about the war in the Pacific including the development of the B-29 and the ghastly firebombing of Tokyo. One thing new to me was the prejudice in Japan against the survivors. They were known as Hibakusha (bomb-affected people) and were ostracized. They lacked governmental support as they fell victim to radiation-related illnesses. Those who were healthy were discriminated against in higher education and the workplace. They were refused housing and were denied access to public places. They had difficulty in finding marriage partners. The discrimination still lingers. This non-fiction book about the brutality and tragedy of war is a result of meticulous research. The ending was unputdownable. This book is not in the Coffman collection but is available in the Ramsey and Hennepin County Libraries
Just In from Twin Cities' |
| By Nilima Sinha, Library Committee Heartwood by Amity Gaige is a gripping story of three women who are either physically or metaphorically lost in the woods. The story is narrated from their three different points of view. Valerie Gillis is a forty-two-year-old devoted and tender-hearted nurse who had a difficult time taking care of her patients during Covid. The pandemic left her overwhelmed and distressed. She is also no longer in love with her supportive and loyal husband, Gregory. To overcome her emotional burden, she decides to hike the very challenging Appalachian trail, which runs from Georgia to Maine. In Maine, on the final leg of her journey, Valerie goes missing. While lost, she creates journal entries to keep track of time and maintain her sanity. These writings are exquisite letters to her mom. |   |
Lt. Bev is the Maine State Game Warden who is leading the investigation into Valerie’s disappearance. She is intensely dedicated to her work and does it at the cost of her personal life. She has had to deal with misogyny, aggression and dismissal, but rather than be marginalized, she has worked hard and succeeded in a male-dominated field.
Lena Kucharski is a seventy-six-year-old, living in a retirement community. She loves science and is a reader, a forager and a loner with an estranged daughter. Lena gets interested in the case of the lost hiker and becomes a helpful cyber sleuth.
I enjoyed reading the book. What I enjoyed most was the visceral description of the Appalachian trail such as shelters on the way where hikers leave notes and updates for other hikers, and small towns on the route where hikers do laundry and eat massive amounts of food. I relished learning about the trail culture, the trail names of hikers, their camaraderie and their distinct vocabulary. Beautifully described by Gaige is the Maine wilderness with its canopies of trees and mossy floors, which make a perfect haven for birds and a place for humans to get lost in.
Heartwood is in the Coffman collection and is shelved in the Mystery section under Gaige. The writing is beautiful, and the story is more than a mystery. It is a tale about survival, connection and self-discovery.
Lena Kucharski is a seventy-six-year-old, living in a retirement community. She loves science and is a reader, a forager and a loner with an estranged daughter. Lena gets interested in the case of the lost hiker and becomes a helpful cyber sleuth.
I enjoyed reading the book. What I enjoyed most was the visceral description of the Appalachian trail such as shelters on the way where hikers leave notes and updates for other hikers, and small towns on the route where hikers do laundry and eat massive amounts of food. I relished learning about the trail culture, the trail names of hikers, their camaraderie and their distinct vocabulary. Beautifully described by Gaige is the Maine wilderness with its canopies of trees and mossy floors, which make a perfect haven for birds and a place for humans to get lost in.
Heartwood is in the Coffman collection and is shelved in the Mystery section under Gaige. The writing is beautiful, and the story is more than a mystery. It is a tale about survival, connection and self-discovery.