Last Friday Mark and I went downtown for lunch and to take in the Wisconsin Triennial at MMoCA. We also made a quick stop at Half Price Books to look for a used copy of Susan Orleans' "The Library," the next book our group is reading. The library hold list was so long we decided buying a copy made more sense. While at Half Price I found a treasure from my youth: "A Little Maid of Boston" by Alice Turner Curtis.
I splurged and spent $5.00 for a 1954 hardcover copy. I wanted to see if these little books were as good — and as history filled — as I remembered. I devoured every title in this series as a kid and was impressed as an adult with all the factual info it contained, with few explanations of words a child would be unlikely to know. I am convinced that my love (and knowledge) of American history came from these books. I've always claimed that was the case but finding one of the books and reading it now, convinced me I am right.
I've been waiting three months for my name to get to the top of the hold list for a copy of this book (above). Definitely worth the wait. I picked it up Saturday morning after meeting friends for coffee and finished it late Sunday evening. Here's my take:
Goldsmith's book reminded me of "Say Nothing," another book about a kidnapping and disappearance that is at the center of each story. Yet, in both instances, it is all the other stories, facts, fictions, hidden history and politics that make these books worth reading. The author's stepfather, Chuckie OBrien, was Jimmy Hoffa's driver, go-fer, delivery guy and a young man who Hoffa treated more fondly than he did his own son. This was a page-turner since one obviously wants to find out what happened to Hoffa. By the time I reached the end of the book, those answers had paled compared to what I discovered about the mob, illegal government surveillance, family love and loyalty. Alas, it's the kind of story that made me very unhappy and even more disillusioned in my government. Still, a great read.
I spent Monday baking cookies (Meini, Italian corneal "coins," above) for our annual New Year's Day brunch and today I'll work on the main dishes. It snowed a couple of inches overnight so it looks and feels like December.
Have a safe and happy holiday. See you in 2020!
