A Bounty of Books

The Printer and the Preacher: Ben Franklin, George Whitefield, and the Surprising Friendship that Invented America by Randy Petersen examines the somewhat unlikely friendship that spanned decades of each man's life. Using historical sources, including letters written between the men, Petersen lays out the trajectory of each man's life and how the overlap of their lives helped shape American history.

Petersen gives a thumbnail sketch of each man's life before their first interaction, but the majority of the book is spent discussing how Whitefield and Franklin influenced and helped one another. The way each life is presented, Petersen is trying to get the reader to see many parallels between them. He points out similarities in social standing, success, and thought, especially about engaging with and bettering one's community. The main difference was that Franklin thought the solution to all of society's woes was in civic engagement, and Whitefield thought the solution was Jesus.

The similarities Petersen points out are interesting, though some of them seem like somewhat of a stretch. Whitefield and Franklin did seem to have a symbiotic relationship that made both of them more successful than they could have been alone. It's clear they had a deep respect and affection for one another, though their opinions on many matters varied, sometimes widely. It's an overstatement to claim their friendship "invented America," but it does seem to have been an important relationship that is often overlooked when examining America's history.

The Printer and the Preacher is an interesting book about the friendship of two historically significant men. The pace is somewhat slow, and some of the connections feel forced. There is a fair amount of repetition and conjecture, though Petersen is good about pointing out what are just his thoughts. Overall, anyone who is a fan of early American history or of the first Great Awakening will find this an interesting, if not quite engaging, read. 

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookLook book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

He Wanted the Moon: The Madness and Medical Genius of Dr. Perry Baird, and His Daughter's Quest to Know Him by Mimi Baird is comprised largely of the account of her father's stay in a mental institution in the 1940s. Using his original manuscript that she edited for clarity, Baird recounts the story of the man whose illness stole him from her.

Dr. Perry Baird was a successful dermatologist in the Boston area in the 1940s. He suffered from what today would be called bipolar disorder. The lack of understanding and effective treatment of mental illness during this time led to his involuntary incarceration in Westborough State Hospital.

Without giving too much away, I find myself wondering, as Dr. Baird himself did, if the treatment he received while in the hospital only exacerbated his problem and led to the drastic measures both he and the medical community would later take. Dr. Baird's description of his treatment and his thoughts during his manic times is remarkably clear and well articulated. He allows the reader to almost feel what he was going through. Mimi Baird's contribution that describes the rest of her father's life after his manuscript ends adds to the dismay I felt for Dr. Baird and his family. The separation imposed by society at the time between the mentally ill and everyone familiar to him only added to the brokenness of the situation.

Anyone interested in the history of mental health treatment in America will find He Wanted the Moon an engaging read. Those interested in family relationships and the dynamics of society in the 1940s will also find  this book of interest.

Blogging for Books provided this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

Detained by Don Brown is a novel about a terrorist plot against the U.S. There are several moving parts, including a foreign-born member of the United States Navy, his father, two Navy JAG lawyers, the Judge Advocate General of the U.S. Navy and his wife, and several characters from the Department of Homeland Security. Honestly, there are too many main characters for any of them to be fully developed.

The plot of Detained is convoluted at best. I have read other novels of Brown's in the past, and remember enjoying them, which is why I was so surprised with how much I did not like Detained. The plot is so outlandish and the characters seem like they belong in an SNL skit they are so one sided and a mockery of themselves.

I generally enjoy any novel that takes place in the military world, even if the plot and/or characters are not as developed or tight as I normally prefer them. However, there was just nothing in Detained I could latch on to. This won't stop me from reading Don Brown in the future, but I definitely won't be reading the rest of this series. 

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookLook book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

Hyacinth Girls by Lauren Frankel is an all too real novel about the effects of bullying. Two stories unfold simultaneously as the adult narrator tells the story of the girl she is raising, as well as the story of her own friendship with the girl's mother.

From the beginning, Frankel sets a tone of mystery. There are so many questions the first scene creates. Those questions are answered as the two stories slowly unfold. Each revelation brings a new level of understanding. When the narrator switches to the teenage girls, the knowledge she doesn't have that the adults her life do adds a sense of poignancy to the story.

As someone who works with teenagers, the reality of this story hit close to home. Frankel accurately captures the heightened emotions that teenage girls experience as they form friendships and create enemies. The cruelty shown in this novel was so real that as I read how the characters treated one another, I flinched with each verbal blow. Hyacinth Girls is a striking reminder of the power of words to shape one's life, especially at a young age. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the interactions of teenage girls. Both adults and teenagers alike will not just benefit from this story, but will enjoy the ride it takes one on as well.

Blogging for Books provided this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

All Groan Up: Searching for Self, Faith, and A Freaking Job! by Paul Angone is a look at one man's journey through the ups and downs that make up the current American twentysomething life. While sharing his own story of navigating these confusing years of his life, Angone shares some of the universal truths he has learned along the way.

Reading All Groan Up is like finding your long lost teddy bear at a flea market; it shows up out of the blue and makes you feel all warm and fuzzy and just a bit more secure simply because you have its company. By sharing not just his failures, but his internal monologue during this season, he offers one of the most comforting pieces of knowledge - you aren't the only failure (self-perceived or not) out there. Nothing is wrong with you because you reached "adulthood" not having all the answers - or even all the questions.

By inviting the reader into his life, Angone offers a precious gift - community. He both opens and closes the book encouraging the reader to read this book not alone, but with a community, because he knows that sharing the load makes it easier to carry. That's what All Groan Up does. It lightens the load of the reader by letting them know they aren't alone as they stumble through the pitfalls along the way "being an adult" whatever that really means.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookLook book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255