Beauty, by Robin McKinley

    Beauty is one of my favorite fairy-tale retellings. This is due to the convincing way that Robin McKinley tells it, which I'm impressed with, since Beauty is a retelling of the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast.

Plot Summary: Beauty's real name is Honour, but she doesn't like the name. She doesn't like her nickname "Beauty" either, since she feels it's more fitting to her lovely older sisters. But Beauty has courage, and when her father's business fails she's determined to support her family. The family recovers from the blow when they move into the country and settle down, except that there's tales of an enchanted wood that Beauty is forbidden to go into. But then her father comes home with the news of a terrible promise he was forced to make to the Beast who lives in an enchanted castle in the forest. Determined to protect her family (and just maybe to have a bit of adventure) Beauty steps forward to fulfill the promise. Can a Beast be tamed?

Discussions: 

   First, the writing style of the book is captivating. The descriptions are perfectly clear without being over-wordy (and some of them, especially in the Beast's castle, are rather tantalizing!) and the characters are real. Even the Beast is given a personality, one that's admirably developed. 

    Beauty is a spirited heroine, who regrets very little about losing her fine city home except for the books she had there. She's clever and strong, if she lacks her sisters' lovely looks. Her sisters, Grace and Hope, are not the selfish, greedy sisters of the original fairy tale; both of them are good-natured and gentle. Grace's husband-to-be has been lost at sea with the girls' father's ships, which is a continual sorrow to her. Hope marries a country blacksmith who helps out the family. Their father is a merchant, who lost his ships at sea, and wishes he could give his daughters a better place to live than a country house. When he leaves because of a rumor that one of his ships has returned, he asks his daughters if there's anything he can bring back to them. All of the girls respond that what they want is for him to return safely, but Beauty adds a request for some rose seeds to plant by the house. Her father is determined to bring back rose seeds for her, and when he stumbles into an enchanted castle in a blizzard, he plucks a rose to show Beauty. When the owner of the castle, an enormous Beast, finds him, he demands that the merchant bring the daughter for whom he plucked the rose. Beauty's father is determined to go back himself, but Beauty, stricken by her wish for rose seeds, talks him into letting her go. The family's relationship is loving and caring. 

    The Beast himself is a masterful creature who orders his invisible servants around his castle without thought. The castle is a marvelous one, full of luxury and attended by the aforementioned invisible servants. Beauty is delighted to discover the castle's library, which contains not only the books that have been written, but those which have not yet been written. Beauty is at first frightened of the Beast, but the Beast is determined to break the enchantment he's under, although he cannot tell her of it, and so every night he asks her if she will marry him. Beauty is his only hope. 

     Beauty is a fascinating retelling of the famous Beauty and the Beast that I very much enjoyed. There is some romance, which is necessary in a story if it's based on this fairy tale, but there isn't a lot of it. Also, Beauty must look beyond appearances if she is to fall in love with the Beast, which will result in a deeper relationship. Just as a note, there are also a few references to magic, which is also somewhat necessary in a fairy tale.

  

 Overall: I and my sisters really like this book. I definitely recommend it, especially if you like fairy-tale retellings.

Born After Midnight, by A. W. Tozer - Quotes

 

  I recently read Born After Midnight, by A. W. Tozer, which is a book of discussions on Christian living. Here are some of my favorite quotes from this book about spiritual renewal. 

"Always and always God must be put first. The gospel in its scriptural context puts the glory of God first and the salvation of men second... God's glory is and must forever remain the Christian's true point of departure. Anything that begins anywhere else, whatever it is, is certainly not New Testament Christianity."

"We settle for words in religion because deeds are too costly. It is easier to pray, 'Lord, help me to carry my cross daily' than to pick up the cross and carry it."

"The best way to keep the enemy out is to keep Christ in. The sheep need not be terrified by the wolf; they have only to stay close to the shepherd. It is not the praying sheep Satan fears but the presence of the shepherd."

"Thinking about God and holy things creates a moral climate favorable to the growth of faith and love and humility and reverence. We cannot by thinking regenerate our hearts, nor take our sins away nor change the leopard's spots. Neither can we by thinking add one cubit to our stature or make evil good and darkness light... But we can by Spirit-inspired thinking help to make our minds pure sanctuaries in which God is pleased to dwell."

"The best way to control our thoughts is to offer the mind to God in complete surrender."

"God will allow his His servant to succeed when he has learned that success does not make him dearer to God nor more valuable in the total scheme of things. "

"We can afford to follow Him to failure. Faith dares to fail. The resurrection and the judgment will demonstrate before all worlds who won and who lost. We can wait."

"If we cannot die for Christ we can live for Him, and sometimes this is more heroic and will bring a larger reward."

"When we become too glib in prayer we are most surely talking to ourselves."

"The believing Christian will relish every moment in church and will profit by it. The instructed, obedient Christian will yield to God as the clay to the potter, and the result will be not waste but glory everlasting."

Check out Born After Midnight for more insights on Christian living!

The Melendy Quartet, by Elizabeth Enright

     

    Here's a review on a hilarious series that my family and I have loved for a long time! The Melendy Quartet is the story of the Melendys, a family living in New York during WWII, who run into all sorts of funny adventures. Interestingly enough, the first name of this author is the same as that of the last two authors whose works I've reviewed on this blog. Either Elizabeth was a common name about fifty years ago, or it's just coincidence that some good books have been written by people named Elizabeth. Or both. Still, maybe I should find something a bit different next time. 
    Since this is a series, I'll give plot summaries of each book and then discuss the series as a whole. 

Plot Summaries:

Book 1 - The Saturdays: One rainy, boring Saturday, creative ten-year-old Randy comes up with a plan for the four Melendy children to spend their Saturdays. If they pool their allowances, there's enough money for each one to take turns going out alone on a Saturday and spending the day in the bustling New York City. This leads to a series of comic adventures, such as running into a fascinating friend at an art museum, getting lost when returning from the circus, rescuing a stray dog on the way home from an opera, visiting Central Park with catastrophic results, and more!

Book 2 - The Four-Story Mistake: The Melendys are moving from their home in New York City to an old house in the country known as The Four-Story Mistake (due to an old architectural flaw). Although not all of them are excited at first about the change, the four siblings grow to love the new house and run into a new series of adventures - swimming in the ice-cold brook, getting trapped in a treehouse during a storm, creating a play to put on to earn money for War Bonds, ice-skating, crashing a bicycle into a bus, and discovering a secret room. 

Book 3 - Then There Were Five: The intrepid Melendys are determined to earn some money to go toward the war, so Rush and Randy set out on a scrap drive. While collecting old metal, they meet the Addisons (a friendly farm family), Mr. Titus (an old man who loves fishing and bakes prize-winning desserts), and an abused orphan named Mark Herron. They befriend Mark quickly and he takes them on a series of adventures exploring the woods. But they have their own adventures, too - Oliver's caterpillar collecting and fishing adventures with Mr. Titus, running the house while the adults are away and undertaking a whole summer's worth of canning, and more. But when tragedy strikes for Mark, what will the innovative Melendys do?

Book 4 - Spiderweb for Two; A Melendy Maze: The older children are nearly grown up, and away at boarding school, leaving Randy to "the worst winter of her life" at home with Oliver. But these two younger Melendys are suddenly granted another adventure when a mysterious riddle arrives in the mailbox, sending them on an intricate journey of clues to search for. What's it leading up to? And who arranged it all? Whatever the cause, the winter is no longer boring for Randy and Oliver, who search diligently through forest, over field, in a cave, in their own house (including trying to go up the chimney), and generally puzzling everyone they come in contact with, because the first clue has told them not to tell anyone. 

Discussion: When I first brought these books home from the library several years ago, I was basically the only one who read them. Then my siblings started getting into them, and then we listened to them all in the car. We'd get as many of the CDs from the library as we could and take them on trips, listening to one after the other. This has gotten to the point that some of us are pretty tired of the CD of Then There Were Five, but we still love the books. This series is so much fun. It's very, very funny, and the characters are real and easy to relate to. Let's look at the characters. 
     Mona is the oldest of the Melendy four. In the first book she is thirteen, and very pretty, with blue eyes and long blond hair. Mona wants to be an actress, so she memorizes all the Shakespeare poetry she can and quotes it whenever she can. She is sensible and responsible (most of the time).
     Rush is the second oldest, with curly dark hair that he can't make lie down straight, no matter what he tries. Rush is mischievous and scheming, has a large vocabulary, and provides a lot of humor. He also loves to play the piano, and does so skillfully. As the author puts it in her introduction, he has "a propensity for getting into, and neatly out of, trouble."
     Randy (Miranda) comes next. She loves dancing and drawing, and practices both of these whenever she can. She is a lot like Rush, in dark curly-haired looks and in eager temperament. She tends to run into the most trouble, making some clumsy mistakes, but she always means well.
     Oliver is the youngest, a calm, placid boy who likes guns, tanks, fishing, and caterpillars. He is very sensible and practical, and avoids baths and going to bed for as long as he can.
    Cuffy is their housekeeper. Her real name is Mrs. Evangeline Cuthbert-Stanley, but it was shortened to Cuffy long ago. She is a comfortable woman who's always lived with the Melendys, since their mother is dead and their Father works for the government and often has to be away. She is plump, sensible and an excellent cook who runs the house lovingly, although she wants thorough tidiness. Cuffy is really a part of their family, and always is willing to let the children taste icing left over from frosting a cake. 
     There's also Willy Sloper, the general handyman who repairs things and is always around to help out. There's Isaac, the lovable stray rescued by Rush. There's fascinating old Mrs. Oliphaunt, who gives all the Melendys presents and supports them in their endeavors. And of course Father, who is understanding and very patient with his intrepid children.
       There isn't a whole lot of depth to this story and it's a very light read. Nonetheless, my family has really enjoyed it.

Overall: I definitely recommend this series! It's a great choice to read or listen to as a family. 

Have you read the Melendy Quartet? If so, what did you think?

Fathers' Day!

   Well, tomorrow is Fathers' Day, so here's a post in honor of that!

   First, some Bible verses. In today's culture, parents are often undervalued. But the book of Proverbs makes it pretty clear that we're to respect our parents. 

Proverbs 23:22 - Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.

Proverbs 23:25 - Let your father and mother be glad; let she who bore you rejoice.

Proverbs 28:24 - Whoever robs his father or his mother and says, "That is no transgression," is a companion to a man who destroys.

Proverbs 30:17 - The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be picked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures. 

  This Father's Day, let's remember to respect our fathers. And not only tomorrow, but the rest of the year as well. 

 Since this is really a book-review blog,  I also wanted to look at a few examples of literary fathers. 

Pa/Charles Ingalls (Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder): Adventurous, courageous, loving. And he plays the fiddle very well with stirring, lively music that heartens his family.

The Gaffer/Hamfast Gamgee (Lord of the Rings series by J. R. R. Tolkien): Sensible, practical, and loyal, which must have something to do with his son Sam's famous loyalty. He's very down-to-earth... literally, as he's a hobbit who gardens, and is an expert in 'taters (PO-TA-TOES) and carrots. Also an optimist. "It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good, anyway. And all's well that ends BETTER!"

Mr. March (Little Women by Louisa May Alcott): Truly wise, loving, compassionate, a mentor. Even when he's away from home because of war, he sends home heartening letters of valuable advice to his daughters. 

Arthur Weasley (Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling): Loyal, supportive, diplomatic. Sensible most of the time.... except when it comes to testing, figuring out, and tinkering with various Muggle contraptions and technology. He and his wife are willing to risk their lives in order to protect Harry from danger.

Atticus Finch (To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee): Wise, logical, loyal, courageous. Definitely one of my favorites. He teaches his children so much, from reading to life lessons. I love how Scout says she doesn't remember not being able to read because her father was always reading with her. Also, Atticus's description of courage is so accurate: "...not a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do."

Dr. Gibson (Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell): He may not have made a good choice for his second wife, and he may often be away from his house due to his profession, but his relationship with his daughter Molly is so sweet. They care for each other so much. 

Who are your favorite literary fathers? Who would you add to this list? :)

The Little White Horse, by Elizabeth Goudge

   Here's a review of an old-fashioned, beautifully written, fairy-tale story that I've loved for years. The Little White Horse is the magical story of an orphan girl who hopes to restore the moonlight beauty of her guardian's shadowed manor.  

  One thing I like is that the protagonist shares my name. Since I don't come across a lot of protagonists with the name Maria, that might be part of why I love this book. 

Plot Summary: 
    When orphaned Maria Merryweather and her governess Miss Heliotrope arrive at Moonacre Manor to live with Maria's new guardian, her cousin Sir Benjamin, she loves it immediately. Moonacre Manor is a quaint, lovely place, and Sir Benjamin is a warm, welcoming, humorous man.  But centuries ago, a conflict and a tragedy resulted in casting a dark shadow over Moonacre and the village below it. Insatiably curious by nature, Maria resolves to find out what happened and to set things right. 

Discussion: 
  First off, this book is written so beautifully. The descriptions are lovely, and complete without paragraph upon paragraph of words. The writing is also very clear and easy to understand, yet not so simple that it can't be enjoyed by a wide range of ages. The setting is England 1842, and the story is very sweet and delightfully old-fashioned. (I say this because the above plot-summary could sound like the story is something modern.) The story sounds like a fairy tale at times, and some scenes don't seem as real as others because of it, but while you're reading them they're convincing.
   The plot moves smoothly. There are some rather convenient coincidences, but they read believably. The quest to uncover the mysteries of Moonacre Manor and the ancient family feud is stirring and dramatic. 
   Now for character discussion. First, Maria Merryweather, the curious thirteen-year-old protagonist. She has red hair, like the famous Anne of Green Gables, but unlike that heroine she doesn't long for pink because she can't wear it. Instead, she hates it because she can't wear it. (Being of an aristocratic family, and although she's not really pretty, she's rather vain about her clothes - one of her very human traits.) Maria is also very imaginative, and finds the mysterious beauty of Moonacre very much to her taste. 
    Her governess, Miss Heliotrope, finds this imagination a little disconcerting, and is doing her best to bring up Maria well. Miss Heliotrope is a plain woman, shy and reserved, saddened by a past tragedy, but she loves Maria and Maria earnestly loves her in return. Sir Benjamin and Maria both see past Miss Heliotrope's queer appearance and value who she is. 
   Sir Benjamin Merryweather is a cheerful man with a sometimes-fierce temper that he generally doesn't give way to. This temper led to a tragedy some years ago that he keeps secret. He delights chiefly in meals (the descriptions of which are rather tantalizing), and of course in his curious young ward Maria. He is very blunt, and speaks his opinion. 
   These are the chief inhabitants of Moonacre Manor. There are several other delightful characters like Robin, the daring shepherd boy. Old Parson, the perceptive middle-aged Frenchman who leads the little village church, tells fascinating stories of Moonacre, and plays the violin skillfully. The beautiful Loveday Minette, who is the porteress at the Manor gate and is connected in some mysterious way with Moonacre Manor. Monsier Cocq de Noir, who leads the fearsome band of Black Men on raids throughout the region. The characters are richly drawn and fascinating. 
   Just a note on the fantasy in the story. I do prefer fantasy when it's in another world, rather than magic that combines with ordinary life, especially when the author's a Christian and makes references to their faith. In this story -- well, the elements of magic doesn't create any outright conflict, but it might be a little odd for the characters to worship God as they do and still consider a few things magical... Just in case anyone doesn't care for that kind of thing.

Overall: The Little White Horse is a pure and lovely story that I've enjoyed for years. I definitely recommend it! Ages 11-up.

The Bronze Bow, by Elizabeth George Speare

Starting off with a work of historical fiction that's one of my favorite historical books so far! The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare is a powerful story about one young man's quest for freedom in turbulent Rome-conquered Israel. 

Plot Summary: 

Hot-headed eighteen-year-old Daniel bar Jamin hates the Romans who crowd his home of Galilee. Hiding up in the mountains away from his broken family, living with a band of outlaws, Daniel waits feverishly to revenge the death of his father. When he's forced to return to his home village by his grandmother's death, he resentfully takes care of his troubled sister Leah. But even the oppressed village there are opportunities to harass the Romans, and he and the like-minded boys of the village take every chance they get, swearing to fight "For God's Victory." But there's a strange carpenter, Jesus, who has mesmerized the village with his words. Daniel wants nothing to do with a man who will not fight. But Jesus may do more for him than Daniel realizes.

Discussion:

     I've read this book multiple times, and I enjoy it every time. The Bronze Bow is a stunning example of historical fiction that doesn't make you feel like you're reading a history book. This is probably due to the fact that it focuses so heavily on Daniel and his life and his personal quests. The story twists and turns, fresh challenges always arising to be overcome by Daniel. 

  Now for some in-depth character discussions.  Hot-headed and hasty, Daniel is a very real character with a temper and a smoldering longing for freedom. When Daniel's friends Joel and Malthace read portions of the Scriptures to him, Daniel finds them attractive, but exemplifies the typical Jewish mind of the time by not finding Jesus impressive. He expects a king who will drive the Romans out, and is disappointed and doubtful of Jesus, especially since Jesus preaches love. 

    Daniel's not the only richly drawn character. Joel bar Hezron, Daniel's eager friend, is another example. Although not fueled by a personal quest for revenge, Joel is fired at the thought of defying the Romans. He's more drawn to Jesus than is Daniel, but still doubts because of his legalistic Jewish training as a rabbi's son. 

     Joel's sister Malthace (Thacia) is likewise fiery in spirit for a girl. She doesn't want simply to get married and care for a home like other girls. She's passionate and impulsive, and as eager to get rid of the Romans as her brother. Granted, it's probably a little unrealistic that a girl in those times would have this mind-set, but Thacia is a delightfully spirited character who I personally loved reading about. 

    Leah, Daniel's younger sister, is a little more of a typical girl, except that as a young girl she was traumatized by the horrific deaths of many of her family members. Ever since, she's stayed in her home, never leaving, rarely speaking. The villagers whisper that she's haunted by demons. Daniel manages to draw the shy girl out of the shadows a little, and Leah develops as a lovely, gentle young woman with skillful hands, but she is still vulnerable and delicate, and Daniel must protect her closely. 

   There's Samson, the mute slave who Daniel rescued from a slave trader. Mockingly nicknamed Samson for his terrific strength, the slave serves Daniel with his life. There's Rosh, the leader of the mountain outlaws who believes that the shepherds of the village should be willing to give up their sheep to the men who will (some day, sometimes) free Israel from the Romans. Marcus, the German soldier forced to fight for the Romans and who understands Daniel even as Daniel resents him. These are just a few of the many characters to start with.  

  

Overall: I love this book, and I highly recommend it! There is some violence occasionally, so probably it's best for ages 11-12-up. If you haven't read this book, I encourage you to give it a try. :)