3.

Ella decides against the advice of her doctor and grown children, to take one last hurrah cross country from their home in Detroit, Michigan to Disneyland, California. They are going to drive there via Route 66 and travel in their leisure van. The thing is, Ella is dying from cancer and there are no more treatments that will cure her.  John has alzheimers. He is still able to drive and Ella can navigate. The children do not realize they are gone until Ella and John are well on there way. They drive as far as they can each day, stopping by old tourist traps along the somewhat scenic route. At night they puill into a campsite and view family slides on the side of the camper from vacations and times past. John remembers these times well. It is his short term memory that he is struggling with. Ella at times is very short with him, angry at him and his disease. She is in terrible pain and has to medicate herself throughout the day in order to function. This is a love story that is funny and heartbreaking at the same time. 

We had a wonderful discussion about this book. We could all relate to Ella and John, the fact that our parents are aging, that we are aging. Many of us have gone through or are going through illnesses with our own parents or our spouses. The outcome does not change. It is how you live your life that matters.

The Master

2.5

This novel is actually a biography of the author Henry James during his life from 1895-1899. Through the book, we travel with Henry from his home in England, to his getaways to France and Italy. He tells of growing up in Newport, Rhode Island in a well off family. He describes his father's illness and that of his sister, Alice and cousin Minny,(both women died young), and the Civil War. Two of his brothers fought in the war. Henry found a way to avoid fighting. Henry writes his novels based on stories his friends have told or, for instance, fictionalized a life Minny would have had if she had lived. Henry enjoyed his solitude. He was invited to and attended many evening parties but was always eager to leave so he could go home and write or read. His sexuality was questioned as he had friendships and attractions towards other men. There is no evidence though that proves he acted upon his thoughts and feelings. He did have a close relationship with Constance Fenimore Woolson, but seemed to step back when he felt the relationship was getting too close or too public.

The novel was very insightful  to the life of Henry James and his writing/thought process. However, it did take time to get into the book. The first 100-150 pages read very slow.

3.25

Toby, or Jack, as he liked to be called, lived with his mother, Rosemary. His brother, Geoffrey, lived with his father. Jack and his mother fled from Florida when he was 10. His mother was escaping an abusive relationship. Their destination was Utah, but after another abusive relationship there, they went to Seattle, Wa. Rosemary was urged by her housemates to settle down and find a man to marry. She needed a husband and Jack definitely needed a father. He ran off with friends, lied, cheated, and stole. Rosemary met Dwight who lived two hours away in a very small camptown called Chinook. Dwight was a widow with three children of his own. Jack went to live with Dwight before the marriage. Dwight was very hard on Jack yet whenever his mother asked him about his living situation, Dwight, the town, Jack said everything was fine. His mother said she wouldn't marry Dwight if Jack didn't want her to but Jack wanted a family. Dwight was also a drinker and a mean drunk. He made Jack take over a paper route and give Dwight all the money. Jack thought Dwight was saving it for him but that was not the case. Dwight had Jack join the boy scouts but refused to fill out the forms for Jack to become an eagle scout. Jack did not do well in school and would get into trouble. He called his brother Geoffrey who was now in college. Jack told him that Dwight had hit him and he had to get out. Geoffrey talked with him about applying to prep schools. Jack lied saying he had good grades and seemed to be a good candidate to be accepted under a scholarship. To hide the truth. Jack had a friend steal school stationary so he could write reference letters and change his grades. This would change his future and that of his mother.

Wolff writes with a great style of storytelling. It is simplistic yet you can feel and sense what he was going through. He does not portray himself as someone to feel sorry for or pity. He just went through his day, everyday, dealing with whatever was to happen to him. He made plans and when they didn't work, moved on. A true story of self reliance.

Sin in the Second City

Madams, Ministers, Playboys, And The Battle for America's Soul

3

In the Levee District of South Chicago, circa 1900-1911, Ada and Minna Simms/Everleigh ran the most elite brothel in the city, possibly the country. They catered to high end clientele including actors, politicians, foreign dignataries, and millionaires. They had many rooms decorated with expensive art, gold, and mirrors. They took very good care of their girls providing them with health care, money, and beautiful clothing. They offered good wine and food to their clients. They did not deal with pimps or white slave traders, unlike other brothels in the district. The Cast of Characters at the beginning of the book reads like a well written play: The Madams of the District, The Lords of the Levee, The Ministers, and The Politicians. It is an amazing look into the world of prostitution, vice, shakedowns, blackmail, law, and The Mann Act, which made it against the law to traffic women across the state line for illegal purposes and white slavery.

What is amazing is that still to this day, women and children are being sold into slavery. 

Deaths on Pleasant Street

The Ghastly Enigma of Colonel Swope and Doctor Hyde.

3.3

In the late 1800's, Colonlel Thomas Swope made his money in mining and moved to the Kansas City area in Missouri. His brother and sister-in-law, Maggie Swope, lived in Independence, MO., which at that time, was the large city and County seat. He bought a large parcel of farm land, sold it off into smaller parcels and made his fortune. This area became downtown Kansas City. He donated a large parcel to the city to become a park, Swope Park.

After the death of Maggie's husband, Col. Swope lived in the Swope mansion along with his cousin Hunton Moss, 62, and Maggie's children. Her oldest daughter, Francis, married Dr. Bennett Clark Hyde, against the family's wishes. Hyde had had questionable relationships previously with two divorced women whom he had borrowed money and not paid back. Maggie eventually welcomed him into the family after Hyde cared for her son, Thomas, after an accident.

On September 18, Hyde purchases cyanide capsules from the drug store. On October 1, 1909, Colonel Hunton Moss, age 62, dies of a brain hemorrhage. He was one of the executor's of Col. Swope's estate, and Hyde wants to be the new executor. He hears of Swope wanting to change his will so that more of his money would go to the poor of Kansas City and not his nieces and nephews. Swope planned on changing his will the following week. October 3, Col. Swope feels ill and Hyde gives him a capsule, saying it will help his stomach, having had gastric problems in the past. Within minutes, Swope has convulsions and is dead by the end of the day. By end November, another Swope family member is dead and many ill. Is this all circumstance or did Dr. Hyde murder and attempt murder on other family members for a larger piece of the inheritance?

The author, a previous KC Star reporter, does an amazing job recounting the saga of the Swope family. His extensive research and accurate depiction of facts puts you in the jury box.