Smythie

The monthly e-newsletter of the Smyth Public Library

March, 2019

Volume 12, No.12

Events…

Camino Trip Talk
Now presenting on two nights:

Monday, March 11 or Wednesday, March 13

both at 6:30pm
Former Moore School teachers Judi Lindsey and Barb Robidoux will talk about completing walking a 500 mile, thousand year old pilgrimage path on the El Camino de Santiago in Spain. They walked from Saint Jean Pied de Port in September to Santiago de Compostela in November.
Visit their blog: www.candiatothecamino.com.
In photo, the end of the journey by the cross in front of the Atlantic Ocean in Finisterre – thought to be the ‘End of the world’ in medieval times! (Judi Lindsey on the right, Barb Robidoux on the left)

Thursday, March 14, 6:30 pm

Friend’s of the Smyth Public Library Pie Fundraiser on National Pi Day!

Bring a pie for the contest or come just for a piece of yummy goodness.  To enter a pie, fill out an entry form and pay $10 entrance fee.  Not a baker? No Problem! $5 gets you a ticket to be a taster.  Prize for top pie!  Gift packs for all entries. Tickets and entry forms at front desk.

Walking France with Gale Carey
Wednesday, April 17th at 6pm
One pilgrim’s story of 500 miles on the Chemin de St. Jacques.
The Chemin de St. Jacques is an amazingly beautiful walking route cherished by the French and traveled by pilgrims for nearly 1000 years. The journey through lush woodlands, flower-laden fields, volcanic formations, and ancient villages and towns, allows for meditative walking, engaging conversation, and introspection. Gale made this 35-day trek last summer and brings us the story of her journey as a modern day pilgrim – from the practical to the philosophical.

Covered Bridges of NH with Glenn Knoblock
Tuesday, April 23rd at 6:30pm
Covered wooden bridges have been a vital part of the NH transportation network, dating back to the early 1800s. Given NH’s myriad streams, brooks, and rivers, it’s unsurprising that 400 covered bridges have been documented. Often viewed as quaint relics of a simpler past, they were technological marvels of their day. It may be native ingenuity and NH’s woodworking tradition that account for the fact that a number of nationally-noted covered bridge truss designers were NH natives. Glenn Knoblock discusses covered bridge design and technology, and their designers, builders, and associated folklore.

HOW-TO’s

How to Mindfulness
Monday, March 18th at 6:30pm
Mindfulness Workshop: One-hour long workshop including instruction and discussion with a guided meditation and Q&A session.
Mindfulness is a great way to alleviate stress, develop more creativity, and cultivate more peace in your life. The practice can be added to any lifestyle and can be done anywhere. No special equipment or skills needed! Come and learn how to use your breath, mind, and body as tools to help you be more present and peaceful in every area of your life.

Simplifying Medicare
Tuesday, March 26, April 30, May 28 at 6pm
Turning 65 or retiring in 6 months or a year? Get yourself educated and some guidance navigating thru all the Medicare information and understanding the Medicare basic Parts A, B, C and D?
Learn what Original Medicare covers and how supplement insurance works with your Medicare so you can make the best decisions for your health care needs in retirement.
Know the importance of enrollment periods and making sure you avoid lifetime penalties.
Bring your questions to this informal educational session and let Donna Wilton help to simplify your understanding of Medicare.

How to Easter Cards and Decorations
Tuesday, April 16th at 6:30pm
Create your own Easter greetings and Peep Card holders with Debbie Dunn. All supplies provided free.

If you have a special talent you’d like to share, please see Heidi at the front desk

Check out our monthly calendar on our website for all our events and programs.

New!!!

We Now Lend CAKE PANS!!

Borrow a cake pan for a birthday, Super Bowl, Valentine’s Day, and more! Pan shapes include bears, a cross, bunny, crown bundt pan, flowers, snowman, letters, numbers, monkey, Mickey Mouse, a football, big and small hearts, and doughnuts.

Located in the kids room. Limit to 1 pan per family at a time. Loan period of 1 week. Return your cake pan to the circulation desk. Please do not put pans in the book drop.

INTRODUCING:  KANOPY

WE ARE THRILLED TO PRESENT OUR NEW FILM STREAMING SERVICE

Started in February, Smyth Library Patrons Will Have Access to Kanopy featuring more than 30,000 Films, For Free!

The popular on demand film streaming service Kanopy will be available for free on February 1, 2019. Library card holders can access Kanopy and view up to four films per month. Films can be streamed from any computer, television, mobile device or platform by downloading the Kanopy app for iOS, Android, AppleTV, Chromecast or Roku.

Offering what the New York Times calls “a garden of cinematic delights,” Kanopy showcases more than 30,000 of the world’s best films, including award winning documentaries, rare and hard to find titles, film festival favorites, indie and classic films, and world cinema with collections from Kino Lorber, Music Box Films, Samuel Goldwyn,The Orchard, The Great Courses, PBS and thousands of independent filmmakers.

With the motto of “thoughtful entertainment,” Kanopy provides patrons with access to films of unique social and cultural value; films that are often difficult or impossible to access elsewhere, and programming that features diversity, with a wide array of foreign language films and films on race, and current affairs.

TRY IT AND DOWNLOAD NOW AT:  smythpl.kanopy.com

New on our shelves…

New Fiction…      

Watcher in the woods: a Rockton novel Armstrong, Kelley

We hope for better things Bartels, Erin,

The victory garden Bowen, Rhys

The break line Brabazon, James,

Daughter of Moloka’i Brennert, Alan

Tough customer Brown, Sandra

I’ll walk alone Clark, Mary Higgins

The woman in the lake Cornick, Nicola

A spy in exile: a thriller De Shalit, Jonathan

What doesn’t kill her Dodd, Christina

Judgment: a novel Finder, Joseph

Never tell: a novel Gardner, Lisa

Mission critical Greaney, Mark

After she’s gone: a novel Grebe, Camilla

The lost man Harper, Jane

Eventide: a novel Haruf, Kent

Out of the dark: the return of Orphan X Hurwitz, Gregg Andrew

The lost girls of Paris Jenoff, Pam

The current: a novel by Johnston, Timothy S

Cutthroats Johnstone, William W

Rupture Ragnar Jónasson

The wedding guest: an Alex Delaware novel Kellerman, Jonathan

The silent patient Michaelides, Alex

Before we were strangers Novak, Brenda

Where the crawdads sing Owens, Delia

The chef Patterson, James

An instance of the fingerpost Pears, Iain

Huntress: a novel Quinn, Kate

Blood echo Rice, Christopher

The moon sister: Tiggy’s story Riley, Lucinda

Connections in death: an Eve Dallas novel Robb, J. D

Careless love: an Inspector Banks novel Robinson, Peter

The good lie Rosenstiel, Tom

The Black Ascot: an Inspector Ian Rutledge mystery Todd, Charles

The inheritance Tolkien, Simon,

The masque of the black tulip Willig, Lauren

The border Winslow, Don

New Non-Fiction…

Brave, not perfect: fear less, fail more, and live bolder Saujani, Reshma,

Dark night of the soul John of the Cross

Mary Baker Eddy Gill, Gillian.

Bettyville: a memoir Hodgman, George,

Supremely partisan: how raw politics tips the scales in the United States Supreme Court Zirin, James D.,

Hummingbirds and butterflies Thompson, Bill,

The greatest benefit to mankind: a medical history of humanity Porter, Roy,

The complete ketogenic diet for beginners: your essential guide to living the keto lifestyle Ramos, Amy,

Colossus: Hoover Dam and the making of the American century Hiltzik, Michael A.

Chicken tractor: the permaculture guide to happy hens and healthy soil

Lee, Andrew W.,

Hero dogs: how a pack of rescues, rejects, and strays became America’s greatest disaster-search partners Melville, Wilma

Well played: the ultimate guide to awakening your family’s playful spirit

Sinclair, Meredith L.

Better than new: lessons I’ve learned from saving old homes (and how they saved me) Curtis, Nicole,

When it was just a game: remembering the first Super Bowl Frommer, Harvey.

Football’s game changers: icons, record breakers, scandals, Super Bowls, and more Wilner, Barry,

Super Bowl heroes Wilner, Barry,

Deadly peaks: mountaineering’s greatest tragedies and triumphs

Hartemann, Frederic V.,

The Polar Bear Expedition: the heroes of America’s forgotten invasion of Russia, 1918-1919 Nelson, James Carl

The curse of Oak Island: the story of the world’s longest treasure hunt

Sullivan, Randall,

If this be treason: the American rogues and rebels who walked the line between dissent and betrayal Duda, Jeremy,

Imperfect union: a father’s search for his son in the aftermath of the Battle of Gettysburg Raasch, Charles,

New Books on CD…

Judgment CD (8) Finder, Joseph

The wedding guest CD (10) Kellerman, Jonathan

Babylon rising: the edge of darkness CD (8) LaHaye, Tim F.

The girl in the green raincoat CD (4) Lippman, Laura

The diviner’s tale CD (10) Morrow, Bradford

The Chef CD (8) Patterson, James

Verses for the dead CD (10) Preston, Douglas J.

Connections in death: an Eve Dallas novel CD (10) Robb, J. D

Finding forever CD (12) Roberts, Nora

New Video…

Norm of the North DVD 1140.5A [PG] — Keys to the kingdom /

Norm of the north DVD 1140A [PG]

Indivisible DVD 1150 [PG13]

The girl in the spider’s web DVD 1151 [R]

William the Conqueror DVD 1152 [R]

Robin Hood DVD 1153 [PG13]

Orphan horse DVD 1154 [PG]

Mary Queen of Scots DVD 1155 [R]

The hate u give DVD 1156 [PG13]

Peter Pan DVD 205A [G]

Libraries are good for circulation.

Coloring night for all ages, all supplies provided, Fridays 6-7 pm

Tip from the front desk

Unlucky Arithmetic-Thirteen Ways to Raise a Nonreader

1 ~ Never read where your children can see you.

2 ~ Put a TV or computer in every room.  Don’t neglect the bedrooms and kitchen.

3 ~ Correct your child every time she mispronounces a word.

4 ~ Schedule activities every day after school so your child will never be bored.

5 ~ Once your child can read independently, throw out the picture books.  They’re for babies.

6 ~ Don’t play board games together. Too dull.

7 ~ Give little rewards for reading. Stickers and plastic toys are nice. Money is even better.

8 ~ Don’t expect your children to enjoy reading. Kid’s books are for teaching vocabulary, proper study habits and good morals.

9 ~ Buy only 40-watt bulbs for your lamps.

10 ~ Under no circumstances read your child the same book over and over. She heard it once, she should remember it.

11 ~ Never allow your child to listen to books on tape; that’s cheating.

12 ~ Make sure your kids only read books that are “challenging.” Easy books are a complete waste of time. That goes double for comic books and Mad magazine.

13 ~ Absolutely, positively no reading in bed.

Excerpt by Dean Schneider and Robin Smith. Reprinted from the March/April 2001 issue of The Horn Book Magazine, The Horn Book Inc. www.hbook.com

Alternatively, you can come to Smyth Public Library and fill your arms with all kinds of books and fill your home with joy and your family with the multifaceted gifts of reading!

-Heidi Deacon, Director

Try out our new “Volunteer Your World” ideas at Smyth Public Library. Visit our Volunteer Your World Page

Friends In-House Book Sale!

You can browse at your leisure now and bring home a favorite to keep or to give away to a friend. Just look for the bright signs just inside our main doors on the left. Pay at the front desk. Only… $1 for hardcover and $.50 for paperbacks. Proceeds go to the Friends of Smyth Library. See the new “Blind Date with a Book” Sale and $1 Cookbook magazines available.

YOU ARE INVITED~ More Friends welcomed!  Would you like to help the library?  Then please consider becoming a Friend!  See Heidi or Ginny for more information!

Writers’ group

On the 2nd and 4th Friday of every month, 6:30pm

The Smyth Public Library hosts a gathering of writers once or twice a month where we work together on timed writing exercises using prompts and other sources of inspiration. The writing periods will be followed by sharing some of the work with each other. The goal of the group is to loosen up and get the pen moving on paper. We don’t seek to have a finished work by the end of the session and you don’t need to arrive with a finished piece of writing to share. The writer’s group is a place to meet with other writers and to flex your writing muscles. Please come ready with a writing medium of your choice: paper and pen/pencil, computer, tablet, etc.

Drop In Family Game Nights!!

First Friday of every month at 6:30

Knitting & Crochet Circle
Help with the cap, blanket, and scarf charity project, work on your own items, or just come to learn. Call Lisa 587-0603 for more info.
Third Thursday of the month, 7pm

Monthly Lego Night!

EVERY third Friday 6:30-7:30 for all ages.

Dinosaurs didn’t read.  Now they are extinct…except the thesaurus.

MAGIC GAME CLUB

Featuring : Magic-The Gathering

Held monthly on the First Wednesday of the month at 4 pm!

For ages 8 and up! Next meeting-April 3

Family Movie Night   

Friday, March 22, 6:00 p.m.

“Ralph Breaks the Internet”rated PG

Did you Know???

  The verb “run” has 645 meanings in English.

In theGallery…

CURRENTLY FEATURED

Grid Portraits by 7th Grade Students from Moore School

ART WANTED!!!

Our art gallery and (locked) glass case is always available for the works of local artists.  Just see Heidi at the front desk to display your works

LITTLE FREE LIBRARY

Brought to you by the Friends of the Smyth Public Library

The Little Free Library is up and running at the CYAA complex – anyone can take advantage!

LOVE TO SHARE A GOOD BOOK?

Now! 2 groups!  2 times!

How about sharing your thoughts on a book at the friendly monthly book discussion group?

Thursday, March 14, 11:00 a.m.

Orchid & the Wasp

By Caoilinn Hughes

An unforgettable young woman navigates Dublin, London and New York, striving to build a life raft for her loved-ones amidst economic and familial collapse.
 
In this dazzlingly original debut novel, award-winning Irish writer Caoilinn Hughes introduces a heroine of mythic proportions in the form of one Gael Foess. A tough, thoughtful, and savvy opportunist, Gael is determined to live life on her own terms. Raised in Dublin by single-minded, careerist parents, Gael learns early how a person’s ambitions and ideals can be compromised— and she refuses to let her vulnerable, unwell younger brother, Guthrie, suffer such sacrifices.
 
Written in electric, heart-stopping prose, Orchid & the Wasp is a novel about gigantic ambitions and hard-won truths, chewing through sexuality, class, and politics, and crackling with joyful, anarchic fury. It challenges bootstraps morality with questions of what we owe one another and what we earn.

*Extra titles of this book are available at the front desk

Thursday, March 28th at 7:30 pm

Long Haul

by Finn Murphy
In The Long Haul, Murphy offers a trucker’s-eye view of America on the move. Going far beyond the myth of the American road trip, he whisks readers down the I-95 Powerlane, across the Florida Everglades, in and out of the truck stops of the Midwest, and through the steep grades of the Rocky Mountains. As he crisscrosses the country, Murphy recounts with wit, candor, and charm the America he has seen change over the decades, from the hollowing-out of small towns to changing tastes in culture and home furnishings.

*Extra titles of this book are available at the front desk

Library Assets…

SERVICE FOR HOMEBOUND PATRONS:

Smyth Public Library is now offering home delivery of library materials for any Candia community residents in need.  Please contact us for a registration form for this service or use the link to a form to fill out on our website.

The library is proud to now offer The Healing Library; reading kits to aid with coping with difficult situations. We offer The Death of a Loved One, The Death of a Pet, plus Alzheimer’s & Your Family. These are located in the children’s room, along with books relating to each topic. The kits are available now for check out.

STILL HERE!:

Digital Movies, Music and More –Instantly Available –24/7 –Free with your Library Card!

Movies, TV,Music Albums, eAudiobooks , eBooks, and Comics/Graphic Novels. All in one location, from your computer, tablet or Smartphone!

With hoopla, there are no hold lists, no extra apps or accounts needed or special steps to use it.

It just works! On a mobile device, borrowed content may be temporarily downloaded and accessed offline or, in either the app or on a computer, all borrowed content may be enjoyed while connected to the internet by streaming.

Don’t forget  – you can always borrow our internet hot spot, telescope and newly offered Ukulele and a dozen baking pans!

(Hearts, Football, Flowers, Mouse, Bunnies, Snowmen, Letters &Numbers)

Making Your Life Easy:

By going to our website, you can search our entire catalogue for books, CD’s, DVD’s and movies.  Once found, you can check to see if what you want is in. If so, just to our website and reserve the book.  The next time you come in, it will be waiting for you at the front desk. WITH OUR NEW WEBSITE YOU CAN DO IT WITH YOUR MOBILE DEVICE!

PLUS!!  Check out our smythpl.org website updates and Smyth Library’s new Public Catalog featuring:

– A crawl of new items.

– “What’s Hot” now covers several choices.

-“Most Popular” titles (a combination of checkouts and reserves are used to determine this list).  

– “More Search Options” includes Medium that lets members search by DVD or Large Print, etc.

More Research Options:

Full text articles from thousands of magazines, journals and national newspapers, plus NoveList. Call or e-mail us and provide your name and your library card number, and we’ll give you the password.

Smyth Library has available:

2019 Candia Conservation Calendars-Local scenery featured by Candia’s own talented photographers. ($5 to the Candia Conservation Commission-all proceeds go toward sending a Candia student to Barry Conservation camp)

The Candia Heritage Commission is pleased to announce the acquisition of a valuable historical resource, bound volumes of the Rockingham County News encompassing the years 1978-1998.  A two week loan of a volume can be arranged by contacting Sis Richter 483-2585, president of the Historical Society or Diane Philbrick 483-8239, chair of the Heritage Commission. 

Heritage Commission is now seeking your Library Memories

Leave your special memories of time spent at our library at the front desk or email:Heritage@candianh.org

We’re on Facebook!

Like the Smyth Public Library

Look at our page on Facebook for events and updates about our library!

Downloadable Books!!!!

Ipods and Kindles work and you can

Order right from our website!

PASSES….PASSES….PASSES

Check our website for passes!!!All are listed in the “museum passes” tab of the website and can be reserved there.

Museum of Science and Museum of Fine Arts  Boston passes available.

Also, Children’s Museum in Dover available

Kids’ Stuff…

Check out our monthly calendar for children on the children’s tab on our website.

CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS

NEW CCC  KIDS! Mrs. Lindsey’s Candia Conservation Commission KIDS!

Now offering TWO classes!

Do you love nature? Animals? The forests and the ponds? Join Mrs. Lindsey for her new nature club! Class is FULL!  (Waiting list sign-ups only!)

∙ Monthly 1st and 2nd Mondays 3-4:30 pm

∙ Meet in the Moore School lobby

∙ Take walks in nature to discover plants, animals and more

∙ Create art projects based on the environment

∙ Come dressed and prepared to go outside in all kinds of weather!

Book Clubs!

Magic Tree House Book Club (K-2)-Third Thursday 3pm; Meeting: March 21

Reading Good Morning, Gorillas by Mary Pope Osborne

NEW Cupcake Book Club – Wednesday, April 3; 3pm

Reading Katie and the cupcake cure by Coco Simon

NEW Comic Book Club – Wednesday, March 13; 3:30pm

Reading the Graphic Novel: Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

STEM Club (K-3) Combined Math and Science

Second and Fourth Thursday 3pm; Meeting: March 14 and 28!

Art Club (K-5)

First Thursday 3pm -April 4

FOR TEENS!!

Teen Book Club-Wednesday, March 20 @ 4pm

March title: The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

Teen Creative Club-Wednesday,March 27 @ 4pm

Baby—Preschool children-

Stories, games, crafts, music, puppets

During Thursday Story Time 10 a.m.

NOW presenting two Storytimes:

Thursdays, 10 am with Jessica

Thursdays, 6 pm with Maryjo

Preschoolers and babies welcomed

Read to Simon, Gwen Paprocki’s Certified Therapy dog.

Want to boost reading confidence?

Why is reading to a dog educational AND fun? Because Simon is soft, furry and warm and he loves the attention you give him when you practice your reading out-loud skills! In the Children’s Library Room ~ one-on-one with Ms. Gwen and Simon present. (Simon and Gwen Paprocki are certified through Therapy Dogs International)

Please sign up if interested.  Call Gwen for more info at 483-8245

FUTURE ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS!!
Second Friday, 6:00 p.m.

We break out our snap circuits! Build exciting projects including computer interfaced experiments and solar cell applications. Build over 175 exciting projects now with lights.  All new kits and all ages welcome! Check our Facebook page for some cool snap circuit projects.

1000 BOOKS before Kindergarten

Personal memory registers and book bags are available for parents.

New books for children…

Robert Frost Frost, Robert

Woodrow for president: a tail of voting, campaigns, and elections Barnes, Peter W.,

Pencil: a story with a point Ingalls, Ann.

Alphabet city Johnson, Stephen,

Who is my neighbor? Levine, Amy-Jill,

Pierrot’s ABC garden Lobel, Anita

Stories for children Wilde, Oscar

Scholastic’s The magic school bus gets programmed: a book about computers

White, Nancy,

Warriors in winter Osborne, Mary Pope

From the Junior Shelves~

Song for a Whale

by Lynne Kelly 

Twelve-year-old Iris has never let her deafness slow her down. A whiz at fixing electronics, she’s always felt at home in the world of wires and vacuum tubes. 
School, on the other hand, isn’t quite as simple. Between her frustrating teacher Ms. Conn and her overly helpful classmate Nina, Iris can’t seem to catch a break. 
But during science class, Iris learns about Blue 55—the loneliest whale in the world. Saddened by the animal’s inability to speak to other whales, Iris uses her tech skills to come up with a plan communicate with Blue 55. 
One small problem: the whale is swimming off the coast of Alaska, nearly 3,000 miles from her Texas home. But, nothing stops Iris, and with her Deaf grandmother by her side, she sets out on a road trip to meet the whale and make sure he’s finally heard. 

New books for juniors…

A world more bright: the life of Mary Baker Eddy Ferguson, Isabel

Cooking class: 57 fun recipes kids will love to make (and eat!) Cook, Deanna F.,

The unofficial encyclopedia of ultimate challenges for Minecrafters: new adventures and thrilling dares to take your game to the next level Miller, Megan,

The new age D’Lacey, Chris

The Storm Keeper’s Island Doyle, Catherine,

5 worlds-The Sand Warrior Siegel, Mark

How I became a spy: a mystery of WWII London Hopkinson, Deborah

The whispers Howard, Greg

Song for a whale Kelly, Lynne,

The book of Boy Murdock, Catherine Gilbert

Stick Dog gets the tacos Watson, Tom

Bridge to Terabithia

Katherine Paterson

This is the story of two friends named Jess and Leslie, who decide they want to create another world for just the two of them in the woods. Ruling over the trees in the forest, they are safe from the outer world as they share stories, and every day life together. Then disaster strikes, and Jess is in Terabithia alone until a new ruler comes. I hope you will find the make believe world of Terabithia enjoyable as you read this book.

Elizabeth Jones age 9

New books for young adults…

King of scars Bardugo, Leigh

The gilded wolves Chokshi, Roshani

Someday we will fly DeWoskin, Rachel

Kingston by starlight: a novel Farley, Christopher John.

The gentleman’s guide to vice and virtue Lee, Mackenzi

On the come up T homas, Angie

Trivia Time!

Every month we ask a trivia question.  If you know the answer, drop it off at the front desk or e-mail it here.  We will randomly select the winner from the correct answers and the WINNERwill win ONE FREE WEEK of OVERDUE FINE AMNESTY ON ONE BOOK

Last month’s question and answer:

1. What character has been played by the most actors?
2.    Sherlock Holmes…elementary

No Winner!

This Month’s Trivia Question:

What does the “K” in J.K. Rowling an initial for?

From the New and Recent Shelves~

We (being I) are always looking for contributors to this reviews section.  The editor has a limited range of taste, so any reviews would be more than welcomed.  Just e-mail them in reply to this, or to librarian@smythpl.org

I admit to a rather limited taste in reading materials.  I generally eschew science fiction, fantasy and what are euphemistically referred to as “chic books”.  I realize this is a deficiency in not only me, but the “From the New and Recent Shelves” section of “The Smythie”.

I may therefore resort to pilfering reviews from Goodreads.com for a book at times to widen the breadth of this service.  I’d much rather have a contributing reviewer (or twelve). If you’ve read a book you’ve loved, please shoot me a review so we can enjoy a more personal perspective.

Fiction…

I’m torn on this book. The great and the bad….

Better than good is the portrayal of 1799 New York City. Darn great and maybe better, is the dialogue that is filled with the era’s slang. The author thoughtfully provides a glossary of the terms, but most you can glean from context.

The bad on a minor note is that every man Justy (the tall main character) encounters is either tall or fat. Strange for 1799.

A larger criticism is that the main character has all the sensibilities of a modern man as he confronts such 21st issues as racism, abortion, PTSD, women’s rights, and the like. These constant issues fly in the face of the setting. Meanwhile, this sensitive man of the future is a stone-cold torturer and killer.

The plot was okay, but colored by the unlikely moral dilemmas. 

Overall, I enjoyed it, so I’ll recommend it.

A propulsive debut novel with the intensity of Luckiest Girl Alive and Before the Fall, about a young woman determined to survive and a mother determined to find her.

When your life is a lie, the truth can kill you

When her fiancé’s private plane crashes in the Colorado Rockies, Allison Carpenter miraculously survives. But the fight for her life is just beginning. For years, Allison has been living with a terrible secret, a shocking truth that powerful men will kill to keep buried. If they know she’s alive, they will come for her. She must make it home.

In the small community of Owl Creek, Maine, Maggie Carpenter learns that her only child is presumed dead. But authorities have not recovered her body—giving Maggie a shred of hope. She, too, harbors a shameful secret: she hasn’t communicated with her daughter in two years, since a family tragedy drove Allison away. Maggie doesn’t know anything about her daughter’s life now—not even that she was engaged to wealthy pharmaceutical CEO Ben Gardner, or why she was on a private plane.

As Allison struggles across the treacherous mountain wilderness, Maggie embarks on a desperate search for answers. Immersing herself in Allison’s life, she discovers a sleek socialite hiding dark secrets. What was Allison running from—and can Maggie uncover the truth in time to save her?

Told from the perspectives of a mother and daughter separated by distance but united by an unbreakable bond, Freefall is a riveting debut novel about two tenacious women overcoming unimaginable obstacles to protect themselves and those they love.  

Goodreads

Non-fiction…

A sweeping history–and counter-narrative–of Native American life from the Wounded Knee massacre to the present. 

Dee Brown’s 1970 Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee was the first truly popular book of Indian history ever published. But it promulgated the impression that American Indian history essentially ended with the 1890 massacre at Wounded Knee–that not only did one hundred fifty Sioux die at the hands of the U. S. Cavalry but Native civilization did as well. 

Growing up Ojibwe on a reservation in Minnesota, training as an anthropologist, and researching Native life past and present for his nonfiction and novels, David Treuer uncovered a different narrative. Instead of disappearing, and despite–or perhaps because of–intense struggles to preserve their language, their culture, their very families, the story of American Indians since the end of the nineteenth century to the present is one of unprecedented growth and rebirth. 

In The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee, Treuer melds history with reportage and memoir. Beginning with the tribes’ devastating loss of land and the forced assimilation of their children at government-run boarding schools, he shows how the period of greatest adversity also helped to incubate a unifying Native identity. He traces how conscription in the US military and the pull of urban life brought Indians into the mainstream and modern times, even as it steered the emerging shape of their self-rule and spawned a new generation of resistance. In addition, Treuer explores how advances in technology allowed burgeoning Indian populations across the continent to come together as never before, fostering a political force. Photographs, maps, and other visuals, from period advertisements to little-known historical photos, amplify the sense of accessing a fascinating and untold story. The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee is an essential, intimate history–and counter-narrative–of a resilient people in a transformative era.

Goodreads

Ever want to be one of those know-it-all reviewers?

Got a book to recommend?

Want to write a blurb?

Have a child with a favorite book who would like to contribute to the Smythie?

We welcome contributors (less for us to write!), especially children and teens to review and recommend favorite books.  Just drop Heidi Deacon an e-mail at librarian@smythpl.org or “reply” to this and we’ll include it here.  It need not be a new book – it can be a golden oldie, a classic, a trashy beach book or whatever you have enjoyed.

I hope you have enjoyed this edition.  Comments, suggestions and, of course, reviews are always welcomed.

Rick Mitchell and the library staff

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