Books Blog : fathers

The Tower, the Zoo and the Tortoise by Julia Stuart

Shh_ImReading@evpl — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:19:00 GMT

The Tower, the Zoo and the Tortoise by Julia Stuart might have the most endearing characters I've encountered in awhile. I had no idea where the story was going for most of the book but I didn't care because Balthazar Jones and all the rest of the characters were keeping me perfectly entertained.

Balthazar Jones is a Yeoman Warder of Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, and Member of the Sovereign's Body Guard of the Yeoman Guard Extraordinary... or a Beefeater. He and his wife, Hebe Jones, live in the Salt Tower in the Tower of London because all the Beefeaters live in the Tower of London. While Balthazar and Hebe are dealing with personal tragedy, Balthazar is contacted to be in charge of the reinstatement of the Royal Menagerie at the Tower. He's been chosen because of Mrs. Cook, his family's 181 year old tortoise. Meanwhile, Hebe Jones, her co-worker and friend Valerie Jennings, Tower residents like the Reverend Septimus Drew and the Yeoman Gaoler and others work through their own daily trials and triumphs.

The animals that make up the menagerie include Jesus Christ lizards, Geoffroy's marmosets, a zorilla, ringtail possums, toucans, a lonely wandering albatross and many others. The animals and the Tower setting are as important to the story as the human characters. That said, some of the best scenes are in the London Underground's Lost Property Office, where Hebe Jones and Valerie Jennings work. Their office is filled with items left in train cars or at stops. It is a lost-and-found so big it takes two people to keep track of all the false teeth, shoes, inflatable dolls, canoes, plants and whatever else turns up until rightful owners can be located.

The Tower, the Zoo and the Tortoise is a book that can be dark at times. It takes place mostly at the Tower of London, which is primarily a tourist attraction now but once held many prisoners, some of which were tortured and some of which died in the Tower. It's filled with reminders of those times. Some of the characters have personal problems they're trying to overcome. Rev. Septimus Drew builds contraptions to try and kill the rats that have long resided in the chapel. However, humor and the charm of the quirky characters won me over again and again. It is not a depressing book; in fact it is ultimately uplifting. Julia Stuart has written us a very charming novel.

Happy Father's Day: The Council of Dads by Bruce Feiler

kiya@evpl — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 19:43:00 GMT

My brother-in-law Angelo died of cancer at the age of 43, when his daughter was less than two years old. I thought of him often as I read The Council of Dads, by Bruce Feiler. Feiler was also in his 40s, active and seemingly healthy when his bone cancer was discovered. His twin daughters were barely three years old. As Feiler learned about his chances for beating the cancer (not high) and the regimen that would be required for the battle (daunting - a full year of radiation and chemo, followed by surgery to remove much of his thigh bone and muscles, followed by more chemo), his worries mounted. He worried not only about his own health and prognosis, but also about how his wife could manage her growing business, parent two young children without much help from him, and the stresses that the year would place on her. Most of all, he worried about his daughters, and how they would survive the family strain of what he soon called "The Lost Year." Beyond that, he pondered what they would miss if he didn't survive. He said:

...I kept coming back to Eden and Tybee and how difficult life might be for them. Would they wonder who I was? Would they wonder what I thought? Would they yearn for my approval, my discipline, my love?

My voice.

A few days later, I woke up suddenly before dawn and though of a way I might help re-create my voice for them. I started making a list of six men - from all parts of my life, beginning with when I was a child and stretching through today. These are the men who know me best. The men who share my values. The men who helped shape and guide me. The men who traveled with me, studied with me, have been through pain and happiness with me.

Men who know my voice.

Feiler gave some thought to the project, and contacted the men. All agreed to become part of his Council of Dads. In his book, published just this month, Feiler shares with us the story of that year, and also the stories of his life with the men who became his Council of Dads, and the lessons he learned from them. The book ends last summer, not too long after his year of treatment ended. He survived the treatment, and has a decent chance of becoming a long-term survivor. Should he not survive, the gift he left his daughters (and all of us) in this book is tremendous. Spend a little time with Bruce Feiler's story, then take some time to think about all those who have acted as father to you along the way. It might be time to give them a call, or drop them a line, or share their story with someone else. Angelo, my brother-in-law, was the only person who managed to teach me to drive a stick shift, though many tried. His patience, his confidence in me, his sensitivity to my fear of humiliation (the previous tries were disasters), and his caring all worked when nothing else had. I still miss him.

Happy Father's Day.

Animal Dreams -- Books for Lunch at Red Bank Branch

Shh_ImReading@evpl — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:58:00 GMT

On Wednesday, April 8, 2009 at noon we will be discussing Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver at Red Bank Branch Library. I could hardly put Animal Dreams down while I was reading it and I hope you'll enjoy it too. Codi, her father and the other characters are wonderful and the small town of Grace, Arizona captivated my imagination. Barbara Kingsolver is my mother's favorite author and she's been recommending her books to me for years. I'm so glad I've finally taken her advice! Please come and join us for the discussion; the more the merrier!

click here to visit author Barbara Kingsolver's website