Life in Sweden seems like an endless winter for three sisters after their mother's death and father's suicide. Elin feels the weight of responsibility for her sisters' welfare, and when circumstances become unbearable, she writes to her relatives in Chicago, pleading for help.
Joining sixteen million other immigrants who left their homelands for America between 1890 and 1920, Elin, Kirsten, and Sofia begin the long, difficult journey. Enduring the ocean voyage in steerage and detention on Ellis Island, their story is America's story. And in a journey fraught with hardships, each woman will come to understand her secret longings and the meaning of home.
A friend who shares my Swedish heritage sent it to me after she had read it. Once I started it, I couldn't put it down. I had to know what happened to the sisters. I had a sort of personal connection to this story as well: three of my great-grandmothers and three of my great-grandfathers came to America from Sweden as teen-agers. I know for sure that one of my great-grandmothers worked as a maid in a large home in Chicago and met her husband while working there. This must have been true for many Swedish immigrants in this time period as this scenario is used in Until We Reach Home.
The Forgotten Founding Father {Noah Webster's Obsession and the Creation of American Culture} ::
Noah Webster's name is now synonymous with the dictionary he created, but his story is not nearly so ubiquitous. Now acclaimed author of The Man Who Made Lists, Joshua Kendall sheds new light on Webster's life, and his far-reaching influence in establishing the American nation.
Webster hobnobbed with various Founding Fathers and was a young confidant of George Washington and Ben Franklin. He started New York's first daily newspaper, predating Alexander Hamilton's New York Post. His "blue-backed speller" for schoolchildren sold millions of copies and influenced early copyright law. But perhaps most important, Webster was an ardent supporter of a unified, definitively American culture, distinct from the British, at a time when the United States of America were anything but unified-and his dictionary of American English is a testament to that.
I love words. I want to learn more history. I'm on page 87. I'm very much enjoying this book so far. It doesn't move as fast as the afformentioned novel, but I'm learning as I read, not just feeling and being entertained. I'm taking some notes as I read and may share them here later . . . we'll see.
A quiet revolution is taking place: People across the United States are turning toward local food. Some are doing it because they want more nutritious, less-processed food; some want to preserve the farmland and rural character of their regions; some fear interruptions to the supply of non-local food; some want to support their local economy; and some want safer food with less threat of contamination. But this revolution comes with challenges. Reclaiming Our Food tells the stories of people across America who are finding new ways to grow, process, and distribute food for their own communities. Their successes offer both inspiration and practical advice.
Maybe not exactly what I was expecting . . . but fanning my intrest in finding more and more healthy and affordable ways for my family to eat. I will scan through this book some more before I return it to the library and see what bits I can glean from it.
Eyewitness Science : Human Body ::
The "Eyewitness Science" series follows the story of science, tracing the major discoveries through the eyes of the great scientists. The text is simple and straightforward, and each spread contains detailed artwork and photographs. The series combines landmark experiments in the history of science with the human element - the great men and women of science. Special features include: demonstrations which re-create experiments and expand important principles; artworks which explain how and why things work; specially built 3-D models which aim to make clear even the most complex concepts; and words and pictures which work together to explain scientific principles clearly and concisely. "Human Body" covers such topics as discovering the body; Renaissance man; muscles and movements; sickness; mind and soul; the nervous system; the senses; body chemistry; and growth and ageing.
The kids and I are studying Human Anatomy for a few weeks and this book has been a very helpful tool. The "specially built 3- models" are very realistic and almost gory. Isaac loves this book. Maddie thinks it's gross. I have found it to be amazingly helpful.
Eyewitness Visual Dictionaries: The Visual Dictionary of Human Anatomy ::Come explore the Human Body from the inside out! This visual dictionary looks at the inner workings of human anatomy including cells, organs, the skeleton, the brain, and much more. Open these pages and find: over 200 outstanding original photographs and graphic illustrations, exploded views and cutaway photographs that reveal even the tiniest parts of human anatomy, a fascinating new kind of dictionary that can be used by the entire family, concise text and carefully researched definitions that are user-friendly for people of all ages, and instant access to a 3,000-word specialist vocabulary.
This book has incredibly detailed, yet easy to understand, drawings. Maddie likes this book much better than the previous, Isaac thinks it's boring. It has also been helpful and a great compliment to the Eyewitness Science book mentioned above.
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so, there is a taste of what we have been reading. are you reading anything good lately?