What Unites Us: Reflections on Patriotism

 

A co-worker bought me this book, I believe the week of the insurrection. Timing is everything, right? And after reading through essays from one of America's legendary journalists, I'm trying to feel more hopeful about the future.

Dan Rather wrote this book a few years ago, but I believe he would still echo the principles he wrote about here, even as the Capitol glass was still shattered on the floor.

Courage is how he ends it and I suppose it's the virtue we need most as a country right now.

Rather's book doesn't have all the fun, quirky sayings he's most known for (I'm partial to the one about the frog with the side pockets, though I don't understand it at all.) Instead, it's a mix of observations, stories from history and a reflection of the things that Americans can agree upon, rather than the million things we're fighting about.

Rather says a guiding word of his life has been "steady." His parents said it to him when he was recovering from a rheumatic fever as a child. He said it to himself before he went on the air to report on the JFK assassination. He's saying it to all of us now, as turmoil has gone far beyond simply bubbling below the surface.

Rather writes about not learning early enough the realities of racial injustice in this country. He writes about Americans truly feeling connected to the country when we learned about it in Civics classes, which have largely faded away. He learned about a connection to the country when Americans had to sacrifice for the war effort. This is not a "oh, things were better back then" book. But he tries to remind us of what was good and what was bad, in an effort to push forward in a more productive way.

Overall, this book was a little boring for my taste. Maybe a little too steady in the delivery. But the lessons are important, even hopeful. And we could all use a little of that right about now.

Shuggie Bain

 

Whew.

This one.

I know it's one of the best books of last year. I know it's powerful and important and gut-wrenching. I knew it going in, yet it still put me off enough that I almost couldn't finish.

Maybe it's the times we're living in (I was reading this book right around the time of the insurrection and subsequent fallout.) Maybe what I needed was something lighter to get me through. In the weeks since I finished, I can see this book in a more favorable light. But, it was nearly too depressing to recommend.

Shuggie Bain's story is of a young man living the hardest life. His mom is poor, single, an alcoholic. He is questioning everything about himself that makes him different. Their life in Scotland is beyond pulling out of, it seems, and though you root for Shuggie's mom to save him (and save herself), you ultimately know she will fail.

This book is about family and addiction and mental illness and poverty. About sexual abuse and domestic violence and the children trapped in the middle. The writing and plot are perfectly executed, but I just couldn't keep myself from looking away.

Maybe in another time in history (no pandemic, no winter, no political unrest), I could relax and focus on what makes a book like this so powerful. Right now, though, I should have left it up on the shelf.

You Never Forget Your First

"Great love stories don't often begin with dysentery."

It was that line on page 27 when I knew This was a presidential biography for me. To be fair, I knew I liked the book a few pages earlier, as the author described the previous canon of Washington biographies as written by "the thigh men" - men who are obsessed with writing about masculinity, specifically, the first president's thighs.

I love Alexis Coe's approach to this whole thing. Specifically, honoring the legacy of George Washington without sugarcoating it. I haven't read a lot of George Washington bios (read: I haven't read any), but apparently they all cast his mom as a shrew and him as the perfect man. This just felt more human, more honest, without discounting his role in the formation of our country.

Side note: I've watched Hamilton so many times, I pictured Chris Jackson throughout this book instead of the powdered-wig white guy with the non-wooden teeth (his teeth! You guys! I learned a lot of messed up things about his teeth. I won't spoil it too much, but HE BOUGHT SLAVE TEETH AND PUT THEM IN HIS OWN HEAD. And hippo tusks. Okay, I spoiled it all. Sorry.)

I felt like I walked away from this book knowing more about GW as the flawed human being that he certainly was. He failed many times before he succeeded. He failed after he was president, too. But, knowing those failures didn't take away from him on the historical pedestal. I actually appreciated it more.

Most poignant and important in this book is Coe's unflinching look at Washington's history with slavery. He owned people, which we all knew, of course. But, what has been glossed over through the centuries is that he never freed a single one. He left that up to Martha after his death. History - and, maybe the "thigh men" have chosen largely not to speak about it. But, to ignore it is to ignore the legacy that hangs over so many of our founding fathers.

This book is funny, smart, informative and even powerful at times.

I read this book a few weeks ago now, so I had to go back to my notes to remember everything. I wrote simply "last lines - perfect." In those last lines, Coe writes of the work being done at Mt Vernon to excavate the woods near the Washington burial vault. 

"The area is never mentioned in the thousands of documents Washington left behind. It is a cemetery for the people he enslaved, full of unmarked graves." 

Transcendent Kingdom

 

I'm glad this was the first book of the year. Strong, powerful, well-written, a pretty cover (don't judge me, I'm shallow)... This was what I needed

Yaa Gyasi wrote one of my favorite books that I read in 2019, so I was not surprised at the power of this novel. This one, though, is much different. Homegoing traced the lines of generations from Africa to slavery to the U.S. in present day. Transcendent Kingdom is now,  though those immigrant roots are still felt.

Gifty is a promising young scientist, doing research about the brain and how and why it responds to want. Her mice pull a lever and either get a treat or a shock. Some stop pulling the lever; others will always risk the shock in pursuit of that reward.

Through flashbacks, we learn why. We learn of Gifty's Alabama upbringing with her mom and brother - and, vague memories of a father who went back to Ghana and checked out. We learn about her brother's addiction, his death by overdose. We watch Gifty and her mom respond in different ways - Gifty, determined to be everything exceptional, while her mother retreats inside herself. We learn why what's happening in the brains of those mice is so crucial to Gifty's life. And where does God fit in when you spend your childhood believing He is all-powerful, only to watch your loved one die.

This book explores family, faith, culture, mental illness, addiction and the pressure we put on ourselves to hide the ugly parts from the world. Gyasi's writing is powerful without being overdone. Even the heart-wrenching parts were done without a heavy hand.

It's easy to see why this was on nearly every "must-read list" of 2020. 

My 10 favorite books of 2020

 

Looking back, it was a hell of a year for books! Not only did I read that publishers did well in the pandemic year, I also saw so many of my friends hit reading goals they didn't expect! I guess that's what being stuck inside does for you!

As for my own list of favorites, I really wanted to keep it at five. I think a top 10 list shows you simply can't choose or edit yourself! But, when I looked back at my list of books this year, I really couldn't leave some of these ones off. In fact, I struggled not to have a few more on this list, so I'll throw them in as honorable mention at the end!

Overall, I'm proud of 60 books this year. I finished #60 about 15 minutes before midnight on New Year's Eve! I originally wanted to try for 75 this year, but moving in May slowed me down. Pandemic fatigue slowed me down. A lack of air travel after March slowed me down! And, I read a couple of long books that took me longer than expected. Either way, I hope you got something out of this blog this year and maybe picked up some books based on my suggestions! Sharing book reviews is a true joy for me and I'm grateful for anyone who has been keeping up since I started this little project a few years back.

Here are some quick notes on my top 10! Please comment and share your favorites of the year with me. Here's to more great books in 2021!

1. The Cold Millions

I'd love this book even if it wasn't written about my city, by a guy who lives here, too. This book was not only my favorite of 2020, but it's among my favorites of all time. Based on some real-life events that happened not far from where I'm writing this, The Cold Millions tells of the labor movement of the early 1900s. It's also about brotherhood, immigration, human rights and a fledgling city trying to manage its growth. The last chapter had me sobbing with characters I'll never forget.

2. House in the Cerulean Sea 

This book is a hug. This book is pure joy and pure magic and pure quirky goodness. A man with very little else to live for gets an assignment checking on some (literally) magical kids who live in a secluded orphanage. This book exudes love and acceptance. It also has some of the most incredible characters I've ever met, including a hilarious little Lucifer who may be the son of Satan, but is a pretty great kid, too. It's hard to describe this book in a way that does it any justice. It's, quite simply, magic.

3. Know My Name

I said in my original review that this book needs to be a text book. A text book for human beings. Chanel Miller took back her power, naming herself as the victim of dirtbag Stanford swimmer rapist Brock Turner. Her book explains the world-capturing story from her perspective and forces all of us not to look away. It's a lesson in how we should treat criminals and victims and women. It's hard to read for its subject matter, but Miller writes her painful story so well. Don't look away. Read this book, then pass it on.

4. Anxious People 

If you've been around this blog awhile, you know of my abiding love of Fredrik Backman. This book is another of his masterpieces. It focuses on a group of people who are the victims of a botched robbery attempt. In his funny, poignant way, Backman teaches us about each of the people who live there, their connection to each other and a reflection of ourselves. Each of his books has left me laughing, then weeping. This one is no exception. 

5. Accidental Presidents 

I'm such a nerd about this book. Like, full-on Cliff Clavin from Cheers nerd. It tells the stories of the vice presidents who became president because the guy in front of them died. It's such a tale of the bizarre way our country has governed itself and all the bizarre ways presidents have died (Zachary Taylor was so hot at the dedication of the Washington Monument, but he should not have tried to cool down by eating that fruit contaminated by D.C. sewer water!) If you have even a passing interest in presidential history, you must read this.

6. The Great Believers

I think I'll always look back at this book with such fondness. A heart-wrenching book about the AIDS crisis and the men and their families who carried the burden of all that loss. Beautifully written, I wrote in my original review that I had to stop getting ready for work and crawl in bed to finish it. I needed to be wrapped in something when it finally came to an end. It has a real Hamilton "Who lives, who dies, who tells their stories..." vibe. 

7. Why We Can't Sleep 

If you would have told me when I finished this book that it would be on my top 10 for the year, I wouldn't have believed you. But, it stuck to my ribs. I think of this line almost every day: "What happens to you in your forties, as a woman, will determine how long you live, will determine how happy you are for the next forty years." This book is about women my age - Gen Xers - and the burdens we carry. How all of this pressure that keeps us up at night connects back to things like the Challenger explosion and life before texting. This book is important, if you want to make sure that as a woman in your 40s, you're not actually alone - no matter how lonely you might feel.

8. Race Against Time 

I finished this book mere hours ago and it knocked my socks off. I probably would have ranked it higher, but I'm trying to avoid the appearance of recency bias. This author of this book helped bring notorious klansmen and killers to justice, even though the crimes had been committed decades before. It's journalism that reads like fiction and reminds you of  the power of journalism - and justice.

9. Nothing to See Here 

How could you not love a book about the children of a powerful politician who (literally) burst into flames when they're agitated? This is a hard book to explain, other than I absolutely loved it. Get past the spontaneous combustion and you find a story about friendship and risk and acceptance. 

10. Giver of Stars 

I'd blame the pandemic for driving me to this somewhat sappy book, but I read it in February. In the before times. Looking back, this isn't the kind of book I would typically choose. Still, I loved it. It's based on the women who used to deliver books on horseback to rural parts of Kentucky in the 1930s. It's about powerful women and asshole men and books. And, eventually, community. 

HONORABLE MENTION:

I'm such a wuss, I can't just edit and leave books out!

So, while they won't get a full rewrite review, here are a couple of my other favorites of 2020.

Silence of the Girls

Relentless Pursuit

Let Love Rule

A Burning

The Vanishing Half