The Best Book I Read This Month: Girl Gone Missing by Marcie R. Rendon

The best book I read this month—Girl Gone Missing—was the sequel to the best book I read last month—Murder on the Red River by Native American author Marcie R. Rendon. There’s no sophomore slump in Girl Gone Missing. Everything I loved about the first book is there in the second: the narrative voice, the strong protagonist, the wandering pace.

What stood out for me in this one was Cash’s resourcefulness. It was there in the first book, but it really shined in this one. Whereas the first book centered on a murder, this one centers on a missing person’s case. Specifically, the disappearance of a white classmate of Cash’s at the local community college. As Cash pursues the “case,” she becomes endangered and relies on her wits to survive.

The supporting cast grows in this book too. We not only learn more about the sheriff who took Cash under his wing, we also meet Cash’s long lost brother—a veteran just returned from Vietnam and struggling with PTSD.

In some ways, this book was a bit darker than its predecessor, but it was no less satisfying. I have no idea if a third book in the series is coming, but I certainly hope there is!

The Best Book I Read This Month: Murder on the Red River by Marcie R. Rendon

The best book I read this month was a mystery by Native American author Marcie R. Rendon, Murder on the Red River. Set in 1970 along the Minnesota-North Dakota border, Murder on the Red River follows Cash Blackbear as she explores the circumstances surrounding the death of a Native American farm worker.

As the story follows Cash, we learn about her background as an Indian child in white foster homes (SPOILER: she was not treated well), as an itinerant farm worker who supplements her income hustling pool, and as the surrogate daughter to the local sheriff.

What grabbed me as a reader was the book’s narrative voice. It was spot on and suited Cash perfectly. I was so captivated by the voice and the story that I read the book in two sittings and then immediately ordered the sequel, Girl Gone Missing.

Despite this being a short book (199 pages), the pace of the story did not feel rushed at all. In fact, the story lacked the dogged single-mindedness common in so many mysteries. That’s a good thing, as such single-mindedness would not have suited these characters. It would have felt disingenuous.

I am now a few pages into the sequel, and I fervently hope this becomes an on-going series. I want lots more Cash Blackbear.

The Best Book I Read This Month: Our Declaration by Danielle Allen

The best book I read this month is a fascinating work about one of our founding documents, the Declaration of Independence. In Our Declaration: A Reading of the Declaration of Independence in Defense of Equality, Danielle Allen walks the reader through a close reading of the declaration’s text, arguing that each section of the document speaks to the notion of equality.

It’s a fascinating take, and I’ve never seen the Declaration analyzed or explained in this way. Best of all, Allen’s writing is accessible. You don’t need to be a scholar of history to understand her interpretation or follow her reasoning. That, in itself, speaks of equality. She makes the Declaration available to everyone.

BONUS RECOMMENDATION:

Our Declaration wasn’t the only—or even the first—remarkable book I read this month. I began February by reading called Why Study History When It’s Already on Your Phone by Sam Wineburg. If you are in any way involved in history education, READ THIS BOOK. The first chapter, in which Wineburg examines the failures of standardized testing, got me so worked up that I wanted to burn the system down and start all over again. The rest of the book did not provoke such a violent reaction, but it did identify many of my frustrations with state history standards and curriculum.

The Best Book I Read This Month: What to Do About the Solomons by Bethany Ball

The best book I read this month was not a book I particularly liked. So why is it the best? Because it provoked the strongest reaction. That book is What to Do About the Solomons by Bethany Ball.

What to Do About the Solomons centers on Yakov Solomon, manager of an Israeli kibbutz, his Algerian wife, and their children. At the opening of the book, the children are adults, and most have moved away from the kibbutz. Then, through a series of vignettes that jump from character to character and across time and place, we meet each of the children and a few of the grandchildren.

I picked up this book because its reviews called it funny and poignant and full of joy, and I was looking for a lighter read after finishing a historical fiction that had a lot of fighting and bloodshed. The first 10-12 pages lived up to the reviews. They were funny and poignant, and I loved them. Then the book took a turn. It grew dark and lost the humor. I didn’t find any joy in it, but I’m not the type of person who finds joy in other people’s misfortune. And I admit, there are so many characters in the story that I couldn’t keep track of who they all were, especially in relation to each other.

Still, I read the whole book cover to cover and fairly quickly, too. Why? A few reasons.

• One, I was hoping at the end that there would be something that brought all the children together, that tied all the different storylines together. (SPOILER: There wasn’t.)

• Two, it’s the story of a Jewish family that is not centered on the Holocaust. In fact, the Holocaust is never mentioned in the book. So many novels about the Jewish experience revolve around the Holocaust that it was a relief to read one that is Holocaust-free.

• Lastly, there are some masterful turns of phrase in the book, descriptions that made me stop and say “Wow.” This one is my favorite:

“He loved the Palestinian sun. It was different than in Europe—brighter and whiter. Not filtered through misery, upheaval, old hatreds.”

My verdict? It’s a well-written book, but it wasn’t my cup of tea. It’s clear from the reviews that I read, though, that many others were swept away by it. So, give it a shot, maybe?