The Best Book I Read This Month: Pocahontas and the English Boys by Karen Ordahl Kupperman

The best book I read this month was Pocahontas and the English Boys by historian Karen Ordahl Kupperman.

In the book, Kupperman tells the story of the Jamestown colony, but it’s not the usual tale of survival against all odds. In fact, John Smith makes only a cameo appearance. That was one of the things I liked about it. I’ve had more than my fill of the “John Smith saves the day” narrative.

Instead, Kupperman focuses her story on those who were caught between the English and Indigenous cultures: Pocahontas and three young English men who were sent to live with local tribes. It was this cross-cultural focus that made this book stand out to me. I liked seeing Jamestown from the perspective of the Indigenous people it both displaced and depended on.

And while some history books can be dense and difficult, I found Kupperman’s style interesting and accessible. This book read as smoothly and as quickly as a novel. I devoured it in a couple of days.

In short, Kupperman’s Pocahontas and the English Boys is engaging brain food.

The Best Book I Read This Month: A Tip for the Hangman by Allison Epstein

The best book I read this month was riveting work of historical fiction set in Elizabethan England. Allison Epstein’s A Tip for the Hangman imagines the life of playwright Christopher “Kit” Marlowe.

Marlowe, a contemporary of Shakespeare’s, is one of history’s more colorful figures. Although there is little or no definitive proof, it is commonly believed that he served as a spy for the English crown, and it is around this premise that Epstein weaves her tale.

What I liked most about this book was the vivid, vibrant depiction of Marlowe. He practically leapt off the page. He was witty and charming and daring and vulnerable, all of which made him a great protagonist.

The story itself has plenty of shady characters (as a spy story should) and some nice twists and turns. But it also has heart and romance and adventure.

I especially appreciated the Author’s Note at the end, in which Epstein explains the liberties she took in crafting the story. Every work of historical fiction deviates from historical fact. It’s always nice to know where and how.

Epstein’s next book—Let the Dead Bury the Dead—comes out next year, and I can’t wait to read it.

The Best Book I Read This Month: The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore

The best book I read this month was written by the newly elected governor of Maryland: Wes Moore. The book came out twelve years ago (in 2010), but I didn’t read it until this month. My boss was so thrilled by Moore’s election victory that she sent every employee a copy. I read it in two days.

In The Other Wes Moore, the author Wes Moore recounts key events in his life and the life of another Wes Moore, one whose life turned out very differently from the author’s. Author Wes Moore learned of the other Wes Moore in an article about a jewelry store robbery, for which the other Moore and his associates were convicted. Moore was sentenced to life in prison. The author Wes Moore wanted to know how two young black men, both born in roughly the same place (the greater Baltimore area) and both raised by single mothers, ended up with such different lives. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that he never really found an answer.

Still, there is a satisfaction in Moore’s exploration. His storytelling is engaging and conversational, and he clearly recognizes turning points where his own life might have changed direction. If there is a lesson to be had in the stories of the two Wes Moore’s, I think it’s that there are no easy answers and that it really does take a village to raise a child.

Giving Thanks

It’s Thanksgiving day here in the United States, and as is my tradition, I’m making an inventory of what I’m grateful for.

This year, Twitter is at the top of my list. I joined Twitter eleven years ago. I had been working from home for a couple of years at that point, and I was eager for some “water cooler” conversation. I found so much more, though—a community and friendships that have helped me through difficult times. I don’t know what Twitter’s future holds, but I will always be grateful for the people I found there.

Whatever you are thankful for, and however you are spending today, I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. Thank you for spending part of it here with me.

WANTED: One Time-Turner

Remember the time-turner in the Harry Potter stories? The one that Hermione used to double up on her classes? The one that she used to help save Buckbeak and Sirius Black?

I need one.

It doesn’t need to be new. I don’t even need to own it. Borrowing it for what’s left of the month of November would be enough. Because whoo, boy, is my plate overly full for the next few weeks.

First, I need someone to tell me how the heck we’re already in November. Shouldn’t it still be August? I swear I blinked, and the calendar pages just flew away.

Now I have two weeks to get about four weeks’ worth of tasks done. Some are work tasks, and boy, am I feeling the pressure there. I have manuscripts to review that are coming in faster than I can read them. I have templates I need to create so that the next set of manuscripts can be written. And I need to map out the curriculum for our next project before the end of the month, because we need to have the budget and pricing done by mid-December.

Then there are home tasks in preparation for my family’s arrival for the Thanksgiving holiday. Things like making sure I have enough seats for everyone (Spoiler: I don’t. Yet.) and making sure my dining table is cleared off so we have a place to eat (which means finding a place for all the random stuff that currently call my dining table home).

I’m also in the middle of redoing my home office. I switched jobs in September, and while I still work from home, I have found that the new job requires slightly different logistics than my previous one. So my home office is currently mid-rearrange while I wait for the furniture I ordered to arrive.

Plus there’s the usual time needed for the normal day-to-day stuff—cooking, cleaning, taking care of the dogs, writing, reading, walking, etc.

I feel like I need another 12 hours in a day.

So if you happen to have a lead on a time turner, please do let me know.