April Book Reviews

The Polygamist's Daughter by Anna LaBaron ** (2/5) 
I've read a lot of raised in polygamy memoirs at this point, so my lackluster reaction to this one may have more to do with the inherent repetition of the genre vs. something lacking in this particular story. It is the first I've read by (spoiler alert) someone who escaped as a child and avoided entering plural marriage herself. It is well written, but there are better works in this genre.  

Darcy and Anne by Judith Brocklehurst *** (3/5)
I enjoy the occasional Pride and Prejudice continuation, and this one is one of my favorites. It is told from the perspective of Anne de Bourgh, a quiet character in P&P who is fully fleshed out and endearing in this jaunt. A quick, easy read for Austen fans who are okay with breaks from canon. 

How Not to Hate Your Husband After Kids by Jancee Dunn **** (4/5)
This read may seem like putting the cart before the horse re: my lack of kids (this is not an announcement), however, I think this book includes good advice for anyone cohabitating with your partner and navigating the (hopefully) shared burden of maintaining a household. The author is in an opposite-gendered couple, and the book is written from that perspective. 


The Destruction of Hillary Clinton by Susan Bordo ***** (5/5)
This book was on one hand painfully infuriating (much like the 2016 presidential election) and on the other, cathartic. I was struck by Marcie Bianco's take, so I will share part of it here: 

In culture, controlling the narrative is key to gaining authority. That is why women have historically been denied the right to control their narratives, along with their lives and bodies. Hillary Clinton’s experience was all women’s experience, magnified on a national scale. The problem is that the people who should read Bordo’s book are the very ones who will not read it—no matter how seductive the title appears to misogynists and the Hillary-haters chanting “lock her up.”

In this regard, Bordo’s book is bound by the same sexist constraints that hemmed in Clinton: Falling back on mindless misogynist tropes and narratives is economically more efficient than actually paying attention to, and deconstructing, them. Throughout the election, people did not judge Hillary Clinton for themselves, but let the misogynist media do it for them

The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple by Jeff Guinn **** (4/5)
Because the one thing that most folks recall about Jonestown is to "not drink the Kool-Aid," the best use of my public history degree here is to note that the drink brand used was Flavor Aid, not Kool-Aid. And that some family members of those who died in Jonestown find that joke hurtful, something I had never considered before. 

This focus of this book is rightfully on the life and work of Jim Jones and The Peoples Temple leading up to their ultimate demise. Years ago, I saw a good documentary on Jonestown that briefly introduced this aspect, but focused on the more dramatic harrowing last day. I didn't know about the group's commendable social contributions in Indiana and California (elderly care facilities, drug rehabilitation program, and more). I had also only seen the characterization of Jim Jones at the end of his life, before he was consumed by power and heavy drug use. I mention these things not to discount the ultimate destructiveness, but to note the fullness of this portrayal. 
I enjoyed Guinn's writing style and now have his book on Charles Manson on my to read list. 

Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly ***** (5/5)
I saw the film Hidden Figures before reading this book, and though I typically hate seeing a film version before reading the original work, in this case I don't think the order detracted from either. I am sometimes distracted by historical inaccuracies in movies, so this may have been the right order for this one (for me).