Pelosi by Molly Ball

PELOSI is an exciting new biography by award-winning author Molly Ball, TIME magazine's national political correspondent, a political analyst for CNN and a regular commentator on political shows like PBS's Washington Week, CBS's Face the Nation, and ABC's This Week. I knew a bit about Pelosi’s background (her father was heavily involved in Democratic Party politics), but I was fascinated to learn how her elected Congressional role is really a second career for her, after motherhood (5 children in 6 years) and many fundraising efforts connected to the Democratic Party.  Ball also focuses on some surprising parallels with today’s issues like Pelosi’s early efforts (she was first elected in 1987) to raise awareness and funding for HIV/AIDS research and her attempts to stand up for human rights in China.  I would like to know even more about Pelosi’s moral convictions and true values so as to better wade through the “hype” that often surrounds her today.  As the first (and only) female Speaker of the House of Representatives, she has certainly made history while also ensuring passage of varied landmark legislation like the Affordable Care Act, the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act, and very recently, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. In addition, she is the first to return to the Speaker’s post since Sam Rayburn in 1955 and one of only a few Speakers to have led Impeachment proceedings (the point where Ball’s work ends).

As Ball chronicles, Nancy Pelosi is an ambitious woman who has made a difference despite repeatedly battling misogyny and sexist stereotypes. Yes, there are negative reviews for this book; The Wall Street Journal complains that it lacks complexity and is overly fawning, but that iconic image on the cover of Pelosi in her red coat is inspiring not only for those sharing her gender. PELOSI by Molly Ball received starred reviews from Booklist (“recommended for teens … [an] accessible account”) and Kirkus (“top-notch political biography”).

The Book of Lost Friends and Furmidable Foes

I have not yet read Lisa Wingate’s best seller Before We Were Yours, but I had heard positive comments so I was excited to read her newest work of historical fiction, THE BOOK OF LOST FRIENDS.  Set mostly in Louisiana, this novel alternates between events of 1875 and 1987. Just after the Civil War, recently freed Hannie disappears with Juneau Jane and Miss Lavinia, half-sisters whose father is Hannie’s former owner. It is a perilous journey with Hannie pretending to be a boy as the three of them travel West. Interspersed between chapters are reproductions from Southern papers of “Lost Friends” columns humbly and movingly seeking missing loved ones. Closer to modern day, the story features Benny Silva, a young teacher struggling to make school engaging for her students. She says, “Books were the escape hatch that carried me away during long lonely times …. Books made me believe that smart girls who didn’t necessarily fit in with the popular crowd could be the ones to solve mysteries, rescue people in distress, ferret out international criminals, fly spaceships to distant planets, take up arms and fight battles. … Books built my identity. I want that for my students.” I especially liked the modern story with Benny’s optimism and the work she did to help make the past relevant for the class and the town.  A LibraryReads selection, THE BOOK OF LOST FRIENDS will be welcomed by Wingate’s many fans. 

Another new book which alternates time periods (1788 and 2019) is FURMIDABLE FOES by Rita Mae Brown. Loyal readers will recognize this as another fun Mrs. Murphy mystery (book 29) featuring cats named Pewter and Mrs. Murphy, plus corgi Tee Tucker and a new wolfhound pup named Pirate. Harry Harristeen, best friend Susan Tucker, and other members of the Dorcas Guild are into gardening and beautifying the local church’s property until one of them is killed at a charity event. I generally like these light, cozy mysteries and read this one in an afternoon, but found it to be a bit disappointing.  My personal preference would be to stick to the modern story and that was reinforced in this case due to the historical tale of slave catchers that did not seem to have any real resolution.  From her references to many characters in the past, my impression is that Brown is trying to build two worlds: Harry’s in the present day and one in post-colonial Virginia. Frankly, that means too many details (there is a five page “Cast of Characters”) for the reader – looking for escapist entertainment – to track.