Hunter's Heart Ridge by Sarah Stewart Taylor

HUNTER'S HEART RIDGE by Sarah Stewart Taylor (Agony Hill) is the second in a mystery series featuring state police detective Frank Warren and his neighbor Alice Bellows set in 1965 Vermont. It is the start of deer season when Warren and his assistant, Pinky Goodrich, are called to the Ridge Club, an exclusive hunting club, due to what is first presumed to be an accidental shooting death. Soon an early blizzard arrives, and the two police officers are marooned at the club, with plenty of likely suspects (diplomats, soldiers, and businessmen who have known each other for over twenty years) and even more weapons. Although Warren seems out of his depth at times and his questioning of suspects is rather repetitive, Taylor adds suspense due to the dangerous storm, discovery of another body, and an unexpected childbirth. She clearly cares for these characters, flaws included, and their tense, edgy adventures are likely to appeal to readers who enjoy works by Elly Griffiths, Ann Cleeves, and Jane Harper.

There was Nothing You Could Do by Steven Hyden

THERE WAS NOTHING YOU COULD DO by Steven Hyden tells the tale of Bruce Springsteen’s Born In The U.S.A. which was released 40(!) years ago on June 4, 1984. Hyden begins by describing his six-year-old self’s reaction to hearing the album from an “ordinary man [who] seemed to also have extraordinary strength.” An accomplished author and cultural critic, Hyden contends that Springsteen was singing about “a mythical heartland where people can set aside their differences and always have each other's backs. The real, and also imaginary, America.” He says this book is about “why Bruce Springsteen made this album, how it changed the culture, and what it means all these decades later.” The first few chapters look at the musical influences on Springsteen like Presley and Dylan; then, he explores the family dynamics, especially Springsteen’s relationship with his Dad, and his friendship with Vietnam vet Ron Kovic (Born on the Fourth of July). Other sections focus on politics, both in the mid-1980s and later, saying that “Born In The U.S.A. worked because of Bruce Springsteen's ability to appear progressive and conservative at the same time,” an ambiguity that no longer exists. Hyden goes on to critique the Jeep commercial in which Springsteen appeared as well as his production of Renegades with former President Obama, and concert pricing. Clearly a lifelong fan, Hyden traces the arc (highs and lows) of Springsteen's career while lamenting the loss of common ground overall. For interested readers, there are several other books that deal with the stories behind Springsteen’s songs, including the forthcoming Bruce Songs (from Rutgers University Press) and the musician's five hundred plus page life story, titled Born to Run, published in 2016.

LBJ's America

LBJ’S AMERICA edited by Mark Atwood Lawrence (Director of the Johnson Presidential Library) and Mark K. Updegrove is a collection of essays about “The Life and Legacies of Lyndon Baines Johnson” from Cambridge University Press. The text is divided into four broad sections: background on LBJ and his times, his domestic policies, foreign affairs, and reflections on his impact. That last section is written by Melody C. Barnes, Obama’s director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. This text is filled with facts and details; approximately twenty percent is devoted to notes, extensive bibliographic citations, and a helpful index. And the essays provide valuable insights on a man who is remembered for dramatic advances in civil rights and immigration law as well as the quagmire, societal divisions, and deaths due to the escalation of the Vietnam War. UT Austin published an interview with Lawrence which explores some of these contrasts. It is worth noting that historians like Doris Kearns Goodwin have praised this new text which will likely have greatest appeal for scholars and academicians due to its language, tone, and high quality of selections (e.g., Joshua Zeitz provides an essay on the War on Poverty). Austin’s Book People is promoting LBJ’S AMERICA along with the upcoming Texas Book Festival on Nov. 11 and 12. I also think it would be very interesting to watch Turn Every Page, the new documentary about the collaboration between Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb as they spent roughly fifty years documenting the LBJ story.

Humphrey and Me plus The Woman at the Wheel

Back to historical fiction with reviews of two recent works: 

HUMPHREY AND ME by Stuart H. Brody is a work of historical fiction that covers almost two decades beginning in the early 1960s. There are two narrators: Ray Elias, initially a bit of a nerdy a high school student who gets involved in politics, and Hubert Humphrey – first as Senator, then as VP and presidential candidate and finally as a Senator again.  As any student of American history knows this was an exciting, turbulent time in American history and Humphrey was a key character involved with civil rights and progressive politics. What troubled me was the book’s depiction of him as talking about war protestors as “Hitler-loving youth” – I could not find that quote in any of the databases or online sources I checked. Yes, this is a work of fiction, but it is important to accurately portray a person of Humphrey’s stature. Brody, who is a professional speaker on ethics, did not cite his sources in the preview that I saw, leading to further questions about his descriptions of Humphrey’s musings and state of mind. Important events, like Kent State, were not even mentioned (although Humphrey had spoken on campus). And, while the story may be semi-autobiographical, Ray was very self-centered and not that well developed. The work that Humphrey did to improve quality of life for Minnesotans and Americans is inspiring (and we could all do with some inspirational leadership from politicians these days); reading a biography (even one intended for young people) would be my recommendation instead of this novel.

THE WOMAN AT THE WHEEL by Penny Haw (The Invincible Miss Cust) offers insight on a fascinating, but little-known historical figure: Bertha Benz, business partner and wife of automobile inventor Carl Benz. Haw describes Bertha’s childhood, courtship with Benz, and her subsequent contributions to his work. Unfortunately, the text seems rather repetitive. In part, that is justified because the pair were met by substantial skepticism and business set backs as they strove to develop their “motorwagen.” It must have required great faith and fortitude to persist in developing that first automobile and Haw stresses that. As she explains, “Bertha wanted to live a life of innovation and purpose in an era when women were expected to be grateful to do nothing more than keep house and raise children.” Together, Bertha and Carl eventually launched a company which employed hundreds of people and was the world’s leading automotive manufacturer. He praised her in his autobiography: “brave and courageous, she hoisted new sails of hope and support at a time when no one else believed in the dream.” Haw includes a Bibliography, Reading Group Guide, and a Conversation with the Author which centers on this extraordinary woman.