The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen

The first time I was tempted to read a Julie Klassen book it was the Cornish setting that caught my eye.  This time, it was the author's name.  I loved that first book, The Tutor's Daughter, so much that I only gave the storyline of The Dancing Master passing notice, thinking I'd happily read anything by Julie Klassen.

The Dancing Master, though, is dramatically different in form from The Tutor's Daughter -- the former a slow-paced, somewhat predictable romance whose weight is on relationships moreso than action and the latter a plot-heavy, adventurous romance.  In The Dancing Master, Alec Valcourt has moved to a small village in Devonshire with his mother and sister.  Formerly a London dance and fencing master (I had no idea the two went together, although it certainly makes sense when you think about the fact that both involve precise movements), the London business has failed, his father is gone, and the family has been forced to live with a subdued uncle of average means.

Julia Midwinter has grown up privileged but her angry and distant father left her feeling unloved and desirous of escape.  Her widowed mother has secrets and worries that make her appear overbearing and cold.  Oddly, her mother has at some point forbidden dancing in the town. Nobody will tell Julia the reason, although she knows both her aunt and uncle died long ago. And, the villagers comply with the elder Mrs. Midwinter's wishes to avoid losing her business as it's her wealth that keeps most of the village employed.

There's a lot more to the story.  Julia has a best friend whose oldest brother expects to marry Julia, eventually. They're friends and Julia adores his close family but there's no romance between the two. There are a couple of village bullies who wreak havoc. Alec needs a job and is hired by Mrs. Midwinter specifically so she can keep an eye on him but instead she ends up throwing Alec and Julia into each other's paths.  Someone from the past has returned to the village and is trying to keep his presence from being known. Julia is naturally drawn to Alec because he's a Londoner, handsome, and charming. And, Alec has a troublesome horse.

What happened to cause Julia's mother to enforce a dancing ban on the village? Why was Julia's father so horrid? What deep dark secrets does Mrs. Midwinter harbor? Will Alec find a way to end the ban on dancing so he can earn his keep? What caused his family to flee London? Who is the mysterious stranger from the village's past and why does everyone hate him?  And, will Alec ever be able to ride that horse?

While it sounds like there's an awful lot going on in the book, The Dancing Master is so subtle and quiet that it came off as dull, at first.  I was expecting action, adventure, plot!  About 1/3 of the way into the book, I decided to go read some Goodreads reviews to see what people who finished it had to say because nothing seemed to be happening. Many of Klassen's fans said it was weak by comparison with her other titles. I read some spoilers, though, and they didn't persuade me that the book was worth giving up.

In fact, instead of driving me away from the reading, knowing that the plot points were as weak as I suspected helped me to relax my expectations and enjoy the book for its characterization and interaction. I did think there was a belief-stretching parallel between two characters and the reasoning for this or that secret turned out to be flimsy, etc., but none of that mattered. When I viewed The Dancing Master as a book about relationships and interaction, it became enjoyable and I ended up loving it.

Recommended - A gentle, clean Regency romance that made me smile a lot. The plot points are rather weak and I won't go into detail about that, but once I became aware of its weaknesses, I was better able to enjoy its strengths - well-drawn characters, entertaining dialogue, a sweet romance, and a lovely examination of friendship, family and the power of love to both hurt and heal.

©2014 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery  or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

The Tutor's Daughter by Julie Klassen

The Tutor's Daughter by Julie Klassen 
Copyright 2012
Bethany House - Historical Fiction/Regency 
409 pp.

The Tutor's Daughter is a novel set in Regency England, on the Cornish coast, and I think it was probably the setting that drew my interest when I read about it.  Wow, great choice, by far one of the most engrossing, entertaining books I've read, so far this year!

Synopsis:

Emma Smallwood's father, a tutor, has slowly lost interest in life since the death of his wife, two years past.  With his small boarding school now trickling down to nothing, Emma is concerned and takes it upon herself to write to Sir Giles Weston.  His two eldest sons attended her father's school but the younger ones have not.  Perhaps he would be interested in sending the twins?

Sir Giles responds with an offer to pay Mr. Smallwood twice his normal fee if he'll move into Ebbington Manor to teach his youngest sons for a year.  Miss Smallwood is invited, as well.  Eager for a change of pace, Mr. Smallwood accepts.

But, strange things are afoot at the manor on the cliff.  Everyone seems to have a secret and mysterious happenings are a part of daily life.  Is a ghost playing the pianoforte at night?  Why isn't Emma allowed into the North wing of the manor?  Who is sneaking into her bedroom, stealing things and leaving frightening messages?  Is that shifty man who occasionally appears at the home a wrecker who watches men die on the rocks then sells their possessions?

Questions, questions.  And, I haven't even addressed the main characters.  Emma and two of the sons, Henry and Phillip, seem to be involved in a love triangle. But, maybe not.  What about the Weston's ward, Lizzie?  Who is she in love with and what is she hiding?  And, ugh, the nasty stepmother who wants to marry off Henry or Phillip to her wealthy friend's eligible daughter!

What I loved about The Tutor's Daughter:

Things happen.  Lots of things happen.  But The Tutor's Daughter is not only plot heavy but also has beautifully developed characters that you'll either love or love to hate and they don't all turn out to be quite what they seem.  There are some truly exciting moments.  Danger!  Action!  The setting in Cornwall is likely the same area you read about in some of Daphne DuMaurier's books, like Jamaica Inn, a dangerous coastline notorious for causing shipwrecks and where "wreckers" would lurk to claim goods from the ships as they washed to shore.

The romance in this novel, such as it is, develops slowly and realistically.  There's the usual, "But, she can't possibly end up with either of the brothers because she's nothing but a lowly tutor's daughter!"  We all know how that always ends, but . . . well, let's just say this is my first book by Julie Klassen but it will definitely not be my last.  I was so impressed.  There are plenty of little twists and turns and surprises.

I think it's worth mentioning that Emma also has a crisis of faith.  One of the characters gets a tiny bit preachy with Emma, but he's genuine about his beliefs and if The Tutor's Daughter didn't happen to be a Bethany House novel, I don't think I'd have given it much thought.  I'm always looking for the God references in Christian publications because I know some people get freaked about about them.  I didn't personally find the Christian aspect dominant although, as I said, the one character does have his moments of preachiness. They tend to occur at times that reflection on faith is common.

What I disliked about The Tutor's Daughter:

I have absolutely nothing to criticize, although a couple Americanisms did manage to sneak into the narrative.  Just a couple.  In general, the dialogue and writing was otherwise utterly convincing - among the best I've read.  I don't think I can take off even a fraction of a point for such slight errors.

The Bottom Line:

5/5 - Highly, Enthusiastically Recommended - A delightful, adventurous, romantic, sometimes creepy, often sweet and refreshingly clean tale with highly-developed characterization, believable dialogue, a rocking fine setting that is well-described, and an extraordinarily satisfying conclusion.

My thanks to Christen at Litfuse for the review copy.

©2013 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Emory's Gift by W. Bruce Cameron

I'm going to jump right to the bottom line on this one, since we're getting close to Christmas. If you like a sweet, spiritually uplifting and clean story or have someone on your gift list for whom you're looking for a nice, clean, uplifting book, grab a copy of Emory's Gift.

Emory's Gift is narrated by 13-year-old Charlie Hall. Since Charlie's mother passed away, his grief-stricken father has become withdrawn and sullen, seldom speaking to his son, who desperately needs reassurance and support after their painful loss. On top of his uncomfortable home life and private grief, one of Charlie's former friends has taken to bullying him. But, when Charlie encounters a grizzly bear in the woods, an unusual friendship begins.

There's a lot more to Emory's Gift than just a boy befriending a bear (and a new human friendship that helps Charlie recover) but it's so magical that I'm afraid to say much more. Suffice it to say, Emory is no ordinary bear and some very interesting things happen. Bruce Cameron is a skilled and often surprising writer who has a knack for writing deeply touching stories.

I wish I could tell you more, but I'm afraid anything else I say will ruin the read so I'm just going to keep this review extremely short. I do think the denouement was a tiny bit of a let-down because I was hoping for something a little different, but upon reflection it obviously didn't dampen my feelings about Emory's Gift. As soon as I finished it, I recommended it on Facebook (very unusual -- I usually just link up to my blog reviews and don't say much about my reading, otherwise, on Facebook) and in my online book group. A very moving, emotional and somewhat spiritual read, highly recommended.

I'll save other news for later, since I've got a busy day ahead of me. Happy Reading!

©2011 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You
by Ally Carter
Copyright 2006
Hyperion - Young Adult/Spies
284 pages, including that messed-up page in the middle

I need to trade my copy of this book because I have no idea what happened on pages 133-34, since I got an extra page 141-42 stuck in the middle of my book. Grrr. Otherwise, I loved this story.

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You is the first book in the Gallagher Girls series. I found the second in the series at a bargain price, last year, and whipped right through it. So, when I needed a book to read while I waited out a storm in the Target Starbucks, I bought a copy of the first. It's been on my wish list for eons, after all. I sipped Tazo tea and occasionally jumped at noisy thunder while reading, then we went home during a break in the weather.

I wish I'd known there was a wonky page in the middle, so that I could have exchanged the book right then and there, since Target is at least 50 miles away from us.

Since I'd Tell You, etc., is the first in a series, there's a good bit of set-up and the book is not quite as exciting as the second in the series. We're introduced to Cammie Morgan, the heroine whose mother is the headmistress of the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women -- a spy school masquerading as an exclusive prep school for geniuses. In the second book, Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy, Cammie frequently refers back to her experiences in this first book so I had a little bit of expectatation going.

In I'd Tell You, etc., Cammie meets a boy who is not a spy. In fact, if he knew she attended Gallagher Academy, he wouldn't have anything to do with her. The Gallagher girls are thought to be rich snobs. Actually, most of them are pretty wealthy, but that's beside the point. Their cover is a good one and because of it, the people of the nearby town are not particularly friendly to the Gallagher students. But, when Cammie meets Josh and realizes she wants to get to know him better, she tells him she's homeschooled to keep him from running away.

Cammie and her friends have to check Josh out to make sure he's not trying to infiltrate Gallagher Academy, so they tap into his email and dig in his trash and then write up reports about what they've discovered. Eventually, Cammie and Josh manage to get together, but not for long because Josh discovers the truth about Cammie and gets in the way of her class final.

4/5 - The fact that this book is the first in a series makes it just a tad less exciting because the author has to spend some time setting the scene, but I probably wouldn't have noticed, had I read the series in order. I loved this book. Ally Carter's writing is clever, witty, adventurous and fun. There's no bad language, the violence is pretty tame, and the dating is clean. This book is very family-friendly, as is the next in the series.

I highly recommend reading this series in order. Because Cammie refers back to her experience with Josh in the second book, I already knew how this particular book ended. It didn't bother me, but I did have some expectations of how things would occur and that threw me a bit.

I've got to hop on the treadmill, but I'll try to whip out another review, later today. I've only got one left on that list I wrote up, last week, and then two that I've since finished. Have you noticed that my sidebar hasn't changed? I'm reading a bit slower than usual (and I'm not a fast reader) but I hope to finish both Mr. Darcy's Great Escape and The Things They Carried within the next couple of days, and then we can change the sidebar scenery. That would be good.
You've probably noticed that I haven't posted many photographs in a while, if you're one of my regular readers. That's because I haven't gone anywhere! I've been stuck in this house for months! I'm going to try to take a field trip -- maybe the zoo or just a drive around town to look for hawks -- very soon. I think a photo-free blog can get a little boring, after a while.

Just Jane by Nancy Moser

Just Jane by Nancy Moser
Copyright 2007
Bethany House - Historical Fiction
367 pages, incl. author notes, study questions, and more

I totally do not want to use the regular format, again. You guys knew that was coming, didn't you? Okay, so let's go with the self-interview. It's fun and totally free of charge!

Me: What possessed you to read this book?

Myself: Are you calling me possessed?

Me: No, silly, just answer the question.

Myself: Okay, then. I've been on a Nancy Moser historical fiction kick. I actually saved Just Jane -- historical fiction about Jane Austen's life -- for last, since I'm fond of Jane Austen.

Me: Tell us a bit about the book.

Myself: The story begins around the time that Jane is pining for Tom Lefroy (played by the wonderful James McAvoy in the movie Becoming Jane) and continues until she has has been published multiple times. It then wraps up with an epilogue describing her final years and early demise. The focus is primarily on how Jane feels about her writing, how the family's moves stifled her, the frequent and lengthy travels to visit her large extended family, her relationship with her sister Cassandra, her struggles to get her work published and the men in her life.

Me: What did you like most about the book?

Myself: I really loved reading about Jane's struggles, the details of her life and how she felt about her writing. I thought Moser did a pretty good job of portraying Jane's wit and the importance of her familial ties. I felt like I learned a lot. The author, as always, followed up the book with notes on what was real and which portions were filled in by her imagination.

Me: And, what did you like least?

Myself: Having read all three of Moser's "bio-novels" in a relatively short time span, I found myself a little weary of her voice. Jane, at first, sounded a little too much like Nannerl Mozart, who sounded a bit like Martha Washington. That's common for me, though. I tend to avoid reading more than 2 books by any given author in a year, in general, because I crave variety. And, I thought the book improved, the farther I got into it.

Another minor complaint: Jane seemed a little whiny to me. For some reason, I like to imagine her as a much stronger person.

Me: Any bits of weirdness you'd like to mention?

Myself: I couldn't get Anne Hathaway out of my head. I'm afraid Jane Austen's image has been tainted by her. Also, I noted that Moser had Jane refer to an eggplant as an eggplant. In Great Britain, I believe they call an eggplant an aubergine.

Me: What, if anything, surprised you about Jane's life?

Myself: I had no idea she spent so much of her time traveling. And, I was truly surprised to find that she stopped writing for many years. I'd have to go back and look to see if the author mentioned whether or not there was reason to believe Jane was truly stifled by her surroundings, once she left her beloved Steventon, but that's exactly why I stopped writing fiction -- I feel like I've lost my muse because of my surroundings. I'd love to think it's possible to get that joy back.

Me: What about other characters, besides Jane? Did you find them believable?

Myself: Yes, although there were times I thought modern language eeked through. I was a little baffled by the use of just a few older spellings: "shew" for "show", etc. I'm not sure I understand the purpose of tossing those archaic spellings into a book that isn't perfect in its imitation of language from a particular time period and location.

Me: What did you think of the way the book ended?

Myself: I thought it was very well done. Again, there was one thing that perplexed me. The author says Jane was in a great deal of pain toward the end of her life and probably died of Addison's disease. I was a little curious as to why signs of her illness were never mentioned. But, that's not what the book was about -- it really was about her writing and how she felt about her characters . . . her restrained but witty personality and the reasons she never married. I've just given myself enough self-talk to unwind that question a bit.

Me: You do have a tendency to rattle on.

Myself: Yes, something you never fail to mention.

Me: Which of your readers would like this book?

Myself: I'd recommend it to fans of historical fiction, particularly those who like Jane Austen. I don't believe it's necessary to have read her work in order to enjoy reading about her life.

Me: How's the weather?

Myself: Clearing. It was cold and foggy, this morning, but . . . wait! That has nothing to do with the book.

Me: I think this review is over.

Myself: Hmmph. In that case, let me just say I recommend this book. It's not perfect, but it's very good (and I think one can always find reason to tear down anyone who dares attempt to portray Jane Austen, since Jane fans tend to formulate an image of her that is rather personal). I particularly love all that extra information the author tacked on about what happened to all of Jane's family members, research notes, etc. And, it's notable that Nancy Moser's books are extremely family friendly. I love that.

The Swan House by Elizabeth Musser

The Swan House by Elizabeth Musser
Copyright 2001
Bethany House - Fiction/Christian
443 pages
Author's website

What led you to pick up this book? The protagonist loses her mother in a tragic plane crash and, having recently lost my own mother, I was looking for a little bit of a comfort read about grief.

Describe the plot without giving anything away. Oh, so difficult. Mary Swan Middleton is chosen to be the "Raven" at her exclusive private school. As Raven, she is given a set of clues and a mystery to solve but she is not to reveal that she's the Raven. If she solves the mystery, she will get to choose a charity to receive a large donation. Shortly after Mary Swan finds out she's the Raven, her parents prepare to return from an extended visit to Europe with a number of other Atlanta socialites and artists (her mother is a painter), but they choose to take separate flights. The plane carrying Sheila Middleton and other prominent Atlanta citizens crashes and burns, sending Atlanta's citizens into a whirlwind of grief and funerals. To set Mary Swan on the path to healing, their maid encourages Mary Swan to help serve spaghetti dinners on the poor, black side of town. There, she meets and befriends Carl -- leading to harsh lessons about racial prejudice. Eventually, Carl and Mary Swan's best friend, Rachel, help her attempt to solve the Raven mystery, which leads to a discovery about her mother's hidden secret. All of this takes place in the 1960s.

What did you think of the characters? I liked them but, for the most part, they were a little too perfect. Mary Swan occasionally ticked people off, but they always forgave her. They liked the fact that she spoke her mind; it never seemed to get her into trouble. While she learned some harsh lessons about life, prejudice, depression and loss, it also seemed that everything seemed to fall into place for her too easily.

Describe your favorite scene: I liked the scene in which Mary Swan and Rachel sneak onto the campus of their private school to locate the directions for Mary Swan's Raven dare -- the mystery she is supposed to unravel.

Recommended? Yes, but with fair warning. The Swan House is a good novel, but the author attempted to tackle too many issues in one book. Eventually, the author pulled all the strands together, but not till the end. In the meantime, it would have been very easy to give up on the book. There are plenty of scenes that didn't appear to forward the plot in any way. I also think people who dislike books with Christian themes will find that the issues are not so subtle. The Swan House is a preachy by comparison with the other Bethany House books I've recently read. I got the impression that the book was colored a little too heavily by the author's wealthy upbringing and personal beliefs.

In general: I think at least 100 pages could have been cut from this book, but in spite of superfluous scenes and characters who are too friendly, perfect, or learn their lessons a little too easily (with some ruffians thrown in to beat people up, now and then), I liked it and am looking forward to reading more by Elizabeth Musser. I have a copy of Searching for Eternity on my stacks.

Cover thoughts: I'd call the cover of The Swan House a "quiet" cover illustration. The author's notes mention that the real Swan House (a mansion, from which Mary Swan gets her middle name) does exist in Atlanta and is open to tourists. I think the cover is just a little too subdued and I would have normally walked right past it, but this particular copy was sent to me by Bethany House when I offered to review books that had something, anything to do with grief and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to read and review The Swan House.

Washington's Lady by Nancy Moser

Washington's Lady by Nancy Moser
Copyright 2008 (released in June)
Bethany House/Historical Fiction
289 pages, including "Fact or Fiction" notes and discussion questions
Author's website

What led you to pick up this book? Brittanie very kindly sent it to me because she thought I'd enjoy it. Thank you, Brittanie! You were right!

Describe the book without giving anything away. Washington's Lady is a fictionalized account of Martha Dandridge Custis Washington's life, from the time of her first husband's death until the loss of her second husband, the first United States President, George Washington. The book is written from Martha's point of view, except for the epilogue.

What did you think of the characters? I found Martha absolutely fascinating. I don't know that I'd ever given her, as an individual, much thought. I certainly had no idea that she endured so much grief in her life (she outlived all 4 of her surviving children), that she was wealthy when she married George, that she gathered women to sew for soldiers during the Revolutionary War and that she followed her husband to lodge near battlefields yearly, while he was away from home (for over 6 years). She was truly an amazing woman and one can see how her influence must have strengthened George Washington and helped him become the leader chosen to rule a new nation.

Share a favorite scene from the book: I can't think of a particular favorite, but there were none I disliked. The book is what I'd call a "quiet" book, paced slowly and evenly, with lovely description and believable dialogue. The writing is almost flawless, fact and fiction are interwoven nicely and Martha Washington's emotions, her faith and her devotion are portrayed in a way that is so perfect that I feel as if I've met her and peeked into her life. In fact, when Martha's son Jacky reminded her of Patrick Henry's famous quote, "I know not what course others may take; but, as for me, give me liberty or give me death," I was so caught up in the emotion of the moment that it brought tears to my eyes. The further I got into the book, the more swept up I became in Martha's world and felt her pain or joy. The author's notes on what is truly fact and what she fictionalized rounded out the book.

4.5/5 - Quite nearly perfect, although a bit slow. I enjoyed this book so much that I looked the author up while I was in the library. They carry her books! Wahoo! I will definitely read more by Nancy Moser.

Side note: Because Martha and George Washington were people of strong faith, God is mentioned frequently. Excerpts of genuine letters indicate the fact that there simply was no separating this famous couple from their beliefs. When the beginning of the U.S. Constitution is quoted, the reader understands the inclusion of "one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all," and it's a heart-pounding, awe-inspiring moment. I am absolutely thrilled to find that there is solid, clean historical fiction of such quality and will seek out more books published by Bethany House. I've known about this Christian publishing company for years, but was under the impression that Christian lit still wasn't quite up to par. I'm really glad to find that I'm wrong.

Other reviews, here:

A Book Lover
Devourer of Books
5 Minutes for Mom (this one includes a giveaway copy of Washington's Lady!)

Highly recommended. I noticed Nancy Moser has written a book about Jane Austen, while perusing her website. Ah. I know which of her books I will be looking for, next.

My Reading Week, Part 2: On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness and Alexander Botts

A continuation of last week's reads . . .

3. On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson - an ARC I picked up off of the "FREE BOOKS" cart I happened across at the library, one day. What a lucky find! A young adult fantasy, set to be released tomorrow (3/18/08), On the Edge, etc. is Book 1 in a series called The Wingfeather Saga. The cover adds the following: "Adventure, Peril, Lost Jewels And the Fearsome Toothy Cows of Skree." Also, from the cover blurb, on the back:

Once, in a cottage above the cliffs on the Dark Sea of Darkness, there lived three children and their trusty dog Nugget. Janner Igiby, his brother Tink, and their crippled sister, Leeli, are gifted children as all children are, loved well by a noble mother and ex-pirate grandfather. But they will need all their gifts and all that love to survive the evil pursuit of the venomous Fangs of Dang, who have crossed the Dark Sea to rule the land with malice. The Fangs seek the Igibys, who hold the secret to the lost legend and jewels of good King Wingfeather of the Shining Isle of Anniera.

Andrew Peterson spins a riveting tale of the Igibys' extraordinary journey. Full of characters rich in heart, smarts, and courage, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness presents a world of wonder and a tale children of all ages will cherish.

I'm going to skip the last bit, but they go on to say the book can be read aloud and discussed with families. Meaning, it's very family-friendly. There's some violence; the Fangs are very, very bad and think nothing of beating up on small children. I'm not sure I'd read it to a young, sensitive child or hand it to one who is prone to nightmares. But, On The Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness has a nice, straightforward good-versus-evil storyline. It's a bit predictable and yet it's so fun that the predictability didn't bother me. On the Edge, etc. is loaded with puns, contains a nicely rounded set of characters, is adventurous and sometimes quite funny. I loved the characters and will look forward to a second tale. My ARC cover is different than the cover shown -- the dragons are larger and it has an edge that looks like old, brown leather.

Since this book is an ARC, I wouldn't feel right quoting from it, but I have to tell you about the opening. The book begins with a history of the conquered land in which the story takes place and how the very first inhabitant woke up, stretched and said, "Well, here we are." Those first words were passed down for so long and through so many retellings that the land itself became known as Aerwiar. I read that paragraph aloud to everyone who came near me and they all chuckled.

Rating: Loads of fun and adventure, not a perfect tale -- a little simplistic and predictable -- but really quite a lovely story of hope, about being the captives in an occupied land and having the courage to do what one must do. I hope the book will be widely read and I will definitely watch for the second in the series. Big thumbs up.

And, last but not least (in fact, quite the opposite of "least") . . .

4. The Fabulous Saga of Alexander Botts and the Earthworm Tractor by William Hazlett Upson - Copyright 2001, the University of Vermont Bailey/Howe Library; short stories originally printed in the Saturday Evening Post, beginning in the 1920's and continuing for decades. This printing: Voyageur Press.

This is my kind of book. I think sometimes readers get stuck in heavier literature from decades past and forget that in every time period there have been folks with a great sense of humor. The Alexander Botts stories are a perfect example of fun, light storytelling written and published in another time period. Okay, well, there's a little cross-over for me (the author lived till the 70's and kept on chugging out Botts stories till he died -- which really puts a damper on the writing), but I'd never heard of Botts prior to spotting the book cover.

Author Upson "turned his work experience with the Holt Caterpillar Company into a second career" by writing the saga of happy-go-lucky tractor salesman Alexander Botts. The stories are printed in chronological order and written as a series of letters and telegrams between Botts and his boss, Henderson. In the first story, "I'm a Natural-Born Salesman," Botts writes to offer his services as a traveling salesman to The Farmer's Friend Tractor Company of Earthworm City, Illinois (later renamed Earthworm Tractor Company).

Botts is immediately hired, but as a service mechanic. When the salesman he is supposed to work with is sidelined by an appendicitis, Botts takes it upon himself to demonstrate the tractor on his own and chaos ensues. But, then Botts saves the day and is given the job as salesman. A similar pattern continues in each story: Botts must do a demonstration, something terrible happens, he sleeps on it or merely ponders for a time and comes up with a brilliant idea, then succeeds at his sale. There are evil salesmen from companies with inferior tractors, difficult customers, troublesome employees, tricky situations. Botts can be a bit of a bumbler, but he's definitely a natural-born salesman and he always comes through in the end. Some might dislike that repetition of theme; I loved it, simply because I felt I could enjoy each story even more knowing that everything was going to turn out okay.

Here's an excerpt from Botts' first report to his boss (in the form of a letter), explaining the customer's pressing need for Botts to go through with the tractor demonstration and how Botts began to operate the Earthworm:

NOTE: I will explain that I was sorry that Mr. Johnson had been unable to wait until afternoon, as I had intended to use the morning in practicing up on driving the machine. It is true, as I said in my letter, that I became familiar with Earthworm tractors when I was a member of a motorized artillery outfit in France, but as my job in the artillery was that of cook, and as I had never before sat in the seat of one of these tractors, I was not as familiar with the details of driving as I might have wished. However, I was pleased to see that the tractor seemed to have a clutch and gear shift like the automobiles I have often driven, and a pair of handle bars for steering very much like those of a tricycle I had operated in my early boyhood.

--from "I'm a Natural-Born Salesman"

And, of course, you know I had to love a book in which the word "wahoo" appears:

"We have shipped to Smedleytown one ten ton Earthworm Tractor equipped with the new Wahoo Improved High-power Double-Rotary Snowplow."

--from "The Old Home Town"

More quotes (obviously, this was a many-Post-it book):

When all the plaster fell off the ceiling of Mike Zippke's dining room, and Mrs. Zippke stuck her head out of the window yelling murder, Jim was right on the job to point out that, after all, this is wartime, and think how much better off she was than people overseas that might have a bomb knock the whole house down. As the lady could think of no adequate reply to this, she shut up.

A little later George Miller's slightly senile Great Uncle Otto, desiring to take a quiet smoke in the sunshine, stepped absent-mindedly out the side door, dropped five feet, and landed in a heap on the pavement. As I was right on the job, however, I was able to pick the old gentleman up, dust him off, and boost him back into the house before he knew what had happened. I then silenced his incipient complaints by handing him an excellent fifteen-cent cigar which I had just purchased for only twenty-six cents.

--from "Keep Moving, Captain Botts!"

Coming on top of everything else, it is the final grain of salt that causes the solution to reach a point of supersaturation, so that the camel is precipitated to the bottom of the test tube.

--from "Botts Gets a New Job"

We all know to what heights of eloquence a salesman can rise when he is hampered neither by facts nor information. And the eloquence is doubly convincing when the prospective purchaser is equally ignorant. Having sized up Mr. Bunker and Mr. Griggs in this keenly analytical manner, I was now ready to make a definite proposition.

--from "Botts and the Fire Bug"

Can you tell I loved this book? Well, I did. Fortunately for me, when I located this book and the second collection, Alexander Botts Rides Again, I was so taken by the combination of adorable titles, covers and the excerpts I read in the store that I thrust both of them into my husband's hands and encouraged him strongly to immediately purchase both, thus avoiding the pain of having to say that I'd bought two more books in March, myself. He bought them, since he forked over the cash. I know, it's pitiful but I'm sticking to that excuse 100%.

Rating: If you don't mind predictability and love a series of light-hearted, clean, funny, extremely family-friendly, old-fashioned tales with a hero who is truly a good guy, rush right out and get this book. Thumbs waaaaay up. I was so thrilled with it that I'm eager to see what else Voyageur Press has published.

In other news:

--The layout feature at this blog has resumed functioning. However, I've been so busy trying to get these reviews finished that my sidebar is still hopelessly outdated. I'll work on updating between loads of laundry, tonight. I can hear you all breathing a sigh of relief. "We'll be able to see what Bookfool is reading, again!" Well, true; it's important.

--The cat has now visited Tennessee, her 5th state. Also, we saw the eldest in his new apartment and the cat spent the night, there, this weekend. Don't ask me why the cat won primary placement in this paragraph. It's meaningless, honest. But, seriously, isn't it interesting that our cat has traveled farther than some humans do in their lifetime?

--On the way home from Memphis, we took a side trip to Oxford, MS, and briefly stopped to photograph the place we call the Bathtub Ranch. I think this may be one of my favorite places on the planet:


Hope to be back to blog-hopping, tomorrow! Happy Reading!

Bookfool, currently with blurred vision and in need of an early evening