French Exit - Patrick Witt

 Subtitle: A tragedy of manners

What a strange, disturbing little book.   A scandalous, newly broke widow and her son leave New York for Paris to squander her remaining funds, escaping the dreariness of their lives.  Supposedly a comic satire; I found it depressing and too clever. Not recommended.

Quotes:

"What you want is to know someone's there; you also want them to leave you alone.  But, I was shocked because I suddenly understood that the heart takes care of itself.  We allow ourselves contentment; our heart brings us ease in its good time.  ...It hasn't been my experience."

"But he soon came to learn that books were not the solution in entirety.  They were about life;, but they were not life itself, and he closed them up and put them away."

Published: 2018  Read: January 2021  Genre: Fiction

The Accidental Adventurer - Barbara Washburn

Subtitle: Memoir of the First Woman to Climb Mt McKinley

Some people who achieve amazing feats are the most humble, down to earth people.  This was my takeaway after reading the story of a WWII housewife and mother who became the first woman to climb Mt McKinley (Denali) in Alaska because she knew "her husband wanted her to be with him".  The book is written plainly with little overstatement or waxing eloquence or boasting.  I wonder at her stamina and grit to survive multiple arduous climbs.  Her and her husband, Brad, spent years of exploring to produce their map of the Grand Canyon that was published in the July 1978 National Geographic magazine.  A quick read that left me wanting to know more about their adventures.

Published: 2001  Read: January 2021  Genre: Memoir

Ambulance Girl - Jane Stern

I'd listened to Jane and Michael Stern's food radio program, the Splendid Table, on NPR for many years.  I must have added her memoir to my TBR list at some point and was surprised to find that she had volunteered as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and wrote about it.  My image of her as a foodie clashed with her experiences as an EMT and opened my eyes to a extremely challenging job and the reasons someone might chose to do it.  I could see the growth in confidence and self-respect that Jane gained during her time as an EMT. 

Quotes:

p. 31 "EMT is the most stressful job of all...a list of the warning signs of stress, which included anxiety, guilt, indecisiveness, isolation, fear of separation and being ignored" [was shared during training as a warning].

p 129 "Fear is a hologram.  It seems filled with substance and when you go beyond it you realize it was just an illusion."

Published: 2003  Read: January 2021  Genre: Memoir 

Your DNA Guide the Book - Diahan Southard

Sub-title: Step by Step Plans to Connect you with your Family Using your DNA

Let me start by saying, I wish I had written this book! Diahan has taken her straightforward, friendly approach I've seen her utilize in her genealogy conference presentations and created a fantastic guide to all things related to DNA genealogy.  I thoroughly enjoyed that the book, while designed as a customize-able, step by step guide, is also a plain language resource for DNA  and genealogy information.  

The book has you define a DNA research goal and then guides you through a path to your goal, learning along the way.   The table of contents reads like a list of DNA research questions I've been asked many times. For an overview of the book, there is a flowchart or Map of the Plan for research on pages 19 and 20.  

This is not a straight, page turning read.  You chose the next topic based on your answers to questions about your goal.  I followed the approach for a couple of DNA cases I've worked on and was impressed on how it helped me zero in on what I had done and where I needed to go next.  

The book does not go into great detail on the science of DNA, or the evolution of genetic DNA testing but instead gives a practical, get results approach to working with your DNA matches to answer your puzzle.  I would recommend it be added to any genealogist's library.

Published: 2020  Read: January 2021  Genre: Non-fiction

Almost Famous Women - Megan Mayhew Bergman

This was a nice read to start off the New Year.  The author took the lives of women who were related to or close to truly famous people and imagined a short story about their lives.  Based on facts, she weaves revealing and touching bits about what it is like to be close to, but not sharing, fame. She features the lives of Edna St Vincent Millay's sister, Norma, Allegra, the daughter of Byron, Dolly Wilde, niece of Oscar and other lesser knowns.  It was a different and clever approach that required some research and imagination.  I thought the book crumbled at the end when she added a couple of seemingly unrelated tales.  

Published: 2015  Read: January 2021 Genre: Historical Fiction