Four for February

So February is a short month. And my readings weren’t super impressive. But hey, I read my goal- 50 pages a day. So that’s 4 books and 1400 pages total. Here’s what I read

Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende (399 pages). Eliza Sommers is raised in Chilean high society, despite being an orphan. Siblings Jeremy, John and Rose Sommers chose to raise her as family. But then, Eliza falls in love with a poor young boy. When he leaves her to go to California during the gold rush, she impulsively follows him. Along the way, she befriends Tao, a Chinese doctor. She spends most of her time in America disguised as a young man. But that actually helps her in her quest for her lover. And for finding herself. I finished in 8 days. 

Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell (255 pages). Politics aside (the author is CLEARLY liberal and takes any opportunity to bad mouth Republican presidents she doesn’t like), the book was fascinating. The author is slightly obsessed with 3 of our assassinated presidents. Lincoln, Garfield and McKinley. She travels around to any and all places connected to the presidents and their assassins. I ended up learning a lot of US history that I didn’t know. Which I always love!  I finished in 5 days. 

Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt (363 pages). This is a book I’d always heard of, but never gotten around to reading. It’s the author’s memoirs. Francis McCourt was born in New York, to Irish parents. His father was a drunk and his mother did her best to keep the children fed and clothed. When it became too much, they moved home to Ireland. Unfortunately, things never improved for the McCourts. After losing their only daughter in NY, twin sons passed away after their arrival in Ireland. Frankie managed to find jobs after school ended for him (at 14) and eventually made/stole enough money to buy passage back to America. It was truly fascinating. And troubling that people really did/do live like that, in such abject poverty. I finished in 7 days. 

Zelda by Nancy Milford (383 pages). This was a biography of Zelda Fitzgerald. I’ve read historical fiction that featured her before. But never a flat out biography. The author certainly did her research. She included lots of both Zelda and Scott’s own words, from letters and journals. In fact, this novel was on the short list for a Pulitzer the year it was publish!  I find Zelda to be a most fascinating and tragic figure. She and Scott had a passionate, turbulent, troubling relationship. One of those “can’t live with each other, can’t live without each other” relationships. Not one I would emulate. But such a wild time they lived in. And such heartbreaking ends to such passionate lives. I finished in 8 days. 

This month’s favorite was ...most definitely Zelda.