Category: audio review

Rococo by Adriana Trigiani

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)20 Comments

 

Rococo:  also referred to as “Late Baroque” is an 18th century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful. Rococo rooms were designed as total works of art with elegant and ornate furniture, small sculptures, ornamental mirrors, and tapestry complementing architecture, reliefs, and wall paintings. It was largely supplanted by the Neoclassic style. In 1835 the Dictionary of the French Academy stated that the word Rococo “usually covers the kind of ornament, style and design associated with Louis XV’s reign and the beginning of that of Louis XVI”. It includes therefore, all types of art produced around the middle of the 18th century in France.

~ Thank you Wikpedia

 

 

Bartolomeo di Crespi, “B” has a dream.  He has always wanted to get his interior decorating hands on his church, Our Lady Of Fatima.  Seriously…. this church could do with a make over and B has just the plan.  When the opportunity arises renovate the church, B is beside himself with joy and that is really where the fun begins!

B soon learns that his “one man plan” is not going to work as there is no “I” in Team.  And as if working with other artistic types isn’t hard enough, he also is dealing with his large Italian family and loads of drama… his sister Toot is desperate need of a post divorce make over of her own and relies heavily on her brother, Capri the daughter of the richest woman in New Jersey was long ago told she would marry B, and as much as B loves her…. he doesn’t love her in that way, Father Porporino does his best to keep his flock scandal free (even as we slowly uncover one of his own), Eydie the international designer is stepping to close into B’s dream for the church, and B’s cousin Christina is drowning in a grief that consumes all who come near…

What this adds up to is a funny adventure with delightful characters centered around a family that still sticks together no matter what, a church that is the center of them all, and B the artist who would love to just do his job and avoid all the rest but has too much a sense of family to shut them out.

Adriana with friend and comedian, Mario Cantone

There is no secret that I adore Adriana Trigiani.  She is an amazing woman, writer, and author.  I have been lucky enough to spend time with her and this is where I stumbled on to this treasure of audio.  Adriana is an amazing story-teller…. not only in her books, but in everyday life.  Recently at a lunch in New York, Adriana shared stories about her books and about her good friend Mario recording Rococo.  (You may recognize Mario from the Sex In The City movie). 

When I left that luncheon I knew I had to find Rococo (which I had never read) and I had to find it in audio with Mario narrating.  I did find it on audible.com and anxiously awaited for my current audio to end so I could give this one a try.

If you are talking awesome narrators – Mario Cantone hit the spot.  This audio was amazing to listen to!  I laughed through much of it, delighted in all the Italian characters who were loud and opinionated and lovable.  Honestly – Adriana did it again.

What I love about the books I have read of Adriana’s is the family.  I am not sure if all her books are like this, but the ones I have had the privilege to experience are centered around family that cares about one another.  I come from a small family that is not all that close and reading or listening to such family is an experience for me.  I bask in what that would be like – big meals, family gatherings, opening your home and your heart when there is a need….

This audio is truly a treasure.  If you have a chance to listen to this one, I encourage you to do so.  Mario reads with such a passion and while it is a fun listen, there is also a great story line and in the end… I was emotionally choked up, already missing characters who had now become family in my mind.

I have updated the 2011 WHERE ARE YOU READING map to include Rococo

I purchased this audio from audible.com

My Journey With Audio Books – and a GIVEAWAY for you!

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)60 Comments

Today is the kick off to audio book week (thank you Jen at Devourer of Books!)and I could not be more THRILLED!  I listen to as much audio as I read books…. some weeks, audio beats out the books.  Now – before you non audio book listeners click off this page, bear with me because really – this post is for you.  😀

Those of us who listen to audio know how awesome it is… yet I know from many of my readers, they think it is all good and well for me… but they really couldn’t possibly.  SO let’s take a little journey together shall we?

It’s fall 2009 and I have several trips I need to make to Grand Marias Minnesota.  this is a 4 hour drive, one way from my home.  Now normally, I am an 80’s rockin’ to the music kind of gal… but 4 hours of hard pounding tunes in my head (even if some are pop music – yup… I said it :razz:), gets to be too much.  At that point… I would rather listen to silence.

But this particular fall is different… as I am  fairly new to the book blogging world and recently had discovered Hachette Audio.  They gave audio books away to listen to and review.  Seriously new concept for me.  SO sure enough, in my jeep I have an audio book… it is James Patterson’s Worst Case (the Michael Bennett series – and yes…totally the third book in the series but how would I have known that?)  Anyway… I popped the audio into my vehicle and I was hooked.  The story grabbed me and while making the long haul to Grand Marais, I was able to get deep into the story – loving the sound effects, the narrator, EVERYTHING.

I ask myself, “Where can I get more of this?”

So that is where it began – but it only lead to more… I had to have more.  I loved it and I could listen to audio when I was unable to read a book.

*Hand waving rapidly back and forth*

“But Sheila, I can’t listen to audio – I can’t stay focused on it and it puts me to sleep!”

I hear that a lot.  So here’s the thing.  I can not just get cozy in a chair and listen to audio.  I would be passed out in no time or my mind drifting to something else…. like if there is ice cream in the house, or is the DVR is set up right to record Survivor…. HOWEVER as many of us readers are multi taskers, here is how audio works, and when it works for me:

  • In the car – I have audio all the time.  I listen to it to work, to the grocery store, everywhere…. and road trips where I am riding alone – it is awesome and passes the time!

  • While mowing the lawn.  We have a big lawn.  On the rider I still invest 3+ hours on the lawn once, sometimes twice a week.  I pop in my ear buds on the IPOD and mow to a story… now instead of singing while I mow and scaring the neighbors, I can laugh out loud or cry and let them think I am crazy.  😛

  • While cooking.  I don’t have the patience to stay in the kitchen.  I have to start dinner, then move on to something else which usually means I forget about dinner.  Dinner dies.  BUT now I listen to audio Cd’s in the kitchen and I hang out…. its like it calms me and suddenly I enjoy chopping vegetables, and cleaning up while an audio is on.  I am happy – my hubby is really happy.

  • While Cleaning… if I am working on one room I place the audio where I can listen to it and go to work.  I enjoy the work more, and get a book in on the side.  “Look ma – no hands!”

  • Getting ready in the mornings.  I spend about 30 minutes average a day in the bathroom in the morning.  I keep my IPOD speakers in there and can listen to audio while I get ready for my day.

Audio doubles my “reading” in a year.  There are books I would probably never get to if it were not for audio.  I am more daring with audio… I listen to classics on audio, and non fiction as well as fiction.  You may be amazed at what a great narrator can do. 

*hand shoots up*

“But Sheila…. audio can be pricey…”

True.  However check your local library.  Ours has a wide variety of audio and is connected to many more libraries in the state so I can reserve from another library on-line and have it delivered to my library within days of the request.

Also – audible.com is your friend.  I signed up last year and right away you receive two free audio, after that you receive a credit a month to pick one out for 7.99.  No contract – you cancel anytime.  AND they have wonderful sales – a couple of months back I picked up quite a few for 4.95 each.

That all being said – audio and non audio listeners alike, here is my challenge to you.  This week… start an audio.  Any audio… once you have listened to it come back here and link your review to this post.  I will make a side bar contest link so you can find it.  If you are not a blogger, you can still participate by coming back after you have listened to an audio and share in the comments what you listened to – where you listened to it and what you thought of it. 

In two weeks from today I will draw a name using random.org out of those who link (or comment) about an audio they listened to and the results.  (If you have a blog – I would prefer you also link your review of the audio).  The winner will receive an audio sent to them from Amazon of a value of $20 or less before shipping.

That’s it – happy audio week everyone – let the festivities begin!  😀

** When you have your audio reviewed – link it below to be entered!

Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (Audio and Movie Review)

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)22 Comments

Janie Crawford is a beautiful free-spirited Southern Black girl in the 1930’s.  With her parents long dead, Janie is raised be her grandmother.  At sixteen she is seen kissing the neighbor boy, Johnny Taylor.  Her grandmother, in fear that Janie will wind up being treated like a mule for some man, she arranges for her to be married to Logan Killicks, a man in his 60’s who is looking for a wife to help him take care of his farm.

Janie wants more from life so when opportunity comes literally knocking at her door she runs away with a man she just met and becomes Mrs. Joe Starks.  She soon finds out that to Joe she is a trophy wife and therefore must act as such.  Soon Janie feels trapped again.

And so the story goes on – when something happens to Joe, Janie again finds herself a free woman, but not with finances to back her up.  When a drifter who goes by the name of Tea Cake comes to town Janie finds herself attracted to this mysterious man.  The two eventually become man and wife and their life together really is what makes this book.

Here is yet another read I would probably not have picked up.  When I found it on the sale list at audible.com I thought this may be a good time to try this one and I am so glad I did.   If you have not experienced this book on audio then you are truly missing out.  The rich southern voice of narrator Ruby Dee was a treat to listen too.  Ruby mastered the voices from deep male, to the young voice of Janie.

The book impressed me.  It is a deep love story that I wasn’t anticipating, and maybe that made me appreciate it all the more.  Janie and Tea Cake make some of the modern-day literary couples look dull in comparison.  And all that is from the book…

just wait until you add the movie.

I had timed my finishing of the book with the arrival of the movie from Netflix.  I wasn’t sure what I thought I would find in this movie…but it wasn’t this.  Halli Berry is the perfect person to play Janie.  She is a beautiful woman, just as Janie was described and she was the image of the free-spirited girl that I had read about. 

If I thought the love story was touching in the book… on the screen, seeing the great love between Tea Cake and Janie was heart wrenching – and this from a person who does not read romance!  I was so touched by the their story again… even as fresh as it was in my mind from just hours before ending the book…

I highly recommend both.  Definitely do not miss out on this great novel and movie.

My 2011 WHERE Are You Reading map has been updated to include Their Eyes Were Watching God


I purchased the audio from audible.com

The movie was rented from Netflix

Not My Daughter by Barbara Delinsky

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)27 Comments

Susan, Kate, and Sunny has been best friends for years.  It is fun that their three daughters (Lilly, Mary Kate, and Jess), all the same age, are also best friends.  Lilly, Mary Kate, and Jess are popular, college bound Seniors, from good families. 

They are also all three….

pregnant.

The girls had made a pact – a pregnancy pact.  All feeling ready for motherhood they decide to do what it takes to get pregnant and have their babies all grow up together. 

Susan, Lilly’s mother is also principle of the school.  As word gets out the pressures are heavy on Susan to make good decisions for all involved as the Super Attendant worries about copy cats, and the schools reputation.  The girls do not fit the type of student that would do something like this, blowing statistics of what teens to watch for such behavior in.  It doesn’t help that Susan herself was seventeen when she became pregnant with Lilly, and Susan’s own mother and father had pushed her away, leaving her quite literally alone.

As the three mothers put their heads together on how to move forward – most of the attention stays on Susan.  Being in a small town in Maine makes this sort of scandal very news worthy, and after an editorial in the local paper, the news vans are knocking on Susan’s door.  Lilly had no idea that the decision she made with her friends to become pregnant would snowball into the attacks on her own mother.

All three women, Susan, Kate, and Sunny must come to grips with where they failed as mothers, how the dreams they had for their daughters are disappearing, and scathing small town judgment.


I had high hopes for this read.  The synopsis, was interesting.  How do mothers handle daughters who would make such an outrageous pack?  The fact that Susan was also principal of the school was also interesting… how do you make a fair and smart assessment of what is happening when it involves your own daughter? 

On the pro – I liked the characters.  Susan is a strong intelligent woman.  She had raised Lilly on her own, made a career for herself and a home.  Lilly is sweet and likable, strong personality and supportive of her mom and her dad, who does remain in the picture as a supportive parent and friend to Susan. 

The story line rocks…

BUT

On the con – I wanted to kick Lilly in the pants.  Lilly had clearly not thought out the big picture here and still believed that she would have her baby just before graduation, take the summer to “play mom” and be in college yet in the fall.   She is shocked when her mom is not thrilled for her.  She refers to the baby as “our baby” referring to her mom and herself and maybe I am being harsh – but Susan accepts that immediately, where I am thinking… ummmm…. you made the decision to get pregnant, this was not “our” decision, it was yours. 

I found Susan way to easy on Lilly and there is no lesson here.  I am not saying you don’t stand by your children no matter what, of course you do, but you also talk to them about consequences…

All three girls were extremely immature in such a decision for three girls that were suppose to be on their way and intelligent.  They were doing this on their own with no intentions of telling the “dads” that they were going to be dads, as they really planned on doing this on their own.  This just did not ring true for me.

Gah.  I don’t know…. maybe I am reading too much into this. In the end it is a book about friendship through thick and thin, healing and family ties that bind.  I did like the ending very much.


I  have enjoyed Barbara Delinsky’s writing in the past and I am sure I will enjoy it again in the future.  It is so hard to know what to say about this book as I did keep reading – wanting to know how it was all going to end.

My 2011 WHERE Are You Reading Map has been updated to include Not My Daughter

I borrowed this audio from my local library

The Good Bye Quilt by Susan Wiggs

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)26 Comments

Linda is a quilter and as her only daughter Molly readies for college, Linda is working on the quilting project of her life… a memory quilt for Molly.  This quilt has squares hand stitched in from her first blanket, to her kindergarten skirt, to her prom dress.  If was a memory – Linda has saved it to put pieces of it into the quilt.  Even to the point of having the quilt edged with a ruffle of material from Molly’s grandmothers square dancing dress.

Together Linda and Molly embark on the adventure of driving cross-country together from their home in Wyoming to move Molly states away into her dorm room.  Along for this road trip is the unfinished quilt, that Linda is working on while Molly drives in hopes of having it done in time to be placed on Molly’s dorm bed.  As each new scrap of fabric is removed from the large quilt bag, mother and daughter share the memories of the piece, stitching together their bond as mother and daughter with every bit of love and care that is put into the making of this quilt. 

While Linda has fears for her daughter living so far away she wonders if Molly has these same fears.  As the quilt helps them relive the past, mother and daughter and heading mile by mile into the unknown future.

I have always wanted to make throw size memory quilts. I imagined that I would give them as gifts to friends and family. Three years ago AL bought me a sewing machine just for quilting for Christmas. I have yet to take it out of the box. *sigh*

I really wanted to post this review on Mother’s day as this sweet novel is a perfect read for just such an occasion.  Filled with a mothers love for her child, and a child, now a young woman longing to have the chance to move forward on her own. 

Susan Wigg’s had a brilliant idea when she centered the entire story around a quilt that was made of memories, sticking together not only a masterpiece but a story that pulls at the heart-strings.  As I read on I loved the idea of keeping a scrap of life memories and envisioned what my own would have looked like had I the foresight to save such things. 

The characters were well-developed, the story read as you would expect a mother and teenage daughter relationship to go…. Linda asking the questions that plague her – still wanting to be that protector of her daughter even now… Molly letting out exasperating sighs as she  tries not to hurt her mothers feelings but longs for the right to make her mistakes on her own

Throughout the read, both mother and daughter grow in ways that embrace the story line.  My only complaint is that a piece of the ending becomes easy to guess as it is hinted at way too many times throughout the read to the point that about half way through this audio when it was mentioned I was shouting at the speakers how it was all going to come together.  😛

This would make a lovely gift of book or audio to a daughter or to a mother. 

Amazon Rating

The 2011 WHERE Are You Reading Map has been updated to include The Goodbye Quilt

I found this at my local library

The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)21 Comments

Kitty is quite used to men falling all over her.  After all that is the way it has been all her life.  Proposal after proposal is turned down as really, Kitty will know when the right one comes along and she knows her astonishing beauty will give her choice of whatever man she wants.  Yet as the years go by, suddenly Kitty finds the proposals coming less and less, her mother has pretty much given up on Kitty ever getting married – so when the quiet and king Walter Fane finally works up the courage to ask Kitty for her hand, she immediately says yes.

As the newly weds settle into their lives together Kitty finds Walter nothing but dull.  At a party she is introduced to the handsome Charles Townsend, and he is as captured with her and she is of him.  They start an affair, but when Walter discovers the relationship he challenges his wife to either have Charles propose to her and then he will grant her a divorce, or accompany him to an area of China where the cholera epidemic is strong and he has been called in to help. 

What Kitty decides, is the beginning of a woman’s long journey of finding what she is made of and what it is like to truly love.

The original US cover

I am honestly going to say that when I chose this audio from audible.com, I really didn’t know what I would think of.  I am not a romance reader.  I don’t like flighty women characters.   And I struggle with many of the early 20th century books.  I chose this audio because the price was right and the sample narration sounded good.  (plus I am actively making an effort to read some of the older known books for a well-rounded reading life).

Ok…. now that the “details” are out-of-the-way.  Let’s review… shall we?

Kitty was not a likable character.  She was shallow and self-centered.  She liked men fawning over her and really knew no other life.  Walter on the other hand was an incredible character – and had incredible character.  Though quite and socially awkward, he did truly love Kitty and provided her a comfortable home with want of nothing. 

As this book proceeds on to the point where Kitty is left with the decision to either marry Charles or go with Walter, this particular part of the book was quite enjoyable for me.  I loved to see Kitty attempt to do what she thinks is best for herself.  The result of this point of the book is really where the story takes off. 

With great detail I started to see a change in Kitty’s character… almost a “By George, I think she’s got it!” sort of change as Kitty starts to really understand life, and men, and see things in a different. softer light. 

In the end I was impressed with this audio and with the story line.  I am so glad I went against my prejudices I listed above and went ahead with it.  I would suggest this to anyone.  It’s not so much as a romance as it is historical fiction.  Kitty is not so much flighty, as she is uneducated.  As far as the early 20th century read, it did not feel outdated to me, I was able to comprehend the time and the places.  I will be watching the movie which I have just requested from Netflix.

Narrator Kate Reading does an amazing job of capturing the sometimes whiny voice of Kitty, the patient and paced voice of Walter, and the boisterous self-assured voice of Charles. 

Amazon Rating

The 2011 WHERE Are You Reading map has been updated to include The Painted Veil

I purchased this audio off audible.com

The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly (book and movie)

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)20 Comments

Criminal defense attorney Michael Haller is cool, cocky, quick-witted, and takes his clients wallets to the cleaners while defending them, yet with  his over bearing confidence (and a few tricks up his sleeve) the repeat offenders come back to him time and again.  Michael’s father was a legend in law and left Michael with this advice:

“The scariest client a lawyer will ever have is an innocent client. Because if you screw up and he goes to prison, it’ll scar you for life.”

When rich kid Louis Roulet requests Michael as his lawyer, Michael is thrilled as this is going to add significantly to his bank roll.  All he has to do is get Louis off and Louis seems to be a case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time, an innocent guy. Yet as the holes get bigger and bigger in Louis’ story, Mickeys defense is ripped to shreds.  As Michael tries to find a way to bury the proof, to bring in enough of a gray area to cause reasonable doubt,  he starts to get a few reasonable doubts of his own.


I have not read Michael Connelly in quite a while.  He writes like John Grisham but with more of an edge to his books…

AND in this case…. I went to the movie with hubby (his pick) LOVED the movie… had to read the book. 

Good grief – that is the second time I have done this recently. 

I have to say – this audio blew me away just as much as the movie and I have to add that Matthew McConaughey is a perfect Michael Haller.  As I listened to the audio I thought, “this is so a McConaughley role”…. cocky self assured…. yup.

And author Michael Connelly (not to be confused with Michael Haller or Michael McConaughey – yes… a LOT OF Michael’s in this review) writes a compelling, clean and not gory mystery that left me high on the “WOW” factor.  Well written characters, I loved the twists and the turns and recommend both book and movie. 

Note about the movie:  Ryan Phillippe plays the rich Louis Roulet and he is cast perfectly too…. he gives off an arrogant vibe and does creepy well.


The 2011 WHERE Are You Reading Map has been updated to include Lincoln Lawyer

I grabbed this little jewel of an audio from my local library

Dreamland by Sarah Dessen

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)27 Comments

Caitlin has always seemed to sit in her older sister Cass’s shadow.  Even now that Cass has left their home, running away to live with her boyfriend…. leaving… on Caitlin’s sixteenth birthday.

Caitlin tries to move forward in her life while her parents watch her every move wondering if she too will take flight.  Caitlin’s mom starts trying to mold Caitlin who had always been the invisible sister into her everything.  When Caitlin makes the cheer leading squad (ugh…. cheer leading) her mom takes charge with schedules and uniforms and showing up at practices – much as she used to do with Cass.  Could it be that Cass left because she felt smothered by this parental over achieving?

And as Caitlin deals with this new life she finds herself caught up in a whirl of new friends, friends that did not know here as Cass’s sister… friends she can hide herself in and Caitlin begins to become smaller and smaller, flying under the radar as she experiments with drugs and alcohol under the overly watchful eye of her new boyfriend Rogerson.

Strange, sleepy Rogerson, with his long brown dreads and brilliant green eyes, had seemed to Caitlin to be an open door. With him she could be anybody, not just the second-rate shadow of her older sister, Cass. But now she is drowning in the vacuum Cass left behind when she turned her back on her family’s expectations by running off with a boyfriend. Caitlin wanders in a dream land of drugs and a nightmare of Rogerson’s sudden fists, lost in her search for herself.


And this begins my adventures in reading with Sarah Dessen.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book in audio format.  Narrated by Liz Morton, she brought the perfect “bored and uninterested” voice to Caitlin and her friends as well as she brought the concern into her parents.  I found this book to be an important read just like SPEAK is. 

Caitlin’s attempt to lose herself after she loses her sister is one that I believe speaks volumes to our society.  As Cass was the one who always took the spotlight, Caitlin had no idea what to do when Cass left and the spotlight was all too glaring on her.  In times of great tragedy or loss in our lives it is tempting to try to reinvent yourself to cover up the pain.  Cass nearly succeeds but by doing so puts herself in grave danger with an abusive boyfriend and drug loving friends.

SO just for a moment without going “spoilerly”… I can’t stand Rogerson.  He is a horrible teen who is obviously carrying on what he has learned in his own home.  Sad…. very sad.  So saying that – I can also say that I am reading this from a parental perspective and Rogerson is a bug that must be squashed…. from a teen girls perspective he is dreamy.  Mysterious.  Brooding.  Handsome.  Dangerous.  All the things that many young girls are attracted to and really this is where the heart of Dreamland lies within the relationship between Rogerson and Caitlin.

This book as I mentioned above is an important read.  Abuse is never something to be accepted.You can feel bad for the one causing the abuse, you can understand why they may be doing it – but it is wrong and they need help. 

The following is taken from the ACADV Dating Violence:

Teen dating violence often is hidden because teenagers typically:

  • are inexperienced with dating relationships.
  • are pressured by peers to act violently.
  • want independence from parents.
  • have “romantic” views of love.

Teen dating violence is influenced by how teenagers look at themselves and others.

Young men may believe:

  • they have the right to “control” their female partners in any way necessary.
  • “masculinity” is physical aggressiveness
  • they “possess” their partner.
  • they should demand intimacy.
  • they may lose respect if they are attentive and supportive toward their girlfriends.

Young women may believe:

  • they are responsible for solving problems in their relationships
  • their boyfriend’s jealousy, possessiveness and even physical abuse, is “romantic.”
  • abuse is “normal” because their friends are also being abused.
  • there is no one to ask for help.

Sarah Dessens characters are memorable and even beyond the abuse in the book the story line is strong, and witty.  There is more to this book than your typical YA although it will appeal to those who are just looking for a good read as well.

Amazon Rating

The 2011 WHERE Are You Reading Map has been updated to include Dreamland

I borrowed this audio from my local library

Massacre At Mountain Meadows by Ronald Walker, Richard Turley Jr, Glen Leonard

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)28 Comments

When we hear the date of 9-11 or September 11th, we have memories of a horrific event in our history.  What you may not know, is that this was not the first September 11th on record for being a horrific event. 

On September 11, 1857, more than 120 men, women, and children who were traveling by wagon train from Arkansas to California were murdered by Mormon militiamen and Paiute Indians at Mountain Meadows in southern Utah (35 miles south-west of Cedar City). 

At the time, the massacre lasted five days, ending on September 11th when John Lee entered the meadows with a white flag and convinced those of the wagon train to surrender peacefully.  Once he escorted the men, women, and children out of the safety of their wagons, he gave a signal and they were attached by the militia and indians and killed.  (*Note – John Lee was the only man tried, convicted, and executed for his role in the massacre).

Following the massacre the perpetrators hastily buried the victims, leaving their bodies vulnerable to wild animals and the climate. Local families took in the surviving children, and many of the victims’ possessions were auctioned off. Investigations, temporarily interrupted by the American Civil War, resulted in nine indictments during 1874. Of the men indicted, only John D. Lee was tried in a court of law. After two trials Lee was convicted and executed.

How could basically good people commit such an act? 


Four of the nine Utah Territorial militiamen of the Tenth Regiment
“Iron Brigade” who were indicted in 1874 for murder or conspiracy
(Not shown: William H. Dame • William C. Stewart • Ellott Willden • Samuel Jukes • George Adair, Jr.)
Isaac Haight.jpg John H. Higbee.jpg
photograph of John D. Lee
Image via Wikipedia
 Philip Klingensmith.jpg
Isaac C. Haight—Battalion Commander—died 1886 Arizona Maj. John H. Higbee, said to have shouted the command to begin the killings. He claimed that he reluctantly participated in the massacre and only to bury the dead who he thought were victims of an “Indian attack.” Maj. John D. Lee, constable, judge, and Indian Agent. Having conspired in advance with his immediate commander, Isaac C. Haight, Lee led the initial assault, and falsely offered emigrants safe passage prior to their mile-long march to the field where they were ultimately massacred. He was the only participant convicted. Philip Klingensmith, a Bishop in the church and a private in the militia. He participated in the killings, and later turned state’s evidence against his fellows, after leaving the church.

as found at wikepedia

I had never heard of this until I found this book in audio format at audible.com.   I was interested in knowing more about this event in our history that I knew literally nothing about. 

What I found within this ten and half hour audio was a lot of history prior to the massacre.  While the audio starts with a graphic description of what was found at Mountain Meadows even years after the event, it quickly backtracks years before the event and perhaps covering what is believed to have caused the massacre to happen.

At the time, the massacre lasted five days, ending on September 11th when John Lee entered the meadows with a white flag and convinced those of the wagon train to surrender peacefully.  Once he escorted the men, women, and children out of the safety of their wagons, he gave a signal and they were attached by the militia and indians and killed.  (*Note – John Lee was the only man tried, convicted, and executed for his role in the massacre).


As I listened to this audio it seems so many things played a part in this tragedy.  Politics, war hysteria, misinformation, misunderstandings, personal vendettas,  and Mormons themselves were being heavily persecuted and attached in these times.  Many had moved from state to state trying to stay alive. 

All in all this is a heartbreaking, awful event, where so many people of all faith and all race suffered – even beyond the event itself.   No one can possibly know all what drove what happened that day to happen.  I appreciated  that all three of the authors on this book are Mormon and told as accurate account of what happened that day as they could.  Much research was done to tell this historic event.  As hard as it is to listen to, I think it is an important part of our history and I am glad I took the time to learn about this. 


Amazon Rating

The 2011 WHERE Are You Reading Map has been updated to include Massacre at Mountain Meadows


I purchased this audio from audible.com


In September of 2007, 150 years after the massacre, this article was released in Ensign Magazine

A fictional movie called September Dawn is based loosely on the Massacre At Mountain Meadows

Open House by Elizabeth Berg

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)19 Comments

Divorce is a series of internal earthquakes…. “one after the other”.  Samantha ought to know.  At the age of 42, Samantha’s husband Dave decides that he needs to move on leaving Samantha shocked.  Sure they had their arguments, but didn’t everyone?

Finding herself left with a home, a mortgage, and their 11 year-old-son and learning in short time David has had no problem moving on not only to another woman, but also a cute apartment – AND the white couch that she had wanted for years but he told her was impractical…. “Sam” knows she has to pull it together.

When a decision is made to take in boarders to help with the house payment, a host of colorful characters come into play.  And ultimately a decision that has a life long impact on Sam and those in her life.

There are many layers to Elizabeth Berg and I have enjoyed experiencing her many ways of writing characters who come to life on the pages of her books.  Samantha was one of those characters I came to know and enjoy.

Samantha, “Sam” was not wishy-washy and I liked that.  Although she grieved for the loss of her husband in her life, she did not lay down and die.. she seen what she needed to do and she did it.  Samantha’s pain of losing David, and the emotions and decisions that followed felt real to me and I appreciated that Samantha was written as a strong female character, but was not too strong too hurt and to make poor decisions along the way to finding herself again. 

Something about this particular Berg book appealed to me… I liked the way Samantha opened up the house to boarders and imagine that had to be both an important and hard thing to do as you let strangers into the home where you lived a marriage and raised a son.  I laughed at times, and felt the tinge of pain at others as I can imagine Samantha did as well.

Perhaps this one notches it way up towards the top of the Elizabeth Berg books I have read, not taking hold of the number one position, but floating around the top there as a well written story on a topic that unfortunately many women know all too well. 

I applaud Elizabeth Berg’s ability to take a character like Sam and build her into someone stronger than even she had realized.  While not a perfect read, one that left me thinking long after the final page was turned.

Amazon Rating

The 2011 WHERE Are You Reading Map has been updated to include Open House

I listened to this book on audio, borrowed from my local library