Book Journey

 

On June 27th, 1977, an intruder broke into the Glensheen Mansion located on Lake Superior in Duluth Minnesota.  The only occupants in the large home at the time were the lone heir to the million+ dollar estate, Elisabeth Congdon (83) and her nurse Velma Pietila.  The intruder would leave with a basket of jewelry and a few other small items, but not before they murdered the nurse beating her to death with a candlestick, and smothering Elisabeth with a satin pillow.

The investigation quickly led in the direction of Elisabeth’s adopted daughter Marjorie and her husband Roger.  According to Elisabeth’s will, upon her death Marjorie would receive 8 million dollars.  Three days prior to the murders, Marjorie had authorized a paper stating that once her inheritance came to be, her husband would receive 2.5 million of the given amount.  When police investigators turned up where Marjorie and her husband were staying, missing items from the house were found in their possession; which Marjorie claimed were copies of the real jewelry made and given to her perviously by her adopted mother, Elisabeth. 

50 years earlier Elisabeth Congdon in her early 30’s having never married,  adopted two daughters, Marjorie and Jennifer.  Marjorie had always been one looking for the quick fix, expecting everything to be handed to her even long after she had married and moved away.  She continuously asked Elisabeth for money for one idea or another, even stooping as low to forge a doctor’s letter saying her husband had a serious illness.

As the case went on, Roger and Marjorie were both tried for the crimes, Roger was convicted, and a year later Marjorie was acquitted.  What follows in the book is a continued investigation into Marjorie’s life, her growing up as a Congdon and her continued self-destructive lifestyle that led to even more deaths… none of which she was ever arrested for.

The Congdon story is one that is quite close to me literally.  The mansion itself is located in Duluth Minnesota, 2 1/2 hours from my home in Brainerd Minnesota.  The trial was moved to Brainerd and in July of 1978 the jury found Roger Caldwell (Marjorie’s husband) to be guilty of the crimes. 

At the time all of this was taking place I was 10 years old.  It would be 12 years before I would hear about the murders and with my husband’s property in Finland Minnesota, find that I drive by the Glensheen Mansion every time I go through Duluth to the cabin. After the first time I toured the mansion with my sons and husband, I wanted to know more about the family and what had happened.

There are many books out there about the Glensheen Mansion, the Congdons, and the murders.  I have read quite a few but find this one to be the most detailed account of the property, the background, the trial, and the continuing craziness of all the surrounds Marjorie to this very day.  There is even later DNA testing that was not available at the time but was found to link both Roger and Marjorie to the crimes and calls into question her acquittal.

Yes, this book is true crime but it is much more than that.  It is the story of a home that took many years to build, its the story of a family, and of an adoption.  It is a piece of Minnesota History.

I have probably toured the Mansion 10 times now, mostly because I have friends who want to stop and do the tour that have not been there before.  It is always well taken care of, like stepping back into time, the original fixtures remain, pictures on the wall, furnishings…  Originally they had the third floor not available for tour (this was the floor that contained Elisabeth’s bedroom) but in the last few years they have expanded the tour to include the third floor as well as the attic which contains large rolls of curtains that the family would use to change out the drapes seasonally as well as all their Christmas decorations.

This is a book I keep at the cabin as it is a part of Minnesota history, well written, and educational.

Last weekend as I was driving home from the cabin, I took a couple “drive by” pictures of the mansion, knowing I would be writing this review.  Somewhere I have better pictures of the gardens and the buildings from when I was doing the tours.  I know at some point I will probably be touring Glensheen again.

 

Paul Vitagliano knows first hand what it is like to grow up gay.  Even in today’s day and age it is still hard to find acceptance without judgement so in 2011 Paul started the blog site “Born This Way” which is a place to share stories and support for the LGBTQ community.  The blog exploded with responses, so much so… Paul wrote this book, Born This Way, filling it with pictures of boys and girls at young ages and their stories about when they knew and what it was like when (and if) they came out and told their families and friends.

The short stories share what growing up was like.  In some cases there was name calling and bullying which led to many of these children keeping to themselves and doing anything they could to avoid conflict.

The book is a quick read, the stories are short and sometimes funny, and sometimes heart breaking.  In many cases, by the time they told family and friends, they had known and were just waiting for them to tell them.  In other more heartbreaking (and thankfully rare) circumstances, families turned their backs… not understanding.  Yet story after story no matter what the outcome, each person said life was so much better once they said it out loud and were their true selves.

This book is a short read but a powerful one.  I smiled at the stories, occasionally laughed, and yes, at times my heart broke a little too.  Everyone deserves to be accepted and Paul Vitagliano has taken great steps towards doing just that. 

**I first read a review of this book in October when I seen the book at Kathy’s Bermuda Onion blog.  And I knew then I wanted to read it, I bought it that day and finally had the privilege of reading it this past weekend.

 

 

1644.  Armies have risen against the King and have attacked on and off the city of York.  For widowed midwife Bridget Hodgson, life must go on.  Servants call day and night requesting her services for babies about to be born. 

When one of Bridget’s friends is convicted for killing her husband and scheduled to be burned at the stake, Bridget along with her newly acquired maid servant Martha set out to prove her innocence.  Many obstacles are in their way as Bridget and Martha avoid the rebels, the higher ups of the community, and an unwelcome appearance from Martha’s past. 

As this unusual duo digs into the case, they uncover much more than they had bargained for and many people that would rather keep things covered up.

 

 

I started this book late one evening while I was looking for a read before bed.  With the little bit I read before sleep, I was already hooked.  I spent the next day reading every chance I got.

The Midwife’s Tale is an excellent work of historical fiction.  Sam Thomas wrote a story that is so engaging, so informative; I had a hard time putting it down.  For a woman of the 1600’s, Bridget is strong, smart, and independent, my favorite type of female character.  And while Martha comes with some weird baggage, she adds just the right mix to an already appealing story. 

7 hours later I emerge out of this book completely satisfied with all of it.  The beginning brought me in from page one, the middle held me, never feeling drug out or pages of “filler” and the ending superb.  There are not many books I can say that about.

In the end it was interesting to know that the author Sam Thomas is a history professor who created the character Bridget Hodgson from a will of a once living midwife of the same name.  While some names in the story are from the real Bridget Hodgson’s life, the book is fiction, and a remarkable one at that.

 

 

Felicia Ward is now in a place that is out of this world.  Literally.  Since her death right before her eighteen birthday things has been a little…

off.

Felicia now lives in a place called Level 2 where she and the others there spend time in “pods” where they access memories from their life day after day after day. 

Then one day someone who Felicia knew on earth breaks into her chamber and this is no memory, this is real!  Julian in life was a dangerous distraction… and now here on Level 2, Felicia has to wonder what his motive is for looking her up.  Julian wants to break her out of her chamber saying there is a war going on and Felicia is a big part of if they succeed or fail.  Though reluctant to trust Julian, he makes her a promise that is she goes with him now, he will make sure she sees Neil again, the one she loved more than anything. 

Felicia follows Julian and learns there is way more to Level 2 than meets the eye and a battle is about to begin… a battle of souls and Felicia is right in the heart of it all.

 

 

 

Level 2 is my favorite type of YA fiction, when you take our world and make it different….  JK Rowling did it in the Harry Potter books, and Lenore Appelhans does it in Level 2.  See, in both of these books/series, the world as we know it still exists… there is just something more that we do not know about it.

Lenore creates a sub world that is both dismal and intriguing, after all, on one hand you have full access to your memories and you program them in your mind just like you would if you watched a DVD that was programmed into your mind, reliving all your favorite moments with all the feelings and all the emotions… on the other hand that is really all you have is your memories.

I enjoyed Level 2.  I like Felicia’s spunk, Julian’s mysterious ways, and Neil’s goodness.  Level 2  itself is a great world character filled with new unthought-of things that fully engaged me and at times, frightened me… (wait until you hear about the lakes of the underworld….)

Level 2 is a wonderful read and in the end it left me feeling there must be more, I hope there is more.