Goodbye, Sweet Girl by Kelly Sundberg 362.8292 SUN

      I picked up this book along with some others about a month ago.  The others had holds on them and this one fell to the bottom of the pile.  I renewed it but I still hadn't started it.  Two days ago I finally started reading it and finished it the same day.  So obviously I liked it!
       The sub-title is A Story of Domestic Violence and Survival.  That should give you a good idea that it isn't a fluffy, feel-good book.  It is a compelling book that will make you understand a few hard truths.  The experiences of childhood has a big impact on the adult that one becomes.  You can really understand how the violence begins and why women don't run away at the first signs of trouble.  It is a reminder that violence is perpetrated by people from all walks of life - college teachers are not exempt.
      This story might alert people to be more aware of friends, family or colleagues who may be in a dangerous situation.  If you find out that someone you know left a domestic violent situation I think you will understand better why she didn't 'just leave'.

The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff FIC Jen

    I've had read other books by Jenoff and I was sure I was going to love this one too.  And I did!   It is historical fiction which is set immediately after World War II and begins in Grand Central Station.  Grace Healey is on her way to work where she discovers a suitcase (when she trips on it!).  Thinking she might find a clue to the owner, she opens it up and sees photos of women but no identification  other than the word Trigg .  Needing to get to work she impulsively takes the photos and leaves the suitcase.
       Later she finds out that it belonged to a woman named Eleanor Trigg who helped train a group of ordinary women to be secret agents in Europe.  Their job was to act as couriers and radio operators in order to help the Resistance.  The women in the photos Grace found belong to 12 women who risked their lives to help win the war and they never came home.  Grace is determined to find out what happened to them.

Charlotte Walsh Likes To Win by Jo Piazza FIC Pia

       This is a work of fiction -let me suggest that it is historical fiction.  Charlotte has decided to run for the Senate.  It is a midterm election.  The competition will be tough.  Two years before the country was 'shocked' by the election of a president who has divided the country.  
           Charlotte grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania and it wasn't a charmed childhood.  However, she grew up to become very successful -a business in Silicon Valley, a husband and three daughters.  She is inspired to try to help change the direction of the country but she knows her best chance is to move back to Pennsylvania.
     As the campaign gets underway the politics becomes - spoiler alert!- dirty!  Charlotte's husband becomes less and less involved as he struggles to just being a spouse in the background.  When Charlotte learns that her opponent has uncovered a secret about her past, she has to decide if it is all worth it.
      A good look at campaigning from a woman's point of view.

The Wartime Sisters by Lynda Cohen Loigman FIC LOI

     I loved this book.  An historical novel, it begins in Brooklyn shortly after the end of WWI and ends in Springfield Massachusetts during WWII.   The sisters of the title are Ruth and Millie.  Millie was born when Ruth was 3 years old.  Ruth had big plans for her role as big sister.  None of those plans worked out because they were as different as could be.  Besides having no interests in common they were the complete opposites when it came to looks.  Millie was a "beauty " according to their mom and the rest of the world. From the time she was young her mom would tell her that she was going to marry 'well' Their relationship became more contentious as the teen years arrived and Ruth realized she could never find a man with Millie around.  But it turns out there is a guy for her - Arthur who is a book-loving scientist.  They marry and move to Springfield where Arthur will be working at the Armory to help with the war effort.
        The sisters don't see each other for years until, with no other option, Millie and her young son arrive in Springfield.  The wounds of the sisters are so deep it seems that they can never be healed.
       I liked the characters and enjoyed reading about the women who worked jobs to help us win the war.

       

This Blessed Earth by Ted Genoways (630 Gen)

The subtitle of this book is "A Year in the Life of an American Family Farm" and that's exactly what it is.  And more.

From fall 2014 through summer 20115, Genoways follows the family of Rick Hammond as they farm and make decisions for the family farm.  Located in eastern Nebraska, Rick married into the farm when he married his wife, Heidi, but he grew up on a farm in western Nebraska.  Now with his daughter, Meghan, and her boyfriend, Kyle, they plan and worry and explain modern farming to the author.  Meghan is the sixth generation to work the land; by the end of the book, there will be a seventh generation.

The "more" that I mentioned comes from the explanations of current farming practices that Genoways gives.  Starting with farming history in the 1800s, he explains the growth of genetically modified seeds, how politics have influenced farming practices and the efforts of farmers to make a living while also conserving the land.  And still more.

The history makes this book take longer to read than I expected.  But I came away with a better understanding of what farmers face as well as a renewed sense of admiration for what they do.

This is the 2019 All Iowa Reads book - and every Iowan should read it.