Weekly Reader: The Girls in the Picture by Melanie Benjamin; Memorable Historical Fiction About Two Women Who Led The Silent Film Era

 Weekly Reader: The Girls in the Picture by Melanie Benjamin; Memorable Historical Fiction About Two Women Who Led The Silent Film Era

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: In the days of Hollywood Silent Films, no female star shone brighter than Mary Pickford (1892-1979). Pickford was known as "America's Sweetheart" and was often recognized for her long golden Victorian curls, her diminutive size, and innocent expressions which led to her playing little girl roles well into her twenties and thirties. She starred in various movies like Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, Pollyanna, Little Annie Rooney, and Poor Little Rich Girl. While on screen she played the forever young ingenue, off screen she was a force to be reckoned with. She was able to control the production of her own films and in 1919, with Charlie Chaplin, D.W. Griffith, Tom Mix, and Douglas Fairbanks, she created United Artists, the first production company run by actors, directors, and other performers (leading to the famous one liner provided by producer, Richard A. Rowland, "The lunatics have taken over the asylum").

The public was fascinated with Pickford's romance with and marriage to Douglas Fairbanks. Their ornate home, Pickfair, was seen as the symbol of Hollywood Royalty with its residents seen as the King and Queen. 

It's a little known fact that Pickford made a slight transition to sound, achieving enough success with Coquette that she won the second Academy Award for Best Actress in 1930. (Fun fact: The first was Janet Gaynor for the films 7th Heaven, Street Angel, and Sunrise: The Song of Two Heavens). After a series of failed and aborted projects and her divorce from Fairbanks, Pickford retired from acting to produce films. Eventually, she became a recluse until her death in 1979.

Another important female figure in Hollywood who was not as public but still left a huge impact was Frances Marion (1888-1973). Originally, she was hired as a writing assistant to director/screenwriter Lois Duncan. Eventually, Pickford hired Marion as her scenarist for her various films. Marion's writing for films like Rags, Rebecca, and Pollyanna helped cement Pickford's on screen character. Marion worked her way upward to becoming the highest paid screenwriter in Hollywood and head of the writing department at World Films. She was praised alongside other female screenwriters at the time like Anita Loos and June Mathis. During World War I, Marion became a combat correspondent and documented women's efforts on the Front. She directed the films, The Love Light and Just Around the Corner (the former starring Pickford). She won two Academy Awards for Writing for The Big House in 1931 and The Champ in 1932.

In total, Marion was credited with writing over 300 films and producing over 130.

Melanie Benjamin's historical fiction novel, The Girls in the Picture, tells of the deep friendship between Pickford and Marion recounting their first meeting in 1914 during the early rushed experimental days of this brand new entertainment venue. It takes them through Hollywood's expansion, the rise and fall of both women's careers, their stormy romances and marriages, their achievements of wealth and power, the stress of World War I, the founding of UA, the overwhelming publicity of the Fairbanks-Pickford marriage, the advent of sound, and their eventual estrangement. Benjamin depicts how both women used their talents and strengths to make their mark in a male dominated industry and helped develop it into a legitimate art form and the giant source of entertainment that it is today.

Benjamin neatly contrasts her deuteragonists starting with their backgrounds which helped propel them to join this burgeoning industry. Marion is leaving behind two failed marriages and wants her life to mean something significant that doesn't require her just to be someone's wife or mother. For her, the motion picture industry gives her a career and a chance for freedom.

For Pickford, real name Gladys Smith, entertainment is already in her blood. She has already been a stage actress to support her mother, Charlotte and her younger siblings, Jack and Lottie. She decides to become a film actress to obtain a wider interest and get more money for her family.

If you are a fan of the early days of filmmaking, then this book is a treat. It is detailed in describing how those early movies in the early 1900-1910's were quickly and cheaply made with everyone playing many roles: actors, writers, directors, editors, custodians whatever was needed. Scripts weren't written so much as they wanted to capture a brief couple of scenes. Props and costumes weren't exactly plentiful so everyone just relied on what they had. Stunts, particularly horse riding, had no protection so sometimes accidents happened and on occasion were captured on film. (I would describe them as "Mickey Mouse productions" but Mickey wasn't created until 1928.) It wasn't until the mid-1910's that filmmaking gained prestige, the productions became slicker, costlier, and more polished, and the public recognized the artistry involved in the movies's creation.

Originally, the moguls were so uncertain about how the public would react to the performances that actors weren't dubbed with their names but under titles like "The Biograph Girl," "The Vitagraph Boy," and so on. While Florence Lawrence was the first to be casted under her own name, Pickford was also similarly recognized. This moment in the book foreshadows Pickford's eventual influence within the industry.

Both Pickford and Marion are given multiple chances throughout the book to show their independence and courage to become recognized amongst the men that surround them. Pickford recognizes her persona so is very careful about accepting roles and being involved in the production of films that capture her "America's Sweetheart" character. She is also financially savvy having been poor, so she watches every penny and accounts for her growing wealth. 

When she is one of the founders of UA, Pickford is similar to Charlie Chaplin, hard workers who recognize the art form of filmmaking and want to shoot the movies until they are right.

Marion's contribution to making her mark in a man's world is in her writing and becoming one of the highest paid writers, male or female. Her scenarios emphasize Pickford's character's spunk, courage, and survival instincts, as well as her playfulness and childlike innocence. 

Marion's independence is especially evident during WWI. Many soldiers dismiss her because of her gender. Some are baffled and openly hostile that a woman is covering the front lines of war. Marion is determined to get the story, even walking through muddy and violent roads and crossing the Rhine. This experience matures her as she sees the truth of war that Hollywood can only imagine and how important movies are to people put in bad situations and long for escape.

Marion recognizes her and Pickford's contributions years later when she sees photographs where she or Pickford were the only women who were surrounded by men. 

Like many friendships, Benjamin reveals the differences between the two women. While both are strong and independent, they also differ in many ways. Marion is a quiet well read intellectual; Pickford is a bold street smart commanding presence. Marion takes pride in her unconventionality from surviving two divorces and not wanting to get remarried until she is established in her career; Mary is so protective of her image that she refuses to divorce an abusive husband and hides her affair with Douglas at first. Marion has simple tastes and just wants a nice house near Pickford of course, plenty of freedom to work, and a supportive husband; Once Pickford starts making money, she wants to live like a star, in an ornate grand mansion hence Pickfair, have a wide circle of influential friends, and become the center of attention. 

Their differences are balanced in their friendship with each other. Marion is able to bring Pickford down to Earth and isn't afraid to tell her the truth no matter how bad it is. Pickford gives Marion a touch of glamor and excitement in her life and encourages her to develop her talent.

As with many friendships, Pickford and Marion grow apart for various reasons. After WWI, Marion wants to write bolder, better scripts to reflect a more advanced worldview but Pickford still needs her professionally, so she continues with the standard Pickford vehicle. While Pickford originally loves the little girl character because it gave her the childhood that she never had, she begins to resent it the older that she gets and wants to play adult roles, much to Marion's chagrin. (Supposedly, when Pickford cut her hair from the long Victorian curls into a short trendy bob, it was such a scandal that it made headlines). Both women want to advance but feel tied to their friendship to end it until a fight emerges forcing their hands.

Their marriages  added to their conflicts. Marion likes the flashy and charismatic Douglas, but once he enters the scene she sees Pickford becoming a more glamorous star and affected snob. They are remote and standoffish so Marion has trouble relating to them. 

Marion's third husband, Fred Thomson is a religious leader turned actor who is clearly uncomfortable in this fame driven lifestyle but likes working in Western. His early death caused by an injury leaves Marion eaten up with remorse that Pickford reveals in a fit of anger.

The book also implies that sound was a huge stumbling block in their friendship's end. While Pickford did win an Oscar for Coquette, she can't adjust to this new normal and most of her films flop (including a version of Taming of the Shrew with Douglas). Plus, her marriage to Douglas flounders. She is such a relic of the old silent films that when the movies enter a different era, she would rather drop out of life rather than adjust to it.

Marion however effortlessly sails into the sound era. In fact many of her scripts like The Champ are well known to this day. She is able to find her own voice, pun not intended, without being bound to Pickford's. Benjamin implies that Pickford is envious of Marion's adjustment to the modern days while she sticks to the past. 

Marion and Pickford's friendship ends during a film production when they call each other to task for old conflicts and reopen old wounds. (According to Benjamin's notes, in real life, their friendship's end was a lot less explosive and was more gradual, coolly phasing each other out). The two don't reunite until 1969 when Marion visits the now reclusive Pickford in Pickfair.

The Girls in the Picture is a wonderful time capsule of the early days of Hollywood. Most importantly, it is an excellent and in depth character study of two women who changed it and each other forever.

Weekly Reader: Luminous: The Story of a Radium Girl by Samantha Wilcoxson; Incredible Story of Amazing Group of Women Who Fought Management For Their Health and Safety

 

Weekly Reader: Luminous: The Story of a Radium Girl by Samantha Wilcoxson; Incredible Story of Amazing Group of Women Who Fought Management For Their Health and Safety

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: The story of the Radium Girls is a tragic one. From 1917-1920, female factory workers were diagnosed with cancer caused by working unprotected with radium paint to paint numbers and dials on watches. They were told to lick the brushes to wet them and dip them into the paint. While the factory owners and management were warned about the potential dangers of radium poisoning, they kept this information from the workers. 

Five women sued the Radium Dial Company in Ottawa, Illinois. The suit was settled out of court in 1938 even though sadly, many of the women did not live to see the results. However, the case created long term change in ensuring employee safety by creating regulations in which employees are informed of every potential risk and are properly equipped and attired for the workplace to maintain their health and safety.

Samantha Wilcoxson personalizes the moving story with her historical fiction novel, Luminous The Story of a Radium Girl. She takes the perspective of one of the women, Catherine Wolfe Donohue. The book begins with her as a naive girl excited to work at Radium Dial because of its impact in the community. She can financially support the aunt and uncle who raised her. It's hard and tedious work but she has a talent for putting those tiny numbers on the face. She befriends many of her coworkers and her employer, Mr. Reed seems like a nice guy. She even starts being courted by Tom Donohue. Then her coworkers start becoming mysteriously illl. One is losing her teeth. Another gets severe headaches. Catherine herself starts getting severe pain in her hip. Then their health gets worse and they realize the source of their problem: Radium Dial.

It's very easy to look back on these women with judgment, to think why didn't they look for another job? If they were so sick why didn't they notice sooner? What responsibility did management have to protect their health? 

Telling the story from the point of view of one of the women answers those questions. Wilcoxson writes a firm character study about a woman who always strives to do the right thing to be a good obedient religious person, but finds sometimes that's not enough in a world with employers who care about the bottom line and getting their products finished and don't care who has to suffer and die for it. A trait that unfortunately is still present in many business owners and managers today.

Catherine is written as the type of person who would rather none of this happened at all. She is someone who is content to find any sort of work, pick up a decent paycheck to take home to her aunt and uncle, hang out with friends, maybe get married and have children. She is a guileless woman who wants to do right by her family, community, and God.

 If they tell Catherine that the radium is safe, she believes them. After all, she doesn't personally know enough about radium to challenge them. Mr. Reed gives off a trustworthy vibe. He doesn't chase the female employees and even shares a laugh with them. She gets along with her fellow coworkers, developing a sisterhood even before they become sick.

Catherine is also in a pretty desperate financial situation. She isn't exactly swimming with money and during her time at Radium Dial, the Great Depression kicks in so she can't afford to quit a job no matter how much she is becoming aware that she and her colleagues are literally dying. Her aunt and uncle are getting older and she wants to care for them as well as they took care of her. Further compounding the situation is that Ottawa is a company town with Radium Dial. Even if she tried to get another job, Radium Dial will put enough of a black mark that she can't be hired anywhere. 

According to the book, Radium Dial's management was told of the potential risks of radium and did not warn the workers of even the possibility of illness. Even when workers in New Jersey succumbed to illness, they said that it wouldn't happen to them because they used a different type of paint. When one of the workers is hospitalized, they wish her well and then fire her. When the employees go to the local doctors, it becomes clear that Radium Dial's managers forced them to lie about their diagnosis and say that no they don't have cancer. Every action they take is in the name of profit and it is easy to see why the courts favor the workers.

Many of the situations are incredibly graphic showing the reality of the cancers eating away at these poor women's bodies. One has her arm amputated and another has to suffer as her teeth keep falling out. In one chapter, Catherine is eating food as pieces of her jaw bone break off. Her legs become so weakened that Tom has to carry her everywhere she goes.

Ironically, as Catherine's body weakens, her spirit strengthens. She takes the lead in getting the lawsuit going. She grants interviews allowing her picture to be taken to show Readers exactly what these women are going through. Tom helps her and the other women get a doctor who is willing to tell them the truth about their health and an attorney who will take their case. 

Catherine's Catholic faith also emboldens her. She tries to go to church as long as she can walk and struggles to kneel. Even when she is unable to move, the priest arrives to give her communion and other rituals. Catherine credits her faith to get her through this painful tumultuous time and giving her the power to use her voice and speak for herself and the other women.

Luminous is the type of book where an ordinary person finds their inner courage to speak out against inhumane decisions that put profit over people. It took women like Catherine Wolfe Donohue and the others to make people see the results of these decisions and improve the lives of future workers even if they didn't live to see that improvement.

New Book Alert: The Lady on the Billboard by Stefanie Hutcheson; Soap Like Contemporary Fiction Connects Various Characters

 

New Book Alert: The Lady on the Billboard by Stefanie Hutcheson; Soap Like Contemporary Fiction Connects Various Characters

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: Stefanie Hutcheson knows how to write about relationships with humor and sadness. In her The Adventures of George and Mabel: Based on an Almost (Kind of? Sort of? Could be?) True Story trilogy, a happily married couple  share a history of road trips and inside jokes only to reveal in the final book that there is a deep searing grief that is buried underneath their happiness. Her novella, Left, is about a couple dealing with the decline of their marriage after the wife abandons her husband at a convenience store. In these works, Hutcheson had a firm grip on characterization as she takes little incidents and nuances in the characters’ lives to provide commentary on them. 

Her latest book, a KindleVella called The Lady on the Billboard, takes her talents of writing characterization and humor, capturing little moments, and discovering emotional truth to new heights. She doesn’t just capture one couple and their intimate circle of friends and family. Instead she uses those gifts to capture a whole town in what is her most ambitious and probably best work yet.

The conflicts begin when Dr. Elizabeth Perkins, high school principal, gets her face posted on a billboard celebrating her achievement as “Administrator of the Year.” She is flattered but embarrassed, but that’s not all. The billboard becomes a catalyst for the large cast to open their secrets whether they are affairs, familial ties, or obsessions. Many of them involve Elizabeth and poke some holes into her reputation as a prime educator, happily married wife and mother, and proper pillar of the community.

The Kindle version of this book is available on KindleVella which means the Reader can read a chapter at a time as they are released instead of at once which actually fits the style of the book. The many characters’ relationships and various subplots seem almost reminiscent of a soap opera or episodes of a long running sitcom so the book’s format is perfect to lend itself to serialization. Sometimes the chapters get repetitive like an episode that is created to catch the audience up to speed on the various situations. The serialization format also allows the individual characters to gain focus and get their point of view across in what would be a large convoluted story otherwise. 

However, Vella has a points system in which the Reader has to pay money for a certain amount of points to read the chapters. It is very irritating especially if one doesn’t have a lot of money on hand and already has a Kindle Unlimited account. I suggest caution for Readers who have never tried Kindle Vella to be wary of the extra cost. 

Okay now the story. This is going to be fun to summarize but here goes (deep breath):

Elizabeth is unhappily married to Jason, an attorney and is the mother of twin girls, Laney and Lucy. She tries to put on a facade of a happy family but can barely stand her condescending husband. She worked hard to get to her position as principal but sometimes doubts herself and whether she is making any meaningful connections with her students or their parents. She also has nightmares of a past that she barely remembers but her memories are faint and troubling.

Her husband Jason is having an affair with Rebekah, his administrative assistant, who has enough brain to run the firm herself. Elizabeth’s old high school boyfriend, Josh, is still around reliving his glory days before an injury ended his dreams of a football scholarship and his romance with the girl he once called “Liza Jane” after the Vince Gill country song. He still reminisces about Elizabeth, the one who got away and what might have been.

Elizabeth has some other men who also fantasize about her. Brad, a college professor, hosts open poetry slams at the local coffee shop and visualizes the principal as some muse or poetic inspiration. Derrick, a barista at the coffee shop, also fancies her but his interest in Elizabeth is more of the sexual and lustful variety.

Elizabeth has some close female friends as well. Madison, a bubbly teacher, has an active love life and is more outgoing than her serious friend. However, she is suspicious of Elizabeth’s friendship with Brandi, another teacher, who has a very violent past. 

Henry, a high school senior and football star, has some unanswered questions about his past and he is unaware that the answers are all around him. Annie, a newcomer in town, is fleeing an abusive marriage with her young son. She discovers a link to her past as does a private investigator, Abby Stevenson, who has been searching for family members for years. 

Got all that? Good, I hope so.

Like I said the plot or rather subplots are numerous. Sometimes, it’s very hard to keep track. Luckily, Hutcheson has a good handle on her wide cast of characters. Sometimes they resort to archetypes (the fighting married  couple, the dogged suitor, the teen with big dreams, the dedicated detective with the important information and so on), but in this type of work, that can sometimes be expected. 

What makes them stand out are the little subtle nuances and touches. Things such as Madison's nickname for Elizabeth, "Bitsy," Josh's love of '90's Country music, and Brad's constant repetition of definitions of words make these characters fully recognized. Just like she did with George and Mabel, Hutcheson gives characters details and idiosyncrasies to make them stand out.

Those idiosyncrasies provide much of the book's humor partly because we know these characters. We understand them. They could be reminiscent of a friend, teacher, family member, or ourselves. It's a gentle humor that comes from personality and identification rather than topical jokes and snarky one liners.

There is also some drama with the character's situations. This book has a definite edge which is present throughout. Subjects like teen pregnancy, adoption, identity, parental abandonment, death, mental health, addiction, and various others come forward. Because the characters are so relatable, the darker aspects are more emotional and moving. You don't want to see them suffer because you don't want to see a close friend suffer. These troubled times could strengthen or weaken the characters. 

Of course, the nucleus and center of this entire book is Dr. Elizabeth Perkins. It is highly significant that these complications begin when her billboard appears. It reflects her image, the figure that she tries to convey. It's all surface. Administrator of the Year. Principal. Wife. Mother. Community Leader. She spends so much time maintaining this surface image that it is exhausting.

Throughout the book, she is faced with different complications and revelations that create cracks in this facade. Elizabeth questions her identity, where she came from, what pushed her forward, what truths she has to confront, and what she really wants and needs. 

Ultimately, Lady on the Billboard is a humorous and moving character study about a woman confronting her image, her place in the world, and her own self identity and worth.

Weekly Reader: In Freedom's Light by Sharon Gloger Friedman; Moving Historical Fiction About Prejudice and Freedom

 

Weekly Reader: In Freedom's Light by Sharon Gloger Friedman; Moving Historical Fiction About Prejudice and Freedom 

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Sharon Gloger Friedman’s Ashes has long been a favorite book of mine since I began this blog. In 2019, it came in second in the inaugural “New Book Alert” countdown and has led to an ongoing interest in reading detailed historical fiction novels about strong independent women fighting to make their voices heard during difficult circumstances and time periods that did not always welcome a woman’s voice or perspective. In Ashes, Miriam, a Jewish immigrant flees with her family from a Russian pogrom, to New York City. She finds work and gets involved in labor unionization during the time of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. Miriam’s journey from dutiful daughter to labor activist is compelling as is the terrifying imagery of the fire and the lives lost because of management indifference and negligence.

Friedman set such a high standard for herself that her next book would have to be something else to match Ashes. Luckily, her follow up, In Freedom’s Light, is that something else. While it also tells the story of a fictional Jewish woman emigrating to America and captures a distant time period with great description and detail, it differs in terms of storytelling and characterization. Ashes tells of a tragic event in American history from the point of view of an individual who is greatly affected by the great sweeping changes around her. In Freedom’s Light tells of various events that capture the minutiae and reality of everyday life through several decades and how the characters struggle with conforming or challenging those circumstances. 

In 1785 Valencia, Spain, Anica Amelsem put herself, her husband, Efren and her daughter, Isabel in big trouble for refusing a cut of pork in the marketplace. She is a converso, part of a Jewish family that was forced to convert to Christianity. This practice began during the Inquisition under the reign of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella and even in the 18th century, suspected Jews can get arrested or even executed. (Friedman’s notes state that this was retained into the 19th century). Efren’s family had long ago converted with no ties to Judaism, but Anica’s family continued their rituals and beliefs in private, so private that Anica never even shared them with her husband until now. The gossip and rumors are enough to worry the Amelsems and they decide to flee for America, with Isabel and a loyal servant, Mariana in tow, to find work and live with Efren’s uncle Philip  in Charleston, South Carolina. They are nervous but excited. After all, America just won a war declaring independence from Britain and it is a country of liberty and equality where everyone can worship at any altar they choose and is free to live how they want. Right? Right?

Well wrong. Upon arriving in South Carolina, Anica and Efren discover the less rosy side of the United States when they see Philip’s plantation of slaves. The couple befriend the slaves and speak out against the cruel institution and the abuse inflicted by Philip, his family, and overseer. Anica and Efren discover that the promise of freedom and equality  aren’t evenly handed out to everyone so they intend to use their status to help others receive the benefits of that promise as well. 

It is important that Anica and Efren would understand the slave's plight. Having been marginalized and treated as second class citizens in their country and forced to hide parts of who they are because of prejudice and Anti Semitism, they recognize the racism, hatred, malice, and hypocrisy in a country that does not permit equality to many of the people living there. Sometimes it takes a fellow outsider to understand the problems of the people around them and shine new light when locals are desensitized, apathetic, or actively participating in such problems. 

Anica and Efren immediately show kindness and treat the African-Americans humanely, something that angers Philip and his overseer, Jesse. They only see workers that they bought and now work for them while Anica and Efren see fellow human beings. They take the time to learn their names and relationships and bond with them as friends. For example, when a young boy, Daniel, is beaten by Jesse, Efren physically defends him and makes sure that Jesse will never hurt him again. Efren becomes a father figure to Daniel and he begins to understand his purpose living in his uncle's plantation.

Anica and Efren are in a difficult situation. Since they don’t own the plantation, they can’t free the slaves. They can defend the slaves from abuse, but Philip doesn’t care. He mostly gets drunk and goes to the city to hang out with prostitutes. They could leave, but who would protect the slaves then? Things would be just as bad if not worse than before, because there would always be the fear that they would run to the Amelsems for safety. The only thing that the couple can do is remain for now, befriend the African-Americans at the plantation, defend as many as they can from physical and sexual abuse, agree to turn a blind eye if they escape, and let them know that there are at least two white people that care about them. Efren makes plans for him, his family, and as many new friends as they can, to leave by creating a shipping business independent of Philip’s interests.

One of the most touching relationships in the book is that of Anica and Ruth, one of the housemaids.

Anica befriends Ruth and their bond is so intimate that she shares her Sabbath rituals of lighting candles with her. This bond continues to the point where the two women end up becoming best friends and their young children, Hannah and Benjamin become close friends as well. Even after the Amselems finally leave the plantation, Ruth comes with, not as a slave, servant, or a maid. Instead, she is a free woman,family friend, and honorary sister to Anica. 

It is telling that the book takes place between 1785-1845, between the Revolutionary and Civil War. Through the experiences of Anica, Efren, Ruth, and others we see that transition between 

the United States winning its independence and being torn apart. We see the daily lives of the people and how things like the Fugitive Slave Act, the eventual publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and various other things would eventually lead to the Civil War. None of these things have happened yet, but Friedman’s book provides the fertile ground and environment in which such events could occur. The fertile ground that Isabel, Hannah, and Benjamin's generation will have to struggle with.

Through the characters of In Freedom’s Light, we see a world that is on the brink of having such terms as “freedom,” “liberty,” and “equality” questioned and how within a few decades of the book’s end, there  will be  explosive results between people who are unwilling to recognize freedom in others and those who will defend them. The actions of Anica, Efren, and others show that freedom can be more than words on on an old document. They can be felt, meant, and understood by everyone. 

New Book Alert: The Covenant Sacrifice by Lee Allan Howard; Metaphorical But Also Timely Supernatural Horror About The Dangers of Religion, Self-Righteousness, and Passing Judgment

 New Book Alert: The Covenant Sacrifice by Lee Allen Howard; Metaphorical But Also Timely Supernatural Horror About The Dangers of Religion, Self-Righteousness, and Passing Judgment 

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: Can't imagine why a supernatural horror in which a religious cult kidnaps and kills LGBT people to appease what they see as evil is so relevant. End sarcasm. But that is the premise behind Lee Allen Howard's metaphorical but oddly timely horror novel The Covenant Sacrifice.

Strange happenings befell Anastasis Creek, Pennsylvania during the same time that the cicadas called. People disappeared or mysteriously died only to reappear as undead zombie-like creatures. There were whispers of a demon lurking around and taking souls. Pastor Uriah Zalmon of the Deliverance Tabernacle Church believed that it was a curse brought on by local witch, Agatha Abbott. The only way to end the curse was to sacrifice Kara McPherson, a young woman, whom they consider an "unrepentant sinner" for being a lesbian.

17 years later, the cicadas call again and Roger McPherson, local farmer, is found dead under mysterious circumstances. Nurse Jarod Huntington leaves Pittsburgh to return to his hometown of Anastasis Creek to attend Roger's funeral and resolve unfinished business with his former best friend, Roger's son, Scotty. Then there are more deaths and returns of the undead. It isn't long before Zalmon and his closest followers are sharpening their knives for another sacrifice. 

The Covenant Sacrifice offers plenty of horror both of the supernatural and human variety. The creatures are a very terrifying demonic looking horde that first resemble someone that a person knows but something seems off about them.Then they build a chrysalis around them to eventually transform into a flying demon. 

In one of the scariest and saddest moments, a young girl named Madison goes through the kidnapping and transformation. She starts out as a sweet, active, trusting little girl, then turns into a violent, bloodthirsty, mindless creature. Her attacks climax when one of her relatives has to make the anguishing decision whether to kill her to save the town.

While the supernatural creatures are terrifying, and one in particular is enough to provide nightmares, there is also plenty of terror caused by human monsters, particularly Rev. Zalmon. His diary entries reveal a twisted tale of lust, self righteousness, and hypocrisy. He is a man with many secrets who chastises others for their sins and never acknowledges his own. 

Zalmon is willing to kill to protect his secrets and will get rid of those who he perceives as sinners. Not only that but Zalmon's cult-like followers are willing to go along with him. Agatha Abbott, the Baphomet worshiping town witch, arranges the events from Zalmon's past, but at times, she comes across as a better character than Zalmon. Not much, she's pretty manipulative, violent, and arrogant as well.

While the situation is a fantastic one, it is very easy to see that The Covenant Sacrifice is a sharp commentary about the cult mentality that many religious people, especially Conservatives, have when they are so bound to their own religious interpretation that they isolate and commit violence towards others who do not follow their standards.

However, there are many characters who are the exact opposite by showing kindness, goodness, and the ethics and morals that Zalmon and his ilk pay lip service to. There are many townspeople who spring to action to look for Madison when she goes missing. Twylah Sharpe is a spiritualist whose psychic abilities and magical skills counter Agatha's self-centered arrogant plans. Fanny Fassenden, a local recluse, doesn't have a large part but in one chapter, she demonstrates the difficulties that someone has in a small town when they are considered different from everyone else.

By far, the most heroic characters are Jarod and Scotty. They were once friends, but harbored secret crushes on each other. While acting on their feelings, they were caught by Roger, Scotty's father, and threatened to be ostracized. Jarod ended his friendship with Scotty and left for Pittsburgh. He tried to put his past behind him to start a nursing career and a relationship with Kelly. Unfortunately, he is hesitant to pursue his and Kelly's relationship further. He wants to start a family, but isn't sure if Kelly is the one that he wants to start it with.

Scotty meanwhile remained in Anastasis Creek and worked on the family farm. Now that his father is gone, he is considering selling the place and moving on. However, he never forgot Jarod and remained single.

Jarod and Scotty's journey in this book requires them to show courage and strength in protecting their families. However, they also have to be truthful and honest with each other and the rest of the town. Their love counters the hatred that Zalmon preaches.

The Covenant Sacrifice is a book that despite an unreal premise still resonates in real life with its themes of religious hypocrisy, equality, acceptance, honesty, and love.

Weekly Reader: Chasing Dragons: The True History of the Piasa Including Excerpts from To The Gates of Feng Tu Translated by Laurie Bonner-Nickless and Written by Mark Nickless and Laurie Bonner-Nickless; Fascinating Hidden History About Chinese Exploration of The Missouri-Illinois Area

 

Weekly Reader: Chasing Dragons: The True History of the Piasa Including Excerpts from To The Gates of Feng Tu Translated by Laurie Bonner-Nickless and Written by Mark Nickless and Laurie Bonner-Nickless; Fascinating Hidden History About Chinese Exploration of The Missouri-Illinois Area

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: It's amazing how a long awaited discovery could lead to a huge change in the history that we were taught in school. Who would have thought that a journal entry about a strange painting would lead to potential proof that Chinese explorers may have arrived and visited the Midwest decades before Spanish and Italian European explorers found their way to the Americas?

That's exactly what is discussed in Chasing Dragons: The True History of the Piasa Including Excerpts from To The Gates of Feng Tu Translated by Laurie Bonner-Nickless and Written by Mark Nickless and Laurie Bonner-Nickless. This is a fascinating study of a history that has been long hidden but now needs to be brought to light.

The search began when Mark Nickless read an article in his local newspaper, The Jefferson County Leader, that described a painting of two monsters called The Piasa on the bluff overlooking the Mississippi River near St. Louis and discovered by Jesuit explorer Jacques Marquette in 1673. The painting's origin was a mystery to Marquette and to the Native Americans who traveled with him. 

Marquette described it as "large as a calf..horns on their heads like those of a deer…red eyes, a beard like a tiger's, a face somewhat like a man's, a body covered in scales and so long a tail that it winds all around the body, passing above the head and going back between the legs, ending in a fish's tail. Green, red, and black are the three colors composing the picture." Sounds very draconian doesn't it?

This article stirred a memory inside Nickless who saw a Book Talk on C-SPAN by Gavin Menzies about his book, 1421: The Year China Discovered America, detailing explorers from the Ming Chinese Dynasty that used a massive fleet of ships to map the world including North America. 

According to Menzies's book, the Emperor Zhu Di appointed Zheng He as admiral of his fleet. Zheng He was commanded in 1406 to explore the entire world. With a fleet of two hundred 480 foot long ships.and 90 foot auxiliaries, crewed by 27,000 sailors and soldiers, Zheng He traveled around the world seven times in twenty-eight years. During these voyages, Menzies wrote that Zheng He traveled from the southern tip of Greenland to Antarctica, even voyaging to the Americas in 1420-1421. They mapped the various voyages. Unfortunately, the Ming government issued an edict prohibiting all voyages. The ships were destroyed and all maps, charts, and records were gathered and burned.

Putting these two events together, Nickless and his wife, Laurie Bonner-Nickless, researched the description of The Piasa and realized that Marquette's description matched that of two dragons, two Chinese dragons. Did members of Zheng He's fleet find their way to the Missouri-Illinois area? The Nicklesses suggest that it's possible.

The Nicklesses compared Marquette's description to other literary depictions of Chinese dragons and the details matched perfectly. That particular pictograph style was known to Chinese artists but not by any local Native American tribe. (In fact, Marquette's Native American fellow travelers were as stunned and frightened as he was about the picture) nor did the creatures resemble any told in local myth and legends.  It is also worth noting that in Chinese legends, dragons are depicted as wise and benevolent creatures that represent good fortune and luck and are seen as symbols of the Emperor. The colors green, red, and black are also symbolic of the Chinese emperor.

Okay, one picture may not mean anything. It could be a coincidence, but upon further investigation, it was revealed that banker George M. Doherty discovered jade items in Piasa Creek in the 1880's. In 1924, banker E.W. Payne said that even a superficial examination of the Piasa could tell that they were dragons. 

To add to the mystery, an acquaintance of the Nicklesses who spoke Mandarin Chinese and several Native American languages interpreted the word "Piasa" to mean "little men." Considering many of the men of the local tribes, like the Osage, were over six feet tall, the word may not have been a description of the creatures but of the shorter men who painted them.

Not to mention that petroglyphs have been found in Jefferson County, Missouri which strongly resemble Chinese characters. One appears to spell out "Love is here." (Another is of particular interest to me because it is five miles north of Hillsboro which is near my hometown of De Soto, Missouri).

Another interesting link is Bonner-Nickless' discovery in Luo Mao Deng's writings of a walled city of people with peculiar head dresses that could be a description of the city of Cahokia and its tribe, a tribe that later disappeared leaving behind their legendary mounds. All of this is mostly circumstantial, but certainly paints a picture that Chinese explorers not only may have made their way to Missouri and Illinois but encountered the local natives and were determined to leave their mark.

However, not everyone agreed with the assessment that the Piasa was a dragon or of the Chinese influence. In 1836, Professor John Russell offered a different view of the painting, a view that unfortunately stuck in local consciousness way more than Marquette's original description did. His entries contained much exaggeration and moral teachings for a religious audience. Instead of two wingless dragons, he described a large winged bird that devoured humans. 

He made up a legend in which the bird would pounce upon human beings leaving skeletons in its cave until a chief sacrificed himself to end the monster's tyranny. In other words, Russell's description transformed a picture of what appeared to be a benevolent Asian dragon into a fearsome European draconian-like creature courtesy of cultural and religious assumptions about the magical mythical creatures.

It didn't help that the painting had been assaulted by gunfire many times and then the limestone bluff in which the painting was quarried for housing material. So no way of verifying the creature's original appearance. So the location of the original painting was thought lost. 

In 1925, a new version of the Piasa was painted above the Great River Road in Alton copied from a catalog illustration and no doubt inspired by Russell's version of the creature. 

It was this description of the Piasa that carried over into cryptozoological legends and was repeated by various sources (including a YA unexplained phenomena book that I previously read). 

Chasing Dragons is interesting from a historical and academic perspective as it describes the various steps that researchers take to find answers to their questions. It's a mystery or a treasure hunt in which the prize is a greater knowledge and understanding about our world. 

The Nicklesses did extensive research by scouting the area and reading local accounts to learn that the location of the original Piasa painting was in Elsah, Illinois,10.9 miles north of the redone Alton one. Bonner-Nickless located a guidebook from the 19th century of Elsah that clearly had "Piasa Bluffs" marked.

 This actually fits the timing since Elsah was founded in 1847 and structures made from limestone quarried beginning in 1852-1853, the same time that the original Piasa painting was destroyed to become a limestone quarry. This information, combined with a clear copy of "Der Piasa Felsen" or "The Piasa Rock", an 1847 illustration by Henry Lewis, provided the clues that the Nicklesses needed to determine the real subject and location of the Piasa painting.

The Nicklesses' book is an interesting account of how art and culture is changed, altered, interpreted, and sadly sometimes destroyed by those around them. This is particularly telling in the story of what happened to the original Piasa painting and why the history of Chinese explorers and their dragon friend has been largely unexamined.

One reason that Chinese exploration of the Americas in general and the origins of the Piasa specifically are not well known is because of the Ming Dynasty's destruction of information about Zheng He's voyages. Nickless writes, "If not for this unimaginable disaster, Zheng He's costly achievement would have enabled China to dominate the globe. So far no one can be certain why the Ming government did this. It is a mystery. Because of this ill-advised decision, China then vanished as a player from the world stage for half a millennium."

Thankfully, not every item was destroyed. One was a map dated 1428 showing part of North America's East Coast including the Gulf of St. Lawrence. This route would have taken Zheng He's fleet from Lake Michigan to Alton with a portage in the Illinois River which flows to the Mississippi River right where the original Piasa was located. The other possibility is that they made their way to the Caribbean, through the Gulf of Mexico into the Mississippi River. There is a strong Chinese presence in the Caribbean to suggest this. Marquette's description of the Piasa is the final piece of the puzzle that the fleet made it to the Midwest and to the Missouri-Illinois area.

Another reason that the Piasa and its artist/explorers are not more well known can be summarized in two unfortunate words: "Manifest Destiny" and two more words: "James Semple." Semple was an attorney, a Brigadier General in the Blackhawk War, an Illinois Supreme Court judge, confidant of Abraham Lincoln, and eventual U.S. Senator. He was also a true believer in expanding the U.S. territory to the Pacific Coast and the concept of Manifest Destiny.

 Semple took part in American expansion to Oregon and returned to Illinois in 1847 where the Piasa would have been seen by many, particularly on the steamboats which went up and down the Mississippi River every day, and had already appeared in Lewis' painting. With an already inflamed over exaggerated sense of "White Superiority" and fueled by the anti-Chinese immigration rhetoric of the day, the thought of visual evidence that the Chinese arrived in the area before Europeans was something that Semple would not tolerate.

In 1852, Semple purchased a riverfront property which he later named Elsah. He then advertised that if anyone could build a house, they would then get the deed. There was plenty of limestone that was quarried and other materials for the taking. The practically free land and housing was tempting. The people of Elsah got their land and homes. Semple got property, money, and changed history and the original Piasa was no more, painted over, forgotten, repainted, and remade. 

However, the story doesn't end there. Thanks to new historical emphasis on Zheng He's voyages, as well as books and articles like Menzies' and those written by the Nicklesses (including a history conference in Nanjing, China to commemorate the 600th anniversary of the beginning Zheng He's journeys), the history of the Chinese explorers and the remainders of their arrivals are finally being recognized and known to the world.

The Piasa and its creators would have long been buried in history if not for the curiosity, persistence, and research provided by scholars, historians, artists, authors, and particularly a determined couple from Jefferson County, Missouri who asked questions, looked up information, and peered through sources to find answers. Truly, It is a historical journey of draconian proportions.

New Book Alert: Flirt: A Novel of Lust Love and Murder by Ric Bohy; Alluring Beguiling Heroine Steals The Show in Modern Hard Boiled Noir

 

New Book Alert: Flirt: A Novel of Lust Love and Murder by Ric Bohy; Alluring Beguiling Heroine Steals The Show in Modern Hard Boiled Noir

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: By far the most interesting character in Flirt: A Novel of Lust, Love, and Murder, Ric Bohy's mystery thriller is Mary Bliss. Flirt is similar to a modern hard boiled detective noir combined with a psychosexual thriller. These types of genres often need a strong feminine presence and Mary is that presence.

Mary catches the eye of Jimmy Noze, a former reporter and current investigator, in the Train and Tunnel club in a suburb in northern Detroit. While getting to know Mary, Derek "Viking" Sloane, a possessive former admirer, gets rough with her. Jimmy points a gun at him to lay off. Jimmy and Mary then develop a connection that could become a potential romance. Unfortunately, they are pursued by a couple of stalkers. One is Sloane himself, a spoiled rich brat who believes that he can own anybody and that includes the woman who got away. The other stalker is Haymus Geasley, a punk Neo Nazi. Geasley is determined to seek violent revenge against Jimmy and intends to kidnap Mary and make her his captive.

Mary is a beguiling alluring heroine, practically a call back to the sexy femme fatales of old Classic Hollywood films, characters played by the likes of Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, Bette Davis, Lana Turner, Veronica Lake, and Rita Hayworth. The type of woman who can entrap a man with just a smoldering glance or a flip of her hair. 

A woman who could either be working with or against the hero, but will certainly give him a wild time while he figures her out. From Mary's first appearance, she attracts the men around her without actually becoming physically intimate with them.

Mary was raised by her grandmother, Ruby who coached her to be different from her prostitute mother who abandoned her. Mary is taught to use her slender body, ample breasts, and flowing red hair to entice men's voyeuristic urges, but to never give into them sexually. For example, she inspires LaPierre, a cosmetologist to create a line of beauty products based on her particular scent. She is the type to be a muse or a model, an unattainable standard of beauty but never a lover. 

Even what would be considered a flaw in her appearance works to Mary's advantage. She was born with a deformed leg but has a prosthesis that looks completely natural next to her skin. The limp that forms because of her leg gives her a recognizable stride like a runway model.

Sometimes, as the plot of a detective noir novel continues, we may peer into that beautiful facade of this archetype and see a vulnerable fragile soul inside. Perhaps she even has a surprisingly moral center that has either been compromised or has remained despite the years of survival in a harsh world. This is certainly true of Mary.

Even though she is seen as an object of men's desires, she is able to maintain control in most of her relationships. She is willing to fight off those that get too physically violent. When Sloane and then Geasley kidnap Mary, she is frightened but uses sharp wit and cunning to outsmart them. 

While she didn't have a higher education, Mary is extremely observant, has some brilliant initial ideas that she persuades others to pursue (such as the beauty product line), and understands the way other people think. These advantages allow Jimmy to accept her as his partner. 

Besides being brilliant, Mary is a very moral person. She has strict etiquette standards such as referring to men by "Mr. (Last name)" and insists that they refer to her as "Miss Bliss." She also will not tolerate swearing.

Mary will not concede to demands for sex and will leave relationships if they turn out to be abusive. Despite being raised to be an object of beauty and desire, she is independent and strong enough to live alone rather than stay in a relationship that isn't working out. In fact, Mary spent more time alone than she did with male companions. She may entice some but she won't bind herself to them.

Because of the many layers of Mary's character, she far outshines the male characters in Flirt. Sloane sees her as an object, something that his wealth can buy and own. She is nothing to him but a statue, a trophy, and status symbol.

Geasley sees her as a means to fill his dark violent desires. He doesn't want to own her. He wants to destroy her. He has fantasies of physically hurting Mary before killing her as a means to emotionally scar Jimmy but also because he dehumanizes her.

Even the good men in Mary's life don't see all of her. LaPierre is a good friend and Mary is genuinely worried about him when he goes missing. But he too has his own image of Mary. He sees her as a muse, one that he can only admire from afar but is the inspiration for his great work, the cosmetics line. He however doesn't mind spying on her to catch her in provocative positions. His affection may be from afar and not as physical as Sloane and Geasley, but he still can be creepy.

Jimmy is mostly a decent enough guy, but at times he has issues with Mary. He becomes obsessed with her and even though he concedes to their chaste platonic relationship, he still fantasizes about having her. Because of her appearance, he has preconceived notions about her such as her sexual experiences and assumes that she isn't as smart as she appears.

However, Jimmy realizes his assumed views are wrong and is able to see Mary as a person and not just a beautiful woman. The fact that he calls her "partner" reveals that he sees her in an equal position that others do not, someone to walk side by side not in front of or behind him. It is only after they get through their adventure together and understands each other's past that Mary and Jimmy get through the friendship and partnership to become a romantic couple.

Flirt offers a female protagonist that has many layers: beautiful, alluring, honest, polite, savvy, and kind. Someone who is more than someone to be seen. She is someone to be heard, accepted, and understood.