Weekly Reader: Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell; A Beautiful Transformative Novel About Life, Death, Reincarnation, and The Legacy We Leave Behind

Weekly Reader: Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell; A Beautiful Transformative Novel About Life, Death, Reincarnation, and The Legacy We Leave Behind


By Julie Sara Porter


Bookworm Reviews





Spoilers: I admit that when I first approached Cloud Atlas, I did with great trepidation. I had heard about the book's structure and I was concerned whether I would be able to follow it. After having read difficult books like Ulysses and Infinite Jest, I thought this would be another book that tries to show off to its Readers only to confuse them.





I shouldn't have worried. Instead what I found was one of my favorite books that I read this year. David Mitchell didn't tell just one memorable story. He told six of them. I joke that he probably couldn't decide whether he wanted to write an adventure, a romance, a political thriller, a comic satire, a science fiction, or a post-Apocalyptic fantasy then just said, “Screw it, I'll write all of them.” That he could take these extremely different genres and provide extremely different narratives from various people that are diverse in gender, age, ethnicity, and social status shows not only a tremendous writing talent but an ability to use that talent to provide the Readers with these multiple stories and characters.


It is a brilliant and beautiful book that focuses on six people over the course of many centuries.
The six characters are:
Adam Ewing-An American notary in 1840’s New Zealand and Hawaii who protects and befriends an escaped slave and becomes involved in the Abolitionist cause.
Robert Frobisher- A disinherited bisexual composer in 1930’s Europe who writes letters to his male lover, Rufus Sixsmith, about his relationships with an abusive older composer and his seductive wife.
Luisa Rey-An investigative reporter in 1970’s California who becomes involved in a conspiracy concerning the mysterious death of a nuclear scientist and his research on the company he works for.
Timothy Cavendish- An elderly vanity publisher in 21st century London who is stalked by members of a criminal family and ends up incarcerated in a nursing home by his scheming brother.
Sonmi 451-A clone in futuristic Seoul, South Korea who is rescued from her monotonous life at a fast food restaurant and gets caught up in the Resistance against the Neo Capitalist Police State she works under.
Zachary- A young man in the distant post-apocalyptic future Hawaii who aids a newcomer to his village who tells him a great deal about the past of his people.



On the surface, these characters and stories don't appear to be related but the more the Reader digs, the more they learn how these stories are linked as one gigantic chain that transcends centuries.
While living with the disagreeable composer, Vyvyan Ayres, Robert discovers the first half of Adam Ewing’s journal and is upset that he couldn't find the other half considering “a half-finished book is a half-finished love affair.”
Luisa finds an album of Robert’s “Cloud Atlas Sextet” and is moved by the music. Not to mention that the nuclear scientist/informant who aids Luisa is none other than Rufus Sixsmith, Robert's former lover who gives her Robert's letters.
Timothy receives a novel of Luisa’s exploits and at first dismisses it as trite as though it were written by a child. (The book implies the novel about Luisa was written by a young neighbor that she took a maternal interest in.) While he is incarcerated, Timothy seems to enjoy reading about Luisa's exploits and gutsiness.
Sonmi 451 watches films which she calls “disneys” (In this future proper nouns replace common terms for objects) with a fellow rebel. One of them is based on Timothy's life, incarceration in the nursing home, then escape from it.
Zachary’s people worship Sonmi 451 as a goddess. (In her story, while escaping she stayed temporarily in a community whose members are implied to be the ancestors of Zachary's people.) Later Zachary's friend, Meronym shows Sonmi's interrogation on a device called an orison. She then says that Sonmi was a human woman not a goddess.


These traces of the characters and how each one learns of the last are like those Russian matryoshka or nesting dolls where one leads to another to make a full picture. They show that our works such as primary sources like letters and journals, music, books, movies, and stories are what will last and how people will remember us long after we are gone. Bodies may die but history, art, and literature will continue to tell our stories in one form or another.


Another common theme that these stories carry are those of struggles between the powerful and powerless, those who are corrupt and imprison and those who fight and escape.
In Adam’s journal entries, we learn that he befriended a slave, Autua who stowed away on the same ship he traveled. At first Adam is ambivalent about slavery, following the presumed “White Man's Burden.” When he sees the goodness and loyalty in Autua and also the cruelty and deception of many white people, including a doctor who is poisoning him just to rob him later, Adam and his wife become committed abolitionists and help free other slaves.
Robert is made a pariah because of his sexuality and is used by Ayres who steals his work and seduced by his conniving wife and daughter. Robert is then left with a shattered reputation, tremendous debt, and a broken heart. He pours out his love in his sextet and final letter to Sixsmith (whom he realizes too late is the real love of his life) before he escapes the only way he can: through suicide.
Luisa fights against the corrupt corporation that murdered Sixsmith to keep quiet about his research concerning a flaw in the nuclear power plant he worked for. (Tellingly enough this would be the same corporation that Sonmi works for in the future.) She plans to go public with Sixsmith’s research despite multiple attempts on her life. (Including in one passage where her car is pushed into the ocean. Thankfully, she survives.) The idealistic reporter manages to smuggle the information to Sixsmith's niece and forces the dismissal of the greedy CEO who had Sixsmith and his allies murdered.
Timothy is incapacitated by his brother, his weakened body after he suffers a stroke, and above all a tyrannical staff particularly a nasty head nurse who prefers to medicate her patients rather than help them. In a humorous section (contrasting with the other more serious stories), Timothy engineers an escape from the nursing home with three other patients who manage to steal one of the patient's family member's car. (He always leaves the keys in the ignition during his visits.)
In her report to an interrogator called the Archivist, Sonmi explains how the death of a more obstreperous friend caused her to question her life of sameness, forced cheerfulness, and routine work of serving people drug enhanced food. When she is “kidnapped” i.e. liberated by a Resistance member, she tells the Archivist about her journey into forbidden areas, real friendships and emotions for the other rebels as compared to the phony ones in the cloning facility. She also learns some harsh discoveries about the world around her and the clones’ real purpose. She also is aware that much of her journey was fabricated by spies and traitors but she wants her story to be told anyway so future generations will know who she fought and why.
Zachary’s world is reduced to an almost primitive state. He is aware of warfare between various tribes and also suffers from a traumatic experience in which his father was killed and brother, Adam was enslaved. He appeals to Meronym, who though an outsider, is a Prescient, someone who still has memories of history. During their night journey, Zachary and Meronym protect each other from slavers and Meronym empowers Zachary with knowledge of the past. He is able to use that knowledge to counter his fears which manifest as a demonic figure called Old Georgie that once cripplied him with guilt and terror.


The strongest link within these characters is revealed as we learn that they are the same character reincarnated over time. This is proven as each one learns that they share the same birthmark shaped like a comet somewhere on their bodies. While this may seem odd to some people, many Readers who are aware of other stories of reincarnation know that souls can be reborn as different genders or races. The characters share memories, dreams, and connections to one another. Zachary's brother is named Adam who is sold into slavery; the same name as the first character, Adam Ewing, a man who fought against slavery.
Both Ayres and Robert share a dream about a brightly colored restaurant in which the servers are all identically dressed women with the same faces foreshadowing Sonmi's life.
When he first encounters Luisa in a broken elevator, Rufus Sixsmith reveals that he feels an intense connection to her that he can't explain. This implies that he recognizes his late lover, Robert in her.
While Timothy's connections to the others are through popular culture, he uses these references to link himself to the others. He compares one character to “Mrs. Robinson” in The Graduate (referring to Robert's ill-advised affair with the older and married, Mrs. Ayres and the unfortunate love triangle with her daughter, Eva.) Timothy also makes a reference to the movie, “Soylent Green” (referring to Sonmi's discovery that clones are made and processed for food, the same food she used to serve at the fast food place.)

These connections are made even deeper in the 2012 movie, Cloud Atlas directed by the Wachowksi Siblings where the characters in all six stories are played by the same actors playing multiple roles. Some that follow reincarnation believe that not only are we reborn in different lives but the people around us are as well. In multiple lives the people we know now may have been or will be lovers, family members, heroes, or people we just met or will meet on the street.


Cloud Atlas is a strange book, no doubt about it. It is also a beautiful book about how connected
humanity is through delicate strands or ripples in time and shows that after we die, our souls and legacies live on and carry over into future generations.

Weekly Reader: Barbie and Ruth: The Story of The World's Most Famous Doll and The Woman Who Created Her by Robin Gerber; A Brilliant Biography of Two Amazing Women, One Real and One Plastic

Weekly Reader: Barbie and Ruth: The Story of The World's Most Famous Doll and The Woman Who Created Her by Robin Gerber; A Brilliant Biography of Two Amazing Women, One Real and One Plastic

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Barbie has always been a double-edged sword with people. She is the image people put into her. On the one hand, many criticize her for her body and for providing girls with unrealistic expectations on how they should look. (A very creepy fact is that some women have gone through numerous plastic surgeries to receive Barbie’s exact appearance including augmenting their bodies to get her extreme measurements.) She also has been parodied as a bimbo fashionista in pop culture such as the movie, Toy Story 2 and the ‘90’s pop song, “Barbie Girl” by Aqua. (I apologize for the earworm. I am suffering for it, believe me.)

Barbie has also had her share of defenders. She is seen as the ultimate career woman having taken on various occupations from model, to astronaut, to doctor, to teacher, to computer programmer, to video game designer. Besides her various occupations, Mattel’s executives are never afraid to reinvent Barbie's brand such as creating multicultural friends for Barbie, dressing her in traditional costumes from around the world, creating her in the likeness of various well-known real-life women such as Olympic gymnast, Gabby Douglas and ballerina, Misty Copeland, and recently providing various sizes and body types for the doll including petite, curvy, and tall. Many ad campaigns focus on Barbie's abilities to inspire young girls to fulfill their dreams such as “We Girls Can Do Anything” and “Imagine the Possibilities”. (The latter campaign is particularly clever and charming as it shows young girls taking on adult jobs such as executive, coach, college professor, veterinarian, and paleontologist to a group of bemused but delighted adults.)

While Barbie appears to be an expert at reinventing herself to fit with the times, she could also take a cue from her creator, Ruth Handler (1916-2002) who knew a lot about reinvention and about being a high powered female executive in a man’s world. This brilliant book covers Handler's success in leading Mattel to its highest popularity thanks to their blond beauty and also her struggles as a female executive and controversies when she was indicted for fraud.

Ruth Handler's background as the tenth child of  a Polish Jewish immigrant family suggests one which was both crowded and overwhelming for her parents. After her mother received gall bladder surgery, the then six month old, Ruth Mosko lived with her older sister, Sarah who then raised young Ruthie instead of her parents. Through Sarah, Handler learned to be a working woman and not to be content to stay at home with the children and household while her husband worked.

When Handler married her husband, Elliot in 1938, it was a strange attraction of opposites that helped the two create the toy company, Mattel. The company may have been named for Elliot Handler and his and Ruth’s then partner, Harold “Matt” Matson (Matson would later be bought out and leave the company.), but there was no doubt who was the real head. Elliot was the laid-back easygoing creator of such toys as the Uke-A-Doodle and the Burp Gun while Ruth was the strong-willed forceful executive who made sure not only that the toys were made, but that they were made right.

Many are familiar with the story of Barbie's creation but for those that aren't here it is: Observing her daughter, Barbara and her friends play with paper dolls, Handler noted that the clothes “did not look right.” Observing that most dolls looked like children, including the ones marketed as teenage dolls, Handler saw that girls ,like her daughter, would pretend to play as though the dolls were adults. She thought it would be interesting if there was a doll that actually looked like an adult.

In 1956, the Handlers visited Germany and Handler saw her inspiration: a hard plastic doll that was adult in appearance called Bild Lilli. Bild Lilli was originally an adult sex toy based on a comic book character and was often given as a gag gift at bachelor parties. Despite her lascivious reputation, Handler was transfixed by the doll’s blond hair tied in a ponytail, bendable body, and parade of wardrobe and accessories. She bought some of them and took them home to see if her designers could create an American version of the doll. (Royalty issues prevented Mattel's acknowledgement of Bild Lilli’s contribution to the creation of Barbie for some time, but they have since been cleared and Mattel acknowledged that Bild Lilli was indeed the inspiration for her American cousin.)

After some difficulties with the molding process and experiments with Barbie's makeup and initial wardrobe, the doll finally made her debut at the 1959 Toy Fair dressed in a black and white one-piece bathing suit.

Barbie at first received a lot of criticism because of her seeming sex appeal and that many parents did not want their daughters playing with such an adult doll. Toy Fair itself produced few orders for the doll. However Gerber’s writing showed Handler as a persistent marketer and executive and was not about to let her brainchild fail. She approved of a marketing campaign which focused on Barbie's glamor, beauty, and that when little girls played with Barbie they were imagining themselves as the women they wanted to become. (An early commercial contained a catchy jingle: “Someday I’m going to be like you, 'til then I know just what I’ll do…..Barbie, beautiful Barbie I’ll make believe I’m you.”) Girls became fascinated with the doll and persuaded their parents to not only buy her but her ever growing wardrobe and accessories.

The ‘60’s were a good time to be both Barbie and Ruth Handler. Gerber's book shows that Barbie's world expanded to include her anatomically incorrect boyfriend, Ken (apparently Handler wanted to make him more correct but concerned toy designers opted not to in case of controversy and Handler relented), her best friend, Midge, Midge’s boyfriend and later husband, Alan, Barbie's African-American friend, Christy, and  Barbie's sisters, Skipper and Tutti (the latter was eventually renamed as Kellie), and such additions as her Dream House and Car.

Handler's world at Mattel also increased. She and Elliot continued to make successful toys such as Hot Wheels, an intentional competitor to Matchbox. Handler also gained a reputation as a tough and loving boss.

She had a regular group of young men whom she called “her boys” and enjoyed bantering with. Mattel was also known to promote female executives more so than many other companies at the time.

Handler also could be quite domineering. She had a very strong attention to detail and was concerned about producing the best products under the Mattel name. She was known to order the recall of an entire line if the product did not meet her specifications. She also loved to be involved in every aspect of her company including research, development, design, accounts and others. She also could be argumentative and resort to snappy rejoinders when male executives did not want to work with a woman.

These details run counter to Handler’s behavior during her later charges of fraud in the late ‘70’s. The Handlers made some bad investments including trying to purchase Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus and brought on some unscrupulous executives. One of them was Seymour Rosenberg, a previous financial genius, who was known for his business acquisitions. When Rosenberg was indicted for fraud, he also named The Handlers as complicit in his dealings.

While Gerber stops short of whether she believed Handler's guilt or innocence, she does raise questions whether an executive with a strong attention to detail, desire to be involved in every aspect of her company, and was able to challenge male executives would suddenly not be aware of Rosenberg's mismanagement of funds and kowtow to him because he insulted her for being a Jewish woman.

Despite maintaining her innocence, Handler resigned from the company that she created in 1978 and was sentenced to community service. (which she used to co-create a charity, Foundation for the People reinventing herself as a philanthropist.)

While Elliot, Rosenberg, and other male executives at Mattel were also charged with fraud, Handler cited sexism as part of the reason the media was particularly tough on her ridiculing her abrasive behavior and downfall.

While Handler may have been grasping at straws or assuming a martyr complex, the fact that many male executives particularly in the ‘80’s were lauded as corporate sharks and praised for their domineering nature invites this possibility. Lucky for the Reader, Gerber offers no opinion either way and allows the Reader to decide for themselves whether Handler was a white collar criminal or was an innocent victim railroaded by dishonest colleagues and a misogynistic press.

Besides her legal issues, the book also reveals Handler's family troubles particularly with her children, Barbara and Kenneth. (the dolls Barbie and Ken were both named for them.) The Handler children hated being associated with the dolls. Barbara had many disagreements with her mother while growing up and got into heated arguments with her wondering why she didn't stay home like other mothers. Barbara rebelled against Handler's working mother status by marrying young right out of high school and having children. She remained estranged from Handler until only a few years before Handler's death.

Kenneth had an equally difficult time growing up. He rejected his parent's wealth from Mattel particularly Barbie because he believed that they “created a forced conformity within children.” He later became a playwright, photographer, and artist. Like his sister, Kenneth married young but was bisexual and had affairs with men. Ultimately, he died of AIDS in 1994. Because of Handler's unwillingness to acknowledge her son’s sexuality or disease, Gerber’s book says that to this day different accounts  report various erroneous causes of Kenneth Handler's death such as encephalitis or a brain tumor. Handler's difficulties with her children showed that sometimes people who are successful in one way can falter in others and despite having good intentions by honoring her children with the dolls’ names, Handler ultimately caused distrust and unhappiness within them.

Handler had difficulties with her health as well which unfortunately coincided with her trial for fraud. She had breast cancer and received a mastectomy. Eventually she marketed prosthetic breasts called Nearly Me for women who were going through similar procedures proving once again that Handler was able to reinvent herself despite tough times.

Despite leaving the company, Handler’s reputation improved in the ‘90’s when Mattel's then CEO, Jill Barad paid tribute to Handler and her influence. Barad put Handler front and center once more as an honorary member of the company she helped create, allowing Handler to give interviews and receive accolades until her death in 2002.

Ruth Handler was a brilliant strong-willed independent woman who took an idea of an adult fashion doll and made it a success. Barbie may be a fascinating character but not nearly as much as the woman who has been referred to as “her Mom.”

Banned Books Special: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie; The Story of a Spokane Native American Boy is Both Humorous and Heartfelt

Banned Books Special: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie; The Story of a Spokane Native American Boy is Both Humorous and Heartfelt

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Sherman Alexie's National Book Award YA Novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian has the unfortunate and dubious distinction of having both book and author being banned and challenged at different times. The book has received accusations of “profanity, frank sexual discussions including masturbation, frequent alcoholism, and a negative portrayal of the home life of the Spokane Native American tribe.” (among other things) If this laundry list wasn't enough, in 2018 it's author, Sherman Alexie has been accused of sexual harassment by several women. These allegations caused many schools and libraries to cancel Alexie's scheduled readings and also caused Alexie to decline the Carnegie Award for his current release, You Don't Have To Say You Love Me: A Memoir and for the American Indian Library Association to rescind it's 2008 Award for Part-Time Indian.

While the former accusations are technically true, like many banned and challenged books, Part-Time Indian is so much more than what it's accusers believe it to be. More on that later.

Now for the latter accusation towards Sherman Alexie himself, I am a proud supporter of the Time's Up Movement and if these allegations against Alexie are true, they are certainly awful. He should avoid making public appearances for now since it will only make him, his audience  and accusers uncomfortable. Should his current books remain on shelves? I hope so for they still have something to say. However, it is up to the patron or customer whether they wish to borrow or buy them. Any future endeavors? Perhaps a cool-off period would be wise for some time until all legal issues are finished and then publishers etc. can do what they feel is right depending on the verdict and Alexie’s plea.

But what about The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian? An award winning well-written book that has been published and praised beginning a full ten years before these accusations came about? I have always believed that the artist should be separated from his or her work. There are plenty of good novels as well as films, shows, and other forms of art made by people who have done horrible things and were horrible people.

 With Mists of Avalon for instance, I admire Morgaine as one of my favorite female characters in literature. I cite the book as a prominent influence assisting me down my path as a Wiccan and a Feminist. However, I find Marion Zimmer Bradley's sexual abuse towards her daughter deplorable and inexcusable.

I feel the same way about Arnold Spirit Jr. Why should a bright, talented, funny protagonist get punished because his creator behaves terribly towards women? I say give Alexie the allegations and the trial, but leave Junior alone. He’s a great kid even if his author isn't.

It's not like Arnold Spirit Jr. doesn't have enough problems of his own which he deals with both humor and earnestness in this wonderful book that has the ability to make its Reader laugh or cry or do both.

14-year-old, Arnold Junior lives on the Spokane Reservation in which everyone he knows lives on or below the poverty line. He is no stranger to going to bed hungry and he has several relatives or friends’ relatives who are alcoholics.

His father is a depressed alcoholic who while doesn't beat him mercilessly like his friend, Rowdy's father does, disappears for days on end on a drunken binge. Jr.’s sister, Mary AKA Mary Runs Away is a high school graduate who has dropped out of life by just remaining in the family's basement in a deep depression.

Besides his family and social background, Junior’s health is a concern. He is a hydrocephalic, a condition which causes excess fluid in the brain. He is nearsighted in one eye and farsighted in the other so that causes him to wear thick large glasses. He is susceptible to seizures and speaks with both a stutter and a lisp. All of these problems give Junior permanent membership in, as he dubs it, “The-Black-Eye-Of-The-Month Club”, constant bullying by other kids and a pair of 30-year-old brothers who really should have something better to do than beat up a 14-year-old boy.

Any one of these problems would be enough to put most people into despair and a permanent state of depression. But Junior is able to challenge his life's difficulties with his sarcastic wit and talent for drawing.

Junior is often given to one-liners that often poke fun at himself and the people around him.

One passage at his grandmother's funeral displays Junior's wit perfectly. A white billionaire whom Junior recognizes as Ted gives a long clichéd speech about how he relates to the Indian culture and feels Indian in his bones. Junior merely rolls his eyes and privately riffs the guy’s attempts at humility. (“Do you know how many white strangers show up on Indian reservations every year and start telling Indians how much they love them? Thousands. It's sickening. And boring.”)

Besides his words, Junior's drawings reveal his true soul especially with his drive to become a cartoonist.

 The illustrations by Ellen Forney are the highlights of the book as they reveal Junior's thoughts and often make many good points in clever satiric ways.

For example, an illustration of Junior's parents is titled “What My Parents Would Have Been If Somebody Had Paid Attention To Their Dreams.” The pictures depicts Jr.’s mother as “Spokane Falls Community College Teacher of The Year 1992-1998” and his father as “The Fifth Best Jazz Sax Player West of the Mississippi.” (Complete with “a stylish bob from Vidal Sassoon for $50.00” for Mom and “a white dress shirt from KMart -cause he likes to 'keep it real,’” for Dad.) Illustrations like this show the humorous asides that Junior makes to try to make sense in a world where his parents have long ago given up on their dreams that were closed because of their race and socioeconomic status.

Besides Junior's sense of humor, another thing that pushes him along is his desire to move from the Reservation and see other places. On his first day at the Reservation high school, Junior becomes aware that the textbook that he is given is the same one his mother used-over 20 years ago. In a fury, he hurls the book at the front of the classroom. Instead of becoming angry, Junior's teacher sees a burning desire in the teenager to make something of himself. He also remembers that Junior's older sister, Mary, wanted to be a romance novelist and like everyone else including her parents gave up on her dream. The teacher recommends that Junior transfer to Reardon, the nearby mostly white school in which the only other Native American is the school mascot.

The transfer causes more problems for Junior to handle. The white kids treat him like he’s a strange sideshow attraction. People on the Reservation think Junior sold out and is acting white, particularly his best friend, Rowdy who gets into some violent fights with Junior.

 It is only when Junior gains some success on the school's basketball team and befriends a couple of outsiders in Reardon: Gary, the school nerd and Penelope, a  popular girl who is also bulimic, that he begins to adjust to his new surroundings.

Despite all of his troubles, Junior is aware that he has the love and support of his family. This is particularly shown when over the course of the book, Junior and his family attend three funerals, each one sadder than the last. Junior holds onto his mother and father, grateful that they love and support him. He also reflects about how many of the Reardon kids don't have a father or mother in the picture. Junior knows that despite the poverty and difficulties, the Reservation also includes family that are tied by love, blood, and support.

Like many banned and challenged books, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is greater than the accusations thrown at it. It is funny, moving, tragic, and is a truly memorable story of a boy who acknowledges, mocks, and embraces his family and heritage.

Banned Books Special: Drama by Raina Telgemeier; A Cute Charming Graphic Novel About Love and Identity at a Middle High School Drama Department

Banned Books Special: Drama by Raina Telgemeier; A Cute Charming Graphic Novel About Love and Identity at a Middle High School Drama Department

Spoilers: Callie, the excitable protagonist of Raina Telgemeier's graphic novel seems to be born for the stage so the 7th grader is a part of Eucalyptus Middle School Drama Department. However unlike many other starstruck teens, she does not want to be center stage singing and acting. (In fact an early moment reveals that she can't carry a tune.) Instead she turns her interest into set design. She pores over coffee table books and art books revealing the intricate sets of the old Ziegfeld and Broadway shows and strives to make her productions just like them. (with a third of a budget for a school production.) The intrepid teen deals with her grandiose ideas and the complicated love lives of herself and the other students in this charming and cute graphic novel which deals with friendships, romances, and discovering one’s identity in the world of the theater.

The kids are tasked to perform Moon Over Mississippi, a musical/love story. Callie is thrilled not only to design the intricate Antebellum sets but that she also gets to fire a prop cannon. (She hoped to fire one with pyrotechnics, but the stage manager and director/faculty advisor had to remind her of the potential damage to the auditorium and potential loss of life.) Her best friend, Liz is excited because as costume designer she gets to watch classic films like Shenandoah and Gone With the Wind to sketch the beautiful hooped skirt gowns and handsome Union and Confederate uniforms and to find details for the costumes even if it means going into the creepy prop and costume vault. Callie's friend Max is excited in his role as spotlight technician and that he also gets to boss the other kids around including Liz and Callie.

The fact that most of the main characters are crew members instead of part of the cast shows that these roles are just as important if not more so than the ones onstage. The people who contribute to these roles are just as creative and talented as the performers.

Besides the hijinks onstage, the Reader is drawn into the hijinks off and Drama begins to take on the attributes of a teen sitcom or light-hearted soap opera with the requisite love triangles, more like Love Dodecahedrons, present.

Let's see if I can get this straight (deep breath): Callie is at first in love with Matt’s older brother, Greg who sees Callie mostly as a friend. Greg has an on-again-off-again relationship with Bonnie, the most popular girl in school who also plays the female lead in Moon Over Mississippi. Bonnie eventually begins dating West, who plays the male lead. Callie befriends two twin brothers, Justin and Jesse. Justin, who gets the part of a comic relief, is openly gay much to Callie's initial confusion and eventual acceptance. Callie develops a crush on Jesse, who assists her in constructing sets. What Callie doesn't know is that Jesse is also gay and is developing a relationship with West. Meanwhile, Matt harbors a secret crush on Callie which he hides behind snide remarks and deadpan sarcasm.

While as in many programs the love triangles, or whatever shape, is overdone, many of the characters are prone to hysterics and melodrama. (like most teens particularly ones involved in drama already). However the characters are so cute and likeable that it's easy to root for them despite them being thrown into the non-stop pairings.

Standing out in particular in the cast are Callie and Jesse. Callie is practically the engine, the driving force, behind the production. She gets excited by even the minute details such as tossing magnolia leaves at the young lovers during their big love song. She knows, loves, and studies Broadway musicals enthusiastically turning her hobby  int an obsession and a potential career.

She draws the other crew members into her enthusiasm by getting them excited and thinking this is going to be the best production ever. She makes suggestions for the various departments from lighting, to costumes, to acting and they take them willingly. Partly because many of her ideas are good, with the exception of the pyrotechnics cannon.  For example, she suggests soft lights for romantic scenes instead of red because “it looks too much like danger.” Also the others relent to Callie's suggestions because they know she will pester them until they agree.

 She is also persistent in creating the various facets of the set design. She obsesses over the cannon filling it with confetti and sound effects so it could create the perfect explosion that would startle the audience out of their seats. She uses the cannon not only in the play but in the cafeteria as free publicity advertising the play which creates a long line of students buying tickets.

Jesse also stands out in this charming cast. While his twin, Justin is a bit of a gay stereotype with his exuberant personality and love of being center stage, Jesse is very shy and standoffish. While he has a good singing voice and has the musical memorized (thanks to he and Justin having the soundtrack at home.), Jesse has tremendous stage fright and is content to stay behind the scenes.

Jesse’s shyness also pertains to his sexuality. Even though Callie pursues him as energetically as she does everything else, he is too terrified to tell the truth. He continues to follow her around because he is uncertain with how he feels and who he wants to be.

 It is only in the end when after Bonnie has a meltdown backstage and refuses to go on, that Jesse assumes her red gown and plays the female lead. He finally becomes comfortable with himself.

 In assuming a female identity, Jesse recognizes his own real identity as a gay young man and pursues a relationship with West.

While Drama is cute and charming and filled with laughable moments, at heart it tells a sweet story about how romance can be found only when people are being their true selves.

Weekly Reader: Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win The Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly; A Wonderful True Story of A Group of Brilliant Trailblazing African-American Women

Weekly Reader: Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win The Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly; A Wonderful True Story of A Group of Brilliant Trailblazing African-American Women


By Julie Sara Porter


Bookworm Reviews





Without the brilliant minds of Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and the other African-American female mathematicians in the West Computer division of NASA, it's very doubtful that the Americans would have made it out of Earth's lowest hemisphere let alone into Space and ultimately the Moon.


Margot Lee Shetterly’s best selling biography, Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win The Space Race which became the Academy Award nominated film Hidden Figures pays these women a debt long owed. They are written to be courageous, brilliant women who were able to break through racial and gender barriers and contribute to these important moments in American history.





The exciting opportunities for these women came in the late ‘30’s when NASA was the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) when studying airplanes was the goal. The superiors realized that there were plenty of female mathematicians that they could recruit to create trajectories and figures for the planes to travel. These women were called computers as they computed these large sums in their heads and provided solutions based on the data they used. Interestingly enough this assumption that women would be the best at calculating these figures runs contrary to the modern offensive stereotype that women and girls can't “do math and science,” a stereotype that many in the STEM fields have been trying to counter. The careers of the women in this book should serve as an inspiration for any girl or woman to aspire to become mathematicians and engineers themselves.





The other door that opened was in 1941 when after prodding by A. Philip Randolph, the head of the largest black labor union, the Roosevelt Administration declared Executive Order 8802 ordering the desegregation of the defense industry and Executive Order 9346 the Fair Employment Practices Committee to monitor economic inclusion. All this meant that African-Americans were permitted to work in defense projects to help fight for their country.





One of the first recruits was Dorothy Vaughan, a former math teacher. Even though she and the other African-American female recruits were segregated to the west side of the Langley offices thereby dubbed the “West Computers,” Vaughan was able to compute her figures accurately. She was also able to take charge of the other computers so that when their former supervisor suffered a nervous breakdown and had to be institutionalized, Vaughan seamlessly stepped in to take her place as the Chief Supervisor of the West Computer division.


Vaughan also proved to be adaptable to changing circumstances. When NACA transformed into NASA and the focus changed to space exploration, Vaughan studied the potential for rocket travel. Then when the human computers changed over to electronic computing, Vaughan spent some time in night school studying computer programming and languages to stay ahead of her field.





Another brilliant woman in this group was Mary Jackson. She learned the benefit of making powerful alliances. A Girl Scout troop leader and mother who always tried to give the children in her neighborhood pride in themselves and their race, Jackson was derided by the white engineers. After one particular incident, she stormed off in fury and told her troubles to Kazmierz Czarnecki, the assistant section head of the Supersonic Pressure Tunnel. Czarnecki invited Jackson to work with him. Jackson earned her position by demonstrating her engineering skills.


She also was able to rise from the title of “mathematician” to “engineer”, a feat rarely accomplished by any of the woman working at Langley let alone the African-American women. The “Engineer” title meant more money, prestige, and recognition for Jackson's services.





By far the most famous of the West Computers was Katherine Coleman Goble Johnson. She balanced her role as a widowed mother of three, a romance with 2nd Lt. Jim Johnson, and her work as a mathematician and West Computer. Her research into analytic geometry impressed many of the white male engineers who promoted her to work directly under them. She also showed extraordinary persistence such as continuing to ask her supervisors if she could attend meetings to the point where they allowed her to attend them just so she would stop asking. Another sign of her intelligence and persistence was in receiving credit for her research. When Ted Skopinski transferred to Houston, his former supervisor ordered him to finish his research. He suggested that Johnson complete the research since “she did most of it anyway.” Not only did Johnson finish the research, but she received credit and authorship, a feat not accomplished by many other women in her field.


Johnson also had a reputation for accuracy in her calculations so much so that she was willing to argue with others if she discovered a flaw in the numbers. She calculated the trajectory for Alan Shepard's flight into.space.


Her reputation for genius and accurate calculations reached the ears of astronaut, John Glenn, who planned to orbit Earth. He asked for her specifically and said that he would not fly unless Johnson verified the calculations. After Glen’s historic flight, Johnson also contributed calculations for future space flights such as Apollo 11’s trip to the Moon.





Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, and Katherine Johnson showed that with intelligence, courage, and persistence racial and gender barriers can not only be broken. They can be shattered beyond repair and anyone can be recognized for their achievements, no matter their race or gender.

Forgotten Favorites: September by Rosamunde Pilcher; A Sweet Novel With A Memorable Ensemble of Characters And A Lovely Scottish Setting

Forgotten Favorites: September by Rosamunde Pilcher; A Sweet Novel With A Memorable Ensemble of Characters And A Lovely Scottish Setting


By Julie Sara Porter


Bookworm Reviews





Spoilers: Rosamunde Pilcher's novel, September is one of those sweet novels like the works of Maeve Binchey with a fascinating lovely setting, in this case Scotland in September and a memorable ensemble of characters. Quite often there's a kind wise elderly woman, a pair or two of young lovers, an eccentric older character who might be crazy or just odd, a feuding couple on the brink of divorce or separation, and a figure, usually an elegant lovely woman, who is the source of much rumors and speculation. These characters go through some struggles within their families, friends, and romances. There are some vague attempts at real world issues like divorce, unemployment, war, mental illness, and death but ultimately the characters shine through and the Reader is guaranteed a happy ending in which lovers are united and ties are strengthened.





This description makes it sound like I don't like these type of books. On the contrary, it’s impossible not to like these books, as formulaic as they can be, and September is a sweet book. It is the type of book that is filled with beautiful description and such lovely characters that this Reader considered booking a flight to Scotland just to see if they exist so she could hang around with them.





The book starts with the overbearing, Verena Steyton who wants to give a party in September for her daughter, Katy’s 21st birthday. September is the perfect time of year for such a party. It's after summer when the American tourists have left and when the weather is the most beautiful in Scotland. The book is filled with wonderful descriptions of Relkirkshire (a fictional village) in autumn. The senses are given a full workout picturing morning's light frost giving the countryside’s colors a brighter shade, the golden fields, the rain drizzle, and the scent of full bloomed heather.





While Verena is handing out invitations, booking a rock band for the entertainment, and overseeing the hors d’oeuvres, the Readers meet the other characters, each with their own issues that hopefully will be resolved by the big day. There's Edmund Aird, a businessman who wants his 8-year-old son, Henry to begin boarding school against the wishes of his second much younger wife, Virginia. Virginia despairs of letting her little boy go and feels a combination of separation anxiety and empty nest syndrome. Alexa, Edmund's adult daughter, a freelance chef lives happily with her boyfriend, advertising executive, Noel Keeling (who incidentally is the son of the protagonist of Pilcher's previous novel, The Shell Seekers). But Alexa is concerned about how her family feels about her common law relationship and Noel is debating whether or not to take their relationship to the next level. Edmund's mother, Violet Aird is a kind matronly woman whom everyone goes to with their problems but is beginning to feel the twilight of her years and is concerned about her friend, Edie whose mentally ill cousin, Lottie is staying with her and causing trouble.





Besides the Steyton and the Airds, the other important family is the Blairs, the family of Lord Archibald Balmerino, titled landowners. Archibald feels useless with a prosthetic leg shot off during a conflict in Northern Ireland. Nowadays, he putters around in his workshop carving wooden statues while his wife, Isobel runs a lucrative tourist business catering mostly to rich Americans. Their daughter, Luciella seems to have rejected a life of riches and titles to go backpacking on the Continent with her Australian boyfriend, Jeff. Then there's Pandora, Archibald's sister who moved from Relkirkshire nearly 20 years ago and left a trail of former husbands and lovers behind everywhere she went, one of whom was Edmund Aird.





The beauty of Pilcher's novel is not just in the setting. The characters are just so darned likeable that everyone is given a moment to show that they are more than they seem. Verena is nosy and overbearing but clearly loves her daughter, Katy and only wants what's best for her. Edmund can be a boorish stiff so bound in tradition that he is willing to pack off an 8-year-old kid to boarding school despite objections from everyone else. He sees the error of his ways when Henry returns after running away from school to tell his parents that he is unhappy there. So unhappy that even the headmaster thinks Henry's too young to be in boarding school.


Virginia feels that her marriage is loveless so she begins an affair with Conrad Tucker, a former American boyfriend and considers leaving with him. In the end, she decides not to when she realizes how much Edmund loves and needs her.


Archibald is filled with PTSD about his military experiences and conflicted about his current role as a wounded Lord. However he bonds with Conrad as the two share experiences in wars, they felt were unjust and unnecessary: Archibald’s in North Ireland and Conrad’s in Vietnam. Archibald also shows great creative talent as he carves a sculpture of Katy Steyton for her birthday giving him an opportunity for a future possibility of earning money.


Even characters who fill the others with fear and loathing like Lottie have memorable moments. While Lottie flies off into unpredictable rants, she also reveals the truth in the most inopportune times. For example she reveals to Virginia that Edmund and Pandora were once lovers and the reason Edmund flew off on a sudden business trip was to avoid meeting her.





The most fascinating character in the bunch is the beguiling Pandora Blair. After leaving Relkirkshire, she never returned even to attend her parent's funerals. The free-spirited enthusiastic woman traveled through Europe, North America, South America, and everywhere else ultimately settling in Majorca, Spain where she meets Luciella and Jeff. Verena Steyton’s invitation sends her home for the first time in a long time.


Pandora is a whirlwind who catches everyone else up in her elaborate plots such as taking Isobel, Alexa, Virginia, and Luciella on expensive shopping sprees for clothes for Katy's birthday party in which she pays for everything. She also encourages Archibald to wear their father’s formal clothes even though he long rejected them and to sell his carved wooden sculptures.


Like a pixy, Pandora spreads advice to the people around to make them happy. She suggests that Noel marry Alexa, a woman that he loves, to avoid a lifetime of regret and loneliness like she had.


Pandora is a strange figure that fills the characters and the Reader with curiosity about her and her motives. Why did she come back after all this time? Does she want to resume an affair with Edmund? Why is she excitable one minute and sleepy the next? Is she bipolar or is there something else wrong with her? The final pages reveal that Pandora was a complex woman with plenty of regrets but a zest for life that was undeniable.





September is a delightful book. While there are some sad moments, it is the enchanting setting and the brilliant characters, particularly Pandora, that the Reader will hold onto after the book is closed.

Banned Books Special: 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher; A Moving Heartbreaking YA Novel About Suicide And Those Left Behind

Banned Books Special: 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher; A Moving Heartbreaking YA Novel About Suicide And Those Left Behind


By Julie Sara Porter


Bookworm Reviews





Spoilers: Bullying and Suicide are important topics these days especially with teenagers. People often believe that suicide is ultimately no one's fault. (Not even the deceased because they were often depressed and had mental illnesses that controlled their way of thinking) However, there is a growing awareness that slut-shaming, body-shaming, public embarrassment, cyber bullying, and physical and psychological bullying can be key factors in contributing to a person's depression or low self- esteem. The consequences of those actions can damage a person's already fragile psyche and result in that person's suicide.





Jay Asher’s YA novel 13 Reasons Why (which has become a series on Netflix) is a grim and heartbreaking look how a young girl's suicide affects those around her particularly those she blames for her final actions.





In the beginning, the Reader learns that Hannah Baker is dead. Her friend, Clay Jenson mourns her loss as he receives a strange package of seven cassette tapes and a note advising whoever receives them to listen to them then pass them along to someone else on the list. Borrowing his dad's old stereo, Clay listens to Hannah's voice as she sadly and with buried fury tells about those who hurt her or did little to help her, those that she blames for her suicide.





Each account shows in great detail the events that surrounded Hannah making her realize how few people she had to turn to. She documented various moments when other kids at school spread rumors about her. One boy gave her her first kiss but told everyone he went farther with her. Hannah's reputation was then marred as a slut. Another boy put her name on a list with the moniker “Best Ass” which inspired another boy to pinch and grope her.


These two accusations gave Hannah a false reputation that she couldn't shake of being a wanton party girl. They resulted in escalated mistreatment such as when a girl in school spread rumors about Hannah's so-called sexual adventures and sex toys. (When in reality the girl tried to help Hannah avoid a Peeping Tom by pretending to perform for him with Hannah) More serious and tragic consequences resulted when a boy raped a friend of Hannah then Hannah herself.





Hannah also laid blame on the seemingly nice people who failed to help her when she needed them the most. A teacher and guidance counselor appears on Hannah's list when she recorded their conversation and told him all that happened particularly her rape. Hannah was so far gone in despair thinking everyone was against her that she took badly his advice “to just move on.” Actually he advised several suggestions including reporting what happened to her to the police, but in Hannah's mind, she doubted everyone. His suggestions only confirmed her belief that no one cared how she felt.





Clay listens to the tapes anxiously wondering why he was on the list. While Hannah appeared to absolve Clay of any guilt saying he was a good friend, in the most heartbreaking moment he realized that it wasn't anything he did but what he didn't do: He didn't listen to Hannah when she needed help, didn't ask her what was wrong or realized that anything was wrong. His crime was not doing enough to help her.


While this realization fills Clay with shame and guilt, he uses those feelings to help another depressed girl, Skye. This shows that Clay learned from his inaction with Hannah and helps another troubled girl so she doesn't follow Hannah's lead.





13 Reasons Why shows that our actions and words have grave consequences and despite what our mothers told us names can break our bones, or spirits. Hopefully though in the final moments between Clay and Skye, The Reader learns that words and actions can also lead to healing broken spirits as well.