The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck

Reviewed by: Becky Houghton, Reference Assistant

Genre: Historical Fiction

Suggested Age: Teens, Adults

What is the book about?: Marianne von Lingenfels, the widow of a resister in Nazi Germany, returns to the castle once occupied by her husband’s ancestors following years of war.  Marianne begins assisting the families of other brave conspirators who died while executing a failed attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler in 1944. This is the story of the lives of three women and their families before, during and after World War II.

My Review: Set at the end of World War II, in a crumbling Bavarian castle, this novel explores the lives of three widows who become intertwined as a result of one woman’s efforts to honor the wishes of her deceased husband that she care for the families of those resisting Nazi Germany and it’s atrocities. Marianne von Lingenfels gathers together a makeshift family from the ruins of the resistance movement and learns that nothing is truly black and white.  Dark secrets threaten to tear this group apart, but eventually the women come to terms with the decisions that changed their lives.  This book gives a different perspective and social insight into a tumultuous period in Germany’s history.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Thought-provoking, Emotional, Gripping

Give This a Try if You Like… Other books by this author including her New York Times Notable Book, Hazards of Good Breeding or her book Perfect Life.

Rating: 4.5

Find it at the library!

About FDL Reads

FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.

Whether you are a seasoned audiobook fan or thinking about trying one for the first time, one of these resources may help you.  Find an awesome audiobook to listen to this month.

2018 Audie Award Winners:  The Audie Awards are given each year to audiobooks that show excellence in production.  Awards were given in twenty-seven categories including Audiobook of the Year. Three additional awards highlighting Excellence in Design, Production, and Marketing were presented at the APA Conference on May 30th.  Highlights include Lincoln in the Bardo (Audibook of the Year), The Hate U Give (Best Young Adult and Female Narration), and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine (Best in Fiction).   Other award categories include ensemble performances as well as books read by the authors.  The link provided lists runners up as well.

Goodreads’ Lists:    Check out one of these lists created by members of the Goodreads community.  Browse audiobook recommendations by genre, year, or age group.  Create a free account to manually add books to a “To Read,” or in this case, “To Listen” list.

Books on Tape: This website includes a wealth of information for audiobook fans.  Featured collections include “New York Times Bestsellers,”  “Library Reads Make Great Listens,”  and “Celebrity Read Audiobooks.”  A nice feature of this site is that you can listen to short clips from a particular book.  Sometimes a narrator can make or break an audiobook for me, so listening to a sample first is very helpful.

Post by Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist

About #FDL

Welcome to #FDL! #FDL is a twice weekly update on all things Fondulac District Library and East Peoria. Twice a week, library staff will make posts that highlight some aspect of library life and relate it to you – our readers. Have you ever wanted to know which Dewey number represented a certain topic? Are you looking for book recommendations based on your favorite television show or television recommendations based on your favorite book? Have you ever wondered about the secret details of librarian life? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then #FDL is for you. We look forward to writing posts that are informative and entertaining and hope that you enjoy getting better acquainted with Fondulac District Library.

The Power of Kiowa Song: A Collaborative Ethnography by Luke E. Lassiter

Reviewed by: Laura Warren, Adult Services Manager

Genre: Non-Fiction, American Indian Culture

Suggested Age: Adults

What is the book about?: In The Power of Kiowa Song, Luke E. Lassiter discusses many aspects of American Indian powwow including the dances and the songs performed there, with special attention to Gourd Dance. Each chapter explores the path that the author took to study with American Indian individuals, as well as what he learned while studying with them. The chapters include diagrams of the way these dances are set up as well as song structure for those songs performed there. The history that these people have endured is explored as well. The importance of song meaning and correctness of singing are discussed through experience and through the help of generous individuals and their expertise. The author must gain the respect of the community, due to the dubious history that American Indians have had with anthropologists, to put this book together.

My Review: This book has both stories and data gathered by the author as an anthropologist. My academic training is as an anthropologist as well, so I enjoy the amount of knowledge this book imparts, but this is by no means just a dry list of facts. Lassiter places us in his shoes as he approaches the individuals that he so desperately wants to learn from. We go down the path with him and learn from those who mentor him through the powwow. We begin to know these people and they become co-authors, through their wisdom and vast knowledge. We begin to understand that these songs have power, and what that means in the context of American Indian culture. Luke E. Lassiter has a great respect for the individuals he ends up singing alongside, and we can really feel this throughout this book.

Three Words That Describe This Book: informative, fascinating, uplifting

Give This a Try if You Like… Cahokia: The Great Native American Metropolis, Traditional Teachings of Native American Elders, American Indian Culture, Music Theory, Dance History

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

About FDL Reads

Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.  Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each week at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available.  If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently.  We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!