Little Known Women in History

If you have followed this blog, you will remember that I commented on how my reading interests are often influenced by movies I have seen. This particular post will deal with two dominant women from the past, but probably little known. They are: Hypatia and Grace O'Malley.

After seeing the film, "Agora", I became interested in learning more about the tragic heroine of that film, Hypatia. So I decided to track down any books I could find about this extraordinary woman from Alexandria, Egypt. First I read:

Title: Hypatia of Alexandria / Maria Dzielska ; translated by F. Lyra.

Then I read: Hypatia of Alexandria: mathematician and martyr / Michael A.B. Deakin. Both of these books are more scholarly works from academians who have studied Hypatia and her influence on mathematics, philosophy and astronomy.

If you go into the library's Biography in Context, you will obtain articles from several reference sources, including the Encyclopedia of World Biography, Notable Mathematicians and Astronomy and Space: from the Big Bang to the Big Crunch.

The other nonfiction story about a little known woman of history was:

Ireland's Pirate Queen: The True Story of Grace O'Malley, 1530-1603 by Anne Chambers

Born in 1530, the daughter of an Irish chieftain, she inherited her father's taste for the seafaring life and eventually took command of his fleet of galleys and their hard-bitten, all-male crews. For fifty years she traded the clan's produce in Ireland, Scotland, and Spain, skillfully practiced the time-honored craft of piracy and plundering, and led rebellions against the invading English.
On land and sea she was a fearless leader, a political pragmatist, a ruthless mercenary, and a shrewd negotiator -- as shown in her fabled meeting with her rival and protector, Queen Elizabeth. And yet, as thrilling and fascinating as her life story is, what happened to her after her life is equally instructive.
She was literally "disappeared" from the pages of history, ignored by the official chroniclers and omitted from the great books of Irish and English history. Obviously, a woman who challenged the might of England and the traditional power of men -- a woman who did not let religious, social, or political convention get in her way -- could not be tolerated. But Grace O'Malley could not be erased from the hearts of her countrymen. Granuaile became a beloved figure in Irish folklore, the subject of countless stories, songs, and poems (several of which are included in this book's appendix).

The Troubles by Tim Pat Coogan

The Troubles by Tim Pat Coogan

I bought this book back when it first came out in 1996, and it has sat on my bookshelf for the past 13 years. I have always followed and read a great deal about the "Troubles" in Northern Ireland. And I believe I had a pretty fair understanding of the various issues that exploded on our TV screens during the 70's and 80's. I remember thinking how the media always seemed to focus on just the IRA. Many Americans probably never heard of the UVF or the Unionists, the Loyalists, the UDA or how about the Shankill Butcher. Because I had a preternatural inclination to follow the news in Ireland and a desire to know more about what was really happening, I sought out books like Tim Pat Coogan's "The Troubles". So why didn't I pick it up sooner?

When you first look at it, the book is quite daunting. Did I really want to bury myself in a topic that I knew would be tragic, heartbreaking and wrenching? And now that there finally is a sense of hope to the situation in Northern Ireland, why would I want to revisit it? I will attribute my decision to finally pick up The Troubles after all these years, to the fact that I actually had an opportunity to visit Northern Ireland this past summer and actually walk the streets and the areas of Belfast and Derry that dominated the news. It was an experience I will never forget. We had the experience of hearing about these events from people that lived it. This gave me an even greater appreciation, understanding and insight into exactly what it must of have been like to live in a constant state of uncertainty and fear. This experience gave me a greater desire to read more about it.

In fact the taxi driver, Gerard, who gave us a personalized taxi tour of the Falls Road (Catholic area of Belfast) and Shankill Road (Protestant area), recommended several more titles of insightful and accurate reporting of the situation in Northern Ireland to read. One particular title, "The Enemy Within" by Martin Dillon, was Gerard's personal copy, which he gave to me. If you are interested in a bibliography of Irish literature titles that include these titles related to the "Troubles" or of titles related to the history of Irish independence, I will be glad to post such a bibliography on the Reader's Cafe' blog.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson

This is the final installment of the phenomenally successful Millenium Trilogy. And I am really going to miss the main characters, Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander. Anyone who loves intricate plots, intrigue, suspense with well developed characters, will love these three books. You not only get to know these two characters, but you also come to really care about them.

It is such a tragic story of the author, Stieg Larsson, who died about a month after delivering the manuscripts of all three novels to his publisher. He died tragically from a heart attack at the age of 50. He did not live to see what a phenomenon his first novels have become.

Larsson was an investigative journalist and an activist who worked to counter the actions of right-wing radical groups in Sweden. In fact I believe Larsson patterned his main male protaganist, Mikael Blomkvist, after his own life as an investigative journalist.

As I said about the first two novels, the same holds true with this last novel. You will not want to miss this last installment. And like so many of us, you will mourn the fact that there may never be a fourth novel with Blomkvist and Salander. According to news reports, Larsson was nearing completion to a fourth novel in the series, before he died suddenly. His family claims that it will never be published.

All of us Millenium fans can still enjoy the Swedish made films of the three novels. The first two are out on DVD and the third novel, Hornet's Nest, is in theaters now. We also have the American film versions to look forward to in 2011.

I have purchased copies of all three novels for the RHS Library. They hopefully will be here by Thanksgiving.

Girl Who Played With Fire

The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson

I just finished the second book in Larsson's Millenium Series, and once again it held me captive. This sequel focuses more on the main female character, Lisbeth Salander, providing you with more insight and understanding into her character. I don't want to give any background into the plot, because this story is better if you go into it without any preconceived ideas of the plot and the characters. It is better if you just let Larsson pull you into the story and then let it unfold in front of you as you are drawn into its complex web of intrigue. The only thing I will say is that when you finish this second in the series, you don't have a choice, you will have to pick up the third novel in this series: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, which I have already done.

Sit back and just enjoy the ride!

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

If you have not yet picked up this bestseller, then you must as soon as possible. I will guarantee that you will not be able to put it down. Not only that, but after you finish this first novel in the Millenium trilogy, you will immediately run out and purchase the second in the series, The Girl Who Played With Fire. I just started reading this second in the trilogy. Larsson's third in the series is entitled, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.

To echo some reviewers, this is the quintessential page turner. But it is much more than your run of the mill mystery. This novel has everything, from mystery, political intrigue, industrial espionage, spies, computer hacking, murder, suspense, romance, good old fashioned revenge and two, well developed main characters that you will come to respect, enjoy and care for. In fact all of the major characters are well developed. Larsson writes in such a way that it makes you feel like you are seeing what that person is thinking.

It has been awhile since I have read a book that is this engrossing. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Get it and read it!!

Sunflowers: a novel of Vincent Van Gogh

Sunflowers: a novel of Vincent Van Gogh
by Sheramy Bundrick

Much has been written about Vincent Van Gogh, his life, his mental condition and his paintings. But no one has attempted to weave a historical novel around the facts, the paintings and documents that survive this artistic genius who took his own life at the age of 37.

First of all, Sheramy Bundrick is an art historian and professor at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. While she has written a couple of scholarly works dealing with classical Greek images and Roman portraiture, this is her first novel. Bundrick does a masterful job of infusing well-known historical moments (like Van Gogh's infamous self-mutilation) with vivid details, while humanizing Van Gogh and putting his famous works in context. Bundrick generates a very believable scenario of what the last two years of Van Gogh's life might have been like if he had developed a relationship with the young woman, to whom he delivered his severed ear. The young "fille de maison's" name was Rachel, and surviving historical sources reveal nothing of the real Rachel. This enables Professor Bundrick to fully develop and breath life into this character.

The way Bundrick skillfully weaves several of Van Gogh's paintings into the narrative, will have you seeking a book of his paintings to compare how each painting is described, discussed or presented in the novel. Bundrick, as an art historian, naturally has conducted extensive research into the last two years of Van Gogh's life, pulling from his letters to his brother Theo and other works, to recreate Van Gogh's experiences in the the town of Arles, the asylum of Saint Paul-de-Mausole in Saint-Rémy, and his death in Auvers-Sur-Oise.

As a long time admirer of Van Gogh's paintings and having stood, literally within, awe inspiring inches of many of his masterpieces, this novel brings the artist and his paintings to life. Vincent Van Gogh was well known for corresponding with his brother Theo. Here is the link to a digital edition of the complete collection of his letters. http://www.vangoghletters.org/vg/

This fascinating collection was created by the Van Gogh Museum and the Huygens Institute. On the site, visitors can view 902 letters from and to Van Gogh, complete with detailed annotations and illustrations from the master himself. First-time visitors should definitely click on the"Quick Guide" to get an overview of the site’s holdings, and then they should also take a look at the sections "Van Gogh as a letter-writer","Correspondents", "Biographical & historical context", and "Publication History". The letters include those from many of his contemporaries, including Paul Gauguin, and of course, those lovely pieces of writing from his brother, Theo. Users can also use the search engine here to look around by keyword.

The Beekeeper's Apprentice

The Beekeeper's Apprentice

by Laurie R. King

A retired Sherlock Holmes takes on a young, female apprentice. While this scenario is quite plausible, and lends itself to a unique twist on the Sherlock Holmes genre. The one area I would question is the age at which King introduces her protagonist, Mary Russell. Mary Russell is just 15 years old, when she comes across a gaunt, elderly man sitting on the ground, "watching bees.'' This gentleman turns out to be Sherlock Holmes, and the resulting acquaintance evolves into a mentoring experience for the young woman. As a Sherlockian, I had difficulty accepting the premise that Holmes would have too much to do with a 15 year old with a smart mouth on her. I believe King should have made her protagonist a couple years older to make it more plausible.

However, the novel quickly ages Mary Russell and has her attending Oxford and coming of age for her inheritance. I will add that as the relationship between Russell and Holmes matures, you will find yourself naturally buying into the apprenticeship and the crime solving partnership. King has created an original and entertaining series for any Sherlock Holmes fans. The story is funny, heartwarming, and full of intrigue, with Holmes and his young apprentice, Mary Russell, matching wits with some of the finer criminal minds of the times.

The novel flows well and the suspense is building appropriately, until suddenly, King chooses to have her two main characters flee England for Palestine to escape an unknown assassin. This one chapter slows down the narrative and does nothing to carry the story forward. It is almost as if the author, King, wanted to find a way to comment on Palestine and Jerusalem and the future Jewish homeland.

Everything else about this book rings true, from the ambience of World War I England to the intriguing relationship between Holmes and Mary Russell...enough for me to seek out the second in the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes partnership.