Books Sandwiched In Concludes Fall 2017 Series

Books Sandwiched In, the book review series sponsored by The Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries, concluded a successful fall 2017 season on November 27. The series included a diverse list of fiction and nonfiction titles. Reviewers comprised seasoned reviewers and newcomers, all adding their own touch to their particular review.

The series began with America's First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie reviewed by Mary Lee Townsend. The book is bio-fiction about Patsy Jefferson Randolph, daughter of Thomas Jefferson. Those who attended learned about Patsy’s influence upon her father as his hostess since her mother had died. Also, Patsy was very protective of her father’s legacy and took care to edit documents following his death. Oklahoma Senator Dave Rader reviewed Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance, giving listeners an insight into the life of J. D. Vance. Rader personalized the review by making connections to Vance’s own story.

Michael McBride reviewed Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann to a standing-room only crowd. When McBride asked if anyone in the audience had read the book, almost all the hands went up. The story certainly is important in Osage, Oklahoma, and American history. Grann describes the horrific murders of Osage people and the fact that deeply-held prejudice allowed the murderers to get away with their crimes unpunished. Grann exposes secrets and conspiracies. McBride treated the account with sensitivity without backing away from the truth.

The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King, critiqued by Catherine Gatchell, portrays Mary Russell’s encounter and subsequent friendship and growing partnership with the retired Sherlock Holmes and his housekeeper Mrs. Hudson. Gatchell brought along members of the Afghanistan Perceivers, “a scion society of the Baker Street Irregulars and was founded in Tulsa, Oklahoma on January 8, 1974, by the late Stafford Davis, BSI and Richard Johnson, also deceased. The Society takes its name from the first observation by Sherlock Holmes to Dr. John H. Watson in A Study in Scarlet. Members are dedicated to keeping green the memory of Sherlock Holmes.” Afghanistan Perceivers also answered questions about Sherlock Holmes and the stories which feature him. The Beekeeper's Apprentice is a pastiche, a literary work imitating the style of a previous work.

Following Gatchell’s review of The Beekeeper's Apprentice, Eldon Eisenach provided the audience with a memorable look at Devotion: An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice by Adam Makos. This nonfiction account tells of an unlikely friendship between Ensign Jesse Brown, an African-American sharecropper’s son from Mississippi, and Lieutenant Tom Hudner, a white New Englander from a privileged background. The two men both became Navy fly fighters. Jesse Brown became the Navy’s first black carrier pilot.

Joseph Bradley, TU professor just back from presenting a paper in Russia, gave listeners a personal look at A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. One might think that Count Alexander Rostov’s being confined under house arrest at the Metropol, a grand hotel in Moscow, would keep the Count from enjoying life. That would, however, be the wrong interpretation.

A humorous story, but one with serious undertones is The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules by Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg. Lisa Stefanic gave the audience a look into issues facing older adults, particularly those who live in care homes where the care is substandard or lacking. Martha Andersson, seventy-nine, determines that she and her friends in the Diamond House care home deserve better treatment, better food, and opportunity for activities; she decides she and her four particular friends are the ones to provide the necessary change. She persuades her friends The Genius, The Rake, Christina, and Anna-Gretta as The League of Pensioners to make a difference. The League of Pensioners will take readers on an unforgettable journey.

Adrian Alexander ended the fall 2017 Books Sandwiched In reviews with an overview of Richard Ford’s work. Alexander provided background on Ford, including his early life spent in Mississippi and Arkansas. Then audience members were treated to glimpses into all of Ford’s fiction. At the end, during a question and answer period, Alexander also promoted Ford’s memoir, Between Them: Remembering My Parents.

Ford is the recipient of the 2017 Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award. Ford will speak at the Central Library, First Floor, Fifth Street and Denver Avenue, on December 2 at 10:30 AM.

COMING SOON: The spring 2018 Books Sandwiched In series will begin March 5 and run through April 9. Watch this space for news about the books selected and the reviewers who will enthrall readers.

Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries was founded in 1957 and incorporated in 1968 as a nonprofit organization. Its purpose is to aid and promote the activities and goals of the Tulsa City-County Library system. The Friends organization fulfills its purpose through diverse programs and activities responsive to a wide range of needs and concerns.

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