Maude (1883 - 1993): She Grew Up With the Country

Williams, M. (2016). Maude (1883-1993): She Grew Up With the Country. 2nd Edition. Calliope Press.

Memoir / American Life / Progress

I gave this book 5 of 5 Stars

Hall Ways Review: 
In "Maude (1883-1993)," author Mardo Williams, son of the subject of the book, provides a richly detailed account into not just one woman's life, but into an entire family's journey through the years.  From farm life before electricity and running water all the way into modern times, Williams shares stories branching out from the family matriarch, Maude Allen Williams.  Readers will be amazed by what the "simple life" of the early 1900s entailed, as pregnant, nineteen-year-old Maude gets married and becomes a farmer's wife. Maude's philosophy throughout her life was "If you can't change it, don't worry about it," and it served her and her family well.

For much of the story, Maude is not so much the main character, but the ever-present constant around whom everything else happened.  Equally important to the equation was Maude's husband, Lee, and the life that they built around a marriage based on love, respect, and consideration -- quite the anomaly for the times.  Stories about Lee added a levity and fun that elicited a few snorts and a giggle from this reader, but they also underscored the real difficulties of "simpler times." As the couple added four children to their family, one after another, the stories of patience, kindness, and humor and taking life as it comes were endearing.  

That those children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and even great-great grandchildren continued to actively show love and support for Maude even as she passed her hundredth year is a real testimony to the base that was established by Lee and Maude in the early 1900s.  This extended group of people always put family first, and in doing so not only survived but thrived through some of the country's hardest times.  They were always rich with what they had, and it was interesting that as farmers, they were largely unaffected by the nation's shortages or surpluses. 

Mardo Williams's detailed accounts of his immediate and extended family's lives, as well as the inclusion of facts and statistics of the times were amazing.  Coupled with the numerous photographs -- also amazing to have so many -- it made an impact, connecting readers to this very-real family. Readers will learn a lot, and if they are like me, will wish for a similar record of their own family histories and are likely to even find some parallels. 

The writing is well-done and easy to read with just a handful of errors. This is a second edition with added information, but it was often repetitive and tedious when going into too many distant branches of the family tree and straying too far from Maude's life.  Readers may be disappointed that the book really isn't about Maude. Though she is the cornerstone, readers really don't ever get to truly know her.  

Despite the title of the book setting up certain expectations (like a real reaction from Maude when she got electricity, a television, or saw a man go to the moon), Mardo Williams's book "Maude (1883 - 1993)" is reading time well spent.  Young and old and everyone in between will benefit from a reminder of how life used to be in the not-so-long-ago past, and Maude's example of patience and perseverance over her one hundred and ten years is one for the ages. 

This book was reviewed at the request of Reader Views who provided me a print copy in exchange for my honest opinion -- the only kind I give. 

Author Mardo Williams

ABOUT THE AUTHOR (deceased) AND THE SECOND EDITION:  Mardo Williams began his second career, writing books, at age 88, after his wife died after a long illness. At his daughters' urging, he learned to use a computer and began writing his first book, Maude. It was about his mother, who lived to be 110, and also about life at the turn of the century when everything was done arduously by hand. This was to be for family, but his daughter Kay read a few sections to her writers group. They loved it, and wanted more, and the first edition of Maude was born.

The second edition paperback comes twenty years and three printings after the hard cover of Maude was published in 1996. After Mardo Williams's death in 2001, Mardo's two daughters, Kay and Jerri, decided to republish the book. The second edition includes additional material and revisions that author Mardo Williams wished to make, additional historical details the sisters found, several new appendices, as well as twice as many photos.

Prince of Conjurers

Bolanos, L. (2015). Prince of Conjurers. Nicobar Press.

Adult / Romance / Fantasy / Historical Fiction

I gave this book 4 out of 5 Stars  

As Gaston Leroux's classic Phantom of the Opera ends, Laurie L. Bolanos's debut book Prince of Conjurers begins. Erik (aka the Phantom) has faked his own death and has followed Christine and Raoul to New Orleans with the intent to make Christine belong to him forever. With the help of Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau, Erik devises a plan to summon Christine's soul into another woman's body. When the plan goes amiss and the soul of Juliana François, a troubled woman from the future, appears instead of Christine's, it becomes increasingly clear that it is more than Voodoo controlling outcomes. In a story that jumps between the present, the past, and the future, and where there are incarnations and reincarnations, Laurie Bolanos takes readers on a wild ride to an even wilder conclusion. 

Reading Prince of Conjurers is much like peeling an onion; there are layers upon layers of plots and sub-plots that finally reveal a central, shining core. What makes the complexity work is Bolanos's strong characterization and the careful inclusion of details that make the seemingly unconnected, finally connect. Bolanos's version of Erik is mystical, but also very human with a wide range of emotions and growth that will surprise hardcore Phantom fans. Also surprising to Phantom fans will be how Christine stays in the background of the story despite her being Erik's obsession for much of the book. Instead, Juliana François becomes the primary focus of the book -- and Erik's life. Juliana's experience of being a modern white female going back in time and into the body of a black woman in the 1800s provides painful reminders of the injustices towards women and anyone of color in that era. The elaborate descriptions of period dress and scenery also add a layer of authenticity to the story, making it sometimes feel like historical fiction. 

The slow reveal of the main characters' back-stories and various side-stories make it seem impossible that the author could possibly connect the dots for a cohesive ending -- but Laurie Bolanos does it and even manages to pull in a completely unexpected shocker, showing impressive writing skill. Though the story is well-done, the book could be improved with another editing sweep to clean-up the various writing errors (including my pet peeve: punctuating decades). The errors are a bit of a distraction and often removed me from the story. Prince of Conjurers explores a variety of concepts, from Biblical to mystical, that will leave readers with plenty to think about long after the covers are closed. Hopefully, readers can look forward to more stories from the creative mind of author Laurie L. Bolanos.

This book was reviewed for Reader Views and is re-posted here by their permission. A print copy was provided to me in exchange for my honest review -- the only kind I give. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: (from her website) Laurie L. Bolanos lives below sea level in a small cottage on the edge of a city shaped like a bowl. When given the opportunity, she doesn't mind hopping a few states over to enjoy  Gulf breezes and to dip her toes in the ocean.  She likes to take long walks on the beach, sip the occasional piña colada, and soak in the rays of the sun.  No matter the venue, her preference is to be barefoot. However, she will bend to social expectations and don a pair of shoes when necessary. 

She enjoys attending a monthly drumming circle at which she was, in fact, told she has a "natural ability." Loving the vibrations of the drum, she has also invested time with tuning-fork therapy, although she has not yet been certified in the art.
 
Laurie comes from an Italian family and can prove it with her DNA results from 23andMe which has confirmed that she is 40.4% Italian. Other nationalities need not feel left out as she also has French, German, British, Irish, Iberian, Balkan, Sardinian, Scandinavian, Ashkenazi, Middle Eastern, West African, and Yakut ancestry, proving by her very existence that we are one world and should not be divided by race.

She started writing Prince of Conjurers in December of 2008 and plugged away at it until giving you the completed version you now hold in your hands. Although it is her debut novel, she insists there are plenty more stories swirling around inside her mind, so keep an eye out for more titles in the future. Hopefully the next book won't take so long!

 Connect with Laurie:

GOODREADS, her WEBSITE, or on TWITTER