August Commonplace
Kindergarten Self Portrait - Charlotte Oliveira
BOOK REPORTS
AUDIOBOOK: Nazi Wives by James Wyllie
I will admit that someone would have to be a fervent fan of World War II history to make it through to the end of this book. I am one of those passionate fans. I know many of the stories about the men surrounding Hitler, but I didn’t know much about the wives until I read this book. I will admit it was challenging to keep track of who was who, but the stories of their lives track with the monsters they were married to. Spoiler alert: Many of them attempted or committed suicide.
TV: Devil in the Family - The Fall of Ruby Franke - Hulu Limited Series
I enjoy true-crime stories, but I’m not a junkie like many people I know. This one caught my attention because I remembered it in the news. Of course, the Mormon element was interesting to me, but I am not impressed with the reporting. There are too many unanswered questions. For example, where was the extended family? (Grandparents, aunts/uncles, cousins, etc.) Why didn’t their church community notice the changes in their behavior? I’m also suspicious of the husband/father and his lack of involvement. Like I said, more questions than answers.
TV: Am I a Racist? - Daily Wire +
This film is a satire that pokes fun at the DEI movement in America. While classified as a documentary, it is a comedy as well, where I (literally) laughed out loud at the ridiculousness of the subject matter. It reveals just how far people are willing to distort the truth to gain attention or exaggerate a situation to prove their cause. It won’t be for everyone, but I loved it.
BOOK: The Way of Integrity by Martha Beck
I used to enjoy Martha Beck’s column in O, The Oprah Magazine, and this book came recommended after one of my recent reads. I really enjoyed her comparison of Dante’s Inferno as a symbolic description of finding integrity. Now I have to read Dante’s Inferno.
This is our Book Club selection for September, and the story of a sexual abuse survivor who recovers suppressed memories and her quest for justice. I found the description of “remembering” fascinating. And the author did a great job of making me feel her frustration and acceptance as the story progressed. This will make for an interesting conversation in September.
COMMONPLACE
"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along. ... You must do the thing you think you cannot do." - Eleanor Roosevelt
“There must be those among whom we can sit down and weep, and still be counted as warriors.” - Adrienne Rich, Sources
"And now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good." — John Steinbeck
