Category Archives: Uncategorized

Sybil Von Antwerp is a 73-year old cranky old lady, rather reclusive, unpleasantly opinionated, estranged from her daughter, and coldly formal to her kindly neighbor. Before retirement she was a lawyer. She is also divorced. But there is more to … Continue reading →

Written in 1985, this book became an American classic—deservedly so.  The narrative follows two retired Texas Rangers who decide to leave Lonesome Dove and venture to Montana for a new chapter of their lives.  They are accompanied on this journey by a … Continue reading →

Father Pernin was a priest in Peshtigo, Wisconsin in 1871.  On the same night at the Great Chicago Fire (October 8, 1871) an even more deadly fire occurred in this lumber town along the northwest shores of Green Bay.  No one knows … Continue reading →

From the beginning I felt that this novel had problems.  But to write the review, I needed to sit down and list the qualities that a good political novel should have (in my opinion.)   Overall, The Boomerang is not a satisfying political novel.  It … Continue reading →

Yet another novel reminds me that I haven’t always paid attention to history as it was being made in my own lifetime.  In this case, the genocide in Bosnia. Yugoslavia was a tacked together country in Europe that existed between 1918 … Continue reading →

The scholar Khlevniuk provides us with an important biography (2015) that utilizes previously unknown letters, reports, memos, diaries, etc. in describing one of history’s most influential figures.  During the years Stalin ruled the Soviet Union, the country was the largest country … Continue reading →

I came across this book because I am a Chicago tour guide, had a request to lead a pilgrimage that included Wisconsin, and needed to learn more about the state–its characters, places, growth pains, dramas, and anecdotes.  I was looking for … Continue reading →

Mike is an ordained deacon and elder in the United Methodist Church and a clergy member of the Illinois Great Rivers Annual Conference. He began his work as a pastor in 1972.  As a college student he served in Olney, IL, … Continue reading →

My favorite book of the year so far.  In the fictitious Georgia city of Golden, a stranger from New York appears, his first time to dwell in the south.  Leo is in his late 80s, hails originally from Portugal, and seems a … Continue reading →

This is one of those novels that reminds me how little I know about some aspects of history.  In this case, the Oklahoma Land Rush of 1893.  A little background.  In the earliest days of the U.S., the Cherokee lived in the southeastern … Continue reading →