Rainy Days

I like it when it rains. In fact, I've always liked pretty extreme weather. Except for that one run in with the derecho back in 1998. But today we're supposed to have "dreadful wind and rain." To the extent that I should probably hit the grocery store for emergency rations, in case we lose power.

But, barring the trip out to the store, what better way to spend a gray, rainy day than reading? I've apparently overcome my summer reading slump and have enjoyed quite a few good books recently.

I mentioned My Name is Mary Sutter (Robin Olivieri) in my last post. I really liked this book a lot. It takes place in the Civil War era, starting in Albany, NY and travels through various locales of the war. Mary Sutter is a stubborn young midwife who wants to become a surgeon, but can't find anyone willing to train her. She leaves her family for Washington, hoping to get that training. It's a very good story, and very well written.

I also just finished Secret Daughter (Shilpi Somaya Gowda). This book is about a young Indian woman and what happens when her first two pregnancies give her daughters. It describes the different shapes motherhood takes, as well as the discovery of family and identity. It is heartbreaking and uplifting by turns.

I think both of these authors will be very interesting to watch in the future. I can't wait to see what comes next.