Library of Clean Reads: 1940s

Thursday, September 20, 2012

The Mine by John A. Heldt

The Mine by John A. Heldt
E-book (Amazon Digital Services)
ASIN: B0078S9B6G

Published Feb 12, 2012

290 pages

I love when I open a book, not quite knowing what to expect and fall in love with the story. That's what happened with The Mine. The cover and the title are unimpressive, but the synopsis drew me in and I took a chance to review it. I'm so glad I did because it was such an enjoyable read for me—a time travel story that took me to the nostalgic era of the 1940s.

In the year 2000, Joel Smith is a young man just days away from graduating from college. He is a self-assured adventurous guy who risks entering an abandoned mine and ends up traveling back to May 1941. He tries unsuccessfully to go back to the future but soon realizes he is stuck in the past and must make the best of it. He eventually charms his way into the life of the Carters who become like a family to him, hangs out with college students, one of which will end up becoming his grandmother, and unexpectedly falls in love. He then gets the chance to go back to the future and must decide what to do.

This is Heldt's debut novel, and I was impressed by how he was able to make me become so invested in the character's lives. The 1940s comes to life, and we rediscover through the eyes of a young man what it was like to go to college, attend football games, go dancing to swing music and wait in outdoor lines to see the movies. Life was much more simple without the invasion of technology. But Europe is at war and the US army is drafting young men as the country become more involved with what is brewing overseas. Joel, of course, knows the outcome, and grapples about disclosing what he knows about the war, wondering if it would end up changing his future.

In the meantime, he falls in love with Grace, who is engaged to another man, but attracted to Joel. As their friendship grows, with the war looming closer, Joel must make a decision about returning home. I was racing through the pages to see how it would all end. Joel is a changed person after having spent time in an era that humbled him, and I loved how the author dealt with the time travel aspect, especially at the end to bring it all together. It was such a satisfying read.

Readers who want to escape to a bygone era, with an old-fashioned romance and the all-American experience of the 1940s will be pleased with this novel.

Note: This book is rated C = clean read. I'm not sure if there were any religious expletives in this book. Probably a few.
I will count this book toward the following challenges: Time Travel Reading Challenge

Reviewed by Laura

Disclosure: Thanks to the author for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

Friday, December 16, 2011

The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams

The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams
New Directions (5th edition)
ISBN: 978-0811214049
Published June 17, 1999
Trade Paperback, 128 pages

If this hadn't been the selection for our book club I don't think I would have taken the opportunity to read it. But I'm glad I did. It's the first time I read a play considered a classic other than Shakespeare, of course. This play was first performed in Chicago on December 26, 1944. It consists only of four characters and delivers a powerful look at the desperate situation of Americans in the 1940s. The setting takes place in an apartment building in a seedy neighbourhood.

Amanda is a former Southern belle whose husband walked out on their family years ago. She has a son named Tom who works in a warehouse but hates it (he writes poetry and secretly dreams of becoming a published writer) and a daughter named Laura who is considered “crippled”, although it wasn't clear what exactly was wrong with her legs—she walked with a limp? Laura is also terribly shy and dropped out of business school after only a few days without telling her mother. She escapes into her own world, a collection of glass ornaments, which for me represented the fragility of their family and situation.

Amanda keenly wants her children to have success and happiness but she doesn't know how to help them. She is dominating and dramatic, a force in their lives with words that could alternately sting and soothe. She doesn't understand her son's unhappiness (he goes out every night, comes home late and it's clear he escapes in alcohol) and wants to find a suitor for her daughter. Finally, Jim, Tom's co-worker is invited to dinner and his brief visit puts into motion changes for everyone. The reality of their situation becomes more stark by the end of this short play.

If one reads this story as simply a story it may seem to the 21^st century reader quite tame compared to the highly dysfunctional lives and situations of many modern families today. However, Tennessee Williams writes honestly (based on his own upbringing) at a time when such issues may not have been addressed openly or understood. There are many layers to this story that made it groundbreaking in the 40s and probably hated to be analyzed by high school students in English classes throughout North America. Who blames them; I wouldn't have liked reading this in my teens, either.

Yes, it is a sad tale because the ending doesn't promise anything. The characters embody the fears, frustrations and insecurities of the 20^th century. There are issues of abandonment, hopelessness, and social restrictions, and of course many other things that literature buffs can enjoy scrutinizing. For me, I enjoyed the way Williams chose to portray a family's disintegration with a few scenes and some powerful dialogue.

Note: This book is rated C = clean read.

I will count this book toward the following challenges: Support Your Local Library Challenge

Reviewed by Laura

Disclosure: I borrowed this book from the library and was not told how to rate or review this product.