Tuesday, March 19, 2024

REVIEW: Mussolini's Daughter by Caroline Moorehead

 


I got this book as one of my birthday presents.  It looked intriguing, but it was somewhat deceptive in its title. This book, as the title not so subtly suggests, is supposed to be about Edda Mussolini - the eldest child and eldest daughter of Benito Mussolini. She was, theoretically, one of the most powerful woman in Europe in the 1930's and early 40's.  

Edda was born in 1910 to Rachele and Benito and, initially, had to deal with poverty, beatings and instability. Perhaps not surprisingly, her father was absent - he was often in hospitals or in jail for his fascist activities. Edda would often visit him in prison where she was taught to hug her father, not to show love, but to enable him to conceal items on Edda for her mother. Edda was never allowed to show emotion, instead being taught that stoicism was valued. She was mercurial and enigmatic, according to Moorehead, and was a very distant mother herself as a result. In her teens, Mussolini became "Il Duce" and rose to power, thrusting Edda into the spotlight. Mussolini treasured her more than her other siblings, but she never was the only woman to have his attention given his not so secrete womanizing. She became the "first lady" of the regime because her mother was very reclusive and private.  Edda ended up marrying a man named Gian Ciano, who also was known for his womanizing.

Shortly after their marriage, they travelled to Shanghai for a posting and this is where Edda seems to have been the happiest. She loved being in Shanghai. Even though there was still womanizing, Edda seems to have thrived in society there. Edda's happiness seems to shine when she's farthest from Rome - not only was she happy in Shanghai but she was very happy in the islands of Italy, off the mainland (think Capri). She had bouts of depression, listlessness and abused alcohol at best. Unlike other women, she travelled widely as an emissary of her father, including engaging in meetings with Hitler and his regime as her father's representative.  Eventually, Ciano votes against his father in law, who is arrested, imprisoned and ultimately freed from jail. As a result, Ciano himself is arrested and summarily executed. As a result, she flees to Switzerland and, eventually, is "safe" when her father himself is executed in 1945.

I guess I understand that a book like this cannot be written without providing historical context - particularly with details about Benito Mussolini's life - because Edda's life and her power seem to be in relation to him. However, I felt that most of the book was about her father and not really about her, even though it's supposed to be about her. It left me feeling like I wanted more.  There were maybe 15 pages about her lift after World War II ended, which was disappointing because I wanted to know what happened to her after her escape.  I did really appreciate Moorehead's prose and her research, which was prodigious. She obviously thoroughly researched this book.  The book itself is almost like a movie and moves fairly quickly.  

Definitely worth the read, but I would get it out of the library instead of purchasing. 

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Links I love

 


It was my birthday last weekend, so it was pretty low key for me, thankfully.  Here are some links! Enjoy.

  1. International Booker prize longlist announced.
  2. 5 mysteries set in Russia.
  3. Does time feel different since the Pandemic?
  4. Kate Middleton and the hubub around her photo.
  5. What is a flat white? I like them and cappuccinos - yum.
  6. 5 pieces of sleep advice to ignore.
  7. On Tana French's new novel - it's not Dublin Squad, but I'll take it.
  8. This is...interesting? Sucks?  Let me know what you think.
  9. Wendy Williams and her dementia - how sad.
  10. Beverly Hills Cop is a fourth amendment movie.
  11. How The Simpsons debunks fan theories.
  12. Lori Loughlin and Curb Your Enthusiasm

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

REVIEW: The Black Echo by Michael Connelly

 


I have always been a fan of mystery and crime drama, let's be real.  But I picked up the first in the Bosch series after watching a few episodes on Amazon Prime. And I honestly am glad that I found these books. The book's main character is Harry Bosch, a Vietnam vet and a detective at the LAPD who has had his share of employment woes. When we meet him, he's been sent to the Hollywood Homicide Division, which is a Siberia for detectives, after being demoted from an elite unit after an officer involved shooting. Bosch is called to the scene of a suspected homicide, where he learns that a fellow vet and acquaintance, Billy Meadows, has died under suspicious circumstances. Bosch suspects that the death may be linked to a robbery that the FBI is investigating, and so he teams up with Agent Eleanor Wish to investigate and hopefully prevent another bank robbery.

After reading this, I can see why it won awards when it was written (although, in the nature of full disclosure, it is somewhat dated - for instance, the characters have pagers and must use payphones. Bosch seems like the type of character that would be really grouchy about updates in technology, like cell phones). I enjoyed the character of harry Bosch - he's not infallible and comes with his own baggage. He likes jazz, coffee and cigarettes. He makes decisions that don't always align with the rules. He has a tough exterior, but a wicked soft spot for victims and the vulnerable.  

I also really enjoyed the book and the pacing. It moved very well.  Even though the chapters/sections are long-ish, they are often split out into 2-5 page chunks that make for easy and quick consumption. The pacing itself was very good, even for such a deceptively long book.  And the plot twists! Hang with it and you won't be disappointed. 

I look forward to reading more of these novels.

Sunday, March 10, 2024

Links I love

 


We are back and back to reality. :( The weather has been quite mild for us though, which makes a difficult transition back a bit easier.  I hope all are well! Here we go:


  1. The charm of Romancing the Stone.
  2. Dartmouth basketball team unionizes.
  3. New Haruki Murakami book being released in November.
  4. Kyrsten Synema is retiring.
  5. NH's short ski season
Enjoy your week!

Sunday, February 25, 2024

Links I love

 


I'm hoping that spring comes sooner rather than later, hence the tulip.  By the time you read this, we'll be in Florida hopefully enjoying some good weather. 

  1. 1. 5 best fiction books from Pakistan.
  2. Foods that help women retain muscle mass
  3. Awareness of what hospice care is in light of President Carter being in hospice for one year. 
  4. This rivalry just went next level

Tuesday, February 20, 2024

REVIEW: Down the Hill by Susan Hendricks

 


In February of 2013, two teenagers - Libby and Abby - were hiking the trails close to Monon high bridge and near their home in Delphi on an unexpected day off from school. Libby's sister, Kelsi, dropped the two girls off at the trailhead, waved goodbye and went to work. This was the last time that anyone saw them alive, as approximately 24 hours later, their bodies were found about a mile from where they were last seen. What makes this particular case so interesting and intriguing is that there was little physical evidence or other evidence released to the public at the time of the acts, and even now, with a person accused and trial scheduled, there is not a lot of information in the public as a gag order has been issued.  One of the most, if not THE most intriguing pieces of evidence is audio  and visual recordings made by Libby of a man who said "Guys...down the hill."  There were also two composite sketches released and law enforcement has understandably remained very, very quiet about the evidence they have - they don't want to jeopardize the investigation at all. 

Susan Hendricks, an anchor for CNN/HLN, was one of the first reporters to begin discussing and reporting on this case. She became very, very close to the families in this case as a result of her reporting and noted how this case really impacted her in a way that prior cases that she reported on in her decades of reporting had never done so before. This is a memoir of her reporting on her case and her relationships with the families. She also attempts to delve deeper into the mystery surrounding the death of the two girls and attempts to examine the impact that the deaths had on the community and the heartland at large. It focuses on Susan's personal journey as opposed to other, more "traditional" true crime books.

I found that the book itself was very, very fast paced. I enjoyed that there were lots of natural breaks, even within chapters, which allowed me to consume small bites in between other tasks.  I very much enjoyed the behind the scenes views that I got of crime reporting and I appreciated learning about the impacts that such reporting had on the reporters. I enjoyed learning about the families as well - this is so easy to lose in true crime reporting. Be forewarned - there is no closure on this as the trial for the person arrested for these offenses has not yet occurred.  

There were definitely parts of the book that I did not like - the last few chapters were word for word interviews in paragraph form (as opposed to transcripts) of interviews that Hendricks did with two experts-one a former investigator and one a behavioral analyst - that did not contain any real introspection on Hendricks' part.  I enjoyed the previous parts of the book because Hendricks had discussed her own experiences and insights, so these chapters just  seemed out of place and very dry in a way. I suspect that Hendricks was trying to provide answers, and some guidance as to what was going to happen, but if I wanted that, I would have looked for interviews elsewhere.  

Sunday, February 18, 2024

Links I love

 



We watched the Super Bowl last week but I unfortunately couldn't make it through the entire game. I'm getting old. Congrats KC!  
  1. The story behind Carl Weather's posthumous Super Bowl ad.
  2. This widow's project on valentine's day.
  3. Caitlyn Clark breaks NCAA scoring record
  4. 10 historical fiction books about books.
  5. While you're at it, read books about the 90's.
  6. What happens if you commit a crime in an aircraft or on international waters?
  7. How was the Italian mafia established in the US?
  8. Billy Joel wants to start his own Traveling WIlburys.


REVIEW: Mussolini's Daughter by Caroline Moorehead

  I got this book as one of my birthday presents.  It looked intriguing, but it was somewhat deceptive in its title. This book, as the title...