I read the biography Dutchess: The Story of Wallis Warfield Windsor in conjunction with her autobiography, "The Heart Has It's Reasons".  I read the chapters alternately to see what Stephen Birmingham had to say about the dutchess.  Then I wanted to see what Wallis Warfield Simpson had to say about the same situation.  I have not read two books about the identical subject at the same time before and I enjoyed it.  I believe the dutchess had some help from a ghost writer because the writing was too good.  The dutchess had a charmed and elegant life even before her two divorces and marriage into semi-royalty.  Wallis Simpson had two living ex-husbands when she married and the King of England.  This led him to abdicate his title and his throne.  Together they traveled, entertained and kept company with a myriad of friends the rest of their lives.  The books were filled with descriptions of her clothing and the magnificant details of the manner in which she entertained.  The dutchess supervised every aspect of a meal; from the menu to the dishes to the candles and decor of the room.  I did not learn of anything in particular the dutchess accomplished that was outstanding like our First Ladies do today.  Her existance was more to be at the beckon of the duke and to see that he needs were met.  Titles of the chapters in Stephen Birmingham's book include, "Other People's Houses", "Unemployed," and "Wandering."  There is almost the impression of a lack of purpose to their lives.  In that sense the books left me with a feeling of sadness.  Otherwise, I found it interesting to read about that period of history.

The Prince of Frogtown is the third memoir that Rick Bragg has written about his family.  This one focuses on his father.  Charles Bragg was abusive to his wife, was an alcoholic, and would not support the family.  For a long time Rick did not want to know about his father.  He thought he knew all he needed to know about him.  When he fell in love with a woman who had three sons, he thought he should learn about his father and his family.  As he says in the book, the boy thought he (the author) “hung the moon.”   With the prospect of being a father to this ten year-old boy, he decides to find out more about his father, or to quote Rick Bragg, “With the weight of that new boy tugging at my clothes, I went to find him.”  I highly recommend this book.  Rick Bragg is a talented writer who tells a story and makes you feel like you’re there.  

This book tells the story of horse racing in the early 1970s that has no glamour.  At the rock-bottom end of the sport sits the ruthless and often violent world of cheap horse racing, where trainers and jockeys, grooms and hot walkers, loan sharks all struggle to grub by, or prove their luck, or just survive.  The story follows five characters-scarred and lonely dreamers- through a year and four races at Indian Mound Downs, downriver from Wheeling, West Virginia.

Tom Hansel has a scheme to rescue his stable by taking four unknown but ready horses to the track, run them in cheap claiming races at long odds and get out before anyone notices.  The problem is everyone notices.  Tommy’s girlfriend Maggie Koderer has enough heart and love for the horses to involve Medicine Ed, an illiterate groom, Duecey, a sad sack of a trainer and Kidstuff the blacksmith in her hopes for a win with a little luck.  Unfortunately,

Maggie not prepared for the evil people she’ll meet at the race track and Tommy’s plan begins to fall apart.  Horse racing is costly for everyone.

This is a terrific book that leads to an exciting showdown and deserved to win the 2010 National  Book Award for Fiction.

Gertruda’s Oath is an inspiring book about a woman who kept a promise to take care of a young boy during World War II.  She was a live in nanny to a Jewish couple in Poland.  The father went to Paris on business, and while he was gone, his wife, his son, and the nanny had to flee to Russia.  The father is unable to leave Paris to be with his family.  Then soon after they are in Russia, the mother has a stroke.  Before she dies Gertruda promises to raise the boy (three years-old at this time) as her own and take him to Palestine to live.  The author also tells of a man who joins the SS in Germany because he needed a job.  He was married to a Jewish woman.  His wife tried to tell him that the SS was really a terrible organization and that their goal was the destruction of the Jews.  He saw it as a government job until it was too late.  He did not participate in Krystalnicht when the Germans destroyed Jewish businesses.  He was with the SS that night, but he didn’t participate.  His boss noticed that he didn’t participate and told him that he needed to show allegiance to the organization by divorcing his Jewish wife.  He was told that he was being too sympathetic.  Soon his wife is gone.  He finds out later that she was murdered.  He hears of an organization that is sending Jewish children to Palestine, and he takes his daughter to them to rescue her.   Throughout the war he helps Jewish people when he can and comes to Gertruda’s aid as well .  I highly recommend Gertruda’s Oath. 

I really enjoyed this book about 3 generations of women in a family who come together to solve a problem and find out they like each other and are like each other.  Tessa, the grandaughter, is a teacher whose daughter was killed several years prior by a drunk driver and she can't get past the tragedy.  Nancy, the mother, seems to be too high society for her own good, and the grandmother,Helen, who the other two ladies come to help at her house, seems to want to be a hermit. 

Grandma Helen seems a lot reluctant to have her daughter and granddaughter help her clean her house.  She would like nothing better than to quilt and be a hermit.  Through gentile coaxing and quilting together, Tessa and Nancy are finally able to get Grandma out of the house and back in the community with a quilt exhibit at grandma's church.  In the process, the three generations come together and find out what each of them is missing in life.  Helen reconnects with her husband, and so does Tessa, when she is finally able to let go of the terrible tragedy that befell her daughter.  All three ladies are able to resume a more satisfactory life.

This is an entertaining book about a group of ladies from diverse backgrounds who form a reading group.  Along with learning about the books they are reading, the reader learns much about the group members.  Some have marital problems, some have other problems, but the ladies of the group stick together and try to help each other through their trials and tribulations.