Review: In The Shadow Of Blackbirds

In The Shadow Of Blackbirds
By: Cat Winters
ISBN: 978-1419710230

Summary via Amazon:
In 1918, the world seems on the verge of apocalypse. Americans roam the streets in gauze masks to ward off the deadly Spanish influenza, and the government ships young men to the front lines of a brutal war, creating an atmosphere of fear and confusion. Sixteen-year-old Mary Shelley Black watches as desperate mourners flock to séances and spirit photographers for comfort, but she herself has never believed in ghosts. At her bleakest moment, however, she’s forced to rethink her entire way of looking at life and death, for her first love—a boy who died in battle—returns in spirit form. But what does he want from her?

Featuring haunting archival early-20th-century photographs, this is a tense, romantic story set in a past that is eerily like our own time.

Review:
Heartbreakingly tragic and hauntingly beautiful. There are no other words that better describe In The Shadow Of Blackbirds. This novel will stick with you long after you are done reading it. So many of the... themes, for lack of a better term, are so timeless. War. Soldiers, going to and returning. Their families desperate for news, while still fearing it. People being struck down by an illness that no one knows how to prevent or combat effectively. Reaching maturity in a time of great upheaval and disaster. A country fighting within itself to show how patriotic they are, out of fear. Death in its many forms. And most of all, the soul-sucking desperation that is impossible to not feel.

I would describe Cat Winter's writing style in this novel to be visually stark and vividly emotional, a perfect representation of the world as it was in 1918 during World War I. If it were a movie, it would be filmed similarly to Saving Private Ryan (although that story took place in WWII). Where the world is incredibly detailed but almost monotone and the characters stand out in bright relief. The characters themselves also seem to be almost a personification of the hardships the people of this era endured. Mary Shelley is the science vs spiritualism debate. Mary Shelley's father would be the fanatical patriotism. Aunt Eva would be the pandemic as well as women's efforts during the war. Stephen the young soldiers and shell shock/PTSD. Julius, opium and the fake spiritualists. The Red Cross home, the welcome home given to injured soldiers. These are only a few but there are many as you will see.

In no uncertain terms, this isn't a light read. And, once you start reading it, you will have to finish. For although, many of the themes are heavy there is a certain lightness to it as well. You will see a depth of compassion, love, and inquisitiveness that brings this story into a tale of great beauty.

The romance in this story is the driving force behind Mary Shelley and her coming of age story. Through her you see the ups and downs of being in romantic love with Stephen as well as familial love for her mother, father, and Aunt Eva. The emotional roller coaster that is Mary Shelley and Stephen's love is reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet. I would say it's worse than Romeo and Juliet because there is more to it than the passing fancy of fourteen year olds. They were childhood friends turned more. However, they were cut off before their love could truly bloom by the upheaval of the times.

The ongoing mystery in this novel is also quite good! While I had inklings as to who was involved, I was only partially correct, and up until the very end I couldn't guess how exactly things had occurred. It has been a good long while since I have been so stumped. Granted, I may have been slightly distracted by the love story, but who could blame me.

In many ways, it was almost painful to read this book. Not because it was a bad book, rather because it was so good. I easily give this book a five! The setting was detailed and made the story come alive. The characters were remarkable and pulled at the heartstrings. And it's timeless. It reverberates with this time period so well it's spooky. While we have many modern conveniences and medicines. These things are merely illusions. We are no better off than they were. They allow us to hide our heads and say we are better, while just as they were, we pray we aren't next. We call each other unpatriotic based on whether you are a democrat or republican. We send our men and women to war but we don't care for them when they return. Disease reigns supreme, with no cures, only symptom relief. We are reliving history instead of learning from our pasts and making the world a better place. So hopefully, like in this book we will see the light at the end of the tunnel, dust ourselves off and strive for better.

Review: Women Know Everything!

Women Know Everything!
By: Karen Weekes
ISBN: 978-1-59474-506-5

Summary via Quirk Books:
With more than 3,000 quotations on fashion, family, science, art, history, love, laughter, and more, this massive compilation proves once and for all that women know everything! It’s full of wit, wisdom, and inspiration from a host of legendary women—everyone from Abigail Adams and Eleanor Roosevelt to Oprah Winfrey, Donna Karan, Tina Fey, Margaret Cho, Debbie Stoller, and others. Here’s what they say about:

Fashion: “I base most of my fashion sense on what doesn’t itch.”—Gilda Radner

Men and Women: “Remember, Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but backward and in high heels.”—Faith Whittlesey

Careers: “Some women choose to follow men, and some women choose to follow their dreams. If you’re wondering which way to go, remember that your career will never wake up and tell you it doesn't love you anymore.”—Lady Gaga

First published in 2007, this revised edition has been updated with a beautiful new design and an assortment of new quotations from leading luminaries—everyone from Susan Boyle to Sarah Palin. Women Know Everything! is a superb gift for thoughtful women of all ages.

Review:
Who doesn't love a good quotation book? This is a particularly great one because it covers absolutely everything! It has quotations set up in alphabetical order based on the subject manner. From A-Z it has some of the best quotes of all time from women, history couldn't even dare to ignore! As Laurel Thatcher Ulrich is quoted as saying "Well-behaved women rarely make history" (page 48). Ms. Weekes has included some really fun and intelligent women in her book including Maya Angelou, Margaret Atwood, Drew Barrymore, Margaret Cho, Ellen DeGeneres, Ani DiFranco, and Tina Fey, to name a few. There really are so many women included from all time periods and they aren't afraid of the hard issues. Some of the issues are Activism, Childbirth, Euthanasia, Gender Roles, Identity, Leadership, Mental Health, and really so much more.

In this day and age it's hard to believe that gender inequality still exists (for men & women). Books like this, aside from it's humorous title, I think are very important. I say this not because I am a feminist (and I am) but due to the little notice women are given in many history classes around the world. Many people can quote Einstein but few know anything about female scientists. For example, few people know Hedy Lamarr as anything but an actress but without her, Wifi wouldn't exist. To quote her "Films have a certain place in a certain time period. Technology is forever" (page 427) but sadly people remember her for her films not her contributions. To men this book is also important because it shows that history doesn't solely rest on their shoulders! It is everyone's responsibility to make change and turn this world into a better place for having us in it.

These insights and remarks aren't important just for changing the world or making history, they are for our own development too. These quotes make us examine how we really feel about certain issues. They invoke responses that may or may not surprise you. These quotes can also introduce you to women you have never heard about before, or sides of them you never knew existed. They may even inspire you to find your own voice and make a stand!

As for this month's theme of chick lit meets the paranormal, this is right on par. Our heroines are hilarious and memorable because of their witty one liners and cunning charm, just like our real life heroines. So take a moment out of today and look this book up. It's great for the night stand or coffee table, I personally recommend it as a graduation gift. As we all go through crazy transitions its important to see how others think, and learn from them as Eleanor Roosevelt said "Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself." (page 249) I give this book a glowing five star review because it covers many hard subject manners and brings us quotations from past famous women as well as women from today.

If you want to get involved with fixing gender inequality check out activist groups and watch what Congress is doing. HeforShe.org may be a good start as it recently has been on the world stage when Emma Watson made a speech about her support for equality. Characters Unite is another good way to get involved. There are many ways to get involved but nothing so important as watching how you treat others, men, women, other genders. "Be the change you want to see in the world" is a popular quotation and sounds pithy but it's true. You can't stand up for rights if you are inhibiting another's rights.

Note: I know many people who read this, may or may not recognize themselves under either male or female gender, you have not been excluded. This is for everyone's rights not just women and not just men, everyone deserves equal rights. Sometimes it's easier to boil this down to gender duality but do not think for one second I have forgotten you!

Analysis: The Vampire

The Vampire
By: Madison Julius Cawein

A lily in a twilight place?
A moonflow’r in the lonely night?—
Strange beauty of a woman’s face
      Of wildflow’r-white!

The rain that hangs a star’s green ray
Slim on a leaf-point’s restlessness,
Is not so glimmering green and gray
      As was her dress.

I drew her dark hair from her eyes,
And in their deeps beheld a while
Such shadowy moonlight as the skies
      Of Hell may smile.

She held her mouth up redly wan,
And burning cold,—I bent and kissed
Such rosy snow as some wild dawn
      Makes of a mist.

God shall not take from me that hour,
When round my neck her white arms clung!
When ‘neath my lips, like some fierce flower,
      Her white throat swung!

Or words she murmured while she leaned!
Witch-words, she holds me softly by,—
The spell that binds me to a fiend
      Until I die.

Analysis:
This is perhaps not the most complex poem when it comes to understanding the subject manner, however it does have it's own subtlety and hidden meanings. As you can see it is a story of a man who becomes ensnared by a beautiful female vampire and is transformed by it and because of it. There is so much more to this poem than that story.

One of the first things I noticed about this poem was its amazing descriptions, it's imagery is so rich that you can just about paint her picture. She reminds me of a naughty Snow White; dark hair, pale skin, rosy lips. I find this particularly interesting because the usual beauty paradigm during that time and even today is the opposite, golden hair, fair (but not too fair) skin, etc. This has occurred in many other works, so it's not unique but it should be noted. When Mr. Cawein wrote this poem, he either by accident or on purpose, made the Vampire's description show her affinity with the night and thus subversive, whereas the golden beauty is representative of the Sun and the status quo.

When this poem was published in 1896, the Suffrage Movement was making waves and changing the way men viewed women and how women viewed themselves. His description of her doesn't just revere her beauty, it also acknowledges her sexuality and that she chooses to be the predator not the prey. In this poem she holds all the power which was highly unusual for that time, since the ideal woman was seen as well-behaved and subservient. That primal power and her awareness of her sexuality, turns this man into a victim who can do nothing but be in awe of her.

Mr. Cawein made her not only supernaturally beautiful but verbally alluring as well . Her beauty may have been what drew him in but it was her words that captured him. It's almost as if he makes sure to include that, so she is seen as the perfect package, beauty and brains.

It seems to me, Mr. Cawein essentially made a love poem to strong unique women and that's why I chose this poem. This poem  is a great starter for this upcoming series of reviews not because of it's supernatural elements (though that is always fun) but rather due to the Vampire. She is the main character, and while not nearly as hilarious as our soon to be introduced heroines, they do share two things in common, they are beautiful and they are masters of their own destiny.