Little is known about Thomas Smallwood, born a slave but as a free man risked everything to help slaves and others north to freedom in Canada. He coined the phrase - The Underground Railroad and worked tirelessly by attacking slavers and the people who chased runaway and free men and women holding them in jails before selling them again down south or making them purchase their freedom again. One of the worst was run by Hope Slatter in Baltimore. This very illegal business was carried out in plain sight of the law and rarely was Slatter slowed down by the court system. Smallwood also wrote (using a pen name) scalding editorials about slavery and these slave jails. This is another fine example of a brave man who did not receive credit as did the other abolitionists and is past due for his story to be told. The author shares much information , names and dates but keeps the writing interesting and flowing. 4 stars
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In 1923 Mae Foley and a small group of brave women join the prestigious New York City Police Dept. Beginning with Teddy Roosevelt's reign as Police Commissioner, women had gotten their toe in the door but still had an upward battle to prove themselves to their male counterparts. Mae began her career searching women who had been arrested and watching over subways to protect female passengers from lewd behavior and pickpockets but graduated to closing brothels and speakeasys during Prohibition. Once she made detective the fun began and Mae was very successful at undercover work even protecting female witnesses from gangster Lucky Luciano before trial and attending Nazi rallies. Anecdotes and hair raising stories of high speed chases and near misses with arrested women packing heat make this a historical romp that is entertaining and encouraging for women breaking into traditional male roles. 4 stars
In WWII there were women in every section of the armed forces even the intelligence agencies but until recently most of these women and their stories have remained hidden in file boxes. They fought discrimination on all fronts from not being given the necessary uniforms, supplies and training to pushback from higher ups in the field who clearly did not want them there or understand their purpose. Despite all of that, these women thrived. VALIANT WOMEN cannot tell all their stories but thanks to written documents now available and speaking to family and friends, Lena Andrews has compiled a montage of women in all aspects of the war in Europe and the Far East. I particularly enjoyed learning about the WASP pilots who not only had to find a way to deal with long flights with no bathroom breaks but had physical challenges guiding these massive planes. A great non-fiction addition to many of the historical fiction stories about some of these women. 3 1/2 stars
A journey from having full sight to losing it completely from an incurable disease. As his sight begins to close in an appreciation for other senses kicks in. As optimistic as Andrew Leland is thought out the book he is also very frank about what hurdles he had and those to come. One of the most difficult parts of having this disease is that it is gradual. If you have an accident and are disabled in some way you must adjust to your new world immediately but Andrew needed to learn how to live in a dark world that wasn't dark yet. His anecdotes on culture, history and blind activism is as interesting and his attitude is refreshing. He doesn't shame the world for behaving badly towards the blind but tries to help us see the world through their eyes to understand the difficulties. I think this would be beneficial to someone who has other sight impairments such as glaucoma or inoperable cataracts.. 3 1/2 stars
How do you sit across the table from a monster and not flinch? Jillian Lauren wrote to a convicted killer while researching a book and when he started to tell her everything it began her strange journey down Alice's rabbit hole into the mind of a serial killer. Sam Little strangled over 61 women as confirmed by the FBI and it could be more making him this country's most prolific serial killer. The author carefully worked her way into Sam's confidence gaining access to his detailed memories unlocking the locations of his victims. Not only did this give some closure to the victim's families but added useful information about the psychological makeup of serial killers. I don't know how she managed to visit him in prison for several years slowly gaining his confidence and then working with FBI and police in several states. An interesting psychological study that satisfies our morbid curiosity of the monsters who walk among us. On a spooky side note there is a list of the victims with photographs and the portraits that Sam Little did of them. Guaranteed to make all true crime readers engaged. 4 stars
We have all heard of daring art heists over the years but most of these involved thieves who came in the night, wore black and used sophisticated methods to pull off thefts of well known works. This couple kept their relationship fresh by pulling off more than 200 thefts of a variety of paintings, sculpture, weapons and decorative items in broad daylight had me shaking my head and repeating a mantra of "no way". A fascinating story of a young man with psychological issues and a deep seated love of collecting art and the women who loved and enabled him. My thanks to the publisher and Libro.fm for the advance copy. 4 stars
A series of funny essays looking at the pandemic, poking at past tv shows, her up and down health and a lot of toilet humor. She dives into subjects few others would tackle like extreme diarrhea and even her brush with death from anaphylactic shock. While I could totally appreciate her take on escaping Chicago and the near empty expressways at the start of the pandemic, I had trouble with a few of the longer pieces like her play by play criticism of every episode of Sex In The City. This could be that I am older than the intended audience. 3 stars
An in-depth look at the 10 weeks of planning that led to the march on Birmingham Alabama which in 1963 was the epitome of segregation, violence and racial tension. Journalist Paul Kix gives us a wonderful background of the key players and also some of the lesser known events that led to the shift from peaceful marches and sit-ins to forcing the revolution that would finally lead to real change. In his "fly on the wall" writing style we are able to understand the background and character of a broad group of people instead of just spitting facts. Using new interviews and information just released to the public we can feel like we were in the room and on the street amidst the violence. It is a fitting tribute to their sacrifice and leadership and one we still strive to follow 60 years later. 4 stars
Simon Winchester always tackles the tough questions and this book is no different. In this journey down the road of world knowledge we begin at the first inkling of recorded knowledge in Mesopotamia and finish with today's artificial intelligence. This is not a quick journey but a rewarding one if you love to ponder ancient libraries, museums and cultures from long ago. What immense collections have been learned and saved and sadly lost. He also delves into what the future holds for humans who turn to machines to find, act on and store knowledge without our brains having to do much at all. This in depth look at how we learn, who we learned from and what we are in danger of losing made me think that the author would be proud of how much knowledge he has passed on with his books. 3 1/2 stars
Gretchen Rubin is once again diving into a new project to find happiness this time exploring our five senses. Chapters are broken into a deep dive into sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch. Along with her own awareness test of going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art every day (I mean who wouldn't want to do that!) she develops a heightened appreciation for all five sense. At the heart this is a personal guide to living more fully and appreciating the details that we usually overlook. Take time to enjoy a perfect flower bloom, the feel of sunshine in winter, a loved one making your favorite meal and children's laughter. You will be more aware of yourself and others plus a lot less stressed. 3 1/2 stars
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