Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah

A young girl (age 5 or 6) arrives in a rural Washington town after having lived in very primitive conditions deep in a forest. She is mute and wild until a psychiatrist starts working with her and gradually re-connects her with the civilized world. That process and the mystery of the girl's identity and origin make for a page-turner and fun, light read.

Dickens by Peter Ackroyd

Charles Dickens led a full, active, and somewhat peripatetic life as chronicled by Peter Ackroyd in this beautifully written, comprehensive biography. It has a nice balance between Dickens' personal and professional lives and makes an effort to capture an overall portrait of who the man really was. He sprang from a poor family and was affected throughout his life by his father's financial irresponsibility. Working as both writer and editor, Dickens started at least three periodicals where his novels were published serially. His financial success allowed him to support a wife and ten children, often living abroad in France, Italy, and Switzerland. My objective in reading this book was to understand why he separated from his wife, but I really did not learn much more than is described in a novel I am reviewing for my book club.

The Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich

A butcher from Germany runs out of money in North Dakota so he finds work there and settles into American life shortly after WWI. Eventually he has his own shop and a family in the small ND town. There he comes into contact with our heroine, an itinerant circus act performer, who also settles in the town and becomes an employee and best friend of the butcher's wife. The fate of the heroine and the butcher's family during WWII becomes a focal point in their story with a surprise twist at the end. Erdrich is an excellent writer even though she waxes a bit poetic at times, and this novel is a good read.

Does the Center Hold? by Donald Palmer

Donald Palmer's first history of philosophy, Looking at Philosophy, took the reader through the subject in chronological order. His second book, Does the Center Hold? arranges much the same material by subject and adds references to other fields and a little personal opinion. It is wonderfully well written and has amusing cartoons sprinkled throughout. Nevertheless, it is still basically a textbook and needs serious attention to get the most out of it.

Leaving the Saints by Martha Beck

In Expecting Adam Martha Beck described spiritual experiences she had while pregnant with her Down Syndrome son, and Leaving the Saints continues with more spiritual events. Subtitled How I Lost the Mormons and Found My Faith, Beck's memoir is rife with inside information about the Mormon Church, although she insists she has not given away any secrets. It's a fascinating book of religious and family struggles that center around alleged child abuse. Beck is a highly intelligent and very successful woman who lives in Arizona and works as a life coach. However, her story of abuse is challenged by some family members and I found myself wondering if her story is accurate or tinged with paranoia.

The House at Sugar Beach by Helene Cooper

Liberia is a country founded by former slaves settled there by Americans who felt that it was a good idea to send ex-slaves back to Africa. Helene Cooper captures some of that history in her memoir as she recounts the participation of her forebears in the event; then she moves on to describe more recent political events in Liberia. As a member of one of the country's wealthy families, she was able to escape the place when the political situation got nasty. She transitioned into an American college student and eventually became a reporter who traveled all over the world. The House at Sugar Beach is an interesting memoir, both as character study and as a recounting of historical events most of us know little about.

Looking at Philosophy by Donald Palmer

Donald Palmer presents the history of western philosophy in a light hearted and entertaining manner in this book with lots of cartoon drawings. "The Unbearable Heaviness of Philosophy Made Lighter," says the subtitle. Even so, the subject is seriously covered from the pre-Socratics to 20th century philosophers who are still living. Palmer is an excellent writer who includes biographical bits and pieces into his summary of each person's philosophy. While I don't feel qualified to comment on the intellectual quality of Palmer's work, I do believe that he takes difficult subject matter and makes it more accessible to those of us who are interested but not especially studious.