Book Review: Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, by Kate Douglas Wiggin

Just in case you can't tell, I'm trying to catch up on posting about various books I have read or listened to recently. If you want to learn about family life, I think you will have to check our family blog.

Maybe sometime I will find time to post some pictures of us...

:)

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm

By Kate Douglas Wiggin

Rating:  6 out of 10 stars

    Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm is a humorous story about a young, imaginative, poetic girl whose lively personality is suddenly superimposed upon her elderly aunts’ strict, sober minded, and extremely practical and thrifty lifestyle.  Similar to Anne of Green Gables in that it is a story about a child with very little in common with her guardians, and focuses more on daily life and small struggles than on any great climax, this book follows Rebecca as she grows, matures, and finally graduates college and inherits her aunts’ home.

Book Review: The Deerslayer, by James Fenimore Cooper

The Deerslayer

By James Fenimore Cooper

Rating:  7 out of 10

    Set in the wilderness of upstate New York just at the beginning of the French and Indian War, this story is the first of James F. Cooper’s famous “Leatherstocking Tales”.  Natty Bumpo, or the Deerslayer is the main character.  His simple honesty and unusual skill with the long rifle, added to his quickness in wilderness warfare, bring him safely through a sudden Indian attack, and a short captivity.

Book Review: The Deerslayer, by James Fenimore Cooper

The Deerslayer

By James Fenimore Cooper

Rating:  7 out of 10

    Set in the wilderness of upstate New York just at the beginning of the French and Indian War, this story is the first of James F. Cooper’s famous “Leatherstocking Tales”.  Natty Bumpo, or the Deerslayer is the main character.  His simple honesty and unusual skill with the long rifle, added to his quickness in wilderness warfare, bring him safely through a sudden Indian attack, and a short captivity.

Book Review: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain

Rating:  3 out of 10 stars

    The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (and it’s even more popular sequel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn) would certainly be high on a list of the most famous and popular American novels.  These books “capture the spirit of American boyhood in the pre-Civil war era” and are a “nostalgic and humorous look at the naivete and simple eagerness of childhood”.  They are filled with dry humor, and combine the unlikely and adventurous with an unusually keen portrayal of real character and everyday life.  The pranks and attitudes of the boys (and girls) in the story are described in vivid and lifelike language, and the idiosyncrasies of Aunt Polly and the other adult characters provide an excellent foil for the children.  Tom’s creativity and imagination are hilarious; especially his idea of what a pirate’s or robber’s life is like.

    But are these books good reading material for Christians?  

A Very Special Announcement

July 1st, 2016, is a day that Farrah will always remember...

For on that day, just at sunset on the shore of Lake Michigan, she was asked the most special question of her life...

And she joyfully said "YES"!

We are excited and blessed at the way the Lord has brought Farrah and Joshua together.  He has led them both through courtship, as Joshua first approached Daddy, and later talked to Farrah in a group setting with all the parents.  As their relationship grew, they became closer and their hearts were knit together as they felt the Lord leading them toward marriage.

Now we get to watch as they plan the wedding and their new life together.  I have seen Farrah blossom in new ways, and am looking forward to having Joshua Siefka as a brother- even though he will be taking my sister to his home state of Michigan.

"The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad."

Psalm 126:3

*I hope to post the fuller story about Farrah and Joshua later.*

Happy Birthday, Anna Frances!

Picnic on the Ichetucknee

I know this blog post is terribly late, but I wanted to share it anyway.

For Evan's and Justice's birthday, we took a family trip down the Ichetucknee River.  One canoe and about five inflatable innertubes carried our whole family down the river.  Well, several members swam most of the way, but of course they could rest holding onto the rafts or canoe whenever they needed to, or switch with someone on a tube.

New Item: Little Girls' Play Dresses!

I am now offering peasant style dresses for little girls on my Etsy shop!

Check them out on my website, Chicken Scraps Custom Sewing.

My New Puppy

Well, the title isn't really accurate...  It should have been "My dog that was a new puppy last year", but that would sound silly.  This blog post is a bit late, but now it will be more informative.  :)

In July, when we took a family vacation, we also picked up Cleone, my first registered Border collie.

I have been wanting for some time to begin breeding Border collies, and finally my hope is on the way to becoming a reality.  Our family vacation was the perfect opportunity to research a wider range of breeders, and find just the right puppy.

How I Filmed the War

By Geoffrey H. Malins

Rating:  6 out of 10 stars

    This book is an account of an early cinematographer’s experiences as he filmed important action in World War I.  Malins was the official cinematographer for the British government, and he describes life in the trenches, the spirit of the soldiers, especially the British troops, and various other experiences, such as filming from an early airplane over German lines, the visit of the King of England, and the action of the first tanks.  He shows the horrible conditions the men fought and lived under, and the devastated condition of the country as it was left behind the German troops.

    The early process of “making a film” was also described, and is interesting to read.  This was back in the days of silent films; in other words, motion pictures with no sound; and the film was literally cut into pieces for editing.

My Thoughts:

    How I Filmed the War is a true and realistic account of life on the front lines during WWI, but it is certainly not a book everyone should read.  While it is important to know history, and the sacrifices which were made so that we can be free, as a nation, reading a somewhat detailed account of these hardships and sacrifices can be too much for some people.  For my own part, what bothered me most about the book was the callousness of many of the soldiers to taking human life.  The jokes of the snipers when they “got their man” are a disgusting look at our fallen nature, and are all the sadder because they are true words spoken in a non-fiction work, and not merely invented from general stories of the war.  There is also some very questionable language in it, and more is implied than is written.

    Malins also is not writing from a Christian perspective, and somewhat pardonably, views the British as the saviors of the world, as they forced back the German invasion of France.

    So, while this book does have a great deal of educational value, as an eyewitness account of one of the worst wars in the history of man, it most certainly has some serious drawbacks, and discretion will be needed in discerning if it should be read, and who should read it.

Links:

Librivox:  How I Filmed the War

Gutenberg:  How I Filmed the War

The Man-Eaters of Tsavo, and Other East African Adventures

By Col. John Henry Patterson

Rating:  7 out of 10 stars

The Man-Eaters of Tsavo may seem like a rather strange name, but it is speaking of two famous man-eating lions which terrorized the camp of East African railroad builders, and actually brought the Government managed project to a complete halt for three weeks.  These two male maneless lions were relentless in their hunt for human prey, and killed “twenty-eight Indian coolies, besides scores of unfortunate natives of whom no official record was kept”.

Book Review: Prisoners of the Sea, by Florence Morse Kingsley

Prisoners of the Sea

By Florence Kingsley

Rating:  6 out of 10 stars

   Prisoners of the Sea is set during the reign of Louis XIV, when the Catholic persecution of Huguenots (French protestants) was at its height.  To be a Huguenot meant to be convicted of treason, lose your property, and be sent to the galleys, a virtual death sentence.  In the midst of this turmoil, a mother and daughter flee the country, endeavoring to make their way to America.  But their ship sinks, and when the story opens, they are adrift in a small boat with three companions, two sailors and the black cook.  Their boat is leaking fast, and they are far out of the track of ships.  The prospect looks bleak, but just in the nick of time, they find a deserted yacht and soon after, reach harbor on a small island.  Mystery gathers thicker as they discover a deserted chateau, furnished, full of provisions, and apparently left hastily by the owners.  Henri Baillot, the French sailor who is leading the little party, and his companions are puzzled by the peaceful, but depopulated island.  However, they decide to make the best of their situation, and settle down to a peaceful life to wait for a ship.