D-Dames by Laura VanArendonk Baugh

Book reviews are subjective. I tend to rate books not according to how “perfect” they are, seem to be, or are said to be in general but rather to how perfect they are to me. I received a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review.

D-Dames by Laura VanArendonk Baugh

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Description: Four stories of women and elemental magic in World War 2. Meet young women finding both courage and powers as they resist the Axis forces in England (fire), Wales (air), Northern Ireland (earth), and Scotland (water).

My thoughts: I had yet to try any of this author’s work before, but I went to her website and knew I wanted to read this short story collection the minute I saw the title and book cover.

I think it’s pretty safe to say this is the only time I’ve ever read historical fantasy fiction based on the Second World War. I thoroughly enjoyed all four stories and their depictions of imperfect, believable, powerful women. They aren’t almighty heroines who know everything and make nothing but superb decisions all the time (which would’ve been too over-the-top to be interesting). But these women are gritty and incredible when they kick into gear at critical moments, whether the actions they take are dramatic or subtle.

These tales have what I love about good short stories: sharp lines and meaningful details with no dispensable scenes. Vignettes like these reveal what’s important and let it be enough, trusting the reader’s discernment and imagination. Demonstrating how a story doesn’t have to be long to be substantive, with strong characters.

Oh! And after reading the stories straight through, you’ll definitely want to check out the annotations and bonus images. They’re like dessert that’s more than dessert.

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D-Dames is currently available at
Laura VanArendonk Baugh’s website.

Seven-Day Magic by Edward Eager

Book reviews are subjective. I tend to rate books not according to how “perfect” they are, seem to be, or are said to be in general but rather to how perfect they are to me.

Seven-Day Magic by Edward Eager

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“The adventures that are written down in books have already been. If we try to horn in on them, we’d just be tagging along. So we have to make our own adventures.”

A group of five children must learn a particular book’s rules and tame its magic in Seven-Day Magic by Edward Eager.

Well, I gotta say, revisiting this classic children’s fantasy book was quite a big adventure for me—in large part because finding the book took decades.

It’s one of the first fantasy books I read as a child. A checkout from the library. But in the years that followed, when I wanted to find the book again, I couldn’t remember the title. I couldn’t remember the author’s name. I couldn’t remember the plot. I had no idea what year or decade the book was published in, especially given that pretty much all books are new-to-you when you’re a little kid.

I only remembered one of the illustrations inside, along with the reddish book cover but not the cover art exactly, and most of all, I remembered how much I liked the story…whatever it was about.

So. It took combing through books and books of vintage fantasy KidLit, hoping to come across a reddish cover that might ring a bell in my unclear memory. Even once I found a blurry thumbnail image of the cover and took a chance to buy a newer edition with different cover art, I still wasn’t 100% sure I’d ordered the right book.

Not until I received it, flipped through it, and found the one inside illustration I remembered.

I wound up making my own dust jacket for the book, using a high-res copy of the old, reddish cover image because every element of the artwork on it is such a significant reflection of the story.

A story in which the main characters discover the significance of a certain shabby, red book. A library checkout. Even though they can’t make out the book’s title—much like my memory couldn’t.

Wowzers. I enjoyed rediscovering the oddness, the humor, and the delightfulness of this old-fashioned tale.

Granted, not everything I now recognized as an adult was a pleasure to find, namely the two instances of dated slurs in the book. (i.e., “gyps” and “Indian giver”)

However, it was satisfying to recognize more of the influences that factor into the story, like that of George MacDonald and Wordsworth. And I appreciate the way the tale speaks to the magic of books.

The Greatest Gift: A Christmas Tale by Philip Van Doren Stern

Book reviews are subjective. I tend to rate books not according to how “perfect” they are, seem to be, or are said to be in general but rather to how perfect they are to me.

The Greatest Gift: A Christmas Tale by Philip Van Doren Stern

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Husband, father, and small-town bank clerk George Pratt feels that while other men out there are leading exciting lives, his own work is dull and his life is pretty useless. Just when he’s contemplating suicide on Christmas Eve, a mysterious stranger comes and stops George in The Greatest Gift: A Christmas Tale by Philip Van Doren Stern.

It’s been years now since I first heard of this short story upon which the classic movie It’s a Wonderful Life is based. I’m not sure why it didn’t occur to me before to actually look up and read this original tale. But I do know it can be something of a letdown when you’ve got a beloved story embedded in your soul and then you check out another version of it, and it isn’t the same.

Well. Although I can say that I do prefer the fuller development of the plot and characters in the classic motion picture that’s one of my all-time favorite films, I’m pleased that I didn’t picture George Pratt here as George Bailey, or the mysterious stranger as Clarence Odbody, George Bailey’s guardian angel. For the most part, I enjoyed this short fantasy fiction tale for what it is: a short fantasy fiction tale. Not just a precursor to a movie.

And what George Pratt learns about the life he’s been given is truly an uplifting and timeless message.

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Here are my thoughts on It’s a Wonderful Life.

Cress Watercress by Gregory Maguire

Book reviews are subjective. I tend to rate books not according to how “perfect” they are, seem to be, or are said to be in general but rather to how perfect they are to me. I received an advance reading copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review.

Cress Watercress by Gregory Maguire

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After Papa goes out to get honey one night and doesn’t return, the Watercress rabbit family has to move. Mama takes her young daughter Cress and baby boy Kip to live at the run-down Broken Arms tree apartments, and a hodgepodge of neighbors (and dangers!) abide in the surrounding woods in Cress Watercress by author Gregory Maguire, illustrated by David Litchfield.

Through the first little chunk of chapters, I wasn’t completely sure about this middle grade fantasy tale. I was intrigued but didn’t have the best sense of the plot going in a particular direction, and I wasn’t super-keen on Cress, who may just be at a difficult preteen age on top of the fact that she’s lost her father and her familiar way of life.

But Cress turns out to have some really admirable moments as the plot comes together, and this story of family, friendship, adventure, and growing up has quite a delightful style. Adorable (but not in a corny, saccharine way), fresh and imaginative, clever and humorous with pretty stellar wit.

And there’s such authenticity to the parts that pulled on my heart. Again, not in a corny or sappy way but a real way. This story’s got compelling substance, brought further to life by the wonderful illustrations.

Bravo!