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Whistler–a story within a story
Whistler
by Ann Patchett
The beautiful cover of Whistler depicts a horse. Whistler’s story is essential to this work of fiction although the horse is not actually a character in the book, which is most definitely character driven. Patchett has created a tale that shows both the dark and the light sides of her characters. Not all of them are likable, but all are lovable—and flawed.
Daphne and her sister Leda are the adult children of their mother Abigail’s first (failed) marriage to Buddy who wanted to be a good parent, but really did not know how to parent and was unhappy in his job. He left the family to return to his parents’ traditional life as a lobster fisherman. He demonstrated his love, not by what he said, but by what he did for the family—showing up to shovel snow, keeping the batteries in the car’s emergency kit up-to-date.
Daphne is married to Jonathan, an older man (70) who is somewhat insecure in Daphne’s love because his first wife died of cancer and because older men are perpetually attracted to Daphne who is only 53. Jonathan has a caring way of showing his love to Daphne, never overburdening her with jealous behavior.
Skip and Polly have been friends to Eddie, Abigail’s second husband, going back to college days. Abigail divorces Eddie after a few years of marriage, and Daphne has always believed it was her fault. Much of this book explores the relationships of these characters and what actually happened to cause Abigail to insist on a divorce.
These connections are an important part of Whistler revealing that people in our past are still a part of us. Polly has achieved the “perfect” life materialistically; but something is still missing, and she works to control the people in her life with “Stay with me.” When those efforts reach a climax, Daphne says of Polly, “I was still undecided as to whether I disliked her intensely or felt terribly sorry for her.”
Patchett’s writing is excellent and filled with little lines, some poignant, some principled, sprinkled throughout the text. In talking about smoking she has Eddie remark, “Children are righteously abstemious where any pleasures not available to them are concerned.” Later, he shares an important decision with Daphne: “I’m never going to be angry at anyone ever again.” Out of all the wonderful writing in this book, my favorite passage is the last page. Don’t rush to read it first, however, as the rest of the book is the background for these wonderful lines.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Fiction
Notes: I enjoyed my discussion of Whistler with my book group and credit many of the ideas in this review to individual members. They added so much to my perspective of this book.
Publication: 2026—Harper Collins
Memorable Lines:
“I wanted him to be in love with me. That’s what I wanted. … It’s an awful business,” she said. “Loving another person.” “It is,” I said, and for the first time in a long time, I remembered that I loved her, or more precisely, I remembered she was a person who had lived her own autonomous life full of mistakes and disappointments and judgments and thwarted love.
How was it that a weekday trip to a museum with my husband had plunged me back into childhood at the age of fifty-three? I knew what Leda would say. She would say it was because childhood never leaves us. We seal the room up and cover it in sheetrock. We dry and sand and paint, but the pocket of history remains and sooner or later someone always winds up tapping on the wall, commenting on the way it sounds strangely hollow in there, and then the whole thing comes tumbling down.
“Your mother and I both have a small shard of glass in our hearts where the other is concerned: her disappointment, my shame, her regret and my regret. This helps to pry it loose. All these years later, you can still pry something loose. There’s no sense carrying shame and regret into the next life.”
The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming
By Henri J. M. Nouwen
Narrated by Fred Sanders
Jesus told a story, recorded in the New Testament, of a young man who left his home and family for wasteful living. When he ran out of money and friends, he realized he would be better off working as a servant in his father’s house. His decision leads him back to a loving father and a resentful brother. So much has been said in sermons and written in books about the prodigal son that a reader might wonder what could be added to this study. The phrase “the prodigal son” has even become a part of our lexicon.
Henri Nouwen has written a masterpiece by combining the original story with a description of his personal journey in which he finds he can identify at various times and circumstances with the prodigal son and the elder brother. He feels called to love like the father in the story. What makes this book unique, besides his style and familiar tone is his long study of Rembrandt’s famous depiction of the family reunion. It began with seeing it on a poster and continues through a specially arranged trip to view at length the original at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Nouwen brings the reader along in his search for the truths held in the painting and how to apply them to his life. Nouwen’s own story is found in this book through the realism and honesty of his disclosures of personal struggles. As an academic, he taught at several universities, but found his most growth as a child of God during his time as pastor at L’Arche community for disabled persons and their caretakers in Ontario, Canada.
I was immersed in this short book from the beginning, not wanting my time of introspection to end. Fred Sanders narrated the book with kindness and care. I believed I could hear Nouwen’s “voice” spoken through the audio. I recommend this book in any of its formats or many translations. It is good for personal study or would make a nice gift.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Nonfiction, Christian, Religion & Spirituality, Inspirational
Publication: Printed–March 1, 1994—Image
Audio–November 15, 2010—Random House Audio/Audible
Memorable Lines:
Resentment and gratitude cannot coexist, since resentment blocks the perception and experience of life as a gift. My resentment tells me that I don’t receive what I deserve. It always manifests itself in envy.
The leap of faith always means loving without expecting to be loved in return, giving without wanting to receive, inviting without hoping to be invited, holding without asking to be held. And every time I make a little leap, I catch a glimpse of the One who runs out to me and invites me into his joy, the joy in which I can find not only myself, but also my brothers and sisters. Thus the disciplines of trust and gratitude reveal the God who searches for me, burning with desire to take away all my resentments and complaints and to let me sit at his side at the heavenly banquet.
Unlike a fairy tale, the parable provides no happy ending. Instead, it leaves us face to face with one of life’s hardest spiritual choices: to trust or not to trust in God’s all-forgiving love.
If God is compassionate, then certainly those who love God should be compassionate as well.
Not They Who Soar–1904 World Fair
Not They Who Soar
by Amanda Flower
I had high expectations for this series because I have appreciated many books by the author. Sadly, I was disappointed with this second book, Not They Who Soar. I enjoyed the first, To Slip the Bonds of Earth, but this one dragged for most of the book as Katharine Wright was repeatedly insulted by casual comments men made about women, especially concerning their potential in the workplace. While I understand the frustration women of that era must have felt, it just seemed that the author had Katharine wallowing in it. Katharine was college educated in Greek and Latin. While that was an outstanding achievement, and she used her knowledge to teach Latin, she too often relied for her self-esteem on her brothers’ efforts to build a successful flying machine. She also claimed to have a lot of knowledge of flying from being around Orville and Wilbur even though she did not assist them. She managed the house and the business end of their bicycle business and took care of “the boys” (actually grown men) after the death of their mother. I got tired of hearing of her interest in birds and flying because it was their interest.
Another aspect of the plot that bothered me is that Katharine’s trip is in response to the request of her very good friend Margaret who is stressed, but gives no reason for her anxiety. She wants help at the 1904 World Fair. Katharine travels two days by train to get there. Then she is of very little help to her friend who develops a stomach ailment. Time and again she abandons her in pursuit of a mysterious person or persons who ruined an expensive balloon craft that was expected to win an aeronautics competition. Perhaps that same person killed a young female mechanic who kept intercepting Katharine. The main character has a reputation for running into trouble, and she lives up to her image while ruining dresses and then borrowing her friend’s expensive dresses for events.
On a positive note, although the mystery seems to drag its way to a conclusion, there is a very satisfying ending where all the pieces are tied together and motives are sorted out. Villains get their just deserts, Katharine and Margaret have some fun together, and Margaret’s husband is successful in winning new clients. Part of his success is due to Margaret facilitating a business party in the huge Ferris wheel on the fair grounds. There is also a thread about infertility which is not really pursued. In addition, the book explores common attitudes in the U.S. at that time concerning non-western cultures and people. They were included in the fair as exhibits for entertainment, not for expanding cultural awareness.
I received a review copy of this book for free. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Rating: 3/5
Category: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Notes: 1. #2 in the Katharine Wright Mystery Series, but could be read as a stand alone.
2. The Author Note gives some background information that explains what is historical in this book and what has been altered for the sake of the story.
Publication: May 27, 2025—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
“Women don’t have interest in mechanics.” He paused. “At least, no respectable woman does. Their focus should be on the home and the children.” I never so badly wanted to pop someone in the mouth as I did in that moment.
“These others were made to come from deserts, small islands, and deep jungles. They were brought here so that people like you can stare at them and watch their primitive, and to some, inferior ways of living. Difference attracts ridicule.”
It seemed there always had to be a dark side, even to a celebration of accomplishments and advancement like the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. It was a sad fact that I would do well to remember.
Half Broke Horses–stories of ranching
Half Broke Horses
by Jeannette Walls
Lily Casey is the protagonist of this “true-life novel,” and the story comes alive through her point of view. Born in 1901, Lily started life in west Texas on a 160 acre ranch that was too small and too dry. She was a hard worker, but she never felt sorry for herself. Her father had been kicked in the head when he was three years old and had a speech impediment. The family moved to New Mexico when the father was released from jail. Lily managed the ranch while her father wrote about Billy the Kid. Her mother was raised to be a lady.
Lily had a life of adventures. She unknowingly married a bigamist. She learned how to break horses, teach school, drive a car, and fly an airplane. She survived a tornado and poverty. She worked as a maid, but was fired for her attitude. To have a baby, she married Jim Smith who was equally hard working and honest, valuable qualities for the couple living in the Dust Bowl during the Depression. They had two children, Rosemary and Little Jim, who practically grew up on horseback until they were sent to boarding schools which neither child liked.
A British investment company bought a large, remote ranch and hired Jim to oversee it. Lily was an equal partner in their marriage. She came up with a plan to build a dam on the property since no one was getting water from wells. Her ingenuity and their hard work turned the ranch into a success. The couple wanted to have their own ranch, but didn’t want a mortgage. They were frugal and creative with money-making schemes.
Rosemary was an artistic, free spirit with the same determination that her mother had. They did not get along well and much of the book deals with their conflicts.
Half Broke Horses is character driven, but also gives what seems like a first hand view of life in the early 1900’s. It is, however, derived from the memories of Rosemary, the author’s mother, and the tales Lily told her daughter. Lily was always trying to teach her children life lessons although they often rebelled. About three-fourths of the way through the book, there is an incident that is dark, and it changes the perspectives and life trajectories of Rosemary and Lily. There are a lot of sad events in this book, but this one threw a pall over it for me. Regardless, as the author refers to it as a “true-life” novel, the reader expects veracity, and anything less would be whitewashing their lives, thereby diminishing the honest relationship already established between the author and the reader.
Rating: 4/5
Category: (Biographical) Historical Fiction
Notes: Written by the granddaughter of the protagonist
Publication: 2009—Scribner
Memorable Lines:
I was leaving the city with about as much stuff as I had arrived with. But I had learned a lot—about myself and other people. Most of those lessons had been hard ones. For example, if people want to steal from you, they get you to trust them first. And what they take from you is not only your money but also your trust.
I realized that in the months since Helen had died, I hadn’t been paying much attention to things like the sunrise, but that old sun had been coming up anyway. It didn’t really care how I felt, it was going to rise and set regardless of whether I noticed it, and if I was going to enjoy it, that was up to me.
…I realized that you can get so used to certain luxuries that you start to think they’re necessities, but when you have to forgo them, you come to see that you don’t need them after all. There was a big difference between needing things and wanting things—though a lot of people had trouble telling the two apart—and at the ranch, I could see, we’d have pretty much everything we’d need but precious little else.
The Blue Ridge Tunnel Mystery–time travel adventure
The Blue Ridge Tunnel Mystery
By MJ Rosewood
Although she debuts as a novelist with The Blue Ridge Tunnel Mystery, MJ Rosewood has a lot of experience to back up this middle grade novel. She is a long-time educator, now retired, who spent childhood summer vacations in the Blue Ridge Mountains and currently makes her home there.
The Blue Ridge Tunnel Mystery is a time travel book starring four children of different ages with individual talents and interests. The oldest at age 11, Tucker, is an inventor and a natural leader. His sister Tessa is proudly ready for second grade. She is deaf and can communicate with sign language, but also has cochlear implants. Cooper, age 10, is a voracious reader, and his sister is Haleigh. She may be wheelchair bound with spinal muscular atrophy, but she doesn’t let her disability slow her down. Together the four make a powerful team.
As summer begins, they are with their sitter Pearl when a strange occurrence transports them back in time. In fact, in this book, they time jump several times, landing at various spots important to U.S. history, and they meet people who will make a critical difference in important events. As we follow their individual travels and witness the development of their characters, two crucial questions arise: how will the children return to their own time period and will they be able to land in the same time as the other children? Along the way, they discover people who have met others from their group, but in a different past time.
All four children are brave and ingenious. More importantly, they have good character and want to help others. Despite the unbelievability of their tale, they encounter adults who are convinced of the truth of their story and want to help them, often in repayment for kindnesses the children have done for them. With dramatic rescues and dangerous missions, The Blue Ridge Tunnel Mystery holds exciting adventures and some mystery. Middle grade students will enjoy the story while learning some history. They will also be exposed to students who may need some assistance, but are nevertheless very capable and independent. I appreciated the author starting each chapter with the year the events happened and which characters were the focus of the chapter.
I received a review copy of this book for free. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Middle Grade, Fiction, Historical Fiction
Notes: 1. #1 in the Blue Ridge Kids Series.
2. Includes Author’s Notes that give insight into which parts of the book are accurate historically. The author shares a link to her webpage with more pictures and information about the setting.
3. Also valuable to readers, parents, and teachers are a glossary and a section of activities for further exploration.
4. Recommended for ages 8-12.
Publication: August 30, 2026—MJRW Press
Memorable Lines:
“Why are you feeding an enemy?” Johnny said with a scowl. “Son, we are all human. I would like to think if that young man had been you knocking on someone’s door they would do the same for you.”
Feeling alive, and not thinking about legs that didn’t work or being different, Haleigh and Madeline paddled around the beautiful lake…It was a good reminder, too, that there was more to life than physical limitations. She was truly living out her mom’s favorite saying, “You can’t change what you hide from.” This showed her anything was possible, even finding her way back home.
An Amateur Sleuth’s Guide to Murder–books and more books
An Amateur Sleuth’s Guide to Murder
By Lynn Cahoon
Meg Gates is trying to start her life over after a triple whammy—dropping out of college, losing her job at a startup that went under, and being dumped by her fiancé two days before the wedding. She considers herself a failure, but her family and two besties from high school don’t. They rally around her as she returns to Bainbridge Island, accessible by ferry from Seattle. Her aunt and uncle let her stay in an apartment over their garage. Her mother gives her a part-time job in her bookstore, and her aunt connects her with a famous author as a research assistant.
When there is a murder at the author’s estate, lots of people including Natasha, one of Meg’s most loyal friends, and even Meg’s boss come under the scrutiny of the police chief, who is Meg’s uncle. Meg’s other friend, Dalton, is everything her ex-fiancé was not, and is very understanding that Meg is not ready for anything more than friendship. Trying to prove the innocence of her friend and employer and discover the actual murderer inspires Meg to begin writing a book about non-professional sleuthing. The chapter titles of An Amateur Sleuth’s Guide to Murder are all tips that Meg plans to include in her book, such as “You might catch more flies with honey, but who wants flies?” Using Nancy Drew as inspiration when they were younger, Meg, Dalton, and Natasha used to investigate mysteries as “The Mystery Crew.” In this story, they take their skills to a whole new level, above locating missing dogs, as the stakes are quite serious.
An Amateur Sleuth’s Guide to Murder has some humor, characters with depth who are interesting, and a plot that will keep you guessing as to whodunnit. There were some surprises at the end that resulted in the reveal making sense. A favorite character would be Meg’s rescue dog, Watson, a well-behaved, tan cocker mix, who goes most places with Meg. The setting, with the juxtaposition of the city of Seattle with the isolated tourist island, plays a role in solving this crime. I have enjoyed many of Lynn Cahoon’s cozy mysteries, and this one strikes me as the start of another successful series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. #1 in the Bainbridge Island Mystery Series
2. Lynn Cahoon loves to cook, and she includes a recipe for “Murderous Mac and Cheese” which she says goes well with lobster.
Publication: June 24, 2025—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
“You can’t trust a man who doesn’t read.”
“I am grateful for the fact that people seem to love my books and for having the chance to meet readers. I like spending time with my characters more.”
“I always volunteered for the early shifts when I was in the Coast Guard. It’s like being at the beginning of the world when you watch the sunrise in the morning.”
My Friends–recognizing the artist in their midst
My Friends
By Fredrik Backman
Translated by Neil Smith
I had a hard time during the reading of My Friends: partly because of the extensive use of expletives and partly because of the way Backman tells the story moving back and forth among points of view and time periods. In the midst of my sorting out my feelings about the book, the characters keep intruding. They make me like themselves in spite of, or because of, their flaws. My Friends centers around a group of 4 fourteen year olds and one particular summer. They are trying to figure out life and themselves. They come from difficult homes and are very protective of each other while teasing each other mercilessly. The story centers around a boy who is called “the artist” for most of the book and his first painting. He doesn’t even desire the fame that comes his way and is somewhat forced on him by his friend Joar who recognizes his talent. All of the characters have difficulty with love and with trust. Readers will always remember the poignancy in My Friends of “I love you and I trust you.”
The characters are not left in childhood, but the reader gets to see them as adults who continue to try to nurture the creative spark when identified in the next generation.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Fiction
Notes: A lot of cursing
Publication: May 20, 2025—Atria Books
Memorable Lines:
…the most dangerous place on earth is inside us. Fragile hearts break in palaces and dark alleys alike.
It is an act of violence when an adult yells at a child, all adults know that deep down, because all adults were once little. Yet we still do it. Time after time, we fail at being human beings.
Stories are complicated, memories are merciless, our brains only store a few moments from the best days of our lives, but we remember every second of the worst.
Seven Men and Seven Women and the Secret of Their Greatness–people of faith
Seven Men and Seven Women and the Secret of Their Greatness
by Eric Metaxas
What is “greatness” and what qualifies a person to the claim of greatness?To his credit, Metaxas is able to answer those questions well in his Introduction without sounding pedantic or boring the reader. In fact, after reading his introduction, I couldn’t wait to dive into the first chapter.
Of course, not everyone would choose for inclusion the same individuals as Metaxas, but by the time I got to the end of each chapter, I could certainly understand his choice and agree that the person was worthy of the attribution. I was familiar with some of the subjects of this book, but not all of them. As in the case of Eric Liddell, I knew him for his athletic ability and his refusal to compete on the Sabbath, but there is a second part to his story that is just as important to know about.
This book is actually a combination of two books originally published separately, one on men and one on women. Each one of those is a compilation of short biographies. The seven men are George Washington, William Wilberforce, Eric Liddell, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jackie Robinson, Pope John Paul II, and Charles W. Colson. The seven women are Joan of Arc, Susanna Wesley, Hannah More, Saint Maria of Paris, Corrie ten Boom, Rosa Parks, and Mother Teresa. As you can see, there is a variety in those chosen in regard to their profession, their religious background, and the area of life they impacted. A large part of their greatness, however, is that they were people of faith, and they lived out their faith without wavering.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Biography, Nonfiction
Notes: 1. I read this with my book club this summer at a pace of two biographies per week. This book was perfect for summer, as compared to longer books, because members were out of town at a variety of times. Everyone was able to drop in and participate as their schedules allowed.
2. Includes footnotes at the end of each book.
Publication: 2018—Zondervan
Memorable Lines:
More than two hundred years after Washington’s death, his willingness to relinquish power—twice—is the most remarkable thing that we remember about him. These refusals to seize power for himself were the greatest acts of one of history’s greatest men.
God had a far greater plan for Eric Liddell’s life than a gold medal that would eventually be forgotten, along with the athlete who won it. And he has great plans for each of us. Those plans may include the need to give up something we value highly. But those who give up what we may most desire—if God has demanded it—the Lord will truly honor.
Just as Dietrich Bonhoeffer prophetically challenged the Lutheran Church of Germany in his time, so Mother Maria challenged the Orthodox Church of hers. Both understood that to serve Jesus Christ with all one’s heart, soul, mind, and body—that is to be the church of Jesus Christ, to be the Bride for which he will one day return. Even so, come Lord Jesus.
Tomorrow Starts Today–family problems
Tomorrow Starts Today
by Jessica Redland
Join Yvonne, Paulette, Veronica, Milly, and Laughlin along with others who gather for the Cake & Craft Club held every Wednesday at the Willowdale Village Hall at 2-4 p.m. It’s open to all regardless of hobby interest or skill level. Yvonne is a widow with no family or friends—just a African Grey Parrot, Trevor, and a secret she has never shared with anyone. She is at a dead end when she sees a notification in the local paper for this group and decides to take a risk. The members of the Cake & Craft Club welcome her with open arms and extend to her the same kindness they need as well.
Despite the problems each one of the characters has with dysfunctional families and other stumbling blocks, Tomorrow Starts Today is a story filled with hope and kindness. Part of the positivity comes from the generous nature of the characters and part comes from 19 year old Saffy, Paulette’s granddaughter. She is living temporarily with Paulette after dropping out of college after the first term. Her parents are upset with her, but the creative and artistic young lady has tried to explain that she needs some time to figure out what she wants to do. Saffy has a hobby of journaling and she shares her ideas and philosophies with the group, stimulating many of them to examine their own lives and effect changes they have been hesitant to make.
The story is full of active and former romances as most of the characters are retired or approaching that age. Some are wondering if there is only one destined soulmate per person or if they are too old to be involved in romance. Some have had traumatic events that keep them from reaching out to others and some have used those traumatic events to spur them into being good listeners and sounding boards for others in pain.
“Tomorrow Starts Today” is a good title for this book. Yvonne and her friends discover through journaling and goal setting how to find their futures and act on a plan. With Saffy’s artistic flair, the projects become a cross between journaling and scrapbooking complete with washi tape, stickers, and ribbons.
I enjoyed the camaraderie, the journey to trusting others, and the gradual disclosure of Yvonne’s family mysteries. I highly recommend it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Fiction, Romance, Women’s Fiction
Notes: 1. Clean
2. # 5 in the Escape to the Lakes series. I have read the other books in this series, and I reread my reviews and the publisher summaries to refresh my memory on the characters and events in previous books in the series. That search was actually not necessary. Although there are some minor crossover references to other books, this book is an enjoyable standalone—plot and characters are complete in Tomorrow Starts Today.
Publication: January 8, 2026—Boldwood Books
Memorable Lines:
Me! I was stopping me. It was that little voice in my head that told me that when you started spending time with people, you had to talk to them about more than the weather and everyday life. You needed to exchange stories about the past and that was where things became tricky.
“Families should be there to heal each other—not to be the ones causing the wounds.” Absolutely that, but life was rarely that straightforward.
That was the appropriate point for hugs and, as I squeezed Veronica tightly, I marveled at how long I’d gone without physical human contact and how powerful and restorative it could be.
Class Clown–77 years of humor
Class Clown
by Dave Barry
Subtitled—The Memoirs of a Professional Wiseass: How I Went 77 Years without Growing Up
Over the years, I have enjoyed reading Dave Barry’s humor columns occasionally and some of his books. Class Clown takes the reader through Barry’s childhood and professional life. He has had a lot of detours—rock band, “precision parade maneuvers with lawnmowers and brooms,” and communication instructor for business people. He was even a traditional journalist for a while, but his trademark was doing anything outside the norm, the quirkier the better!
I enjoyed most of Class Clown. Some of it was “laugh out loud” funny. When I got to Barry’s section on politics, however, I was disappointed. He claimed that people in his parents’ generation were able to argue politics and leave as friends. Unfortunately, this is not a skill that Barry picked up from them. In one chapter of this book, which reflects his views on politics, he did not roast both sides equally. The reader is left with no doubt as to which “side” is right and which “side” is wrong. There is no humor in that.
So…funny, yes, in part. Divisive, yes, in part. Barry has retired from his work as a humor columnist. He has given a lot of people chuckles over the years, and I hope he enjoys his retirement.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Memoir, Humor
Publication: May 13, 2025—Simon & Schuster
Memorable Lines:
It wasn’t that our parents didn’t care about us: I think it was mainly that they didn’t view the world as a fundamentally dangerous place. They grew up in the Depression and had recently been through a world war. To them, the 1950s weren’t so scary.
At the end of the night everybody hugged everybody, because they were friends, and they understood that they could disagree about politics without believing the other side was evil. Mistaken, maybe. Evil, no.
One time he was upset about two things: (1) He couldn’t find his pipe, and (2) his car wasn’t running right. After listening to Bob complain about these things for several days, his wife, Beth—a saintly woman—had an idea, and was able to locate Bob’s missing pipe. It was under the accelerator pedal.
