“Blitzkrieg and Jitterbugs” by Elizabeth Hillman Waterston

In Blitzkrieg and Jitterbugs, Elizabeth Hillman Waterston gives us a very particular picture of what it was like going to university – McGill – while the country had just started World War II.

She entered McGill in September l939, the month war was declared. The first eight months moved slowly with the defeat of Poland, war in Finland, and battles on the sea and in the air. By April l940, Hitler’s blitzkrieg brought the fall of France, Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain, and ended with the invasion of Russia and Pearl Harbour.

All this time, Elizabeth headed out from Montreal West by bus or street-car to college, where she was sorting out her lectures, getting to know the professors, going to freshie dances, and trying out articles for the student paper, The McGill Daily. Certainly the headlines brought the war news, and students across campus were also wondering which young professors would be joining up, and most of all, which of their family, and men friends, would leave the campus.

The book brings out the strong contrast between the frivolous insistence of youth “to have a good time at college” and the darkening demands from overseas. With diaries and scrapbooks, and a natural ability to report what she saw – and now remembers – Waterston gives a very intimate portrait of these days. It is certainly a pleasure to read for anyone who was at university at this time. She shares photos and newspaper clippings, and altogether brings the period very much alive.

Waterston herself became a Professor of English, and taught at Sir George Williams, the University of Western Ontario, and the University of Guelph, where she is presently Professor Emeritus.

Review by Anne McDougall

Esther Fueter-Matharu Signing on Saturday, April 14 from 11:00am to 1:00pm

Come on down to Books on Beechwood on Saturday, April 14 to meet local author Esther Fueter-Matharu. She will be here from 11:00am to 1:00pm signing copies of her two books, Man on Trial: The ABC of his Folly and De-Feet.

De-Feet — a book of poetry
From the jacket:
“Love, war, nature, the environment – all reflect different phases on the journey of life that the poet who lives in each person can observe and corroborate. With tears and laughter, fears and mockery, Esther Fueter-Matharu takes us on a journey from the wall in Palestine to the bombs in Tennessee, from a tranquil lake in Quebec to the heart of corporate America, from the joys of friendship to the spiritual ponderings for authenticity in the world where lies and pretence dominate. She describes a world that is hot and angry, loving and tender. Both the oppressed and the oppressor will recognize themselves in Esther’s poems.”

Man on Trial: The ABC of his Folly
From the jacket:
“Why, in Canada, do so few women aspire to enter the political arena?
What holds them back?
What needs to happen for women to actively seek to have a fair and proportionate representation in the decision-making processes in all areas of government?”
“From A for Arrogance, to Z for Zero, this book attempts to describe how the dominant paradigm has affected Woman. Structured as a pyramid (the powerful few at the top, the vast voiceless majority at the bottom), and based on the military model of command and control, this model has failed Women, the Environment and Community.”
“The paradigm must go and a new one adopted in all areas of governance.”

About the author:
Esther Fueter-Matharu sees herself as a woman among the millions of women who feel deeply that something is wrong in the way things are going. She is a founding member of the Women’s Alliance Party and a member of its Council of Thirteen.

We hope to see you all here on Saturday! Come on down, meet the author, buy a book, and get it signed!

Book Signings with Thomas Waite and Beverly Blanchard on Saturday, April 7

There will be two great book signings on Saturday, April 7 at Books on Beechwood. Between 12:00pm and 1:00pm, come by the store to meet author Beverley Blanchard who will be signing copies of her book Into the Waves.

Later in the afternoon, Thomas Waite will be in signing copies of his new novel, Terminal Value. It is an “intense thriller that provides an insider’s look into the excitement of a technology start-up, the anticipated riches of an initial public offering, the gut-wrenching murder of a friend, and the dark side of corporate America.” Thomas Waite will be signing copies of his book from 1:30pm to 3:30pm.

We hope to see you all here at the store! Have a wonderful Easter weekend!

Events coming up in April!

Yes, these events are all on saturdays.

April 7th from 12 to 1pm, “Into the Waves” by Beverly Blanchard
April 7 from 1:30 to 3:30 “Terminal Value” by Thomas Waite

April 14 from 11am to 1pm “Man on Trial: The ABC of his Folly” by Esther Fueter-Matharu

April 21 from 12 to 2pm “Demystifying Food: from Farm to Fork” by Maurice J. Hladik

April 28th from 1 to 3pm “Walking for Peace: an Inner Journey” by Mony Dojeiji

Just the basics for now… more details to come!

“Enchantments” by Kathryn Harrison

enchantments.jpegThis is a story about the fall of Russia’s Romanov empire, written by well-known novelist, Kathryn Harrison.

Set in St. Petersburg, 1917, a lot of it takes place in the lavish imperial palace of Tsar Nicolay and his family. It opens, however, with the murder of the Mad Monk, Grigory Rasputin, who was drowned in the Neva river by the rising Bolsheviks. This notorious healer had grown close to the Tsar’s wife. When he was killed, she persuaded Rasputin’s daughter to move in to the palace and help look after her hemophiliac son.

The rest of the book is their story, of their growing together as they watch their whole world come crashing down. There are many reminiscences looking back to voluptuous days when the Tsar ruled Russia. These “enchantments” give way to a closing down of the palace and eventual execution of the Romanovs.

Harrison is skilled at creating a vivid, imaginary world, based on historic fact. She has done this in novels such as: Thicker than Water, Exposure, Poison, The Binding Chair, The Seal Wife and Envy. She has also written autobiography, biography, and a book of crime.

Review by Anne McDougall

R. J. Harlick and Lesley Harman to Sign Their Books on Saturday, March 17!

greenplacedying.jpegCome down and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at Books on Beechwood with two exciting book signing events!

The fun starts with R. J. Harlick, a local mystery author, who will be in signing copies of her new book A Green Place For Dying from 12:00pm to 2:00pm on Saturday, March 17. This newest installment in Harlick’s Meg Harris mystery series finds “Meg Harris [confronting] police indifference as aboriginal women go missing.”

The events continue with an appearance by author Lesley Harman who will be here from 3:00pm to 5:00pm signing her book, We Are Never Alone: Healing Lessons from the Camino. This book recounts the author’s experience walking the ancient pilgrimage, the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, and how “physical concerns fall away as the walk takes Harman into another space, a mystical horizon of time traveling, spiritual transformation, and healing.”

We hope to see you all down here at one or both of these events! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

“The Obamas” by Jodi Kantor

obamas.jpegJodi Kantor is a first-rate reporter and she has done a thoughtful, sensitive job in this book on the Obamas and their life in the White House.

The topic is huge, as we have all watched. Barack Obama has written his own story, before becoming President of the U.S., in two widely-read books: Dreams from my Father, and The Audacity of Hope. Kantor is editor of the Arts and Leisure section of “The New York Times” and has been covering the Obamas since 2007. Her book tells the complex story of what happened to Barack and his wife Michelle and their two young daughters when they move in to the White House and have to deal with the hopes and promises of the stunning campaign of 2008.

The book includes sketches of the layout of the White House and the near impossibility of living a private life, what with the almost constant access of public tours to many rooms. Even the Rose Garden is public. Michelle Obama had always hated the effects of politics on her life with Barack. Here they face the problems together. A fair account is given of the various officials in charge of the Obamas’ public life, while trying to give them as much privacy as possible. We have all read the ups and downs of his legislation: i.e. the stimulus package, health care, etc. The President’s relations with business leaders were difficult at first; they developed considerably as time went on.

The famous couple remains loving, and attractive. Barack retains his reserve and control; Michelle keeps her eye on the things that mattered to him all along: the chance to change and improve things. This book gives reason to both admire and hope for future developments.

Review by Anne McDougall

Esther Fueter-Matharu Signing “Man on Trial” and “De-Feet” on Saturday, March 10, 11:00am-1:00pm!

Come on down to Books on Beechwood on Saturday, March 10 to meet local author Esther Fueter-Matharu. She will be here from 11:00am to 1:00pm signing copies of her two books, Man on Trial: The ABC of his Folly and De-Feet.

De-Feet — a book of poetry
From the jacket:
“Love, war, nature, the environment – all reflect different phases on the journey of life that the poet who lives in each person can observe and corroborate. With tears and laughter, fears and mockery, Esther Fueter-Matharu takes us on a journey from the wall in Palestine to the bombs in Tennessee, from a tranquil lake in Quebec to the heart of corporate America, from the joys of friendship to the spiritual ponderings for authenticity in the world where lies and pretence dominate. She describes a world that is hot and angry, loving and tender. Both the oppressed and the oppressor will recognize themselves in Esther’s poems.”

Man on Trial: The ABC of his Folly
From the jacket:
“Why, in Canada, do so few women aspire to enter the political arena?
What holds them back?
What needs to happen for women to actively seek to have a fair and proportionate representation in the decision-making processes in all areas of government?”
“From A for Arrogance, to Z for Zero, this book attempts to describe how the dominant paradigm has affected Woman. Structured as a pyramid (the powerful few at the top, the vast voiceless majority at the bottom), and based on the military model of command and control, this model has failed Women, the Environment and Community.”
“The paradigm must go and a new one adopted in all areas of governance.”

About the author:
Esther Fueter-Matharu sees herself as a woman among the millions of women who feel deeply that something is wrong in the way things are going. She is a founding member of the Women’s Alliance Party and a member of its Council of Thirteen.

We hope to see you all here on Saturday! Come on down, meet the author, buy a book, and get it signed!

“Ru” by Kim Thuy

ru.jpegMany of us have met some of the “boat people” who came to Canada in the early ’70’s, escaping from the Communists in South Vietnam. But I’ve never read or heard as vivid a description of their life at home and the terrible hazards in escaping.

Kim Thuy was a young girl living in a palatial house in Saigon, where her father was a prefect, when the Communists came in l975. The family was forced to flee to a camp in Malaysia, where they slept on the ground. They eventually got to Canada and arrived at Mirabel, overwhelmed by their first sight of a snow-covered world. Thuy describes the kindness they found in Granby, Quebec. Neighbours showered them with gifts, and food. They couldn’t cope with all the Minute Rice, being used to sticky rice in Vietnam.

Thuy doesn’t ignore the filthy jobs that came their way. But her own training took her from being a seamstess, to interpreting, practising law, running a restaurant. The book tells of her return trips to Vietnam. The anecdotes on both sides of the world are beautifully described, the brutality as well as the beauty. She has a crisp, sparkling prose and is today living in Montreal, writing for a living. Ruhas become a bestseller in Quebec, with foreign rights sold to l5 countries around the world. It is really a lullaby for Vietnam and a love letter to a new homeland.

Review by Anne McDougall