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As Always, Jack by Emma Sweeney

Whenever we travel to a different location, I like to visit a bookstore and search for local authors or books set in the area.

When we were in Coronado, California – (yikes, over two years ago now) – I bought this little book written by a woman raised on the island. I only just read As Always, Jack, having re-discovered it when shopping my home shelves during Covid.

Ms. Sweeney never knew her father, Jack, who shared a whirlwind romance with her mother via letters while stationed in the Pacific just after WWII. This slim volume, contains the actual collection of letters from her navy pilot father to her mother during the last months of WWII.

They met in Coronado and knew each other a mere two weeks before he got shipped off. Through their letters they got to know each other, and fell in love. A ten year marriage and five children were the result. To avoid any confusion, I’ll tell you that the author’s mother was pregnant with her when her father’s plane went down during a routine Navy flight.

By the time the Ms. Sweeney was old enough to start wondering about the father she’d never known, her mother had remarried. And with a reluctance to revisit the past, details about her father and their romance were scarce. Following her mother’s passing, Emma discovered a ribbon-tied packet of fragile letters and a photo — through which she finally met her father.

These letters depict far more than the typical navy pilot meets and falls in love with a beautiful California girl. Jack’s sense of humor and wit shines through. His personality is bold and cocky – as he woos, cajoles, and romances this beautiful girl from Coronado. Yet as the same time, he shows his insecurity that she doesn’t love him as much, and grows despondent when her letters don’t arrive.

Well, HALLELUJAH! FOUR letters – ranging from April 28th to May 27th – came home today and the world looks much different. One was sealed with a kiss, one was sealed with a Big kiss, one was sealed with a peck (?), and one was just sealed, which means I got spit on.

Jack tells of the foreign culture (Shanghai, Japan) boredom, lousy food, routine and when he writes about his actual flights, — he glosses over the obvious danger.

I feel pretty good, even though the immediate future isn’t so bright. Not enough of you in it.

Throughout the letters are Jack’s comical illustrations, 1940’s slang and references – from the films he sees on base to the virtues of the Fibber MacGee and Molly radio program – over which they disagree. Jack teases his girlfriend by mixing up her name, adding ten years to her age, and speculating on the number of children they will someday have.

After his release orders come through, and Jack is waiting for transport back to the States, his letters become a bit more subdued as he worries that after five months apart, that she won’t feel the same about him. But he tries to hide his jitters behind his ever resilient humor.

The only disappointment for this reader was that, through no fault of the author, As Always, Jack is one sided – only his letters survived. How wonderful it would have been to have the full correspondence. I’m sure Ms. Sweeney feels the same way.

As Always, Jack is an intensely personal gift from the author — not only by the sharing of her father’s letters, but also with the introduction and afterword she wrote to give a fuller picture of her parents endearing romance.

Posted by BookBarmy on May 6, 2021 in Book Reviews, Memoir

Independent Bookstores

Yesterday was Independent Bookstore Day, but no surprise, I think it should be every day. I am guilty of occasionally getting books from the big A – but, by and large, I do frequent the small independent bookstores in my fair city. Here’s a visual sample of those still here and thriving.

President Obama paid tribute to Independent Bookstore Day by virtually visiting several across the country. He is known for his love of reading and bookstores.

From before Covid and when his girls were younger.

Here’s a wonderful article with embedded videos of his visits to bookstores yesterday ~~ Obama on Independent Bookstore Day

Like all bookstore lovers, he recognizes the importance of these shops and their staff, who will happily recommend a book you’ve never heard of, direct you to an undiscovered author, or just let you browse in peace.

So, let’s all celebrate, shut off the computer/phone, put on that mask, and go visit an independent bookstore near you. You’ll never know what you’ll find.

Find your nearest independent bookstore HERE

Posted by BookBarmy on Apr 25, 2021 in Book Reviews

Vaccination Vacation

We both got both our shots, waited the obligatory two weeks and then took a short vacation down to Carmel by-the-Sea — and yes, that’s its official name.

When coming into the village we immediately felt safe as the signs were very clear – the yellow sign in background warns of $100 fine for not wearing a mask.

We had a cute little place right in town, so parked the car and walked everywhere. Exploring the storybook architecture – unique to Carmel.

And all the little alleys ~~

There was a few rest spots during our wanderings. This one we had to try.

And, of course the ocean views.

It was a lovely couple of days. Wonderful to get out and stay somewhere else.

Not to mention having meals someone else prepared in an idyllic setting that was not our own kitchen or dining room.

Posted by BookBarmy on Apr 21, 2021 in Travels

Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson

A few years ago, Meet me at the Museum was pegged by NPR as “the charmer of the summer.”

That peeked my interest, and when I learned this debut novel was written by the author at 70 years old, well I knew I had to see if the publisher would grant me a copy.

I was delighted when they did just that

Shameful, but two years later, I finally got around to reading this book and found it much more than just a “charmer”.

But wait, I’ll start at the beginning.

Meet me at the Museum is written as an epistolary novel (one of my favorite style of books) and opens with a women’s letter to a Danish museum inquiring about the The Tollund Man*, whose well preserved corpse is exhibited there. I had never heard of The Tollund Man, who lived during the Iron Age, 250 BC, but I learned about him (it?) through this book. This initial inquiry turns into a correspondence between a widower and a farmer’s wife in Great Britain.

These two older adults are both in very different, and difficult, places in their lives, and through the correspondence they develop an candid and close friendship.

The lost art of letter writing is alive and well in this slim novel book. Both characters open up slowly — but eventually they drop their formal addressing and are soon using each other’s first names – Anders and Tina. They are also slow to reveal their past stories and reluctant to share their dis-satisfactions with their current lives — the walls of their privacy, slow to break down.

I found the ways they shared and expressed their viewpoints of both their own and others thoughts and behaviors insightful and often poetic. I kept stopping to mark a passage and would think — what a wonderful way to put that — such as this one.

We should look inside ourselves for fulfillment. It is not fair to burden children or grandchildren with the obligation to make us whole. Our obligation to them is to make them safe and provide them with an education. Karin can do that alone, if she chooses. She owes no one anything else. She owes it to herself to do what is best for her. When I had said this, Mary kissed me. I can’t remember the last time she did that. Or the last time I enjoyed a conversation more.

There are some lovely metaphors in Meet Me at the Museum — such as picking the raspberries in life, and a story of about a Rag Man — both treasures. (Sorry, you’ll have to read it to find out.)

As I read this book, I really enjoyed piecing together these humble character’s lives through their honest and heartfelt correspondence.

This is not a fast-paced, plot-driven novel – it is thoughtful and quiet — rich in depth and language — it was a real reading pleasure.

A digital review copy was kindly provided by Flatiron Books, via Netgalley.

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N.B. Meet Me at the Museum is reminiscent of another favorite of mine Our Souls at Night. (I know I’m getting older, but so many novels are aimed to the under 50 reading audience, and I find myself drawn to books with older, wiser perspectives on life and living

* And now for a little ~~geeky-ness~~ background:

The book was inspired by a poem written by Seamus Heaney – The Tollund Man – which you can read HERE. Mr. Heaney, inscribed part of the poem in the guest book at the Silkeborg Museum (Denmark) in 1973 after he gave a talk on his memories of the Irish bogs where the Tollund Man was discovered.

Even more information HERE — if you’re interested.

Posted by BookBarmy on Apr 2, 2021 in Book Reviews

Take a Book, Leave a Book

All through this last year, Little Free Libraries have sustained readers. Especially when our regular libraries were closed, these little neighborhood boxes were a wonderful way to drop off and pick up books for free.

There are several of these little boxes on the walks I take. During this very looooong year, I’ve been stopping by, leaving and picking up a few extra books. And because of the pandemic, all of them had hand sanitizer — a nice touch. Even with things starting to open up, I think I will continue to drop off and, occasionally, pick up a few books here and there.

You can find these boxes near you at the Free Little Library website there’s a national map.

I’ve been working on Husband for years to build us me one for our teeny tiny front yard. Finally, he has reluctantly agreed, but I’m sure it will be awhile – he’s a busy guy

In the meantime, let’s browse a few little library designs and plans — also on their website.

What do you think?

This one?