We, too, took advantage of the sunshine and visited three forest preserves (Old School Van Patten Woods Des Plaines River canoe launch (the latter has a trail along the river)) and Hosah Park (Zion's piece of the lakefront, wedged between the north and south units of Illinois Beach State Park).
Purple coneflower, lady fern, common reed. Sumac, woodland sunflower. Purple loosestrife with a bumble bee, burdock in flower (a little purple thistle), more Queen Anne's lace.
1860's, in Brooklyn: Libertie's mother is a homeopathic physician in a free Black community. Her patients include Black women but also white women with "problems" they want to keep secret. Mama and her network help escaped slaves evade the authorities. Libertie witnesses their anxiety--what is now called post-traumatic stress. As the years go on, Mama determines that Libertie will go to college, become a physician, and return to Brooklyn so they can practice together. Libertie rebels, seeking her own version of freedom, by marrying a Black man whose family are American missionaries to Haiti (seeking to impose their norms on the Haitians). Libertie finds this new milieu to be even more constraining. Eventually she sets her sights on returning to Brooklyn.
Freedom is more nuanced than we think.
Malcolm Kershaw is co-owner of Old Devils, a mystery bookstore in Boston. An FBI agent comes to call about a series of murders. They seem to be connected to a blog post he wrote years earlier about eight mysteries with "the perfect" (unsolvable) crime. In classic unreliable-narrator fashion Mal has to deal with the old devils of his past.
I enjoyed both the literary references and the Boston and Maine setting. ~~~~~~
Raised in rural Connecticut, Anthony Comstock moved to New York after the Civil War. He joined the YMCA movement that sought to provide a wholesome outlet for young men with athletics, lending libraries, and lectures to distract them from the allure of gambling dens and brothels. With his work in the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice he lobbied successfully for what is known as the Comstock Act -- federal legislation that made it illegal to distribute or even talk publicly about sex and sexuality, from pornographic novels, titillating photographs, and belly dancing to contraceptives and sex education books.
Sohn profiles eight women who were targets of Comstock's witch hunts. Though they were quite different from one another, they all advocated for women's autonomy and the ability (and authority) to make their own choices about marriage and childbearing. Victoria Woodhull and Tennessee Claflin were sisters, suffragists, and successful financiers. Madam Restell was an abortionist. Ida Craddock, Angela Heywood, and Sara Chase provided information in publications and public lectures. Emma Goldman and Marjorie Sanger advocated for family planning and birth control.
This is an informative and lively addition to women's history.
I thank Grace for alerting to this one! Textile history, some Native American needlework, bedcoverings and quilted petticoats -- and bed quilts spanning three centuries.
Kaffe's 2021 collection is showcased in Lavenham, Suffolk. The colo(u)rful half-timbered buildings, gone wonky with age, are a wonderful backdrop.
Your revised wedding quilt is so very worth all the ripping you had to do. I really like the new look. Especially like the grey repeat of the pattern for the borders. Interesting group of books this week. I've slowed down on my reading and listening to books this past week. Need to make sure I finish listening to the current book or it will be wicked away in 3 days.
ReplyDeleteThe wedding quilt looks great! I love the way you used two different sashing fabrics, and the border is fantastic! I always enjoy reading your book reviews, and usually end up adding a book or two to my holds list at the library.
ReplyDeletelovely flower photos...and wow the wedding quilt is stunning! thanks for the book reviews always...i just discovered peter colt...and i've put that maine quilts book on my christmas list already...lol...glad you like it...my friend wendy is featured...i agree about the olympics but at least we saw all opening and closing which were outstanding...the japanese are certainly experts with technology!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your many photos!!!
ReplyDeleteoh my! what a lovely wedding quilt! We watched the Olympics...toggling between three different NBC channels. I also looked up event but to find out the winner...
ReplyDeleteYou must love that wedding couple a lot to put in the effort you have! It's going to be stunning. The mullein by our roadsides is/are at its peak. Thanks for the book recs.
ReplyDeleteThose walks look like so much fun. Great photographs. The books sound interesting, especially the women's history one.
ReplyDeleteYou always share such interesting reading. I actually have Eight Perfect Murders downloaded, but haven't started reading it yet.
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