It’s All About Anne

“Isn’t it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive —it’s such an interesting world. It wouldn’t be half so interesting if we knew all about everything, would it? There’d be no scope for imaginations then, would there?  — Anne in Anne of Green Gables 

This day marked an epoch in my life, as Anne would have said. I have loved Anne since middle school. She has been my constant companion, in her books and in my imagination. She is the reason I wanted to come to Prince Edward Island. Granted, I have found the island to be much more than just Anne, but she was the draw. Seeing the home where L.M. Montgomery spent some time and was married was really nice, but I was most excited to see the house after which she modeled Anne’s home and named Green Gables. The home did not disappoint, nor did the Haunted Wood or Lovers’ Lane, both of which were near the house.

Kathryn and I spent the better part of the day here at Green Gables Heritage Place. The house is a Federal Historic Building and stands on a Prince Edward Island National Park. There was an entrance fee of $9 which in my opinion was worth it. There was an exhibit with a timeline of L.M. Montgomery’s life, information about her books, and the typewriter on which Maude typed the first Anne manuscript.

As we meandered around the home and grounds, I was enchanted. Anne is so real to me, and to be able to immerse myself in the world in which she “lived” was such a gift to me. We heard one of the guides say to a tour group that some people actually believed that Anne was real and cried when they found out that she wasn’t. Kathryn started laughing. That is not me! I know intellectually that Anne is not real, but in my heart she could not be any more of a true person! She has been my dearest and most loyal kindred spirit for  so long. 

                                                                   (Below: Lovers’ Lane)

    

                                   (Below: trail to the Haunted Wood and part of the Haunted Wood)

Travel Through Books

“That's the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet.” -- Jhumpa Lahiri

In this time of world-wide upheaval, when traveling to places far and even near is discouraged or restricted, there is still a way for you to leave your present surroundings and enjoy a sense of journey. The answer is through books!

Books have long been my first source of adventure and escape, and now more than ever, they are providing me the opportunity to visit other worlds, other times, and other peoples as a way of escaping present circumstances and uncertainties. At no other time have books been more available and accessible than they are right now. Many of us have been given the gift of time to visit any place that we choose which can be found between the covers of a book, be it an actual book or virtual. 

Below are some of my favorite book-destinations. Feel free to make your own visit to these favorites of mine. Enjoy the peace, the adventure, the feelings of satisfaction as good conquers evil, the joy of love surviving and thriving, the wonder of new experiences. Then also feel free to share some of your favorite book-destinations. 

Anne of Green Gables -- My favorite go-to for comfort and the companionship of an old friend. The fictional sleepy town of Avonlea, nestled on Canada's Prince Edward Island, is so real to me. I love to walk the forest paths with Anne, look across the Lake of Shining Waters, or run across the field to visit Diana. The visit never disappoints me.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe -- Escaping through the wardrobe door into the land of Narnia is another journey that never disappoints. How exciting it is to see Narnia for the first time or for the hundredth time. How comforting to share a cup of tea with Mr. Tumnus. How awesome to run my hands through Aslan's golden mane. How victorious to see the White Witch and her minions defeated, and then to realize that our Lord has defeated Satan just as completely.

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe -- A visit to Whistle Stop, Alabama in the 1930's never fails to make me laugh. Idgie's high-jinx and Dot Weems' comments bring the town to life. The parallel story of Evelyn becoming Tawanda completes the humorous trip for me. 

Christy -- I love to travel with Christy Huddleston to the backwoods of the Smoky Mountains in the early 1900's. Learning to love the Mountain People, watching Christy as she matures in mind and soul, and enjoying the intricacies of a time long-past is a trip worth taking.

Papa's Wife -- This little-known gem of a book is the first of three by Thyra Ferre Bjorn. The reader is transported to Sweden at the beginning of the 20th century. It is a journey of family, love, and fun. I first read it in high school and loved it so much I considered stealing it from my high school library. (Don't worry, I didn't give in to temptation. I later found the whole series on Amazon.)

Daddy Long-Legs -- Accompanying Judy Abbott as she leaves the orphanage and goes to upstate New York to attend college thanks to the kindness of an anonymous benefactor is a trip well worth taking. I walk alongside Judy as she conquers her fears and becomes who she was meant to be, all while writing detailed letters to her benefactor to keep him up to date with her activities. (The illustrations make it even more fun.)

Joy in the Morning -- Annie also travels to a college-town, but as a wife, not a student. For many years I have returned to Annie's story of trials, achievements, sorrows, and joys as she navigates the life of leaving home and becoming a wife while still becoming her own person. The 1920's midwest college town is the perfect destination for Annie's story.

I have many more favorite books populating my shelves. These books listed above are the old friends in whose company I seek escape and comfort during trying times such as these. The main Book that I go to for comfort however is God's Word, the Bible. It never disappoints. I especially search the Psalms for comfort, reassurance, and peace. I pray that comfort, reassurance and peace for all of you at this time.

Saigon, Place of My Birth

"The end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started." -- T.S. Eliot

I don't know how true that quote is, but it did get me thinking. I have never had the opportunity to go back to where I started. Recently I started wondering about that place. Full disclosure -- the thing that awoke this wondering was an episode of "Magnum, P.I." 

I was born in Saigon, Vietnam. My mom flew there when she was pregnant with me in order to be with my father who was already stationed there in the very early days of the Vietnam War. She and I left Vietnam along with other military dependents when I was 9 months old, and I obviously have never returned. It was a place of war, disease, and confusion but was also the place of my birth. It was where my parents became parents, and was conversely the place where so many parents lost their sons or daughters. Beauty existed there, side by side with filth. It was a place of paradox, and my parents and I were in the middle of it. 

So, my "Magnum, P.I." episode caused me to start an image search of Saigon 1964 which led to the discovery of a book. (Is anyone really surprised?) The book is entitled Station Hospital Saigon A Navy Nurse in Vietnam, 1963-1964. I immediately ordered the book from Amazon. 

The book itself, though interesting and well-written, didn't really unearth any information about my personal story but did open my eyes more to the situation that existed in Saigon in 1964. I don't know if I didn't pick up on enough details from my parents over the years or if they just didn't choose to share everything. Saigon was a pretty rough place that year. Terrorism was real in a time before terrorism became the buzz word that it is today in post 9/11 America. Sickness was also very real. I myself almost died from amoebic dysentery as an infant. You can see in the smaller inset photos above that I was pretty thin. I read that very few of the military personnel stationed in Saigon at the time escaped without at least one bout of amoebic dysentery, so why not me too? 

I am looking forward to the conversations that this book will open up as I pass it on to my parents. I know that it will resonate more with them and bring to mind some memories for them, probably bad memories along with happy ones of their sweet little girl. 

Discovering and reading this book has been an interesting experience for me. It was a unique experience for me to "travel" to the place of my birth via a book of someone else's memories. It reminded me that books can take me anyplace that I want to go, even back to a place that I've already been. 

Where do you want a book to take you? Comment below.

Travel Through Books

"Books are the plane, the train, and the road. They are the destination and the journey. They are home." -- Anna Quindlen

bibliophile -- (n) a person who loves or collects books

As this new year begins, I am revising my blog. I am, in a way, returning to my roots. Before I was able to actually pack up and travel on these journeys I have been on over the last few years, I went to those places by opening the covers of books and jumping in. Books are my original travel itinerary, and I continue to visit far away places and times long ago via printed pages. I will still be writing about my actual journeys (Summer trip announcement coming soon!) but want to also include my journeys through the written word.

Based upon the requests of several readers, I am going to start posting about my latest read. I will also be sharing book recommendations. I also hope to include you, the readers, as you comment about your favorites, latest reads, TBR lists, and where you are traveling when you open your books.

I have been writing down every book I read since I was a sophomore in college, so I have a large stack of book journals. I began by simply notating the title and author of each book but have gradually increased my notations to include when I read the book, where I got it, a short summary, my opinion of the book, and sometimes a few Golden Lines. I highly recommend keeping some kind of book journal; if only to keep you from rereading a book that you didn't really enjoy. Goodreads is an excellent online medium for keeping track of what you've read, what you want to read, and what your friends are reading and recommending. Goodreads also has a yearly Reading Challenge to spur you on in your reading goals. My goal for the year 2020 is to read 50 new reads (which does not count all the rereading I do because I love to revisit favorite characters and stories).

My January reading stack. 

Here are some titles just to get you started as you begin your reading journey this year:

Most favorite overall book -- Anne of Green Gables

Favorite Historical Fiction -- Hadassah: One Night With the King

Favorite Historical Fiction (YA) -- Goodnight, Mr. Tom

Favorite Classic -- Jane Eyre

Favorite Classic (YA) -- The Secret Garden

Favorite Historical Fiction Series -- Zion Covenant Series

Favorite Series (YA) -- Betsy-Tacy Series

Favorite Historical Fiction Mystery Series -- Maisie Dobbs Series

Favorite True Crime -- Bitter Blood and Mississippi Mud (It's a tie, and I can't break it.)

Favorite Fantasy Series (YA) -- Chronicles of Narnia

Favorite Fantasy (YA) -- The Phantom Tollbooth

Favorite Memoir -- An Invisible Thread

Favorite Non-Fiction (History) -- The Day the World Came to Town

Favorite Non-Fiction (Christian) -- Polishing God's Monuments

Favorite Fiction (Non-Historical)  -- Girl in Translation

Favorite Family Chronicle -- Papa's Wife

Favorite Christian Allegory -- Hinds' Feet on High Places

Favorite Book that Made Me Cry -- Sarah's Key

Favorite Book that Made Me Laugh -- Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe

Favorite Book About NYC -- Apple of  My Eye

Favorite Narrative Non-Fiction -- The Last of the President's Men

Favorite Teacher Book -- The Vocabulary-Enriched Classroom

Favorite Christmas Book (Kids) -- Christmas Tapestry

Favorite Book for Writers -- The House on Mango Street

Favorite Fiction Book Written Through Letters: Daddy Long Legs

Favorite Classical Historical Fiction -- The Scarlet Pimpernel


*Notice that I just make up my own categories when I can't make a decision between certain books! (Blogger's prerogative!) I can come up with many more favorites but made myself stop here. (as difficult as it was to find a stopping point)

More to come with a review of my first January read...

Don't forget to comment below and share some info about what you're reading!

Visiting "Deep Valley"

"Hill Street was rightfully named. It ran straight up into a green hill and stopped. The name of the town was Deep Valley, and a town named Deep Valley naturally had plenty of hills. Betsy's house, a small yellow cottage, was the last house on her side of Hill Street, and the rambling white house opposite was the last house on that side." -- from Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace

This summer I was able to make one of my dreams come true! I visited the birthplace of Maud Hart Lovelace, one of my favorite childhood authors. Lovelace wrote an amazing series of books called the Betsy-Tacy books. They tell the story of Betsy Ray and her friends beginning with Betsy's fifth birthday and ending with her first year of marriage. Lovelace wrote the books originally for her daughter, telling the story of her own childhood in the late 1800's and early 1900's in her home of Mankato, Minnesota. She changed the name of the town to Deep Valley and made her own name Betsy and her best friend Frances Kinney's name Tacy.

I have now actually been to Deep Valley! I have seen "Betsy's" and "Tacy's" houses. I have walked down "Hill Street" and many of the other streets that my childhood "friends" walked down. It gave me such a strange feeling of deja vu. I absolutely loved being in the place where characters from some of my favorite books actually lived. I wandered around the older part of Mankato, lost in the descriptions and dialogue from stories etched in my mind after countless readings I could picture Betsy and Tacy as they dressed in their mothers' clothes and called at the chocolate-colored house. I could almost smell the bonfires of burning leaves at Carney's house as Deep Valley High School's students sat in the yard. I could hear the clop-clop of Dandy's hoofs as he brought Mr. Ray home to the little yellow cottage after working in the shoe store all day. It was like visiting relatives who are dear to me!

Connecting my beloved books to my love of travel is thrilling! Mankato touched my heart in a way that not many places can, because I loved it before I ever arrived.

Where do you want to go to connect to a dear book friend? Comment below. I'd love to get some new ideas! (Visiting the red roads of Prince Edward Island to see Anne's Lake of Shining Waters and green-gabled home still tops my list.)

Betsy's house

Tacy's house

**Mankato Notes: 

Broad Street Antiques -- one of the best antique stores I have visited. It has true antiques, and the prices are reasonable. The owner stayed open an extra 30 minutes, giving me time to browse at my leisure. (1434 N. Broad St.)

Pappageorge Restaurant -- ate dinner here. It is small, cozy, quiet. The food was served in generous portions and was very tasty. It was actually recommended by the owner of Broad Street Antiques, and I was pleased with his recommendation! (1028 N. Riverfront Dr.)

All Things Maud Hart Lovelace