This book was so much more than I expected! It is split into three parts: The Reverend, The Lawyer, and the Writer. Through it, the reader gets a trueThis book was so much more than I expected! It is split into three parts: The Reverend, The Lawyer, and the Writer. Through it, the reader gets a true crime story to rival any that have been discussed to death on podcasts, television, and in books of late. But they also get to know so much about Harper Lee's life, including her friendship with Truman Capote and how much she helped him with his In Cold Blood project, her quirks and psyche, her life and personality. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I love: True crime, biography, Harper Lee, well-written prose, and stories from the South. This book hit all of my buttons and I can't wait to discuss it at book club!...more
“This is why I wanted to write this book, to tell about a place I love that doesn’t belong to me but feels like it is mine, and how that feels marvelo“This is why I wanted to write this book, to tell about a place I love that doesn’t belong to me but feels like it is mine, and how that feels marvelous and exceptional.” - Susan Orlean
I wavered between three and four stars on this one. On the one hand, there is not and there probably never will be a satisfying ending to the story of the 1986 burning of the LA public library. This book does go into as much depth as it can to discuss the mystery and the main suspect, but because there is so little to know, the story is interspersed with other historical vignettes. Some of these are quite boring and others are interesting, and it’s probably up to the individual reader which is which. I learned a lot from reading this, about the history of libraries, books, librarians, book burnings, library burnings, homelessness, social programs, and more. The book seeks to demonstrate the importance of libraries in general, and even points out that if all book loans become digital in the future, libraries will still exist as they do now: as the one public space where people can go to become more knowledgeable, network with others, and/or receive social services, all without having to pay for the privilege. Because of this important message and the uplifting ending, I forgive Orlean for occasionally boring me with her research. Everyone is a geek about something!...more
Loading...
