Who is Roscoe Turner?

That’s the question I asked when Vanessa Ward, friend and former Kiawah resident, told me about a recently published book by her sister-in-law. The title of the book is Roscoe Turner: Plows to Planes. The author is Boots Hensel. The story of Roscoe Turner centers around a farmer turned aviator who flew wild and risky missions with his pet lion. It is an ideal adventure

What is a ‘Beach Read’

A friend asked me to recommend to her a good ‘beach read.’ I asked her what she meant. First of all, she needed a paperback book she could take to the beach. Didn’t want to take the tablet to the beach, of course. Then she said the story needed to be light. Most books that our book clubs read are NOT ‘beach reads’. Some of

New (Old) Warning

Advice for Wives (circa 1896) (author unknown to me) “The indiscriminate reading of novels is one of the most injurious habits to which a married woman can be subject. Besides the false views of human nature it will impart, it produces an indifference to the performance of domestic duties and contempt for ordinary realities”.

Follow Up on William Kent Kruger interview

I have to say that the my first impression of Kruger was that he reminded me of Mr. Rogers. He did. While doing a little research on his background (after I saw the interview), I read that, before he began his writing career, he earned a Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education. I knew I loved this man! The subject of the interview was mainly

Timely Book Suggestion for Father’s Day or Any Day

Co-founder of The Carlyle Group and patriotic philanthropist David M. Rubenstein takes readers on a sweeping journey across the grand arc of the American story through revealing conversations with our greatest historians. In these lively dialogues, the biggest names in American history explore the subjects they’ve come to so intimately know and understand. — David McCullough on John Adams— Jon Meacham on Thomas Jefferson— Ron Chernow on Alexander Hamilton— Walter Isaacson on Benjamin

Will Reading Make a Person More Empathetic?

According to Jessica Stillman, a contributing writer to INC.com, a recent meta-analysis confirmed what teachers and others have long suspected. Reading a variety of fiction can build empathy. Obviously, reading about people that aren’t like us and situations that are unfamiliar to us help us understand and relate to experiences we have not personally had. Book clubs on Kiawah and around the nation have routinely

Follow Up on Kathryn Smith interview

Just wondering if any of you tuned in for the interview with Kathryn Smith. I did. Two main take-aways1. Gertrude Sanford Legendre became an ardent conservationist and was a member of the Coastal Conservation League.2. Kathryn Smith is an author who thoroughly researches the subjects she writes about. Smith wrote The Gatekeeper, published in 2017. The book is about Marguerite “Missy” LeHand, FDR’s personal secretary. LeHand