The Sunday Salon and Road Trip Reading

The month of July came and went with the blink of an eye. My reading in July was a bit sporadic... for two reasons. First, because I read a fantastic book that ruined my reading for a while. Do you know what I mean?! I was so into that story that when it was over nothing could hold my interest (The book was The Bone Tree by Greg Iles, and it is the second in a planned trilogy taking place in Natchez, Mississippi. And my review will be posted soon). And secondly, hubby and I went on a road trip to the lowcountry, to Charleston, SC...

Road trips are fun! For 2 weeks we drove the back roads, making our way to Charleston, SC from Connecticut and then making our way to other parts of the Carolina's and finally back to Connecticut. Charleston was beautiful! Heaped in history, beauty and culture, my reading changed from fiction to history. Plantations and beautiful gardens abound, but reminders of the War Between the States, or the Civil War as us Northerners refer to it, also dominate the culture of the city. In Charleston Harbor is Fort Sumter, site of the first shots fired in the war between the states, a war not over slavery, but of the South's independence and freedom from the high tariffs imposed by the federal government. Beautiful HUGE homes still line the streets of the historic section of Charleston, a reminder of the wealth generated by the cotton trade, as well as a section of homes painted in pastel colors referred to as Rainbow Row, that is rumored to have been painted that way so that drunken sailors could distinguish their home from others. Downtown, you can also find the Gullah making their beautiful
Sweetgrass baskets! Sweetgrass baskets are a traditional West African art form passed down from generation to generation for over 300 years. I was fortunate to be able to take one home with me, the sweet smell subtly filling my livingroom and reminding me of our trip.

Charleston is also the place of a horrible tragedy that happened June 17th when a 21 year old man, opened fired in Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, after attending a bible study, and killed 9 people. He admittedly was trying to ignite a race war, but instead launched a modern day debate on the flying of the confederate flag, which has been associated with certain hate groups, but is also a symbol of heritage for the descendents of the men and women who gave their lives during a war against tyranny.

My trip also included food! Southern fried chicken, grits and deep fried pickles! Our travels landed us at Mary Lou's Kitchen for some authentic lowcountry food, which consisted of the most delicious fried chicken I've ever eaten, gumbo, and cornbread. And I also found some absolutely to die for Shrimp & Grits at Tommy Condon's Irish Bar. Although I've always liked Southern made grits, I think Shrimp & grits is the new "it" food, because every restauraunt has a version. Tommy Condon's consisted of Shrimp & grits with a creamy tomato parmesan sauce.


So, my Road Trip Reading consisted of reading about the War Between the States, Antebellum homes and architecture, the history behind Sweetgrass baskets, the history of Fort Sumter, lowcountry cooking and Magnolia Cemetery (yes, we made a special trip to this historic cemetery, filled with incredible headstones, beautiful landscaping and wonderful genealogy!)! Oops, I forgot to mention I also was reading road maps because you need to if you want to travel "unconventional" roads.

What do you do on vacation? Do you have time to open a book? Do you immerse yourself in the history of the places you'll be visiting? What was your favorite vacation spot this year? I'd love to hear all about it!

On to more "conventional" reading next week! And of course some hot reading recommendations!

Happy reading... Suzanne

The Sunday Salon... Happy Independence Day! Historical Books with Buzz, and a little "Independence" News

Happy July Fourth! Today is the day we celebrate the birth of The United States of America. On July 4th, 1776 Congress announced that the 13 American Colonies were now independent states, free from British rule.

The Declaration of Independence, one of America's most cherished documents, was originally drafted by Thomas Jefferson between June 11th, 1776 and June 28th, 1776. On July 2nd, 1776 the Continental Congress voted in favor to declare our independence from Great Britain, and onJuly 4th, the wording of The Declaration of Independence was finalized and approved by Congress. Historians differ on the actual date that the Declaration was signed, some believing that it was signed on August 2nd, 1776. In any case July 4th is the day we as American's celebrate our freedoms as a nation.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Many names are associated with the Declaration of Independence... Two future presidents, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams... The oldest signer was Benjamin Franklin, he was 70... And John Hancock, whose LARGE decorative signature on the Declaration has become synonymous with "signature". Want to learn more about the influential men & women of the times? How about reading a good book? Here are some Historical Books with Buzz...

The Lette

rs of John and Abigail Adams by (John & Abigail Adams) and Edited by Frank Shuffelton... The story of John & Abigail go beyond a love story. They lived through a remarkable

period of time during the infancy of our nation. Abigail was the perfect partner to

John, a woman with her own opinions and thoughts. And that is why this book has gotten so much praise, for its' wonderful exchange between two "equals", and its' ability to give us a glimpse into this period of history through the passionate exchange of ideas between two people who respected and loved eachother. Here's what the publisher writes... An intimate portrait of a colonial family and an important historical record of the beginnings of American government.

The Letters of John and Abigail Adams provides an insig

htful record of American life before, during, and after the Revolution; the letters also reveal the intellec

tually and emotionally fulfilling relationship between John and Abigail that lasted fifty-four years and withstood historical upheavals, long periods apart, and personal tragedies. Covering key moments in American history-the Continental Congress, the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, the Revolutionary War, and John Adams's diplomatic missions to Europe-the letters reveal the concerns of a couple living during a period of explosive change, from smallpox and British warships to raising children, paying taxes, the state of women, and the emerging concepts of American democracy.

The Adams-Jefferson Letters: The Complete Correspondence

Between Thomas Jefferson and Abigail and John Adams... Two of the most influential men behind the Declaration of Independence were both "friends" and rivals, first meeting as members of the Continental Congress and later as rivals for the highest position of the United States, president. From the Publisher... An intellectual dialogue of the highest plane achieved in America, the correspondence between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson spanned half a century and embraced government, philosophy, religion, quotidiana, and family griefs and joys. First meeting as delegates to the Continental Congress in 1775, they initiated correspondence in 1777, negotiated jointly as ministers in Europe in the 1780s, and served the early Republic—each, ultimately, in its highest office. At Jefferson's defeat of Adams for the presidency in 1800, they became estranged, and the correspondence lapses from 1801 to 1812, then is renewed until the death of both in 1826, fifty years to the day after the Declaration of Independence.

1776 by

David McCullough... David McCullough didn't win a Pulitzer

Prize for 1776 (he did win one for both his biography of Truman and John Adams), but he won the popularity prize. When this book came out in 2006, it soared in popularity, and for good reason- David McCullough is a great writer and makes history accessible to the "non-history" major. Here's a description from Amazon... Esteemed historian David McCullough covers the military side of the momentous year of 1776 with characteristic insight and a gripping narrative, adding new scholarship and a fresh perspective to the beginning of the American Revolution. It was a turbulent and confusing time. As British and American politicians struggled to reach a compromise, events on the ground escalated until war was inevitable. McCullough writes vividly about the dismal conditions that troops on both sides had to endure, including an unusually harsh winter, and the role that luck and the whims of the weather played in helping the colonial forces hold off the world's greatest army. He also effectively explores the importance of motivation and troop morale--a tie was as good as a win to the Americans, while anything short of overwhelming victory was disheartening to the British, who expected a swift end to the war.

As we shoot off the fireworks, grill the burgers and enjoy our freedoms, it's almost inconceivable to think back 234 years ago and imagine the freedoms we did not possess then. (of course for us women that took even a little longer than 1776!) But at least we are afforded the ability to go back in time and read the thoughts of our fore fathers in books and the original documents. And if you'd like to read the real thing, the Original Declaration of Independence (along with Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights) is permanently housed and exhibited in the Rotunda for the Charter of Freedom, which is located in the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C.

What historical books are you reading? Who's your favorite "independent" figure?

I hope you enjoyed a bit of historical book buzz today! And hope you have a wonderful Independence Day!

*P.S. Did you know that originally Thomas Jefferson wrote in one of the drafts of the Declaration "subjects" instead of "citizens"!? For a long time scholars speculated about the "citizens smear" on the draft, but recently with the help of spectral imaging technology, the Library of Congress has determined that Jefferson originally wrote "subjects" in a line (which was later removed from the final text), and thought better of it, because we were no longer subjects! You can read about it at News from The Library of Congress.