Memoir Monday... Graphically speaking

The Golden Voice by Gregory Cahill, Illustrated by Kate Baumann 

In Battambang, Cambodia, in the year 1967, singer Ros Serey Sothea, known to her family as Little Cricket, has been making her name around town, performing at weddings and talent shows despite her periodic bouts of stage fright. Music is a fun distraction from her day job boiling and selling snails, not to mention the political violence that has gripped the country. When she’s offered the opportunity to sing on Cambodia’s National Radio, she goes against her mother’s wishes and runs off to the capital, Phnom Penh. Soon she has a top radio hit and is performing for the Cambodian royal family. Her rising star breeds resentment in some of the other radio performers, including crooner Sos Mat (whom she nevertheless agrees to marry). When the royal family is ousted in an American-backed coup, Ros finds herself forced to write patriotic songs for the new regime. The new political reality doesn’t prevent Ros’ star from rising even higher, though it does wreak havoc on her personal and romantic life. As disruptive as the new government is, however, it is nothing compared to the one waiting in the wings—the brutal communist regime known as the Khmer Rouge. Cahill and Baumann bring Ros’s story to life with subtlety and grace. The writing is economical but effective at capturing the characters’ various personalities. “I think big city living made little cricket soft,” Ros’s mischievous brother tells her when she returns briefly to work on the family farm. “I can just picture you sitting in a French cafe ordering expensive coffee and saying ‘ooh la la.’ ” Baumann’s art is particularly stunning, rendering the shiny studios of Phnom Penh and the green of the countryside in vivid color. Ros’ brilliant but short life makes for an excellent avenue to explore this tumultuous period of Cambodian history and demonstrates the ways that music can capture the spirit of a people—even after the musician is gone. A compelling graphic novel documenting a lost musical history.

I was reading Kirkus Reviews and came across this graphic novel. I had no idea who they were talking about. When I read this same blurb from Kirkus Reviews about Ros Serey Sothea , I was so intrigued. My knowledge of that time period and the Khmer Rouge is from a high school history class many years ago. But that's the thing about books, they open up a whole new world to anyone who wants to discover and learn more. And so, I started reading about Ros Serey Sothea, her music, the era that she became popular and the take over over by the Khmer Rouge. There is a sad ending to her story, but some of her music has been saved, and Ros Serey Sothea's life story has been saved by Gregory Cahill, who wrote this graphic novel, but who also made a documentary about Ros Serey Sothea. A great deal of care and detail went into the writing and illustrating of The Golden Voice. It was important to everyone involved to be accurate with the history and the life of Ros Serey Sothea. I look forward to reading this... keep an eye out for my review in the future.

Published by Life Drawn, an imprint of Humanoids, this will be released this Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023 

Book Spotlight on... The Queen, Her Life by Andrew Morton

The Queen, Her Life by Andrew Morton... Biographer Andrew Morton provides the definitive, most comprehensive account of Queen Elizabeth II's legendary reign. 

Painfully shy, Elizabeth Windsor’s personality was well suited to her youthful ambition of living quietly in the country, raising a family, and caring for her dogs and horses. But when her uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated, she became heir to the throne—embarking on a journey that would test her as a woman and as a queen.

Ascending to the throne at only 25, this self-effacing monarch navigated endless setbacks, family conflict, and occasional triumphs throughout her 70 years as the Queen of England. As her mettle was tested, she endeavored to keep the monarchy relevant culturally, socially, and politically, often in the face of resistance from inside the institution itself. And yet the greatest challenges she faced were often inside her own family, forever under intense scrutiny; from rumors about her husband’s infidelity, her sister’s marital breakdown, Princess Diana’s tragic death, to the recent departure of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Now in The Queen, renowned biographer Andrew Morton takes an in-depth look at Britain’s longest reigning monarch, exploring the influence Queen Elizabeth has had on both Britain and the rest of the world for much of the last century. From leading a nation struggling to restore itself after the devastation of the second World War to navigating the divisive political landscape of the present day, Queen Elizabeth has been a reluctant but resolute queen. This is the story of a woman of unflagging self-discipline who will long be remembered as mother and grandmother to Great Britain, and one of the greatest sovereigns of the modern era.

I haven't read one Andrew Morton book, but I love the Queen. Somehow I just see Andrew Morton as a sensationalist, putting gossip into print. I don't know why, it's just the impression I get from celebrity biographies that aren't authorized by the subject of the book. Andrew Morton did get authorization from one of his subjects... Princess Diana, for his book Diana, Her True Story in Her Own Words. With the recent passing of HRH Queen Elizabeth II, Andrew Morton's book will be published November 15th by Grand Central Publishing. The book was originally scheduled for release in 2023. Grand Central Publishing generously sent me an eGalley to read. One point to note is that this book is suppose to be an "update" to his book published last year for the Queen's Jubilee. I'm looking forward to reading this. It has gotten good reviews and Grand Central Publishing generously sent me an eGalley to read & review. So mark your calendars for Nov 15th, when The Queen by Andrew Morton will be available at your local bookstore! And keep your eyes out for my review coming soon...

Memoir Monday... The Sagrada Familia by Gijs Van Hensergen

The Sagrada Familia by Gijs Van Hensergen... An illuminating biography of one of the most famous--and most famously unfinished--buildings in the world, the Sagrada Familia of Barcelona.

The scaffolding-cloaked spires of Antoni Gaudí's masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia, dominate the Barcelona skyline and draw in millions of visitors every year. More than a century after the first stone was laid in 1882, the Sagrada Familia remains unfinished, a testament to Gaudí's quixotic ambition, his religious devotion, and the sensuous eccentricity of his design. It has defied the critics, the penny-pinching accountants, the conservative town-planners, and the devotees of sterile modernism. It has enchanted and frustrated the citizens of Barcelona. And it has passed through the landmark changes of twentieth-century Spain, surviving two World Wars, the ravages of the Spanish Civil War, and the "Hunger Years" of Franco's rule.

Gijs van Hensbergen's The Sagrada Familia explores the evolution of this remarkable building, working through the decades right up to the present day before looking beyond to the final stretch of its construction. Rich in detail and vast in scope, this is a revelatory chronicle of an iconic structure, its place in history, and the wild genius that created it.

This crazy beautiful Basilica in Barcelona has some history and this biography should be quite interesting. I love the idea of a biography of a piece of architecture too! What do you think?

Memoir Monday... Concussion by Jeanne Marie Laskas

Concussion by Jeanne Marie Laskas... Jeanne Marie Laskas first met the young forensic pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu in 2009, while reporting a story for GQ that would go on to inspire the movie Concussion. Omalu told her about a day in September 2002, when, in a dingy morgue in downtown Pittsburgh, he picked up a scalpel and made a discovery that would rattle America in ways he’d never intended. Omalu was new to America, chasing the dream, a deeply spiritual man escaping the wounds of civil war in Nigeria. The body on the slab in front of him belonged to a fifty-year-old named Mike Webster, aka “Iron Mike,” a Hall of Fame center for the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the greatest ever to play the game. After retiring in 1990, Webster had suffered a dizzyingly steep decline. Toward the end of his life, he was living out of his van, tasering himself to relieve his chronic pain, and fixing his rotting teeth with Super Glue. How did this happen?, Omalu asked himself. How did a young man like Mike Webster end up like this? The search for answers would change Omalu’s life forever and put him in the crosshairs of one of the most powerful corporations in America: the National Football League. What Omalu discovered in Webster’s brain—proof that Iron Mike’s mental deterioration was no accident but a disease caused by blows to the head that could affect everyone playing the game—was the one truth the NFL wanted to ignore.

Taut, gripping, and gorgeously told, Concussion is the stirring story of one unlikely man’s decision to stand up to a multibillion-dollar colossus, and to tell the world the truth.

In sports, you hear horror stories about steroid use and the after effects, and a myriad of other drugs, but you never hear too much about concussions. Boxer Muhammed Ali's form of Parkinson's disease was blamed on injuries to the brain caused by fighting, but even then traumatic brain injury was not heard too loudly. This book seems to bring light to a delicate subject and maybe one we should be talking about more with our children who play these contact sports.

Further reading... Before the book, in 2009, Jeanne Marie Laskas published a story in GQ magazine called, Bennet Omalu, Concussions, and the NFL: How One Doctor Changed Football Forever about Dr. Bennet Omalu. And in 2011, she wrote another story for GQ called The People versus Football about Star linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings, Fred McNeill, and how repeated concussions altered his life. These brain injuries are frightening, heartbreaking, sad and devastating for the men and the families of these men.

Reading right now and not what I expected. Dr. Omalu is very interesting and his background is amazing. Will be reviewing this soon...

Memoir Monday... and The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel

They had the perfect marriage, the perfect smiles, they were married to American Hero's, they were the "Astronaut Wives". I really didn't give The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel a second thought when it started getting some buzz. But then I read a post (Ever Wish for an Out-of-this World Romance? America's Astro Wives Had It, and It Wasn't All Moonbeams) on the Huffington Post by the author, Lily Koppel, that had me wanting more. I loved the title of her article, but it was her writing more than the subject matter that captured my interest. There are enough "celebrity" stories out there that sometimes they all just blend together- different people, same kind of story. Lily Koppel made me want to crack the spine on this one. Maybe it was the tidbit about astronaut Jim Lovell seeing how beautiful the Earth was & how his love for his family, and his wife, grew after seeing the beauty and realizing that all he loved was on that small beautiful planet. Maybe it was Lily Koppel's reference to the astronauts and their wives as "Moon Couples". But in any case I really liked Lily Koppel's writing from that small sample and hope that The Astronaut Wives Club will be a page turner. Here's the blurb from the publisher...

As America's Mercury Seven astronauts were launched on death-defying missions, television cameras focused on the brave smiles of their young wives. Overnight, these women were transformed from military spouses into American royalty. They had tea with Jackie Kennedy, appeared on the cover of Life magazine, and quickly grew into fashion icons.

Annie Glenn, with her picture-perfect marriage, was the envy of the other wives; platinum-blonde Rene Carpenter was proclaimed JFK's favorite; and licensed pilot Trudy Cooper arrived on base with a secret. Together with the other wives they formed the Astronaut Wives Club, meeting regularly to provide support and friendship. Many became next-door neighbors and helped to raise each other's children by day, while going to glam parties at night as the country raced to land a man on the Moon.

As their celebrity rose—and as divorce and tragic death began to touch their lives—they continued to rally together, and the wives have now been friends for more than 50 years. THE ASTRONAUT WIVES CLUB tells the real story of the women who stood beside some of the biggest heroes in American history.

I have always liked strong female protagonists, and The Astronaut Wives Club looks like it has 49! My hope is that The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel, is to the Space Program what Laura Hillenbrand and her book Seabiscuit is to horse racing... And if you haven't read Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand,  it is simply a great book and you should! (here is my review on that great nonfiction book!)

Happy reading... Suzanne

Tweet