Silent Servitude

Dystopias are the literary version of Charles Dickens's Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. They give us a glimpse at what might be, should we not fight for what is.

I have always been attracted to dystopias: they offer a lesson for us to learn, a future to prevent. These negative versions of society challenge us to rise up and act in areas where we are tempted to sit idly by thinking, "Surely that won't happen to me." Each dystopian author presents readers with a lesson to learn. In Fahrenheit 451 and 1984 mankind must take care how government can use technology to limit intelligence. The Giver challenges us to remember the past in order to build a more vibrant future.

The Handmaid's Tale gives voice to the silent, demanding we fight for our future in the midst of a troubling present by remembering the blessings of the past.

Atwood presents a society where women are servile to men. Nuclear war has scarred the earth: harming reproduction of vegetation, livestock . . . and humans. Due to the low reproductive rate of humanity, the Republic of Gilead gains control and forces women into servile positions reminiscent of Biblical times. Poor women or those who have had "indiscretions" in the past are given four options: forced sterility and service as whores; Marthas who function as household servants; Handmaidens, whose sole purpose is to become impregnated by whatever Commander  has interred their service; or choose banishment to serve a short life in the radioactive wasteland. Sterile women or those outside of childbearing years only have three options, while those healthy and under the age of thirty-five may choose to be handmaidens.

The later is the choice of the nameless protagonist of The Handmaid's Tale.

"We yearned for the future" (3).

The novel is a splintered tale of the handmaiden's present with abrupt glimpses into her past and "the time before" the Republic of Gilead seized power. Throughout the novel, the handmaiden shares her struggle in accepting the role society needs her to play and her desire for the freedoms of her past.

I was unexpectedly drawn into Atwood's tale. While the pace of flashbacks took some time to get used to, I appreciated the style of the novel: as if the handmaid were telling me the tale in person, with asides to the memories of her past. I also appreciated that, while sexual interactions were necessary to the plot, Atwood did not give more detail than needed. The base descriptions of the interaction between Commander, Wife, and Handmaiden added to the struggle the handmaiden was having within herself.

There were two items of the story that seemed unnecessary or took up too much space: the handmaiden's search for a friend she met at the beginning of her capture and a club scene between her and the Commander. Truly, I felt these could have been left out entirely, although the latter scene was somewhat justified in the epilogue.

Oh, the epilogue. Whatever you do, don't skip over the epilogue of this book. A brilliant addition to the story---which I won't ruin. Just make sure you read this one from cover (author introduction) to cover (epilogue).

Rating: 4/5 stars
As I said, it took some time for me to get into the style and pace of Atwood's writing and there were a few scenes that seemed unnecessary. Besides that, The Handmaid's Tale is a truly wonderful dystopia, creating a believable alternate future and presenting the reader with a powerful lesson.

The Republic of Gilead

Have you ever been assigned a book, and, purely because it was assigned, found you had a growing disdain for the title without doing a moment of research?

Have you ever heard someone else's opinion on a novel and found yourself immediately turned off from reading it?

Both of these were reasons I avoided picking up Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. Add to that my caution about any book turned to movie/tv show and you found the book I avoided like the plague.

So, what were my major concerns before reading the book?

• Representation of Religion
  One of my peers who chose to read the novel during our graduate course said that Atwood's book confirmed his/her hatred and abandonment of Christianity specifically and of religion in general. As a follower of Christ, I was concerned that this book was not a proper representation of Christianity, but I wasn't courageous enough to read the book and have that conversation at the time.
• Feminism
  Because I chose another book for the grad course, I could only view the novel through the eyes of those who did read it, and the response was overwhelmingly feminist. Now, I am an advocate for women, but I do believe much of the feminist movement has gotten out of control, focusing on only the negative and not on how men and women work together to create our world. 

 What drew me to the book?

Honestly? I caved to peer pressure. I recently joined the PageHabit team and started a "bookstagram" and The Handmaid's Tale kept popping up. I realized that I could not justifiably disregard the book until I had at least attempted to read it. Plus, I purchased it for $1.50.

Have I sold you yet? I know this sounds skeptical, but bear with me and keep reading.

The Introduction

The Handmaid's Tale, though it has recently gained national attention via a Netflix show based on Atwood's book, is not a new publication. Atwood began writing the dystopia in 1984 and it was originally published two years later. In 2017, with the production of the Netflix show underway, Atwood added an introduction to the novel. The teacher in me never skips the introduction and I was please to find that the author addressed the concerns I listed above. 

First, she addressed the topic of feminism:

"...is The Handmaid's Tale a "feminist" novel? If you mean an ideological tract in which all women are angels and/or so victimized they are incapable of moral choice, no. If you mean a novel in which women are human beings--with all the variety of character and behavior that implies--and are also interesting and important, and what happens to them is crucial to the them, structure, and plot of the book, then yes. In that sense many books are "feminist" (xvi).

 Here Atwood so poignantly addresses that fact that any book which presents women as fallible human beings is presenting women in a favorable, realistic light. Many novels have female characters that are crucial to the story who face incredible situations, yet never stop fighting for their individuality and freedom.

Second, she addressed the topic of religion:

"Is The Handmaid's Tale anti-religion? Again, it depends on what you mean by that. True, a group of authoritarian men seize control and attempt to restore an extreme version of the patriarchy, in which women (like nineteenth-century American slaves) are forbidden to read. . . . they can't control money or have jobs outside the home, unlike some women in the Bible. The regime uses Biblical symbols, as any authoritarian regime taking over America doubtless would, they wouldn't be Communists or Muslims" (xvii). 

This is the paragraph that actually opened my eyes and encouraged me to read the book with an open mind. Notice some of her words: "an extreme version of the patriarchy", "unlike some women in the Bible", and "uses some Biblical symbols".

Every good dystopia is built upon making a minor thing--which is often innocent or useful--an extreme problem. In the Hunger Games the world is divided into industries, in Divergent it is character traits, The Giver takes away memories to wipe away fear (and happiness). Atwood creates her dystopia by taking principals and traditions of Christianity and seeing how they could be used to create an adverse, authoritarian society.

Note secondly, that Atwood addresses how this world treats women differently than women in the Bible. Many women in the Bible held positions of power and respect. The Proverbs 31 woman is a well-rounded, independent woman. While she does perform many of the tasks that are mandated for the Marthas and Handmaids in The Handmaid's Tale, we also see that she oversees her household (verse 15) and purchases land (verse 16) and that through the characteristics described from verses 10-31, she earns her husband's honor and trust. The men of Gilead have no respect for women, and the women thereby have little respect for themselves and those around them.

Finally, Atwood points out that the authoritarian government she created uses Biblical symbols.
I won't ramble much longer as this ties to the last point. Unfortunately, many people--religious and non-religious--have used symbols, stories, and principles found in Scripture to advocate for causes that, I believe, are completely in opposition with the Bible. Did Jacob have two wives? Yes. Did Rachel give her handmaid to Jacob to provide children in her name? Yes. Does that mean God condones such actions. Absolutely not.

As you can see, I had quite a bit on my mind as I opened the cover of The Handmaid's Tale, but that didn't prevent me from reading the dystopia from cover to cover.

Fel's Manteca Colora (almost)

Now Fel stood in the Nomeolvides kitchen, melting down manteca, dyeing it red with paprika and chili powder. He tore green herbs into pieces, letting them fall into the bright sauce.

. . . He sliced day-old bread and spread it over a metal sheet. He brushed it with olive oil and garlic cloves and left it in the oven until the edges browned.

As he swirled the spoon through the wide copper pot, this family and this kitchen felt so much like his that he didn't worry about the paprika staining the wooden spoon. He stirred in bay and oregano leaves, and they sank into the manteca colora. The stems gave off a low, bitter smell that made him remember the gold and orange of fall leaves. (Wild Beauty, 108-109) 

Let me begin by stating, I know this recipe is wrong. But, I'm also okay with that because from what I can tell, manteca colora is a family-by-family recipe. Even Fel and Estralla disagree on what exactly the meal consists of.

Last night, I invited a friend over to help me make Fel's version of manteca colora, as described in the quotation above. I also searched online to find a similar recipe, and found this definition:

Manteca colora (Andalusian for "red lard") is a food item prepared by adding spices (usually bay leaf and oregano) and paprika--which is what gives the dish its characteristic orange color--to lard, which is then cooked with minced or finely shopped pieces of pork. (wikipedia)

McLemore mentions that Fel pulls out day old bread, manteca, and meat, so we started there.

Day Old Bread: I must admit, I do not keep day old bread in my house, so . . . I faked it. I toasted two slices of bread then, as described above, my friend set it on a pan, brushed it with olive oil, and sprinkled on a little garlic salt. The bread was placed in the oven at 200F for about six minutes.

Manteca: I'm supremely embarrassed to tell you thatnothing. So, all I can tell you is I used a bunch of butter--probably close to two sticks or one cup. What I should have done: combine the butter/fat and spices (I used cumin, oregano, and paprika, totally overlooked the chili) in a bowl and melt in microwave or stove. Hey, I'm sure Fel would have used a microwave if he had one.
my dish was missing the main ingredient, lard. I don't keep that on hand (don't judge me, I'm a newlywed who has only just started to cook). What do I have in my kitchen to substitute? Butter. I wanted to be true to the story, so I measured

Meat: Traditional menteca colora recipes use pork, but the meat I had on hand was canned chicken. I had a total brain fart and threw everything into one bowl before melting the butter/spices. Next time, I'll follow the directions I listed above. Shred the meat and add to the manteca mixture.

Spanish rice and Manteca Colora.
Notice: mine is not a rich red color.
I believe adding chili will help with
that in the future. 

From here, I know what I made was wrong. Next time, I will let the meat simmer in the manteca to ensure it thickens a little. As Fel did, I served mine warm: a foundation of toast with the manteca colora spooned on the top. My friend and I felt something was missing, so we added cheese. As I read more about the dish, I realized it is generally served at breakfast, so I drizzled honey over mine (so incredibly amazing), but my friend chose to go without.

There you go! My failed attempt at Fel's Manteca Colora as described in Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore.

Fel spooned the manteca colora over the bread, softening the edges. He served the Nomeolvides women, grandmothers and mothers and daughters, hoping they would speak, talk to one another about anything, knowing they wouldn't He sat down with them, and they ate. The paprika's spice slid over their tongues, the herbs coming up through the red enough that they still tasted green and alive. (Wild Beauty, 110) 

Bookish Baking

About a year ago, my wonderful husband introduced be to Binging with Babish on YouTube . Babish devotes his channel to cooking recipes mentioned in movies and tv shows; then, he makes them better. Usually with the addition of alcohol (check the man out, he's amazing).  

I was cooking dinner when I told my husband that I was reviving this blog. As I gathered ingredients and pans from various cabinets around our tiny kitchen, I mentioned that I wanted to bring something different to the table--I wanted this to be more than "this is my review, blah, blah, blah". Halfway through our conversation I realized what I wanted to do: a literary version of Binging with Babish. A bookish baking blog, if you will.

Now, be warned, I AM NOT BABISH. That man is amazingly talented and has a wonderful channel. For now, there definitely won't be videos--I sound like I'm twelve when I'm recorded. Also, I'm no culinary master. Nope, just your average housewife who can generally follow and make minor changes to recipes found on Pinterest. I do love to cook and experiment . . . and binge watch all of the culinary and baking shows on Netflix.

This is to be a culinary adventure inspired by literature. Some recipes will be a success and some--I'm sure--will horribly fail; some will be reminiscent of a meal your grandma made and some will have you scratching your head because I probably made it wrong. Whatever the case, feel free to share your culinary adventures or corrections to my culinary adventures in the comments.

Until it's supper time,

Lynnae

Wild Beauty

"Readers Block" maimed me through most of 2016-2017, partly due to the aggressive pace I set for completing my graduate degree and partly due to lesson planning as a middle school English teacher. But with the completion of my course work in January, my husband encouraged me to actually read the books I had received. My sister recently began a subscription as well, and recommended I move Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore up on my TBR list. I loved several of my other OwlCrate books (reviews may come later as I play catch-up), so McLemore's text became my mid-December read.

What attracted me to the book?

To begin with, Wild Beauty  has a beautiful cover, and, isn't that what initially draws us to any book? I love flowers--even though I have a tendency to kill them--so our apartment is filled with living, dying, and faux flora.

Second, I loved the premise of a book that centered on familial relationships. The main characters are five female cousins with a powerful bond of family and friendship.

Third, I've been missing my Hispanic students since moving back from Texas and I love that this book blends Spanish vocabulary into the text and introduces the reader to some of the intimacy and delicacies of the culture.

I must be honest, this one was hard for me to get into.

The first hundred pages seemed to drag on. Yes, I said the first hundred pages, but I was determined to make it through, so I kept reading and moving my motivation Post-It fifty pages ahead. 

What made the book difficult to read?

I didn't know exactly how to put this, but when reading a random review on GoodReads, I realized I agreed with another reader: the author was too descriptive. And odd drawback, no? Especially coming from me, the girl who loves to read the amplified Bible. McLemore was so descriptive, that the reader hardly had room to imagine the space. And example of too much "show" in places. The descriptions made the story lag a bit, for me. 

The element that irritated me the most was the authors way of including an LGBT theme. While I have no problem with the inclusion of LGBT content, the content of this book--as explained in the first hundred pages--seemed forced.

* * * * * SPOILER WARNING * * * * *

 All five cousins were in love with the same girl. And they all knew it. And they all kept trinkets. I don't have five close female cousins [I was blessed to have a multiplicity of boy cousins], but I have had  many close girlfriends throughout high school and college and, let me tell you, there's is no jealously and rivalry like two girls in love with the same person. LET ALONE FIVE. McLemore painted the cousins' relationship as friendly and accepting that they were all in love with the same person, but I just couldn't buy in. 

Now, I will say, my feelings changed quite a bit at the twist in the story. McLemore nearly redeems herself with a solidly realistic explanation. 

Estralla and her cousins blessed one another's love for Bay, not only because they share it, but [also] because they considered it impossible (174).

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 What redeemed the book?

There several wonderful things about Wild Beauty that allow me to comfortably recommend this to other readers, with a fair warning that it has a slow start. 

First, the enchantment of the story. Without spoiling any more of the story, the magical garden that McLemore created is truly enchanting and the curse that binds the Nomeolvides women together will keep you reading from cover to cover.

Second, the mysterious boy that appears keeps you involved because, like Estralla and the rest of the women, you want to learn more about who he is, who he was, and why the garden released him from the ground (that's no spoiler, it's on the book jacket). 

Third, the twist does exactly what the author intended: I couldn't set the book down for another few chapters because I wanted to read the twist through to the peak of the climax. 

Finally, McLemore resolves her tale beautifully. Again, I won't give away any more, but by the final paragraph, Estralla has had a true coming of age: acceptance of self, love lost and gained, and a rebirth of who she will be. 

Rating: ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐

A New Evolution

New Year, New Me, right?

I can't believe it's been five years since I last blogged, but one of my resolutions for 2018 was to get back to blogging, specifically blogging about books I'm reading.

 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Quick Overview:

In the past 5 years I have

• completed my undergraduate: English Ed
• taught English, theatre, yearbook, and computer applications
• completed my graduate degree: English: Creative Writing
• moved to Texas
• moved back to Missouri
• married the love of my life

 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This blog started as part of a class assignment during my undergrad--my online reader's journal. From there, I shared a few books I liked, but at not consistent rate. That's about to change.

Over the past year, I had the pleasure of subscribing to a monthly book box: OwlCrate (definitely recommend). Unfortunately, I had to cancel the subscription because adulating takes money, but I hope to renew the subscription soon. Less than a week after cancelling OwlCrate, I found an ad on Intagram from another subscription box, PageHabit, looking for a new moderator for one of their book box genres. I applied.

And they accepted me!

So, how is this blog evolving? Subtly.

From Cover to Cover will still cover books I'm reading and I promise to be open about the good, the bad, and the ugly about each text. My aim is to write a literary analysis of the text. Some will be longer than others.

The main difference will be that each month you will find my review of the PageHabit book assigned to me for the previous month (head's up--I'm moderating Romance). So, expect quite a few plugs for PageHabit within posts.

But there will be other texts, too. I have several books from OwlCrate to complete and I want to read a variety of genres this year.

Here's to a new year, a new me, and a (slightly) new evolution to this blog. Come back often to see what I've been reading from Cover to Cover.

Tuesdays at the Castle

I unashamedly admit that I thoroughly enjoy reading juvenille fiction. My cousin, who also happens to be one of my students, fuels this passion by sliding books across my desk & into my teacher's bag (by rights, I do the same to her).

The latest book to slither into my possession was Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George.

Although the book may initially suggest the mysterious movings of Hogwarts from J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, George breathes life into the stones and mortar of Glower castle in a captivating, unique way. Each Tuesday, out of supposed boredom, Glower castle changes. rooms are added or eliminated, stretched or shrunk. The weekly castle's weekly adjustments are old news to the inhabitants of the castle and the land. The castle shows it personality in other ways, too: kings rise and fall according to the castle's will (and there's no use fighting because it will simply kick you out or rearrange).

Celie of Glower, the youngest of the four royal children, leads the reader on a tour of this magical place as she seeks to map the ever appearing, and disappearing rooms. When trouble strikes, it is up to the three youngest Glower children--Rolf, Lilah, & Celie--to defend the castle and their family and their land from hostile neighbors.

Of course, the castle helps defend itself to.

You and your 4th-8th graders are sure to enjoy this captivating little story about Princess Celie and her creative castle.