Maeve Noonan - Bookseller in Saratoga Springs
Submitted by mnoonan@northsh... on Tue, 10/29/2013 - 6:02pm
"I live in a house that is held together by books - literally" - KMNoonan
This is a review of recent changes in academic studies/ attitudes of Viking History and archeology by one of the leading bio archeologists working in the Viking/Anglo-Saxon era right now. Totally up to date and top notch research but Jarman is also a great storyteller weaving history, mythology and DNA into a coherent and eye-opening reevaluation of the women's role in Viking History warfare and expansion into the trade routes both East and West. ~ Reviewed by Maeve Noonan
I love the way Doerr constructs not only the storyline but the moral of this multi character and multi time period tale. From war torn Constantinople in the 15th century, 20th century Midwest America and the not so distant future all linked by a Greek play the Birds by Aristophanes from 2400 years ago. Magical and yet starkly real in its warnings for humanity. ~ Reviewed by Maeve Noonan
This is a mystery, a poetic quest to find the life-story of 18thc. Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill, who wrote the heartbreaking lament; the Caoineadh Airt Uí Laoghaire ( the cry for Art O'Leary- his widow) and then was essentially erased from family and public record. It is also a memoir about passion & dedication of motherhood and a writer's life and the thin line between between the past and the present and where passions can become obsessions. Haunting, wild, immersive, beautifully written and award winning. ~ Reviewed by Maeve Noonan
If you are in need of otherworldliness, this is the book for you. This earthy mystical interpretation of Arthurian/ Merlin myth rises above so many of the other mythological retellings out there by its wonderful blending of myth and historical details and characters. Sistersong has one of the most satisfying, twisty endings I've read in a long time. Highly recommended. ~ Reviewed by Maeve Noonan
In 1776, ten days after the Declaration of Independence was announced, Daniel Boone's daughter, Jamima, and two of her friends were kidnapped by native warriors. This seemingly isolated incident would help change American history and define relationships between native peoples, the British and the Colonials. Jemima, like other women of the time, was written out of the historical record except in the roles of victims. They served as the inspiration for James Fenimore Cooper's 'Last of the Mohicans." Pearl uses his deft storytelling talent to sift through myth and tell an engrossing story of heroism and real frontier life that included famous and infamous men and the women who should not have been forgotten. ~ Reviewed by Maeve Noonan
