Book Review- Jon Meacham's And There was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle

Thank you to Libro FM for an audio arc of Jon Meacham’s And There was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle.

Historian and journalist Jon Meacham does a deep-dive into the life of the sixteenth President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. Meacham details how a man of humble beginnings was able to make inroads with power circles, including marrying the upper-class Mary Todd Lincoln, and gaining the esteem of important people to boost his political aspirations.

And There is Light is an absolutely fascinating presidential biography. Prior to reading Meacham’s work, I knew a fair bit about Lincoln. I think most American’s do, as we spend a lot of time learning about the Civil War in school. However, I think the timing of this book is very relevant, as there are clear parallels to the state of the country during Lincoln’s time and our present situation. Lincoln’s greatest presidential challenge was to try to bring together a country divided on ideological lines and even more so, after the war had ended.

We may be at a precipice right now. I actually listened to this book months ago and have not had time to write the review. I didn’t even realize, until typing this paragraph, that former President Trump is hours away from his arraignment in Florida. This is historic, yet also deepening the divide. And There was Light made me consider how we move forward after a major event, such as the Civil War, when tensions are still high and people still don’t agree. Is it even possible?

I had not previously known about Mary Todd Lincoln’s heath struggles, especially with mental health. The intimate details about Lincoln’s family life added an interesting layer to the biography. And There was Light is a well-rounded portrait of a man, who just happened to go on to make history. I recommend this for anyone interested in presidential biographies or American History.

Book- Bonnie Garmus' Lessons in Chemistry

Primarily set in the 1950’s, Lessons in Chemistry follows Elizabeth Zott, a chemist who only wants to be taken seriously in her career, but faces an uphill battle due to her gender. After years of struggling, she finds career success in an unlikely source, as the host of a popular cooking show. Zott infuses her show, Supper as Six, with chemistry lessons that in turn, empower her mostly female audience.

Lessons in Chemistry has been an enormously successful book. I’m a bookseller and it has been hard to keep on shelves. It’s a popular book club pick and will soon be turned into a tv mini-series starring Brie Larson. I can now understand the appeal of Lessons in Chemistry. The story is a good blend of humor and heart with a strong feminist theme.

Elizabeth Zott is a complicated character. She is often too hard for her own good and has experienced so much heart break that she has trouble opening up to others. She further complicates relationships with coworkers by taking on a directness regarding her duties and her dreams. She is blunt and what you see, is what you get. This directness both gets her in trouble and allows her to seize opportunities. Elizabeth is conventionally attractive, which makes her a target for men’s attention and jealously of other women, even though Elizabeth doesn’t use this quality to get ahead.

The most interesting dynamic is Elizabeth’s relationship with her daughter, Mad. Mad is incredibly intelligent and inquisitive, but similar to her mother, she struggles in social situations. Elizabeth feels the pain of seeing her daughter experience similar struggles to her own, but also does not want to compromise her daughter’s abilities or dreams. However, we are left feeling that each generation of women will have it a bit better and that Mad’s struggles will not be exactly the same as her mother’s, especially as her mother helped pave the way.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Six-Thirty, the dog. I knew going into the book, that we would get inside Six-Thirty’s head to have the dog’s perspective and to be honest, I wasn’t sure how that would work. I’m an animal lover, but I wasn’t sold on this aspect of the story. It’s actually very sweet and helps move the narrative. We see Elizabeth and Mad through the dog’s eyes, seeing them in ways that they don’t quite see themselves, giving emotional resonance when the characters cannot be emotional themselves. The dog also serves as a protector, which helps set the reader at ease, especially when the characters are in danger.

Overall, I enjoyed Lessons in Chemistry and I can understand all of the positive reviews. I did find sections to be a bit uneven in pacing and tone, but not enough to damper my enjoyment. I think the limited series might be better than the book, or at the very least, I’m excited for the costumes and sets. Stylistically, it should be eye-candy!

Book Review- Spencer Schneider's Manhattan Cult Story

Thank you to Libro FM for an audio arc of Spencer Schneider’s Manhattan Cult Story: My Unbelievable True Story of Sex, Crimes, Chaos, and Survival. The audio book is narrated by Austin Rising.

Young, professional, and successful Spencer Schneider was recruited to joined a cult called “The School.” Initially, “The School” seemed to be a self-help style class that was attended by rising stars in fields such as law, medicine, and finance. The attendees were hand-selected for this secretive program and they were told that they were not only lucky to have been picked, but to keep it a secret from everyone in their lives. Through psychological manipulation, Schneider believed that this was a benefit to his life and not a cult, even though he noticed more sinister aspects of the organization as his involvement grew deeper.

Former actress, Sharon Gans was the head of “The School.” She could be a harsh critic and formidable character that had her followers catering to her every need, including providing labor for construction on her properties, and fearing upsetting her. There were many rules to follow and a single misstep could have followers ousted from the organization. Gans even orchestrated marriages and divorces within group members, separating children from parents in the process. She was often cruel to her followers, yet maintained control over them.

A member of the cult for several decades, Schneider details how he became trapped and what ultimately gave him the courage to leave. He shares how educated and successful people could become involved in a cult, showing how no one is immune from psychological manipulation.

I found Schneider’s memoir to be fascinating. This was my first time hearing about this particular cult and I love anything true crime. It’s interesting to note that although Gans has died and a lawsuit was filed against her estate by former cult members, a form of “The School” is still active.

I wish I had read the book, rather than listening to the audio version. I did not care for the narrator, especially when he did women’s voices. It was very grating and distracted from Schneider’s writing. I recommend Manhattan Cult Story, just not the audio book version.