The Flame Trees of Thika: Memories of an African Childhood

by Elspeth Huxley, 288 pages

The author describes her early life on a Kenyan coffee farm with her parents in the years leading up to the first World War.

I watched the mini-series adaptation of this autobiography on Masterpiece Theatre when I was little and always meant to go back and read the book.  It's a fascinating look at the political, economic, and social issues of the period, especially as they pertain to race, as well as the physical and emotional struggles of starting a coffee farm from scratch in a world far-removed from one's own.  Huxley--who was just five at the time her adventurous but ill-prepared family moved to Thika in 1912--presents her story with a surprisingly non-judgmental perspective, observing without interpreting the actions and events she witnesses, acknowledging the faults of her contemporaries while focusing on the smaller-scale challenges, sorrows, and joys of day-to-day life in a land she has clearly grown to love (building a house, growing coffee, avoiding dangerous ants, hunting cheetahs, rescuing injured animals, negotiating with employees and neighbors of diverse backgrounds, and navigating the often-tumultuous currents of local, state, and world politics), resulting in a tale that has become a melding of cultural anthropology and personal history.

It Was the War of the Trenches

by Jacques Tardi, 118 pages

From the muddy, labyrinthine trenches to the corpse-ridden No-Man's Land to the soulless tyranny of military bureaucracy, the horrors of war are glimpsed here in graphic vignettes inspired by stories the author gleaned over the years from the memories of his traumatized grandfather.

Everybody knows World War I's trench warfare was a horrible, protracted, generation-erasing stalemate, but these little details of just how hellish it was from the perspective of the helpless pawns being sacrificed for its sake offer a painful but important lesson in the folly and fragility of humanity.  The angry reader can only hope we never go there again, but given our propensity to ignore history and repeat it, the chances of that seem sadly remote.

It Was the War of the Trenches earned two Eisners and a Harvey award in 2011.

Fall of Giants

by Ken Follett
985 pages

This saga describes the interconnected lives and events of several families covering events in Wales, England, Germany, France, Russia, & America during the World War I era.  The book starts in about 1912 and ends somewhere in the 1920's.  Socialism, worker's rights, equality, and suffrage are main themes that dominate the thoughts and actions of many of the lower class characters, especially those from Wales and Russia.  The book also details the events that lead up to the war, and the actions taken by various groups to try to prevent it.  It also talks about the peace process and the immediate aftermath of the war.  It also covers the Bolshevik revolution.  This is a great book, and I strongly recommend it.  The characters really move the plot forward and help you understand the social issues of the day.  I've described the characters below to help you get a better feel for the book.


Characters from Wales:

Earl "Fitz" Fitzherbert:  British nobleman who has a large estate in Aberowen.  Much of his money comes from leasing rights to coal mining on his land.  He is a traditional conservative and member of the House of Lords.  He is married to a Russian princess and always sides on the side of the establishment.  He serves as an officer and intelligence agent during World War I.

Lady Maud Fitzherbert:  The sister of Fitz.  She is more liberal than her older brother.  She's a suffragette and does charity work for "fallen" women and their children.  She's also has a controversial romantic relationship with German diplomat Walter von Ulrich.

Ethel Williams:  Ethel is a coal miner's daughter and starts the book working as housekeeper for the Fitzherberts.  Later she becomes a Labour Party activist and suffragette.

Billy Williams:  Billy is Ethel's younger brother and a young coal miner.  He has liberal tendencies, following in the footsteps of his father.  He later serves as a soldier in World War I under Earl Fitzherbert.

Character from Germany:

Walter von Ulrich:  German nobleman working as a diplomat to England.  He has a clandestine romantic relationship with Lady Fitzherbert, but that relationship is threatened by the war.  He is an advocate for peace, but when peace fails, he serves as an officer in the German army.

Character from America:

Gus Dewar:  Gus is the son of a wealthy New York senator.  He works as a junior staff person for President Wilson during much of the book, but also serves as an American army officer when America joins the war effort.

Characters from Russia:

Grigori Peshkov:  Grigori is a poor factory worker in Russia.  He dreams of a better life and dreams of moving to America, until World War I occurs and he is drafted into the army.  He also plays a role in the Bolshevik Revolution.

Lev Peshkov:  Grigori's troublemaking younger brother.  He is a stablehand, but eventually comes to America and becomes more successful.

Leviathan

by Scott Westerfeld, 440 pages

As World War I begins, all the greatest European powers start to divide. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their clanker machines and the British have their Darwinist, fabricated beasties. Prince Aleksanders parents have been murdered by the Germans and now he must flee his home with Count Volger and his master of mechaniks teacher or risk being killed himself. Shortly after arriving at their hideout in the mountains of Switzerland they are joined by a badly wounded Darwinist air ship, the Leviathan. Alek goes against Count Volgers advice and tries to help the ship, but they soon find out that he is Austro-Hungarian. To save Alek they make a deal with the Leviathan, they will replace the ships engines with their clanker engines as well as help run them if they ship will fly them to safety. While on the ship they must keep their true identities a secret, but Alek's new friend Dylan Sharp discovers their secret. Their Secret is safe with Mr. Sharp, who has a very big secret of his own. Will their secrets be discovered? Will the Leviathan captains keep their word and fly them to safety?

Moon Over Manifest

by Clare Vanderpool. 351 pages


Early on the morning of January 10, I'm listening to the ALA Media Award announcements. I hear the winner of the 2011 Newbery Award announced: Moon over Manifest, by Clare Vanderpool. What? Who? I know I do not keep as current about new juvenile and young adult literature as I did in my last job, but I usually have some inkling of what's going on. I felt a bit better when I spoke with a couple of other people who were equally perplexed.

Once I read Vanderpool's tale of 12-year-old Abilene Tucker and the stories she lives and hears when she moves to the town of Manifest, Kansas, I understood. This has to be the best job of storytelling since Sachar's Holes -- winner of the 1999 Newbery Award. Through Abilene's first person narration set in 1936, newspaper articles from 1918, and the stories the diviner Miss Sadie tells about Manifest's past, the reader sees the various pieces dropping in place until the entire picture unfolds, with the sum being much greater than its parts.

Abilene is the daughter of a drifter, riding the rails from one town to the next. She's never known a permanent home or family other than her father, Gideon. After a scratch leads to an infection that leaves her with a high fever, Gideon sends the recovered Abilene to Manifest, Kansas to stay with an old friend, Shady, who seems to be a part-time preacher and part-time bootlegger. Abilene feels perplexed and abandoned and is determined to learn about her father's past from Shady and other members of the diverse community. Abilene discovers an old box filled with mysterious mementos in her room at Shady's. Abilene shares her discovery with Ruthanne and Lettie, cousins with whom she's become friends upon her arrive in Manifest. As the girls start the search for the meaning behind the objects, they learn of a mysterious character from the war years who some supposed to be a spy. The reader goes back and forth between 1918 Manifest and its occupants and the current Manifest of 1936, but the transitions are seamless and the story moves quickly. As the summer progresses and Abilene becomes frustrated that her father doesn't seem to have a past in Manifest, she (and the town of Manifest) learns about the value of stories to a person's past, present and future.

I have to say, I questioned the setting for this story when I began reading. Really, some small, rural town in Kansas that is populated by Poles, Germans, Greeks, Hungarians and more? But Vanderpool not only weaves a fascinating story, she provides historical reference and facts as foundation for this full story with its rich collection of characters. She drops subtle and innocent hints that are well-placed. And it's such fun to see those innocent hints become pieces that fit together to make a fascinating picture.

Behemoth

by Scott Westerfeld, 485 pages

Behemoth is a ferocious beast used in the British Navy. Now that they are at war with the Clankers the Darwinist will need both the Behemoth and the Leviathan to battle. As Leviathan makes its way to the Ottoman Empire to deliver Dr. Barlow's mysterious eggs they run into trouble with the German Navy ship. They peacekeeping quest has failed and they find themselves alone in enemy territory.
Deryn and Alek struggle to maintain their friendship when it might mean they are being treasonous. Deryn is posing as girl aboard the British Air Services and is falling for Alek, who has no idea that she is a girl. While Alek is posing as a commoner in the Ottoman Empire when he is actually an archduke of Austria-Este. To bring this war to an end they will need each other, new allies and bravery to overcome what is ahead.

If you loved reading Leviathan, you will definitely love reading Behemoth. It is a steampunk adventure, full of nonstop action. The black and white illustrations by Keith Thompson enhance the story and capture the imaginary world Westerfeld has created. Leviathan focused a lot on the introduction of the characters and the setting, while Behemoth is full of constant action and character development. The Leviathan series is an awesome YA book and I would suggest it to anyone who is just starting to read steampunk books.