"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." -- Abraham Lincoln


Joe Biden was not my first choice, but I have no doubt that he is a decent man who has devoted much of his life to the betterment of our country. Kamala Harris was not my first choice, but I believe she will work well with Biden to help build bridges rather than tear them down. While many of my personal beliefs lean more heavily to the progressive side, I think a moderate approach is probably needed at this time in America’s political life. I intend on supporting them both and optimistically look ahead to a fair election.

Donald Trump has been president for three plus years, and I still can’t figure him out. I do know that his values aren’t aligned with mine, and for me a change is needed. I also believe that the press has added to the woes of our country by gaslighting the President continually. I guess gaslighting is the wrong word, because I don’t think he doubts his sanity, but his every mistake is highlighted which adds to his frustrations and makes him more volatile each day.

He also awarded major positions in our country to people who are loyal to him, which in itself isn’t terrible, but most of them have no experience in and little knowledge of the position they agreed to fill. This can be a dangerous thing to do, and nothing displays that more than the debacle that is Covid19.

People voted for Donald Trump because he wasn’t a politician. He presented himself during his campaign as an anti “swamp” politician and promised to run the country as a business. Although that might feel comfortable in theory, he has proven that it will never work. A businessman sees only competitors as he tries to get his way, while a good politician sees debate partners and compromises.

A politician can remain friends with people across the aisle, and that is what makes America great. Democrats and Republicans both contribute to our nation, and one of the major tragedies of this administration is encouraging one side to distrust the other. No one will get everything they want in a country filled with diverse people, but together we can work towards an inclusive country that makes everyone feel valued.

I look forward to the day when selecting a black woman is not newsworthy. Only when the people in our country accept that all races, religions and genders are equal will we truly be able grow as a country and always select the best person for the job.

This week I read/reviewed Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. I tried reading this book years ago, and the subject matter was too raw for me at the time. I am so glad that I picked it up again. Picoult is an amazing author who can make the reader empathize with the perpetrator as well as the victim. Wow!

As always a complete review of this book follows my blog.

Happy reading,

- Beverly

Click on the book cover to order the title mentioned in today's blog

​Genre: Fiction

​Click book cover for Amazon.com

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult is a story that might seem familiar to us, and it is easy to pass it by as redundant, but one would be making a mistake in doing so. In this book, as in every book that Picoult offers, the characters are so vividly drawn that it is difficult to let them go when that last page is reached. The reader will feel haunted by the “what if’s” that each of her characters will have to live with even after the story is well ended.

One day in a small New Hampshire town a young man walks into his typical American high school with two rifles, two handguns and a heart filled with vengeance. Nineteen minutes later ten lives are over, many more are injured and an entire school has to deal with an all too familiar tragedy. The question that haunts us is...could this have been avoided.

Written in flashbacks and real time, the story of Peter’s life is told with such insight that one must wonder if Picoult ever experienced bullying herself. It is said that some children are walking victims, and if this is so, then Peter is such a child. From his first experience on the school bus until the day he pulled the trigger for the last time, he was tormented by his peers and never understood why. With all the death and destruction, it is interesting that Picoult makes us feel the most sympathetic towards Peter himself.

Jodi, his best friend through elementary school is another victim in a way. She abandon Peter in high school and hangs with the popular crowd, but is all too aware of what their bullying is doing to her former friend. She is dealing with her own form of bullying from a controlling boyfriend while trying to come to terms with her relationship with her mother, superior court judge Alex Cormier.

The reader’s heart goes out to Lacy and Lewis Houghton who, after losing a son to a drunk driver, must face the possibility of losing another to the justice system. Picoult’s ability to make each character feel deserving of our sympathy is never stronger than when the reader begins hoping that defense attorney Jordon McAfee pulls that rabbit out of his hat and saves a boy who seems beyond saving.

There are some weaknesses in this book. Alex would have been forced to recuse herself from the case early on in a real life situation, and hopefully some teacher might have stepped in to protect Peter at some point in schools today, but they can be quickly overlooked as the reader spends several hours peeking into the heart and soul of some of Picoult’s most troubled characters.

- Beverly

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​Publisher - Washington Square Press; 1st edition 
Date of Publication - February 5, 2008