The Baker's Daughter by Sarah McCoy

I've got a good read for you and your book club. 

Sarah McCoy has written a wonderful new book called The Baker's Daughter, set in two different time periods: the first in Nazi Germany in 1944 and the other in El Paso, Texas in 2007. The title refers to the book's heroine, Elsie Schmidt, a young baker's daughter from a small town in Germany. 

The Baker's Daughter has received blurbs from Tatiana de Rosnay (author of Sarah's Key) and Jenna Blum (Those Who Save Us) -- both of which have been hugely popular with area book clubs.

The title character from The Baker's Daughter is only 17 years old, and she's caught in the middle of the tensions in wartime Germany. Although Elsie has accepted an engagement ring from a Nazi lieutenant, she's not sure how she feels about him. She witnesses a tragic event with a small Jewish boy on Christmas Eve, and makes a brave choice that threatens the safety of her entire family.

Sixty years later, a young female journalist named Reba Adams is assigned to interview Elise, who by then is the elderly owner of Elsie's German Bakery in El Paso, Texas. Reba is faced with a complicated past of her own, along with difficult choices for her future, and finds she just can't stay away from Elsie's inviting bakery. The baking is just so good.

The Baker's Daughter includes a fascinating side story about the Lebensborn Program of Nazi Germany, in which "racially pure" German women were encouraged to sleep with SS officers in order to create what the Nazis thought would be a perfect Aryan race. The children born to the Lebensborn mothers were then raised in a special nursery sponsored by the Nazi regime. Elsie's sister has been invited to participate in this program, and at first the family views it as something of an honor. Only later do they come to understand the true horror of the plan.

Sarah McCoy writes with a gentle hand as she imagines the tragedy of life in a small German town during the Nazi's reign of terror. Sarah McCoy finds a way to honor the lives and choices of the everyday Germans who did their best with what they had, sometimes risking everything to do the right thing. At the same time, the storyline set in modern-day Texas makes us realize that the issues of racism and exclusion are still a factor in current immigration debates. I think this book has all the makings for a very thoughtful book club discussion.

And not to be missed? The mouth-watering recipes at the back of the book from "Elsie's German Bakery" -- a sure-fire hit with the book club.

Highly recommended! Available now in hardcover or as an e-book from The Bookstore's website. Our e-books are compatible with every e-reading device except the Kindle, a proprietary device made by Amazon.

Jane's 2011 Holiday Picks for Children

One of our favorite holiday traditions at The Bookstore is when Jane puts together her annual list of holiday books for children. As many of you know, Jane is a happy grandmother, and loves previewing the newest books of the season. Here she is with two of her adorable granddaughters.

Did you know that you can place a pick-up order for any of these books by clicking the titles below? Just click "add to cart" and "I would like to pick this order up at the store," and we will call you when it's ready. There is even a message box where you can request complimentary gift wrapping!

 
Happy holidays to you and yours! 
 

 

THE SCRAWNY LITTLE TREE  by Ed Mehler: This is a charming little book about a boy rich in the spirit of Christmas and a very special tree.

THE CARPENTER’S GIFT by David Rubel: A touching story about the beginnings of the famous Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center. A small boy, a Christmas wish, and an amazing story. This one is a keeper and the pictures are grand.

A CHRISTMAS TREE FOR PYN by Olivier Dunrea: This is a sweet story about a little girl who really wants a Christmas tree and although her papa has very little to say, she will indeed have her Christmas tree.

SONG OF THE STARS  by Sally Lloyd-Jones: If you love those stories that incorporate the creation story into the Christmas story, this is the book for you. The pictures in this one are beautiful too.

HOME FOR CHRISTMAS by Jan Brett: In Brett’s usual beautifully detailed style we meet a little troll who is not especially nice and has a lot to learn.  He gets it figured out by Christmas, thank goodness!  Brett’s THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS has also been re-released with a CD read by Jim Dale, of Harry Potter fame and accompanied by the Boston Pops.

THE THIRD GIFT by Linda Sue Park: This beautifully illustrated book tells the story of myrrh, how it is collected, and is a beautiful story of father and son and their relationship.  A great gift for the celebration of Epiphany.

CHANUKAH LIGHTS by Michael Rosen and Robert Sabuda: Robert Sabuda has worked his magic with pop-up art yet again to give us this beautiful Chanukah book.  This is a treat and a must have for all our Jewish friends.

The Blessings of the Animals by Katrina Kittle

The Blessings of the Animals (Harper Perennial paperback original, $14.95) is on our August Staff Pick list, and all of our customers who know me well probably know why. Just look at that cover! It makes me want to drive out to my favorite barn and hug a horse.

This is a wonderful story about a woman named Cami Anderson who is a veterinarian with her own animal hospital, an animal rescue volunteer with the Humane Society, the mother of a teenage daughter, and the wife of a moody restaurateur. The very day Cami gets a call to rescue some severely neglected horses (she brings home the most damaged one, a handsome but angry kicker) her husband tells her "I don't want to be married anymore." Cami has to learn what is worth rescuing, and what isn't.


I was enthralled with every single passage about Moonshot the wounded horse. He had painful abscesses in his hooves, but responded to Epsom salt soaks and Cami's slow, gentle efforts to untangle the bird nests in his tail. By the time Cami is able to saddle-up Moonshot and sit on him without getting bucked off, you're not really sure who has rescued whom.

This is an enjoyable book that would be appropriate for both women and teen girls. I plan to pass it along to my favorite horse trainer, who is just as gifted with horses as Cami. Maybe I'll even stop out at the barn and brush out a horse's tangled tail, because there's nothing quite like the blessings of animals.

On Pingo, Parents and Imaginary Friends

As some of our customers already know, I'm obsessed with Pingo, a beautifully illustrated new picture book by Brandon Mull.

It's about a young boy who outgrows his imaginary friend. Pingo resents the rejection, so he becomes Chad's imaginary enemy, acting like an obnoxious little brother who spies on Chad's dates and hides important papers as Chad grows up. (And I used to blame "Gremlins" for that!)

When Chad is an old man, he welcomes Pingo back as his imaginary friend. The pair have wonderful adventures together, and "live happily ever after." You really have to see the last couple of pages for yourself. They choked me up.

Now I can't stop thinking about my own dad. I'm hoping he finds a friend like Pingo.

Last spring, we moved my dad into the Wisconsin Veteran's Home. After several years of dealing with his slowly creeping Alzheimer's and a puzzling, unmanageable dizziness, my family agreed that he needed more nursing care than he could get at home. He was a little reluctant, but yet not strongly opposed. "I guess it's time," is all he said. It's amazing how a few words can sum up an entire lifetime.

It helps that the Veteran's Home in King is a proud place that honors our veterans with stellar health care, cheerfully persistent nurses, and a dream location on the shores one of Wisconsin's most beautiful chain of lakes. They have a bowling alley, a bar, a theater, a library, a pottery studio and more. Local volunteers bring their dogs in for regular visits. There's a local waterski show down at the lake every Saturday in the summer. (And what's so bad about government health care?) My extended step-family visits him daily, with dogs and grand-toddlers in tow. Dad reports the food is fantastic and with the confused innocence of Alzhiemers, he calls it his "home."

But still.

His eyes often convey a clear blue emptiness. He's always been a quiet man, but now it feels like his quiet moments are really just moments of loss and confusion. He knows who we are, but it's hard to keep track of things. We return from pontoon boat rides, and he admits that he has no idea where he is. He looks up at the lake house in which he lived for 8 years without any recognition at all.

I know we're not unique. There are thousands, millions maybe, who suffer through much worse with much less support. We're lucky. But still, when it happens to your own dad, it's hard. You have guilt that you weren't one of those daughters who could be happy without leaving home. You wish you could do more and you're grateful for those who do. But most of all, you hope that some kind of happiness remains in your dad's last months or years.

What you really wish is that your dad could have a friend like Pingo.

If my dad had a Pingo, his quiet, seemingly lost moments would be filled with fantasy and flight. He and his Pingo would go musky fishing at a "hot spot" in Eagle River or duck hunting on the shores of Lake Winnebago. They'd play army, jail, "Boohla-Boohla" and lots of the other crazy little made-up games. They'd have bikes and shiny nickels and eat entire bags of store-bought vanilla sandwich cookies. They'd bomb around in a yellow Army jeep, go on a safari, and eat bologna sandwiches on Wonder bread with a zig-zag of French's mustard. Dogs would tag along wherever they went -- frolicky but obedient labs and spaniels with names like Lonnie, Hodi, Pal and Ginger Sue. They'd laugh at each other's clean, but not-that-funny jokes (I hope this rain keeps up! Then it can't come down!) There'd be no cancer or Alzheimer's or heavy meds, just sprained wrists, growing pains and St. Joseph's Aspirin for Children.

That's what I wish for my dad. And what do I wish for myself? . . . I really wish I could be his Pingo.

To have us hold a copy of Pingo ($17.95) for you, pleae call (630) 469-2891 or e-mail us at justbook475@yahoo.com. For more information, go to http://www.justthebookstore.com/ and search under the title "Pingo."

The Bookstore's 9th Annual Wine and Cheese Party for Book Groups

Book Club
Picks by
Bookstore
Staff at the
9th Annual
Wine & Cheese
Party for
Book Groups












Jenny's Picks:
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russell
The Seamstress by Frances de Ponte Peebles
The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry
Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian
Songs for the Butcher's Daughter by Peter Manseau
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri
























Jane's Picks
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Don't Miss Your Life by Charlene Ann Baumbich
Dream House by Valerie Laken
Farm Girl by Karen Jones Gowen
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
by Annie Barrows
The Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
The Shack by William Young

Sue's Picks:
The Clothes on Their Backs by Linda Grant
Mudbound by Hillary Jordan
Netherland by Joseph O'Neill
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
The Piano Teacher by Janice Lee
This Must Be The Place by Anna Winger
























Margie's Picks:
Little Bee by Chris Cleave
American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
The Commoner by John Burham Schwartz
City of Thieves by David Benioff
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barberly
An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination
by Elizabeth McCracken
Gossip of the Starlings by Nina de Gramont
Home by Marilynne Robinson
How Not to Look Old by Charla Krupp

Book Club Favorite Picks of 2008:
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Whistling Season by Ivan Doig
The True Story of Hansel and Gretel by Louise Murphy
The Alchemist by Paul Coelho
Loving Frank by Nancy Horan
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
The Shack William Young
Crashing Through by Robert Kurson
How Not to Look Old by Charla Krupp
Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson
Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee by Charles Shields