The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Fiction - 3.5 stars

As part of my quest to read the classics assigned in high school with an adult perspective, I re-read this classic to see if I enjoyed it more than my 11th-grade self did. While I did understand the themes and context much more, I will say that I did not find it an enjoyable read. Hawthorne's language is unnecessarily complicated and flowery, and it tends to make the read very slow and dry. I am not a fan of over-description, and he is definitely guilty of that.  

That being said, the subject matter of the book is more modern than most of that time. It is set in 17th century Puritanical New England, and it tells the story of Hester Prynne who has a daughter through an adulterous affair and is forced to wear a scarlet "A" on her breast for all to see. The purpose of her penance is for her to create a new life of repentance and dignity, but it eventually becomes a part of her for which she is nearly unapologetic. I recommend the book as a reminder of how the founders of our country behaved and treated citizens. 

A Place at the Table by Susan Rebecca White

Fiction - 3.5 stars

I will admit, at first I was a little worried about this book, as it is one of Oprah's book club picks (not a huge fan of Oprah). However, once I got into it, I really enjoyed the story. This is the story of three  outcasts whose paths meet at Café Andres. 

Bobby Banks is a young gay man who grew up in Decatur, Georgia. While struggling with his parents' rejection, the AIDS epidemic in 1980s New York City, and utter heartbreak, he is enlisted by the aging café's owner to revive the place with his new interpretation of southern cooking.  

Alice Stone, the former chef at Café Andres, is famous, but has a mysterious past. During her tenure, she wrote a groundbreaking cookbook celebrating her poor Southern heritage, and it causes problems for a few closest to her. 

Dealing with the breakup of her marriage, Connecticut resident Amelia Brighton seeks comfort from her aunt, an editor living in New York City.  During her time of healing, a family secret is discovered in Alice’s cookbook, and the three lives are affected as they come to grips with the past together. 

Because the story is broken into three parts without explanation of the character changes, the book is challenging to follow at times. However, once the story finally comes together, it is touching. I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

Historical Fiction/Religious Fiction - 3.5 stars

Considered a modern classic, The Red Tent is the story of Dinah, only daughter of Jacob. In the Bible, her life is merely mentioned within the Book of Genesis.  Anita Diamant brings all of the biblical characters in the story of Jacob to life.

Told in Dinah’s voice, the book tells of ancient womanhood, the rituals and the difficulties in the red tent. It centers on Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah - the four wives of Jacob. They each love Dinah as her own, and they teach her skills and develop her gift for midwifery. The story moves on to when Dinah marries and tragedy befalls her new life, bringing a curse down on Jacob's house that cannot be reconciled.

While the characters may be familiar, the story of the women of Jacob and their propogation of pagan beliefs was a little too mystical for my taste. Diamant's writing was very reminiscent of The Song of Hannah, as was the abundance of sex and the license taken with the Biblical story. In the end, however, I enjoyed the fact that these people were real people, not just characters in a story. This book brought these people to life, and I did enjoy it. 

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty by James Thurber

Fiction/Short Story - 3 stars

This short story is a glimpse into the imagination of Walter Mitty, a daydreaming man who is given tasks by his wife while she gets her hair done. He struggles to remember the tasks due to his overactive imagination. A super-short (maybe 7-8 pages) story, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty has inspired two full-length films. The first, from the 1930s,

starred Danny Kaye and was harshly criticized by Thurber, who thought it was ridiculous. The second, one of my all-time favorite movies, was written and directed by Ben Stiller, who stars as Mitty.

A heartwarming and deep film, Stiller's version is also different from the short story, and I can only wish that Thurber could have seen it.  The story's good, but the movie's awesome.