A Pumpkin Runner Just in Time

I planned to make this table topper several months ago. It was delayed. I finished the hand appliqué a few weeks ago. Thanksgiving is around the corner, then it will be time to bring out the Christmas quilts. Time was running out. So I did what I never do: I machine quilted it.

Now it is where it was meant to be, just in time for Thanksgiving.

 I goes on the desk/table under Pumpkin Pie by Bunny Hill.

The pattern can be found in Better Homes and Gardens Easy Appliqué. The original had pretty pieced borders.

Reimagining King David: The Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks

Here is a man who is both great and flawed, just like those tragic heroes Oedipus and King Lear. Meredith Jaffe, The Guardian

When I read Geraldine Brooks' Year of Wonders:A Novel of the Plague   it changed my mind about historical fiction. I read every one of her novels as they came out: March which won the Pulitzer Prize, The People of the Book, and Caleb's Crossing. I was thrilled to get an ARC through NetGalley of her new book The Secret Chord.

The Secret Chord is a novelization about the life of King David, informed by the Bible and re-imagined from a 21st century understanding. It is narrated by the prophet Natan (Nathan) who channels the Name (Yahweh).

The book begins in the middle of David's life. Natan wants to write the story of David's life and David sends Natan to interview people from his past. With Natan we hear long pages of  David's back story, intermixed with his own memories. We learn about David through other's eyes.

The book skips through time before following a consistent chronology starting with David's rape of Batsheva and murder of her husband. The Name requires a fourfold atonement and King David suffers a series of  devastating losses. His son rapes and disfigures his half-sister, his favorite son Avshalom (Absolom )prepares an army to takeover kingship and is killed. Because of his warfare David is not allowed to build a tabernacle for the Ark of the Covenant, but Natan prophesies that David is to make his youngest son Slomo (Solomon) king, and he will build the temple and lead their people into peace.


The Old Testament, or New for that matter, is a record of faith (mythos, stories with meaning), not a scientific, verifiable history. I will warn that this a novel, story telling, a re-imagining for entertainment. Brooks has a great story to work with: there is jealousy, warfare and takeovers of cities; there is rape and lust and abandonment of women; there is fratricide and incest and every kind of dysfunctional family problem. Brooks makes Jonathan and David sexual lovers and allows the women to tell of the brutality men inflicted on them. The rape and disfigurement of Tamar and the rape of Batsheva are particularly disturbing, especially as we are aware women still are victims to this day. This isn't your Sunday School David. Even Brooks says the story is "very Game of Thrones."

I didn't enjoy reading this novel. The vividly described carnage of battle, the disjointed narrative, the layering of 21st century sensibilities (such as David's bisexuality), the raw sexual and emotional abuse of the women, left me struggling to continue reading it. Then, I am not a Game of Thrones fan.

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

The Secret Chord
Geraldine Brooks
Viking
Publication October 6, 2015
$27.95 hard cover
ISBN: 9780670025770

A Trip To The Franklin Cider Mill

It was a beautiful September day today....I mean November...The sun was shining, it was sweater weather, and I got the wanderlust. So we went to the Franklin Cider Mill in Bloomfield Hills, MI to get some cider before they shut down for the season.

The apples were HUGE this year. We have had hundreds of apples from our two trees but we had to bring some of these monsters home!

They make Apple Cider Vinegar and have maple syrup, honey, jams, condiments, cheese, sausage, and baked goods galore!

 The mill dates back to 1837 so it is as old as the state of Michigan!

We brought home Honeycrisp Apple Cider, made with handpicked apples and unpasteurized.

 The river is full of Mallard ducks. The kids like to feed them.

We also picked up Apple Butter and Pumpkin Butter made with sugar, not corn syrup. My hubby enjoyed a Cider Dog and I had Blueberry pie from the food stand. 

What a nice way to spend a warm November day. 

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The History Behind American Ballads

Telling a story in song is one of our oldest human traditions. For hundreds of years people have sung ballads that told stories about murders, outlaws, romances, wars, tragedies, and hardships. During four visits between 1916 and 1918 British musicologist Cecil Sharp collected over 1500 American songs in the southern Appalachians.

At the same time Sharp collected old ballads new ones were being created as a response to events of the time. These new songs included responses to modern calamities involving railroad accidents, shipwrecks, and the treatment of workers and prisoners. 

Hear My Sad Story: The True Tales that Inspired "Stagolee," "John Henry," and Other Traditional American Folk Songs by Richard Polenberg explores American ballads based on historical people and events, explaining the events and persons who inspired them, and covering their first known performances, recordings, and publication. 

The songs in their categories include:

• St Louis (St. Louis Blues, Stagolee, Frankie and Johnny, Duncan and Brady)
• Lying Cold on the Ground (Omi Wise, Ballad of Frankie Silver, Tom Dooley, Poor Ellen Smith, Pearl Bryan, Delia's Gone)
• Bold Highwaymen and Outlaws (Cole younger, Jesse James, John Hardy, Railroad Bill, Betty and Dupree)
• Railroads (John Henry, Engine 143, Casey Jones, Wreck of the Old 97)
• Workers (Cotton Mill Blues, Chain Gang Blues, Only a Miner, House of the Rising Sun)
• Disasters (The Titanic, The Boll Weevil)
• Martyrs (Joe Hill, Sacco and Vanzetti)

Persons interested in folk music and its performers, American history, or music recordings will find this book informative and interesting. 

Here is a summary of the history of one song included in the book.

Tom Dooley as recorded by the Kingston Trio was all over the radio when I was a girl, selling over a million copies in a few months. It won the Grammy for Best Country and Western Recording. Everyone knew the words.

Tom Dooley was first recorded in 1929 with these words:

"Tom Dooley"
As recorded by Grayson & Whitter (1929)

(CHORUS)
Hang your head, Tom Dooley,
Hang your head and cry;
Killed poor Laura Foster,
You know you're bound to die.

You took her on the hillside,
As God almighty knows;
You took her on the hillside,
And there you hid her clothes.

You took her by the roadside,
Where you begged to be excused;
You took her by the roadside,
Where there you hid her shoes.

Took her on the hillside,
To make her your wife;
Took her on the hillside
Where there you took her life. (CHO.)

Take down my old violin,
Play it all you please;
This time tomorrow,
It'll be no use to me. (CHO.)

I dug a grave four feet long,
I dug it three feet deep;
Throwed the cold clay over her,
And tromped it with my feet. (CHO.)

This world and one more,
Then where you reckon I'll be?
Hadn't a-been for Grayson,
I'd a-been in Tennessee. (CHO.)

How many of us know that Tom Dooley was a real person, Thomas Caleb Dula, a handsome lady killer and Confederate soldier? After bedding two cousins, Ann (an old flame, now married) and Laura Foster, Tom discovered he had syphilis. So did Ann. But Tom blamed the disease on Laura. Ann blamed Tom. 

Tom Dula

Tom paid Laura several visits. Then Laura was found missing. Laura's father believed she was murdered and a warrant for Tom's arrest was issued. Tom had taken off. He turned up at a farm owned by Union veteran Lt. Colonel Grayson who hired him as a field hand. The posse tracked Tom down, but he'd high tailed it again...wearing new boots that hurt his feet. 

Tom was cooling his blistered feet when Grayson found him and brought him in. When Laura's body was found, Tom was indicted for murder, found guilty, and sentenced to death by hanging. An appeal was made, improper handling of evidence was proved, and Tom faced a second trial. He was again found guilty and his execution set for May 1, 1868.

Tom spent his jail time trying to cut his chain with a piece of glass--and getting baptized. Neither delayed his execution. On the fatal day a cheerful Tom insisted he was innocent and quipped, "I would have washed my neck if I had known you were using such a nice clean rope." He spoke for an hour to the crowd, maintaining his innocence and accusing witnesses of false testimony. The crowd wasn't buying it. The day before he'd written a note declaring "I am the only person that had any hand to the murder of Laura Foster."

By 1867 a song was being sung about the murder. An early folklore scholar noted the song was sung all over Watauga County. The first recording of Tom Dooley was made in 1929 by Grayson's nephew, Gilliam Banmon Grayson. Folklorists Anne and Frank Warner sang the song and recorded it in 1940. They sang Tom Dooley in every lecture and program. In 1948 Alan Lomax included the song in Folk Song:USA. Then in 1958 the Kingston Trio made the song a national sensation. NPR choose Tom Dooley as one of the most important songs of the twentieth century.

Hear My Sad Story was an enjoyable and informative read.

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Hear My Sad Story: The True Tales that Inspired "Stagolee," "John Henry," and Other Traditional American Folk Songs

by Richard Polenberg

Cornell University Press

Publication Date November 17, 2015

ISBN: 9781501700026

$26.00 hard cover

Swiss Air Hanky

i finally bought this city scene handkerchief from SwissAir. I have wanted one for a long time!

A Quilt Leaves the Closet

I came from a long line of pickers. We just can't resist. When we see something 'good' alongside the road we just have to rescue it from oblivion. I remember walking to elementary school and crying over the good things sticking out of the trash cans on garbage day. My dad had a big ole' pickup truck and brought home chair sets and outboard motors, bicycles and lawn mowers, and trunks. He would fix them up and sell them in a garage sale, not to make a little money, but for the fun of it.
Dad picked up a trunk and when he got it home found a quilt inside. He gave the quilt to me.

It is a Carolina Lily pattern. The stitching is primitive, so is the quilting. But it has an exuberance and joy.

I shared it recently on Facebook and a collector asked to buy it. She believes it is a Southern quilt. And yesterday I shipped it. One more quilt out of the closet.

Monthly Quilts at the Library--Including Mine This Month!

My new friend arranges for quilts to be hung at the local library and this month I have four hanging.

This first quilt was made in a class. It was easier than I thought it would be!

I made this quilt two years after I started quilting. It is machine quilted with gold thread. I called it Finding Wholeness in a Chaotic World.

 I found a 1970s embroidery pattern called Country Village on eBay. It was so much fun to make!

Another very early quilt is this sampler using the Hoffman challenge fabric of that year. It is called Windows and I even wrote a poem to accompany it. Which is on the back of the quilt. Which I don't have a copy of now. 

 Gobble Gobble was made by  Maggie Robbins.

 Maggie Robbins also made this New York Beauty.

 Dot to Dot by Maggie Robbins. I just adore this!

 Shirley Leja's sense of humor:

 The City Hall also has quilts rotated by season! This is a real quilt town!

William Nelson, Revolutionary War Soldier

I now have six month's access to Fold3 military records and today I was researching my husband's third great-grandfather.

William Nelson, Jr. (sometimes spelled Nielson) was born June 2, 1760 in Fishkill Landing, Westchester, Dutchess Co, NY and died June 27, 1842 in Stoney Creek, Saltfleet Twp, Lincoln Co, Ontario, Canada.

On March 11, 1777 at age 17 he joined the 5^th New York Regiment of the Continental Army under Col. DuBois. It was organized in June 1776 from men of Orange and Ulster counties. He may have served with the 5th as a drummer boy at age 16.

As a private his salary was 6 2/3 dollars a month. Records show him 'in the field' starting from March 11, 1777.

Muster rolls records in 1777 show he was present on duty in March, July, September, and December but absent on November 1.

In 1778 in January he was on command but deserted February 1 through 8. In March 1778 he was 'confined.' May through June he was in Peeksville; July 22 through September 12 he was at Camp White Plains “in the field”; August and September he was still at White Plains; November and December 1778 he was on duty in “Scholrry” [Schoharie].

January and February 1779 he was in Cobes Kill; May he was in Johns Town and Canajoharrie; he spent the summer in Easton; and October and November at Morris Town, NY.

He was mustered out on January 6, 1780.

What does this mean?

The 5^th New York Regiment under Captain John Johnson and Col. Lewis DuBoys were involved with the Battle of the Hudson Highlands. They were garrisoned at Fort Montgomery in the Hudson Highlands in early 1777. On October 6, 1777 they were attacked by 2,100 British troops. The 5^th Regiment, with the help of the militia, held off multiple British attacks before the American forces were overrun, with 98 out of 312 men from the 5th killed or captured. The survivors joined Brigadier General George Clinton in pursuit of the British.

The winter of 1778 was the “Little Ice Age” winter. The troops wintered in Fishkill in brutal conditions, the men scanty clothed and suffering. William deserted February 1 and was apprehended February 8 and spent March in confinement.

The regiment camped at White Plains in the summer of 1778.

The Loyalists and Native Americans attacked and decimated small settlements in Cobeskill and Cherry Valley, NY in July 1778. General Washington was determined to move against the hostile Indians. He wrote General Sullivan that the objective was “the total destruction and devastation of their settlements, and the capture of as many prisoners of every age and sex as possible.” Sullivan was to bring total ruin to the Indian settlements to guarantee America's future security. Sullivan would lead brigades out of Easton, PA and up the Susquehanna Valley while Clinton brought 1,600 men west from Canajoharie, NY to join with them. They would met at an Indian village at Tioga, then march through Iroquois territory. The Sullivan-Clinton Campaign was waged in 1779. The 5^th Regiment took part.

Returning to Pompton, NJ they were reviewed by General George Washington.

Luckily, William he was discharged from the service on January 6, 1780. Because the 5^th Regiments spent the winter of 1779-80 at Jockey Hollow in Morristown, NJ during the coldest winter on record. The men had to build their own log cabins and furniture. There were a dozen men to a cabin 14x15 feet. Snow storms left six foot snows; there were four storms in February and six more in March. They men had one thread-bare blanket each. Food could not be delivered. Men went for days without bread. They gnawed on birch bark and ate their shoe leather. An officer killed and ate his beloved dog. In 1780 the regiment arrived in West Point for garrison duty.

In 1791 William married Eunice Young and they had five children before immigrating to Saltfleet, Ontario, sometime before 1802 when his son Joseph was born. They had eleven children together, William died at age 82.

In 1842 Joseph's son Aaron was born in Saltfleet but by 1871 was in Michigan were he married Harriet Scoville; their daughter was Charlotte Grace. Grace married John Oran O'Dell and their daughter was Laura Grace who married Herman Bekofske--my father-in-law.

Rags the WWI Hero and the Men Whose Lives He Changed

From Stray Dog to World War I Hero: The Paris Terrier Who Joined the First Division by Grant Hayter-Menzies tells the story of Rags, a lovely, heartfelt story that will appeal to dog lovers and to those interested in WWI history.

This new biography of Rags includes his post-war life as a family dog and media sensation American Hero. We learn about Rags' war record and the soldier he loved and who loved him, about other great canine heroes of  the war, and the founding and fate of the first cemetery for animals.

Sometime in 1916 a scruffy, taffy colored, floppy eared dog with a fluffy arching tale was born in the streets of war-torn Paris. The winter of 1917 was one of the coldest on record but somehow the little dog survived the bitter cold, living off scavenged food. Like the Parisians around him he learned to dive for cover when the sirens sounded; he would fall flat to the ground. Life on the street was harsh.

In 1918 American soldiers Donovan and Hickman encountered the scruffy mutt. The dog lovers must have shown him some care and they were followed. Hickman had a mascot so the dog went along with Donovan. An MP picked Donovan up but was charmed by his made-up story of searching for his lost mascot Rags and they were let go. Within four days the First Division of the American Expeditionary Force, Rags included, went into battle at Soissons. Donovan doubted his decision to bring the dog into the melee and took Rags to the division headquarters. On his return to the field he found Rags had followed him back. Rags had made his decision; Donovan was his.

Donovan found that Rags hated to do tricks but loved work. Somehow the two novices worked together to make Rags a message carrier. One day when Donovan was on patrol a shell downed the soldier watching Rags. Rags ran to find Donovan; coming across artillerymen instead he barked at them until they followed him back to the downed soldier.  Another time Rags came across a runner killed in the field; Rags found the paper he had been carrying, picked it up, and took it to Donovan. Rags became expert at finding broken communication wires. He also wandered off, one day finding himself in an surveillance balloon when it was launched. The Germans shot the balloon down, and a soldier took Rags in his arms as he parachuted down. A Fokker came towards them, but seeing the dog he waved and banked off. Killing American soldiers was one thing; but the German was not about to kill a gallant little dog! The stories of his heroism and love go on.

Rags' life changed when he and Donovan were gassed. Donovan was severely wounded, his lungs badly burned. Rags suffered injuries, his eye blinded and shrapnel wounding his paw and ear. Against all Army rules Col. Holbrook, soldiers, and nurses helped the two stay together, even helping Rags enter the United States. There were no provisions for the returning of service dogs; they were usually dispatched. Rags arrived at Ft. Sheridan hidden under a coat. He was taken up by the local fire hall but spent days hidden under Donovan's hospital cot. Chief medical officer Col. Bispham had a special collar made for Rags. Rags kept his vigil until Donovan's death, and he spent days in grief before rallying.

A new life awaited Rags. Rags fell in love with Lt. Hardenbergh's two daughters. Over the next sixteen years Rags was cared for by the Hardenbergh family. They noted his love for sweets and hatred of sudden noises. Rags would sit and salute soldiers. They made Rags a new collar with chevrons marking his war service and battle wounds. Rags became a media sensation and a prideful symbol of the First Division. Rags was briefly reunited with Sgt. Hickman, a joyous reunion for both.

The stories tell of the love between a street mutt and soldiers of all ranks. Rags never forgot a friend.

Rags was buried in Aspin Hill Memorial Park, the resting ground of many mascots and beloved pets.

The author is donating a portion of each book's sales to the non-profit Nowzad Dogs which reunites Afghanistan soldiers with the dog or cat they adopted while deployed.

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

From Stray Dog to World War I Hero: The Paris Terrier Who Joined the First Division
Grant Hayter-Menzies
University of North Nebraska Press
Publication Date: November 1, 2015
$26.95 hard cover
ISBN:9781612347219

A Visit To the Flint Institute of Arts

My friend suggested we take a trip to the Flint Institute of Arts to see an exhibit of French photography. I had not been to the museum in over ten years, and it has been through a major remodeling since then.

Guernica by Sophie Matisse (granddaughter of Henri Matisse) was her response to witnessing the events of 9-11. She painted Picasso's Guernica, his response to the bombing of a village during the Spanish Civil War, using her grandfather's color pallet.

We arrived too early! But the Director of Development, Kathryn Sharbaugh, came out and took us on a personal tour of several galleries, educating us on specific pieces along the way.

  Dale Chihuly work was commissioned for the new lobby 

My husband's father grew up in Flint, MI. This Edmund Lewandowski mural was inspired by a map of Flint. We spent a long time looking at it. Read about how it was covered up and later restored here.

Horror Vacui by Judy Pfaff

Sculpture in the courtyard

African Mask

18th c Chinese celadon porcelain

19th c painting of the 1,000 Islands

Sleepy Hollow Church by Thomas Chambers, 1850

Birds attributed to Thomas Coke Ruckle

Ms. Sharbaugh spent a long time with the painting below, explaining the Victorian symbolism. It was painted by an itinerant Philadelphia artist for The Fowler family who had lost a child.

The Fowler children, 1854

My husband noted right off that the two children on the left were in mourning clothes while the girl on the right is in white, and surrounded by flowers. He deducted the girl in white was the deceased. Our guide explained another hint was her coral necklace; coral is the remains of a creature that was once alive. Also the painting is divided in it's background; the living children have ivy behind them, a symbol of growth, while the deceased girl has an idealized landscape behind her.

1840s portrait of a woman

I hope we return soon to see the galleries that were being dismantled for the annual craft fair. I picked up their book of American Art at the gift shop. Some of my favorite artists are represented!

Flint Institute of Arts
1120 East Kearsley St
Flint MI
Open 12-5 M-F, 10-5 Sat, 1-5 Sun

The Last Words of the Holy Ghost by Matt Cashion

"Listen: If you can find a collection of stories more cohesive, more ambitious in reach, more generous in its passion, and fancier in its footwork, I will buy it for you and deliver it in person." Lee K. Abbott, judge of the 2015 Katherine Anne Porter Prize in Fiction 

From the first page I knew I was going to like reading the stores in The Last Words of the Holy Ghost, Matt Cashion's prize winning stories.

The press release tells it like this:

"The Last Words of the Holy Ghost, a collection of 12 Southern Gothic short stories, showcases a range of dynamic voices, characters, and settings, from the fourteen-year-old boy who speaks in tongues to the burned-out health-care administrator whose life changes during a trip to Wal-Mart."

The first story, The Girl Who Drowned At School That Time, starts with tragedy: a girl has drowned in the school pond. The school board quickly votes to fill the pond in to prevent any more drownings. It is the only responsible and sensible thing to do. Except...what to do with the fish that live in the pond? Things get complicated. It's always the small problems that cause trouble.

One man volunteers to fish them out. But they can't have one man catch and keep all the fish. They are school property after all. The fish have to be disposed of in a fair and equal way. And the fisherman already has a freezer full of catfish. The brilliant solution: have a fish fry. Plus they could raise money off the fish fry.

I was delighted by these strange folk who turn death and loss into a money making scheme! Isn't this how things work in real life, in small towns and small groups everywhere? We agree on the "big issues" and haggle over the small stuff. And--any excuse to have a party.

The responsibility to organize the event is pawned off to a secretary, a college student recently returned home. She has no intention of staying. Every day she thinks she'll quit. She sees the poverty, the ignorance, the neglected children, and the good ol' boys, and determines to leave town. Still she stays. She hasn't a clue how to pull off this fish fry. Meantime the exterminator, a veritable encyclopedia of American vermin, is pursuing her. He offers his help. At a price. The story is hilarious and dark and too true to life.

The last story, The Funeral Starts at Two, brought the book to a poignant conclusion. A man is supposed to take his father-in-law to the funeral of his brother. The father-in-law delays, enjoying his salt water pool and weaving tales about family members the son-in-law has never known. Wacky characters who would rather lift a horse, one end at a time, over a fence than go around. Who travel east to go west to be a cowboy. The son-in-law envies the older man's easy laugh. He wishes he knew more people who could laugh like that.

Parting brings a sad knowledge of how time and distance will come between them before they meet again--if ever in this life. As he drives away, the son-in-law sees "all the other ghosts who were also waving," the storied people so vividly drawn by the old man, who he can not forget.

That is the goal of a story-teller: to make people so real, in situations so real, that on closing the book these characters travel with us on our journey home.

Matt Cashion is that kind of story-teller.

To read the title story The Last Words of the Holy Ghost online click here.

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

The Last Words of the Holy Ghost
by Matt Cashion
University of North Texas Press
$14.95
ISBN: 978-1-57441-612-1 paper
           978-1-57441-623-7 ebook
Publication Date: November 15, 2015

Lady Bird and Lyndon: The Hidden Story of a Marriage that Made a President

For close to twenty years now I have been fascinated by the First Ladies. It started when I designed my Redwork quilt of the First Ladies, Remember the Ladies. I read book after book about these women. They are the most extreme example of thousands of women who marry men in the public eye, women who find their private lives invaded, their public image weighed and scrutinized, who watch their spouses deified and abused. Politician's wives, pastor's wives, those married to celebrities or business icons, are all married to more than a man.

Lady Bird from my quilt Remember the Ladies

One of the most fascinating presidents was Lyndon Baines Johnson. Bill Moyers called him "thirteen of the most exasperating men I ever met." He was charming and he was abusive; a womanizer who loved his wife; he believed in equality, education, and giving the poor a chance; if you got on his bad side he'd snub you for ever. The best thing he ever did in his life was to marry Lady Bird. She could soothe the savage beast. She knew how to deal with his depressions. She mended fences and kept political alliances intact. She managed their business and made them wealthy.

First Lady scholar Betty Caroli's book Lady Bird and Lyndon is a deep exploration of the relationship between Lyndon and Lady Bird. The contention is that without Bird behind him Lyndon may  never have been able to achieve his goals. Some biographers have deplored Lyndon's treatment of Lady Bird and wondered why she never stood up to Lyndon. Caroli puts their relationship in perspective and helps us to understand Lady Bird's motivations and appreciate her inner strength and surety of her husband's love.

Early on in the book I realized that Lyndon's mood swings sounded Bi-Polar in origin. I had not encountered that understanding before. During his presidency LBJ had major triumphs but also faced criticism and hatred that left him immobilized and dejected. Ever the workaholic, his health suffered, and knowing his time was swiftly running out LBJ spiraled into an angry depression.

The book covers the Johnson's families history and background, explaining their personality traits that made them 'right' for each other. Lady Bird was bright and ambitious, expected by her classmates to be the 'next Halliburtan.' When LBJ met Bird he immediately started the pressure for marriage. They had known each other a month when she agreed to marry him. They both knew Bird was the stronger, and she was going to rescue him with her love.

Theirs was a complex relationship, lived in the public eye. It makes for addictive reading.

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Lady Bird and Lyndon: The Hidden Story of a Marriage that Made a President
Betty Caroli
Simon & Schuster
Publication November 3, 2015
$29.99 hard cover
ISBN: 9781439191224

"The coach, the advisor, the steady soothsayer to an erratic man--in these pages, Lady Bird Johnson bursts from history's shadows to her rightful place at the heart of a stirring story...Caroli establishes the prominence of a gripping and mysterious relationship--one of the critical intimacies of the 20th century. This is a tremendous work of scholarship and storytelling." Joshua Wolf Shenk, author of Power of Two

Remember the Ladies, an original Redwork quilt by Nancy A. Bekofske