Jacob Have I Loved - Katherine Paterson

Jacob Have I Loved
By Katherine Paterson

This book has broken my heart and then put the pieces back together so gently I didn’t even realize it was mended.

It was difficult for me to get into the beginning of Jacob Have I Loved. I thought I had read it before but it turned out to be a different book than I thought so I didn’t know what to expect. Then, I kept waiting for Jacob to appear. Who was he? What was his story?

Finally, about 50 pages in, I let go of waiting for Jacob and just fell into the story. I couldn’t put it down after that. The story grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. Then, it began shaving off pieces of my heart until it finally shattered what was left with one quick moment.

I knew it was coming. I could feel it about to happen. Well, I could feel the build-up that something was going down but at first I didn’t know if it was going to be good or bad. I just knew it was big. Then, I knew it was bad. I could see what was going to happen but she didn’t know yet. I wanted to shake her “don’t you know what is going to come next?” Then, she knew, and I was heartbroken. I didn’t know if we would ever recover but by the end of the book I was yelling “don’t forget the first one.” And after all that I closed the book with a smile on my face.

I love Louise and though she lived a very different life from me, so much of her felt familiar. Oh Jacob Have I Loved, how I have loved you.

*I read this book as part of the Shelf Discovery Challenge.

**Source: I bought this book with my own sweet loot.

Daughters of Eve - Lois Duncan

Daughters of Eve
By Lois Duncan

At Modesta High School there is a chapter of the Daughters of Eve who are sending out invitations for their new members. They have a new teacher, Irene Stark, who is going to mix things up a bit—you know—really get things done. With Irene leading them, this social club quickly turns into a group of girls who will test their social and moral boundaries at every chance they get.

I actually had a hard time with parts of the book. The extreme levels that were taken had me with the feeling that these ideas gave feminism a bad stereotype. I started the book thinking it would be milder but Duncan definitely has you questioning the actions of some of the characters.

I couldn’t wait to get to the end (and boy did it end with a bang!!) to see if I would feel better about their actions. I am pleased to say, when I closed the book and though about their actions as a whole, I was kind of in love with it. I think Duncan was right in writing it with the extremes she did because she smacks you with something that you MUST think about. Irene may be a bit insane at times, but haven’t we all been there? I remember literally seeing red after a comment about women from a guy in college. I was literally blind with rage and wanted to punch him—I didn’t punch him, but I guess I’m a softy that way. The point is that the book was a bit extreme, but I get it.

The best part was that Irene reminded me of a college professor I had for Women’s Studies. She had that passion and enraged fire that made you want to go out and change the world. I love that when I closed the book I felt like I had just gotten out of one of her lectures.

This is an excellent book that may have you questioning both sides but the important thing is that it will make you think.

*I read this book as part of the Shelf Discovery Challenge.

**Source: I bought this book with my own sweet money.

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. - Judy Blume

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. by Judy Blume, is the first book I have read for the Shelf Discovery Challenge and I absolutely LOVED it.

How is it that I am 25 and just now reading this for the first time? This story had so many similarities with my life at that age and it was so wonderfully written that I felt like I was my version of Margaret.

Margaret is trying to decide if she believes in God while at the same time begging him to let her “get it” (“it” being her period). She has the same kind of friends I had at that age, the group with a leader. In Margaret’s case the leader of her friends was Nancy. Margaret also has to deal with her parents and trying to get them to understand the new parts of her life, like how important is it that she doesn’t wear socks on the first day of school.

There is a quote on page 64 that I could totally relate to:

“During this time I talked to Nancy every night. My father wanted to know why we had to phone each other so often when we were together in school all day.”

My dad was constantly talking to my mom about how there was something wrong with me because I was on the phone with my friends the moment I got home from school.

Even though I truly wish I had read this book in 6th grade, I wonder if I would have appreciated it as much then. I know I would have felt an intense connection with the story, but I don’t know if I would have realized all the similarities at the time. Would I have loved it just because it felt familiar? I will never know but I am glad I finally read it. Now I am going to have to read more Judy Blume.

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