Scribbles on Katherine Patterson's Lyddie

Summary:  Impoverished Vermont farm girl Lyddie Worthen is determined to gain her independence by becoming a factory worker in Lowell, Massachusetts, in the 1840s.

                Oh, my heart ached for Lyddie and the circumstances that made her life. But I know, Lyddie will achieve all that she had planned/intend to do in the last part of the book. :-;

                The story gripped me from the start. Despite the obvious physical tension (i.e. bear), the author managed to incorporate humour in this, and at the same time release another conflict/tension (i.e. mother’s illness).

A Simple Act of Kindness by Winston Estes

All I can say is that this book really failed me. Or maybe, I expected too much from since its title is about kindness.

Aside from being such a long book, the story concerns mainly on a guy named Peter Hamilton, who was such a do-gooder. A meddler, as put up by Mr. Burnsides, his lawyer.

Generally, the story is more of a mystery-detective type. And until now, I still don’t believe Carrie Holbrook. (But) maybe I should read the book again.

The character whom I liked was Mr. Arthur Burnsides, the lawyer. I liked the way he says things. Maybe that is just the way lawyers are. And also, I’ve learned that lawyers really cost a lot.

And inheritance money costs a lot too!

From my own reasoning, I can say that the title of the book is “A Simple Act of Kindness” since the lead character has done an act of kindness (as he calls it). But it turned out to do more harm and complications than he ever thought of or imagined.

Lesson: Mind your own business.

**Note: I borrowed this book in our college library. I was researching on a paper on kindness at that time and I thought this book will be of good reference. How wrong I was.

Book Read Last July 27-28, 2006

Books To Read

The year has only began and now I have a growing pile of unread books. I just have to make the time. It's festival fever here which is making me wanting to stay out of the house most of the time. Grrrr..excuses again.

It's really just seven books for now. If I am not careful enough, I'd still have them lying around until summer. This post will serve as my "reminder" that I need to read. An irritating, nagging feeling of unread books always gets to me. 

OK. OK. I'm reading now, in an alternate universe by the mulberry tree.