Treasures from the Worcester Room: A Historical Feud!

Some of my favorite books in our Worcester Room collection are books that have to do with Worcester's most influential citizens throughout its long, proud history.  Unquestionably, any list of famous Worcesterites would have to include renowned historian and politician George Bancroft. Bancroft is the namesake of both the prestigious Bancroft Prize for history, as well as Worcester's Bancroft Tower.  However, you don't get to that level of influence without making a few enemies along the way, which is why our Worcester Room collection includes the 1867 title Correspondence and Remarks Upon Bancroft's History of the Northern Campaign of 1777, and the Character of Major-Gen. Philip Schuyler by George L Schuyler.

For fans of Hamilton, yes this is the same Philip Schuyler who was Alexander Hamilton’s father-in-law.  The book features George Schuyler’s long and increasingly angry letters to George Bancroft regarding what he felt were slanderous criticisms of General Schuyler’s commanding ability in Bancroft’s account of the Revolutionary War.  A descendant of Philip, George also considered himself a historian, and wrote the book to feature a point-by-point defense of  Philip Schuyler’s conduct during the war, also including all of George and Bancroft's testy correspondence with each other.

In one exchange, George Schuyler writes that “I have no alternative but to deny publicly the correctness of your account of General Schuyler’s character for courage, which I can view in no other light than a gratuitous insult,” whereby Bancroft responds with “the tone of your note today shows conclusively how proper it was for me to decline entering into a correspondence with you, on a subject which you can hardly be expected to consider with the critical calmness of a disinterested inquirer.” I can’t help but feel that if this dialogue were to take place today, it would be delivered through a series of angry tweets.

While most of the books regarding influential Worcester residents tend to be respectful biographies, it is occasionally refreshing to read about a historical argument like this.  It is nice to know that those from the 1800's could be just as preoccupied with petty feuds as we can be today.  Just another example of the fascinating items that can be found in the library's Worcester Room collection.

December 2016 Staff Book Recommendations

Under the Udala Trees
By Chinelo Okparanta

Under the Udala Trees is a coming-of age tale about an eleven year-old Nigerian girl named Ijeoma. Her story begins on June 23, 1968, on the day of her beloved father’s death. His untimely passing occurs during and as a result of the Biafran War, a civil war in which the Igbo people attempted secession from Nigeria and lost to disastrous effect. Although Ijeoma’s mother lives on, grief has rendered her incapable of parenting Ijeoma and protecting her from imminent danger. She sends her to live with a local teacher’s family and there, she befriends Amina. Because Amina is not Igbo but instead Hausa, few approve. When it is discovered that the two girls’ friendship has evolved into a romantic relationship, Ijeoma is abruptly packed up and sent back to her mother. 

What proceeds is a story of hidden love and attempting to bridge the gap between the expectations of the family one is born into and the possibilities of the family one desires to manifest. Believing she can cure Ijeoma of homosexuality through biblical force, Ijeoma’s mother sets out to eradicate her daughter’s most tender feelings order to meet the socio-politico-religious beliefs of Igbo life in the 1970s. 

Okparanta excels at evoking empathy from the reader through her lyrical language, imagery and detail. As Edwidge Danticat says, this is a book “that demands not just to be read, but felt.” If you like the work of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Ishmael Beah, or Edwidge Danticat herself, put this on your list. 

--Christina

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Before Jamaica Lane
By Samantha Lane

There are some books you read that just fit you. You find them at the right time in your life and they fill up a need you didn’t know you had. In contrast, there are books that emotionally drain you and make you feel things you don’t want to feel…Samantha Young’s Before Jamaica Lane was one of these books for me. 

Before Jamaica Lane takes place in Scotland where we meet best friends Olivia and Nate who bond over their shared love of geek culture, “Would You Rather?” questions, and the hardship of losing a loved one to cancer. Even though Olivia and Nate share many things in common with each other, their love lives are drastically different. Nate brings home a different woman every night without ever returning her phone calls, while Olivia can barely speak with a man she finds attractive without stuttering or turning bright red. Furthermore, in addition to Olivia’s shyness, she loathes her body and thinks that no “hot” guy will ever find her attractive. 

One night after striking out one too many times with her crush Benjamin, Olivia drunkenly and tearfully confesses to Nate that she hates her body. Nate, being her friend, as well as confident in his own experience with other women, offers to help boost Olivia’s confidence and brings Olivia to a mirror in her bedroom. Nate instantly refutes every criticism Olivia has about her body (such as her belief that she has: flabby thighs, a huge butt, and average looking features), and assures her that he, as well as any man would want to sleep with her (actual language more colorful) because she essentially has the body of a Kardashian and “great hair”. The story of course goes on to track the complexities of Nate and Olivia’s relationship (from friends to friends with benefits) and is chock full of all kinds of emotional upheaval. 

I’m no stranger to romance books and I count myself a big fan of the genre because I adore love stories and happy endings. However, part of the fantasy in reading a romance novel is that you can put yourself in the story-warts and all. Yet, the constant focus on the characters’ level of attractiveness (both with main and secondary characters) puts this story in a completely different category. Instead of escaping into a fun story I noticed myself judging what I saw when I looked in the mirror a little more harshly than usual. 

It’s important to note that I’m in the minority in terms of my review (Before Jamaica Lane received a 4.5 out of 5 on Goodreads because of its friends-to-lovers theme, emotional depth, and heaps of sexytime scenes), but in my opinion, when only certain types of physical appearances overtly meet the criteria for what is considered beautiful (whether in fiction or in real life), this is never something to ignore. 

Before Jamaica Lane is #3 in the On Dublin Street series:

1. On Dublin Street
2. Down London Road
3. Before Jamaica Lane
4. Fall From India Place
5. Echoes of Scotland Street
6. Moonlight on Nightingale Way

--Cara

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American Revolutions: A Continental History, 1750-1804
By Alan Taylor 

When someone mentions the American Revolution, most people probably get a few well-known images in their heads. They might think of George Washington crossing the Delaware, or Minutemen fighting Redcoats, or the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The book American Revolutions: A Continental History, 1750-1804 by Alan Taylor argues that the truth is quite a bit more complicated and interesting. In fact, Taylor makes a compelling argument that the American Revolution could easily be referred to as the 1st American Civil War. 

What Taylor does amazingly is really drive home the idea that there were a large number of loyalists who did not favor independence. Taylor points out that the tactics used by the pro-independence groups included the wholesale destruction of homes and property, and tarring and feathering anyone who was considered a collaborator. Taylor also describes how many Native Americans and African Americans resisted independence, believing that continued rule by the Crown offered them the best chances for survival and freedom. Moreover, Taylor makes a compelling argument that much of the American Revolution was caused by the colonists’ fears that England would abolish slavery and prevent the westward expansion that worsened conflict with the French and Natives and sparked the costly French and Indian War. These arguments aren’t all new; however, Taylor collates the arguments in a very convincing manner and makes the case to think of the Revolution as a civil war. 

Taylor, a historian who has twice won the Pulitzer Prize, has a great writing style. American Revolutions is written in a compelling fashion, and is not dryly written as you might expect from a book of its size and scope. A basic knowledge of American history would be helpful to readers, as the book is not really written for the layperson. However, I found Taylor’s writing and arguments to be highly accessible and easy to follow. You don’t need to be an expert in history to appreciate Taylor’s book. I would highly recommend this one.

--Alex

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Loving What Is : Four Questions that Can Change Your Life

By Byron Katie

“I am an old man who has known many troubles, but most of them never happened.”  This quote, often attributed to Mark Twain, tells a simple truth: most of our troubles are in our heads. These words also hint at a path to freedom from those very same troubles, a freedom Bryon Katie aims to help you find. 

In Loving What Is, Byron Katie details this path to freedom in what she calls “The Work,” a method of self-inquiry which centers on asking simple questions about the thoughts we have regarding difficult people, events, and life circumstances.  The method itself is simple and to the point – simple to the point that it may be difficult to swallow. 

While Katie does explain her method, much of “The Work” is illustrated by dialogues between Katie and a series of participants.  The themes of the dialogues vary, ranging from common issues such as shyness and infidelity to difficult topics like rape and death of loved ones.  The plausibility of the transformation found in the dialogues varies, but more than anything, the dialogues show that “The Work” can be done on anything, even the most difficult people and circumstances. 

Katie’s self-inquiry work consists of asking half a dozen questions which always have similar answers.  The uniformity of the answers may be off-putting for some, but the questions are not about getting into the details of our anxious narratives.  Indeed, the point of the questions is to break through the details, to drive home the understanding that most of our pain is caused by thought. This lesson is easily lost when we get caught up in the details of the stories we tell ourselves, but the plot-holes in our narratives are easily torn apart by the inquiries Katie provides.

Loving What Is is a beguilingly easy read with a simple teaching that is more than meets the eye.  This is a book of tough love which is not for everyone, but the opportunity for radical transformation awaits anyone willing to undertake this difficult Work.  

--Ben