Tag: Quite Literally Books

Review 2701: The Little Dinner

~ whatmeread ~ 10 Comments

The Little Dinner is sort of a cookbook. But it’s more of a glimpse into the social customs of the late 19th century American middle class (I’m assuming). In that respect, it’s very interesting.

Its premise, by Christine Terhune Herrick, who was a sort of domestic expert (I’m thinking the Martha Stewart of her time), is that many people cannot afford to give huge, splendid dinners anymore. So, her intent is to instruct how to give a “little dinner.” By little dinner, though, she means one of four or five courses, with just one entree which may be preceded by fish and followed by game. Simple, huh?

Other interesting suggestions are that only one vegetable is required for such a dinner or that brocade table coverings are required. Oh, and you only need one maid. Well, that lets me out.

The structure of the book is to have several introductory chapters on such topics as how many guests to invite or how to decorate and set up the table. That is followed by a chapter on each type of food.

I’m not really a domestic person, but the book gave me an idea of the relative lavishness of middle-class life compared to now.

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Review 2633: The Pink House

~ whatmeread ~ 8 Comments

Some of the best stories of my life begin with an orphaned child. Here is another one.

Norah is a crippled girl, probably from polio, but at seven she is loved and taken care of. Then her mother dies, and her father, who soon will be traveling to South America for business, gets Aunt Rose to take her home. Norah, who doesn’t even understand that her mother is dead, thinks she is going for a visit. And it’s clear right away that no one wants her at her aunt’s home in central New York State.

Aunt Rose is beautiful, but she is cold and aloof. Nevertheless, she makes people love her. She lives a life of barely hidden dislike with Uncle John, yet he loves her. The children are Paul, who tries to please Rose but never does; Mary Anne, who is so beautiful that Norah can’t help staring at her; Jed, who calls Norah “Toad”; and Dosie, who comes right out and tells Norah she doesn’t like her. The children make it clear they aren’t interested in her, and only Paul is kind but removed. Aunt Poll, John’s sister, is so direct that Norah at first hates her, but it is Poll who will help her become strong, independent, and brave. At first, though, she spends most of her time alone crying.

This is a story about how a lonely, neglected orphan slowly becomes an integral and valued member of the family. But it is also about a cold, selfish, beautiful woman who attracts love without effort and without deserving it and does her best to destroy that family. It is about self-determination and growth but also about family secrets.

I absolutely loved this novel and thank the brand new imprint, Quite Literally Books, for sending me the book in exchange for a free and fair review. The first thing I did after I finished this book was look for another one by Nelia Gardner White, a new name to me.

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Review 2629: Plum Bun

~ whatmeread ~ 11 Comments

I hadn’t heard of Jessie Redmon Fauset before, but according to the Preface of my Quite Literally Books copy, she was one of the most prolific writers of the Harlem Renaissance. Her novels were later critiqued for centering on the Black middle class, labeled as “bad fairytales,” a problem that doesn’t seem to have been resolved since then, if I can go by Percival Everett’s Erasure.

Angela and Virginia Murray are two sisters living in Philadelphia at the beginning of this novel. Their working-class parents have worked hard to purchase their house and provide them a comfortable life. Jinny appreciates this and loves her life, but Angela doesn’t want a life like they have. Unlike, Jinny, she looks White, and the only situations in which she has been made uncomfortable have been when White people discovered she was a Negro, to use the novel’s own terminology.

As young adults, the sisters lose both parents and inherit the house. Angela decides to sell her half to Jinny and study art in New York City, where no one knows her and she can pass as White. She wants to meet someone with money, so she can lead a carefree life. Girls just want to have fun.

In her art class, she meets Anthony from Brazil. She is drawn to him, but he is very poor, and when he asks her if she could live a poor life to be with someone, she says no. Then she meets Roger, a wealthy young man from a good family. He pursues her, and she comes to believe she can get him to propose. Unfortunately, she is being naïve and doesn’t seem to understand that he has no intention of marrying her, as she does not have the right social and economic background. She also ignores signs of racial bigotry.

But this book isn’t just about Angela’s relationships with men. It’s about the compromises and deceits involved in Angela’s decisions. It’s about her development from a selfish young girl to a woman who has learned empathy. It’s about what should underlie one’s life decisions. And it’s about the insidiousness of racism. It’s another time, so be prepared for some nasty attitudes that were okay at the time to express.

I didn’t like Angela for quite some time—she’s too cold and calculating, too selfish. But through strife, she learns to understand the feelings of others. I enjoyed this book very much.

I want to thank the new imprint, Quite Literally Books, for sending me the beautiful package that contained this book, in exchange for a free and fair review.

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