Book Log 2021 #21: Grant by Ron Chernow

I don't read many biographies, but read Alexander Hamilton when the musical first became a thing, and liked it quite a bit. Which is what led me, eventually, to this book about our drinkiest president. Or at least our most rumored to be drinkiest president.

That's one of the main takeaways I took from this book, that the stories about Grant's familiarity with the bottle were embellished quite a bit. The stories aren't totally false - Grant clearly had a problematic relationship with alcohol - but they tended to fill in the gaps for any lapse or problem he encountered (or created). 

The story the book tells is of a man whose political inexperience, loyalty to those close to him, and general trusting nature all played significant roles in whatever troubles arose during his fighting days, presidency, and later life. I felt much more sympathetic towards Grant after reading this, and saw a little more clearly the facile nature of the characterizations of Grant as a corrupt drunk. It's not that he was blameless in the ill that befell him, but that the reasons for those ills run deeper than generally presented.

Even though this book (and Hamitlon) are pretty weighty, Chernow does a great job of balancing detail and thoroughness with readability. Both books require investing time and effort in reading, but pay off handsomely for that investment.

 Book Log 2021 #20: In the Morning I'll Be Gone by Adrian McKinty

Sean Duffy is enjoying retirement from the RUC, if by enjoying you mean" drunkenly existing after a dodgy termination." But he's put back into action not by his former employer but by MI5, who want his help in tracking down a IRA bombmaker who has escaped from prison. The bombmaker also happens to be an old friend, one who talked Duffy out of joining the IRA.

He picks up the case, but in order to solve it he will have to solve another case in a quid pro quo - if he can figure out who killed a woman in a locked pub, her mother will give Duffy information as to the bombmaker's whereabouts. And all of this may wind up having national and international implications, if the bombmaker is able to assist the IRA with an audacious plan.

I always get a little nervous when the main character in a series gets involved with higher powers, but Duffy holds his own here, even as his pursuit of the IRA man puts him at further odds with both communities (other Catholics who don't want him working for the British, and Protestants who don't fully trust Catholics). It's another strong outing, and if you haven't read the other books you should go start at the beginning.

 Book Log 2021 #19: The B-Team by John Scalzi

This was the product of some confusion on my part, as I don't think I was aware (or I forgot) that The Human Division was a collection of stories, the first of which is... The B-Team. I actually noted this confusion when I wrote about the collection, so I clearly learned nothing. On the plus side, I still liked this story (set in the same universe as Old Man's War but doesn't require having read any of the books in that series), so I'm at least consistent on that front.

 Book Log 2021 #18: The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey

A Marine returns to the American southwest after serving in Vietnam, only to find that developers and other business types are threatening to ruin the region's solitude and natural beauty. He teams up with a motley crew of like-minded misfits to commit eco-sabotage against road projects, dams, and other intrusions of the built environment on the natural environment.

This is the sort of book that I should like, but I didn't. It never quite came together for me. In retrospect I had similar feelings towards this book as I did for Cat's Cradle. Don't know if there's a shared writing style that I don't get, or if both books use a style of humor that doesn't appeal to me for whatever reason.

 Lentorama 2021: Take Your Holiday to Go

Day 40: Chewidden Thursday

To wrap up we head to Cornwall and this celebration of an obscure saint who apparently played a large role in Cornish history. For it was St. Chewidden who is credited with taking black tin (tin ore) and turning it into white tin (smelted ore). The refined tin brought in more money than just the ore, helping to develop the tin industry overall in the region.

There is almost nothing online about Chewidden or what he did to become a saint (or even that he is a saint). I did find one link that said Chewidden translates into English as "white house," so it could be that this saint was conjured up to honor the process that helped Cornwall avoid widespread poverty (at least some of the time). It's also not clear why the day is held on the last Thursday that was at least one week before Christmas day. 

Chewidden is typically said to be a friend of St. Piran, of whom much more is known. A fifth centuty abbot, he is the patron saint of tin miners and of Cornwall itself (though there are at least a couple other patron saints of Cornwall as well). The Cornish flag - a white cross on a black background - is named for him. His feast day is March 5, and is widely celebrated, to the point where it's a kind of unofficial Cornish national holiday.

That's it for 2021, see you in 2022 with a decidedly non-holiday based Lentorama!

 Lentorama 2021: Take Your Holiday to Go

Day 39: Lazarus Saturday

In Eastern Christian churches, the day before Palm Sunday is known as Lazarus Saturday, which celebrates Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. This feast has ancient roots in Christianity, coming up in sermons recorded in the 4th and 5th centuries.  The service on this day reflects on the resurrection of Lazarus as pre-figuring the resurrection of Jesus (and the general resurrection promised when Jesus returns).

This day is still a fast day, but with one notable exception: caviar. Eggs are a symbol of the resurrection, and fish eggs are apparently seen as a shadow of bird eggs (which I guess is an ovate comparison of Lazarus to Jesus). This is also the day when, historically, hermits would return to their monasteries to celebrate Holy Week. 

There are also local differences in this feast. Celebrants in Greece and Cyprus bake and eat a bread that symbolizes Lazarus (this page gives more detail as to how the day goes in Greek Orthodox churches). In Serbia and Bulgaria you find traditions that may have more pagan roots, such as a fire to ward off vermin and snakes, and a procession that involves six maidens (though I'm not finding much of anything indicating that these practices are actually current).

 Lentorama 2021: Take Your Holiday to Go

Day 38: Education Sunday

Observed primarily in the UK, this day is set aside to pray for and remember those involved in education. It apparently was held for a good century or so on the ninth Sunday before Easter, but in 2016 it was moved to the second Sunday in September to coincide with the start of the new school year (as with most things in education, change came slowly). There is surprisingly little history out there for this day considering that it was established fairly recently.

There is at least some recognition of this day in the US, though it looks like it's celebrated on the first Sunday of September, which is probably closer to the start of the school year in a lot of the country (I am continually surprised at the number of friends I have whose kids start school in mid-August). Confusing matters is something called Christian Education Sunday, which focuses on getting kids to learn about religion, which I've seen listed both in late September and early June.

 Book Log 2021 #17: The Trespasser by Tana French

Antoinette Conway is finding life on the Dublin Muder Squad difficult. She's working crap cases and gets all manner of grief from her colleagues. She's an easy target as the only woman on the squad, and garners extra attention for not being willing to go along as if it's all in good fun.

Her latest case looks like more of the same - a domestic dispute gone wrong - but as she and partner Stephen Moran (the same duo from the previous book) investigate, it becomes clear that there was more to the victim than meets the eye, and that her death may not be as open and shut as first appeared. That the powers that be want it to be open and shut is put clearly to Conway, who can't quite tell if she's being told not to overthink the case, or if she's being told off of going where the investigation leads.

This isn't the first book in the series told from a female point of view - The Likeness had Cassie Maddox as its lead detective - but it does come from a very different perspective. We get a lot more ambivalence about being a detective from Conway, even as she's finding obvious fulfillment in working this case.

This installment in the series maintains the high quality present in the previous books, which is remarkable given that we're six books in. Recommended, as is the series in general.

 Lentorama 2021: Take Your Holiday to Go

Day 37: Sinulog

Officially this is Sinulog-Santo Nino Festival, which is held annually on Cebu, one of the islands of The Philippines. The name Sinulog comes from a Cebuano adverb describing the movement of water, and refers to a dance that is part of the celebration.

That celebration predates the arrival of Christianity, with the dance done in honor of local gods (though there is at least one source that claims the dance came after, due to a miracle cure attributed to the Santo Nino). Christianity came into the story when Ferdinand Magellan showed up in 1521, claiming Cebu for Spain. When the local rulers and their subjects converted to Christianity, Magellan gave the rulers the Santo Nino, a figure of the Christ child. And while Magellan didn't last much longer (he would be killed about six weeks later), the Santo Nino did, becoming the oldest Christian artifact in the country.

There are a few good pages out there that talk about Sinulog (this one seems to have the best balance between photography, history, and description of the festival, even if it does feel like it's mostly trying to sell me a tour). They all stress the idea that this is as much a cultural event as a religious one, which makes a fair amount of sense when you consider its likely pre-Christian origin and the fervor with which Filipinos approach their faith. 

 Lentorama 2021: Take Your Holiday to Go

Day 36: Detinjci

Historically, people in Serbia didn't give presents at Christmas. Presents were instead given on the three Sundays before Christmas day. Detinjci is the first of these three days, in which children are tied up at the legs, and give presents to their parents as "ransom" so they can be untied. The two following Sundays - known as Materice and Oci - have the kids turn the tables and tie up their mothers and fathers, respectively, with more presents as ransom.

Not sure what event led to this tradition, but no doubt it was something not at all scarring.

This tradition has waned over time, and now it's more likely that if gifts are being given it happens on Christmas Eve. I couldn't find anything really helpful to explain the origins of this tradition (at least in English), but I did run across some Serbian Orthodox churches that incorporate Detinjci into that particular Sunday's services.

 Lentorama 2021: Take Your Holiday to Go

Day 35: Sea Sunday

Held on the second Sunday in July, Sea Sunday is observed by a number of Christian churches as a day to pray for people who work on the water and their families. It's a popular day for organizations with a maritime focus to raise money for their works. 

In Catholic churches there is usually a second collection on this day to support the Apostleship of the Sea, which does things like provide priests for ships and run ministries in port cities. This page talks about the US branch of the Apostleship. The overall association of these branches is known as Stella Maris, and the patron saint of the organization (and also the namesake of my parish) is the Virgin Mary as Our Lady, Star of the Sea.

 Lentorama 2021: Take Your Holiday to Go

Day 33: Feast of the Holy Winding Sheet

Set on the day before Ash Wednesday, this feast was proclaimed by Pope Pius XII in 1958 to honor what we now call the Shroud of Turin. It's not the first feast to celebrate the winding sheet of Jesus, and not even the first to celebrate a winding sheet of Jesus. There were two other feasts of this name that celebrated winding sheets other than the one currently in Turin. There was also a feast in 1831 which wasn't dedicated to any particular winding sheet, which seems like a good idea given the multiplicity of winding sheets.

There aren't any specific celebrations related to this day other than church services, at least that I could find. The keepers of the Shroud of Turin have a website with a video of the most recent service, but not much else about this subject in particular. Plenty on the Shroud itself, of course.

 Lentorama 2021: Take Your Holiday to Go

Day 32: Demetrius Saturday

Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches recognize a number of Saturdays as Soul Saturdays, when prayers are given for departed relatives and others who would not be recognized as saints. Saturday was chosen as it was the day where Jesus lay dead in the tomb. Not surprisingly, many of the Soul Saturdays happen around Lent and Easter.

Demetrius Saturday, however, takes place on the Saturday closest to October 26, the feast day of Saint Demetrius of Thessaloniki. Its celebration is generally like that of the other Soul Saturdays, where the regular Divine Service has added hymns to remember the dead. There is also usually a memorial service held either before Divine Service or after Friday night Vespers, and the blessing of koliva, a dish of boiled wheatberries and honey that is eaten after the service in memory of the departed.

A much fuller discussion of Saint Demetrius and the establishment of this day can be found here.

 Lentorama 2021: Take Your Holiday to Go

Day 31: Vardavar

This Armenian celebration takes place roughly 14 weeks after Pascha (Easter), and involves people throwing water on each other. There's also a large cultural festival on the day, with traditional songs, food, art, etc. on display. That the festival is held at both Armenia's best known monastery and its best known pagan temple should tell you something about Vardavar's origins.

The Christian explanation of the holiday says it either celebrates the Feast of the Transfiguration or was a tradition started by Noah where his descendants would sprinkle water on each other and release doves in memory of the Flood. The pagan explanation is that the holiday celebrates Astlik, the Armenian goddess of love, fertility, and water (there's also a tradition that Astlik was actually a daughter of Noah born after the flood, which would be a handy way of tying the pagan and the Christian together). 

The word Vardavar actually references the pagan tradition, as it has a meaning along the lines of "burning roses," which references the offerings of roses given to Astlik. 

Smithsonian Magazine gives a good summary of the holiday and has pictures to underscore that if you're in the country on that day you're going to get soaked.

 Book Log 2021 #16: The Flight Portfolio by Julie Orringer

Varian Fry was an American journalist who, stationed in Europe in the 1930s, saw the danger in the rise of Nazi Germany and wrote extesnively on the subject. Once war started, and the Nazis occupied France, Fry and a small group of like-minded individuals started an organization that helped get people out of the country, with a focus on writers and artists who had been previously persecuted by the regime. This novel dramatizes his story and that of the rescue effort.

That effort was impeded on both sides of the war, with both the Nazis and the "free" French Vichy government keeping close tabs on Fry and his group, while American and other Allied governments resisted taking in refugees who were largely Jewish. In the short time the group was able to operate, they sent as many as 4000 people out of France (mostly to neutral Portugal), including notable figures like Hannah Arendt, Jean Arp, Marcel Duchamp, Claude Levi-Strauss, and Marc Chagall (the title refers to a collection of his work that was kept on hand as a potential bribe).

I'd not heard of Fry or his organization before, and found their story both inspiring and frustrating. The book also delves into Fry's complicated personal life as a married but closeted man, adding an extra dimension of personal risk to the story.

I'd definately recommend this book, for the way it gives light to a darker corner of World War II.

 Lentorama 2021: Take Your Holiday to Go

Day 30: World Communion Sunday

Originally known as World Wide Communion Sunday), this day (held on the first Sunday in October) was created to give various denominations a chance to revisit the unity of Christianity through the Eucharist. It started in 1933, and in 1936 was adopted as a denomination-wide practice by the US Presbyterian Church. In 1940 it was promoted by what is now the National Council of Churches for celebration worldwide. 

It seems like it's mostly observed by Protestant faiths (which make up the bulk of the NCC), and I have to admit I don't recall it being promoted extensively in my Catholic parish (though I also have to admit I may not have noticed). 

 Lentorama 2021: Take Your Holiday to Go

Day 29: Powder Day

Celebrated in the Spanish village of Tolox, Powder Day sees people (mostly younger people) throw talcum powder at each other until they are coated in the stuff. It takes place on Shrove Tuesday, and marks the end of carnival in Tolox. 

Some point to the Ash Wednesday reminder that we "are dust, and unto dust shall you return" as the reason for the powdering, but local history points to a more secular beginning. The story goes that two women in the town were in love with the same man, and got into a fight over him. Both worked at the same bakery, and they started throwing flour at each other as they fought. This became a kind of courting ritual, with men throwing flour on women in whom they had a romantic interest. Women who did not want to get hit with flour (or who weren't interested in the man most likely to throw the flour) would stay home.

This led to some frankly appalling behavior, with men breaking into homes in order to throw their flour. Take a hint, dude.

At least one other town in Spain has a similar practice, though neither appear to be related to the Hindu festival of Holi, where participants throw colored powders at each other.

 Lentorama 2021: Take Your Holiday to Go

Day 28: Lajkonik Festival

This celebration held in Krakow, Poland, features a man dresses as the lajkonik, a folkloric figure dressed in Tatar clothing riding a wooden hobbyhorse. This man is the central figure in a procession that goes from a local convent to the city's market square, which includes other people dressed either in local traditional clothing or costumes with an eastern theme.

Along the procession route, the lajkonik touches people with his golden mace (which is thought to give good luck) and collects ransom money. Once at the square, the lajkonik meets up with the city's mayor, the ransom is exchanged, and a chalice is drunk to the health and good fortune of all of Krakow's citizens.

The origins of the festival are a little murky, but all stories agree it stems from the appearance of Tatar raiders in the 13th century, who may or may not have taken Krakow during the Mongol invasion of Poland. Most stories have Krakow repelling the invasion, with the lajkonik being created when locals put on Tatar dress either to celebrate their victory or to play a joke on the locals. 

In any case, the festival is held on the first Thursday after Corpus Christi, though it's not clear to me why that's so. This page gives a little more information on the festival, but nothing to help understand the date. 

 Book Log 2020 #3: Appetite for America by Steven Fried

This book tells the story of Fred Harvey, the entrepreneur who saw the expansion into the American west, and the railroad lines taking passengers there, as a business opportunity. He built an empire of restaurants and hotels along the Atcheson, Topeka, and Santa Fe railroad, which not only made travel more comfortable and manageable for passengers, but developed systems for running such a far-flung enterprise that continue to influence the industry today.

Harvey's most notable (and remembered) innovation came with his staff, as he hired scores of "Harvey girls" as servers at his railside restaurants. The women had to be single and willing to work and live according the rules set by Harvey, which were often restrictive. Even so, this was a very early opportunity for women to join the workforce and earn money independently.

The Harvey empire waned as road and air travel supplanted rail, and most of his establishments are gone. Some still exist and are in use, as this CBS Sunday Morning story details. I found the book engrossing, as I didn't know much about Harvey or this particular part of US history, and would recommend it to anyone looking to learn more about this period, US rail travel, or the hospitality industry.

 Lentorama 2021: Take Your Holiday to Go

Day 27: Sunday of the Myrrhbearers

This Eastern Christian observance takes place on the third Sunday of Pascha, and celebrates the people who brought myrhh and other spices to the tomb of Jesus (such as Mary Magdalen) and those who oversaw the entombment (like Joseph of Arimathea). 

The placement of this feast reflects a concept called synaxis, where the secondary figures in a larger feast are celebrated with their own feast on the following day. In this case, though, the day has to be pushed back due to the observance of Bright Week and Thomas Sunday. There doesn't seem to be any specific celebration tied to the feast, though there are special mention of the myrrhbearers during the week, and churches named for any of the myrrhbearers may have their own festival as well.