My Turn - Part II

For what it's worth, I thought I'd continue my list of summer reads. It's nice to gather my thoughts about what I've read and plan to read in the near future.



Also inspired by my travels, and perhaps a bit more elevated than some of the other titles I'd delved into, I next tackled Portrait of a Lady. I'd read it years ago, but thought it would be a nice way to wind down my visit to England. Henry James is always a worthy read and Isabel Archer is a sad, if honorable, heroine. It was a great way to pass some of the long flight back home.

I borrowed Kite Runner from my daughter after I returned home. She highly recommended it...and I see that Melba does as well. It was the one book I've read this summer that I didn't want to put down. Stunning, brutal, loving, enlightening, touching, heartwarming...strangely enough, these are all adjectives that I can apply to this coming-of-age story set in Afghanistan.

I've just started The Soong Sisters. I was intrigued by what I learned about these powerful women while I traveled through China. Soong Ching Ling married Sun Yat Sen and her sister, Soong Mei-ling was Chiang Kai-shek's wife. Interesting family dynamics there! We toured two of Soong Ching Ling's homes and visited Sun Yat Sen's mausoleum...so I was eager to learn more of this woman who I've decided, based on my limited knowledge, could possibly be described as China's Eleanor Roosevelt. I was pleased to discover that Bailey Library has a copy of Emily Hahn's 1946 biography of these two and their sister May-Ling. I've just started it, so I'll have to get back to you.

I'm always looking for a good book to read. I tend to be partial to memoirs and biographies (not that you'd know that from this summer's list!) so if anyone has any suggestions I'd love to hear them.