Book Reviews

‘A Resistance History of the United States’

American history is, like all history, a giant tangled knot of perspectives and fables and winner’s lies. The story that’s been told is always angled in such a way to achieve a certain effect a reader has to work to uncover. So the recent spate of new perspectives on the stories we all think we know — and the revelation of all those we have never been told — has been eye-opening. 

Stoermer, a historian with a gift for accessible storytelling, walks through key moments in U.S. history that were shaped by organized, deliberate resistance. The pre-Civil War sections are particularly rich, doing the important work of dismantling the mythology that is calcified around that era and made it so weirdly difficult to hold politicians accountable when they echo those same patterns. The Salem Witch Trials, the Metacomet War and so many other moments of resistance reverberate down throughout time, right to this moment. It is both haunting and fascinating in equal measure.

This is history as both mirror and toolkit. It is a call to action dressed up as a history book, and it works beautifully as both. Engaging, clear-eyed and arriving at exactly the right time. Don’t miss it. ♦ — Review by Julie Goodrich

‘Misery’s Wife’

The world needs more fairytales. Or, perhaps, we need to dive deeper to uncover the vast riches that are the fables of cultures outside our own. There is a mountain of untapped stories just waiting for their moment, and the inevitable animated movie. Enter this delightfully charming retelling of a Portuguese fairy tale that fits right in with the classics.

Elizane is on a mission from a toad to save her favorite sister from the King of Misery. Along the way, she will need the help of her other sisters, new friends Luck and Jinx, and a whimsical assortment of other characters in this lush and twisted wonderland. This is the dreamy adventure of a quest but also a magical story with a deep, philosophical heart, like all the best ancient tales.

There is so much love here — familial love, friendship, romance, and the love of a community that is so intrinsically human. So much of modern life is isolated and individual, but stories like this shine a light on what a lot of us are missing. I was charmed from the first page. This is the kind of story to get lost in. ♦ — Review by Julie Goodrich