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Billy Creekmore – Tracey Porter

“Billy Creekmore” by Tracey Porter was an unexpected delight for me. The story of a young boy who was left at a cruel orphanage, I thought it would be depressing and gloomy. It did have depressing moments, but Billy’s spiritedness and determination to survive pulled it out of the gloom and made it remarkable. When Billy was born, he opened his eyes and gestured at the ceiling, saying, “There.” It shocked his midwife so much, she said he must be communing with spirits. His mother’s heart was weak to begin with, and she didn’t survive the birth, and his father … Continue reading →

How Green Was My Valley (1941)

In 1941, Hollywood released a film which introduced Americans to a life they knew little about unless they came from similar backgrounds themselves. “How Green Was My Valley” is based on Richard Llewellyn’s novel of the same name, and examines coal mining in Wales. In this film we meet the Morgans. They have several sons, only one daughter, and every son old enough works in the coal mines. Their earnings are meager but their mother is frugal, and they have enough to live on and very little else. Still, they are a tight-knit family and strive together for all that … Continue reading →

Tristi’s Picks: Best Novels Read in 2007

It’s that time of year – the time to look back at my reading for the last year and decide which books were the most outstanding. As always, it’s a tough call, more so than usual, as I really found some great reads in 2007. I decided to allow for fifteen top favorites instead of my usual ten – ten is just too limiting. 1. “Wildwood Dancing” by Juliet Marillier was my favorite read over all. This delightful and enchanting fairy tale took the stories of “The Twelve Dancing Princesses” and “The Frog Prince” and blended them together in a … Continue reading →