April Book Reviews !

This month, as you can see, I read three books. Okay…I actually STILL have 20 pages on the John Quincy Adam book, but I feel confident it isn’t going to change anything I would say so here we go with my review and opinions.

Working from the bottom of the stack up, the Andrew Jackson and His America looks like I borrowed from the library. It actually was on the “free to a good home” rack next to the check out desk. 

Written by Milton Meltzer, it is a Junior Biography. That being said, it was hefty in material and definitely not under my “reading level.” Not sure if that says more about my mental capacity or the writing, but I definitely think it is adult level reading.

I am going to lump the John Quincy Adams biography by Robert V. Remini with the Jackson book as what I would say about either is going to be similar. Russ and I purchased the JQA book while we were in Nashville before Christmas. I had just finished reading the book I reviewed here –> https://www.laurareimer.net/my-takeaways-from-first-family/ on John and Abigail Adams based on correspondence from the couple and others during that time. 

Having also read a book about the Founding Fathers after that, I was interested in learning a bit more about some of these people in our history. 

Both the Jackson and Adams books I read in April are well written. They are informative and they seem to be in line factually with the books I mentioned above. 

They are also eye-opening, not only to our history, but to our current culture. Reading about politics from the foundation of this nation and the role of personal greed and power that fueled much of the policies then is not much different than watching CNN and FOX news today.

After reading the four books I have finished based on this era of our country, I understand more about the anger of race division and the honoring of heroes who were not heroes to everyone. I have found that both of these books have brought me to my knees asking God to forgive us for the bloody and sinful patterns that underly the beautiful freedoms so many of us have enjoyed. 

I also am reinforced in the understanding that, while democracy in ideal is a wonderful form of government, all governments are formed and maintained by sinful and fallen men and women.

Personal greed for wealth, and more often power, are the downfall of leadership. And I am reminded to be thankful that all leaders are only in power under the authority of our Sovereign God, who is working all things according to His will…no matter how badly we mess it up. 

Ironically, Adams and Jackson were enemies and completely disagreed on about every point of matters of state and country. Jackson worked to undermine Adam’s presidency and no matter how much I would disagree with some of John Quincy Adams’ views on things, I would say that the fact that he made a terrible politician but a good statesman says a lot. 

He is criticized in the book for not “playing the political game.” He actually had the audacity to leave his political enemies in their positions if they were doing the job they were called to do well. And that is the gist of politics, isn’t it? Not who is doing a good job in their office, but are they supporting the right agenda. 

There truly is nothing new under the sun. 

I recommend both books and any others you may find that tell about our history based on records and correspondence of that time in which they lived. Personally, I am a bit filled up with American history for the time being and will have to have some space before I take on more. It helped me take off my rose-colored glasses. There were not “good old days” for us to pine for. 

It is better to study and learn from the mistakes of the past, ask God for forgiveness and support people who refuse to play the political game…even if they don’t win elections. And I am not in any way supporting or advocating for any of the current jostling for position. I am praying for God to raise up leaders who seek Him for wisdom and I am praying for the leaders we have as they try to provide was it best for a very diverse population. 

So let’s move on to the third book, which was written by a friend who lives right here in this community. This book was a most welcome and poignant shift from learning about the past of this nation to meeting the family of my friend and their story.

Surrounded by Love; My Family’s Journey through ALS is written by Jan Schmitz Mathew. In the pages of this beautiful book, Jan shares her own words, along with words of her father, mother and sisters as they experienced the diagnosis of their patriarch with ALS and the year long progression of this disease that ultimately ended his life. 

As I look at the book from a side view, I have so many page corners turned back because Jan’s writing touched my heart in so many ways.

Not only did I feel invited in to meet the members of her family, I felt the vulnerability of her willingness to share the pain and the struggle and the grief of each of them as they learned to accept the circumstances they had been given. 

Reading this book and the way her father approached his life and his death were so inspirational. Jan masterfully weaves her childhood, young adult years and the final trial they walked through into an incredible story of family and love and faith. 

Since we are the same age, many of her references to her younger years were so relatable to me…slide shows and the huge wallpaper designs from that era (hers were ballerinas, mine were daisies)…homemade Christmas decorations…so many things that I felt familiar with. Her words make pictures and I found myself laughing and crying with their family. 

While our stories are different as to our fathers, hers dealing with a year long battle of ALS and mine with many years of Alzheimers; this was a cathartic experience for me. It was the grief and loss pre-death that I could identify with. Jan lost her father in his physical ability, I lost my father mentally; and yet they lingered. 

I am thankful for her gift of writing and for the sharing of her and her family’s story in this book. 

I am thankful for her heart behind the publication of this book as well.

Jan wanted me to make sure you know that not only are all proceeds given to research for this horrible disease, she would make sure you got a copy if you needed one and could not purchase. It is not about selling books that my friend has written this gift of the heart. 

Here is the link for ordering her book https://www.amazon.com/Surrounded-Love-familys-Journey-through/dp/1735270202 and if you wanted to contact her personally, you can leave me a note in the comments (it will not be published on site!!!) and I will get you connected with her <3