The Book Report: Staff and Student Recommendations
Book reviews and recommendations from around MSMHS.
Synopsis: The Boston Girl is a novel that follows the story of Addie Baum, a young girl growing up in early 20th century Boston. Addie is the daughter of an immigrant Jewish family who, in a radically changing world, has to overcome prejudice and poverty to become a successful and independent woman.
"It gave me a new appreciation for the lives of the women that came before me."
Ms. Frick Says: “I feel like even though she lived 100 years before us, Addie experiences many things that everyone, especially women, go through. She has to decide between a life fitting into what is expected of her and going for what she wants. It also put into perspective for me the struggles that my own members of my family must have gone through at this time. It gave me a new appreciation for the lives of the women that came before me. I often think of the sacrifices they made to give me the life I have. It inspires me to strive and work towards things they couldn't.”
Synopsis: The Sun Does Shine is a biography that brings attention to controversial topics like racial injustice and the death penalty. The narrative follows an innocent man's fight for freedom after a wrongful conviction and death sentence, all due to his race. It tells the story of mental and physical struggle, and the pain of knowing every day you are getting closer and closer to death.
Cece Says: “It made me change my stance on the death penalty. I used to believe that the death penalty was justified in some cases, but after reading this book my entire view on the subject changed.”
"I could feel the fear the man was feeling"
“It is a story that shows the raw feelings about racial injustice, prejudice, and lawyers who refuse to help due to his race. In reading this, I could feel the fear the man was feeling, which made me feel horrible and changed my view on the death penalty forever.”
Synopsis: The novel follows the storyline of a young female chemist who is forced to pursue a career in television after becoming a single mother.
Ms. Jacksin Says: “This is a book that I believe every woman should read. It is extremely woman empowering and teaches a sense of overall mental and emotional control. It follows the life of an almost powerless female chemist trying to overcome a male dominated world. Not only is she a female, but she is taking on a challenging role that happens to be in a field predominantly run by males who don’t validate or even care to listen to female viewpoints.”
