Monthly Archives: October 2014
Etiquette and Espionage
Finishing School, Book 1
Juvenile Fiction
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
2013-10-08
336
It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to Finishing School. Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is a great trial to her poor mother. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners--and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminnick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. So she enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality. But Sophronia soon realizes the school is not quite what her mother might have hoped. At Mademoiselle Geraldine's, young ladies learn to finish...everything. Certainly, they learn the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but the also learn to deal out death, diversion, and espionage--in the politest possible ways, of course. Sophronia and her friends are in for a rousing first year's education. Set in the same world as the Parasol Protectorate, this YA series debut is filled with all the saucy adventure and droll humor Gail's legions of fans have come to adore.
Review:
“Etiquette and Espionage” is a wonderful and whimsical introduction into the world of historical steampunk fiction for the middle reader.
Based around a floating finishing school that also trains young women to become spies in the Victorian era, the subject is rich before a single word was written. The attention to detail in describing the machines and general steampunk ideas is amazing and inspires the imagination.
Added into the plot is a great history lesson about the customs of the era mixed with a great deal of satire concerning the way a “proper lady” should dress and behave. I found myself laughing at several points in the adventure at the sheer ridiculousness of it all. To counter the customs of the day, the author presents a host of very strong female characters and how they are, in fact, equal to men.
There is fantasy type violence, though none graphic, and questionable morality that is presented in a tongue-in-cheek-manner that no reader after fifth grade will see as an example of appropriate behavior, making it a great read for those making the leap from children’s books to young adult. My only caveat is that the language is a bit difficult to get used to, so it is not a good choice for the more reluctant readers.
But don’t let the children have all of the fun. “Etiquette and Espionage” is a fun read for adults who are children at heart.
This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warning:
Violence
The Nazis Next Door: How America Became a Safe Haven for Hitler’s Men
History
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH)
2014-10-28
288
A revelatory secret history of how America became home to thousands of Nazi war criminals after World War II, many of whom were brought here by the OSS and CIA—by the New York Times reporter who broke the story and who has interviewed dozens of agents for the first time.
Review:
“The Nazis Next Door” is a book about the various Nazis living in our country after the war, along with how our government not only helped bring them here but helped them avoid prosecution through various means, including forged documents.
As opposed to many history books, this one is easily read and accessible not only to the novice, but also provides little known information to historians. My major was history, with a concentration in Jewish history, and I was appalled by just how much has been hidden for so long. The fact that Patton himself was an anti-Semite made me feel physically ill.
A secondary benefit to the history lesson is the knowledge at just how carefully we need to question the actions of our own intelligence agencies. This is certainly a timely topic, and one that we could all use a reminder regarding.
If a reader has an interest in the Holocaust, especially the more unexplored topics surrounding it, I cannot recommend “The Nazis Next Door” enough. Novice or professional, it is an excellent resource.
This review is based upon an advance copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warning:
As this is a book meant for adults, no content warning will be given.
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