Surprising Summer Reads
Book Reviews by Linda Stephen, Reviewer
The Bones of Paradise by Jonis Agee – This historical Western multigenerational family saga takes place in the Nebraska Sandhills in 1900, ten years after the Seventh Cavalry massacred more than 200 Lakota children, women, and men at Wounded Knee. This complex dark mystery starts with two murders in a remote meadow on a large cattle ranch. The Bones of Paradise was the “One Book One Nebraska” read for 2022. I highly recommend the novel for people who love historical fiction, complex mysteries, or literary descriptions of the beauty and brutality of the Sandhills in all seasons. Find at Lincoln City Libraries or local bookstores (William Morrow, 2016, paperback, 416 pages).
Then the Rules Changed by Carolyn Zeisset – This historical novel about Germans from Russia is the story of a 9-year-old immigrant’s journey from South Russia (Ukraine) to Kansas in the 1870s. The children in the family have to work for years in America to pay off their trip. This engaging story of a young Mennonite includes 90 encyclopedic illustrations/drawings that help to show the garb, foods, and customs of new immigrants as they made their journey from Czarist Russia to the Kansas frontier. The author based the story on some of her own family’s history. What is your family’s story? Did your ancestors immigrate because of religious persecution or economic hardships? I recommend Then the Rules Changed for readers who enjoy realistic historical fiction. In particular, I recommend the book for those looking for inspiration for imagining their own ancestors’ journeys.
Find signed copies at Francie & Finch Bookshop in Lincoln or at CarolynZeisset.com (Prairieland Press, 2022, 194 pages). Contact the author for book talks or presentations on how to create stories from family history.
Cooler Than Lemonade: A Story about Great Ideas and How They Happen by Harshita Jerath and illustrated by Chloe Burgett – One scorching summer day, Eva comes up with a great idea: a lemonade stand! But when she sees that Jake across the street has his own stand, and he's giving away free cookies, Eva knows she needs another idea to keep people lining up.
I recommend this picture book — illustrated by Lincoln’s own Chloe Burgett — for anyone looking for a cheerful summer read or for conversations with children about perseverance, ideas, and entrepreneurship. Available at Lincoln City Libraries. Signed books at Francie & Finch Bookshop or Elleinad Books in Lincoln (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, March 2023, 40 pages).
Linda Stephen is an author, editor, and origami artist. See her art exhibit “Outdoors in Origami” featuring Holmes Lake Park June 1-Aug. 30 at the County-City Exhibition Gallery, 555 S. 10th St. Learn more at LindaStephen.com or Facebook.com/LindaStephenOrigamiArt.