“Raven is the patron saint of the Tlingit. He’s responsible for bringing the sun and the moon and water and almost everything else, to the earth.” – from Raven Stole the Moon, page 24 of the ARC -

“Do you understand, Ferguson? Raven didn’t just give us the sun, moon, and stars. He had to steal them from someone else.”
“I don’t follow.”
“Stealing is an act of evil. But giving is an act of good. So was Raven good or evil?”
Ferguson felt a little dumb for having to be led to the answer.
“Both.”
“Both. Exactly. You now have a complete understanding of the Tlingit religion.” – from Raven Stole the Moon, page 46 of the ARC -

Jenna Rosen used to have a wonderful life – married to a man she loved, raising a little boy who meant the world to her. But a fateful trip to Thunder Bay, a lavish resort in Alaska, steals away everything. Bobby, Jenna’s five year old son dies in a drowning accident and Jenna feels responsible for his death. Her way of dealing with the guilt is to turn to alcohol and prescription drugs. Her husband, Robert, turns his grief to anger and directs it mostly at Jenna. Two years after Bobby’s death, Jenna  impulsively leaves Robert and boards a ferry from Seattle to a tiny town in Alaska where her grandmother once lived…looking for answers in  the cold and remote wilderness of Alaska.

Jenna’s journey for closure quickly becomes a terrifying ordeal where Jenna must not only sift through the legends and beliefs of her ancestors, but must face the devastation of her marriage.

On its surface, Raven Stole the Moon is a supernatural thriller which brings to life the Tlingit (pronounced Klink-it) legend of the Kushtaka – otter people who steal the souls of the dead. The Kushtaka are shape-shifters who can appear in whatever guise they desire to trick people into going with them. Jenna almost immediately encounters the Kushtaka upon her arrival in Alaska … and Stein amps up the tension and fear, successfully driving the story forward.

But to classify Raven Stole the Moon as just a thriller would be wrong. There are deeper issues embedded in the novel: how does a parent survive the loss of a child? And how does a marriage evolve or devolve in the aftermath of such an event? What role does religious faith play in recovery? How does someone forgive themselves for a tragedy for which they feel responsible? These questions resonate through the story. Jenna appears to have no religious faith until she discovers the religion of the Tlingit which puts her on a pathway to self-discovery and provides closure for the loss of her son. Her journey is not just a physical journey, it is a spiritual one.

As the sky regained its color and the birds awoke, Jenna stood naked before the world, wondering what was real and what was imagined, trying to fathom an absolute truth, a set of values assigned by some kind of higher being that she could live by, a belief system that would give her the answers she wanted and that she could depend on to survive more than a few thousand years. – from Raven Stole the Moon, page 227 of the ARC -

I read this novel in just under three days. The story pulled me in and made me want to continue reading to find the answers. I loved the German Shepherd who makes an appearance as Jenna’s spirit guide. I admit to being terrified at some of the scenes when Jenna was being pursued by the Kushtaka. That said, the writing is not perfect. At times the dialogue felt stilted and I longed for more development of some of the supporting characters. I did not always understand Jenna or her motivations.

Raven Stole the Moon is Garth Stein’s debut novel – released initially 13 years ago, it is now being re-released by Harper Collins after the success of his bestseller The Art of Racing in the Rain. I loved The Art of Racing in the Rain which I read last year (read my review). There are many differences between the two novels – perhaps most obvious the level of the writing. Stein has certainly grown as a writer in the 13 years between books. Despite some of the flaws in the prose, Raven Stole the Moon is still a worthwhile read, especially for those interested in Native American legend. The strengths of the book are its engaging storyline and the theme of recovery through spiritual awareness.

Enter to win a copy of this book by visiting THIS POST. Drawing to be held on March 11th.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for review through Terra Communications.

The weekly FRIDAY FINDS event asks you to share with other bloggers about the new-to-you books you found during the week — books you either want to add to your TBR (to be read) list, or that you just heard about that sounded interesting.

I don’t participate every week, but I do star reviews on my Google Reader which catch my eye and when I have enough of them, I post on Fridays about them. Clicking on the title of the book will take you to Amazon; clicking on the featured blogger whose review made me want to read the book will take you to that review.

Back to the Coast by Saskia Noort caught my eye when featured on Danielle’s blog A Work In Progress. This is a psychological thriller published by Bitter Lemon Press, and is translated from the Dutch by Laura Vroomen. Danielle writes: ‘The ending might have been a little too pat, the solution a little too perfect, but really that didn’t detract from the chilling story Noort tells of Maria’s paranoia, fear and helplessness.‘ I’ve added this one to my wish list, and added my name to the Bitter Lemon Press mailing list.

Secrets of Eden by Chris Bohjalian was recently featured on Jill’s blog The Magic Lasso. I have loved some of Bohjalian’s previous novels, and this one looks like an important story about an abused wife who is murdered by her husband. Jill writes: ‘The abuse of Alice Hayward was heart-wrenching. Bohjalian shows every aspect of an abusive relationship – from the punches to the belittlement. Physically, emotionally and mentally abused, Alice endured it all – while hiding it from her neighbors. This is a hard subject matter to read but an important one [...]‘

Even the Dogs by Jon McGregor caught my attention on a review written by Dovegrey Scribbles. The novel centers around an unlikely protagonist – a derelict and drug addict whose body is discovered in his apartment. Dovegrey Scribbles writes about Even the Dogs: ‘[...] a book that will inform, will challenge assumptions and perhaps redistribute rationed sympathies, to ignore it is to ignore a painful but fundamental failing and perhaps to understand that a little more clearly is a step nearer to … well to I don’t know what, because I’m not stupid enough to think the solutions are there for the sorting, but someone needed to tell the story of those who live and die in this underworld and tell it as it really is, and Jon McGregor most courageously and brilliantly has.‘ Sounds like a book I should read.

What the World Will Look Like When All the Water Leaves Us by Laura van den Berg was featured for review on Ti’s blog Book Chatter.  Ti writes that this book ‘[...] is a gem of a little book. Filled with stories about women who don’t settle, yet struggle to find their place in society. Honest and thoughtful in her delivery, van den Berg creates a world where beauty exists in everyday things.‘ I love well-written short story collections, and I like discovering new female writers…so this book definitely goes on my wish list.

What have you found lately? Please share your Friday Finds by visiting Jenn’s blog TODAY!

Here are the books that have found their way into my shopping cart recently:

The Girl With the Dragon Tatto by Steig Larsson

I’ve been wanting to read this book since the first glowing reviews started appearing around the blog-o-sphere. How did I justify buying the hard cover edition? It is a book in translation which would go towards my Reading Around the World personal challenge.

The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson

This is the sequel to The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Justification, therefore, was simple – must read ALL the books in the series (which means that when book three comes out, I will feel compelled to also purchase that one). And of course, here is yet another book that will meet my personal challenge of reading around the world. Oh, and did I mention the Suspense-Thriller Challenge as well??

Shadow Tag by Louise Erdrich

This is Erdrich’s latest novel and it is getting some decent early reviews. Justification for paying full price for the hard cover edition: I need just one more Erdrich book for the O.A.T.E.S. Challenge, the reviews are good, I want the book.

Brooklyn by Colm Toibin

I read The Blackwater Lightship by this author in 2007 (read my review), and vowed to read another of his novels some day. I love Toibin’s simple, luminous prose. So when Brooklyn got short listed for the Booker Prize and the Booker Prize Yahoo group decided to read it for discussion, it was a simple decision to add this one to my cart.

Therese Raquin by Emile Zola

I have been wanting to read something by this author for quite some time and this book seems to be universally loved by readers. Why did I buy it now? The Classics Circuit is doing “Paris in the Spring” and Zola will be toured during the month of April. I’ve been meaning to add more classics to my stacks – perfect timing!

Number 9 Dream by David Mitchell

Mitchell is brilliant. I have loved every book he has ever written – and this is the last one to read (until his newest novel is released in June). You can read my reviews of Cloud Atlas, Black Swan Green, and Ghostwritten if you’re interested. I needed no real justification for buying this other than I love this author’s amazing gift of the written word.

Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons

I think this may be the book which has sat on my wish list the longest. I needed a good excuse to buy it – and I found that excuse in The Social Justice Challenge whose theme this month is Child Abuse and Domestic Violence. Look for a review sometime in March.

Lest you think I only read fiction, here are some nonfiction books which I also picked up:

I Never Told Anyone: Writings by Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse, edited by Ellen Bass and Louise Thornton

I actually started reading this in the store and was so engrossed in it that I had to buy it. I usually don’t read nonfiction like this, but I was browsing for something to add to my reading list for this month’s Social Justice Challenge theme of child abuse. This anthology looks really powerful.

The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World, by Jacqueline Novogratz

This book looks fascinating (the cover art was what first caught my attention). My justification for laying down the cash for it? The Social Justice Challenge will be focusing on poverty in July. This book will be one of the books I’ll read…

There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing up in the Other America, by Alex Kotlowitz

In 2007 I read Kotlowitz’s book The Other Side of the River – which was a powerful expose on race and the perception of crime in America (read my review). In There Are No Children Here, he focuses on poverty, violence and racism. Once again, The Social Justice Challenge’s theme of poverty gave me just the right excuse to buy this book.

So there you have it – another book buying binge. But I refuse to feel any guilt – I had good reasons for all these purchases. How about you? Have you justified any of YOUR impulse buying lately!??!?

Life Sentences by Laura Lippman
ISBN 978-0-06-112889-9
352 pages
Published by William Morrow/Harper Collins (2009)

Last year I read my first Lippman novel: What the Dead Know (read my review). I loved it. So when I saw that TLC Book Tours would be touring Lippman’s book Life Sentences, I knew I wanted to participate. Life Sentences is a thoughtful, character driven novel with a mystery (read my review) which will appeal to readers who enjoy mysteries, but also like literary fiction.

Browse inside the book.

A little bit about Laura Lippman:

Laura Lippman grew up in Baltimore and in 1989 worked there as a journalist for the Baltimore Sun. After writing seven books while still a full-time reporter, she left her journalism job in order to  focus full-time on fiction. The author of two New York Times bestsellers, What the Dead Know and Another Thing to Fall, she has won numerous awards for her work, including the Edgar, Quill, Anthony, Nero Wolfe, Agatha, Gumshoe, Barry, and Macavity. Learn more about Laura Lippman and her books on the author’s website.

I was thrilled when Laura agreed to write a guest post for my blog. Enjoy!!

*********************

copyright Laura Lippman (2010)

Thank you, Wendy, for letting me hang out at your blog today. It’s an honor. I may be dating myself, but I’d like to start by invoking a song from Gigi. The singers are Honore and Mamita, former lovers.

H: We met at nine
M: We met at eight
H: I was on time
M: No, you were late
H: Ah, yes, I remember it well
We dined with friends
M: We dined alone
H: A tenor sang
M: A baritone
H: Ah, yes, I remember it well
That dazzling April moon!
M: There was none that night
And the month was June
H: That’s right. That’s right.
M: It warms my heart to know that you
remember still the way you do
H: Ah, yes, I remember it well.

I’ve always inferred that the conceit of the song is that it’s pragmatic Mamita who is right about all the details, while it’s dashing Honore who has twisted everything. (“That’s right. That’s right.’) After all, he’s trying to charm her and she always gets the last word.

But – who says? When memories clash, how do we prove our case? Most of us just pile on more details, as if the vividness of a memory is proof. It’s not. It’s just proof that we are convinced of our memory’s veracity.

A few years ago, I was lamenting a lost sweatshirt, one with an insignia from one of my husband’s projects. It was lost in a taxicab in Ireland in 2006. On that detail, we were in agreement. But I said it had been embroidered with the name Project 2. (Forgive me for being vague. I am famously reticent about my somewhat famous spouse.) He said it was Project Previous. I said I was sure it was Project 2 because I wore it so often. He said that he would know better than I because it was his project, after all. We tossed details back and forth at each other. I remembered that the hem was frayed. He argued that established it was probably an older garment. I said that I didn’t get much swag from his work, which was why I had commandeered this particular sweatshirt. He said he wore it more often than I did. After all, he was the one who left it in the cab. We called the argument a draw.

A month later, he organized years of photos. There I was in Ireland. Wearing the mourned sweatshirt. And there was the Project 2 insignia, clearly visible. A better woman might have let it pass. I am not a better woman.

“OK, OK,” my husband said. “You win.”

“But it’s not about winning,” I told him. “We both thought we were right. In this case, I was. But that’s not important. What I want you to focus on is how sure you were, how adamant and impassioned you became. That proves that passionate faith in your memory doesn’t guarantee anything. If you can be wrong when you were so sure you were right, then isn’t there always the possibility that a memory is wrong?”

“Yes, but –” And he continued to argue, only this time the debate centered on why his error was understandable.

One of the hardest things a person can do is take a heart-felt memory and admit that it’s wrong, or riddled with invented details. Because if we are wrong about one memory, couldn’t we be wrong about all of them? And if we’re wrong about all of them – then who are we? That’s the story behind LIFE SENTENCES. A woman begins to pull on the threads of her life – and everything falls apart. It sounds terrifying, doesn’t it? But I’ve found that it also can be reassuring in a strange way.

And if you stop arguing based on memory, you’ll be amazed by how much time you save!

*************************

I completely agree!! Thanks for visiting my blog, Laura. It’s been a pleasure!

Visit more TLC Book tours of Laura Lippman’s novel:

• Monday, March 1st: Raging Bibliomania
• Monday, March 8th: Thoughts From an Evil Overlord
• Tuesday, March 9th: Wordlily
• Wednesday, March 10th: Shhh I’m Reading
• Monday, March 15th: Booksie’s Blog
• Wednesday, March 17th: The Book Zombie
• Tuesday, March 23rd: I’m Booking It
• Thursday, March 25th: pages turned
• Monday, March 29th: Luxury Reading
• Wednesday, March 31st: Cozy Little House

Cassandra understood the media cycle well enough to know that Callie would disappear within a day or two, that she was a place-maker in the current story, the kind of footnote dredged up in the absence of new developments. Callie had been forgotten and would be forgotten again. Her child had been forgotten, left in this permanent limbo – not officially dead, not even officially missing, just unaccounted for, like an item on a manifest. A baby, an African-American boy, had vanished, with no explanation and yet no real urgency. His mother, almost certainly the person responsible, had defeated the authorities with silence. – from Life Sentences, page 12 -

Cassandra Fallows is casting around for her next book idea after having published two highly successful memoirs and one floundering novel, when an evening newscast brings up a name from her past. Calliope Jenkins had shared an elementary school classroom with Cassandra. She was later held for seven years in prison for refusing to reveal the whereabouts of her infant son…who is still missing and presumed dead. Now released from prison, Calliope provides the perfect backdrop for another memoir of sorts for Cassandra. Cassandra returns to her childhood home in Baltimore to try to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding Calliope and her son, and ends up reconnecting with her old friends. What she discovers are buried secrets about her own life, and another perspective on what constitutes truth.

Laura Lippman takes her time in developing her characters in Life Sentences, switching back and forth from the past to the present, and giving the reader multiple perspectives of Cassandra’s life. Cassandra is not wholly likable (she has a tendency to go to bed with other women’s husbands and seems oblivious to how her literary portrayal of the people in her life might impact them) yet I found myself wanting to give her a chance at redemption. Part of the conflict in the novel is internal – that which lies within Cassandra herself. Although her goal was to write a book and not rethink her life, Cassandra ultimately is forced to deal with her own weaknesses, learn another way of seeing the world, and revisit her version of the truth.

Lippman apparently used to write straight forward mysteries and suspense novels, but in Life Sentences the mystery takes second stage to the deeper issues raised in the book. Using the historical backdrop of the civil rights movement in Baltimore and the assassination of Martin Luther King, Lippman explores the difficult subject of race relations. Cassandra’s unfaithful father leaves her mother to marry a black woman. Cassandra’s childhood friends are all black (she is white) and the division between them (and their later anger around Cassandra’s memoir) centers largely around unspoken race issues. One huge event in Cassandra’s life (when she is attacked by a group of white girls in her school) takes on a different meaning when seen outside of Cassandra’s narrow view and is explained from the viewpoint of a black friend who witnessed the attack but did nothing to stop it.

Another huge theme in the book is that of memory and perspective – how two people can experience the same thing and yet remember it differently. As Cassandra tries to mine her past for her next book, she discovers her memories about important events vary significantly from that of her friends.

Ultimately Lippman gets to the mystery and provides an answer for her readers, but she arrives there after a meandering journey through the lives of her central characters. And that is perhaps my only complaint with the novel – it moves a bit slowly at times. This is not a book a reader will plow through in one sitting. Despite this minor complaint, I can recommend Life Sentences to those readers who enjoy their mysteries character-driven vs. plot driven.

Please visit my TLC Book Tour post which includes a guest post by the author.

FTC Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the publisher for review on my blog.

I wake up earlier than the others, usually around 5 a.m., to perform the one household duty I have mastered. After posting the morning’s word, emptying the dishwasher, setting the table for the children’s breakfasts, and pouring the MultiGrain Cheerios or Froot Loops or Apple Jacks or Special K or Fruity  Pebbles, I prepare toast. I take out he butter to allow it to soften, and put three slices of Pepperidge Farm Hearty White in the toaster oven. Bubbies and I like plain buttered toast; Sammy prefers it with cinnamon, with the crusts cut off. When the bell rings, I shift the slices from the toaster to plates, and butter them.

Harris usually spends half the night in Bubbie’s little bed. When I go upstairs, around 6 a.m., Bubbies hesitates, but I give him a knowing look and he opens his arms to me. “Toast?” he says. - from Making Toast, page 17 of the ARC -

Roger Rosenblatt’s 38 year old daughter Amy – a pediatrician, wife and mother of three very young children – had a heart defect which went undiagnosed until it took her life, suddenly and unexpectedly, just weeks before Christmas in 2007. Rosenblatt and his wife Ginny responded in the only way they knew how – they packed up their things and rushed to Maryland to help their son-in-law Harris raise their grandchildren. Making Toast is Rosenblatt’s memoir of the weeks and months following Amy’s death as the family struggles to make sense of their loss while moving steadily through the daily events of a life which continues without her.

Written in a series of vignettes rather than a straight forward narration, the book is non-linear in nature. At first, I didn’t like this scattershot approach which seemed to keep emotion slightly distant. It felt disconnected to me. But, as I continued to read, the style began to make sense. For what is grief but memories of the brief slices of a life lived? What is recovery if not the simple act of getting up each day and sharing another person’s life? How do we see hope for the future except through the eyes of our children or grandchildren? For Rosenblatt, who clung to his anger against God and the fact that his only daughter had died from something which affects ‘less than two thousandths of one percent of the population,’ his one consolation was that he was doing what Amy would have him do – caring for her family.

Making Toast is heartbreaking, and yet its sadness is fleeting. I found myself laughing at the simple, every day moments which Rosenblatt shares. I found myself marveling at the depth of love that he and his wife had for not only their grandchildren, but Amy’s husband Harris. The human spirit is nothing but resilient in the face of tragedy – and yet it is still amazing to see it in practice.

Rosenblatt shares his grief without telling us outright that he is grieving. Time after time he declines to listen to Amy’s voice on a telephone answering machine, so when her recorded words show up in the narration toward the end of the book, we feel Rosenblatt’s pain. This is Rosenblatt’s style – to show us moments which transcend words.

Making Toast is about patience, love, faith (and the lack of it), grief, and the slow, torturous process of recovery. But perhaps it is mostly about what it means to be a family. Rosenblatt’s simple prose and his matter-of-fact presentation is surprisingly moving in the context of the story. It is a beautiful tribute to a daughter.

Highly recommended.

FTC Disclosure: This Advance Readers Copy was sent to me by the publisher for review on my blog.

February 28, 2010

Good morning! Here we are – the last day of February. Is it just me, or is 2010 just FLYING by?!??!

I have a little business to get done before I talk about my reading. If you are a regular reader of my blog, you already know I am doing a year long project called Reading for a Cure. If you don’t regularly read Caribousmom, check out the intro post for the project. In March I am having a book giveaway bonanza for those who either join the project, sponsor someone in the project OR make a donation to the Pediatric Cancer Foundation (I’ve set up a special button for the project on their donation page). I’ll be posting a final list of books being given away (and the dates I’m drawing winners) tomorrow, but you can read about the FIRST giveaway on this post. I hope you’ll consider getting involved in some way – it is a great cause. Childhood cancer research is incredibly under-funded. If you’re on the fence and not sure if you want to support this cause, read Kate’s story. She is, in large part, why I was motivated to sponsor this project. If you have questions, either leave me a comment or drop me an email at caribousmom (at) gmail (dot) com.

I have had a slow reading month, but I’ve read some interesting books. This week I finished reading Just Don’t Fall by Josh Sundquist (read my review). I really liked Sundquist’s honest, forthright and endearing memoir. He also did a terrific guest vlog for me. If you like memoirs, especially ones which are inspirational, consider picking up a copy of this book.

I also read and reviewed the newest Mayo Clinic Diet (read my review). I’m not a diet person, but this book is more about healthy lifestyle changes than dieting. I think it will appeal to those people who hate diets but want to maintain a healthy weight.

I just finished reading Life Sentences by Laura Lippman for a TLC Book Tour on March 3rd. I’ll be posting my review then, along with a guest post by the author. This is my second Lippman novel, and although I liked What the Dead Know (read my review) better than Life Sentences, I can say that Lippman has become one of those authors who makes me sit up and take notice. She’s written several other books, and I am eager to work my way through them. I think her books are hard to categorize. Her character development makes her books lean toward the literary fiction end of things; yet her plots are distinctly mystery in nature. I like that. It sets her books apart from the typical mystery genre. Have you read anything by this author? If so, what did you think?

Last night I started reading Making Toast by Roger Rosenblatt which is due for release through Harper/Ecco in March. This is a slim memoir (my ARC has 165 pages). It begins with the death of Rosenblatt’s daughter Amy. Rosenblatt and his wife Ginny end up moving in with their son-in-law to help care for their very young grandchildren. I’m going to be finishing this book this morning (I have only 50 pages to go) and will post my review later today.

Last night Kip and I watched the movie Sahara (based on Clive Cussler’s novel). It was a fun, escapist movie. I chose to watch it as an alternate media for The Social Justice Challenge (the theme this month was water…and the movie does deal with some pretty bad water issues!). You can read my thoughts about it here.

Later this morning we’re heading into town to get the last of the supplies I need to finish my closet. Then we’re taking Raven for a romp in the woods to burn off a little of her endless energy. It is a gorgeous day here (feels like Spring). What are you doing today? Whatever it is, I hope it involves a GREAT book!

I don’t diet. Ever. I hate the idea of measuring out portions, following rigid guidelines, and being limited to a specific number of calories per day. I also know all the statistics that show that diets don’t work over the long haul.

So, I was very happy to see that The Mayo Clinic Diet is not like other diets out there. The weight experts at the Mayo Clinic have put together a book which is not only colorful and easy to read, but makes losing weight more about lifestyle changes than about hard and fast dieting.

The book is separated into three distinct parts.

The first section is a two-week “jump start” program that requires little preparation but claims to help you lose 6-10 pounds in two weeks. Essentially it sets you up to add five healthy habits (including things like eating breakfast every morning, adding whole grains to your diet and eating healthy fats), getting rid of five unhealthy habits (such as not watching television while you eat and not eating in restaurants), and adopting five bonus habits (things like writing down your goals and keeping an activity log).

The second section is a healthy lifestyle section which is focused on the long-term lifestyle changes which will help you maintain your weight (or continue to lose at a slower rate). Things I liked about this part of the book included visual representations of food servings (so you don’t need to measure out serving sizes), and a list of calorie burning activities to add to your life.

The final section of the book covers things like determining YOUR healthy weight, understanding nutrition and weight control, and barriers to weight loss (including motivational issues). There are some simple recipes and menus included in this last section as well, as well as a great section on adapting recipes for healthier eating.

All sections include colorful, simple diagrams or photos, and easy to understand language. The book has an accompanying journal to track your progress and activity.

Readers who have struggled with weight loss, or who don’t want just another fad diet, will most likely find information in The Mayo Clinic Diet which will appeal to them. Some may find it almost too simplistic, but I see that as more of a strength of the book than a weakness.

Below is a recipe which I have permission to reprint here on my blog:

Morning Glory Muffins
By the weight-loss experts at Mayo Clinic and Donald Hensrud, M.D., M.P.H.
Authors of The Mayo Clinic Diet: Eat well. Enjoy life. Lose weight.

15 MINUTES PREPARATION TIME + 35 MINUTES COOKING TIME + MAKES 18 SMALL MUFFINS

1 c. all-purpose (plain) flour
1 c. whole-wheat flour
¾ c. sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. salt
¾ c. egg substitute
½ c. vegetable oil
½ c. unsweetened applesauce
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. chopped apples, unpeeled
½ c. raisins
¾ c. grated carrots
2 tbsp. chopped pecans

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2. Line a muffin pan with paper or foil liners.

3. In a bowl, combine the flours, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Whisk to blend evenly.

4. In a separate bowl, add egg substitute, oil, applesauce and vanilla. Stir in apples, raisins and carrots. Add to the flour mixture and blend just until moistened but still slightly lumpy.

5. Spoon the batter into muffin cups, filling each cup about 2/3 full. Sprinkle with chopped pecans and bake until springy to the touch, about 35 minutes.

6. Let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer the muffins to a wire rack and let cool completely. Serve.

The above is an excerpt from the book The Mayo Clinic Diet: Eat well. Enjoy life. Lose weight., by the weight-loss experts at Mayo Clinic and Donald Hensrud, M.D., M.P.H. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.

Reprinted from The Mayo Clinic Diet, © 2010 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Good Books (www.GoodBooks.com). Used by permission. All rights reserved.

About Donald Hensrud, M.D.

Donald Hensrud, M.D., M.P.H., is chair of the Division of Preventive, Occupational, and Aerospace Medicine and a consultant in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Nutrition at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. He is also an associate professor of preventive medicine and nutrition at the College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic. A specialist in nutrition and weight management, Dr. Hensrud advises individuals on how to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. He conducts research in weight management, and he writes and lectures widely on nutrition-related topics. He helped publish two award-winning Mayo Clinic cookbooks.

About Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic is the first and largest integrated, not-for-profit group practice in the world. Doctors from every medical specialty work together to care for patients, joined by common systems and a philosophy that the needs of the patient come first. Over 3,600 physicians and scientists and 50,000 allied staff work at Mayo, which has sites in Rochester, Minn.; Jacksonville, Fla.; and Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz. Collectively, Mayo Clinic treats more than 500,000 patients a year.

For more than 100 years, millions of people from all walks of life have found answers at Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic works with many insurance companies, does not require a physician referral in most cases and is an in-network provider for millions of people.For more information, please visit www.goodbooks.com/mayoclinicdiet.

FTC Disclosure: This book was sent to me for review by the publisher.

Just Don’t Fall: How I Grew Up, Conquered Illness, and Made it Down the Mountain, by Josh Sundquist
ISBN: 978-0-670-02146-8
316 pages
Published by Viking/Penguin (2010)

I was delighted to get a copy of Josh Sundquist’s memoir Just Don’t Fall which was recently published in February by Viking (read my review). The book is heartfelt, funny and ultimately triumphant (and you can win a copy of the book – scroll to the bottom of this post to learn more). I was thrilled when Josh agreed to provide a guest post for my blog as a way to support my project Reading For A Cure. Let me first tell you a bit about him:

He survived childhood cancer and went on to ski as part of the 2006 United States Paralympic Team in Turino, Italy. He is a motivational speaker who has shared his story across the country for audiences which have included Fortune 500 companies, inner-city public schools, and the White House. He is a graduate of both the College of William & Mary, and the University of Southern California. Josh founded LessThanFour.org which is the biggest on-line community for amputees. All this by the age of 25! He currently resides near Washington, DC.

To learn more about Sundquist and his work, visit the author’s website. You can also find him on Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.

Below is a terrific Vlog by this charming and talented young author…ENJOY!!!

CaribousMom Blog from Josh on Vimeo.

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WIN A HARD COVER EDITION OF JOSH’S BOOK!

Thanks to Yen Cheong, Assistant Director of Publicity for Viking and Penguin Books, I will be able to offer TWO people a hard cover edition of Just Don’t Fall.

Want to be eligible to win?

Join Reading for a Cure, or sponsor a participant, or make a one time donation to the Pediatric Cancer Foundation (making sure to use the Reading for a Cure button on their donation site).

Once you’ve done ONE of those three things to become eligible, tweet about the giveaway (and come back to let me know you did it) and you can get a second chance to win!

Learn all the giveaway details on THIS POST. I will be drawing winners on March 5th…so you still have time to enter!

“Good race,” someone says.

“Thank you,” I say, because it was a good race. It wasn’t fast – the scoreboard referee writes my time on the board as two minutes and thirty-six seconds, exactly two minutes slower than the leading time – but it was a good race. Really good. I see Lydia’s mom. She smiles at me. I look around. No Lydia. It doesn’t matter. After this race I am sure I will be able to make the Paralympic team, sure I can keep training and trying and getting back up until I actually get that uniform[...]

- from Just Don’t Fall, page 194 -

Josh Sundquist was only nine years old when he was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma – a rare type of cancer which typically attacks the bone. In Josh’s case, he was given only a 50% chance of survival. He underwent a year of chemotherapy, spending most of that time in a hospital, and eventually lost his left leg to the disease. But he survived.

Just Don’t Fall is Josh’s story beginning shortly before his cancer diagnosis up to the 2006 Olympics. It is an inspirational story – not because Josh survived cancer and a leg amputation, but because of who he is as a person and how he got there. Raised in a conservative, Christian home and home schooled until his freshman year of high school, Josh Sundquist was surrounded by parents and siblings who loved him and a community who stepped up and gave their support when the Sundquist family needed it. Even still, the challenges were huge – financial, emotional, and physical. Josh’s mother, Linda, later was diagnosed with an incurable form of Lymphoma and his brother Matt struggled to find his own place in the world after growing up in the shadow of Josh’s cancer. Josh struggled to feel accepted by his peers as he grew from small boy into young man. Despite these challenges, Josh Sundquist had a dream. He had always imagined himself as a well known athlete, and becoming a ski racer on the Paralympic Team was the goal he set his sights on. In 2006 he skied for the United States Paralympic Team in Turino, Italy – an amazing accomplishment and a testament to courage, heart and perseverance.

I read Just Don’t Fall over a few short days and found myself completely charmed by the honest, heartfelt prose of a kid who overcame the odds to follow his dream. Josh Sundquist is funny, endearing, and genuine. In his memoir, he captures the innocent voice of his childhood which then evolves into the awkwardness of adolescence and finally into the insight of a mature young man. Just Don’t Fall is not only a story about how an individual overcame obstacles to become an accomplished athlete…it is about a family and a community, and the impact on them all with the devastating diagnosis of cancer. It is also a story of faith and doubt, and how one comes to terms with the fears and traumas of life while still believing in a larger purpose.

Josh Sundquist writes from the heart, and in doing so he pulls his readers deeply into his life. You will find yourself laughing, crying and eventually celebrating his accomplishments.

Recommended reading for those who enjoy well-written, touching memoirs with a message.

Listen to a guest Vlog by the author here on Caribousmom.

Be eligible to win Just Don’t Fall by participating in Reading For A Cure (more information on the giveaway here).

FTC Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the publisher for review on my blog.