Bemused

by Diane Findlay, Marena Tunkin (Illustrations)

What's a mother with nine bickering daughters to do? If that mother is the Titan Mnemosyne and her daughters the Muses of Greek mythology, she has lots of interesting options! Mnemosyne sends her daughters off on missions of aid and inspiration, to help young mortals overcome obstacles and embrace their talents. The missions, told in nine self-contained story-chapters, span six continents and touch the lives of nine children involved in dance, music, comedy, astronomy, history, poetry, and more. Travel along as the Muses tackle their missions, get into and out of trouble, and use their talents to befriend and assist, calling on resources and discovering unexpected abilities in themselves, each other, and their charges.

190 pages, Paperback

First published February 3, 2015

About the author

Diane is an avid lifelong reader with many interests. She holds a Masters Degree in Library Science from the University of Iowa and worked in public libraries in Utah, Antigua, and Iowa for ten years. She's lived abroad, traveled extensively, worked in international high school student exchange programs, and hosted several international students in her home. As a freelance writer, Diane has written several resource books for teachers and librarians, had a regular article in LibrarySparks magazine, and writes various other curriculum and library resource materials. BEMUSED is her first work of fiction. MEMORIES OF ANTIGUA: BOOKS, BUGS, BICYCLE PUMPS, BEACHES, AND BLESSINGS shares cherished memories of her family's time living in the West Indies.

A country girl at heart, Diane lives in rural Iowa, where she stays active with family, friends, and her Baha'i community, and from which she and her husband travel the world.

Reviews

[Cecelia Munzenmaier · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was teaching junior high English, I had a hard time finding short, engaging fiction to recommend to students. These stories would have worked beautifully. They have a clever premise--the mother of the Muses, tired of their sisterly squabbling, decrees that each must help a young mortal solve a problem. The challenges posted to the sisters involve situations that young readers can identify with: discovering a talent, coping with bullying, and persevering through a tough assignment. The solutions require knowledge of various disciplines, such as dance, comedy, and science. Gifted young readers will enjoy the knowledge of each discipline and of mythology that Findlay weaves effortlessly into each story. Findlay also does an excellent job with dialogue, creating a different voice for the main character in each story and capturing the authentic sound of sibling rivalry in the bickering among the sisters. The lessons taught are real and valuable, but they are not heavy-handed. Instead, they emerge from the stories and the way the mortal protagonists cope with their dilemmas. Bemused is particularly appropriate for gifted students and for home schoolers, but adults who love the arts and work to help young people appreciate them will find richness in the stories too.