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A Well-Read Woman: The Life, Loves, and Legacy of Ruth Rappaport
The inspiring true story of an indomitable librarian’s journey from Nazi Germany to Seattle to Vietnam—all for the love of books.
Growing up under Fascist censorship in Nazi Germany, Ruth Rappaport absorbed a forbidden community of ideas in banned books. After fleeing her home in Leipzig at fifteen and losing both parents to the Holocaust, Ruth drifted between vocations, relationships, and countries, searching for belonging and purpose. When she found her calling in librarianship, Ruth became not only a witness to history but an agent for change as well.
Culled from decades of diaries, letters, and photographs, this epic true story reveals a driven woman who survived persecution, political unrest, and personal trauma through a love of books. It traces her activism from the Zionist movement to the Red Scare to bibliotherapy in Vietnam and finally to the Library of Congress, where Ruth made an indelible mark and found a home. Connecting it all, one constant thread: Ruth’s passion for the printed word, and the haven it provides—a haven that, as this singularly compelling biography proves, Ruth would spend her life making accessible to others.
This wasn’t just a career for Ruth Rappaport. It was her purpose.
Growing up under Fascist censorship in Nazi Germany, Ruth Rappaport absorbed a forbidden community of ideas in banned books. After fleeing her home in Leipzig at fifteen and losing both parents to the Holocaust, Ruth drifted between vocations, relationships, and countries, searching for belonging and purpose. When she found her calling in librarianship, Ruth became not only a witness to history but an agent for change as well.
Culled from decades of diaries, letters, and photographs, this epic true story reveals a driven woman who survived persecution, political unrest, and personal trauma through a love of books. It traces her activism from the Zionist movement to the Red Scare to bibliotherapy in Vietnam and finally to the Library of Congress, where Ruth made an indelible mark and found a home. Connecting it all, one constant thread: Ruth’s passion for the printed word, and the haven it provides—a haven that, as this singularly compelling biography proves, Ruth would spend her life making accessible to others.
This wasn’t just a career for Ruth Rappaport. It was her purpose.
397 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2019
2052 people are currently reading
3907 people want to read
About the author
Kate Stewart
1 book64 followersI’m proud to be a third-generation librarian, carrying on a family tradition of sharing books and connecting people to information. I was born in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and raised in Kansas City. I graduated from Vassar College with a BA in history and women’s studies and from the University of Iowa with master’s degrees in history and library science. For ten years I worked in Washington, D.C., as a librarian and archivist at ProQuest, the Library of Congress, and the office of U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD). I am currently an archivist, book coach, and ghostwriter in Tucson.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 169 reviews
June 25, 2019
A Well-Read Woman: The Life, Loves and Legacy of Ruth Rappaport
This was a book by a person who poured every possible detail about the subject between the covers. I actually got rather weary, and mixed up at times, having to back track to make sure I was on the same train as the author was. From time to time I thought I was re-reading the same chapter, but no, it really was a completely different chapter, just using a lot of the same information.
Ruth, herself, was interesting to read about – not sure I would have liked her in real life, or that she would have given me a moment of her time – we are well outside each other’s usual ranges of wanderage and experience. While she was enabled by family and friends to escape the Nazi catastrophe, her parents weren’t, and she hears about it in a foreign land – that broke my heart. Her many loves seemed random and last-minute, and then *boom* an entire career during the Vietnam war.
Then done with that, and a slide into American retired librarian life. And Ms K Stewart writing this book. I wished Ruth had written a book – I think she had a lot of them in her and was just living the life she did to distract herself from the books she might have written.
The end just kinda fizzled out for me.
I’m glad I read it, but I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t have been very interested in me or my world. I do not know why she wasn’t more interested in hers. I may have just gotten lost in the tall weeds.
3 stars.
This was a book by a person who poured every possible detail about the subject between the covers. I actually got rather weary, and mixed up at times, having to back track to make sure I was on the same train as the author was. From time to time I thought I was re-reading the same chapter, but no, it really was a completely different chapter, just using a lot of the same information.
Ruth, herself, was interesting to read about – not sure I would have liked her in real life, or that she would have given me a moment of her time – we are well outside each other’s usual ranges of wanderage and experience. While she was enabled by family and friends to escape the Nazi catastrophe, her parents weren’t, and she hears about it in a foreign land – that broke my heart. Her many loves seemed random and last-minute, and then *boom* an entire career during the Vietnam war.
Then done with that, and a slide into American retired librarian life. And Ms K Stewart writing this book. I wished Ruth had written a book – I think she had a lot of them in her and was just living the life she did to distract herself from the books she might have written.
The end just kinda fizzled out for me.
I’m glad I read it, but I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t have been very interested in me or my world. I do not know why she wasn’t more interested in hers. I may have just gotten lost in the tall weeds.
3 stars.
April 10, 2019
Ruth Rappaport was not famous, but in Forest-Gumpish fashion she was around historical events. A Jew born in Germany, she was able to get to the US as a teenager, while her parents died in concentration camps. She lived in what became Israel during its formation. She didn't become a Librarian until her mid-thirties, but was a major force in expanding the military library system in Viet Nam during the war. Having spent eight years in 'Nam, she was there longer than most soldiers. Afterwards, she got a job at the Library of Congress. Interesting as her personal story was, I didn't particularly like her. Seems people either loved her or disliked her. Her early years were only moderately interesting, perhaps because the book was a bit dry for that part of her life, but I really enjoyed the chapters where she was in Viet Nam. I had no idea the military employed so many librarians and administered such an extensive network. I was also interested in her experiences at the Library of Congress because it was incredibly discriminatory against minorities and women, which you just wouldn't expect from an institution that houses so many books on civil rights! The LC still has problems in that regard, according to the author, who works there. The writing was mediocre, but parts of it were quite illuminating.
January 25, 2021
Ruth Rappaport certainly seems to have led an interesting life, but I can’t help but feel like she would not have approved of this book. For example, the author remarks several times about Ruth did not speak or write much in her diary about her parents deaths in a concentration camp. Well, maybe that was a very painful subject for her and she chose to keep it private. Perhaps to fill in some of the pages, the author goes on long personal tangents regarding her own life and experience writing the book, none of which were particularly interesting or useful. I prefer authors of biographies to stay in the background and let the story of their subject be the main focus.
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July 24, 2019I completely judged this book by its title and cover. In a good way. Who could resist the title A Well-Read Woman and the picture of this sassy, knowing woman on the cover? Not me.
Ruth Rappaport lived through and participated in many of the major events and movements of the twentieth century. She served as a librarian in a war zone and at the Library of Congress. I proposed this biography to my IRL book club, which is composed primarily of librarians, and can’t wait for our discussion later this month.
Author Kate Stewart is a third-generation librarian. This is her first book and I think she served her subject well by writing about Rappaport in a rather understated way. Stewart, for the most part, lets Rappaport’s actions and missions speak for themselves. Had I written this biography it would have been filled with the literary equivalents of OMGs!
Continue reading my review on my blog -- https://chriswolak.com/2019/07/19/a-w...
Ruth Rappaport lived through and participated in many of the major events and movements of the twentieth century. She served as a librarian in a war zone and at the Library of Congress. I proposed this biography to my IRL book club, which is composed primarily of librarians, and can’t wait for our discussion later this month.
Author Kate Stewart is a third-generation librarian. This is her first book and I think she served her subject well by writing about Rappaport in a rather understated way. Stewart, for the most part, lets Rappaport’s actions and missions speak for themselves. Had I written this biography it would have been filled with the literary equivalents of OMGs!
Continue reading my review on my blog -- https://chriswolak.com/2019/07/19/a-w...
April 24, 2019
This book was a freebie through the Amazon First Reads program; I picked it from among the month's selections because although I had not previously heard of Ruth Rappaport, she sounded from the description like the type of woman I've come to admire, and I wasn't far off. Rappaport had a truly unusual life, escaping Nazi Germany as a young girl and spending time in places as varied as Israel; Vietnam; Seattle; and Washington, D.C. Through her entire life ran a common theme: books.
At first, I was a little put off by the author's insertions of her own life and experiences throughout the book, but I soon realized that in doing so, she was doing what many readers do when they read a good story: It was her way of making connections with the narrative. In examining the things she had in common with Rappaport and her reactions to what she had learned about her subject, she was doing what many educators do to make reading strategies explicit to younger readers -- making connections to one's life and experiences and to other books and to think about how what we are reading has context in the bigger world around us.
Some might argue that a woman like Ruth Rappaport didn't do anything extraordinary to merit a biography being written about her. Though she did some unusual things and in many ways was a woman ahead of her time, her main contributions to the world were in the field of librarianship/library science and are largely unknown to those outside it. Still, there is value about learning about everyday people, particularly women, and this is an interesting glimpse into a fascinating woman. Stewart does not sugar-coat Rappaport in the telling of her life; a reader of this biography learns just as much about Rappaport's personal and professional failings as about her successes. She was a fascinating if flawed woman, and I am glad to have learned about her.
At first, I was a little put off by the author's insertions of her own life and experiences throughout the book, but I soon realized that in doing so, she was doing what many readers do when they read a good story: It was her way of making connections with the narrative. In examining the things she had in common with Rappaport and her reactions to what she had learned about her subject, she was doing what many educators do to make reading strategies explicit to younger readers -- making connections to one's life and experiences and to other books and to think about how what we are reading has context in the bigger world around us.
Some might argue that a woman like Ruth Rappaport didn't do anything extraordinary to merit a biography being written about her. Though she did some unusual things and in many ways was a woman ahead of her time, her main contributions to the world were in the field of librarianship/library science and are largely unknown to those outside it. Still, there is value about learning about everyday people, particularly women, and this is an interesting glimpse into a fascinating woman. Stewart does not sugar-coat Rappaport in the telling of her life; a reader of this biography learns just as much about Rappaport's personal and professional failings as about her successes. She was a fascinating if flawed woman, and I am glad to have learned about her.
May 9, 2019
Hard to wade through all the library history
I loved the parts of this book that were actually about Ruth Rappaport. She was such an authentic person, who was honest about her weaknesses and mistakes, all the things that make us human. She wasn’t portrayed as a super-woman, so it was easy to relate to her amazing story. I had a really hard time getting through the material that seemed to have more to do with the history of libraries than the story of Ruth. Sometimes I just couldn’t make the connections. I ended up doing a lot of skimming through that material and tried to focus on the parts that were more biographical.
I loved the parts of this book that were actually about Ruth Rappaport. She was such an authentic person, who was honest about her weaknesses and mistakes, all the things that make us human. She wasn’t portrayed as a super-woman, so it was easy to relate to her amazing story. I had a really hard time getting through the material that seemed to have more to do with the history of libraries than the story of Ruth. Sometimes I just couldn’t make the connections. I ended up doing a lot of skimming through that material and tried to focus on the parts that were more biographical.
April 19, 2019
No narrative. Nothing but facts jam packed into every paragraph.
April 9, 2020
Not many people can say they have lived in several corners of the world. Enter librarian and activist Ruth Rappaport.
Born in Leipzig, Germany, Ruth grew up in a Jewish community before moving to Switzerland and the U.S. as a teen, narrowly missing the Holocaust that murdered her parents. She then moved to Israel to work on and witness the Zionist movement before heading back to the U.S. to earn her Masters in Library Science degree. MLIS in hand, Ruth moved to Vietnam for eight years to build and expand the U.S. military's library system there for soldiers during the war -- a service I had no idea existed, and that no longer exists today due to the Internet. She then returned to Washington D.C. where she worked as a subject cataloger at the Library of Congress until she retired.
Ruth's story is full of life and fire, especially surrounding her passions of books, justice, and freedom. Ruth isn't always the most likable protagonist, but I loved her nonetheless. I can't imagine the work that author and librarian Kate Stewart devoted to poring over Ruth's archives and world history to complete this book.
Born in Leipzig, Germany, Ruth grew up in a Jewish community before moving to Switzerland and the U.S. as a teen, narrowly missing the Holocaust that murdered her parents. She then moved to Israel to work on and witness the Zionist movement before heading back to the U.S. to earn her Masters in Library Science degree. MLIS in hand, Ruth moved to Vietnam for eight years to build and expand the U.S. military's library system there for soldiers during the war -- a service I had no idea existed, and that no longer exists today due to the Internet. She then returned to Washington D.C. where she worked as a subject cataloger at the Library of Congress until she retired.
Ruth's story is full of life and fire, especially surrounding her passions of books, justice, and freedom. Ruth isn't always the most likable protagonist, but I loved her nonetheless. I can't imagine the work that author and librarian Kate Stewart devoted to poring over Ruth's archives and world history to complete this book.
May 11, 2019
oo many facts lined up, no heart.
July 11, 2020
5 stars for my interest level and respect for Ruth Rappaport, the subject of this biography – a Jewish woman born in 1920s Germany, who had to flee the country as a teenager, whose parents died in the Holocaust, and who went on to build a life for herself as a librarian in the mid-to-late 20th century as a single, opinionated woman. She was an amazing and impactful person and I’m very glad I got to learn more about her!
But 3 stars for the execution of the biography itself unfortunately. I didn’t have any issues at first with the writing - and throughout the book, I was kept very engaged and interested. But little things started to bug me as time went on. Like, on a mechanical level, the author would sometimes go into VERY minute details that probably could have been edited and trimmed down a bit. And, deeper than that, I often felt like the novel had a very narrow scope – just Ruth’s life – without contextualizing parts of it in broader historical and cultural events.
A big example of this was that there was little to no discussion of the nuances of Zionism and the Israel/Palestine conflict. Like, there were bits and pieces of information, but I felt very unsatisfied that she didn’t much touch on the more complicated parts of this issue and how social conversations of the time may have informed Ruth’s opinions. Etc. Another way that the biography wasn't contextualized as much as it could have been was in Kate Stewart's emotional connection to Ruth. Obviously we hear about it a little bit, but for certain types of biographies, like this one, I find it very engaging when the author talks more about how they see themselves in their subject, how they're inspired. Stewart herself is a librarian, who works at the Library of Congress like Ruth did - so there must be a lot there that she didn't touch on vis a vis this connection between them!
Also, there were just a few microaggressions that really got on my nerves. Like, at one point the author mentions the name of a source who is a trans woman, and then also tells the reader her deadname, for absolutely no reason. This source was literally only mentioned once - why drop that in!? And then Stewart is describing Ruth’s funeral and states that people read aloud “from the Bible” including a section “from the book of Proverbs.” Excuse me??? Ruth is Jewish!! It’s not called the Bible in Jewish tradition!!!!! I get that Proverbs is also in the Christian Old Testament but it takes five minutes of googling to figure out that in Jewish tradition, Proverbs is in the Tenakh. That just felt hugely disrespectful to Ruth, a Jewish woman who survived the Holocaust and who lost family members in it.
Anyway… like I said, glad I read this and I’m very impressed by Ruth’s life. Just wish some of the writing had been executed a bit differently.
But 3 stars for the execution of the biography itself unfortunately. I didn’t have any issues at first with the writing - and throughout the book, I was kept very engaged and interested. But little things started to bug me as time went on. Like, on a mechanical level, the author would sometimes go into VERY minute details that probably could have been edited and trimmed down a bit. And, deeper than that, I often felt like the novel had a very narrow scope – just Ruth’s life – without contextualizing parts of it in broader historical and cultural events.
A big example of this was that there was little to no discussion of the nuances of Zionism and the Israel/Palestine conflict. Like, there were bits and pieces of information, but I felt very unsatisfied that she didn’t much touch on the more complicated parts of this issue and how social conversations of the time may have informed Ruth’s opinions. Etc. Another way that the biography wasn't contextualized as much as it could have been was in Kate Stewart's emotional connection to Ruth. Obviously we hear about it a little bit, but for certain types of biographies, like this one, I find it very engaging when the author talks more about how they see themselves in their subject, how they're inspired. Stewart herself is a librarian, who works at the Library of Congress like Ruth did - so there must be a lot there that she didn't touch on vis a vis this connection between them!
Also, there were just a few microaggressions that really got on my nerves. Like, at one point the author mentions the name of a source who is a trans woman, and then also tells the reader her deadname, for absolutely no reason. This source was literally only mentioned once - why drop that in!? And then Stewart is describing Ruth’s funeral and states that people read aloud “from the Bible” including a section “from the book of Proverbs.” Excuse me??? Ruth is Jewish!! It’s not called the Bible in Jewish tradition!!!!! I get that Proverbs is also in the Christian Old Testament but it takes five minutes of googling to figure out that in Jewish tradition, Proverbs is in the Tenakh. That just felt hugely disrespectful to Ruth, a Jewish woman who survived the Holocaust and who lost family members in it.
Anyway… like I said, glad I read this and I’m very impressed by Ruth’s life. Just wish some of the writing had been executed a bit differently.
August 1, 2019
I enjoyed reading this book because it was about a librarian and a women. I'd never heard of Ruth before and her career was fascinating to me. A lot of parts I skimmed over because I just wanted to read about her. Honestly, this is a book I'd like to own- as opposed to borrowing it from the library. I would like to think of myself as a Well-Read Woman also.
December 27, 2021
Interesting Woman
No doubt Ruth was an interesting woman, unfortunately the book goes off on tangents that drag on with library history. While the information is helpful it also distracted me from Ruth’s story. The author also put in some personal experiences that really were not necessary.
No doubt Ruth was an interesting woman, unfortunately the book goes off on tangents that drag on with library history. While the information is helpful it also distracted me from Ruth’s story. The author also put in some personal experiences that really were not necessary.
August 12, 2019
Ruth Rappaport was definitely worth researching and writing about. Escaping Nazi Germany before the holocaust (that claimed the lives of her parents), was amazing enough. The rest of her life how she made the very best of every situation, no matter how difficult, from setting up libraries for soldiers in Vietnam to developing a system of organization for the Library of Congress. The author layers in her personal experiences researching Ruth, sometimes this takes away from the story. The author also gets a little political, again taking away from the story, fortunately, this is toward the end and you can start to tell when she is getting on her soapbox and can gloss over those parts.
May 9, 2019
Perhaps a 3.5 star rating would be about where I land after reading. Stewart's book gave me much to chew on, and I am fascinated by Ruth Rappaport, a sociologist and librarian whose life intersected directly with Nazi Germany, the creation of the new state of Israel, the Red Scare, and the Vietnam War. Her Jewish, feminist, and Communist ties certainly added spice to an already intriguing narrative. I came away thinking it would have been fascinating to have a conversation with Miss Rappaport, knowing full well we would have disagreed on a wide range of topics.
As for the author, she should receive praise for a well researched and meticulously cited book. Thank goodness a librarian tackled the life of Ruth Rappaport rather than a journalist. At times, Stewart's personal quest to follow Rappaport's life was emotionally touching, and I also appreciated her critiques and analysis of Rappaport's later memories. However, Stewart's habit of finishing chapters with her own stories of her journey through Ruth Rappaport's life was sometimes disruptive to the narrative, even if it was greatly touching at times. Rappaport's life was sometimes lost in a sea of context, particularly in the latter half of the book, and it seemed that the analysis was less thorough when covering Rappaport's Communist ties and connections to a CIA money laundering racket while in Vietnam. I wondered if maybe this was due to Stewart's clear emotional attachment to and admiration for this fascinating woman.
When it was said and done, I'm thankful for Amazon Prime's first reads program that made this book available, otherwise, I may have completely overlooked it.
As for the author, she should receive praise for a well researched and meticulously cited book. Thank goodness a librarian tackled the life of Ruth Rappaport rather than a journalist. At times, Stewart's personal quest to follow Rappaport's life was emotionally touching, and I also appreciated her critiques and analysis of Rappaport's later memories. However, Stewart's habit of finishing chapters with her own stories of her journey through Ruth Rappaport's life was sometimes disruptive to the narrative, even if it was greatly touching at times. Rappaport's life was sometimes lost in a sea of context, particularly in the latter half of the book, and it seemed that the analysis was less thorough when covering Rappaport's Communist ties and connections to a CIA money laundering racket while in Vietnam. I wondered if maybe this was due to Stewart's clear emotional attachment to and admiration for this fascinating woman.
When it was said and done, I'm thankful for Amazon Prime's first reads program that made this book available, otherwise, I may have completely overlooked it.
April 13, 2019
Well built history, a pleasure to read
Ruth Rappoport was an historical thread starting in Leipzig, running through a tapestry of horrors, distance, idealism, cynicism, culture, family, and opportunity. I've lately been reading WWII books around the edge of conventional war accounts. Histories of Sobibor, of German soldiers on the beaches at D-Day, of Allied tanks (each Sherman tank on average, consumed 5 crews). Ruth's voice added knowledge to my evolving understanding of World War II, Zionism, gender harrassment, and how to push bureaucracy can be pushed to make masterpieces (Ruth's Vietnam library system), but how more often bureaucracy digs deeper the holes it is already in (Ruth's inability to expand social science LC call numbers to 3500).
Ruth Rappoport was an historical thread starting in Leipzig, running through a tapestry of horrors, distance, idealism, cynicism, culture, family, and opportunity. I've lately been reading WWII books around the edge of conventional war accounts. Histories of Sobibor, of German soldiers on the beaches at D-Day, of Allied tanks (each Sherman tank on average, consumed 5 crews). Ruth's voice added knowledge to my evolving understanding of World War II, Zionism, gender harrassment, and how to push bureaucracy can be pushed to make masterpieces (Ruth's Vietnam library system), but how more often bureaucracy digs deeper the holes it is already in (Ruth's inability to expand social science LC call numbers to 3500).
April 22, 2019
Interesting but did bog down when discussing the intricacies of library work.
May 21, 2019
A fascinating biography of a woman with a colorful history and one with ambition.
Ruth Rappaport was a child in Nazi Germany. With Romanian origin parents and a passport which helped since it was not a German one, she was a Jew and faced great danger in Nazi Germany. She was fearless and even as a young child was daring and bold. Faced with an uncertain future, she like thousands of others was shipped to Seattle to join a family and to try to live a life without the luxury of parents or family or money.
How Ruth survived the treacherous journeys through Switzerland then to America to Vietnam and back to America all sustained by her love of libraries and books and how she used this to her advantage to seek a life of some sorts despite being without roots, without a home, without a family is an emotional read. For anyone to be not really welcomed, to be just tolerated by family more as an obligation or duty to extended family is a hardship that cannot be endured for long. Ruth had to bear this for a long time because with no money, no education she was dependant on others.
How she carved a life for herself out of her libraries, the work she did in Vietnam setting up a fine system for all the forces stationed there was immense. Even on her return her work with libraries continued and even in retirement she was an active force within the community itself. It makes one life seem very dull and mediocre in comparison!
Ruth Rappaport was a child in Nazi Germany. With Romanian origin parents and a passport which helped since it was not a German one, she was a Jew and faced great danger in Nazi Germany. She was fearless and even as a young child was daring and bold. Faced with an uncertain future, she like thousands of others was shipped to Seattle to join a family and to try to live a life without the luxury of parents or family or money.
How Ruth survived the treacherous journeys through Switzerland then to America to Vietnam and back to America all sustained by her love of libraries and books and how she used this to her advantage to seek a life of some sorts despite being without roots, without a home, without a family is an emotional read. For anyone to be not really welcomed, to be just tolerated by family more as an obligation or duty to extended family is a hardship that cannot be endured for long. Ruth had to bear this for a long time because with no money, no education she was dependant on others.
How she carved a life for herself out of her libraries, the work she did in Vietnam setting up a fine system for all the forces stationed there was immense. Even on her return her work with libraries continued and even in retirement she was an active force within the community itself. It makes one life seem very dull and mediocre in comparison!
August 6, 2019
A biography includes both the personal successes and shortcomings of the person. This book shows us both sides of Ruth Rappaport.
Through her life filled with tragedy and mired with change, the one constant is her love for books. This book will be a bibliophile's joy, to read about someone else's love for books is always joyous. And there is the additional bonus of enjoying a good book as well.
For more book reviews, visit Frost At Midnite.
Through her life filled with tragedy and mired with change, the one constant is her love for books. This book will be a bibliophile's joy, to read about someone else's love for books is always joyous. And there is the additional bonus of enjoying a good book as well.
For more book reviews, visit Frost At Midnite.
July 8, 2019
A Jewish teen who engineered her own escape from Nazis as they rose to power, who navigated bureaucratic intricacies to emigrate to the United States and later become a citizen; a young woman who advocated for and sacrificed for causes she believed in--particularly Zionism; a woman unafraid to dodge bombs and bullets to establish an uncensored library system for soldiers in Vietnam; a woman who continued to live out her love of books through a long career with the Library of Congress; an older woman who fought to preserve historic monuments in Washington, DC, and who continued to advocate for causes she believed in until her death. This is a person whose life is more than worth reading. Rappaport had integrity, values, and spunk. Was she occasionally abrasive? Sure. That was part of her charm; I mistrust the constantly friendly and prefer a little salt with my sugar.
While Rappaport's life consistently held my attention, Stewart's writing did not. The narrative is clear, but the quality varies. Early chapters are smooth and interesting; the use of Rappaport's journals brings her to life. Later chapters limp along. Integrations of Stewart's personal experiences, library history, cataloging, or other library minutia feel choppy and don't always seem to fit.
Nevertheless, Rappaport's story is exceptional and would be of interest to a wide range of readers. If the book is too much of a commitment but you are still interested in Rappaport, I'd recommend reading Petula Dvorak's obituary, "Proof of Gifts That Come When Generations Mingle." As well, Rappaport's oral history interview can be found at the United States Holocaust Museum website while her work in Vietnam is detailed at the Army Heritage Website.
While Rappaport's life consistently held my attention, Stewart's writing did not. The narrative is clear, but the quality varies. Early chapters are smooth and interesting; the use of Rappaport's journals brings her to life. Later chapters limp along. Integrations of Stewart's personal experiences, library history, cataloging, or other library minutia feel choppy and don't always seem to fit.
Nevertheless, Rappaport's story is exceptional and would be of interest to a wide range of readers. If the book is too much of a commitment but you are still interested in Rappaport, I'd recommend reading Petula Dvorak's obituary, "Proof of Gifts That Come When Generations Mingle." As well, Rappaport's oral history interview can be found at the United States Holocaust Museum website while her work in Vietnam is detailed at the Army Heritage Website.
April 26, 2020
I wanted to like this book. The writing was too disjointed, though, and never hit its stride for a state of flow.
January 14, 2020
I have a feeling that I would've been fast friends with Ruth Rappaport.
June 13, 2021
This is a wonderful read that richly details an individual life across the tumultuous 20th century, in both its extraordinary and ordinary moments. I felt privileged to think that I knew Ruth in some small way by the end, and her experiences, wisdom, and humor offer much to anyone who picks up this book. The research behind the narrative is impressive in its breadth and depth, while quietly reminding us of how libraries strengthen communities and books bind us.
April 24, 2019
Ruth Rappaport was not famous but she lived an extremely courageous and distinguished life. Ms. Stewart used diary entries, letters, and archives to describe Ruth's "life, loves, and legacy." She visited many of the locations where Ruth lived to give the reader a clear understanding of the world as Ruth saw it.
I was especially interested in the years that Ruth spent in Vietnam setting up libraries for the soldiers and sending out packets of books/magazines to the front lines. She traveled in helicopters to oversee the branch libraries that were operating in remote areas. While in Vietnam, she was romantically involved with a U.S. serviceman for several years before learning that he had a wife and five children back in the States. Alas, Ruth was not lucky in love and never married.
The only thing I disliked about this book was the rather long history of the Library of Congress that didn't really have much to do with Ruth's story. The author provided too much (in my opinion) information about the politics, hiring discrimination and other random facts about the Library of Congress during the years that Ruth worked there.
I believe this book will find a wide audience with librarians and history buffs who are interested in World War II, Jewish history and the Holocaust.
I was especially interested in the years that Ruth spent in Vietnam setting up libraries for the soldiers and sending out packets of books/magazines to the front lines. She traveled in helicopters to oversee the branch libraries that were operating in remote areas. While in Vietnam, she was romantically involved with a U.S. serviceman for several years before learning that he had a wife and five children back in the States. Alas, Ruth was not lucky in love and never married.
The only thing I disliked about this book was the rather long history of the Library of Congress that didn't really have much to do with Ruth's story. The author provided too much (in my opinion) information about the politics, hiring discrimination and other random facts about the Library of Congress during the years that Ruth worked there.
I believe this book will find a wide audience with librarians and history buffs who are interested in World War II, Jewish history and the Holocaust.
April 14, 2019
Interesting Concept
The title of this book began with "A Well-Read Woman..." yet there was very little discussion/description regarding any of the books Ruth read. This was a chronicled telling of her life, which I found confusing at times because the author would add tidbits about her own life, and it would take me a bit to realize we'd left Ruth's story.
I also felt that the book would have benefited with more "showing" and less "telling." As a reader I was never allowed to be drawn in by any part of Ruth's life, I was merely told about it.
I really thought that Ruth's life and story would be quite interesting, but this account of it didn't capture that feeling. I was really interested in her opinion regarding books that impacted her life, as she spent so much of her life dedicated to books, certainly she had interesting thoughts and insights. Yet this accounting of Ruth's life focused more on the slights and backbiting she experienced.
The title of this book began with "A Well-Read Woman..." yet there was very little discussion/description regarding any of the books Ruth read. This was a chronicled telling of her life, which I found confusing at times because the author would add tidbits about her own life, and it would take me a bit to realize we'd left Ruth's story.
I also felt that the book would have benefited with more "showing" and less "telling." As a reader I was never allowed to be drawn in by any part of Ruth's life, I was merely told about it.
I really thought that Ruth's life and story would be quite interesting, but this account of it didn't capture that feeling. I was really interested in her opinion regarding books that impacted her life, as she spent so much of her life dedicated to books, certainly she had interesting thoughts and insights. Yet this accounting of Ruth's life focused more on the slights and backbiting she experienced.
July 2, 2019
Ruth Rappaport was a Jewish teenager living in Germany when WWII started, although she and her older siblings managed to escape to different countries before her parents were sent to the camps.
She loved books, and while it took her years to graduate from college, she eventually moved on from being a typist to being a librarian. Along the way, she lived in the United States, Israel (before it officially was Israel,) France (for at least a few months,) and Vietnam during the war.
I really wanted to love this book. And I really wanted to love Ruth. Instead, I think I kind of liked both, but I'm still not 100% sure... Ambivalence seems to be a theme both in this book and in my feelings about this book. Ruth didn't do too much. She's not famous or well-known for a good reason: she didn't accomplish a whole lot. She didn't have too many close friends, she never married (although she might have wanted to, but really only to the men who were most unattainable,) she seemed to like some of her jobs but wasn't too thrilled with them either.
On the other hand, as a reader, we get to experience some interesting events that she lived through: trying to get safely into the US during the Holocaust, spending time in Israel during it's formative years, being a librarian for the US Navy during the Vietnam War and living in Vietnam, and being a cataloger at the Library of Congress.
And the author worked well with what she had to work with, especially after a somewhat slow and dry beginning. I think the biggest problem with writing a book like this is that there's not a whole lot of direct material out there to use, which leaves a lot of unanswered questions. (We never find out how Ruth felt about losing her parents because she never wrote about it in her journal. There's a very brief mention of a mental breakdown, but then it's over and never comes up again. Suddenly, she no longer dates after having so much of the first part of the book focused around her relationships.)
So, while well written for what it is, this book was ultimately frustrating at times as a biography, and perhaps not focused enough for a history.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book. It has not influenced my review.
She loved books, and while it took her years to graduate from college, she eventually moved on from being a typist to being a librarian. Along the way, she lived in the United States, Israel (before it officially was Israel,) France (for at least a few months,) and Vietnam during the war.
I really wanted to love this book. And I really wanted to love Ruth. Instead, I think I kind of liked both, but I'm still not 100% sure... Ambivalence seems to be a theme both in this book and in my feelings about this book. Ruth didn't do too much. She's not famous or well-known for a good reason: she didn't accomplish a whole lot. She didn't have too many close friends, she never married (although she might have wanted to, but really only to the men who were most unattainable,) she seemed to like some of her jobs but wasn't too thrilled with them either.
On the other hand, as a reader, we get to experience some interesting events that she lived through: trying to get safely into the US during the Holocaust, spending time in Israel during it's formative years, being a librarian for the US Navy during the Vietnam War and living in Vietnam, and being a cataloger at the Library of Congress.
And the author worked well with what she had to work with, especially after a somewhat slow and dry beginning. I think the biggest problem with writing a book like this is that there's not a whole lot of direct material out there to use, which leaves a lot of unanswered questions. (We never find out how Ruth felt about losing her parents because she never wrote about it in her journal. There's a very brief mention of a mental breakdown, but then it's over and never comes up again. Suddenly, she no longer dates after having so much of the first part of the book focused around her relationships.)
So, while well written for what it is, this book was ultimately frustrating at times as a biography, and perhaps not focused enough for a history.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book. It has not influenced my review.
June 18, 2019
What is there not to like about librarians? This is a biography of Ruth Rappaport, an ordinary woman who did extraordinary things.
May 18, 2019
Librarian-centric biography of Ruth Rappaport, growing up Jewish with Ukrainian roots in Leipzig Germany, fleeing the Nazi reign of terror, and following her intrepid, international career path. Kate Stewart, author and librarian, writes well and researches tremendously; from the beginning I was struck by how contemporary-sounding teenaged Ruth's diary translations came across, for example "I think my dad was a little bit of a control freak." I think that was a gamble that really paid off in illustrating Rappaport's ahead-of-her-time-ness. Another effect Stewart uses is interjecting herself and her family members sporadically throughout the book, which didn't detract from the biography, but it did have me expecting some kind of Stewart-Rappaport family connection reveal that never was.
As involved as Rappaport was in the Zionist cause, she lived much of her life as a non-conforming outsider, constantly moving and immigrating and ex-patting, dating outside her circle, battling sexism and harassment and discrimination as a precursor to the intersectional feminist. I wish the fact that this book is about libraries and librarians had factored more prominently in the title or cover; it seems almost deliberately hidden. Kate Stewart's delivered on many accounts, great biography, great subject, and I love this introduction to so many new "librarian heroes".
As involved as Rappaport was in the Zionist cause, she lived much of her life as a non-conforming outsider, constantly moving and immigrating and ex-patting, dating outside her circle, battling sexism and harassment and discrimination as a precursor to the intersectional feminist. I wish the fact that this book is about libraries and librarians had factored more prominently in the title or cover; it seems almost deliberately hidden. Kate Stewart's delivered on many accounts, great biography, great subject, and I love this introduction to so many new "librarian heroes".
April 30, 2019
Really interesting book! Ruth may not have become famous but she lead an interesting life despite some set backs. The Nazi's and the Swiss definitely had major impacts but she also got in her own way as well. She's a flawed person, as are we all, but she still made a difference to the people she knew and to how we all can find the books we need.
It's also a great look at libraries and the importance of librarians, written by a librarian.
It's also a great look at libraries and the importance of librarians, written by a librarian.
May 20, 2019
Fascinating Biography
I chose this book on a whim and it turned out to be a great read! Ruth's life was fascinating and her story was one that kept me turning pages. I will say, there were a few very lazy errors in this book; Yokota Air Base" was spelled wrong, all of the military serves were lowercase and the ranks of military personnel were also lowercase. Aside from that, this was a fantastic read.
I chose this book on a whim and it turned out to be a great read! Ruth's life was fascinating and her story was one that kept me turning pages. I will say, there were a few very lazy errors in this book; Yokota Air Base" was spelled wrong, all of the military serves were lowercase and the ranks of military personnel were also lowercase. Aside from that, this was a fantastic read.
June 21, 2019
As a Cataloger I was often confused by the various editions of the H schedule (Library of Congress classification schedule) that appeared over the years. Now I know who was responsible for all those changes that kept occurring, it was Ruth Rappaport! And the subject headings being so arcane is also explained in this book. Thank you Kate Stewart for helping me to figure out some long-standing mysteries that were never explained to those of us in the field.
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