James’s Comments (group member since Apr 08, 2020)

James’s comments from the MGPL Between the Lines Book Group group.

It's interesting because it felt like she was uniquely positioned in most of her endeavors as the only female in her field/line of work. Whether that was as a munitions dealer's wife hosting world leaders or a woman working in a male dominated field bringing with her a background as a glamorous Hollywood star. She never seemed a perfect fit for anything she pursued which often left her slightly at odds with her the various endeavors.

Her time in Austria in 1930 was very interesting. Especially the ever changing political and social landscape. But wi-fi in the 1940s?!?! How interesting would that have been if it was developed with as much enthusiasm as the first half of the book?

I'll never forget when I first learned who she was and what she accomplished. I was genuinely gobsmacked at how incredible her life had been as well how multifaceted she was. Not many can say they married a major munitions dealer during WWII, starred in Hollywood blockbusters and earned the title of "Mother of Wi-Fi."
But in the book, I couldn't connect the amazing person to the character. I think the character and her inner workings could have been developed a bit better to offer more insight.
I found her parents very intriguing in the first half of the book. They appeared to be a ying/yang in that one seemed incredibly devoted and supportive while the other barely cared for her existence. It was interesting how confident and committed she grew up despite one part of her support system being largely anonymous and negative when present.

There were some really interesting factoids in this book but I think it lacked depth. The characters were underdeveloped and, like Maria mentioned, the ending wasn't satisfying. The first half definitely offered more than the second and I think my newfound appreciation of WWII history made it more appealing that I would have otherwise found it. I'd say this book gets a 2/5 rating.

I agree with you all. the first half of the book was enjoyable; I liked reading about the complicated political alliances that formed during WWII and how often they changed. I've read a few other books about businessman, like Fritz, who operated that way, and they were fast paced and exciting. That period of World History is so interesting and nuanced, that I'm continualy fascinated with how people like Fritz, operating with multiple competing factions, survived. The diary format was easy to follow but it did take away from the character development, like Chris mentioned. I feel like the characters lacked depth, which was dissapointing because they are incredibly fascinating in real life.
The second half of the book for me, felt impersonal like we were going over major things in her. I thought it lacked depth, and could have provided more insight.
I felt like this book could have done more to develop the characters and also the time in Europe. I love love LOVE historical fiction, but I'd give this book a 2/5.

Maria wrote: "Hello James! It's great to hear from you! It is so nice to welcome you into our discussion. I believe that since you read a lot of or rather mostly YA you will have a truly unique perspective on th..."

Definitely check out this amazing YA book called Wilder Girls by Rory Power. It's about an isolated all-girls prep school that succumbs to toxic exposure that's so bad they're quarantined w/o medical aid. It's an incredibly well written story about body issues and relationships wrapped in a sci-fi mystery. I came for the sci-fi and stayed for the relationships. Another YA book that completely floored me was The New David Espinoza by Fred Aceves. Another incredibly well written book that starts off with one thing (geek to chic) and ends with another (body dismorphia).
Honorable mentions to: Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles, Slay by Brittany Morris and a really great Graphic Novel, ORACLE CODE BY MARIEKE NIJKAMP.

Hello Everyone! My name is James and I also work at the Morton Grove Public Library. Think of me as our intrepid discussion leader's #2; the Robin to her Batman, the Ron to her Harry, the Watson to her Holmes.
I've been reading YA books almost exclusively for the past three years so this will be a nice change of pace. Believe me they have some amazing YA books out there, but it'll be nice to see what other books are out there. Also, this is my first time doing an online book discussion but I think it'll be a lot of fun.