Mr. Caprow > Recent Status Updates

Tom finds himself now floating along the mighty Mississippi River on a raft. I can't wait to see what adventures await ahead!

More shenanigans...Tom and Huck sneak out one night and they happen into a nearby cemetery and witness a body being put into a freshly dug grave. Lots more adventures to come!

I liked reading about Tom and Becky's relationship and it seemed very involved but very differently involved than the Robin Hood type relationship described in the next chapter that Tom has with Joe Harper. It speaks to how different people can play or have different personas when in differing company, which I can relate to.

In these two chapters, it is interesting to see how the place for everyone to gather is the church. Equally comical is how the townspeople react to a hilarious situation but show restraint due to being in church. Additionally, we are introduced to two key characters, Huckleberry Finn and Becky Thatcher both colorfully introduced leading the readers to want to know more.

It was comical to watch as Tom starts to trade with and con other kids into trading him for tickets, which ultimately lead him to “win” a Bible. It’s great to feel the anticipation as the story unfolds and how Tom feigns innocence. I’m exited to see how Tom gets himself out of this situation, as where I stopped reading, he is getting caught red handed, not knowing about seemingly simple Bible knowledge.

It is very interesting to start to read an American classic. So early on in the book, the reader already experiences Tom fooling Aunt Polly to get away from her and also Tom tricking other boys into whitewashing the iconic fence. I cannot wait to read more about his adventures!

So far, it has been a very interesting read. I first talked about the book on a flight with a stranger when she told me that she was reading this book. I read the first few chapters while I was in Guayaquil, Ecuador and I suddenly became super suspicious of everyone around me! I hope that the end of the book re-enforces that we should have trust in humanity. :)

A very interesting writing style. It's easy to keep track of what is being said on the recordings, as it is in italics. It is interesting that you can easily forgot that the person speaking is dead, if you don't pay close attention and get caught up in the plot.

I started reading this book on the flight from Ottawa to Iqaluit on Monday. The author has a strong boarding school background but he makes it clear from the starting that he has had a series of negative experiences. It is an interesting read thus far but it seems strongly against boarding schools to this point.

The man and the boy reach the ocean and it is not blue and not nice, as they had expected. I'm excited to see what happens next. They seem to be in trouble, not that they weren't in trouble before.

This is really turning into a page turner. The man and the boy have now met an old man on the road and confusion and double talk are setting in. I particularly like how the old man said that he never expected to see a young person again.

We're getting the first glimpses of the bad people that the man and the boy are fleeing from. It sounds like they had a close call.

The Road sounds like it is getting more difficult and arduous as winter is setting in and the boy and his father are starting to trudge through the mountains.

Cormac McCarthy sets a very ominous and barren scene for the two main characters, a father and son. It appears that some tragedy has befallen the place where they are traveling on foot. No other people, aside from a few dead bodies, have they come across so far. Also, a charred landscape and empty city have been on their way.

I'm looking forward to finishing my book tomorrow! #Cardiganunplugged

I'm looking forward to finishing my book tomorrow! #Cardiganunplugged

As described, the Olympic Opening Ceremony must have been quite a spectacle. Even though the Americans were quietly and subtly acting out against the Nazi leaders, the German nationalism and pride shown at the over-the-top ceremony probably made the Americans' display difficult to notice.

The boys have arrived in Germany and the pomp and circumstance for the Olympics must have been quite the sight to see!

The Washington boys are on their way to Berlin. Nazi Germany is on show for the world to see but not the negative parts of the society. Also, it will be interesting to see what happens now that one of the Washington boys has found out he is Jewish.

Awesome National Championship victory for Washington. It still amazes me that 90,000 spectators would come out for these races. I am also surprised that the Washington crew was able to show up at the home of FDR so easily and chew the fat with one of his sons. Amazing!

It's interesting to learn about Joe's job helping to build the Grand Coulee Dam in eastern Washington state. The company town he lived in could still be seen in its more modern form, as I saw it when I visited the dam a few summers ago.

Now I'm getting into the story more. Brown brings in one of my favorite literature themes - the American westward movement, new opportunities in the West and traditionalist views and ideas in the East. I particularly like his vivid description of the landscape during the Dust Bowl.

I am amazed by the number of spectators gathered around Lake Washington to watch the race. It must have been quite an energetic gathering. I'm getting interested now that the connection between rowing and the Olympic planning has been revealed.

Atticus is sounds a bit frail and fragile but still is giving it a good try. I am a bit surprised as I remember him as such a physically strong presence. We will see. I've downloaded the audiobook to see how Reese Witherspoon tells Harper Lee's story.

Off to a good start. Twenty-six year old Scout, now mostly going by her real name Jean Louise Fitch returns to Macomb, AL from NYC to visit her ailing father, seventy-two year old Atticus Fitch. She takes a novelistic journey via rail to her home and slowly retreats from the hustle and bustle from the big city to the slow, predictable basic life that she left behind. "If you did not want much, there was plenty" (8)

I'm looking forward to Harper Lee's latest. I am hopeful after reading the classic To Kill a Mockingbird.

Going to an away sports competition via train, unbelievable!

The small town community of Sequim sounds a lot like Cardigan's community. Lots of people wearing multiple different hats, helping one another.

I like how the boys need to get accustomed to the sport by first handling Old Nero before being set free on the more expensive and delicate oars and sculls. It sounds like Old Nero is building character also.

I appreciate getting some of the backstory about the Great Depression era and the difference between the "haves" and the "have nots."