A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea by Captain Richard Phillips with Steven Talty

I was given this book in hard copy by a nephew who found it a very good read. I looked up my review of the movie which starred Tom Hanks and came out in 2013. I gave it five stars (highest rating). So, while I knew the story and the outcome, I decided to give it a try. It is a fast read with no big surprises, but it held my interest. This is the kind of book which invites the reader to more or less identify with the protagonist. Would I have been as dedicated and brave in the face of being held captor with threats being made to my life? I would like to think, yes, but I really do not know. In case you do not read it, the funniest line in the book is that Captain Phillips and his wife had a longstanding routine that he would call her, after being away at sea and ask if Captain Phillips was there. She would say, “No, he is not” and he would reply, “Good, I am coming over now.” If Captain Phillips isn’t at your house, you might want to bring in this book to get a glimpse of this inspiring man.

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Where the Crawdads Sings by Delia Owens

The story takes the reader to a place I would not usually choose to visit- the wild nature land in North Carolina. A young girl is gradually abandoned by her siblings and parents and grows up alone in the marshland. She has her dad’s motorboat and she can fish and collect mussels et cetera and sell them in the local town in order to get gas for the boat and the essentials of life. She is known by the town folks as the wild marsh girl. While living a very isolated lifestyle, she has on occasion to meet two local young men. One of them teaches her to read and she ultimately over many years becomes a renowned expert in writing and painting the local nature life. Since the author is a well-known expert in nature writing, her depictions are quite beautiful and fascinating.

The marsh girl is attracted to both young men and one does not treat her very well. There is an incident where one of the young men dies under mysterious circumstances. So, there is intrigue and ultimately a courtroom drama, which is, as interesting and well-written as any literary courtroom scene that you might encounter

So, we have sensitive novel about living in the wildlife with all the beauty and mysteries of nature. We also have a sensitive depiction of a naïve young woman who feels her yearnings, as do all the creatures of nature. On top of all these, we have a mysterious death and a murder trial. For me, half of the time this book was a page turner, the other half, I was turning the pages to get through the book. I conclude by giving it a mixed review. (2019)

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