Review of "Last Bus to Wisdom" by Ivan Doig

Like other books that I have read by Ivan Doig, this one is set mostly in Montana where the author grew up. It is about the life and adventures of an eleven year old boy during the summer of 1951. He is being raised by his grandmother after the death of his parents. She is a cook on a cattle ranch in Montana, but needs an operation. So she sends her grandson to his grand aunt and uncle in Manitowoc, Wisconsin to stay with them for the summer while she has the operation and recuperates.

The boy, Donal, rides a Greyhound bus for more than 1600 miles. Along the way he meets all sorts of people and collects their autographs in a book. Almost half the book covers this part of the story with Donal using his imagination to conjure up stories about himself. When Donal finally arrives in Manitowoc, he comes to realize that his Aunt Kate is stingy and rules the household. She and his Uncle Herman are always arguing. Donal is bored with not much to do and spends time with his uncle in his greenhouse talking and watching him garden.

The second half of the book is about Donal and Herman's adventures as they head west on the Greyhound bus. Herman's story slowly unfolds over the course of the rest of the book. The atmosphere of the Crow Fair, Yellowstone N.P. and working on a hay ranch in Montana is evoked very well. 

Review of "Relae" by Christian F. Puglisi

This book is not just a cook book. It contains essays on many aspects of food and techniques for dishes created by the author Christian F. Puglisi.  It provides food for thought about cooking as well as serving. This is a book that I will dip into at various times for inspiration.

Review of "The Brain's Way of Healing" by Norman Doidge, M.D.

This book was an eye opener for me about how the brain can heal itself because of its neuroplasticity. Dr. Doidge covers some remarkable ways of healing the brain using natural, non-intrusive methods. He explains how and why these techniques work. In the case of some individuals who had suffered for years with their conditions and were considered lost causes, these ways of using the brain's neuroplasticity restored them to normal or near normal lives. This is truly amazing. These techniques need to be more widely used.

Review of "Becoming Ellen" by Shari Shattuck

Ellen Homes, the main character in the story, learns to step out of her shell in order to help others. She establishes social relationships with people and becomes less shy by the end of the book. She also discovers that her friends have their own insecurities and fears that she can help them overcome. Ellen knows about the system of foster care that often fails children because she was one of them. She gets an abused boy to trust her and with the help of the people she knows saves him from a bad situation. Likewise, the case of a young girl is successfully resolved due to Ellen's intervention. This is not an entirely believable story because too many situations just fall into place fortuitously but the good characters are so heart-warming and loving that I couldn't help but be pulled into the story.