Imprint Friday Monday: While Beauty Slept by Elizabeth Blackwell

Welcome to Imprint FridayMonday and today's featured imprint: Amy Einhorn Books. Stop by most weeks to be introduced to a must-read title from one of my favorite imprints. I know you'll be adding many of these books to your wish list.

I know it isn't Friday but I wanted to write about Elizabeth Blackwell's wonderful While Beauty Slept sooner than later. Although this novel has been described as a fairy tale retelling, I'd say it was inspired by Sleeping Beauty rather than being a variation on the familiar story.

Here are my thoughts in a Bullet Review.

• What's it about? The first thing to know about While Beauty Slept is that it doesn't include magic in the ordinary sense. The novel is set in medieval times and involves a king and his brother, two aunts, his wife, and his daughter. In a time of superstition, unexplained illnesses, and political unrest, King Ranolf goes against tradition and declares his only child, Rose, the heir to the throne. This unleashes the fury of his great-aunt Millicent, who curses the girl, predicting that Rose and her kingdom will be destroyed just as she reaches the peak of her beauty.
•  Structure. The story is told in retrospect by Elise, who was first the queen's personal maid and later a companion to Rose. When the elderly Elise overhears her granddaughter telling the story of a beautiful princess who was cursed to sleep in a tower until awakened by true love's kiss, she decides it's time to reveal what really happened within the castle walls.
• Medieval life. As Elise moves between the servants' halls and the queen's rooms, she is privy to much of what happens in the castle and is witness to how Millicent's threats were able to undermine the stability of the court. Through Elise's eyes, we learn about everyday life in the castle, the conflict between romantic love and personal ambition, and the great contrast between expectations above and below stairs.
• Playing on fear. In Blackwell's view, the true power of the curse was the fear it instilled in the king and queen. The threat to their daughter colored every decision they made and biased their interpretation of everything from losses on the battlefield to smallpox epidemics. No magical witch is needed when superstition will do the work for her.
• The making of folk tales. The anthropologist in me loved Blackwell's exploration of the origin of folk tales. Take the truth, remove the science, add fifty years, mix in some romantic notions of court life, and you'll likely end up with Sleeping Beauty waiting for her Prince Charming.
• General thoughts. Elizabeth Blackwell's While Beauty Slept was a Indie Next pick for March 2014, a Bloggers Recommend pick, and the recipient of much deserved praise. If you haven't read this yet, I bet you are put off by either the fairy tale tie-in or the historical fiction label. My advice is to forget all that. You won't find witches and poisoned spinning wheels, and there isn't a Tudor in sight. While Beauty Slept is that perfect sort of novel that transports you to other places, other times and introduces you to characters that soon feel real. Isn't that a classic description of a great book?

To learn more about Elizabeth Blackwell, visit her website, like her Facebook page, or follow her on Twitter. Don't miss the Kirkus interview, in which Blackwell talks about one of the primary difference between court life and modern life (hint: not the current lack of tiaras).

Amy Einhorn Books is a featured imprint on Beth Fish Reads. For more information about the imprint, please read Amy Einhorn's open letter posted here on January 25, 2010, or click the Amy Einhorn tab below my banner photo. To join the Amy Einhorn Books Reading Challenge, click the link.

Published by Putnam / Amy Einhorn Books, 2014
ISBN-13: 9780399166235
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy).

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Weekend Cooking: Sous Chef by Michael Gibney

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.

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Michael Gibney has been working in restaurant kitchens since he was a teenager, starting as a pot washer and working his way up to sous chef, second in command at an upscale New York restaurant. His decades on the line were broken only by his education, including an MFA in writing.

In Sous Chef: 24 Hours on the Line, Gibney cobbles together a typical day-in-the-life, taking us into the back of a restaurant to reveal the difficult and unglamorous side of being a professional chef. Although he hardly covers new ground here (see my review of Bill Buford's Heat, for example), Gibney's account is nonetheless interesting, informative, and well written.

Sous Chef starts when Gibney arrives at the restaurant on a Friday morning and then details exactly how the staff prepares for the evening's dinner service, from food prep to plating. The sous chef oversees all these tasks plus makes sure the wait staff understands the day's specials and acts as liaison between the head chef and the rest of the employees.

Rounding out the descriptions of the food, kitchen layout, and equipment, Gibney writes about the complex dance (as he calls it) that allows the cooks to work smoothly on the line, serving over three hundred customers in a single evening. This is grueling, hot work and tempers are on edge, but if the staff can't find a work together, the restaurant will not succeed. A competent sous chef is key to keeping everything under control.

Gibney's cock-sure attitude could be hard to take, but he recounts enough of his blunders to soften his personality. On the other hand, by the time he stumbles into the restaurant on Saturday morning to begin prep for the weekend brunch, Gibney is going to need that self-assurance; only the strong (or crazy) survive to cook another day.

If you've read the likes of Anthony Bourdain, Bill Buford, and Marcus Samuelsson, you won't be surprised by Michael Gibney's Sous Chef. Regardless, whether you're new to restaurant memoirs or an old-time foodie, make room on your shelf for this informative and nicely crafted tale of the trade.

I listened to the unabridged audiobook edition (Random House Audio; 5 hr, 46 min), read by the capable Fred Berman, whose enthusiasm for the book kept my attention throughout. My full (and positive) audiobook review will be available from AudioFile magazine. Note that the introduction to the audiobook is read by the author himself; unfortunately, Gibney's performance is not very engaging and it's a shame that the audio sample comes from his section and not from Berman's fine narration.

Published by Random House / Ballantine, 2014
ISBN-13: 978080417787
Source: Review (audio) (see review policy)
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy)

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The eMerging eReader #5: Let's Get Reading

So far in the eMerging eReader series, I've talked about devices, software, and apps. Now it's time to talk about, well, reading.

Before I get started, however, can you believe that I already have an update to my last post on apps?

Readmill / Bluefire. Just six months after I found what I consider to be an almost-perfect PDF reader, Readmill was sold to Dropbox and won't be available after July. Come summer, I'll be transferring my books to my second-choice app, Bluefire. Compared to Readmill, Bluefire fell behind in three areas: (1) it doesn't have eye-saving settings for PDFs, (2) you can't download books from Dropbox directly through the app, and (3) PDFs are not quite as stable. Fortunately, the Bluefire people are working on these problems, which may be solved by the next update.

The business of eReading. When distilled to its essence, eReading is, of course, exactly the same as print reading: Turn on your device (or open the cover) and get going. There's nothing mysterious here; the only difference is the medium, but even so, many of us have struggled with making the change.

The new way of reading has a lot of advantages. The obvious perks to eReading are these: It's great to not have to use a bookmark or to remember my place, even across devices, and I love being able to increase the font size and to read in bed without an extra light. And how about those clunksters? No more lugging around 900-page hardcovers that won't stay open; it's much easier to hold a thin, lightweight device that shows a single page at a time.

There are, however, some downsides. At first glance, eReading is perfect for travel, allowing us to carry around a small library. Unfortunately, I've discovered mobile devices aren't ideal in all situations. For example, at the beach: Even without the worry of theft, I still have to think about how my reader will stand up to water, sand, salt, and sunblock. Camping raises the issue of recharging, and foreign travel means adapters and possible problems accessing Wi-Fi. Solutions? I now own a mobile charger and take a paperback to the beach or pool.

Learning to get comfortable. One of the initial stumbling blocks for me had nothing to do with technology. I was discouraged because I didn't have the same focus when reading on my devices as I have when reading in print. In retrospect, I believe the problem had to do with getting familiar with the gadgets. Once I had the controls memorized and got used to tapping instead of page turning, my concentration returned. If you're still having trouble getting used to eReading, assess your technology. If you're happy with that, then the next step is simply to practice, retraining your brain for a different kind of interaction.

My current stance. At this point, I don't see eReading and print reading as an either-or situation. There's room for both in my life, and room for many, many more eBooks than print books in my house. If given a choice, I'm still at the stage at which I'll pick print over electronic, but now that I've gained some experience, eReading for pleasure is part of my everyday life.

Next up: managing my eBook library, social reading, and tricks for reviewing,

Acknowledgments: Besides those I've already thanked, I'd like to give a shout-out to @Micahsb, from Bluefire, for being willing to listen to users' concerns.

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Wordless Wednesday 283

Most Popular Instagram Photo from March 2014

Click on image to enlarge. For more Wordless Wednesday, click here.

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Today's Read: Madam by Cari Lynn and Kellie Martin

What would you do if your sole means of support was going to be deemed illegal? In 1897, Mary Deubler faced this problem, finding a way not only to survive but to thrive by complying with the morality regulations of New Orleans. She moved her business to Storyville.

I come from a long line of whores.

In my nine decades on this earth I have never uttered these words, let alone seen them written, in my own hand, indelibly staring back at me. But now, as a summer storm rages strong enough to send the Pontchartrain right through my front door, I sit with a curious sense of peace and clarity. My past is more than just my own history. Although this story shames me in so many ways, it is the legacy I leave. I must embrace the very truth I spent my life denying.

—Madam: A Novel of New Orleans by Cari Lynn and Kellie Martin (Penguin Random House / Plume, 2014, prologue, uncorrected proof)

Quick Facts

• Setting: Storyville, the red-light district of New Orleans, at the turn of the twentieth century
• Circumstances: Common prostitute Mary Deubler's transformation into the successful and powerful Madam Josie Arlington
• Characters: Mary/Josie; her brother & his wife; voodoo queens & underworld figures; morality crusaders; fellow whores; musicians, actresses, & politicians
• Genre & themes: historical fiction; period details (food, drink, music); politics; morality; race relations; women's choices
• Miscellaneous: based on a true story; book contains period photos, postcards, and broadsheets; well researched
• Authors: Cari Lynn is a journalist and nonfiction writer; Kellie Martin is an actress and television writer

ISBN-13: 9780142180624
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy).

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