The maximum security book club, by Mikita Brottman

 

Writer and psychologist Mikita Brottman shares her experiences running a weekly book club in a Maryland prison for two years. The club consisted of nine hand-picked prisoners, although the composition changed a bit over the two years as prisoners were paroled or transferred. I enjoyed this book, which is well-written and reads like a novel. It was interesting to see how Brottman approached the book club and to read about their discussions, but I was not impressed with her book selections, which were challenging and boring for the men. As Brottman was a psychologist on sabbatical at the time, I wondered if this were a way for her to explore her own psychological interests or research. Her book selections included Conrad's Heart of Darkness, Burrough's Confessions of a junkie, Nabokov's Lolita, and other classics. All of the authors were white men, although her book club members were a diverse group. She made no effort to find books that were more relevant or modern, or more diverting for them. She recounts some discussions with them that seem inappropriate; she criticizes the corrections officers for giving her a hard time about following rules and dress code; she meets up with prisoners after they're released; and she bemoans the fact that the two prisoners she met up with after they were released were not interested in continuing a book club or reading outside of prison. Maybe she would have created life-long readers if she had picked books more suited to them? Nevertheless, in spite of her personal flaws and her bad judgment, this is an interesting and very readable book.

In the lion's den: the Penn State scandal and a rush to judgment, by Graham Spanier

 

With this riveting memoir, former Penn State President Graham Spanier recounts his experiences surrounding his resignation from the presidency in November 2011 as the Jerry Sandusky scandal unfolded. After Sandusky was indicted on dozens of counts related to child sexual abuse, the attention of the Pennsylvania attorney general and governor turned to accusations of a coverup by Penn State administrators following a 2001 incident that they claimed allowed Sandusky to continue abusing children for years after. Spanier thoroughly recounts developments following his resignation, including the firing of long-time and beloved football coach Joe Paterno, grand jury testimony of Spanier and two high-ranking Penn State administrators, and charges brought against them. Spanier completely refutes the highly-disputed report prepared by former FBI director Louis Freeh, which was influential in leading Penn State to accept extraordinary NCAA sanctions in 2012. Using evidence obtained through freedom of information laws and other sources, Spanier documents how many of those who accused him have since been discredited and makes a convincing case of his innocence. Full disclosure: this reviewer worked at Penn State while Graham Spanier was president. VERDICT This is a compulsively readable memoir about one of the most inflammatory recent scandals in higher education.

This review was previously published in Library Journal 147:8 (2022):107.

Edward the Elder and the making of England, by Harriet Harvey Wood

 

This is a well-written history of late 9th century and early 10th century England. While there isn't a lot known about Edward the Elder, son of Alfred the Great, author Wood pieces together what is available to paint a picture of this time period and demonstrate the impact that Edward had on Wessex and Mercia, and how he managed to further expand the boundaries of what he ruled. The only criticism I have is that I would have like to see some maps of the areas under discussion, perhaps some illustrations, and an index.

A guide to the birds of East Africa, by Nicholas Drayson

 

This is a charming novel about Mr. Malik, a retired Kenyan businessman of Indian descent who spends his time hanging with friends at his club, bird watching, and volunteering in an AIDS unit at a local hospital to make amends for rejecting his son when he came out as gay, only to lose him soon after to AIDS. Mr. Malik is a widower who has fallen in love with Rose Mbikwa, who leads the local Tuesday morning bird watching hikes. When an old nemesis from school days, Harry Khan, comes to town, Mr. Malik is forced to compete with him for Rose's attention; they set up a bird watching competition, the winner of which will have the opportunity to ask Rose to a local ball. This was a fun romp with a lot of humor, interesting characters, and some insight into some aspects of Kenyan society.

A scrap of time, by Ida Fink

 

This is an excellent collection of perceptive and gut-wrenching stories about the experience of Jews and others in Poland during the Holocaust. The stories address "actions" taken against Jews, round-ups, the struggles of people who sought hiding places, the hunger, but also the people who returned after liberation, and the imperfect recollections of people who survived horrendous circumstances. This is a very well-written and powerful collection of stories.