Books

Once again, I didn’t blog about the books I read during the past month, so it’s the long list again!

Madame Restell: The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Old New York’s Most Fabulous, Fearless, and Infamous Abortionist

What an amazing book! What an amazing woman! Sure, I knew the name of Madame Restell before, and I would see her mentioned in many historical accounts and petty much in any book or article about abortion rights. Still, this book was an eye-opener.
I saw this book in the list of library recommendations for March – Women’s History Month. And I thought how strange it was that even when you are very much pro-choice, you still feel awkward calling an infamous abortionist “an outstanding woman.” The truth is, though, that Madame Restell was an outstanding woman indeed.
I find it remarkable that she was able to build her family wealth by providing much-needed services (doing something that she was really good in). She had very strong opinions and never tried to hide them. She knew that she was doing the right thing for people who sought her services and lived in accordance with her principles, so she felt like a very “complete” person. It would be a big achievement even nowadays to make a good life doing what you believe in and what you are good at.
Lots of details about her life make me think about her as a twenty-first-century woman rather than a ninetieth century. She was a primary breadwinner for her family (and still stayed married!). She dressed in the latest fashions when she was “an old woman” by mid-nineteenth-century standards. She accepted challenges. She was herself, no matter what the circumstances were. And for that, she should be remembered.

Poverty. By America

A very good book, but as it often happens, the anticipations were too high. I mean, it’s always refreshing to hear a simple fact that we should focus on eradicating poverty rather than on helping poor people to overcome poverty. What I would like to see thee would be more precise references to the research which analyzes the impact of minimal basic income, links between single motherhood and income, and alike.

The Journal of the Plague Year

Not so well know book by Daniel Defoe, which, same as Robinson Crusoe, is a fictional diary of a person leaving through the Great Plaue of London 1665. Obviously, it’s very interesting to compare “now” and “then” pandemics, actions of authorities and ordinary people behavior.

Bois Akunin’s Yama

Huge disappointment a=on all accounts.

Akunin’s Outstanding People of Ancient Rus

As expected – very “unpolished” facts about the early years of Russian history.