Originally published at Breakpoint.org, August 29, 2011

In order to review Sarah Dessen’s latest Young Adult romantic adventure, I had to get hold of the copy that my young adult daughters were passing around among themselves. It was going to take a while to get to my turn, so while waiting, I decided to do some background research. I had read one book by Dessen (Along for the Ride) quite a while ago, and thought I’d read a couple more. At the library, I picked up Lock and Key and This Lullaby.

As I read my preliminary research books, and then again when I finally got my hands on What Happened to Goodbye, I felt a strong sense of deja  vu. Dessen changes the names, but her female protagonists have a lot in common. All of those I read about were older teen girls — sixteen or seventeen — in their last years of high school, considering going off to college, and dealing with difficult or dysfunctional mothers and sometimes absent fathers. Each of our heroines is to some extent emotionally closed and guarded, and afraid to love and be loved. Enter the cute, vulnerable, and longsuffering guy who breaks through her shell of self-protection and helps her to risk engaging in a meaningful relationship.

Mclean, the main character in What Happened to Goodbye, is angry with her mother because of the messy divorce that Mclean blames on her mother’s decision to go off with another man. The divorce and subsequent frequent moves with her father, who has a job that involves lots of travel, have given Mclean an identity crisis. Unsure of who she is, or what was real and what was fake about her pre-divorce family of origin, Mclean has been reinventing herself in every town where she and her father move.

But when they come to Lakeview, the fictional setting for all of the books that I read by Dessen, Mclean meets a boy, Dave, who will become an anchor for her free-floating identity, and she makes friends who want to know her as she really is.

So it’s chick lit for the high school set, and my girls devour it. I think Dessen’s books are so popular because they speak to issues and questions that teen girls, in particular, do grapple with and think about: Who am I really? Can I become a new person in a new setting, or am I doomed to make the same mistakes over and over? Is it better to have loved and lost? Is it worth the risk to commit oneself to a romantic relationship in this age of transience and uncertainty? Oh, and how do I deal with the newly realized fact that my parents, mom especially, are imperfect and maybe even seriously messed up?

I like the way Dessen’s books tackle these and other teen questions, with characters who don’t have it all together but who are trying. I don’t like the common assumptions that are perpetuated in the books: that all teens rebel and that all adult dating relationships and most teen ones eventually are consummated in a sexual relationship. There’s nothing explicit about teen sex in What Happened to Goodbye, but the assumption is there. It’s more overt in This Lullaby. In the latter book, promiscuity is rightly shown to be a poor defense mechanism for protecting oneself from true intimacy, but the assumption is still that if you love someone, you will eventually have sex as soon as you both get over all of your issues and hangups. Marriage, of course, is not even a blip on the horizon because, while these teens consider themselves old enough to have sex, they have college to attend, new places to explore, and lives to live before they even think of marriage.

I wish I could recommend some books similar to these but with a more Christian underlying worldview, and also with characters that were as engaging and real as Dessen’s. However, the “Christian” teen romances I’ve read are not nearly in the same league with these books as far as depth of characters and engagement with the real world. I don’t want the characters in Dessen’s books to all behave like sinless saints, a category of people I don’t believe exists this side of heaven, but I do wish there were someone in the novels who could exemplify or articulate a faith-based, or at least traditional, view of male/female and parent/child relationships, and even explore the vicissitudes of love and marriage and growing up from that perspective. Maybe I’m asking too much from a book that purports to be nothing more nor less than the latest in a series of highly acclaimed teen romance novels.

Content warnings: some mildly offensive language and discussion of premarital sexual situations, but no explicit sex or violence.

“Apollo 8 was different from the crewed spaceflights, American and Russian, that had gone before it. Not only was the flight to be launched by the largest, most powerful rocket ever built, but all previous missions had been either suborbital or Earth-orbiting. Now three astronauts—Frank BOrman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders—were to attempt to become the first humans to break the bonds of Earth. Apollo 8 was headed for the moon.”

After I enjoyed the ARC of this beautiful (even in black and white) book, I gave it to Engineer Husband to read. I knew he would enjoy it, too, since he’s actually a retired NASA engineer and interested in all things space program related. Engineer Husband wasn’t there for the Apollo program, but he definitely followed the news of the Apollo missions as a boy/teen. His verdict: well-written, absorbing, and it kept him reading while he was supposed to be going on a “taco run” for our lunch.

Adult Reading:

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes.

Tales of the Alhambra by Washington Irving.

Winter in Madrid by C. J. Sansom.

Message to Malaga by Helen MacInnes.

For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway.

Iberia by James Michener.

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.

Abel Sanchez: The History of a Passion by Miguel de Unamuno.

Children’s and Young Adult Fiction:

Shadow of a Bull by Maia Wojciechowska.

I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino.

Go Saddle the Sea by Joan Aiken. (Sequels are Bridle the Wind and The Teeth of the Gale)

Picture Books:

The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf. Illustrated by Robert Lawson.

Sebastian’s Roller Skates by Joan De Deu Prats. Illustrated by Francesc Rovira. Kane/Miller, 2005.

Lola’s Fandango by Anna Witte. Illustrated by Micha Archer. Barefoot Books, 2011.

Look What Came From Spain by Kevin Davis. Franklin Watts, 2003.

Anno’s Spain by Mitsumasa Anno. Philomel. 2004.

Don Quixote and the Windmills by Eric Kimmel. Illustrated by Leonard Fisher. Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, 2004.

Other suggestions of books by Spanish authors or books set in Spain?

I found this orphan post in my drafts folder and thought I’d share it even if it is a bit outdated.

“We all have our ways to survive.” ~Willa of the Wood by Robert Beatty.

“To rush is not necessarily to arrive.” ~Endling: The Last by Katherine Applegate.

“Anything in the world is possible—by will and by luck, with a moist carrot, a wet nose, and a slice of mad courage.” ~The Royal Rabbits of London by Santa and Simon Montefiore.

“We save ourselves by saving others.” ~Sweep: The Story of a Girl and her Monster by Jonathan Auxier.

“The smaller something is, the more it needs protection.” ~The Boy, the Boat, and the Beast by Samantha M. Clark.

“Ruling does not mean dominating. It means making difficult decisions. It means working hard, all the time, late into the night. It means listening . . . It’s the opposite of dominating, really.” ~The Lost Books: The Scroll of Kings by Sarah Prineas.

“When you see others in need, you help them, even if it means a risk to yourself.” ~Evangeline of the Bayou by Jan Eldredge.

“Whatever happens will be for the worse, and therefore it is in our interest that as little should happen as possible.”

Lord Salisbury

This epigram summarizes at least one large part of my political philosophy. I believe in what is often called limited government because I have seen that much of what governments end up doing is “for the worse”, and it is in our interest that government be as limited as possible. Of course, I am not an anarchist. Government, the federal government in particular, has a role and a responsibility to be sure: “to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.” And in our large country the in itself becomes a rather large role and responsibility. But please, let’s have the federal government, as well as the state governments, stay out of medicine, out of education, out of regulating the internet, and out of as much as possible in a free but ordered society. I’m not exactly a libertarian, but I do lean in that direction.

As we say in Texas, where we only allow the legislature to meet every two years for 140 days:

“No man’s life, liberty, or property are safe while the legislature is in session.”

~Gideon J. Tucker

I think this generation of young adults NEED milestones and celebrations and ceremonies and markers, but they don’t know it. Some of my children have not wanted to celebrate their graduation perhaps because they feel uneasy about ceremony and public announcements in general? And this uneasiness has carried over into other things. I have a daughter who is essentially “married” (but not) because she can’t wrap her head around the actual wedding. I know others who are committed to Christ but refuse to be baptized because it would require a public event within the context of the church community.

I don’t have all my thoughts in order about this, but I see this in so many areas: a reluctance to attend weddings and funerals and baby showers and other markers, a social anxiety that afflicts many young people I know, a reluctance to have a graduation ceremony or a wedding or baptism or whatever. I’m not talking about the expense but rather the commitment and vulnerability that is required to announce a milestone or achievement or commitment in one’s life and invite others to celebrate it with you. The celebration of definite commitments and events is important and lacking in people who just want to drift into adulthood or marriage or even Christian commitment. When we drift into these periods and chapters and allegiances in our lives, we more easily drift out as well.

Young Man From the Piedmont: The Youth of Thomas Jefferson by Leonard Wibberley.

Wibberley places these words in the mouth of George Wythe, famous Virginia lawyer and Jefferson’s teacher and mentor:

“When a lawyer takes a case into court, Tom, he performs a service by demonstrating to the public the workings of the law to which they have given their sanction. If the law is a bad and an unjust law, then the lawyer brings this forcibly to the attention of the public by demanding that the law be enforced. And so the lawyers may stir the people to change bad laws by which the courts are bound. But the changing of laws is the province of the people through their elected representatives. If the courts could change laws at will, then courts would soon become tyrannical and no man would be safe in his person or his property.”

Earlier in the book Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry are discussing the court’s responsibility in regard to law and justice;

TJ: “But the court must uphold the law. That is the function of a court . . .”

PH: “You’re wrong, Tom. The function of a court is to see that justice is done. Courts are courts of justice, and when I get before that jury I’ll argue justice and the devil with the law and all the precedents.”

Do you agree with Jefferson and Wythe that courts must uphold the law and thereby expose those laws that are truly bad in order that the legislature may fix or annul or repeal those bad laws? Or are the courts meant to dispense justice no matter what the letter of the law may say?

A friend and I had a mostly friendly discussion a few days ago about politics and poverty and specifically, college tuition giveaways and college loan debt cancellation. She sent me the following information and argument via text message about the affordability of a college education because, she insisted, that I just did not understand the difficulties that young people face nowadays:

Tuition at the University of Houston is about 13K a year with a Pell Grant for someone making 30K a year. To make 30K a year before taxes, one would need to work 60 hours a week at $10 an hour. So, let’s say you miraculously find that kind of job, not being college educated. Subtract 12K per year for rent and utilities (that’s on the low end). Then, subtract 13K to pay tuition. You’re left with $5000 to pay all other expenses for the entire year.

So, IF you can find a job where you can work 60 hours a week at $10 an hour and live off of approximately $400 a month for all other expenses including food and clothing and transportation, you might be able to afford college in your spare time, after you get done working twelve hours a day.

Her point is that college is unaffordable for anyone other than the very rich and that without a college education a good job that will support oneself plus a family is impossible to get. So she supports college loan forgiveness, free college for all, and an increase in the minimum wage.

I won’t argue with her numbers. I haven’t checked them, but I believe my friend’s math is about right. I just don’t agree with her perspective.

I can look at life and its challenges from at least two different perspectives. The first view says that the deck is stacked against me and against most people from the start by systemic injustice, racism, misogyny, and the accidents of birth (into poverty perhaps), health, and inherited intelligence and abilities. No matter how hard I work or what I try, I will never be able to overcome all the things that are working against my economic success and well-being, and if I somehow do become financially successful, it’s pure luck, nothing more. Therefore, we need government, the bigger the better, to come in and fix all of the injustices, provide the food and shelter and healthcare that we need, and make sure that no one benefits from being born rich or intelligent or healthy or of a class or race that is culturally privileged. Government must make sure that everyone can go to college. And government must also provide the money and opportunity for those who are economically disadvantaged to have the same education and healthcare and standard of living as those who are “born lucky.”

The second view, the one I hold, says that life is hard for all of us. I may be born rich but not healthy, or healthy but not of a privileged class, or intelligent but poor and and into a family that is disadvantaged or dysfunctional. Maybe a very few people are born rich and healthy and smart and socially advantaged and into a stable. loving family, but even those people face challenges because we all live in a broken world full of crime and pollution and false accusation and and broken relationships and accidents and all manner of evil that can stop even the most advantaged person in his tracks and send him on a completely different trajectory. But I sincerely believe that with hard work, determination, hope and faith in a good God who is at work in the world and in our individual lives, we can overcome our hardships and persevere through them and be successful. In this country in particular, we can work hard and make good economic decisions and look for opportunities and take them when they come, and we can be economically successful, not necessarily wealthy, but comfortable.

I believe in American success and prosperity. But even if the System beats me down, doesn’t allow me to go to college, makes me do without the healthcare I want because I can’t afford it, discriminates against me in terms of job opportunities or low wages, I believe that these injustices can be overcome and worked through by an individual who looks for opportunities instead of barriers and who cries out to the Lord for help and sustenance. (And even if I am wrong about the possibilities for success, it is much better to be optimistic and believe in the future than to give in to discouragement and despair.) Yes, sometimes we need the help of other people to continue on and to be successful. Yes, we should look for those who need a little help along the way and help them. But looking to the government for that help is a trap and a delusion.

When has government ever been able to administer a pure and honest and efficient and effective system of social welfare? Does an increase in the minimum wage help some people while hurting the overall economy and employment rate thereby hurting those who are looking for a job or who want to work more hours? Do I want to filter my dollars in taxes through a federal bureaucracy that will try to use that money to level out poverty and provide healthcare for everyone? Or is it more effective and compassionate to leave the dollars in my hands and encourage me to be generous on a local level to individuals, charities, churches, and other groups who are fighting poverty and disease and social injustice, case by case, person by person, on the ground? If I am faced with insuperable barriers to success and well-being, who is more likely to help me immediately, effectively, and without waste and corruption, the government or individuals in my community or family?

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

I Timothy 6:6-11

Yes, desire an education for the education’s sake. (If you can’t go to college, educate yourself.) Yes, try to be as healthy as you can. Yes, work to find a job that you can do well and that can pay you enough money to buy food, clothing, and shelter for your family. But above all, seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness. And all these things shall be added to you, as the Lord sees fit to provide.

I’ve had this cozy mystery series, The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter, on my TBR list for quite a while, and I’ve just now managed to check out the first book in the series from my library and read it. I thought it might be fun, and indeed this little story pushes all of the right buttons for a low-stress, delightful, homey read on a semi-winter’s day.

The point of view character is Beatrix Potter, author of a set of children’s books about little animals with human characteristics, the most famous of which is The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Our tale of Hill Top Farm shows Ms. Potter, a middle-aged spinster who has just experienced a great personal loss, trying to come to terms with her loss, stake out her independence from her controlling parents, and begin to farm on a new piece of land that she has purchased in the Lake District of northern England.

Yes, the Lake District. Charlotte Mason. Swallows and Amazons. William Wordsworth. Ambleside. Coniston. Keswick. Windermere. All of these places and some of the names are mentioned in the book, and the whole story is just full of pleasant associations. Beatrix Potter herself talks about her life and her books and drawings, and she carries her animal friends with hr as she works to find a place for herself in the village of Sawrey near the hill top farm that she wants to make her home. Unfortunately, there are some disturbing things going on in this peaceful village: a sudden death, art theft, false accusations, and gossip. And Ms. Potter is drawn into the complications and distressful events of the village as she attempts to make sense of some rather unusual occurrences.

Nothing very violent or dreadful happens in the novel, and the mystery is about as sedate and cozy as a mystery can be. Some village eccentrics and talking animals (only the other animals can understand each other) and tension over changing times make up most of the drama in the book. Then, Beatrix Potter’s personal is undergoing a mild and slow sort of revolution as she begins her quest for independence, a revolt that I assume will continue to unfold in the remainder of the series. I can’t vouch for the rest of the series since I haven’t read those books yet, but I am looking forward to doing so at the leisurely pace that the books themselves call for. I am pleased to have found a series that should be fun and undemanding for interspersing in between the “hard stuff” that I sometimes read.