Let's recap

My fellow romper passed along some recent reads and I tore through both Pledged and Midwives. I must admit, my opinion differs slightly regarding both of these books. Like DLP mentioned, I too hoped Pledged would truly provide the secret life of a sorority girl. I love sordid details - who doesn't? I found it to be an interesting mix of Greek (a delightful guilty pleasure tv show) and journalistic research. I found Robbins to be a highly sympathetic author, truly curious about discovering the motivations of these women - why did they feel so compelled to join a sorority? I understand the urge to belong in college. It is hard to find one's place on campus; regardless of size. While perhaps not as sordid as I had hoped or filled with new revelations about Greek Life, I think Pledged is a reliable read, providing all sides of the sorority story. Did I wish the individual girls' stories were a little bit more like the tv show Greek? Yes. However, I enjoyed the narrative devices Robbins employed, right down to the use of AIM away messages as a precursor to each section. I found this book to be a perfect blend of fact, slight fiction and intrigue. At its heart, this book is an exploration of how women come of age in their collegiate years.

Setting Pledged aside, I turned to Midwives. And again, like my fellow romper, I tend to shy away from reading books with the Oprah's book club stamp. There is something about books that 'catch on' through popular culture that make me feel wary; like I'm wasting my English Literature degree and that I should be reading 'real' novels instead (read: difficult, the classics). But let's face it, I'm already 'wasting' my English Lit degree - I'm an arts administrator and not only that, but I work in marketing and I don't write the copy; I design the ads. And while I genuinely believe that I learned time management and analytical skills that serve me well in the workplace, I also genuinely believe that I could have learned these skills working towards any degree in a subject about which I loved. Additionally, I love contemporary novels. I'm a 1950s to present gal. There are works dating prior to 1950 that have captured my attention, but these days when I choose a book to read, chances are, it was written after 1950. I digress.

Midwives. I agree with DLP's conclusion that the narrative voice was engaging and the parallels she found with To Kill a Mockingbird. However, I cannot truly place this book on the same plane as To Kill a Mockingbird, which, in my opinion, is one of the greatest novels every written. The primary difference is that Midwives did not speak to my humanity in the same way. Still, Midwives is a solid read in my book and worth the time.

--KER