As my fellow readers know, I enjoy books with short tidbits of information. And, I seem to have a fondness for books about the Queen, too. That made Queen Elizabeth II: Crowns, Horses, and Corgis by David Arscottan obvious choice! :-) It includes the good and the bad, the tragic and triumphant, and of course, horses and dogs. I think there could have been more about the animals because I know the queen loves to ride and has lots of dogs, but overall this was a fun read.

Jefferson's Daughters: Three Sisters, White and Black, in a Young America, by Catherine Kerrison must have taken years and years of research. Not only was she writing about women from a time when not much was recorded about them, but one was the daughter Jefferson had with Sally Hemmings, a slave, so there is even less to go on. Ms. Kerrison searched out old letters, and newspapers, and even a journal kept by the captain of the ship one of the daughters (and Sally) sailed on. The author admits to a certain amount of conjecture: while we might not know exactly the classes Martha (the oldest daughter) would have taken at the school she attended in Paris, we do know the curriculum from that time, and so forth. And as for Harriet? When she left Monticello she pretty much vanished ... she probably changed her name (and the author explains why), she probably married (the author tracks dozens of Harriets!) We may never know for sure what really happened. Well balanced and thought provoking.

Reading Hermit With Dog