With one of the busiest shopping weeks of the year ahead of us, here are some great recommendations, for a variety of literary tastes.

"The Hired Girl"

by Laura Amy

What a refreshing book and charming protagonist! The Hired Girl refers to 14 year-old Joan Skraggs who, after the death of her beloved mother, flees her loveless home ruled by a tyrannical and emotionally abusive father. She is found on the streets of Baltimore by a kind young man who brings her home to his Jewish family, the Rosenbachs, where she becomes the "hired girl." In this cultured and elegant home, her real life will begin, despite the fact that she is merely a domestic. For one thing she will have access to the family library teeming with the classics which will inspire her in her most sincere ambition to become a "noble and refined  person with only lofty thoughts."

Embarrassed by her extremely hard-scrabble beginnings, limited education, and lack of class, she is so earnestly bent on self-improvement that often her efforts to are so over-the-top as to become amusing. She so yeans for "dignity, sophistication, and poise;" to know how to use a "well-turned phrase"; to forego "giddy pleasures," so that she will no longer be an ignorant farm girl. The many books she obtains in the Rosenbach library will enable her to better express herself by using phrases she encounters in her readings; she recalls that beauty can "enoble and edify" and she so wants that for herself; she "aches with indignation" and sometimes "feels affronted" or "abashed;" she begins to refer to the city as an "imposing metropolis;" her heart is often "o'ercharged and seems to swell"; a "rapturous tempest stirs in her bosom"; she feels the need to be more "formally attired" but then remorsefully chastises herself for "accursed vanity."

She is enthralled and enchanted by everything to which she is exposed, from opera and art to architecture and fashion, so much so that her innocence and naivete are endearing. Even her hesitation to mention "indelicate subjects," such as changing the bed sheets or asking directions to the ladies' room, are amusing.

A  2015 Newberry Award Winner, The Hired Girl is an excellent choice for young readers as well as adults, since it is a "coming of age" tale told in diary format which provides insight into the heart of the main character as she vacillates between delight and despair. This is one girl's delightful odyssey, complete with romance and enlightenment, hope and aspiration that ends with her typically melodramatic line: "Tomorrow, oh tomorrow! What will me destiny be?" I loved this book and recommend it highly.

"Along the Infinite Sea"

by Beatriz Williams

In this, Beatriz Williams' most recent historical novel, the setting alternates between Germany and France in the 1930's, and Cocoa Beach and Cumberland Island in the 1960's. What links the two together is the auction in Palm Beach of a rare 1936 vintage black Mercedes-Benz belonging to Miss Pepper Schuler, one of the female protagonists, to new owner Annabelle Dommerich, the other female protagonist in this story. This chance acquaintance will pair the young and unmarried but pregnant Pepper with the older widowed Annabelle, who will provide support as well as a haven for Pepper as she seeks anonymity on the run from the powerful and well-known politician who is the father of her unborn baby.

What occupies Pepper's curiosity is why Annabelle would seek out this particular car and pay such an enormous price for it. What she does not know is that this vehicle enabled Annabelle, her Jewish lover Stefan, and children to escape Nazi Germany. There is romance aplenty in this plot as well as danger and suspense, secrets and sacrifices, betrayal and revenge. As the story unfolds we learn the intricacies of Annabelle's complicated past, including marriage to Johann, a high-ranking Nazi military man from whom she, like Pepper, attempted to escape many years earlier.

There are surprising twists as early on when Johann, the strong and well-intentioned rescuer, first offers marriage to the young and pregnant Annabelle when abandoned by Stefan. But all is not as it appears, nor are some of the characters what they seem. One in particular will shock you with his reversal. This is a good read, although some of the incidents are a bit far-fetched and coincidental. Nevertheless, it is a well-paced book focused on rescue in various guises.

"
Lady Bird and Lyndon:

The Hidden Story of a Marriage That Made a President"

by Betty Boyd Caroli

Marriages make interesting subjects, but high-power political marriages involve even more intriguing relationships. That of Lyndon Baines Johnson and Claudia "Bird" Taylor was one of the most complex.  In this very readable recent analysis of what brought them together and what solidified their union, the author Betty Caroli relies on observations of those closest to them—aides, friends, family, employees—but most importantly Lady Bird's diaries and interviews, some of which were not open to the public until recently (2014).

What initially attracted "Bird" to this dynamo was his energy, determination, ambition, and charisma, but what bound her to him for a lifetime was his need for her; she was essential to him. After a very brief but intense courtship in which he pressured her to quickly accept his marriage proposal, her usual caution and level-headedness was overruled by his powerful magnetism. From the outset, he made it clear to her  that he was a very needy man seeking a devoted partner to provide him with limitless nurturing support to help him achieve his goals which were considerable. Looking for an exciting and adventurous life far from rural and sleepy Karnack, Texas where she was born, she "hitched her wagon to his star."

It was a whirlwind ride as he rose in the ranks of political power from Congressman to President of the United States, always with her as his cheerleader. But Lyndon was often moody, restless, easily angered, testy, and insecure given to periods of deep depression from which only she could rouse him from his gloom. A bully and a curmudgeon, he could be mean, cruel and belittling in his remarks, alienating those closest to him; and it was she who constantly repaired injured feelings maintaining a powerful network of friends and supporters to remain with him. While he was temperamental, rash, and impulsive, she was the more grounded. When feeling misunderstood or unappreciated, he would lash out while she remained unruffled.  Her social skills and natural grace smoothed over his rough edges. Often the scapegoat for his disappointments as well as victim of his infidelities, she chose to ignore his crass behavior, even inviting the women into her home, including them in family dinners and outings.

When friends were appalled by what they considered abuse—even her daughters complained that she was overly "complaisant" to Lyndon's needs and too tolerant of his outrageous demands, she pointed out that he was her life and it was the synergy of their partnership. Later in life she acknowledged that she could have been a better parent, that she had always put her husband first since he demanded her presence all times, leaving her girls on the periphery with caretakers or babysitters. The greatest stress came during the Vietnam War when the President reached the breaking point. His doctors and aides questioned his mental state and what effect it had on his decision-making when under stress. Some used the term manic-depressive,  bipolar, and paranoid because his behavior patterns fit these diagnoses.

This is a revealing and perceptive story of the woman married to a flawed but brilliant politician, one who accomplished significant legislation, including passage of the Civil Rights Act and Head Start, and  was tireless in his efforts to improve life in "The Great Society." She may have been considered an enabler in tolerating her husband's often outrageous behavior, but what comes through in this biography is a "lady" in every sense of the word: gracious, genuine, intelligent, loyal, steady, kind and considerate. When Sam Rayburn, former Speaker of the House and mentor of the young LBJ told him, "The best decision you ever made was marrying Bird" Johnson responded, "There's not a day that goes by that I don't think of that." He knew her worth and the depth of her unconditional love, and it has been said that without Lady Bird there would never have been an LBJ. After reading this book, you are likely to agree.

"the life-changing magic of tidying up:

(the Japanese art of decluttering and organizing)"

by Marie Kondo

From the popularity of this recent book, which has been on bestseller lists for weeks, it appears that there are many who need guidance in the area of cleaning up their living space, as well as their minds. The author Marie Condo refers to her methodical approach of disposing of unnecessary and superfluous possessions as "The KonMari Method." Her essential question to those who would seek advice in sorting what should be kept and what should be discarded is "Does the item "spark joy"? This is the "only yardstick" by which to judge what stays and what goes.

The correct order in which to begin this process is with clothing, which includes not only dresses, pants, shirts, coats, etc., but also socks, shoes, underwear, handbags, and accessories. The first task is to take every item of clothing in every room of the house and dump it together on the floor in one place; nothing is to be omitted. When every single item has been gathered, the next step is to handle each one to accurately assess whether or not they satisfy the criteria—does it provide you with a sense of pleasure? If not, throw it out, discard it, or donate it.

This selection process leaves her average client with a third to a quarter of the clothes with which they started. Then, she provides instructions on how to properly store the various items—usually folded in rectangles and standing up vertically in drawers or boxes rather than laid flat—one upon the other as displayed in stores; dresses, coats, and jackets are the exception.

Kondo continues this "course" in organizing by category: next, books; then, papers; and lastly, "komono" (miscellaneous or "just because" things). Her goal is to help us get rid of the stockpiles of junk we accumulate. She insists that doing so will have a liberating effect on the spirit and mind; a "life free of surplus stock." Her repeated mantra throughout the book is "Believe what your heart tells you when you ask, 'Does this spark joy?'" It is a short how-to book, simply written and direct in its message. Kondo boasts a three-month waiting list of clients eager for her help, so if you are one in need of inspiration and motivation in cleaning up your mess, this little book might be all you need.

Donna DeLeo Bruno is a native Bristolian and a retired teacher of writing and literature. She now splits her time between Bristol and Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., where she gives book reviews at the local library as well as at book clubs and women's clubs. Some of her most enjoyable and relaxing hours are spent reading a book beneath the shade of a tree at the foot of Walley Street with the sun sparkling its reflection on the water.