​Martha Goldenthal is simply trying to navigate through life in 1960's California.  As the world changes around her, Martha's life seems to be imploding.  Martha's parents are both abusive; from making Martha believe she isn't good enough to physical violence, Martha's family life has made her develop a tic.  Martha shrugs her shoulder whenever she feels nervous or uncomfortable, the shrug only goes away when she is playing music.  Her siblings have manifested physical symptoms as well.  Martha feels she has to be better to win her parents affection: good grades, believing in her mother's strange habits and having the same interests as her father.  Martha struggles as her home life becomes more unstable over time, if she can make it to college and get out on her own, she just might make it.

Shrug is a coming-of-age story set in the Bay Area in the 1960's. This is a story built on hope and strong characters.  While no major climax of events happens in the story, Martha's growth and gradual change of mindset take center stage.  Anyone who has lived through any kind of domestic strife or abuse could easily relate to Martha's situation.  The writing deftly conveyed the amount of anxiety and complex emotions that Martha dealt with within herself and her family.  I knew exactly what Martha was going through as her family life was falling apart but she still knew she had to do well on all of her homework or try to console her mother even though her mother did not care about her comfort.  I also understood her tick and how and why it manifested as well as the impact it had on her life.  I loved the inclusion of the music of the era and the impact that it had on Martha.  The classical music in the beginning and the change to pop music reflected the turbulence of the time period along with her home life but the calming undercurrent of classical stayed throughout.  While the ending of the book might not have seen everything solved for Martha or her family, it gave a distinct impression of hope and a brighter future which is exactly what anyone in Martha's situation is looking for.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

​A herd of elephants roams peacefully around India in the late 1800's under the watchful eye of their matriarch.  The matriarch recently gave birth and her baby watches mom carefully as she makes friends, plays and watches for predators. As the herd migrates, they notice that the funny apes keep getting closer to them and are building structures and making lots of noise.  One day while the matriarch is protecting the herd from a tiger the pale apes intervene, killing the tiger and the matriarch.  Her baby is left crying by her side.  The baby is taken and chained by the white apes, which she learns are people.  The baby named Mary and treated cruelly, punished until she learns to do what the people want.  Mary is eventually sold to Sparks World Famous Circus where she learns to perform and is hurt less often.  She learns to think of the circus performers as her herd.  However, her memory of all of the past cruelty and her life as a wild elephant never leave her. The day comes where Mary can not take the pain and loneliness.  Mary's actions that day will go down in history. 

I have always had a hard time reading books like this and I knew that Mighty Mary would be no different.  Especially since she was a real elephant and the terrible events that led to her death are true.  Mighty Mary is mostly written from Mary's point of view and displays the emotional depth that Mary and all elephants are capable of as well as the psychological changes that happen when we take an animal from the wild and attempt to tame it.  Mary's inner dialogue is heartbreaking as she is pulled from her mother and her home and dragged into the unknown to be cruelly treated, tormented, beaten and threatened with the bull stick that haunts her memories.  Mary attempts to find any connection with any living thing, even the predators was wrenching to me and when she finally gave up and seemed to forget who she was, I knew it was the beginning of the end.  Books like Mighty Mary remind me and all of us that we can do better for the animals that we share this world with and that any less is cruelty. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.