Look What I found, Again, at the Gaithersburg Book Festival

Once again, full disclosure, I have not read the books that the authors discussed, but I’m impressed enough to want to.

Transplant: A Memoir by Bernadine Watson—What I like the most about any book festival is the serendipity of walking into a “tent” and discovering a new writer. Luckily for me I am “directionally challenged” and it happens to me a lot.

Watson, a single black mother in 1984, developed Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), a serious kidney disease prevalent in the Black community, in which scar tissue develops on the small parts of the kidney and often leads to kidney failure. Dialysis or a kidney transplant is often the result. (from Mayo Clinic website)

She knew this would change her life. So, this memoir is titularly about her kidney transplant. But it is about much more. She specifically chose the title “Transplant” referring not only to her kidneys but her personal journey from understanding to acceptance of this incurable disease.

She lived on dialysis for five years until she was able to receive a kidney transplant. And there is another regiment to that, both physical, emotional and spiritual. She kept a journal that helped her to remember, and this book was the outcome, which includes her family, with all their problems, and since she remarried, her husband who became deeply involved and wanted to donate one of his kidneys but unfortunately was not a match. But there are other ways to help. And that to me was even more fascinating. He became a member of a group and donated a kidney to someone else, and as a result, someone donated a kidney to Watson. Her husband also spoke at the festival.

As I said before, I haven’t read this book, but it is so intriguing that it is now on my “To Be Read” list.

The Year of Living Constitutionally: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Constitution’s Original Meaning by A.J. Jacobs—You may remember his last book, “The Year of Living Biblically” where Jacobs lived, dressed and followed the Bible as literally as possible.  

In this book, which he wrote with a quill, yes really, wore his ubiquitous three-cornered hat, and actually, quartered a soldier in his NYC apartment, he explored the literal meaning of the U.S. Constitution, what it meant when it was written and what it means now.

He talked about how originally the founders did not even want one president. They wanted a committee because they felt that one president could lead to totalitarianism, which may not be a far-off assumption. He talked about how they envisioned a not so powerful Supreme Court and how they viewed the Constitution as a flawed document and expected that there would be amendments periodically. Jacobs feels strongly that it is almost impossible with our widely divided Congress that any amendments could be passed now.

Many of the questions in this talk were about how this affected his family, specifically his wife who had the last say about what he could and couldn’t do. But they all participated in a Revolutionary War reenactment.

If you are worried, as you should be, about where this country is headed, this would be a worthwhile book to peruse. It is light but also will give you some insight into the history of democracy…something we all need right now.

The Rulebreaker: The Life and Times of Barbara Walters by Susan Page—When asked why she writes biographies of women (she also wrote about Nancy Pelosi and Barbara Bush) she answered that women are less likely to have biographies written about them. I can agree with her because as a librarian setting up a book display on women, as I perused the shelves, I thought the same thing.

So, why Barbara Walters…because she never gave up. There are wonderful stories of Walters as she hid in the lady’s room of Camp David to get an interview, and her repeated attempts to secure the interviews of Begin and Sadat. How she survived a hostile workplace environment working with Harry Reasoner as co- anchor for ABC, as well as The Today Show working with Frank McGee.

But there is a private side of Walters that Page reveals: growing up with her father, Lou Walters, the owner of the Latin Quarter, who was either rich or poor depending on his gambling, coping with his suicide attempt and the coverup; her close friendship with the infamous Roy Cohn and how she relied on him for advice and help and stayed loyal to him when everyone else didn’t.  And the love of her life, Edward Brooke, African American senator from Massachusetts who she gave up because she was afraid that it would ruin her career. Each of these could be a book on its own.

And of course, the legacy of Barbara Walters and that iconic portrait of all the women journalists that she had helped along the way.

Whatever you think of Walters, read this book and you will learn more.

Rocket Men: The Black Quarterbacks Who Revolutionized Pro Football by John Eisenberg—OK this is another example of walking into the wrong tent and being fascinated by a book I might never read. John Eisenberg is a well-known Baltimore Sun sportswriter, having written 11 books about sports from the history of Camden Yards, the founding of the NFL to the story of Native Dancer a famed horse.

But Rocket Men goes beyond football. This is the story of the profoundly talented Black players who were not allowed to become quarterbacks until the 1990s. It is the story of the racism that held them back and how the face of football has changed since then.

His knowledge about the history of all sports, especially football, is amazing to me and Fox 5 sports reporter, Chad Ricardo who interviewed him asked all the right questions and obviously knows his subject, and even the questions from the audience were so informed…this could of course because I knew almost nothing. But I know enough to realize when someone is a talented author. And who to recommend when someone is looking for a good sportswriter.

The Sisterhood: The Secret History of the Women at the CIA by Liza Mundy—You may remember The Code Girls about codebreakers during WWII. That was also written by Liza Mundy. This riveting history of the CIA focusing on the women they recruited is not what you see in movies. This is not your Miss Moneypenny, sitting behind the desk and giving 007 his instructions as he kisses her on the forehead. These women who you will not be surprised to know, faced rampant sexism and no matter what their background was, they were sent to the typing pool where their goal was to get out and up. Eloise Page, secretary to Wild Bill Donavon head of the OSS collected information on everyone and by 1947 held the highest-ranking female position in the clandestine operations division.

And even not so far back as the 1990s, women were still relegated to being analysts. And it was there that they watched Osama Ben Laden and the group that he formed: al-Qaeda. They tried to warn the administration that al-Qaeda was a cohesive group, but to no avail. Although they weren’t able to prevent 911, they were able to track bin Laden down.

These were only a few of the women chronicled by Mundy. This is history worth knowing.

Yes, this was a rainy, muddy day at the Festival. If you watched the Preakness, you’ll know what I mean, but it was definitely a day worth spending there. Thanks to the City of Gaithersburg for a “celebration of books, writers and literary excellence”.