Truths I Never Told You, by Kelly Rimmer

“What do you do if you find yourself as a new mom and you realize you’re just not capable?”

Told in two timelines, Grace struggles with postpartum depression in 1957 while Beth, in 1996, reluctantly helps her father move into a nursing home since he is suffering from dementia. Beth then helps her siblings clean out her fathers house where she finds letters from her mother, Grace, revealing untold family truths.

Synopsis below provided by the publisher.

“I want a career and I want to see other women have the option to make choices, too, instead of operating as a breeding machines for entitled men.”

The plot was very slow to build. The first half felt repetitive and the characters were hard to connect with. It was surprising to feel such a disconnect from the characters since the subjects at hand were so solemn and emotional. The second half presented some unexpected twists after a different narrator surprisingly enters… which helped move the plot along. The ending was okay.

Gender roles and the feminist movement in the 1950’s is explored and sufficiently represented. The issues brought up in the book regarding this are engaging topics.
Overall, the topics presented were interesting but the characters were flat and the plot was tedious.

Kelly Rimmer is a best selling author. Visit her website.

Read Publishers Weekly review for Truths I Never Told You.

The Things We Cannot Say was a New York Times best seller. Watch K. Rimmer discuss The Things We Cannot Say below in a Q&A.

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Thank you to NeGalley and the publisher for an advance copy. Opinions are my own.

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The Paper Bag Princess 40th anniversary edition, by Robert Munsch

The 40th Anniversary Edition includes bonus content that includes a short one page Note to Readers from Chelsea Clinton explaining the meaning of the story to her and its importance in her life. Next, is a two page article by Francesca Segal called Stand Up To Dragons. In this two page article, Francesca Segal proves the timelessness of the story and its relevance today. She includes examples such as the #MeToo movement, misogyny, and cronyism. In the end of the book, there is a two page bonus from Ann Munsch with Robert Munsch entitled 40 Years of the Paper Bag Princess in which they recollect how the story came to be created.

Book summary: Elizabeth and Ronald are preparing to marry, but a dragon comes and takes Ronald away. Leaving everything burnt and destroyed but a paper bag, Elizabeth transforms the paper bag into a dress and goes to rescue Prince Ronald.

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She gets to the dragons lair, and persuades him to come out to see her. She outsmarts the dragon and tires him out which allows her to rescue Ronald.
Upon seeing Elizabeth’s ashy and dirty state, Ronald points out that she looks mess and tells her, “Come back when you are dressed like a real princess.”

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Elizabeth doesn’t stand for this and responds by telling him that he is pretty and a prince, but a “bum” . It then ends with an illustration of Elizabeth running off into the sunset with glee since they did not get married after that.

The Paper Bag Princess explores gender roles; instead of the prince rescuing the princess, the princess is rescuing the prince. Rather than the prince defeating the dragon, the princess not only defeats the dragon, but she does so by outsmarting him. It also shows kids that it is okay to stand up for yourself. And, in the end, it reveals that beauty is more than skin deep and that we do not need someone else to be happy or valuable.

I received an advanced copy from Netgalley. Opinions are my own.

https://youtu.be/hIPrb-sA6Uo

Read about teaching gender roles in children’s literature
Robert Munsch

Stand Up to Dragons Re-reading the Paper Bag Princess, Francesca Segal

The Story Behind the Classic by Huffington Post

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