April Roundup

Note: I can not comment on WP blogs at this time. Even though I visit and try to comment, it won't work. There is a long winded reason for that and I need to wait for my old WP blog to delete.  Apparently it takes a month, long story.  Just a PSA here so you'll know.  Sorry to Vicki, Erin, Shelleyrae 😞 and anyone else I didn't mention with WP.

Reading, planting and eating....

Loaded the back of Rav up with Asiatic lillies, portulacas, Arizona Sun Blankets and a lone tomato plant.  I am always hopeful of growing tomatoes.  The deer are always hopeful I will try.

One of my go-to favorite meals is a black bean enchilada topped with loads of lettuce, tomato, sour cream and green onions.  Easy vegetarian meal.  Maduros were a nice side...kinda Tex-Mex-Cuban fusion :-0

April reading was quite varied in location and genres. I  had a DNF with Tana French's latest book The Hunter.  Surprising as I am a big fan of hers but I think it was the Dublin Murder Squad books which had me hooked. The Cal Hooper series isn't doing it for me.

Nope 🖓

📚📚   Books read  📚📚

The Road to Dalton by Shannon Bowring

I am a Soldier, Too: The Jessica Lynch Story by Rick Bragg

The Empty House by Rosamunde Pilcher

Absolution by Alice McDermott - buddy read with JoAnn

April book travel took me to Maine, West Virginia, Iraq, Vietnam, Cornwall and Scotland.

 That's it for the April round up.   Looking forward to good reading this month.  Hope life is good for you all :-)

Sharing with:

Joy's Book Blog for British Isles Friday. and Deb at Readerbuzz for Sunday Salon.

📚📚📚📚📚📚

I Am a Soldier, Too: The Jessica Lynch Story by Rick Bragg

While I was browsing the nonfiction section at the library I saw this book on the shelf, thought about how long ago Jessica Lynch was rescued from an Iraqi hospital.   Back in 2003 we had tv feed and remember  when breaking news interrupted the broadcast to report the rescue.

The story at the time reported Lynch's fierce fighting, her capture and the dramatic rescue by our elite military forces.  In this book Lynch sets the record straight about how her injuries occurred. She dispelled the stories which called her the "Rambo of the hills of West Virginia" when in fact, she never fired her gun as it jammed.

She was gravely injured by Iraqis and it's amazing she survived at all.

From the book:  "Medical records show what happened in the three hours missing from Jessie‘s memory. Her right arm was shattered between her shoulder and her elbow, a compound fracture, slivers of bone through muscles, nerves and skin, leaving her right hand useless. Her spine was fractured in two places causing nerve damage. This left her unable to control her kidneys and bowels. Her left leg was broken into pieces above and below the knee. Also compound fracture and splintered bone that made a mess of the nerves, and left her without feeling in the limb. "

And yet there was still more damage, both physically and mentally. It wasn't known if she suffered the beatings from rifle butts and kicking before or after she was raped, nor clear why she alone was not killed immediately.  Theory is she was a blonde green eyed female which could be used for propaganda purposes.

At the hospital she was taken care of best they could with the equipment and supplies they possessed.  She wouldn't eat anything but crackers and juice, and only if they opened it in front of her, for fear of being drugged and unable to fight to save her leg.  At one point the doctors wanted to amputate a leg as it was so badly damaged.

Jessica Lynch weighed 76 pounds by the time she was rescued.  Had she been left any longer she would have certainly died, despite the medical attention from kind medical staff.

Lynch did not know the narrative the government released to the news agencies.  

This is a well written book and I'm glad I picked it up.