Let's Bust a Recap : Roald Dahl

Well, I've gotten a couple more Dahls under my belt so it's time for a recap, but unfortunately, these are the first two of Roald's books that have fallen slightly flat for me. I read both of these aloud with my nephew, and they were funny but they're just not on the same level with the rest of his work. (At least his work that I've read so far.)

In Dahl's 1970 Fantastic Mr Fox, our titular character—Mr Fox—spends his days cleverly stealing from three loathsome farmers—Boggis, Bunce, and Bean—to feed his wife and four children. Eventually, the farmers get fed up with this and determine to kill Mr Fox, but he still manages to outsmart them by burrowing his way to their goods and continuing to steal from them to help his own family and all the other underground creatures to survive. The book ends with the three farmers sitting outside Mr Fox's hole still, waiting for him to surface so they can blow him to smithereens. 

In Dahl's 1990 Esio Trot—the last book to be published in his lifetime—our lonely protagonist Mr Hoppy comes up with a devious plot to win the heart and hand of his downstairs neighbor Mrs Silver, a widow he's been smitten with for years but has been too shy to ever do more than speak to her from his upstairs balcony. Mrs Silver's entire life centers around her small pet tortoise Alfie but she's concerned that he's not growing so Mr Hoppy convinces her to speak to Alfie in tortoise language three times a day to help him grow faster. (Tortoise language is just regular English backwards; hence "Esio Trot" is an anadrome of "tortoise".) She, of course, gives this a try but what Mr Hoppy actually does is steal Alfie and replace him with a slightly larger tortoise...which he continues to do until "Alfie" can no longer fit through the door of his little tortoise house and Mrs Silver realizes the "magic words" worked and is so delighted with Mr Hoppy that they get married. 

I mean, I think we can all agree that we're not out here reading Roald Dahl to learn any great moral lessons but can you see how these two might be a bit problematic? They're both silly and clever and certainly not meant to be taken seriously, but is it okay to steal from people if they're fat and ugly and stupid? Sure, it's in a fox's nature to hunt, but in Fantastic Mr Fox we've anthropomorphised him so it begs the question. And is it ever okay to trick a woman into marrying you by means of stealing her beloved pet? A living animal, I might add? Granted, Dahl assures us that the real Alfie ends up living happily ever after with a little girl called Roberta Squibb, but does Mr Hoppy ever come clean with Mrs Silver? And can a relationship based on deception possibly turn out all right? These books can provide a great jumping off point for some important conversations but for sheer entertainment value's sake? They miss the mark. 

So no, these wouldn't be the first Roald Dahl books I'd recommend, but if you're ready to have a low-pressure philosophical conversation with your child after a few laughs, these might be just the ticket. 

As for my journey through Dahl's work, I'm now over halfway through my lovely box set of his books and have six left to go. What should come next?

Let's Bust a Recap : Graced

Okay, I've mentioned several Bible studies over the years on this blog, but I don't typically review them here because to be completely 💯 with you: I rarely complete a study from cover to cover. The number one reason for this is because in the past, I have participated in group studies, and if I miss even one video session, or if I skip some of the homework because I'm getting behind, then I don't consider the study complete. 

But last year, a dear friend of mine published her first Bible study so, of course, I ordered it immediately.

And then it sat in my book cart for over eight months. I could give you a lot of excuses for this like how crazy 2023 was for us, or the holidays, or sickness, et cetera et cetera. But the truth is that this study is geared toward the sexually broken woman, and that's just not me. I am eternally grateful that God has put men in my life who have always protected me, cherished me, and treated me with dignity. So as I got the updates from Teresa about the study and joined her launch team, I wasn't really sure how DisGraced would land for me personally. And I put it off. But finally in March, I was telling my BFF Christina that I was ready to start it and she agreed to go through it with me. And it took me just under seven weeks to complete. 

In DisGraced, Teresa invites women to dive deep into the Bible and discover the heart of God toward six broken women in Scripture. Their stories still resonate with us today and can offer hope and healing for us all, but particularly for the woman who thinks she is beyond the grace of God or that healing will never be possible. 

Watching the introductory video before really diving in to the study, I immediately felt welcomed and encouraged that there was space in this study for me. It was emotional listening to Teresa tell a bit about her personal story. She is truly a wonderful and engaging speaker, and you can feel the compassion she has for women as you listen to her. 

As for the study itself: I felt like I did two distinct Bible studies. The first three weeks focusing on three Old Testament women—Tamar, Rahab, and Bathsheba—were one study; and the three remaining weeks focusing on three New Testament women—the woman at the well, the woman caught in adultery, and the sinful woman—felt like a separate study. I can't exactly pinpoint why there was a disconnect for me, but it was definitely there. In the first half, Teresa's questions challenged my thinking and gave me a lot to work through, but I had a hard time connecting with it and ultimately there were some things I disagreed with (for example, calling Tamar's actions righteous or that David raped Bathsheba). But the second half of DisGraced was some of the most meaningful Bible study I have ever experienced. I have read the Bible several times in the course of my life so I was very familiar with all six of these women, but the study on the three New Testament women impacted me so strongly. They prompted some of the most beautiful times of personal prayer, praise, and communion with my loving Savior I have ever had. Throughout the whole of DisGraced, I loved working through one of the Psalms each week, and I appreciated the weekly challenge to write down one key takeaway I wanted to remember. 

All things considered, this is a study I would absolutely recommend. Even the tougher weeks I encountered or the things I didn't agree with didn't negatively impact Teresa's applications which were biblically solid. Her teaching sessions are excellent, and one of the biggest practical things I appreciated about DisGraced is that you can access the videos online any time. (Can we please make that standard fare for all Bible studies??) This study is for any woman no matter where she is spiritually. There is a clear gospel presentation and a warm invitation to come to Jesus, but there is also grace and encouragement for the seasoned follower of Christ. I'm glad I finally did it and I'm thankful for the ways God used this study in my personal relationship with Him. I'm looking forward to Teresa's next one!

Get DisGraced here.

Learn more about how to connect with Teresa here. 

Twelve Years

 Happy Anniversary, my sweetheart!

A dozen cupcakes couldn't be sweeter than a dozen years of being your Mrs.

Let's Bust a Recap : While Mrs. Coverlet Was Away

Well after a six-week hiatus due to unforeseen technical difficulties (read: the old laptop finally bit the dust and we had to spring for a new one), I'm back and ready to catch you up on some books I've finished recently starting with this tattered favorite that I read aloud with my nieces and nephews during April. 

When our girls got here on April 16th, we ran through the shelves and pulled several options down that we were interested in reading. Then we took it to a vote and to my delight, While Mrs. Coverlet Was Away was the unanimous winner. This old copy was one of my mother's childhood books and I read it when I was probably 8 or 9 years old. I remember loving it, so I was ready for a fun read aloud with all my favorite kiddos, and it definitely delivered. 

The premise of this 1958 children's book by Mary Nash centers around three siblings who are suddenly left home alone when their housekeeper is called away for a family emergency while their widowed father is on a business trip to New Zealand. Thirteen year old Malcolm and practical middle-child Molly decide they can manage their six year old brother Theobold (affectionately called "Toad") by themselves, and because Mrs. Coverlet had to leave in such a rush, no other adult knows that the children are home alone. So for the whole summer the siblings are left to their own devices and do quite a fine job of it, even starting a summer business selling a concoction of the Toad's to make some money to send their father to help his business of opening a tin mine along. 

Mix it all together and you're in for a laugh-out-loud good time. My nieces and nephews loved it as much as I did when I was their age, and we all had fun trying to guess what the Toad put in his purple concoction to make it taste so good. I especially enjoyed reading about Malcolm's complicated conscience and how he got around it and talking to my nieces and nephews about whether they thought they could take care of themselves for a whole summer without grownups. The consensus was a resounding "no". 

All in all, While Mrs. Coverlet Was Away is a book I'd recommend to just about anyone. It's silly without being completely ridiculous, and I particularly love this beat up old copy because it was my mom's and she wrote in it when she was little:

I mean, come on! Consider this a call to action to have your children sign their favorite books and then tuck them away for posterity's sake. What a treasure!