Notes from a Spinning Planet

This Melody Carlson title, Ireland, is available only in paperback, but the "color Me" titles by this author were so popular that I went ahead and bought it. Fueled by the success of 13 Little Blue Envelopes, travel titles are doing well (See Students Across the Seven Seas).

This book is interesting in that it doesn't just describe the landscape and way of life in Ireland, it also tackles "the troubles" and explains the fighting between the Protestants and Catholics. I have a series from the early '70s by Joan Lingard that I haven't been able to get rid of that chronicles a romance between a Protestant and a Catholic-- girls who read this book might well start that, and understand it better.

This book tries too hard in some ways-- I got plain tired of the main character taking offense at people having a pint (of beer) because she was Christian and didn't think Christians should drink. Also, the intrigue of one character who was supposedly dead but wasn't, and was supposedly involved in the IRA somehow seemed contrived.

Still, I liked this. It covers an area of the world the readers might not normally see, and would actually make a really good made for tv movie. Melissa Gilbert might not be quite old enough to play the aunt, but it could be quite fun to watch!