Book Review: The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

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The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray is a historical fiction novel that spans many years and tells of the friendship between former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt and civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune. I don't know if I would have picked up this book if it hadn't been the August selection for one of the book clubs I belong to in my area because I don't read a lot of historical fiction. However, I am so glad that I read it and was able to learn many things I hadn't learned about in any of my history classes.  I don't recall learning anything about Mary McLeod Bethune, and she is an important part of American history. The things she helped spearhead to provide African American people equal rights is quite impressive. One of the things I was horrified to learn about is Franklin D. Roosevelt's resistance to stop lynchings because he was afraid of losing the Southern Democrats backing for his New Deal Bill. Another thing that I fo...
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Book Review: The Mysterious Benedict Society (The Mysterious Benedict Society, #1) by Trenton Lee Stewart

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book review the mysterious benedict society trenton lee stewart

The Mysterious Benedict Society (The Mysterious Benedict Society, #1) by Trenton Lee Stewart is about four children who answer a strange ad in a newspaper. They must pass several tests to be chosen for a very special undercover mission at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened. What is the mission, and will they succeed?

Reminiscent of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs, The Mysterious Benedict Society is an intriguing read that caught my attention from the very beginning. However, there are some slow parts in the middle that could have been edited out, which is my only complaint. The ending is wrapped up nicely with only a few loose ends so this book can be read as a stand alone. However, I will read the next book in the series.

What's cute about the book is that it has a quiz at the end. Your results will tell you which main character you are most like. After taking it, my result revealed that I am most like Reynie, who was my favorite character. Another cute thing about the story is that there is a "letter" from Mr. Benedict at the end as well saying that his first name was revealed in the book. However, I still don't know what it is.

Don't let the fact that The Mysterious Benedict Society is a children's book deter you from reading it as an adult because you'd be missing out on a great story. I gave it four out of five stars. If you liked this book, I recommend reading The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.


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