Welcome to Litsy!

My pacifist heart loved this book and cried over it in equal measure. Featuring Gertrude Bell, whom I first met years ago in Wallace‘s Desert Queen, T E Lawrence, and Winston Churchill as minor characters, the protagonist is witness to the Cairo Conference and its fallout that we are still experiencing. The story is engaging, and the final chapter provides much to think about. And Rosie the dachshund steals the show. #bookspin #24in2024

My #bookspin and #doublespin for May. Although the way this spring is going I may be lucky to finish just one. @TheAromaofBooks

This book was good in the beginning, got slow in the middle, and the end was lacking in detail and not very helpful for understanding how and what TE Lawrence did. I learned a lot about TE Lawrence‘s early life, but I don‘t really understand the details of and impact of his work during WWI with Arab fighters. I wish the author had focused on that and not on introducing so many other people who Lawrence had so little interaction with.
2/5 stars

Received my signed copy + a MDR watercolor painting in the mail today!

Mary Doria Russell posted this yesterday. I ordered from MacsBacks online, and got my confirmation today signed Book, a watercolor painting from MDR, AND supporting a small bookstore. Winning all over the place!

https://www.macsbacks.com

Found this book from the 1950s, telling a story of the 1920s. Didn't even try to resist 😂

The other is my new reading journal.
Can't believe l finished my first one. I started here on Litsy, when l first joined in 2017. Can't believe it's been so long 😱

I loved how Anderson contextualized T.E. Lawrence‘s story and included Aaron Aaronsohn(brilliant agronomist, Zionist and spy)and his sister Sarah Aaronsohn, Curt Prüfer(German diplomat, who ran a spy ring and operations to sabotage the British, Minna Weizmann‘s lover) and William Yale(oilman and spy)in this detailed biography. Anderson shows Lawrence‘s genius and faults, is an excellent storyteller and makes historic characters come alive.

I also realized I haven't shown all the books I bought from the Helsinki bookfair. I can't wait to get to read these. I love reading the life stories of strong women! 😍

Here is a picture 1/4

If we are going to get desert highs during the day it should be law to also have desert lows come nightfall. #hadenoughofthisheat

This was my #bookspin book for May. Yay! So happy to have completed a #bookspin and #doublespin!
This was a compelling story and well-written and researched, but the history background felt forced not quite there at the same time. I picked this book to learn something about this era in history when the maps of the modern middle east were drawn, but I don't feel like I really did learn anything about the players or what was going on. ⬇