By Hillary Lutter
As I write this, the snow falls and the temperature drops. It’s been dark for hours and it’s still hours to bedtime. In my house this time of year is called hibernation. These are the evenings that are way too long — the nights we spend way too much time surfing the internet, eye-guzzling TV series and reading books.
It occurred to me the other day that I had actually gotten through a stack of books — good books — and not taken the time to write about even one of them. So here I’ll try to play a little catch up.
“Go Set a Watchman”
By Harper Lee
My mother and I argued about who would write a better review of this book and somehow I got the vote (pretty sure she just didn’t want to do it). I wish I had written this sooner, when it was still fresh in my memory, but I’ll do my best. (I have no doubt Wanda would have done a better job.)
“Go Set a Watchman” has gotten quite a bit of attention in the bookworm world, since it was written by the author of an undisputed American classic. “To Kill a Mockingbird” is still one of my all-time favorite books — thank you, Cindy Larson for making your classes read it. I was excited to see this book had been released as, on a whim, I had just reread “Mockingbird.”
“Watchman” was actually written before “Mockingbird” but is its sequel. According to online sources, when Lee brought “Watchman” to the publisher, she was told the story didn’t quite have “It” and they suggested she instead divulge the reader with the earlier story that is referred to in flashbacks throughout this book.
So “Watchman” takes place as Jean Louise Finch (Scout) returns home to Maycomb in her mid-20s. Older brother Jem has passed away. Atticus is still considered a leader of Maycomb and is now also a member of the state legislature. He still practices law, but his health is beginning to fail.
The novel, written in the 1950s, is set in Alabama during those very tumultuous times. Though the story eludes to these issues, they are not at the forefront for most of the book. We read along nearly oblivious, yet always on the edge of some big “Ah ha” moment, just like Jean Louise. The reader’s — and the naïve Scout’s — assumption is that amid the evils of the outside world, the world of Atticus is an oasis of impartiality.
This book has received some flack for Lee’s portrayal of Atticus as a white supremacist. I, however, challenge readers to look from another angle, past the ideas of the day in which it was written and is set. The main theme of this book, as I read it, is less the issue of race, and more that of states’ rights. These issues are as significant now, 60-some years later, as they were then. Racial prejudice is tackled in this novel, as in its prequel, but more so are the issues of states’ rights, federal government overreach and individual liberties.
Atticus, ever-loyal to the letter of the law, clashes with his young, Southern-Tomboy-turned-Yankee daughter, and Jean Louise learns a lesson critical to becoming an adult: Parents are just humans.
“The Invention of Wings”
By Sue Monk Kidd
Sue Monk Kidd is mostly known for her bestseller, “The Secret Life of Bees.” After reading “Wings,” that is one I definitely need to get my hands on. I am, as a rule, drawn to historical novels from any era, so if you like storytelling history, whether true or based in truth, this is a good choice.
“Wings” is set in the slavery-laden South of the early nineteenth century and begins on Sarah Grimke’s 11th birthday. Sarah is the daughter of a proper Southern homemaker and a judge, and as was sometimes the custom, on her 11th birthday she is gifted a slave girl: 10-year-old Hetty “Handful” Grimke.
Handful is the daughter of an accomplished seamstress and slave, and is given the power of hope by her headstrong mother. Sarah is not your average Southern belle. From early on, she is upset by the injustices of slavery and by the restrictions placed on her by society and her family.
Both girls, enslaved in their own capacities, share a thirst for knowledge and freedom. Handful is prohibited from any sort of schooling, but shows interest in the books Sarah takes from her father’s library and pours over each day. In an act of defiance, Sarah, in secret, teaches Handful to read, which gives each their first taste of real liberty.
Over the years, the two become unlikely friends, though as they grow up, their differing stations in society build a wall of guilt and imbalance between them.
Sarah suffers from a severe stutter — acquired the day she witnessed the beating of a slave in her family’s yard — which is partially the cause of her inability to find a husband before she reaches the status of “old maid” and is considered a lost cause. So eventually, rather than stay on with her stifling mother and authoritative father, Sarah leaves Charleston and Handful to ultimately join a colony of Quakers, who, as part of their beliefs, strongly oppose slavery.
Handful’s trials only intensify in Sarah’s absence, as she deals with her mother’s disappearance and becomes physically crippled by a shocking punishment. Meanwhile, Sarah, joined by younger sister Angelina, learns how to overcome her stutter by speaking out against slavery. The pair become well-known abolitionists and women’s rights advocates.
Guilt percolates in Sarah, despite her positive work, as she thinks of Handful and how she left her behind in Charleston.
“The Invention of Wings” is based on the true story of Sarah and Angelina Grimke, but the author did take many liberties with the story, in some cases to add interest, and in others to fill in blank spaces with what “might” have been.
The Author’s Note at the end is something I usually skim for a couple paragraphs and then stop reading, but Kidd’s final notes actually add a great deal to this story. She explains how and why she became interested in the story and decided to write about it, and provides notes on which parts are truth and which are fiction.

South Dakotans – and all Americans – stand united with France after last week’s terror attacks in Paris. With 129 murdered and more than 350 wounded, they were the deadliest terror attacks in Europe in more than a decade. We continue to pray for those we lost and stand united with our friends in France as they recover from this terrible tragedy.
The attacks in Paris are a sobering reminder that we are at war with radical jihadists who seek to harm Americans and invoke terror throughout the world. These extremists, who propagate brutal violence and reject peace, must be destroyed. This starts with a coherent plan to completely defeat ISIS, the vicious terrorist group behind the November 13 Paris attacks.
The administration has been lackluster in its response to ISIS, with the President and Secretary of State downplaying its growing influence in the Middle East and our need to fully counter them, placing tight constraints on our military’s campaign against them. Meanwhile, ISIS has spread from Iraq and Syria to Northern Africa and Afghanistan and now to the restaurants and concert halls of Paris. It is clear that ISIS is not “contained,” as President Obama claimed just hours before the Paris attacks, nor is it merely a regional threat in the Middle East. We must act now to defeat them or risk a Paris-like attack on U.S. soil in the near future. I believe the best way to achieve this is to direct our military, the Department of Homeland Security and our nation’s intelligence leaders to put forth a clear and coherent plan to completely obliterate ISIS.
Because of ongoing war in Syria, as well as ISIS’s continued terror in the region, millions of Syrians are fleeing their homeland seeking refuge elsewhere in the world. While most are being relocated in Europe, many South Dakotans, including myself, are concerned about the prospect of a terrorist slipping into the United States, taking advantage of the refugee program. Refugees have been coming to America for generations seeking safety from war-torn regions of the world. I support efforts to help others seek shelter from persecution. However, we must not do so at the expense of our own national security.
I have joined a growing number of my colleagues – on both sides of the aisle – calling for the administration to put a pause on those coming to the U.S. from Syria until we are able to take a second look at the security of our current vetting processes. We need to remember that it only took eight people to commit the carnage in Paris. While we continue to press the administration for answers as to our ability to protect Americans from these threats, we must not accelerate the Syrian refugee program as the President has requested.
As we continue to seek answers regarding last week’s horrific attacks in Paris, we must remember that we are at war with Islamic jihadists. Clearly defining a plan to de feat ISIS and keep Americans safe must be our primary goal. We have the best armed forces and intelligence agencies in the world. With resolve and determination, we can and will defeat ISIS and Islamic extremists, but this still requires leadership and a plan.

Esther (Schabot) Linke is my “bestie” and has been since she was 13 years old and I was 18 years old. I was a teen bride straight from a shotgun wedding and she was the first babysitter for my daughter, Misty. The marriage didn’t last long, but our friendship has endured the test of time.
So when Esther invited me down last weekend, I never thought it was unusual. Sunday morning, she turned from the stove and in a stern voice announced she and Dave wanted to stage an “intervention.” My mind was racing and my mouth was open like a fish to state, “I hardly drink at all anymore besides a glass of wine!” She then laughed at my discomfort and said, “What are you doing on Thursday ‘cuz Dave and I are getting married?”
I was then sworn to secrecy, which I must admit is a bit difficult for me to maintain. There’s always that temptation to relate to another friend the phrase, “I’m gonna tell you a secret, but you can’t tell anyone.” Esther even suggested a roll of duct tape for my mouth.
I was near to bursting ‘til Thursday with my secret knowledge. I wondered about the odd date during the week, but it was the second anniversary of their first date. (They have better memories than I have now.) I told a little white lie to my supervisor at work, Rayna Goergen, that I had an appointment in Mitchell. I didn’t know how I was going to escape the basement without attracting Gay’s attention. Thankfully, she was in Madison, but I already had my next lie in gear that I had a date. Whew!
Dave Buck’s best friend, Cory Hofer, also from Trail King, was the best man. I liked him immediately. He said he knew from the first date that Esther would be the one ‘cuz Dave would laugh to himself frequently. I wasn’t too surprised about their nuptials ‘cuz I told people I had Dave pegged as the “marrying kind.”
Dave and Esther opted for a simple ceremony performed by a mutual friend, Don Lura. The vows were taken before the fireplace. (Esther swore her palms were sweating from nervousness after 28 years of being single.) Dave was calm and assured and when he spoke his own vows that came straight from the heart, a big tear rolled down my cheek! I had to maintain a steady hand ‘cuz I was videoing.
Our reverend resorted to his irreverent self after the ceremony, complete with colorful stories, Ole and Lena jokes and his own wedding toast, which goes:
To keep your marriage brimming
With love to the rim of the cup,
Whenever you’re wrong admit it…
Whenever you’re right, shut up.
Wouldn’t you know, the attendants signed on the wrong line on the marriage license intended for the bride and groom. Cory threw me under the bus right away and said I told him the wrong line. I maintain he was distracted by the barbecued ribs in the crock pot and actually, why would he listen to a woman he’d met only for an hour? Also, we forgot to take pictures with the newlyweds. Mama Gay would have never let that happen. I assure you, the wedding was legal.
Cheers to you, Mr. and Mrs. Buck,
Dee Baby