Valerie Keogh The Mother Boldwood Books, June 2024.
Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.
Valerie Keogh has provided readers with yet another good read, with some twists and, in my opinion more importantly, an intelligent consideration of the qualities that are believed to make the perfect husband. It is the way in which Keogh portrays this less than perfect wife, confronted with the perfect husband, that provides the tension that makes The Mother a book with which will probably resonate with readers who are mothers. After all, which of us is perfect?
The prologue introduces a murderer who contemplates the extremes of love and not loving. There is no indication of the sex of the murderer, which enhances the way in which each character is introduced and behaves throughout the narrative. Who is guilty? The perfect husband? The imperfect wife and mother? Is it one of the friends, patients, and neighbours introduced early in the novel? See Books: Reviews for the complete review.
New Democratic presidential nominee
We were just getting good sleep patterns in place, when I awoke, saw that Joe Biden was no longer going to run for the American presidency, and of course had to watch what MSNBC and CNN commentators were saying at 4.00 o’clock.
The following then appeared in my in email:
Heather Cox Richardson
Heather Cox Richardson from Letters from an American <heathercoxrichardson@substack.com> July 21, 2024 HEATHER COX RICHARDSON
“My Fellow Americans,
“Over the past three and a half years, we have made great progress as a Nation.
“Today, America has the strongest economy in the world. We’ve made historic investments in rebuilding our Nation, in lowering prescription drug costs for seniors, and in expanding affordable health care to a record number of Americans. We’ve provided critically needed care to a million veterans exposed to toxic substances. Passed the first gun safety law in 30 years.
Appointed the first African American woman to the Supreme Court. And passed the most significant climate legislation in the history of the world. America has never been better positioned to lead than we are today.
“I know none of this could have been done without you, the American people. Together, we overcame a once in a century pandemic and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. We’ve protected and preserved our Democracy. And we’ve revitalized and strengthened our alliances around the world.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.
“I will speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision.
“For now, let me express my deepest gratitude to all those who have worked so hard to see me reelected. I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary partner in all this work. And let me express my heartfelt appreciation to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me.
“I believe today what I always have: that there is nothing America can’t do—when we do it together. We just have to remember we are the United States of America.”
With this letter, posted on X this afternoon, President Joe Biden announced he would not accept the Democratic nomination for president. So ended the storyline begun after the event on June 27, when Biden appeared unable to respond effectively to Trump’s verbal assaults. Since then, there has been a drumbeat of media stories and some demands from Democratic lawmakers and donors calling for Biden to step aside and refuse to run for a second term. Increasingly, that drumbeat imperiled his reelection, opening the way for Trump’s election to install a dictatorship of Christian nationalism.
In another post shortly after the first, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidential nomination, writing: “My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats—it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”
Harris smoothly took the baton. “On behalf of the American people, I thank Joe Biden for his extraordinary leadership as President of the United States and for his decades of service to our country,” she wrote. “His remarkable legacy of accomplishment is unmatched in modern American history, surpassing the legacy of many Presidents who have served two terms in office.
“It is a profound honor to serve as his Vice President, and I am deeply grateful to the President, Dr. Biden, and the entire Biden family. I first came to know President Biden through his son Beau. We were friends from our days working together as Attorneys General of our home states. As we worked together, Beau would tell me stories about his Dad. The kind of father—and the kind of man—he was. And the qualities Beau revered in his father are the same qualities, the same values, I have seen every single day in Joe’s leadership as President: His honesty and integrity. His big heart and commitment to his faith and his family. And his love of our country and the American people.
“With this selfless and patriotic act, President Biden is doing what he has done throughout his life of service: putting the American people and our country above everything else.
“I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination. Over the past year, I have traveled across the country, talking with Americans about the clear choice in this momentous election. And that is what I will continue to do in the days and weeks ahead. I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party—and unite our nation—to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda.
“We have 107 days until Election Day. Together, we will fight. And together, we will win.”
Biden’s announcement ended the month of suspense under which the Democrats have lived, and in the hours since, they appear to be coalescing around Harris with enthusiasm. Those who might have challenged her nomination have stepped up to support her: California governor Gavin Newsom, Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro, North Carolina governor Roy Cooper, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg all backed Harris; Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer said she does not intend to challenge Harris. By tonight, all of the state Democratic Party chairs were on board with Harris. Endorsements continued to pour in.
So did money. Following Biden’s endorsement of Harris, donors contributed more than $46.7 million to Democratic races before 9:00 p.m., and major donors, who had paused donations to Biden, have said they will contribute to Harris’s campaign. The Biden-Harris team also managed the paperwork to transfer the $95 million in Biden’s campaign coffers to Harris because the money was raised for the ticket, rather than for Biden alone.
But party rules say that Biden cannot pass his delegates to another candidate, so Harris will have to cement them on her own, as well as the superdelegates, a group of party leaders and former elected officials whose votes carry weight in the convention. As of 10 p.m. on Sunday, she had won 531 of the 1,986 delegates necessary to win the nomination.
Biden’s decision has left the Republicans in deep trouble, and they are illustrating their dilemma with high-pitched anger that the ticket of their opponents has changed and by insisting that if Biden is not fit for another four-year term he must resign the presidency immediately. House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has said he will sue to try to keep Biden in the race; Democratic election litigator Marc Elias responded that “if your lawyers are telling you that they can prevent the D[emocratic] N[ational] C[ommittee] from nominating its candidate of choice, they are idiots. I know a lot about that, since I beat them more than 60x in court after the 2020 election.”
Trump, meanwhile, has posted seven times about Biden since he dropped out of the race. He has ignored Harris.
The Republicans’ anger reflects that fact that if Biden is off the ticket, they are in yet another pickle. Just last week, the Republicans nominated Donald Trump, who is 78, for president. Having made age their central complaint about Biden, they are now faced with having nominated the oldest candidate in U.S. history, who repeatedly fell asleep at his own nominating convention as well as his criminal trial, who often fumbles words, and who cannot seem to keep a coherent train of thought. Democrats immediately pounced on Trump with all the comments Republicans had been making about Biden. Republicans have already suggested that Trump will not debate Harris, a former prosecutor.
With 39-year-old Ohio senator J.D. Vance now their vice presidential nominee, it will be tempting for Republicans to push Trump out of the presidential slot. But aside from the fury that would evoke from Trump loyalists, it would further alienate women from the Republican ticket. Republicans were already losing voters over their overturning of the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that recognized the constitutional right to abortion, so many that Trump has recently tried to sound as if he is moderating his stance on abortion and to appeal to women in other ways. Just this weekend at a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Trump appeared to be courting suburban women by promising to “stop the plunder, rape, slaughter and destruction of our American suburbs and cities” he implied had taken place under Biden. (In fact, violent crime has decreased significantly since 2020.)
Vance is an extremist who supports a national abortion ban, has said he does not believe in exceptions for rape or incest in abortion bans, and has praised women who stay in abusive marriages.
Biden’s decision not to accept the Democratic presidential nomination has created yet another conspicuous contrast with Trump. Thanks for a job well done and praise for his statesmanship have been pouring out ever since Biden made his announcement—indeed, they have apparently convinced some people that he has stepped down from the job altogether, while in fact he will remain the president for another six months.
Among others, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin called Biden “an extraordinary guardian of America’s national security,” thanked him for his leadership and statesmanship, and called him “one of our great foreign-policy presidents.” President Lyndon B. Johnson’s daughters called him “a patriot without peer” and said, “we love you and thank you for your selfless service to all who love democracy, social justice and the rule of law.”
For all the accolades, though, it is likely that the one the family-oriented president values most came from his son Hunter, whom the Republicans hammered for years as a proxy for his father.
“For my entire life, I’ve looked at my dad in awe,” the younger Biden wrote. “How could he suffer so much heartache and yet give so much of whatever remained of his heart to others? Not only in the policies he passed, but in the individual lives he’s touched…. That unconditional love has been his North Star as a President, and as a parent. He is unique in public life today in that there is no distance between Joe Biden the man and Joe Biden the public servant of the last 54 years. I’m so lucky every night I get to tell him I love him, and to thank him. I ask all Americans to join me tonight in doing the same.”
In a time of dictators, Trump tried to overthrow the results of the 2020 presidential election and install himself in power against the wishes of the people. President Joe Biden voluntarily turned away from reelection in order to give the people a better shot at preserving our democracy.
He demonstrated what it means to put the country first.
Notes:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/21/read-joe-biden-letter
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/21/harris-biden-drops-out-letter
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/07/21/kamala-harris-fundraising-surge.html
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/07/21/kamala-harris-biden-campaign-funds-00170136
https://apnews.com/article/harris-biden-democratic-convention-2fb8b1bc88b99e919872e63efdd8c275
https://www.thedailybeast.com/democrats-mock-donald-trump-as-too-old-to-runlike-he-did-to-joe-biden
‘Embrace her,’ Biden says as Harris gives her first speech as likely Democratic nominee
Travelling – London
Although I am now home from my travels in the UK, my time in London after a couple of days in Wallingford, a market town not far from Oxford are worth recording. A superb yacht at Royal Victoria Dock was our home for two nights. This was a find on the Secret Escapes site that I could not resist. The yacht had been towed from Finland and is now stable at the dock. However, the illusion of being afloat is sustained as there are portholes through which we could see the water, and water surrounds the vessel. This is unlike some of the alternative dock hotels, where the building is built on to the dock and has no significant ship like features. The Sunborn was fun. Our ‘cabin’ was huge, with bedroom and sitting room areas, a small bathroom (very reminiscent of a cruise ship) and on the second ‘deck’ with a porthole. The area around the ship was pleasant enough with a range of eating places, and other hotels. The proximity to Customs House Station was excellent. This is on the Elizabeth line, therefore affording an easy trip from Heathrow to the yacht.
From the Royal Victoria Dock we took the train to Reading, and then a bus journey to Wallingford. The bus has improved immensely since I used to take it to Oxford and the Bodleian Library in the years I was researching there for what became The Reality behind Barbara Pym’s Excellent Women The Troublesome Woman Revealed.
I covered the archeological find near Wallingford in the last blog (17 July) and the connection between Wallingford and Agatha Christie in the blog of 13th September 2023. A statue is prominently displayed in a Wallingford park.
Upon returning to London, I followed up the past Wallingford experience with attending the famous Agatha Christie play.
The Mousetrap
Having seen The Mousetrap in Canberra it seemed time to see it in the theatre in which it has played for seventy-two years. This was a great experience, particularly as the Canberra version measured up extremely well. For me, the first scenes were wonderfully developed in the latter, subtlety was not (in my opinion) a desirable feature of the interplay between the BBC news, the entrance of characters and their doffing of the suspicious garments – a light scarf, a dark coat and a dark soft hat. The striking action and timing in the Canberra version were excellent. On the other hand, the remainder of the play was reminiscent of hat I had seen locally, with the London ending perhaps a bit stronger. Both were so worthwhile seeing, and I was pleased to have at last gone to the historic event.
Wigmore Hall Recital
Sunday morning at a Wigmore Hall Recital is an important part of our London itinerary. It recalls the New Year Eve events that we attended there when we lived in London. Afterwards we used to go to Peral liang for dinner before watching the fireworks from our apartment (an occasional spark here and there only to be seen, too far from Hyde Park, alas).
Some Paddington nostalgia
Cindy Lou enjoys a great variety of meals – Wallingford, Sunborn and during the last few days in London
Cafe 900, an Italian Cafe, Wallingford
This cafe provides an excellent breakfast or morning/afternoon tea. We had breakfast there before going to friends for ‘elevenses’. The building is old, and the space rather small. The staff are pleasant and efficient, and somehow despite the size lovely meals are served, and tables and seats become available without any fluster. Italian is spoken, and classes are conducted in Wallingford.
From The Oxford Mail, Liam J. Kelly
900 Café, in St Mary’s Street, is run by husband and wife duo Andrea and Gabriel Matei, who wished to bring a taste of Italy to the town.
Andrea hails from Italy and Gabriel lived there for over ten years.
Gabriel said: “It’s all going really well. I’ve worked in this industry, in coffee shops and restaurants.
“We wanted to bring something new to this lovely town. It’s such a great community here in Wallingford.
“We have extra seating and a children’s play area upstairs too which we’re looking to improve further.”
The new venue replaces Ribizli Café, a vegan establishment which closed its doors just before Christmas last year after seven years in the town centre.
Sunborn bar and restaurant
Pearl Liang
This Chinese restaurant in Sheldon Square is always full, with lively chatter, and exotic dishes being delivered to nearby tables. Our choice from the menu is usually more prosaic than those around us, but we thoroughly enjoy the options we choose, as well as seeing the variety available on the menu and being served at the tables.
Jamie’s Catherine Street
When Jamie Oliver appeared on Australian Master Chef, I decided that Jamie’s Catherine Street was a restaurant to visit. Speaking to one of the staff about his appearance in Australia and the way in which he treated the contestants Jamie Oliver’s decency toward all staff was confirmed. His Australian visit was recalled by the Australian wildflower arrangement.
The menu choices we made included the olives that usually appear at Jamie’s restaurants; a breadbasket that includes a choice of crisp bread and grainy varieties; Trev’s Chicken (featured on Master Chef Australia); a prawn cocktail that combined the old favorite and a new twist; greens; heirloom tomato salad (really heirlooms); beef ragu and ice-creams. There were far more interesting desserts, but they were too substantial, and a good range of other attractive entrees and mains.
Caffe Concerto
The cakes and coffee at Caffe Concerto are always fun. However, I found that the restaurant in SoHo was more efficient than the one in Kensington. Photos from both appear below – my palmier in the Kensington one is missing as it took so long to appear I ate it with too much gusto too promptly. My beautiful lemon meringue does appear below – the service here was excellent.
The Kensington visit was after a walk from Paddington, through Hyde Park and then to Kensington. Not so much excuse for SoHo – that visit was after seeing The Mousetrap.
Changi Airport and Terminal 3 Heathrow Airport
Before checking in to my flight from Singapore to London after a night in the Aerotel – a good experience- I ate at a Jamie Oliver Cafe. In Changi, the Big Smoke provided simple sustenance.
Jamie’s in Changi Airport
Vice President Kamala Harris makes her first speech since she was endorsed by President Joe Biden as the candidate for the presidency in 2024.
Robin's Room 