Here are the books I brought to Good Day Alabama on WBRC Fox 6 this month, which is Native American Heritage Month. One is a book for kids about two brave women warriors for our Earth. Another is one of my favorite recent reads, and I included a cookbook that will delight and bring back memories even as you cook up new ones.
Written by Carole Lindstrom, illustrated by Bridget George
November is Native American Heritage Month. To celebrate, here’s an inspiring picture book biography about two Indigenous Rights Activists, the late Josephine Mandamin and her great niece Autumn Peltier. Indigenous women have long cared for the land and water, which in turn sustains all life on Earth. They have advocated, on behalf of their ancestors, for our planet and its resources in hopes that they provide for generations to come. But when their voices and teachings were nearly drowned out, entire communities and environments were in danger and without clean water. Then came Grandma Josephine and, after her death, Autumn Peltier with their shared message that water is sacred.
In the foreword, Autumn Peltier writes: “In our culture, we look at water as a living being, and we’re taught to treat it with the same respect we would show another human. … My hope is that young people learn from our story and use their voices to speak up for future generations!” This stunning picture book from New York Times-bestselling author Carole Lindstrom and illustrator Bridget George gives voice to the water and asks young readers to join the tidal wave of change.
Carole Lindstrom is the author of the New York Times bestselling, Caldecott Award-winning We Are Water Protectors. She is Anishinabe/Métis and is a proud member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe Indians. Bridget George, an illustrator and children’s book author, was raised on the Anishinaabe nation of Kettle and Stony Point, and she belongs to the Bear Clan.
By Salman Rushdie
This beautifully written book of science fiction and fantasy is one of the best I’ve read all year. I had not, until now, read Salman Rushdie, and I don’t really know why. But I was surprised to find that he’s really funny. This is the story of a woman named Pampa Kampana who, grief-stricken at the death of everyone she loves, becomes a vessel for a goddess. She breathes a mighty empire into existence, whispers life into its inhabitants and is ultimately consumed by her creation. Her city is called Bisnaga—“Victory City”—the wonder of the world, and this book, set in the 14th century in India, recounts the rulers and battles and people who come and go as the city prospers and falls. During her 250 years on earth, Pampa attempts, always, to follow the task her goddess set for her—to give women equal agency in a patriarchal world. Styled as a translation of an ancient epic, written by Pampa herself, the story is told in a modern, conversational style that just makes it fresh and relevant and, at times, funny. This book is a must-read if you haven’t already.
By B. Dylan Hollis
This debut cookbook recently became the best-selling book in the country. Not just the best-selling cookbook—the best-selling book, period. It features vintage American recipes, and it’s by a 28-year-old guy who has no professional cooking experience but some serious research skills. He also has 10.2 million followers on TikTok where he’s been posting cooking videos since 2020. (Like lots of people, he got bored during the pandemic and began baking.) These 101 time-tested recipes (spanning the 1900s to the 1980s, decade by decade) are—mostly—solid. Some of the recipes Dylan shares on his wildly popular social media channels are spectacular failures; he’s thrown in a few of the most disastrously strange recipes for you to try just for fun.
Mostly, though, these recipes—like chocolate potato cake from the 1910s and avocado pie from the 1960s—are delicious. His favorite, most successful recipes, gleaned from countless antique cookbooks include:
● 1900s Cornflake Macaroons
● 1910s ANZAC Biscuits
● 1930s Peanut Butter Bread
● 1940s Chocolate Sauerkraut Cake
● 1950s Tomato Soup Cake
● 1970s Potato Chip Cookies
I link to Amazon to show you exactly what book I’m talking about, but I love to shop locally at Church Street Coffee and Books, The Alabama Booksmith, Little Professor, and Thank You Books in Crestwood. And I visit my local library often in person and online!
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