Book Review: Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

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Mad Mabel  by Sally Hepworth  is a domestic thriller about the youngest person convicted of murder in Australia, Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick. Now 81 years old, Elsie is living on Kenny Lane and has been for the past sixty years. When a mother named Roxanne moves into Mabel's neighborhood with her seven year old daughter, an unlikely friendship forms between Elsie and the seven year old child named Persephone. As Elsie's secrets come to light, her world comes crashing down.  Having read quite a few novels by Sally Hepworth, I requested an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Mad Mabel  without reading the synopsis of the story. I was thrilled when NetGalley and St. Martin's Press approved my request. The expected publication date of the book is April 21, 2026. Not knowing anything about the storyline before I started reading Mad Mabel  made the story much more interesting to me as I had no preconceived ideas. The tale was told from Mabel's perspective in alternating timeli...
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Book Review: Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson

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Book Club Pick Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson is a non-fiction book taking a look at the history of the United States of America, specifically racism as a caste system and compares it to other caste systems like those in India and Nazi Germany. Using specific examples from history, Wilkerson takes a hard look at how we got to where we are now.

Wilkerson's Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents is a powerful and eye-opening book that everyone should read, and it deserves a place in high school curricula. The depth of historical research included is truly remarkable. While I recognized some of the events and facts, many were completely new to me. What surprised me most was realizing how much of this critical history is often glossed over in traditional school lessons.

One shocking example of history being glossed over is the practice of photographing public hangings. Photographers would capture the moment so that each person or family could have their photo taken with the person being executed hanging from the tree. These images were then turned into postcards and sent to friends and family.

The amount of historical detail in this book is truly jaw-dropping, and I am amazed that much of it was never taught in school. This is essential information that belongs in textbooks, as it helps people become more aware, understand systemic oppression, and ideally, learn from the past to prevent history from repeating itself.

Wilkerson also explores immigration throughout U.S. history and how it intersects with the caste system. While some of this reinforced what I already knew, it is such an important part of our history, showing how race, immigration, and social hierarchies are intertwined,a critical context for understanding the caste system presented in Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents.

Isabel Wilkerson did a phenomenal job with Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. This book is a must-read, and I believe it should be required reading for all high school students. I gave it five out of five stars.

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