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Air date: March 30, 2025
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Everyone Knows your Mother Is A Witch
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JESSICA:
Hi, this is Jessica Russell. I’m the assistant director of collection services at Sno-Isle Libraries. And welcome to Book Buzz.
Today's two reading recommendations are a memoir from a drag superstar and historical fiction set in the 1600s.
First, we’re going to hear from Abby, librarian at the Arlington Library, for the origin story of a pop culture icon. Over to you, Abby.
ABBY:
“The House of Hidden Meaning” by RuPaul provides a raw, in-depth look into the superstar drag queen’s tumultuous early life and his many stops on the way to international stardom.
In this memoir, RuPaul shares intimate stories of his youth, including tales of his father leaving the family when Ru was seven years old, and his mother subsequently falling into a years-long depression. Ru is candid about how difficult it was to find stability while living with various relatives as he grew into a rebellious and outspoken teenager. The stories of his early years doing drag were amusing and unexpectedly deep, with his tales about life on the performance circuit demonstrating just how hard-won his fame truly was. However, it was the stories about him meeting his husband Georges LeBar and both of them learning to be sober at different times in their lives that I found most moving. The two are a very private couple, with Georges rarely joining RuPaul in the spotlight, so learning more about their love story and respective sobriety journeys provided a fascinating inside look into the private life of this very public figure.
I loved listening to the audiobook of this title, which RuPaul charismatically narrates himself.
JESSICA:
Thanks, Abby! RuPaul never fails to bring wisdom and flair.
Next, let’s hear from Bridget, collection development librarian, who will take us back to 1600s Germany. Go ahead, Bridget.
BRIDGET:
“Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch” by Rivka Galchen is set in the small town of Leonberg in 1615, where Katharina Kepler is accused of being a witch. An illiterate widow, she's known by her neighbors for her herbal remedies and the success of her children, including her eldest, Johannes, who is the Imperial Mathematician.
Combined with Katharina's infamously blunt and nosy nature, this leads to a community member hopping on the then-popular trend of accusing someone you didn’t like of witchcraft. Deadly consequences for small slights. And, well, once one aggrieved community member speaks out, others will follow.
The novel goes back and forth between Katharina's testimony as recorded by her neighbor Simon, his perspective on the events, and the court records of Katharina's case. The depositions in particular are in turn frustrating and funny, as modern medical knowledge can grant insight to some complaints attributed to deals with the devil and wives' descriptions of events often contradict their whining husbands'.
“Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch” is based on the real-life astronomer Johannes Kepler's mother's battle with the courts on an accusation of witchcraft, using the real letters and records from the case as inspiration for a look into a chilling period in history for women and anyone living outside of what society deemed acceptable.
Galchen's feisty and blunt Katharina is a joy to read, she reminds me of all the no-nonsense women I've met in my life and her disdain of many of her neighbors is particularly delightful. If you like your historical fiction zippy or your protagonists a bit rude, this book is for you.
JESSICA:
Thanks, Bridget! Sounds like a brilliant mix of history, humor, and hysteria.
Our recommendations this week are: “The House of Hidden Meaning” by RuPaul and “Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch” by Rivka Galchen.
Join us next time, when we’ll explore more great reading recommendations — interesting books you can find at your favorite local bookstore or at your local library.
Until then, I’m Jessica Russell from Sno-Isle Libraries.
Thanks for joining us for Book Buzz on KSER.
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