400 LIFE June 2020
SHARING THE GOOD LIFE
Local family turns rural oasis into Forsyth County’s newest event space Also
Photography is second life’s calling for West teacher Nonprofit forges ahead with help from community
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contents from the editor
Last month, I was fascinated by the word “essential,” and the weight of its meaning in a pandemic. Society and governments started to apply the word to activities, businesses and people. What, exactly, was “essential?” Who was “essential?” Since then, I’ve been stuck on the word “normal.” The novel coronavirus pandemic has impacted life in so many ways, big and small, that society seems to be grappling with whether social distancing guidelines and health precautions are a “new normal” or just “normal for now.” Like other major events of the past, the pandemic seems likely to leave some lasting impact. Will face masks be a regular clothing item? Will remote work be more widely accepted? What will school look like? These are questions being asked around the country, but in Forsyth County, too. Rice Restaurant & Sushi Bar is eager for the day that it can reopen its dining area. Until then, its “new normal” is plexiglass at the register, face masks on staff and curbside pick-up and take-out service. The Place of Forsyth County is grateful to have its thrift store open again, and with it one of the local nonprofit’s major revenue streams that helps it provide a variety of assistance to local residents and families in need. The pandemic stunted the opening of Dennis and Marsha Gravitt’s new event space, 3 Oaks Farm and Events, as customers postponed weddings and other events. Until then, it will offer special “elopement packages” (limited to parties of 10 and under, of course). West Forsyth High School teacher Mark Wilson misses his students, but online learning has given him greater flexibility to explore his passion for nature photography. On and on, we encountered stories of people and businesses in Forsyth County who have found ways to adapt to the “new normal.” Or is it “normal for now?” Whichever it is, we’re certain that Forsyth County’s spirit of community will endure. — Brian Paglia
4 Experience the tranquility of life on a farm Marsha Gravitt and her husband, Dennis, recently transformed their property in northwest Forsyth into 3 Oaks Farm and Events, a venue for special occasions like weddings, senior pictures, company events and more.
18 Mark Wilson, a teacher at West Forsyth High School, has spent some of his time sheltering in place to explore more photo opportunities, a skill he has mastered over the last 12 years.
contributors
12
editor Brian Paglia
publisher Stephanie Woody
production manager Tracie Pike
advertising director Nathan Schutter
Staff writers Kelly Whitmire
advertising Stacy Clark Stephanie McCabe
photography Ben Hendren Mitch Pike Special contributors Becky Cahill
This magazine is a product of the www.ForsythNews.com
20 Meet Roxy, a 28-foot Riverside Retro Travel Trailer available to rent through Georgia Glamping. Owners Rebeka and Nathan Self restored the camper to have the perfect blend of retro on the outside and “modern farmhouse” on the inside.
Rice Restaurant & Sushi Bar continues to deliver the kind of food service locals have come to appreciate.
16 The Place of Forsyth County serves
community despite challenges of its own
22 Cummingopoly gives players a chance to own the city
23 Escape craziness of the world with one of these books
June 2020 | 400 LIFE | 3
4 | 400 LIFE | June 2020
Preserving a rustic piece of Forsyth County for all to enjoy
Photo on opposite page courtesy Mitch Pike; photos above and below by Ben Hendren
3 Oaks Farm and Events features a former custom-built cabin sitting on the edge of the property’s lake that has been refitted as a bridal cottage with a gazebo and attached fire pit.
3 Oaks Farm and Events perfect spot for weddings, company events, photo sessions and more Story by Kelly Whitmire | Photos by Ben Hendren and Mitch Pike
F
or nearly 60 years, Marsha Gravitt’s family has owned a scenic and rural piece of land on Tallant Drive in northwest Forsyth County, but recently, the family has found a new way to share the land with others in the community on their special days. Marsha and her husband, Dennis, have recently transformed the land into 3 Oaks Farm and Events, a venue for special occasions like weddings, senior pictures, company events and more, officially opening in January. “In retirement, we thought that would be a good thing to do, to stay here on the farm and have something that other people would enjoy,” Dennis said. “In fact, we came up with the tagline, ‘Sharing the Good Life.’ It is the good life.” As the couple approached retirement — Marsha is a retired educator who taught at Sawnee and Matt Elementary schools and Dennis owns a construction business with one of their sons — they wanted to share a rustic piece of the county that is becoming less and less prominent as the county grows. Continued on Page 6
June 2020 | 400 LIFE | 5
“It’s just always been a family thing, so we decided that we needed to open up and share,” Marsha said. As barns and rustic settings have become a popular spot for weddings, 3 Oaks has become a way for the family to share their newly-built barn, cabin, scenic waterfall, an arbor built by Dennis, a lake with a covered bridge and a lakeside gathering space. “First of all, it is heated and
cooled, which a lot of barn venues are not,” Marsha said. “We have plenty of parking, we have an awesome view of the lake, and like Dennis said, a lot of people don’t get to experience the farm kind of atmosphere that we have here. We are a working farm. We have a couple of cows, we have blueberries and blackberries and stuff like that.” Along with the barn, 3 Oaks Continued on Page 8
Photos courtesy Mitch Pike
The barn has a rustic vibe with custom pieces spread throughout. Marsha Gravitt made the stained glass cross above the bench. 6 | 400 LIFE | June 2020
WEDDING • PRIVATE PARTIES • CORPORATE EVENTS 3565 Tallant Drive, Cumming, GA 30028
770-965-0998 • www.3oaksfarm.org
Photo by Ben Hendren
In retirement, we thought that would be a good thing to do, to stay here on the farm and have something that other people would enjoy.
—
Dennis Gravitt, owner of 3 Oaks Farm and Events
also features a custom-built cabin sitting on the edge of the property’s lake that has been refitted as a bridal cottage with a gazebo and attached fire pit. “Now it has a couple of makeup stations in it, a love seat, a crystal chandelier,” Marsha said. The cabin was first built about a decade ago and was a popular spot for Dennis and Marsha’s grandkids and their friends when they were growing up and, later, a spot to commemorate big milestones. “That cabin, we almost had to book it, because every weekend they had friends over,” Dennis said. “Then it went to all of their friends’ senior pictures, prom pictures, and we always let people (use it). We’re a people
3 Oaks Farm and Events features a scenic waterfall and a covered bridge on the property — just a few of the spots that make a perfect backdrop for photos.
Continued on Page 10
Photos courtesy Mitch Pike
8 | 400 LIFE | June 2020
Photo courtesy Gravitt family
Family is a big focus at 3 Oaks, where in addition to living on family land, two of their sons and their families live nearby.
family; we love having people over.” The family held its first wedding on Memorial Day weekend in 2013, and Marsha said the family at that time “had no idea it was going to evolve into something like this.” “It wasn’t a wedding venue, then. It was just a wedding out in a pasture,” Marsha recalled. “Since then, we’ve had a nephew get married here. We’ve always had family reunions and youth groups. Our property goes down to a little lake here and we built a little cabin, so we’ve always had people here.” Even the name 3 Oaks, a reference to the couple’s three sons that was chosen in a family naming contest, is something that has only come around when the original nickname was deemed not wedding-friendly. “We [originally] called it ‘The Compound’ and we just laughed about living on ‘The Compound’ since our kids were next door and stuff,” Dennis said. “Our daughter-inlaw when we had our first wedding, 10 | 400 LIFE | June 2020
Photo courtesy Mitch Pike
Steps lead up to a closer view of the waterfall.
she said, ‘I don’t want to send invitations out [that say], ‘Come to The Compound.’ She said, ‘That sounds like a military thing.’” Family is a big focus at 3 Oaks, where in addition to living on family land, two of their sons and their families live nearby. “In fact, one of our sons lives in the house that I grew up in that is on this property, then another son lives next to him,” Marsha said. The COVID-19 outbreak has had an impact on 3 Oaks, as some events were canceled and many weddings have been postponed due to rules about gatherings and social distancing. “We’re planting sunflowers right now and trying to find ways to abide by the social distancing to get a few people out here,” Dennis said. For those whose weddings may have been impacted by the pandemic, 3 Oaks is currently offering an elopement package with flowers, cake, a photographer and patio set up for 10 guests or fewer Sundays through Thursdays. “The elopements [can only have] just a few people and work within the guidelines that we should work within,” Dennis said. No matter the circumstances, the Gravitts said they are happy to be able to let others use the space and to be doing so as a family. “Success, to me, is having a close family, it’s not necessarily money,” Dennis said. “So, that’s what we want to portray as people come up, a family-oriented place to come.”
Photo by Ben Hendren
Michelle Kangas is the event coordinator at 3 Oaks Farm and Events. She works as the liason between the guests and the venue to provide direction and organization before and during the events. She also directly serves on-site groups and vendors with logistics for the meeting space. She has over 20 years of management experience which will be helpful for organization. She has been married to her husband, Bill, for 25 years and they have two wonderful children, Nolan and Kylee. 3 Oaks Farm and Events is at 3565 Tallant Drive in Cumming. Visit www.3oaksfarm.org for more information. Contact Michelle Kangas at michelle@3oaksfarm.org.
A lighted path leads down to the custom-built cabin with beautiful lake views.
Photo courtesy Mitch Pike
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400 eats
Rice Restaurant & Sushi Bar
‘We’re still going to have the same happy faces when everyone returns’
Rice Restaurant & Sushi Bar staff have always worn gloves. Now they wear face masks, too. They also have to social distance and have their temperature checked before entering the restaurant.
Local eatery adapts to the new norms Story by Brian Paglia | Photos by Ben Hendren
T
he more things change at Rice Restaurant & Sushi Bar, luckily the more they stay the same. Yes, the restaurant has adapted to the novel coronavirus pandemic, says Rice general manager Michelle Hall-Kim. The restaurant has kept its cozy dining area closed, stuck to take-out service and implemented policies to follow guidelines for social distancing and keeping things “clean, clean, clean, clean,” Hall-Kim says. But everything else has been left intact, most importantly the friendly staff and the great food that regulars have come to expect at the restaurant off Keith Bridge Road for the last 15 years. “When we do open up, everybody can come back to the same Rice,” Hall-Kim says. Of course, it won’t be exactly the same. No restaurant will, at least in the short-term. Rice started making changes in early March. At first, they were small. They put up signs with instructions on proper handwashing in the bathroom. They bought hand sanitizer for guests and employees. Staff minimized contact with guests; they started giving air highfives. “We were just trying to make it so people weren’t so worried when they walked in the door,” Hall-Kim says. Eventually, health agencies developed guidelines for restaurants, and Rice took more steps to ensure its environment was clean and
Continued on Page 14 12 | 400 LIFE | June 2020
Rice Restaurant & Sushi Bar
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Rice Restaurant & Sushi Bar staff installed a plexiglass partition at the register.
safe for guests and staff. They installed a plexiglass partition at the register. They staggered staff members’ shifts to minimize the number of people. When Forsyth County ordered restaurants to close their dining areas on March 27, Rice switched to take-out and developed a system for efficient service. Customers can order and pay online or over the phone. Rice offers curbside pick-up, or guests can walk in for takeout, but only after they’ve waited in their car until their order is ready. During food preparation, Rice staff have always worn gloves. Now they have to wear face masks, too. They also have to social distance and have their temperature checked before entering the restaurant. In addition, the restaurant’s high-contact surfaces were treated with an antimicrobial coating system by MicroShield 360. “Nothing matters more than the health and safety of everybody,” Hall-Kim says. As proof, Rice decided not to reopen, even after Gov. Brian Kemp gave restaurants the OK to do so, with several conditions. Hall-Kim says they knew the restaurant’s confined dining area made following all 39 restrictions listed in Kemp’s executive order too challenging. So Rice has continued curbside and take-out service and 14 | 400 LIFE | June 2020
leaned on its reputation in the community to avoid the severe struggles that others in the restaurant industry have experienced during the pandemic. The support has enabled Rice to keep its serving staff, albeit in new roles. They haven’t had to eliminate menu items due to food shortages. “We’ve been very, very blessed,” HallKim says. Hall-Kim wonders about the last impact the pandemic will have on the industry. Maybe one day the restaurant will take down its plexiglass. Maybe staff won’t always wear face masks. Maybe some of the moment’s new norms are here to stay. “Only time will tell,” Hall-Kim says. In the meantime, the restaurant will continue to deliver the kind of food and service they’ve become known for in Forsyth County. “We want to make sure that everybody knows we’re still keeping everything the same as possible,” Hall-Kim says. “Everybody’s still here. We’re still going to have the same happy faces when everyone returns. We love seeing everybody, but everybody stay safe.” SPONSORED CONTENT
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400 gives
The Place of Forsyth County Helping the unemployed and hungry
Nonprofit faces its own challenges, but continues to serve with help from the community Story by Brian Paglia | Photos courtesy The Place
T
he goodwill toward The Place of Forsyth County was never more on display than when, in early May, the local nonprofit decided to resume donations to its thrift store after suspending them during the novel coronavirus pandemic. The Place was quickly overwhelmed by the community’s response. First, it had to limit hours for donations. Eventually, it had to suspend donations again. By the end, The Place needed three pods, a tent and a tractor trailer to store everything. The pandemic has tested nonprofits, many of which, like The Place, have been dealing with its economic fallout by serv-
In one week in May alone, The Place of Forsyth County provided over 2,700 meals to more than 400 households.
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ing those among the record numbers filing for unemployment. Since the pandemic reached Georgia, The Place has received over 140 financial assistance requests from residents in Forsyth County who either lost their job or had their hours reduced. In one week in May alone, the nonprofit provided over 2,700 meals to more than 400 households. The Place itself has felt the pandemic’s impact. Providing more assistance led to more expenses at the same time that the nonprofit was forced to temporarily close the thrift store, The Place’s main revenue source. Still, with help from the community, and the resourcefulness of its staff, The Place pushed forward. It adjusted operations to fit social distancing guidelines, turning its food pantry into a drivethru service. Businesses and volunteers came forward with support.
“Thankfully, we have learned that our staff is willing to work tirelessly to meet the demands of our county,” said Jacob Granados, director of purposeful engagement with The Place. “Our operations are able to move to overcome obstacles, and more importantly, the trust of our clients who have needed us in different ways these past couple of weeks have been strengthened. “I think all of that is possible because of the generosity of this community for the past four and a half decades.” While challenging days are ahead, with the power of its staff and the community, The Place is ready to take them on. “We are humbled to be a part of such a long lasting legacy of service to the community,” Granados said, “and are very appreciative that as they have before, the community has really rallied behind The Place to allow us to continue serving the people of this county.” SPONSORED CONTENT
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June 2020 | 400 LIFE | 17
Photo evangelist
From the classroom to Instagram, Forsyth County teacher spreads the gospel of photography
Story by Brian Paglia | Photos by Mark Wilson
O
n a recent Monday, Mark Wilson woke up at 3 a.m., grabbed his camera and walked alone to the beach. Wilson, a high school Spanish teacher in Forsyth County, and his family were enjoying a brief getaway in Hilton Head, S.C., but Wilson couldn’t pass up a chance to capture the perfect shot of the Milky Way. Don’t call Wilson “dedicated,” though. He prefers the term “adventurous.” “I would describe myself as a semi-pro hobby enthusiast,” Wilson says. Wilson’s over 14,000 followers on Instagram describe his nature photography as “brilliant,” “incredible,” “stunning.” They are reacting to images of green herons taking flight, grizzly bears roaming the West, majestic sunsets reflecting on Forsyth County waters. Teaching is Wilson’s primary vocation, and has been for 27 years, including the last 10 in Forsyth County at West Forsyth High School. But over the past 12 years, Wilson has found something of a second life’s calling in photography. The art form has come to both fascinate Wilson and resonate with him deeply. Wilson appreciates the camera’s ability to freeze a moment, but as a Christian, he also finds photography an effective tool to showcase the natural beauty of a world created by his higher power. The end result is that Wilson might actually best be described as a “camera evangelist” in every sense. The tool itself is a passion for him. Every year, as smartphones are equipped with better and better cameras, Wilson feels his Nikon becomes more and more sacred. Though he recognizes the convenience of the camera phone, and the technological advance18 | 400 LIFE | June 2020
ment, for Wilson, it can never substitute for the quality of the “real thing.” “I think it’s a valuable pursuit to capture high-quality images that are beyond phone images,” Wilson says. Wilson first discovered this for himself 12 years ago when his wife’s boss gifted her with a camera as a company bonus. Wilson was instantly curious. He brought the camera to his son’s youth football game and fired off thousands of shots. For the next few years, Wilson became the unofficial team photographer. He taught himself by tinkering with settings and angles. Then, Wilson borrowed a macro lens from his wife’s boss, which allowed him to take life-sized photos of objects close-up. Wilson went in his backyard and experimented. “I’m out in a field behind my house taking pictures of bugs and stuff, and it’s fascinating,” Wilson says. “It’s a world I’ve never seen: unbelievable spiders and bugs. I’m not an entomologist, but I became one there for a summer.”
It’s almost a little adventure. What am I going to see this time? Every time of the day is different. There’s been amazing stuff out there on that lake. — Mark Wilson, teacher at West Forsyth, photographer Wilson’s wife’s boss had many more lenses, and each one fueled Wilson’s curiosity. “When you’re exposed to the fancy lenses, it’s addictive,” Wilson says. Along the way, Wilson found a community of photographers on Instagram that provided him with both inspiration and guidance. One in particular was useful: Mahesh Thapa, who goes by Starving Photographer. Thapa did a funny thing. With every photo, he revealed the camera settings he used to capture the image. Wilson gained more intel by messaging Thapa with camera questions. Wilson began to collect his own equipment, though it came with a caveat. His wife said, “if you make money on photography, you can spend money on photography,” Wilson says. So he started a side business taking family portraits. But Wilson is careful to keep that to a minimum so photography doesn’t feel like a job. “I try hard to keep it as a fun adventurous hobby,” he says. There’s been plenty of adventure for Wilson lately. During the last couple of summers, Wilson and his family have taken ambitious road trips around the country, and he always brings his camera gear. One year they went to Arizona and Utah, where Wilson took photos of lunar-like landscapes at Arches National Park. Another year they drove up the East Coast, eventually to Maine, where the crashing waves on Boulder Beach were ripe for playing with exposure. Most recently, they traveled through Glacier National Park and Yellowstone, where Wilson spent days looking for grizzly bears. “We went on to see like 14 bears,” Wilson says. When these photos get posted on Wilson’s Instagram account, he puts a passage from the Bible for the caption. He tries to find something that relates to the image or what he was thinking about at the time. “It’s been an outlet for me to glorify God’s beauty and creation,” Wilson said. Fortuitously, the past few months of sheltering in place during the novel coronavirus pandemic have given Wilson more time to explore. He and his family just moved into a house in a neighborhood with a 12-acre lake. Wilson bought a kayak and formed a daily ritual of teaching for a few hours then heading out on the lake. He tries to go out twice a day, a 600mm lens his only companion. “It’s almost a little adventure,” Wilson says. “What am I going to see this time? Every time of the day is different. There’s been amazing stuff out there on that lake.” One day, Wilson can see himself retired from teaching and making photography an even more ambitious pursuit. But, when he considers that future, he becomes cautious. “I don’t want to lose the joy of the photography,” Wilson says. “That’s something I keep reminding myself of. I just want to use it as a blessing.”
June 2020 | 400 LIFE | 19
400 spaces
Foxy Roxy With Georgia Glamping’s camper, guests get retro on the outside, luxury on the inside Story by Brian Paglia | Photos by Ed Crippen
G
uests with Georgia Glamping in Forsyth County are used to experiencing luxury (think A/C, Kuerig coffee maker) in one of the company’s standard bell tents. Then there’s Roxy. A 28-foot Riverside Retro Travel Trailer, there’s room for four with a queen bed and two twin bunk beds. In addition, there’s a kitchen, bath and shower, work space, mini-fridge, flatscreen TV and more — in just 300 square feet. Owners Rebeka and Nathan Self found the camper in Jacksonville, Florida, and drove it back to their home in Forsyth, where they spruced it up with “just the right amount of shiplap and painted everything white,” Rebeka says. They also added wood floors, a subway tile backsplash in the kitchen area and bamboo shades. The result is the perfect blend of retro on the outside and “modern farmhouse” on the inside. 20 | 400 LIFE | June 2020
The 28-foot Riverside Retro Travel Trailer has room for four people.
Georgia Glamping Company 7800 Allyn Lane Memorial Way, Cumming, GA 30041 (678) 801-6334, www.gaglamping.com
June 2020 | 400 LIFE | 21
Fa mi ly g ame n i ght JU S t got p ers onal
Don’t forget your get out of ‘Traffic Jam’ card Cummingopoly gives players a chance to own the city Story by Kelly Whitmire
W
ith more people spending time indoors during the COVID-19 pandemic, people have had to find new — and old — ways to have fun. Activities like puzzles, baking bread and board games have become popular ways to pass the time. For those looking for a new board game, one in particular, has a local flair. Cummingopoly has all the fun of a typical game of Monopoly but features local spots, such as landing on Sawnee Mountain Preserve or the Cumming Fairgrounds and instead of going to jail, players face an even scarier fate for locals — going to the “Traffic Jam.” “We do a lot of research on cities before we go to print, and we always try to vet the information to make sure that it is as accurate as possible,” said Micheal Schulte, with Late for the Sky Production Company, the Cincinnati-based company that made the game. “The best way that we can do that is going on the cities’ websites and seeing the businesses that are being celebrated, talked about on social media and different stuff.” Schulte said the company has been creating custom Monopoly-style games since the 1980s, when the gameplay for the game became public domain “as long as it doesn’t infringe on any of the original design.” More recently, Late for the Sky teamed up with Walmart stores to make games based on local communities. “We’ve been working with Walmart on a regional-level across the U.S. in the last 22 | 400 LIFE | June 2020
couple of years,” he said. “We’ve actually been in business now for 35 years, selling different collegiate versions and different animal style games, different topics like Brewopoly and Wineopoly and Cocktailopoly, [are some of the] various different interests out there.” Schulte said the partnership between the companies was “kind of like a match made in heaven because we have the expertise in writing games about different cities, and they have the expertise for selling them.” Over the last three years, the company has developed nearly 600 games based on cities, including several in Georgia. “At this point, for the state of Georgia, we have 20 different cities that we do, and that list will inevitably grow moving forward,” he said. Each game takes about two or three weeks to write and design and then another two weeks of proofing before the games are printed.
Like all companies, Late for the Sky has been impacted by the novel coronavirus pandemic, both positively and negatively. “We’ve definitely seen a lot of growth of sales,” Schulte said. “It was already a pretty successful program before this ... For the most part, we had already laid the groundwork for a lot of the cities to be available for the stores, so it was just getting them out to the stores.” On the other hand, the company also had to stop production for five weeks during the breakout, meaning Cummingopoly and other games have been harder to find. Schulte said that should only be the case for a little while and that now “everything’s humming along” and new orders for the game are coming in. “There’s definitely going to be more made,” he said. “I think we’ve just got to print more.”
We do a lot of research on cities before we go to print, and we always try to vet the information to make sure that it is as accurate as possible.
—
Michael Schulte, Late for the Sky Production Company
400 reads The spring of 2020 has been a challenging time for our country and our county, but summer is almost upon us and this is the perfect time to escape into a good book. The five books I am recommending are varied in genre and style, but all offer a doorway into a fascinating story. The list was curated using my own reading, Modern Mrs. Darcy’s Summer Reading Guide, and staff picks from the New York Public Library.
Historical Fiction As a long-time fan of Jane Austen (Pride and Prejudice is my favorite book), anything related to the work of Austen is intriguing to me. The Jane Austen Society, a debut novel by Natalie Jenner, combines references to Austen’s novels and her most wellknown characters within an original story. The book centers around the English town of Chawton and its ties to Austen. Following the end of World War II, the citizens are struggling to find their identify and they band together to preserve Austen’s legacy. Family Relations It is common for an upcoming release to appear on more than one recommendation list, but it is rare for a novel to be almost universally endorsed. However, that is the case with The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett, arguably the most anticipated release of the summer. Bennett does not shy away from hard topics in this book, examining family, poverty, and race through the shifting point of view of estranged twin sisters and their own daughters. This book would be an excellent choice for a book club as it will create discussion on multiple topics. Romance I am not an avid reader of romance novels, but when I do pick up a book in this genre, I want a mix of romance and comedy, along with a unique take on the classic love story. The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams (and her follow-up novel Undercover Bromance) ticks all of those boxes. The unique twist is that the protagonist is male, and he needs help saving his marriage. He comes to find out that his friends have formed a book club where they read Regency romance novels in order to keep their relationships healthy. The storyline is predictable, but there is humor and a reversal of roles which help Adams’ books stand out from the crowd.
with
Becky Cahill
Non-Fiction I am a huge Erik Larson fan. This is not an exaggeration, as I own each one of his fabulous non-fiction books. Larson is able to piece together history in such a way that you feel like you are reading fast-paced fiction. His latest offering, The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz is no exception. Larson takes us through a familiar time in history and examines the importance of Winston Churchill in his first year as the British Prime Minister and his impact on the fate of England and the world during World War II. Mystery Mystery novels have been a large part of my reading life ever since I was young. My mother read voraciously, and murder mysteries were her book of choice. I grew up surrounded by the works of Agatha Christie, Carolyn Hart, and Emily Brightwell. If you are a fellow mystery lover, then Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson is perfect for you. Swanson sets his mystery in the world of books, where a bookstore owner writes a blog post about fictional murders that were almost perfect, but now it seems that someone is using his work as a guide to commit the crimes in real life. The book references many famous mystery books and intertwines the murder mystery into the book world. Becky Cahill is a career educator and an avid reader. She reads extensively in her free time and you can follow along on Instagram at beckycahill25.
June 2020 | 400 LIFE | 23
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