Book Review: Class Action: The Story Of Lois Jenson And The Landmark Case That Changed Sexual Harassment Law

This is the book upon which the movie North Country is based. I recommend both.

The book is well-written and a quick read. The story of the legal case is balanced well with the story of the women involved in the lawsuit. The authors had access to a lot of information, but the defense lawyers did not agree to be interviewed so their strategies can only be gleaned by the publicly-available documents and transcripts. Thus, when compared to A Civil Action by Jonathan Harr (an excellent legal book by which I judge all others), where Mr. Harr had total access to plaintiff and defense, the story is incomplete. Given the nature of the case, sexual harassment, versus the nature of the case in A Civil Action, environmental torts, the loss is not that great though. In A Civil Action the legal issue was the cause-and-effect relationship between ground water contamination and the diseases the residents developed. Reading Class Action there seems to be no real issue that there was a hostile work environment. In fact, it is shocking nearly to the point of unbelievability to read about the abuses the women suffered. An interview with the defense attorney, therefore, is not going to add much to that part of the story.

This story, like many others, reminds you that our legal system is inherently imperfect and reactionary. Although the women ultimately "won" their case, they had much more taken from them than money could ever repay.

Book Review: The Lynchings In Duluth by Michael Fedo

A brief account of the lynching of Elias Clayton, Elmer Jackson, and Isaac McGhie in Duluth, MN, in June 1920. I don’t agree that Fedo has “dug deeply” into this story, but that he did the best with the scant information that was available at the time. Also, I’m not clear how Duluth at the time was “at the forefront of civil rights” because the book discusses the underlying racism that existed and lead to the lynchings.

The account is predictably disturbing because it is difficult to imagine 86 years later that such events occurred anywhere.

My version of the book (1979) bears the title They Was Just Niggers (an apparent quote from a mob participant) and has a picture of the lynching on the front cover. The title and picture instantly convey the shock and horror of that terrible June day.

A memorial was recently erected across the street from the site of the lynchings and grave markers were recently placed in the cemetery where the men are buried. www.claytonjacksonmcghie.org. It is better to acknowledge and publicly discuss a terrible event like this than pretend it never happened.

Reading Away

One of my resolutions was to read 24 books in 2005. I’m behind, but I still think I can do it.

Here’s what I’ve read so far:

The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Nighttime by Mark Hadden
Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss
The Deadwood Beetle by Mylene Dressler
Three Nights In August by Buzz Bissinger
On The Road by Jack Kerouac
Cold Comfort by Barton Sutter
Life Of Pi by Yann Martel
Peace Like A River by Leif Enger

If you’re looking for recommendations then I’d say Life Of Pi is at the top of my list. There were one or two spots that were a little slow, but the story is great and the ending is a thought-provoker. “I have a story that will make you believe in God” is the set-up line from the Author’s Note at the beginning of the book (don’t skip this part!).

I’m nearly done with Peace Like A River and it’s a close second. It’s hard to put the book down because the story is so well-told and the plot moves right along. Enger is a Minnesotan, so you know he can write; the story is set in Minnesota, so you know it’s good. It’s Enger’s first novel and I always enjoy reading first novels (Pi was Martel’s second).

Cold Comfort is a collection of essays by a Duluth resident. Eats, Shoots & Leaves is a good grammar book. Three Nights is a baseball book about Tony LaRussa and the Cardinals. On The Road is On The Road, one of those books people expect you to have read. Oh, The Curious Incident is a worthy investment. The Deadwood Beetle is forgettable.

So, eight books in seven months. I’m six books behind with five months to go. Fourtunately, I think I can read three books a month to make my resolution. Wait, that's not enough, so I'll have to read an extra one in December.

Although I have a stack of books I want to read this year (Fight In The Fields, The Kite Runner, The Brothers Karamazov, Islands In The Stream, House Of Sand And Fog, Lolita, A Year In Provence), I will always take recommendations. So, recommend!