Aberdeen Magazine Book Club

Little and Often by Trent Preszler

Trent Preszler’s memoir, Little and Often, is one man’s journey to better understand and grieve his father while examining his past in order to find his future. Preszler begins his story with his busy work day as CEO of a vineyard on the North Fork of Long Island being interrupted by a phone call from his father – who he hadn’t spoken to in almost fourteen years. It was an invitation to come home for Thanksgiving, and it was clear that his mother had put his father up to making the phone call. Feeling pressure to make his mother happy and wanting to relieve the guilt he felt, he decided to drive from his Long Island seaside home all the way to South Dakota for the holiday. What he didn’t know is that it would be the last holiday the three of them would spend together.

Little and Often is filled with stories of growing up on a ranch in Faith, South Dakota and the life lessons Preszler learned watching his rodeo champion father work their cattle ranch. The hardships of ranch life and special childhood memories of his father, like when he pulled Trent and his sister on a wooden toboggan with his prized horse in the snow, are written with warmth and brutal honesty. Throughout the memoir there are many moments when both Trent and his father struggle to understand each other, which deepened their divide.

At the heart of Preszler’s memoir is a story about what can be gained through loss and the weight of inheritance. Loss is examined throughout this book with the loss of the family farm, his sister’s illness, his connection to the midwest, and then with his father’s death. As a way to process his grief, he gets acquainted with his father’s tools that were his “inheritance.” Throughout his journey, Trent discovers he inherited more than a box of hard worn tools. When Preszler reveals the meaning behind the title of the book, you quickly understand how deep the father-son connection can be and the everlasting impact of a father’s words.

Many midwest readers will relate to the examples of the stoic mindset and halted communication just as much as the neighbors gathering together to work cattle or bring a dish to pass at the church social. This is one of my favorite books I have read in 2024. Entertaining, thoughtful, and authentic.

Trent Preszler’s memoir has been chosen as the One Book South Dakota 2024 by the South Dakota Humanities Council, and he will be the keynote author at the Festival of Books.

The Women by Kristin Hannah

I enjoy historical fiction as many readers do. It’s one of the most popular genres on the bestseller list. It is rare, however, that I have read a book set during the Vietnam war, let alone one that focuses on women. The more recent novels of WWII have become abundant revealing women’s roles as secret agents or coders. These novels celebrate their contributions as well as reshape our understanding of the realities of war. What is so intriguing about Kristin Hannah’s latest novel, The Women, is that it’s set in a war that was highly controversial and through the eyes of an inexperienced, low-ranking combat nurse. The Vietnam war was unlike any other the United States had ever been involved in. This book is unlike any historical war novel I have ever read.

As with all her novels, Hannah doesn’t pull any punches and keeps things as factual as possible. Set in the Vietnam war in the 1960s, her vivid descriptions and complex characters keep the reader flipping the pages quickly. In the author’s notes, Hannah reveals that it took years of research before she began this story as she wanted to do it justice by giving a voice and honoring the women who served in Vietnam.

This multifaceted story examines the strength of female friendships, dedication to serve, and the breadth of compassion for fellow humans. Hannah provides striking details in this book that will be somewhat reminiscent of the TV series M*A*S*H, even though that was a different war and a different time. Most people know that many of the soldiers coming home from Vietnam were met with protests and derision rather than parades and accolades for their heroism in defending democracy. Hannah not only gives the reader a glimpse of the nurses war experience, but also how they were treated when they returned home. At the time, many people didn’t believe their stories because it was widely accepted that, “there were no women soldiers in Vietnam.” This erased their involvement and diminished their contributions. Where are the women heroes of the Vietnam war? Hannah has brought a few to light and given them a voice. Even though Hannah is known for her extensive research, this one will inspire you to Google more about the women of the Vietnam war on your own. As always, Hannah has written an inspiring and emotional story filled with robust characters that will stay with you long after you read the last page. //