I’m happy to report that the first Bedlam Farm Book sale was an instant sellout; all the books we listed were sold immediately.

I think this is going to work out well. Instead of giving the books away, which we love to do, we will sell them for $10 each plus $5 shipping. Maria handles the sales and shipping and gets to keep the money. That’s the way it should work. The one who does the work gets paid.

Books are a big part of my life. I get the ones I think I will love, take good care of them, and will not sell them when I’m finished. Maria will do the same

Note Do not send any money without Maria’s acceptance, if you do it will be returned. Thank

I had this idea about the new book I’m reading: Small Mercies, a novel by Dennis Lehane. I’m about 60 percent of the way through and will most certainly finish it over the weekend; I could hardly put it down last night.

This Book Is Sold,

I highly recommend it; you can buy it now. I’ll be done by Sunday; just e-mail [email protected]. I think this will be high among the best books of 2024.

This is one of Lehane’s best books; it is the story of family, love, racial hatred, corruption, and courage. It is the best mystery I’ve read in years, but it’s more than a mystery.

It’s also a beautifully written story of Mary Pat Fennessy, whose 17-year-old daughter Julie went on a date and never came home, and of the racism and class conflict that tore Boston and much of America apart in the 60’s and 70’s.

I worked for the Boston Globe, and the desegregation battles in Southie were among the most wrenching and troubling racial conflicts I’ve ever seen.

Hennessy is a healthcare worker in a nursing home and a true Southie living in a housing project in South Boston. She barely has enough food for herself and her two children, and she takes on odd jobs for the mob boss, as almost everyone in Southie does.

She wasn’t overtly racist, but she hated anyone who lived outside the boundaries of Southie, especially African Americans who wanted to move in.

(I worked there as a reporter during the time of the violent and traumatic desegregation order from a federal judge. Lahane, who is from Boston, got it right.)

In her fight to learn what happened to Julie – no one will tell her – Pat takes on the Boston mob, half of Southie, the police and tests her soul and courage. It’s beautiful, brilliantly told, gripping, tragic, and so real. We can learn much about what is happening today by understanding what happened then.

The point is, if you want to buy this book – I purchased it for $30, we are selling it for $10 plus $5 shipping. If you like it held for you, I strongly recommend it. There is some violence, but the book is genius, moving, unsettling, sad, and affirming.

Pat Hennessey is an almost heartbreaking admiral despite racial prejudices. It seems her daughter’s death was somehow connected to the mob and the murder of a young black man run over by a subway car downtown.

She’s on hazardous terrain as she pursues her quest to understand her daughter’s death.

One cliche is proven: never underestimate the power of a mother’s love.

If you want to reserve and buy the book, please e-mail Maria at [email protected]. This launch was great fun – selling good and used books in great shape is a pleasure. You can pay for the book – $10 plus $5 shipping via Paypal, Venmo, or check (Maria Wulf, P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.

We’ll have a few more books to sell over the weekend.