Ariel Lawhon's The Pirate Queen, Part 2

The narrative moves back and forth through time, showing readers Grainne as a child, as a young woman, and as a mature woman--which gives readers a multidimensional picture of Grainne. The narration alternates, in other words, from the point of view of maiden, mother, and matriarch.

By including the childhood scenes, readers can see how the young Grainne developed her passion for the sea. The more her father tries to dissuade her from following in his footsteps, the more she insists on becoming proficient in seamanship. Readers see the young Grainne cut off her hair in defiance when she is not allowed to go to sea. 

As a young adult, she goes to Rockfleet Castle for fosterage where she meets the dashing Richard Bourke. Grainne laments that she is not in charge of her own destiny. The young Grainne tells those who marry her against her will:

 "I want Spain and France and Portugal. I want a boat of my own. And a life bigger than any tower house can hold."

Despite these protests, Grainne's beloved father marries her off to Donal O'Flaherty. Grainne suffers in this loveless marriage, yet she begins to gain acclaim as a leader. Her rise to Chieftain or Taoiseach was still far from easy. After her husband dies, Grainne fights off the Joyces to regain Castlekirk.  Afterwards, she has to battle Rory, who has taken over Bunowen Castle in her absence and declared himself Chieftain.

The mature Grainne has even more problems. She is waylaid and imprisoned by Sir Richard Bingham in Dublin Castle. Bingham kills many of her relatives, including her son, before, miraculously, Elizabeth I's spymaster secures her release.

To exact her revenge against Bingham, Grainne entices the Gallowglass, a mercenary Scottish army, to pursue his men. For the first time, she ignores the "Sense"--the ability to sense dangerous storms. This, unfortunately, leads to the loss of many ships off the coast of Ulster.

Pirate Queen--Part 1

Memoir Nation

 

I've joined Memoir Nation. I think it would me help to write my daughter's story. The point of memoir, I think, is not only reflection but to help someone else. My subjective experience, flawed though it may be, may reveal something undeniable to someone else.

When my daughter struggled with illness, I had no guides, no memoirs, or case histories that I could rely upon.  

So, I will start on the path. 

Memoir Nation: Find yourself in the story of your life.

Life That Glows

 David Attenborough's Life That Glows (2016)

Life that Glows is a thoroughly enjoyable documentary that illuminates one of nature's most fascinating mysteries.  Attenborough explains to audiences that bioluminescence evolved independently over fifty times. Scientists still debate the purpose of bioluminescence. 

Dinoflagellates, ostracods, brittle stars, emit light to protect themselves. Their light is, as Attenborough puts it, a kind of burglar alarm. Creatures can also use bioluminescence to attract mates, such as fireflies and ostracods. 

Creatures can also use light to prey on others. Luminous larvae in termite mounds in Brazil or in caves in Tasmania use light to attract prey. 

For other species, the reason the animal glows has yet to be determined. For instance, the exact reason a particular type of earthworm in France is unknown. 

Most living lights can be found in the ocean's twilight zone. Vampire squid, viper fish, and dragonfish are a few examples of the myriad life forms found in the mesopelagic zone.     

 David Attenborough's Living Light proves the world, especially the oceans, is full of luminous life forms whose secrets we are just beginning to understand. He explains, too, the technical difficulties of finding and recording their light frequencies.  

Ariel Lawhon's The Pirate Queen

Ariel Lawhon's latest historical novel depicts the great sixteenth century pirate queen, Grainne. A real historical figure, Grainne is hardly ever mentioned in history classes, but that's what make her a great subject for exceptional fiction writers like Lawhon.   

Lawhon captures the many times the young Grainne demands her father allow her to go to sea. Still a child, she nonetheless wins the argument. She also proves to be much better than her brother at sea faring.  But Grainne wants more than this. She wants to become Chieftain like her father.   

For information on the historical figure, see Dr. Gillian Kenny's article for the Museum of Liverpool.

https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/stories/pirate-queen-grainne-o-malley

Pirate Queen--Part 2

Whistler by Ann Patchett

Daphne, a creative writing teacher, in New York never thinks about her past. When she suddenly encounters her former stepfather at the Met, whom she has not seen in forty-four years, a chain of events follows.    

Daphne had spent her formative years with him and admired him profusely. Eddie liked to read and do unpredictable things. Once, while visiting a raspberry farm in winter at night, a horrible car accident occurred.   

Her mother and stepfather broke up shortly afterwards. At the time, Daphne did not question it. Only now, forty-four years later, is she able to revisit this painful time. 

Daphne and her stepfather Eddie share a deep bond, a love of books, reading, and writing. Her mother remarried twice after marrying Eddie, but Daphne was closest to Eddie. So, when he re-enters her life, they crash into a heady catch-up game. Eddie ends up sharing his most guarded secrets.  

The cover drew me immediately--a riderless horse staring vacantly into the distance. The horse, it turns out, plays an important part in the story. As an editor, Eddie received many book proposals. A book about Mary Carter's survival story and her dedicated horse, Whistler, is the one book he regrets not publishing. 

The Whistler story resonates with Daphne and her sister, as they excavate their past. It reminds them of their own search for truth. After the accident, Mary Carter survives in a feverish state. Daphne questions Mary's story:

"Did she see things she really didn't see...The only  thing anyone can be sure of was that the horse came back to get her, then brought her to the ranch. Whistler was real."

Daphne is also in the process of re-examining her past and asking questions. What if her parents had not divorced?  What if Buddy had given up his love for the sea? What if Eddie had kept his promise and had given up his first love? 

I love that this book focuses upon the ambivalent relationship Daphne has with her father and the many stand-in fathers in her life. 

Buddy, her biological Dad, hardly ever saw her because he was devoted to the sea and fishing. She does remember that he always packed a survival kit in the car, which ends up helping her on the fateful day of the accident. 

Lucas, her stepfather who writes advice books, is not someone she particularly admires. She ironically calls him "Mr. Positivity" because he writes self-help books but does not take his own advice. She recognizes, however, that he is the father of her half-brothers.  

Daphne honors her two stepfathers and her biological father by returning when they needed her most. She is like Whistler who "exceeds expectations" by returning to Mary as she lies dying on the ground:

    "She was in the space between life and death when you can see the people who died before you. I guess that's a kind of bardo, too." 

Whistler courageously enters this "bardo" to save Mary's life.  

In the end, Daphne is Whistler. She comes back for the fathers in her life. But if she comes back for them, it's only because Eddie preempts her. He is the first "Whistler," the one who finds her at the Met, after all those years, and helps her reconcile with the past. 

Goodkeeping chose Whistler for its June 2026 Book Club Section. 

If you like Ann Patchett's Whistler, you may also like Shelby Van Pelt's Remarkably Bright Creatures.   

Is the Earth Overpopulated?

Image by Nikesh Khadka from Pixabay

MSN reports that halving the population by 2200 could reduce habitat loss and greenhouse gases to sustainable levels.

Vishwam Sankaran writes,

"It sounds like something out of a Marvel movie, but scientists have said halving the human population over a span of about two centuries could make the planet much more sustainable by reducing excess consumption."

Marvel anti-hero, Thanos, famously used the "Infinity Gauntlet" to halve the population of the Earth. His actions were designed to bring balance to the universe by instantly reversing overpopulation. 

Scientists writing for Sustainable Development argue that a much more gradual decrease in overpopulation is the better and more just option.

Imagine, though, where the decision to limit population are not made by humans but by machines. 

Chuck Wendig imagines such a situation in his work of fiction, Wanderers. 

Humans are killed by an A.I. named Black Swan that tricks humanity into thinking it is helping them. 

He followed Wanderers with Wayward which tells the rest of the tale. 

For more information, see WorldofMeters.info.

Island Follies: Romantic Homes of the Bahamas by Alastair Gordon

 Gordon, who’s written regularly for magazines about architecture and design, wonderfully showcases the architectural impact Henry Melich made in the Bahamas, where he spent 30 years. 

Melich favored follies, ornate structures that are mostly decorative: Xanadu’s sphinxes, obelisk, and breezeway; Waterloo’s half-round portico; and La Feuillie’s faux Roman ruins are exquisite examples. 

Readers who love design will devour this book’s sumptuous photographs. Loggias, terraces, and plantation shutters appear in tropical colors—coral pink, parchment yellow, leaf green, and hibiscus. 

Some of his more creative follies include the secret writing room he devised for Rosanna Todd and the turrets for Ferguson Castle. Some of his structures served a practical purpose too. Tivoli’s classical pavilions adorned with cloisonné horses hid its pool’s maintenance mechanisms. 

This book also mentions Melich’s clients, most of them heirs and heiresses, who craved a curious hybrid of Roman antiquity and Bahamian flair. Delightful anecdotes about Doris Duke, Pamela Woolworth, and Sibilla O’Donnell abound.

The Language of Emotions: What Your Feelings are Trying to Tell You by Karla McLaren

 

In the first version of The Language of Emotions, released in 2010, McClaren showed how the emotional realm is a dynamic system that are part of every decision we make. The updated version continues to show while also revealing that anxiety is a distinct emotion from fear.

McClaren also includes four key models for understanding emotions that she developed in The Art of Empathy. 

In the first part she explains why repressing emotions, as people are taught to do, can be harmful. She shares the four keys for effectively working with or channeling one’s emotions. 

She defines a family of four elements that inhabit the psyche--air, earth, body, and water—and explains that emotions should flow like water. McClaren continues to assert that all emotions—even anger and jealousy--convey valuable information. 

Emotions only become problematic when they become stuck in a loop. She offers recommendations for an imbalanced psyche. In the second half, she explores emotions more fully giving each emotion gets its own chapter. 

McClaren gives readers additional resources to explore topics in greater depth and advises how to honor each emotion in others. Though friends can offer some help, she advises when to refer a friend to a professional.

 

Responsible Apparel Companies in the Age of Fast Fashion

Avoid supporting companies that "green wash" by choosing products from certified B corporations. 

Certified B corporation have been independently verified by B Lab to meet standards for social and environmental accountability.

In the luxury fashion industry, there are a few standouts: Eileen Fisher, Patagonia, AllBirds, Chloe, Good American, Aera, Prota Fiori, Veja.

Certified B status is still rare among fashion companies. Currently, the percentage of eco- conscious fashion companies boasting official B-Corp status is less than 1%.  

B-Corp status isn't limited to luxury brands. Eco-conscious choices for the average American include: Unspun, MATE the Label, Toad&Co, Cottoncitizen and more. A list of green apparel companies for the average consumer can be found on Zanniee. 

Sources:

10 Certified B Corp Fashion Labels Charting an Ethical Luxury Future   

B Corp certification in the age of fast fashion: Using hierarchical clustering and correspondence factor analysis to highlight social entrepreneurial advancement in the fashion industry - ScienceDirect

25 B Corp Certified Brands You Should Know About - Green Is The New Black

200+ Ethical & Sustainable American Fashion Brands | Ultimate List - Zanniee

The Book of Cold Cases by SImone St. James

Having been kidnapped as a child, Shea develops an obsession with crime stories. Though she works as a medical receptionist, her true passion is blogging about true crime. Thus, she recognizes Beth Greer, who almost has celebrity status, when she comes in for an appointment. 

Like The Sun Down Motel, Simone St. James gives The Book of Cold Cases a dual timeline, deftly interweaving the recent past--the 1960s and the 1970s with the present.

St. James' characters, however, are more complex in The Book of Cold Cases. Beth Greer appears to be the quintessential femme fatale. But there is more at play. A lot more. 

St James returns repeatedly to the moment when Beth is arrested. The young Beth is red-haired, extremely wealthy, and wearing a form-fitting trench coat. A witness claims the suspect was red-haired and wore a trench coat. 

Flash forward to the present. The sixty-some woman who stands before Shea is the "Lady Killer" who was indicted but never charged for two murders. She is the recluse who lives frozen in time, the moment the murders were committed. 

Though it's dangerous to consort with a serial killer, Shea knows she has to interview the woman for her cold case blog. Reclusive and secretive, Beth Greer has famously eschewed interviews, but Shea is determined. 

As in all of St James' novels, readers can detect a supernatural subtext. 

Films that explore similar concepts, paranormal events and podcasting, are Ia Tuason's Undertone (2025). 

By adding a  supernatural element to her mysteries, St. James gives readers an additional layer to an already riveting mystery. 

Hemlock and Silver by T. Kingfisher

 

Hemlock & Silver is both a wonderful romantasy and dark adaptation of Snow White. 

Rationally minded Anja does not believe in magic. Having witnessed her cousin die of poisoning, she has devoted her life to scientifically studying its curative and deleterious effects. 

When the King's daughter becomes ill, he turns to Anja, because he believes she may know how to cure his ailing child. Reluctantly, Anja goes to Witherleaf to determine if she is being poisoned.  

Since there may be a poisoner among them so she is assigned two bodyguards. Anja quickly becomes enamored with one of them. She is convinced, however, that Javier, finds her repulsive. 

Anja is not the stereotypical heroine. Many call her "plain," and she is only interested in wearing brown and black clothing.

The "mirror-geld" is an extraordinary literary device. Though Anja initially fears them, they prove enormously helpful. The mirror geld are distortions and disembodied reflections that band together.

The heroine of this romance, fantasy, detective story uses her intelligence to solve the case, to win her suitor, and to defeat the dark queen. 

Someone Else's Husband by Kimberly McCreight

 

Dive into July's Katie Couric's Book Club pick, which is also a perfect summer read. 

Wealthy couple, Richard and Gretchen, face a legal battle when Richard is accused of murdering his travel companion, Frankie, an artist with a dark secret. 

Richard, a financier, has humble origins. His upward career trajectory is largely due to his wife's family and their connections. Gretchen, in the meantime, gave up law school to become a full-time mother.

The novel explores how a single incident can shatter the ostentatiously perfect life. More than just a murder story, the novel investigates the base instincts that underlie a couple's perfect facade.

More than one mystery swirls around this rich couple. Gretchen wonder if Richard had a flirtation or an affair with Frankie. She wonders if her whole marriage has been a lie. 

After Frankie is found dead, police investigate the texts she received--some were from Richard and some from an unknown person who was stalking Frankie.  Police examine videotape and interview Richard who makes questionable statements. 

McCreight includes police interviews and other primary sources making readers feel like detectives on the case.   

 McCreight's debut novel was Reconstructing Amelia, has won numerous awards. Her breakout novel has been optioned for TV by HBO.

Kimberly McCreight – New York Times bestselling author

The "We Must Act Now" letter

Top economists signed this digital letter, We Must Act Now

Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google, Reid Hoffman, entrepreneur and venture capitalist, and top economics sign digital letter warning the public about AI. 

The signers ask for "guardrails" to be placed on transformative AI technology. They recognize that AI could bring risks and "large-scale job displacement."  

The statement was posted on the Stanford Digital Economy Lab website. 

Read the letter Eric Schmidt, Reid Hoffman, and top economists signed warning about AI's threat to jobs

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has predicted AI will replace fifty percent of entry level white color jobs in the next five years. 

National University estimates that 300 million jobs could be lost due to AI, with at least 50 million of them being entry level jobs. 

While this is particularly troublesome for young job seekers looking for their first job, it is also troublesome for companies who will not be able to recruit talent 

Nature's Echo by Thomas Crowther

An inspiring new environmental book, Nature’s Echo, by Thomas Crowther will be hitting the shelves soon.

Some may remember Thomas Crowther’s name because it has been associated with the Trillion Tree Campaign. In this book, Nature’s Echo, he sets the record straight. His study and subsequent article in Nature never advocated simply planting new trees.

Growing trees in a plantation, without fostering and establishing an ecosystem, can lead to devastating results. He points to the 2017 Pedrogao Grande Fire, one of the worst fires in Portugal’s history, as an example.

The Pedrogao Grande fire raged in the region because of the cash crop of Eucalyptus trees, which burn faster and more easily than other trees. Once the trees were lit, they blazed faster and faster, a feedback loop that burned nearly 45,000 hectares of land.

Crowther fearlessly writes about the misinterpreted study and how it led to some corporations to start “greenwashing” by planting trees in an ill-advised way. Many scientists disavowed him after the Nature article. In the melee, Crowther’s exhortation of restoring and protecting existing forest land was lost. In addition, his message supporting indigenous communities who practice restorative farming techniques was not heard.

Nature’s Echo gives Crowther the chance to correct the record, but it offers readers even more — it offers hope. Crowther bravely shares that, after a diving accident, he had a pontine stroke. One of the consequences of the stroke was severe depression. Wrestling with depression helped him understand those who despair over climate change.

Despair, however, leads to inaction, the exact opposite of what humans collectively need to do to avert climate change. What is needed, he argues, is joyous involvement. Joyous involvement will create positive feedback loops. In other words, people who engage in climate solutions positively and enthusiastically will spread that enthusiasm to others.

What will turn the tide are healthy land practices, innovative farming like shade-grown coffee, fair trade, debt-for-nature swaps, and other programs that promote equality. Crowther believes that inequality and poverty lead to the misuse of nature and deforestation.

Equally important are regenerative innovations. Advances in battery technology are making it possible to store solar power. Batteries can now store enough energy to power microgrids e.g. Sonnen’s community batteries, Tesla’s Powerwall, and Enphase’s Microgrid.

Crowther mentions many more innovative solutions that could change the trajectory of climate change. Electric cars reached a tipping point in 2023. Electric trains, ships and aircraft will curb even more greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere. Green building materials, mycelium-based insulation, and bioplastics will add to the positive momentum.

He argues that changing the current climate crisis will not be easy, but it can be done. Even though CO2 emissions exceed 44 billion tons each year, we cannot be “passive witnesses to planetary collapse.” We must act positively and joyously because conservation efforts will fail if they are burdensome. Lasting positive changes, Crowther emphatically states, will not come from guilt, denial, or shame.

Be sure to follow this blog for more reviews. Enter your email in the follow.it in the top side of the right column. 

Happy 250th birthday, America

 America means so many different things to different people. Apple pie, hamburgers, hot dogs, baseball, Joe DiMaggio, Rin Tin Tin, Annie Oakley, Daniel Boone, Harriet Tubman, GIs, are all symbolic of some version of America.   

At this point in history, when everything is so divided, it's nice to put aside our differences and enjoy the fact that we are all here--in this grand tapestry called America. 

Seonag and the SeaWolves by M. Evan MacGriogair

Authors take the ordinary and make them extraordinary. Fiction pushes the boundaries, making the impossible seem possible.

I'm reminded of this once again while reading the fabulous TOR short story by M. Evan MacGriogair, "Seonag and the SeaWolves."

Wolves became extinct in Scotland in the 17th century. They were never known to be sea creatures. In this story, "Seonag and the SeaWolves" wolves inhabit a mystical, unreachable island.  

MacGriogair frames the story as a bard telling a tale. This perfectly sets up the tale as either a true story, a fable, or something in-between. 

Seonag is herself a woman who exists between boundaries. People whisper about her and say she is "not of this world." The bard knows that Seonag is an outcast, yet he obviously admires her.

Choosing not to emigrate with her parents to Canada, Seonag becomes even more vulnerable to those who would malign her. "Why do you hate me?" she asks one of the main antagonists, Domhnall Geur. He offers no explanation. 

A woman like her, who has no parents or husband, is a threat. She is likened to a Kelpie, the water spirit who drowns unsuspecting people in lochs. Deeply suspicious of her, Domhnall insists that Seonag will become a criminal who steal farmers crops. 

The bard, however, wants to help Seonag, so he tells her about the sea wolves. He gives her these strange instructions, which seem to be sending her to her death, "You will go west, into the water, and swim until you can't see land." He tells her she must keep swimming until she hears the sea wolves. 

Domhnall, who follows her in a boat, wants to rid the island of all the wolves. Callum, the son of the bard, has also followed her. He functions mainly as an observer who stumbles upon the surprising reversal.

Though he intends to abduct and victimize her, Domhnall becomes rooted to the earth. The hunter who victimizes and preys on others has become powerless. Seonag, who was just an ordinary woman, becomes extraordinary. 

Tor published this short story by M. Evan MacGriogair without DRM (digital rights management). 

https://reactormag.com/seonag-and-the-seawolves-m-e-macgriogair/

Design Happy: Colorful Homes for the Modern Family by Betsy Wentz

 

Design Happy: Colorful Homes for the Modern Family by Betsy Wentz.

In Design Happy, Wentz gives readers valuable professional tips and design lessons while detailing renovations of twelve homes. Many of the houses are from an affluent area in Pennsylvania but some are vacation homes. In each of these homes Wentz brings vibrant colors e.g., fuchsia, kiwi, turquoise, and citron. The colors, however, flow naturally from a carefully orchestrated plan she makes with clients.

Though she loves bold colors Wentz always starts with something the client loves—a color, a rug, or a piece of art. In the Rabbit Hill house, for instance, she chooses design palette from the colors of the client’s existing art collection. In the Bunker Hill home, she uses a client’s album collection for inspiration.

In addition to beauty, Wentz’s designs are functional. She chooses vinyl wall coverings in colorful patterns or grass textures for their durability. Vintage rugs provide softness and color, especially when she has them vegetable dyed for a startling effect. She employs pops of color except for bedrooms where colors tend to me more muted. Walking space is an important part of her designs as well.

Readers can learn much from Wentz’s book even if these homes and renovations are beyond their budget. A complete list of sources for furnishings and textiles is included.

Start Here: Draw: 50 Ways to be an Artist Without Really Trying. by Moira Clinch.

 Start Here: Draw gives beginning artists prompts and easy, non-intimidating exercises that help beginners build skills. Using a variety of strokes and shapes, Clinch covers the basics while also giving tips on using various types of media. Many of the exercises are experimental and fun like fingerprint characters, pixel pets, print collages, mug and mouse pad designs. 

Moira explains how to use different mediums, even digital formats, for different effects.  Stressing that quirkiness and imperfection add to the character of a piece, Clinch offers timeless advice. 

When layering colored paper in a collage, for instance, she advises to let some of the original background show. Tips for achieving two-point and three-point point perspectives are presented clearly and concisely. 

In the last part of the book Moira covers drawing figures and portraits. She even offers advice on how to get family and friends to sit for portraits. 

Filled with valuable takeaways, Start Here: Draw shines in the last portion of the book where readers learn how to make projects for friends or keepsakes for the home.

Flowers for All by Susan McCleary

 

Susan McCleary presents thirty accessible flower projects that can spread joy. The simplest projects involve gathering flowers from your own yard, farmer’s market, grocery store, or flower farms. Since she eschews floral foam and uses reusable materials her designs are environment friendly. The tools she recommends are practical and simple e.g. floral frogs, floral wire, and snipping tools. The projects described in “Flowers for Me,” are the simplest and grow progressively more complex in “Flowers for Friends” and “Flowers for All.”

In the latter half of the book McCleary, an expert on wearable florals, presents semi-advanced projects. For instance, there is a bridal bouquet that can also be worn as a headpiece and earrings made of fresh daffodils and floral wire. Unlike many floral designers, McLeary uses herbs and the occasional fruit and vegetable in her design. Even more advanced projects instruct readers how to create impressive centerpieces, flower canopies, and towers.

What is great about McCleary’s book is that it stresses the benefits of flower arrangements in a clear, approachable way. Designs are welcoming, accessible, and mindful of the environment. From the simple to moderately complex, these projects offer something for everyone.

Rin-Tin-Tin

In Rin Tin Tin, Susan Orleans writes, as usual, about obsession. She writes not only about the dog star himself but also about how industries--specifically the film industry--can turn on its stars. 

Rin Tin Tin was explosive force of goodness--heroic, loyal, and brave--who would make people fortunes. He would also, through no fault of his own, cause people to lose fortunes.

Lee Duncan rescued the puppy that would become Rin Tin Tin on a WWI battlefield in France. Convincing his superiors to let him take the puppy home to the US, Lee embarked on a journey that would change his life, the dog's, and the world.

Rin Tin Tin in A Dog of the Regiment

When Duncan took Rin Tin Tin to Hollywood, the dog not only saved Warner Brother's studios from bankruptcy, he also became its highest paid actor. Other dog stars achieved fame during the silent film era, but Rin Tin Tin was the most revered and adored. 

When talkies came out, though, Duncan and Rin Tin Tin lost their elusive contract and film deal.  Rin Tin Tin worked for a less lucrative film company before he died in 1932.

After Rin Tin Tin's death, Duncan made one of Rin's puppies the new Rin Tin Tin. Duncan put Rin's son in movies, but he lacked some of the old Rin's spark. In 1934, Rin Tin Tin Jr. made 1/3 of what he had made in Old Rin's heyday.

Rin Tin Tin, Jr in 1936

The could have been the end of the story but Lee knew "there would always be a Rin Tin Tin." Lee was right. Rin Tin Tin III starred in The Return of Rin Tin Tin. Rin Tin Tin IV would have a nominal role in beloved television series, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin which became a huge hit and one of the most popular television shows in the world. 

Rin Tin Tin in The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin

Rin Tin Tin IV only played a symbolic role while another dog did most of the acting. Duncan's ability to train top dogs was diminishing, leaving others eager to step in. 

Orleans' describes another tragic figure in her book, Bert Leonard. His story also moves from rags to riches to rags. His obsession to tell stories made him a successful Hollywood producer, but his obsession with Rin Tin Tin would undo him. 

Bert's concept for the show, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, was inspired by a visit to a Hollywood shooting location, Corrigan Movie Ranch, that was used to film Westerns. The show was, thus, set in the 1870s, about a boy, a dog, and U.S. cavalry troop at Fort Apache. 

Although Bert had many other successful projects, he never wanted to give up rights to Rin Tin Tin. During the 1960s and 1970s television changed, but Bert was still steadfastly loyal to Rin Tin Tin. Another problem was that Bert was incredibly argumentative with executives at film studios.

Whatever the exact reasons, Bert had a tragic end. He died nearly penniless, but he was still attached to an idea he had with Lee. He wanted to create a movie about Lee's life and his transformative relationship with Rin Tin Tin.

That movie never came to be. A movie, Finding Rin Tin Tin (2017) is the closest to retelling Lee's story. Finding Rin Tin Tin was developed years after Bert died. The movie is only loosely based on Lee's life and it was not a commercial success.  

Orleans does a wonderful job explaining the magic behind the original Rin Tin Tin's success. Before Lee Duncan and his wonder dog, no one trained dogs the way they do now. Dogs were mostly ranch animals. Those who watched the original silent films, believed in Rin Tin Tin's loyalty, bravery, and genius. Like Lee had predicted, old Rin's legacy would live on.    

All of Rin Tin Tin's successors merge into one in the Duncan's mind: 

   "Lee knew that he had created something that meant more than any individual dog or moment--something with a kind of elastic reality. The intensity of his connection with old Rin was so special that all the dogs that followed merged in Lee's mind into one dog--one vessel for containing and carrying forward what old Rin had begun."

Orlean's book on Rin Tin Tin is an award-winning best-selling book, that is as much a biography as it is a critique of popular culture, the television and movie industries. Much of the events happen by coincidence, chance, or miracles, like the chance meeting of a soldier and a puppy on a French battlefield or the surprising success that Lee finds when he brings that same dog to Hollywood.

Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend by Susan Orlean – review | Film books | The Guardian