Books by
Kathryn H. Kidd

General/Other Kathryn H. Kidd pages

• Link to "Books by Kathryn H. Kidd" page is on Deseret Book's "Deseret's Best" links page: Performers and Personalities
• Kathryn H. Kidd page at Books 'n' Bytes
• Kathryn H. Kidd's "nikudango" appetizers mentioned in Saints Well Seasoned
• Saving the World One Click at a Time - uninteresting article by Kathryn and Clark Kidd for Meridian Magazine

Books

• Lovelock
• Rasputin
• A Capuchin's Guide to Paradise
• Paradise Vue
• Return to Paradise
• Alphabet Year
• The Innkeeper's Daughter
• A Convert's Guide to Mormon Life
• Food Storage for the Clueless
• A Parent's Survival Guide to the Internet
• On My Own and Clueless

Lovelock

Published by: Tor
First pub.: 1994
Genre: science fiction

Book 1 of the Mayflower Trilogy.

Lots of authors (from Blish to Russell) have written about Jesuits in space. But only Card and Kidd have written about a capuchin in space. Not only is Lovelock one of fiction's finest monkey-narrated tales, it's also the best science fiction novel ever written about visiting teaching.

From Kirkus Reviews, May 1, 1994: The first volume of a planned trilogy from Card (The Ships of Earth, 1994, etc.) and hardcover debutante Kidd is set on a huge starship, or Ark, soon to depart from Earth. Among those aboard will be leading planetologist Carol Jeanne Cocciolone, her family -- husband Red, daughters Lydia and Emmy, in-laws Mamie and Stef--and narrator Lovelock, a mentally enhanced Capuchin monkey trained to "witness" all Carol Jeanne's doings and record them for posterity. Living quarters aboard the Ark are arranged in small villages whose populations share ethnic ties or religious beliefs. Assigned to the village Mayflower, Carol Jeanne and her family experience difficulties adapting to their new circumstances, problems that arise largely from defects in their own personalities. Lovelock, meanwhile, discovers that his worship of Carol Jeanne derives from deep conditioning -- worst of all, she regards him as nothing more than furniture. So-so at best. What really annoys is that, without even a token ending here, this isn't the beginning of a trilogy at all, but the arbitrary opening chunk of a bloated and flabby single yarn. Copyright © 1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Review by Darlene Goddard of Florida:

Lovelock is a witness, an engineered servant and capuchin monkey, raised to be the perfect companion to important personages. His person is a Xenobiologist who is on a colony ship traveling to a new world. He is sentient and programmed with urges to please his person. The story unfolds as Lovelock learns much from observing the micro society aboard ship and finds his biological emotions toward his human may not be logically justified. When others discover his ability with computers, his plans for survival of his species and perhaps even his own life are put in jeopardy.

This book has an interesting perspective of looking at the human familial and societal structure through alien eyes. Though the pacing is sometimes slow, I found the novel engaging enough to finish and to consider searching out books 2 and 3 of the series.

Brad Rohrer (Bradley University, Illinois) gives Lovelock 5 stars (his highest rating), and says: "One Hundred Percent Amazing. This book will make you think."

Lovelock Links

• Review in English, by Jim Terman
• Review by Rob Slade. (Mainly reviews the computer programming aspects of the book.)
• Anitra's brief review of Lovelock (and other Card books)
• A review of Lovelock in Spanish
• Lovelock o la Dignidad Animal - Review and essay in Spanish
• Lovelock in Polish

• Primate Books - list of books about primates says Lovelock has "great capuchin observations"
• The Great Ape Project lists Lovelock in a select novels about primates
• Included in a list of Primate Books at Suite101.
• Included in MonkeyZone's list of books and videos about monkeys
• Furry Novels - Lovelock included in a list of books about "Intelligent Animals" [This list also mentions two books by Paul Kidd: Mus of Kerbridge (about an intelligent mouse) and A Whisper of Wings (Fox-morphs). Any relation?]

• Lovelock is listed as the "Best Book Ever" on the Favorite Books and Authors of Sedgeway page (beating out Mark Twain, J.R.R. Tolkien, Thomas Paine and Charles Dickens)
• Included on Bruce Neufeld's brief list of favorite books. (Only 12 science fiction books in the list.)
• Mayflower Trilogy listed in SciFan.com's list of science fiction series
• Resume of Donato Giancola, who painted the beautiful cover of Lovelock
• The War Against Silence - strangely enough, this is an actual music review of albums by Sleeper, Fleming & John, and Chainsuck, in which Card and Kidd's Lovelock is mentioned prominently.

• Available from Amazon.com, along with over 30 brief reader reviews

Rasputin

Published by: Tor
First pub.: 2000?
Genre: science fiction

Book 2 in the Mayflower Trilogy.

Not yet published. Nearing completion.

A Capuchin's Guide to Paradise

Fictional interview by Logan Renner.

Paradise Vue

From the publisher's web site:

Amy is so bad at keeping house that she can't boil water without it sticking to the bottom of the pan. So when the bishop calls her to be homemaking counselor, she knows that it's either a joke - or inspiration.

Welcome to the Paradise Vue Ward, with stained glass windows so blindingly bright that the congregation has to wear shades. Meet the strangest Relief Society presidency ever called - and watch as they discover why the ward needed them, and why they needed these callings.

You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll keep wondering how the author found out about all the wackiest people in your ward.

By page 50, you'll know that Kathryn H. Kidd's Paradise Vue is the funniest Mormon novel ever published. By the end, you may discover that it's also the best.

Official page on publisher's web site.
AML review by Scott Parkin

Return to Paradise

From the publisher's web site:

Gossip is rocking the foundations of the Paradise View Ward, and Amy Hardesty is at the center of it. As the ward newspaper editor, she knows where the bodies are buried - and some of the bodies aren't happy about it. Chief among them is Norma Jean Forrest, who believes her marriage is endangered by the man-hungry Amy, and who will stop at nothing in the quest to keep her hard-won husband. She embarks on a battle to the death to keep her man, with everyone in Paradise View taking sides, and only Amy in unaware that the war is being fought.

Kathryn H, Kidd returns to the best-loved fictional ward in the Church with this long-awaited sequel to Paradise Vue.

AML review by Andrew R. Hall
Official page on publisher's web site.
Available from Deseret Book.

Alphabet Year

From the publisher's web site:

     She just wasn't one of them.
     So why did she ever let herself get involved in this co-op daycare with Lissa and "Fangs"? Lissa has no children of her own and therefore has never made a mistake in child-rearing, while Fangs is the perfect Mormon mother - Relief Society president and practicing physician, with a spotless house and a marvelous sense of humor.
     ...what happens next is funny and full of wry truth. And when Kate Carbine's year of co-op daycare is over, you'll look at the children in your life and be grateful they're only a little bit strange!

Official page on publisher's web site.
Available from Deseret Book
AML Review by Kathleen Dalton-Woodbury

The Innkeeper's Daughter

Novel set in New Testament times about a teenager named Deborah.

Official page on publisher's web site.
Excerpt: Chapter 1

A Convert's Guide to Mormon Life

Published by: Deseret Book
First pub.: 1999
Genre: Non-fiction religious

Kathryn Kidd and her husband, converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, have produced a unique book designed to explain all the practical details about being LDS that the missionaries don't cover in the brief introduction most converts get before joining the Church. The book covers such topics as ward and Church organization, temple preparation, cultural expectations, and callings in detail. A lot of information is presented, but what could have been a rather dry, technical tome is actually made very readable, even fun and interesting, by the Kidds' conversational, personable style.

A Convert's Guide is not intended as a source of doctrinal information. But it is perfect for new (or old) members who want better insight about all the details of how the Church is run on a day-to-day basis, and how they fit into the scheme of things. Although this book is targeted at converts, any members involved in missionary work or who work with new members will want to read this book as well, to help them gain more perspective about the convert's experience. Members often take for granted the vocabulary and lifestyle unique to Latter-day Saints, without realizing how alien it is for most people.

From Richard H. Cracroft's Book Nook column in Brigham Young Magazine:

A Convert's Guide to Mormon Life: A Guidebook for New Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints(Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1998; 364 pp.; $14.95), by Clark L. and Kathryn H. Kidd, is a kind of Mormon Church for Dummies.This fresh, light, and delightful guide to Mormon life, ways, and means guides the just-baptized or newly activated Mormon to a nuts-and-bolts understanding of Mormon life and thought. En route, the Kidds unveil such mysteries as Ward Music Committee, Stake House,and Area Authority Seventiesand answer questions like What does it mean to "advance in the Priesthood"? or What is an "endowment"? or Does anyone ever vote not to sustain someone in a calling? (Note: The Kidds don't touch such sensitive questions as Must the Jell-O salad alwaysbe green?) In 10 interesting chapters and a glossary of terms, the Kidds have fashioned an innovative resource book that makes one ask, "How come no one thought of this before?"

Available from LDSdirect.com
Available from Deseret Book

Food Storage for the Clueless

Published by: Deseret Book
First pub.: 2000
Genre: Non-fiction

Do you know that all canning recipes created before 1988 should be thrown away? Do you know that even though honey can kill toddlers, virtually every other food storage book recommends you store honey for babies as well as adults? Do you know theres a good chance that many of your family members would not be able to digest wheat products even under desperate circumstances? Food Storage for the Clueless is the only book on the market that contains this vital information.

This comprehensive and fun book starts off at square one and takes the reader through every step of becoming a food storage expert. It teaches readers how to preserve foods by canning, freezing, and drying -- or how to accumulate food storage without doing any of these things. Even more important, it teaches readers how to break wasteful habits and design a practical food storage program that works for their family. In fact, this is the only food storage program in existence that demands the inclusion of comfort foods such as chocolate in your food storage inventory.

This humorous and informative book also tells readers all the things not to do if they want a successful food storage program. In addition, it includes recipes that are so tempting readers will want to try them immediately -- and so easy that success will occur on the first attempt. Between the covers of this book is all the information needed to become a food storage professional.

Available from Latter Day Harvest
Available from Deseret Book

A Parent's Survival Guide to the Internet

Published by: Deseret Book
First pub.: 1999
Genre: Non-fiction

Review and article on LDS World website.
Review article by John Scot Denhalter, on LDS.net website
Available from Deseret Book

On My Own and Clueless

Published by: Deseret Book
First pub.: 2000
Genre: Non-fiction

Available from Deseret Book

Publisher Description:
If you're like most people setting out on your own for the first time, you're ready to test your wings. You've been under your parents' protective watch long enough, and you're ready to show the world that you're confident, capable, and in control of your life. You're on top of the world, at least at first. But when one day the toilet clogs, your car breaks down, your roommate stops talking to you, and the check for your rent bounces, might suddenly feel, well, clueless.

In On My Own . . . and Clueless, authors Clark L. and Kathryn H. Kidd not only teach you how to repair your toilet, car, friendship, and bank account, but they also cover most any other catastrophe that may come your way. Including a few anecdotes of what the Kidds got right and packed with examples of their mishaps, this book will help you through the perils of independent life.

But more than a survival guide, On My Own . . . and Clueless shows you how to survive with finesse. You'll learn the tricks to finding the dwelling place of your dreams; you'll find out that cooking can be fun and easy (even for those who have subsisted thus far solely on a diet of cold cereal and French fries); you'll learn how to keep (or gain) good health; you'll discover ways to make money and to stay out of debtor's prison; and you'll uncover keys to growing mentally, socially, and spiritually.

As the authors wisely observe, "Although there are a few crocodiles in this pond called life, you can avoid most of them with the proper training and preparation." With any luck, ten years from now you'll back and say, "Duh!" to most of this stuff, but for now, On My Own . . . and Clueless is indispensable.