The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

This very suspenseful novel celebrates the many gentiles who sacrificed their security and sometimes their lives in order to hide Jews during the second World War.  This fictitious gentile, an architect named Lucien, was initially engaged by a man named Manet, to design unusual hiding places for Jews in various residences in and around Paris.  Manet outwardly managed construction projects for the Germans during their occupation of France, but simultaneously and secretly worked tirelessly to save innocent Jews from the Germans.  Lucien was initially enticed mainly by the glory and the money of the large German construction projects and resented having to go along with the smaller although still strategically challenging projects for the Jews.  However, as the story unfolds, this changes and his anger with the Germans mounts and he becomes emboldened by what he is able to accomplish.

While the writing in this book is not flowery or beautiful in any way, the story is told with frank boldness.   The crudeness of the writing I believe is trying to match the crudeness of the characters and while it lessens the quality of the book it does get a point across.  That said, there are a lot of unexpected turns to the story and suspense does gradually build and build to the point that I was truly unable to put the book down.

I think there is a lot of historical significance to this book as there are not too many stories that involve the French perspective on WWII.  In light of the current surge in anti-semitism in France, this is a timely novel.

I Always Loved You by Robin Oliveira (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

This is a really interesting story about the relationship that both intrigued and tortured the artists, Mary Cassatt and Edgar Degas.  While each of them battles their own internal cravings to achieve greatness as artists, they also battle each other, their critics, and often the other artists that surround them.  The setting is, of course, Paris in the later 1800’s, when the Impressionists were also doing battle with the infamous Salon, which shunned them.  And the strain of all of these battles comes through and affects all of them in their own way.

There is also the theme of the battle between art and love; that is, the artists struggle to determine whether the two are interdependent or mutually exclusive.  For Degas, especially, it is a constant strain. In this, he differs greatly with Mary Cassatt and it seems as if this is the essence of their difficulty.

It’s a fun read, especially if you love the Impressionists as I always have.  To feel you know a little more of their lives brings their paintings even more to life.  I can’t wait to get back to the Met now!

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Wow!  This artistically written book begins in the early 1800’s in Charleston, as Sarah, at her 11th birthday, is presented with the gift of her own slave, Handful.  Repulsed even at this young age at the thought of owning another human being, she commits her first radical act by attempting to grant Handful her freedom.  Thwarted by her family and by the entire culture of the South of that time, Sarah is unable to accomplish this, but her desire remains steadfast.  As she grows, so do her beliefs in the evils of slavery.  Likewise, Handful, inspired by her very tough “mauma” Charlotte (a rebellious, inspired, and complex character in her own right), has the urge that she must be destined for something better than remaining the chattel of another.  She, too, has an independent spirit and she reaches out to achieve more.  As their lives unfold, both Sarah and Handful remain tied by their past experiences and united in their pursuits of breaking from their past.

The writing in this book is stunning.  As the narrative voice changes back and forth from that of Sarah to that of Handful, the story is enriched by the telling from both of their perspectives.  There is stark imagery and a spiritual and spirit-ful undertone that winds through this tale.  Religion and the Bible are frequently discussed as the author strives to depict the hypocritical use of the Bible to promote slavery and its evils.  But it is hard to depart from your home and your history and Sarah struggles with this.  It appears that both Sarah and Handful are slaves to their respective societies until they are able to break through in their own ways.

Their lives are full of great sadness, but of great hope as well.  This is a beautiful story that no one should miss!

The House Girl by Tara Conklin (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

This very complex story intertwines 2 stories: one story of a slave, Josephine (the “house girl”), who is seeking escape in the years just before the Civil War, and the second the story of Carolina, a young lawyer in NYC today who is working on a case seeking restitution for slavery.  They come together because Josephine was also an artist, who assisted her owner in paintings that would later be acknowledged as sophisticated works of art for which only her owner received credit.  As Carolina uncovers Josephine’s story, she also learns a great deal about herself and her own history.

While this story is engaging and important in its details, it is somewhat lacking in depth and character development.  The reader definitely feels a sympathy for both of them, but there is a lack of real personality to both of the main characters.  They each have little to say in spite of the complexity of their respective situations.  (The one character that really has “heart” is one who is revealed late in the book via a letter he writes telling the final story.  This is, in my opinion, the best part of the book!)  I think it is here where this book falls slightly short.

It is a worthwhile read, though, for the historical perspective and for the questions of right and wrong which this story raises.  I’d love to hear what others think…!

City of Thieves by David Benioff (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

This is one of those great books that keep you up reading into the wee hours, while that little voice in your head keeps telling you that you will regret it in the morning.  But you won’t regret any minute of this book no matter when you read it.

In this book, Benioff tells the story of Lev (Benioff’s grandfather) and Kolya, an unlikely pair who are set upon a mission by a Russian colonel to find a dozen eggs in a city where none can be found — in Leningrad during its siege in the second World War.  The characters are beautifully developed; as they divulge their talents and passions to each other, they become more and more human and endearing to the reader as well.  The reader feels their hunger and the cold along with them and endures the horrors of their journey as they do.  But the reader also laughs along with their jokes and their sarcasm as they themselves see the insanity and inhumanity of their quest.

The reader even grows as they do, being enriched by the beautiful language and quotable wisdom on every page of this story.

Definitely one of the best books I’ve read so far!

 

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

It is great, once in awhile, to return to the classics.  There is definitely a reason why a book becomes a “classic” and this book is the perfect example of this.  It is actually tragic that Harper Lee never wrote any other book — although I guess when you win the Pulitzer, there’s too much expectation and therefore pressure to write anything further.  I’d certainly be intimidated…

But back to this book.  Bottom line…  if you’ve never read this book (and even if you’ve seen the movie), this is an absolutely must-read.  It is a simply-told, but deeply emotional story of Scout, a young girl growing up in a small town in Alabama in the 1930’s, who watches her father get involved in defending a black man accused of raping a white girl.  Her father, Atticus, one of the most understated, yet bravest fictional characters of all time, in my opinion.  He is both gently honest and honorable, and in a time when black and white were hideously divided, he was ethically colorblind.  Furthermore, Atticus showed his children (both Scout and her older brother, Jem) not only that anyone of any color mattered, but also those who were outcasts but did no one else any wrong, also mattered.  And his children learned by his example, as seen in particular, by the subtle development of Jem.

This book is sheer excellence.  I am so glad I read it again.  Do yourself a favor and do the same!

Easter Island by Jennifer Venderbes (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

This is a very intricately woven book with essentially 2 story lines that ultimately converge.  One is the story of Elsa, trapped by the circumstance of her father’s death in 1912 and her need to care for her developmentally odd sister and finding herself ultimately married to her father’s research disciple.  Her new husband takes Elsa and her sister on a journey to Easter Island, a remote, tiny island east of the coast of Chile, to study the history and culture of the people there.  The second story is the modern day tale of Greer, a botany researcher whose husband has recently died under unusual circumstances, who in search of a way to cope and to move on with her own life and her own project, comes also to Easter Island.  As both women study the unusual island and its people, they both stumble upon similar findings, even as they both learn a lot about themselves.

Both stories are well-told and build in momentum as the stories unfold.  The history that is knitted into the stories ultimately bind the two together, as does the science that is studied.  There are a lot of scientific details that are described — perhaps even too much even for me — although it is an essential part of the plot.  But I actually do like how the science is so closely tied to what is learned by both women and how science actually illuminates the history of the island.  It brings the laboratory to the real world, so to speak.

This is a very different book, at least for me, and I enjoyed all that I learned from it.

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Ursula, the main character in this novel, gets what many of us would love — a chance to live her life over.  It is a very interesting premise, getting to start over and reaching different junctures in your life and then either dying or reliving your life again from those junctures. She has a vague feeling of deja vu during some of her life but she is generally not aware of having lived before.  No one around her, save a singular psychiatrist whom she consults has an inkling of what is taking place in her mind.

More interestingly, Ursula lives through both World Wars.  Born in England, she lives through the eye of the storm of the wars and is very personally involved, whether herself or her family members.  As she sees the mistakes made by the various players, she contemplates often what would have happened had Hitler, for example, not been born or not have arisen to power or had been stopped in his pursuit of power earlier.  This is the bane of her existence and she fights it and fights it throughout her life/lives.

The book is extremely well-written and the idea is creative and bold.  Unfortunately, it does become repetitive.  That’s the point, of course, but for the reader, it borders on tedious, even though many of the lives are quite divergent.  It does bring home the idea, though, that a single event in one’s life can impact not only the trajectory of that life but that of many, many others as well.

Much to think about!

 

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

I gave up somewhere around page 50!  I never do this but I just could not find any enjoyment out of this book whatsoever.   This documentary-style fictional novel is based on a murder mystery surrounding the Chicago World’s Fair.  Somewhere in there might be a good story, but it was buried so deeply in minutia that I couldn’t unearth it.

If anybody does, please let me know!

Home by Toni Morrison (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

This very quick read is profound in its simplicity.  It is the story of a black veteran of the Korean War named Frank Money, who has returned to the U.S. emotionally scarred.  Suddenly he is called back to his home town because his younger sister is in danger.  As he makes his way to rescue her, both his story and hers are divulged.

There are 2 voices used to tell the story.  While most of the story is a narrative, the beginning of each chapter starts with a short passage that is coming from Frank himself, as if interviewed for the story.  It is these intro sections that really get to the heart of who Frank is; it’s a very powerful effect, making Frank more human and real.

You also can’t help loving the relationship between Frank and his sister, Cee.  It’s a sad, beautiful love they have for each other.  During their difficult childhoods, they really only had each other, Frank always being the protector.  As the story unfolds, there is a shift in their relationship to balance it out a bit.  Lots of growth from a traumatic experience…

This would be another great book to read in an English class — there would be a great deal to discuss in these few but intense pages!