Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler (Migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Isabelle, an elderly white woman, has befriended her hairdresser, a younger black woman named Dorrie.  They have fallen into a comfortable routine, a weekly visit by Dorrie to Isabelle’s home, for Dorrie to fix Isabelle’s hair and truly to check in on her.  But even Dorrie is surprised when Isabelle asks Dorrie to accompany her on a mysterious journey to Isabelle’s hometown for a funeral. Dorrie embraces this opportunity to take a brief hiatus from her own family troubles, and she drops everything to help out Isabelle, Through their journey, they each share their own stories and the two come to understand each other in a deeper, almost mother/daughter way that truly tugged at my heart.

The story, almost prophetic in its timing, is about race and racism and in its tender way shows how while many things have changed over the years, many things have unfortunately remained the same in terms of black-white relations.  The women in this story defy the stereotypes and are so beautifully and realistically depicted that you can’t help falling in love with them both.  It is just remarkable to me that this is this author’s debut novel — I can’t wait to read her next!

My favorite part is the ending.  Not only is there a build up of suspense and a definite twist, but the author also finishes the novel.  All the pieces are wrapped up neatly in an incredibly satisfying, albeit sad, way.  It’s really a beautiful story.

Highly, highly recommend this book – and can’t wait to discuss it in our book club!

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

This story very insidiously burrows its way under your skin and you cannot shake it off until you reach the end.  There is an eeriness about each character and a tension that is so taught that it grips your heart as you read through.  At the same time, you cannot help but feel a tenderness for each of the characters and it paints each in a human light, that is neither good nor bad, but very, very human.

It is the story of two main characters who are unconnected and wind their way toward each other in a most circuitous way.  One is Marie-Laure, the young, blind daughter of the locksmith for the natural history museum of Paris, just before the German occupation of WWII.  The second is a young German orphan named Werner, who is mesmerized by radios and sees his curiosity and natural ability in engineering as his ticket out of his small, mining village.  The story bounces back and forth between the two, and keeps the reader absolutely on the edge of her seat.  It is almost impossible to put down, actually.

While this is yet another book about WWII, it is a very different perspective on it.  There is very little about the treatment of Jews; rather, the focus is mainly on the effect of the German occupation of France.  In addition, there is also the struggle between the ideas of bad and good, and the idea that  “bad” can be defined as not doing good.  Werner, in particular, struggles with this in a vivid way.

This is a heart-wrenching story but a beautifully written one that I would heartily recommend!

 

The Light Between Oceans by ML Stedman (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

This is a beautiful, heart-wrenching story that I would highly recommend for all comers.  Tom, the attendant for a lighthouse on a tiny, deserted island off the coast of Australia, and Isabel, his wife, discover a boat with a dead man and a tiny, crying baby washed up on the island’s shore.  Isabel, who has suffered recent miscarriages, desperately wants to hold onto this baby, to whom she bonds instantaneously.  Tom, a decorated war veteran and one who lives by the structure of rules, feels he must report the arrival of these two strangers.  Their decision at this pivotal moment defines the trajectory of the rest of their lives.

The writing in this book is stunning.  Each character is drawn so tenderly that you can’t help but feel empathetic toward each one.  And because each one is so dear, you feel absolutely torn by the ethical dilemma presented by the situation.  As time goes on, life gets more and more complicated and the story builds to an emotional, twisted crescendo and I for one could not put the book down.

Loved this story, loved the writing — definitely another must-read!

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Ifemelu is a young Nigerian woman who, after 15 years in the U.S. is making her way back home to Nigeria.  She has always been outspoken and has found blogging to be a surprisingly lucrative outlet for her poignant observations and strong opinions about race and racism here.  Something is missing, though, and she finds that she cannot deny her urge to return home to Nigeria.  As she prepares to leave, she arranges to get her hair braided and as she does she reminisces to herself about the significant relationships in her life — the love of her life Obinze, her other romantic explorations, her Aunty Uju and her dear nephew Dike — and it seems to fortify her for her journey home.

This is an elegantly written book with a lot of content.  It is a story about life in Nigeria; the struggle of the immigrant in a foreign land; and class, gender and race relations and tensions — I felt that I learned a lot about Nigerian culture and life there.  Ifemelu is also an exceedingly honest, blunt character who gives voice to the idea that racism has not been conquered but rather there is a pervasive anger that it exists at all.   Her character gives a sympathetic means of expressing these ideas and you can see from where they emanate.   The story is also overwhelmingly a love story, with a romantic tension that stretches through the whole book.   In this there is a universality about the book that any reader can relate to.

I think this is a beautiful story that has enormous weight and depth to it.  It is long, but each page is full of meaning.

 

A Walk Across the Sun by Corban Addison (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

For a long time I put off reading this book…  The topic here, sex trafficking of minors, is not for the feint of heart.  Or for anyone with a heart, really.  On the other hand, it’s probably one of the most important topics we could be reading about.  It is a billion-dollar, world-wide nightmare for millions of underaged, vulnerable children and women and we need to understand the problem fully.

This also happens to be an incredible book.  The story is about 2 Indian sisters, Ahalya and Sita, who, after a tsunami has drowned their whole immediate family, are kidnapped and sold into slavery.  Meanwhile, Thomas, an American lawyer who is going through his own emotional crisis, is sucked into the sisters’ plight and plunges through a fight to save them.

There is utter suspense, there are twists and turns, and there is an emotional roller coaster the reader rides on that makes it absolutely impossible to put this book down.  Furthermore, I have to admit that a book has not made me sob like this one did in quite a long time.

It’s an important book for all of us to read and I’m glad I finally did.  Now we have to see what we can do to end this hideous crime!

The Street Sweeper by Elliot Perlman

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

This book is absolutely intriguing.  It begins as a story about a few vastly different characters in different situations in even different time periods who, over time, come together in a cleverly knitted plot.  One beloved character is an African-American man who because of poor luck and lack of resources ends up in jail in spite of truly being innocent, and after he comes out, all he wants to do is make good so that he can find the daughter he hasn’t seen since she was 2.  Another character is a the son of a Jewish lawyer who was very involved in the civil rights movement who is himself trying to revive his failing career as a history professor at Columbia.  A third main character is an elderly Jewish man who is a Holocaust survivor who is a patient at Sloan Kettering.  Each story gradually winds its way around the other to come together in a beautiful denouement.

The writing is interesting as well.  There is a lot of repetition of an almost musical style.  In going back and forth between the characters and the story line, this is not only helpful but it also feels also like a refrain in a song or a poem.  It is almost as if each character cannot believe s/he is who or where s/he is and needs reminding of what is happening.  Occasionally the repetition is more than is necessary, bit it is certainly unique.

I will say that as many books as I’ve read about the Holocaust, this has some of the most graphic descriptions of the death camps that I’ve encountered.  There are vivid details of the gas chambers and the crematoria such that this book is not for the feint of heart.  That said, it is also inspiring and uplifting in its own way as well.

I highly recommend this book both for its literary and historical beauty!

 

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.

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 Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

This book grabs hold of you right from the first word and does not let go of you until the last.  Theo Drecker has been raised primarily by his mother, as his father, an alcoholic, has abandoned them.  So when his mother is suddenly killed in an act of terrorism, Theo’s life is completely upended.  The trajectory of his life goes into twists and turns that are often sad, occasionally shocking, and always riveting.

The writing in this book is so detailed and realistic that you feel it must be autobiographical (but of course, it is far from that), but it is descriptive without being overly ornate.  The story is also utterly tragic, but the characters do not wallow in their tragedy–  they trudge through it and the story moves on with persistent force.  The characters are genuine and complex, with charm and humanity and frailties that make them utterly real.  And you love and hate and empathize with these characters just as Theo does.  It feels like Theo himself becomes an actual person.

At the end of the book, Theo waxes somewhat poetic and philosophical as he reflects on his experiences.  I rarely quote the books I read but I can’t help quoting this:

“… That life — whatever else it is — is short.  That fate is cruel but maybe not random.  That Nature (meaning Death) always wins but that doesn’t mean we have to bow and grovel to it. That maybe even if we’re not always so glad to be here, it is our task to immerse ourselves anyway: wade straight through it, right through the cesspool, while keeping eyes and hearts open.  And in the midst of our dying, as we rise from the organic and sink back ignominiously into the organic, it is a glory and a privilege to love what Death doesn’t touch.”*

Evidently, this book, too, is being made into a movie (by the team that has produced The Hunger Games, no less).  So hurry and read this quick before the movie comes out!  Because as you know, the book is always better!

*This quote refers to Theo’s love of beautiful things, especially his love for a particular painting which is critical to the story line.  But I think it can be applied to almost anything we love.

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!