Books – Page 16 – Finding My Wings

History, One Character at a Time: Nonfiction

Flyover commemorating the 70th anniversary of VE Day, May 8, 2015. View from the grounds of the Washington Monument.

Seventy years ago on May 8, 1945, the European portion of World War II finally came to an end. By the time I was in a high school history class, twenty-five years later, the presentation of this period was relegated to a series of alliances and dates. That the fathers of classmates were genuine heroes was never mentioned – they moved on to start careers and build families. Others’ parents, grandparents and relatives had fled Europe as the Nazis rose. Some came to the US after the war, bearing emotional and physical scars. That, too, remained unspoken for the most part except possibly in whispers outside the earshot of the children.

So I admit with some embarrassment that it has taken me decades to develop a richer understanding of this period, with all its complexities. The lengthy enumeration of dates and battles that marks many a history tome was a real turn off. It’s the explosion of character-driven historical narratives and well-researched historical fiction that have piqued my curiosity. Continue reading History, One Character at a Time: Nonfiction

A look at “The People of Forever Are Not Afraid”

There was a buzz when Shani Boianjiu’s debut novel, The People of Forever Are Not Afraid, was published in September, 2012. Israeli born and raised, Boianjiu completed high school at Exeter Academy and attended Harvard after serving her Israel Defense Forces (IDF) commitment. Written in English, the book was quickly translated into 22 languages. What is it about the story that created such international interest? Continue reading A look at “The People of Forever Are Not Afraid”

My To-Be-Read Pile Has More Than 32 Flavors

(This is part of my Blogging101 education. Thanks for learning with me!)

For some, running the table of a beloved author’s titles is a great tribute and accomplishment. I tried that strategy with the Nancy Drew books only to realize that the more I read, the more appeared in the stores. Just as I enjoy trying new local foods when I travel, I strive to expand my reading horizons by sampling the “32 Flavors of Reading.” Now, I haven’t actually counted the genres or categories of titles I have on my shelves but here are a sample of some of the groupings not found in most bookstores:

Mysteries by local authors in places I’ve visited
Writers on reading (memoir or commentary)
Cookbooks with cultural narratives
Histories that read like literature
Re-tellings of classic stories in different cultural settings
Contemporaneously written novels of countries in the midst of war

While I may initially pigeon-hole a book, many end up in very unexpected categories after talking with others about them. I’m fortunate to have spoke to some authors about their books. It turns out they are often surprised by the insights readers have about their characters and their motivations. Books provide endless opportunities to read between the lines and recalibrate my outlook.

What does your list look like?

Coming to a (small) screen near you! Part 2 – The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman

Getting a chance to read an upcoming title before the critics have weighed in is a real treat. I was fortunate to snag a copy of Alice Hoffman’s The Dovekeepers the summer before its publication in 2011. Hoffman imagines the final days of the 900 person Jewish community on the mountain top of Masada in 70 CE as the Romans came to destroy them. Told through the eyes of four strong women, it is a novel of personal challenges, love and magic – all traits that run through much of Hoffman’s work. The only contemporaneous account of the tragic destruction of the community was by Josephus, and that has been called into question by many scholars.

I loved the pacing of the book and its ties to the changing seasons and natural elements. I could feel the dry heat of the mountain and the dust on my feet as I read. Each of the women had a distinctive voice and look that stayed with me throughout the novel. Magical realism doesn’t usually carry me away but I was prepared to stay on the journey to follow the story to its end. A long read, it is worth the effort. It is nice to have an earthbound story completely different in time and setting with very strong female characters.

On March 31 and April 1 (right before Passover and Easter) CBS will show a version of the The Dovekeepers. Having watched the trailer it’s clear it will differ quite a bit from the book. So what’s a reader to do? Well, if you’ve had The Dovekeepers on your to-be-read (TBR) pile, I’d get cracking. Once you’ve seen a director’s take on a book it can be difficult to create your own mental imagery, even if the plot lines and characters don’t match up. Roma Downey of Touched by An Angel and The Bible fame brings a very definite perspective to her work, one very different from that of the author.

So, will I watch The Dovekeepers on TV? Well, my guess is it will be on in the background as I prepare my kitchen for the upcoming holiday. Having watched the trailer, I’m glad the actors aren’t all speaking upper crust Victorian English. Imagination can only take me so far.

Interested in Part 1 – The Book of Negroes/Someone Knows My Name? Find it here!

Oh, so what are you reading?

It used to be so simple. Hardback or paperback. Own or borrow or library copy. Not so easy anymore. Next week a book group I coordinate will be discussing The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure (Sourcebooks Landmark). A friend asked to borrow a paper copy, which I used to have. It had long since been loaned out and then replaced with an ebook before another discussion in January (see post) since my “real” copy had never made it back home and the library continues to have a substantial waiting list .

I take great pleasure in matching up readers with books. Continue reading Oh, so what are you reading?

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