Hindsight is a wonderful thing. If we could look ahead 15 years to view the results of our actions, we could avoid so many disastrous events. Monday morning quarterbacking would not exist if we could only make judgments based on foreknowledge. Those were my first thoughts as I began this book. If only we had seen the very height of the stock market foretelling the eventual crash of ’29, the success of Hitler against all odds in the 30’s because the timing was right, because people were being played like pawns and falling for his grandiose speeches, grabbing at any pipe dream that might make their lives easier, seeking solutions outside themselves, the dangers of eugenics. If only we had seen the duplicity of the Japanese government as it engaged in peace talks and plotted our destruction, seen also the beginning of the seeds of socialism which would eventually lead to the debacle we are experiencing today, led there by the glib tongue of another possible narcissist and politician who was worshiped as a savior, then later proven to have clay feet. We had warning signs. We didn’t heed them then,
This book is about a tragedy that befell our heroes in the events surrounding World War II. It is about, in particular, one such hero and survivor …Louis Zamperini. Born in 1917, with an indomitable spirit which showed itself when he was just a toddler, his headstrong and incorrible behavior led him onward. Committing various illegal acts , he raced through life, flying in the face of rules and defying regulations until one day, after many failed trials and errors, with the help of his brother Pete, he awoke to the joy of running and racing competitively, eventually competing in the Olympics in Germany with Jesse Owens. It must have been that wild spirit refusing to cave and never say uncle, that probably gave him the courage and fortitude to survive.

Once, the Bergamots were the darlings of the Manhattan jet set. Transplanted there by virtue of a job offer, Richard Bergamot could not refuse, they packed up and left their happy, small town, suburban lifestyle for the fast pace of the city and a future of financial triumphs. Richard loved his new job. Liz loved her new found lifestyle of the “rich and famous”. She gave up her ambitions in favor of her husband’s achievements. Both have Ph.D’s. Both appear to be interested first, in the world of Botox and vacations, rather than their children. They live in Charles Murray’s bubble world of the established, mixing primarily with their own kind and moving in their own circle of comfort and prosperity.
Regarding the move, there is no evidence that the needs, or effect of the move on the children, were given much consideration. This move would provide them all with many creature comforts and advantages which would make the move worthwhile. The subtle side effects of this move on their behavior, after being uprooted and placed in a cauldron of anonymity, so different from the warmth and community of their old neighborhood is largely ignored. Everyone is too busy enjoying the lifestyle. Then suddenly, in the midst of all this affluence, their son makes a tragic error of judgment.
This is not a wonderful piece of literature but this book will give rise to many discussions on cyber-bullying, arrogance, the internet, political correctness, diversity, “blending” of cultures, class advantages or disadvantages, the lack of rules and proper discipline in modern homes, the effects of neglect and lack of parental involvement, the dangers wrought by too much money and the dangers wrought by the lack of it.
I think this book is more important as a tool for discussion than for scholarship. If it leads to meaningful conversation and solutions to the failures of our current society, current parenting issues and juvenile behavior or lack thereof, it will be very worthwhile.

A thirteen year old boy is faced with a tremendous burden when his mom is raped and brutally beaten. Forced to grow up, he is not satisfied with the existing justice system, and he wants revenge. He is really not mature enough to understand the consequences of actions and he reacts mostly with emotion to all stimuli. He simply understands that his mom cannot recover with the monster still at lodge, so he launches his own private investigation into the crime.
A member of the Ojibwe tribe, Joe soon learns from his father, a judge, how the justice system works when there is a dispute over jurisdiction between the Federal Government and an American Indian Tribe, regarding on whose territory the crime took place. There are many intertwining themes around the main one of the rape. Punishment, or the lack thereof, for many infractions, is investigated. Throughout, we are voyeurs into the lives of young teenage boys as their hormones awaken and new thoughts and desires stir within them, which are very often inappropriate. The contrast between the rape of Joe’s mother and the love between Joe’s friend Cappy and Zelia, however ill-advised, is stark. One is an act of anger and revulsion and the other, an act of gentleness and devotion. Perhaps another theme is about the wounds we all suffer, great and small, and how we learn to cope with them and go on. Some wounds are physical and some emotional, but they are all painful and difficult to conquer. The second in a planned series of three, the book can stand alone, even though the main characters from the first, do reappear.
The book is written in an easy conversational style, very matter of fact, even when horrible things are being discussed. There is no real tension created, rather it is just a story being narrated and we witness it each day. Yet, despite the lack of fanfare and flourish, the message is immeasurable.
We learn that at 13, although Joe is too young to handle the weight on his shoulders, he proceeds to tackle a very adult problem. Along the way his decisions are sometimes unwise and foolhardy and the people he turns to less than perfect.
Occasionally, a Native American Indian word or term was used, with no real explanation, and sometimes I was not able to get the gist of it from the surrounding sentences. Nevertheless, the book is very enlightening when it comes to issues on the reservation.
The reader is forced to consider many questions. Are the Indians being treated fairly? Isn’t a crime, simply a crime, regardless of where it occurred? Should the heritage of the criminal and/or victim be of any consequence? One would think not, but the whole story almost silently and subtly screams about and revolves around, the issue of jurisdiction. There is the ever present fear that the criminal will go free to continue a life of crime, and justice will not be served.
Based on true life experiences, the book is nevertheless made up out of whole cloth, according to the author. The underlying current, concerning the unfair treatment of the Native American Indian is very well handled, gently, so as not to make anyone unduly angry, but also wisely, and thoroughly, in order to educate and explain the circumstances governing the two worlds. Joe’s Mooshum reveals bits and pieces of Indian lore in his dreams and while it is the stuff of fantasy, it opens a window onto the culture of the North Dakota tribe.
I wondered why the Indians seemed largely stereotyped as a group of drinkers, sex crazed, largely unemployed, even crude, foolish and dishonest, who were still being preyed upon by unscrupulous white men. Surely, this was not the author’s intent, and perhaps in the next book, Joe’s life as an adult will be expanded upon and a different, broader view of Indian accomplishments will be discovered.
As a point of interest, the theme of this book is currently (in the year 2013) being discussed by Congress as they consider a law, the Violence Against Women Act, which contains a provision about the jurisdiction of those crimes on Indian land.

Located on Janus Rock, off the coast of Australia, there is a place with neither a future nor a past; it is a lighthouse situated between two oceans; its sole purpose is to provide safety for the maritime world. At this lighthouse, lives the keeper, Tom Sherbourne, a man preferring solitude, mentally scarred by war, and his wife, Isabel (Izzy Bella), a bit younger, who loves to play at life and wants only to share in his, on this remote piece of lonely land. There, one day, they will make a momentous decision that will alter the lives of many.
This is such a tender story of devotion and loyalty, of the consequences of decisions once made that cannot be retracted, of mistakes that cannot be erased. Beautifully written, the reader is on the island with the lighthouse, on the rocky shore and the beachfront, climbing up and trudging down the slopes and stairs, experiencing both the magic and desperate moments of Isabel and Tom Sherbourne’s lives. Sadness is often their companion as Isabel cannot hold a child, although she is frequently pregnant. Then, suddenly, one day, they are both startled to hear the sound of a child crying. They discover a small boat has washed up on their shore. Hidden beneath a shawl is an infant, but quite visible, is a man who is no longer present in this world.
Just having borne a stillborn child, Izzy is bereft and prevails upon her husband, begging him not to report this discovery too soon, as he is legally bound to do. Her whole demeanor changes with the presence of the child. Think about it, she advises, for the safety of the child. He is swayed by her desperation and relents for a night, and then another and then another. Thus begins a tale of heartbreak with dreadful consequences.
Tormented by what they have done, Tom deliberates his choices to put things right again. Is it even possible? Is there another mother out there pining for her child and her husband or did she drown when they sailed away in the small boat? Would the child’s ultimate fate truly have been an orphanage as Izzy insisted? Did this surprise gift of happiness for one woman, bring destruction and chaos to another’s life? Tom is tormented by these thoughts. What have they done? How can they make it right? Is Tom doing the right thing giving Izzy her way in this, or is he being weak? Is he simply overwhelmingly devoted and blinded by love? Is the mother’s loss of her husband and child, as great as, or greater than, their loss of their unborn children? Both of them, Isabel and Tom, have suffered so much loss within their own families.
When Lucy is christened, they discover that a monument to an infant and father, who went missing in a boat two years prior, had recently been erected. When, Bluey, one of the more simple-minded men, who delivers supplies to the lighthouse where they live, tells his mom that he thinks the missing baby might be living at Janus Light, because of a distinctive rattle he once noticed there, his mother is overcome with greed and marches straight to the police station without thinking of anything but the reward. Each of the people involved had their own secrets, each told their own lies or kept silent, some to protect, some to harm others, but none but one or two aimed to get at the truth and heal the pain. Evil does not often live in the one you most suspect, but rather in the one that quietly plans the mischief. Does the reason for doing something wrong, perhaps out of love or hate, change the painful outcome or even possibly make it legitimate?
The writing style is very inviting and the characters are drawn carefully, with great detail, slowly, though, so they fully develop over time. The reader gets to know the two main characters very well and participates in their special story of love and loss. How will this disastrous dilemma end? You will have to read it to find out. This is a heartbreaking tale, worth every page of the read. It will be hard to put it down and harder still to continue to read it. The subject matter will reach into your core and the sharpness of the pain each character feels, will be your own. For a first novel, this has truly succeeded.

It is 1922, Cora Carlisle, happily married in Wichita, but facing an empty nest, decides to be a chaperone for 15 year old Louise Brooks on her trip to New York City, where she will study with a renowned dance teacher for the summer. Cora’s husband, Alan, prefers that she doesn’t go; but he gives his consent. Louise Brooks is hoping to be invited to join the dance company so she may continue to train for a professional life.
The book begins during the time of prohibition, of racial prejudice and inequality, of homophobia, and of rigid rules governing women’s behavior. Their dress is prim, they don’t smoke in public, they rarely work and if financially able, they entertain themselves doing charity work, needlework, raising a family and maintaining their homes.
Louise is the daughter of a not very maternal mother, who would have preferred no children and would like to live vicariously through her daughter, and a father who often mocks her achievements. Although she is young, intelligent and an accomplished dancer, she is also willful, defiant, disobedient and promiscuous.
Cora was an orphan. She was brought up by nuns for the first few years of her life under strict and rigid guidance. When she is taken from the orphanage and sent to Ohio by the Children’s Aid Society, she begins a new life, with a loving family. When a dreadful accident takes her new parents from her, she is once again set adrift, but by now, she is a teenager and capable of being on her own. A lawyer comes to her aid, pro bono, when her ability to inherit is questioned by the other children from her adoptive father’s former marriage. Alan Carlisle not only helps her get what is rightfully hers, but he marries her, as well. His family embraces her despite her uncertain past and heritage, but requests that it be kept secret. Cora soon learns that her relationship with her husband will be a challenging one.
On the train trip to New York, chaperoning Louise, Cora is immediately put to the test. Louise disobeys her and sneaks off. Cora tries to be amenable, not judgmental, but her patience is often tried on this trip and on their brief stay in New York. Louise likes to push the envelope and her lack of prudence will often do her in and have a negative effect on her future life.
When she gets to New York, in addition to chaperoning Louise, Cora wants to try and find her roots. She knows nothing of her family. When she visits the orphanage where she spent her early years, The Home for Friendless Girls, to try and find out information about her background, she meets the German handyman, Joseph. Because of circumstances beyond his control, Joseph finds himself penniless, and he and his daughter now live in the same orphanage, where he works in exchange for his and her room and board.
While in New York, Cora learns far more from Louise’s willfulness than Louise learns from Cora’s rigid rules. Louise’s openness exposes Cora’s mind to a different world, including the freedom of the city and a more independent lifestyle. Although she is shocked by Louise’s behavior, she is also thrilled by the new things she is discovering.
When Louise is accepted by the studio and leaves to study dance more seriously, Cora returns home to Wichita. She brings with her, two guests, Joseph and his daughter Greta. He is supposedly her long, lost widower brother and her young niece.
The nine plus decades we travel with Cora are filled with enlightenment and change. Her children grow up, another war occurs, love blossoms in the strangest of places, racial equality improves, homophobia is no longer acceptable, prohibition ends, birth control becomes common place and strict rules of morality are reversed.
The novel, based on the very real life of the beautiful Mary Louise Brooks, an accomplished dancer and movie star, almost feels like a coming of age story for Cora, the very sheltered adult, not Louise, who has been exposed to far too much abuse and far too little attention and guidance, as she takes pleasure in moving beyond accepted limits. Perhaps it is also the coming of age story of a town, a country and a people, learning how to be more humane; perhaps it is even the coming of age story of the world, as it opens up and begins to accept more equality for all.

This novel is a trip down memory lane for anyone of a certain age. Two wars are being fought at the same time; one is in Europe and the Pacific where World War II is raging and the other is in the Jewish neighborhood of Weequahic, in Newark, New Jersey, where a polio epidemic is raging. Neither war will end well. Is the story ultimately about how we face a crisis and go forward into our future? Is it about control, who does and who does not have it in the face of tragedy? Is it about unfounded, unrealistic guilt and shame? Is it about the Jewish experience or the experience of everyman?
Two characters, the narrator and the protagonist, each were afflicted with polio and its after effects, but both face their futures in different ways. One character takes control of his life and masters it; one relinquishes control, wallows in self recrimination, railing at G-d about the life he has been given, somehow always feeling like he has missed out and always wanting more. He is too short, his eyesight is too poor, his background is wanting, and when he was rejected from the armed forces, branded 4F, he was devastated. He is not easily satisfied, and in fact, always finds the negative and disappointment in a given situation, rather than the silver lining.
During the summer of 1944, Eugene Cantor is the Director of Playgrounds; he loves his job. He is a Physical Education teacher and he really enjoys being with the children. He wants to mentor them, to help them become strong and principled. He is in love with a teacher from a wonderful family and life is going well for him, even though he feels a bit like he is always behind the eight ball, a bit short changed in the game of life.
He was raised by his grandparents; his mother died in childbirth and his father was a thief. He carried the shame of his crime within himself. Did he also carry the guilt for the death of his mother? His grandfather always emphasized hard work, strength of character and always doing the right thing. Although devoted to them both, his grandfather became his role model. Perhaps he also instilled that feeling of guilt within him, that he carried his entire life. Growing up, he always missed the atmosphere of what he considered a normal family, one with both parents offering encouragement and love. Even though he acknowledged the great love his grandparents shared with him, he hungered for what he did not have. This becomes a pattern for him. He always sees the dark side. Does he transfer that feeling of guilt onto every other aspect of his life, always making his burden a bit heavier?
The story proceeds along innocently enough, at first, but the pace picks up as you realize the fear the community is living with on a daily basis because of the war and the polio epidemic. Who will get a telegram about their son, whose child will come down with polio? No one knows, and furthermore, no one has any control over either which makes them even more impotent and afraid. There was a good deal of irrational fear as they waited for the next shoe to drop, the next victim to fall, always anticipating the next tragedy.
The book is narrated by Arnold Mesnikoff who is more than a decade younger than Eugene. He plays in the playground’s baseball games which Eugene (Bucky Cantor) organizes during that fateful summer of 1944. At the end of the book, the effect of those early dual wars is illuminated by the chance meeting of the two men, about three decades later. Each of them reacted to the events of that summer in their own unique way. The different roads they chose determined the lives they led and the obstacles they faced. Each had to face a challenge. Would they meet it with courage and strength or surrender to a different destiny?
Although the book is about a small Jewish enclave in New Jersey, anyone growing up in that time can't help but feel nostalgic. Although it was more than a decade later, I remember the same atmosphere: the air raid drills, air raid siren tests, polio scares, anti-Semitism, rivalry between Jews and Italians. Who doesn't recall the stoops in front of their attached homes, each with a narrow driveway separating them from their nearest neighbor and a postage stamp piece of property with a tree in front, newly planted? It could be a number of other Jewish communities in any urban center, not necessarily Newark. Roth has captured the true spirit and persona of the Jewish families of that time, their expectations, their hopes and their pressures. The relationship between parent and child, adult and minor was one of authority vs. powerlessness. Improper behavior, disobedience, weakness, was cause for guilt and shame, not only heaped upon the wayward one but also upon the entire family.
So many in that era lived in just such a house, in just such a neighborhood, hung laundry from the window, attaching it with clothespins to a line attached to a tree, some distance away, which was on a pulley system. (Who doesn’t remember the times the clothes that fell had to be retrieved by running down flights of stairs and then rewashing them by hand?). We hung out at the corner candy store, had ice cream sundaes with abandon, never thinking about calories. Who doesn't remember the shoemaker or the "druggist" who had as much respect as the doctor and whose advice you often sought first, before even calling a doctor? Times may have been different, even more dangerous, with the cold war and diseases with no vaccines, but the people seemed more connected, happier to communicate with each other then. Perhaps it was the invention of Air Conditioners or television that forced people inside and away from the communal gatherings in the street, in order to escape the heat or to simply socialize. Soon windows were closed, doors were shut, people sat alone in their homes, more isolated, entertained by a box with pictures and sound, and they no longer participated with each other to the same extent. They escaped from the real world into a world of fantasy. Perhaps that escape is necessary in the real world, in order to survive and not let life get you down. Is it the ability to find a silver lining inside of every cloud or the doom and gloom, sky is falling attitude that should prevail?
Mr. Roth captures the prevailing atmosphere of the times, the terrible fear of the disease for which their was no treatment or cure, not even a known cause that could be blamed, though they tried to find one; the Italians, the Board of Health, and even Mr. Cantor, the Playground Director was accused. He accurately describes the over-anxious Jewish mothers, their over arching need to protect and provide for their families, the culture of learning, the desire for education that is ever-present in the Jewish neighborhoods along with the ever-present shadow always lurking, of anti-Semitism. It was a time for Jews to gather their courage, stand tall and squash their image of meekness; they must face their difficulties, their trials with courage and fortitude, and this means Polio, as well. Ignorance was the main problem. No one knew how to stop the disease just as no one knew how to end the war quickly. There were so many deaths, untimely and unnecessary. Was anyone at fault? Should anyone feel guilty? Should someone be punished? Was everyone blameless? Who or what was the real enemy? Why did some fare better than others? Why did some handle their burdens more satisfactorily?
In the end, doesn’t this story have a larger meaning? Couldn’t the community be anywhere and the people be of any race or religion? Wouldn’t any neighborhood have reacted in similar fashion? Or, wouldn’t they? This brief book will make you wonder about all these questions, but it will not give you the answers. Those you must find for yourself.
Because of all the questions the book raises, it is a great book for discussion.

Antonio Mendez originally planned to be an artist. He put his skill to work at the CIA where he became Chief of Disguise, worldwide, at the age of 33, and shortly after, he was promoted to Chief of Authentication. He used his skills to exfiltrate compromised agents, informers and operatives. He created scenarios, new identities and documents, for people in desperate need of rescue. He was good at what he did. He was good at most everything he tried. He built a home, created paintings, and was a family man, while at the same time he was an excellent undercover agent within the system.
When the American Embassy in Teheran was overrun by militant students and hostages were taken, six employees were able to sneak out and get away before they could be captured. They wandered around seeking refuge and finally were given safe harbor by the Canadians. After being hidden for three months in the Ambassador’s home, time was running out. News of their escape was out and it was only a matter of time until it would be made public, possibly making their capture imminent, the treatment of the other hostages worse and creating an international incident for Canada.
Mendez was in charge of the mission to rescue the Americans. They needed a cover story in order to be able to fly out of Iran without being recognized and detained. He originated the idea of making the movie, Argo, in Iran, in order to smuggle them out. Credible personas and plausible disguises had to be invented for all of them. He had to change mild mannered diplomats into flashy Hollywood personalities and himself into a Hollywood producer.
When Mendez arrived in Iran to meet them, he had no idea if he could pull it off. He had no idea if they would be able to accomplish all they had to in order to escape, but he laid out the plan and helped to train them in their new incarnations as brash, outgoing Hollywood personalities. They had to look and carry themselves differently, and they had to really become that person in only a matter of hours, playing the part realistically in order to pass the checkpoints and be able to board the plane that would take them to freedom and safety.
After the rescue, Mendez was promoted to full colonel and over the years, he received many additional honors, even though they were not made public because operations of the CIA are clandestine and kept secret. There are many unsung heroes working there. Until the 50th anniversary of the CIA, when it became public, no one really knew the truth about what took place or who was really responsible for the success of the operation to free the Americans in hiding. It was not easy to come up with a plan that would work, but ultimately, Mendez did and he pulled it off..
The book is really exciting. Mendez has smuggled out other operatives and defectors, and he describes several of these missions. They were dangerous and harrowing. When he left his family for a mission, it was a wrenching moment. He never knew if he would return safely. Mendez, a mild mannered and rather ordinary looking man, was a courageous and dedicated secret agent, not in the manner of James Bond, but in the manner of an operative who had to fade into the crowd so as not to be noticed, an operative dedicated and loyal to his country. Mendez was a highly successful secret agent.

I think it took a genius to write this book and make it readable, likeable and fun. It could easily have been a book tossed into the dustbin. The story mocks every convention of modern society in tongue-in-cheek ways with hilarious plays on words even with the names of characters and places, some almost unintelligible in the audio addition because they are so foreign sounding.
The book is unusual in that it is not addressing the reader at large, but is supposed to be a private conversation between Peter (Petrus), the narrator, and the reader, you, and it feels that way, as well. You are engaged in a private conversation, almost outside the boundaries of the book.
The Fino children, Hans, Tilte, Peter (in order of their age), and Basker III (the dog), all reside on the island called Fino, in Denmark. The children are pranksters who have mastered the art of deception. They come from a strange background of characters, a hump-backed great-grandmother and parents who could easily be considered good-natured charlatans, who have been leaders in their Church. Their Father is the “miracle-making” pastor who leads services in which there are magical occurences and mother plays the organ and is a craftswoman, as well. She is multi-talented. All residents have many jobs since they live in a very small town, and she is no exception. Their jobs are often contradictory in nature, making the reader chuckle under their breath, as the thief may be the one in charge of the alarm systems and the person of religion may be dispensing advice on debauchery.
The head of the school is Alexander Beastly Flounderblood, aptly named, as is Leonora Ticklepalate who in Tibetan nun’s habit, lives the life of a monk while giving telephone advice about various sexual exploits. Basker III is the third in a line of hounds named after the supernatural hound in the book, The Hound of the Baskervilles. Tilte is the 16 year old sister of Petrus and Hans, whose spiritual nature and cleverness can have a mesmerizing effect on everyone, in essence tilting the world her way. She discovered that there is a door that exists within everyone that leads to freedom.
There are so many characters and their names are double entendres that also indicate their background. The reader will simply smile as Polly Pigonia comes to life on the page. She had a pig farm which she has turned into an ashram. Finn Flatfoot is the local policeman, Svend Sewerman was a builder of sewers, Pallas Athene is a goddess who runs a brothel. Is Peter the rock and is Hans a metaphor for Jesus, with Pallas Athene, his Mary Magdalene? Within the witty dialogue and the use of sleight of hand in this fantasy, there is also a serious message hidden, and it is apparent at the end, more than anywhere else, in Peter’s final words.
Peter wants to tell you, the reader, about the door to the room. “The self is a room inside the prison”. He wants to show you how to escape the prison which is our self. Within us there are rooms of joy and sorry, pain and pleasure. If we move outside the room, through the door, and we don’t think, we can let go of our baggage and become free. Within each of us is also an elephant which can be a dream, a burden an unfulfilled hope, both good and bad. Sometimes we have to let go of that elephant as well. Peter can see the elephant within. Does the reader also see the elephants people carry with them? When we stop thinking and walk through that door, is that the meaning of life or the end of it? What is the true escape?
This is not a book for everyone. Reading this is a trip into a world of madness, nonsense, mystery, romance, subterfuge, silliness, crime, religion, right and wrong, terrorism and bravery, and they are all mocked by the author. The book arouses so many conflicting thoughts in the reader, but the book is never overbearing. It turns all trials into triumphs, all tragedies into happy endings. The reader will wonder if it is not, perhaps, really about the meaning of life, on its serious level, even as it mocks all of society’s conventions, all of the religions, all of the mores, all of the people in power. One has to take the time to ferret out the true meaning of the tale and of each word, sentence and name, in order to discover the inner message of the author and not just be influenced by the lightness of the plot through the use of trompe l’oeill. There is much more to the story than meets the eye. Is everyone flawed, in a prison of their own making, or has the world created the prison for them?

After listening to the audio version of the book, I wondered, is it an exposé, Erik’s memoir, an essay on marriage and parental responsibility, a treatise on love with an expiration date, or simply a straight forward confession of willful, deceitful behavior, given only because he was caught? Is the love of a wife or a child so great that logical, rational thought becomes all but impossible when the relationship with them is threatened?
Did Eric want to be discovered, to repent for his life of lies, a life based totally on deceit? Is this why he pushed the envelope, knowing his actions would probably also bring about the discovery of his real identity and his disgrace? Did he risk all because of his devotion to his daughter or because of his memories of a similar event? I could not decide if he was malicious or simply misguided, naïve or cunning, creative or destructive. For sure, his actions put him on a downward spiral of his own making.
When the story begins, we find Eric Kennedy reading a lengthy statement that he has written to his wife in an attempt to explain his behavior and to influence her to forgive him. He finally tells the truth, in the hope that it will alter his future, and mitigate the charges against him and his eventual sentence. Privy to his innermost thoughts and the reasons for his many irrational actions, the reader learns of the trials of his childhood, and begins to comprehend his loneliness and sense of loss when his wife separates from him, thereby removing his daughter from his life on a daily basis, as well. Eric still loves them both, dearly, has difficulty getting beyond the moment and recovering from the loss. He is in denial, ever hopeful that life will return to normal, but what is normal or real for Eric Kennedy?
Eric Kennedy, AKA Erik Schroder, has reinvented himself in order to more perfectly fit in with a teenager’s life in America. At age 5, holding his father’s hand, he crossed the East German border and began a new life. He never saw his mother again. Soon, he moved to America where life was different but never easy, for an outsider. Poor and insecure, bullied by thugs, he grew more and more unhappy. When he learned of a posh boy’s camp in New Hampshire, he yearned for that life; and so, at age 14, Eric ceases to be a German immigrant and becomes a full-fledged American by becoming a character he makes up totally out of his imagination. Applying to become a camper there, using a fictitious name, he is surprised to actually not only get accepted but to also receive a full scholarship. His new persona is confident and from a more fortunate background than his own. He is no longer a foreigner in a foreign land, impoverished and alone, with only his father, a cold, distant, self-protecting man, for company. As Eric Kennedy, he is often mistaken for a relative of the Kennedys of Hyannis, rather than his real identity, which is a non-citizen lost in a sea of loneliness.
Eric keeps up this fraudulent personality, distancing himself from his father and creating a wonderful background, complete with a childhood in a marvelous, affluent community on Cape Cod, very near the Kennedy Compound. He forges documents, attends University and eventually marries and has a child. He is not very ambitious; he is grateful for what he has but doesn’t seem to want much more. As a stay at home parent, his judgment when it comes to child rearing often seems flawed. When cracks begin to form in the relationship between him and his wife, Laura, he is not quick to notice, and when finally, she wants a separation, visitation rights with his daughter take on a life of their own, especially as they are being curtailed, more and more, as time goes by, because Laura continues to find his behavior aberrational and seeks to cut his visitation rights and privileges to protect Meadow, their child. Devastated, Erik/Eric, makes even more foolish decisions than he has in the past, takes greater chances, even though he knows he is heading into the maelstrom; he is soon on the run.
The story feels like it is about the deconstruction of a human being who has constructed himself out of whole cloth to begin with and doesn’t seem to be realistically aware of the dangers facing him if he is found out. After awhile, It seemed as if Eric wasn’t sure where the old Erik began and the new Eric ended. Was his foolish attempt, as a teenager, to recreate his life and create a fantasy, really worth it? It was always fraught with the danger of discovery. It forced him to cut his ties with his father, the only person who loved him in America. How does that effect him? Did it make sense to push the envelope with Meadow, as he did, knowing it would lead to his detection as a fraud? Can he justify his actions and be saved? Can the reader find any redeeming qualities in Eric? Is he misguided or unstable?
He absconds with his daughter when she is only one year older than he was when his father absconded with him, albeit under different circumstances, which he never really wanted to uncover. Is his loss of his country and his mother what propels him to re-enact almost the very same scene with his daughter? Has he been harboring the pain of that loss and the bitterness of that separation all these years? Is it déjà vu that has caused him to snap? Has it poisoned his mind so much that he cannot determine right from wrong any longer and just wants to preserve his relationships regardless of the cost? Will he languish in prison or find some other form of justice to repent? The end of the confession will leave the reader wondering because final judgment has not yet been rendered.

Michael Lewis has the gift of gab! His book on the financial crisis (the economic debacle that hit the United States and Europe, that almost brought the whole world down and of which we are not yet out of the woods), is so easy to read and so filled with wit that one forgets the horrific images of the failure that the book is describing; he makes plain what was the complete amorality or stupidity of the bankers, the investment brokers and the clients that they serviced, as they all marched toward the fantasyland that they created in which anyone could have whatever they wanted and suffer no consequences for their actions.
Contrary to that belief, when it came to fruition, the penalties for their irresponsible, unethical behavior were enormous, but often they hit those least guilty of offense. Those who were able, simply faded into the ether avoiding all the obligations they incurred, returned to their country of origin, went underground someplace and left others who behaved more responsibly, to pay their debts. They simply refused to be responsible for the errors of their ways and that applies to the originators of the schemes and those that took advantage of them.
The debacle continues because once started a culture of takers is not easily dissuaded from taking more, even when the consequences are dire; rather than blaming themselves, they blame others; rather than taking responsibility, they pass it on to other’s shoulders, others who should not be picking up their freight. Unions bled the public with their demands, and once achieved, the culture perpetuated even more abuses as various unions competed for benefits.
When Lewis describes, Iceland, Italy, and California (a state that has taken on the qualities of a country, in its failings), and the PIGS, the countries most involved in the scandals; Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain and then puts Germany in as the lynchpin, the only country still with a stockpile of actual gold (it is the country that basically will bail out Europe, alone, if willing), he does it with such simplicity and humor, the reader will gasp and have to suspend disbelief at his revelations. Californians still want more of the same, a nanny state, benefits without cost, Greece and the Greeks refuse to abide by the rules imposed, refusing to pay their taxes, so the resolution of the crisis is still up in the air, and on ad infinitum. Although they do not want to adjust their lives or work to pay for their mistakes, the Greeks fully expect the Germans to do it for them because they are frugal and orderly; however, in their own country, they too aided in the execution of the financial debacle by investing in other countries that were running amok. Everyone involved wanted to make a quick buck off the back of some rube!
At the core of many of the financial failures are US bankers, Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, Lehman Bros, Citibank. They brought down the financial world with the schemes they all learned to create in the hallowed halls of Yale, Harvard, etc., in the most esteemed educational institutions of the world, because they learned that greed rules!
Lewis describes a world of finance in which the players make a mockery of reality. The disaster was a monumental Ponzi scheme that even when recognized was allowed to proliferate and continue until it brought down the economies of major countries. He does it with such a light hand using layman’s terms so that the reader will want to laugh at his presentation; they might also want to cry at the truth of all his pen has put to paper. Can we all be such fools and are we all blinded so by greed that we will believe anything told by even the most inexperienced charlatans, simply because of the chance to get rich? Almost half way through the book Lewis uses this quote by Isocrates:
“Democracy destroys itself because it abuses its right to freedom and equality. Because it teaches its citizens to consider audacity as a right, lawlessness as a freedom, abrasive speech as equality, and anarchy as progress.”
In the end, will chaos be the result if the environment ceases to self-regulate causing the situation to spin further out of control?
Lewis adequately describes the inability to place blame on the shoulders of those who engineered this crisis. Stupid people blame those who outsmarted them, the mortgage brokers are blamed by the mortgagees. None of them read the fine print or felt responsible for their own choices, none felt the need to pay back or borrow only what they could afford or grant loans only to those qualified. Who is to blame, the fool who was taken in or the person who took them in, perhaps without malice, but who underestimated how low a human could go to get something they didn’t deserve and then actually complain when they were asked to repay their debt? They all pretended to be victims, not the perpetrators of the crime. Governments, in collusion with the financial industry and simple human beings, all played dumb and looked for scapegoats rather than look to themselves for their own practice of madness. The one truth is that there were no innocents. Everyone who took part was guilty in one form or another but most people who are paying for their poor judgment are not the guilty ones, they are the ones who could not be heard when they rang the alarm bells. In this Ponzi scheme, like Madoff’s, the get rich-schemers of all stripes and in all countries, only succeeded because governments and the people allowed them to succeed. If common sense and cooler heads prevailed, it could have been avoided. It was a failure of government, regulators, and human beings, en masse. They had short term vision and short term goals. In the long term, they failed.
Michael Lewis has succinctly described and analyzed the personality and culture of the parties involved in this enormous financial scandal, fraught with fraud and immorality and he has done it in a highly readable fashion! In short, he sums it up with amusing anecdotes of “people taking what they could, because they could, without regard for social consequences”. Eventually, it is hoped that the situation will have to correct itself through attrition.

“Maine”, by J.Courtney Sullivan, is largely the story of Alice Kelleher, a very direct, headstrong and outspoken matriarch, and three generations of her family who seem to become weaker with each successive generation. She is a devoted Catholic, driven by an almost religious fanaticism to do her duty and perform some act of kindness before she dies, in order to make up for her sins and ensure that she is not consigned to Hell. She is known for her sharpness of tongue, coldness, drinking and sudden mood swings. Her husband is a gentler man who restrains her and keeps her centered and in check. The characters in this family are examined with illuminating detail, and their life experiences are explored. Their differing and misguided perceptions of life’s events, that they all seemed to experience and interpret differently, are exposed and dissected. Their secrets are bared, and when exposed, they cause ripples throughout the extended clan.
The audio was done well, with an expressive reader who enlightened the listener in her telling of a tale that illustrates family dysfunction and flawed judgment in all of the characters as they interacted with each other and the world. The story is told in the voices of three generations of the women of the family: Alice, Kathleen, Ann Marie and Maggie. Each chapter dwelt on one character at a time, rotating from one to another throughout the book, as the events which determined the paths they chose to take in life were uncovered.
Although, at first, the picture might seem to be of a perfect extended, multigenerational family, living a nirvana-like existence, enjoying summers in their beachfront cottage in a small, insular community which was once an artist’s colony in Cape Neddick, Maine, the reader soon discovers that each of the characters brings with them a raft of troubles and predisposed conclusions, arising from their lifestyles and backgrounds, and the situation is not what it seems to be on the surface. When that surface is scratched, using the memories and experiences of each, the characters are exposed with all of their warts and foibles, as they developed into active members of this dysfunctional, family group dynamic.
This family harbors many secrets and, therefore, holds secret animosities toward each other which are most often based on misconceptions about events. This creates giant rifts between family members who hold grudges that continue with the passage of time, and continue to encourage vindictive behavior toward each other. In the end, some do metamorphose into better people; others remain their same intransigent, stubborn selves, continuing to exhibit discordant behavior wreaking havoc upon the peaceful coexistence of the family. Each of them lives in a fantasy world of their own creation.
All of the complications of life, in general, are examined: sibling rivalry, faith, religion, loss, illness, tragedy, love, homosexuality, criminality, neglect, alcoholism, relationships, marriage, motherhood, fatherhood, and parenting. This intergenerational saga explores a slew of raw emotions. The reader will, at some point, identify with many of the emotions that are exposed: nostalgia, sadness, joy, humor, disbelief, shock, anger, and even frustration, as they identify with many of the experiences and feelings of the characters. For instance, I was very familiar with the geographic areas the book describes, the towns and the atmosphere, and it aroused childhood memories of a simpler time and adult memories of a more complicated one. Because it covers three generations, there will be something for each reader to identify with, within a particular place or time period. The reader’s life and ordinary experiences will often come uncomfortably close to home to those of the novel’s characters. This book is an interesting read which will, in the end, leave the reader with a question about Alice’s ultimate choices and fate.

This is such a beautifully crafted and emotionally driven love story that when I reached the last ten pages, I had to briefly pause. I simply did not want it to end. I needed to mull over what I had already read and hope against hope that there would be a fairytale ending, but I knew however the author concluded this novel, it would be well done.
When it begins, we meet two of the world’s “beautiful” people, planning a future vacation together. She wants easy, lolling on the beach, he wants rough, hiking and parachuting. On that day, when he leaves to go his high powered job, where he is CEO, he checks his phone messages and finds many missed calls. Because it is raining, he decides to leave his motorcycle behind and runs out into the storm to find a cab, not an easy task on nasty day in London or any major city. As he walks/runs, he begins to retrieve his messages, and his phone rings. Somewhat distracted, stepping into the cab, tragedy strikes Will Traynor.
Now, fast forward, two years later; we meet Louisa. She has just been fired. Her family relies on her salary to survive. Her sister, Treena, is a single mom, living at home as does her ailing grandfather. Her dad expects to soon lose his own job. In what has been a largely futile job search, Louisa finally answers an ad for a caregiver. Although she has no previous experience that qualifies her for such a position, she surprises herself by getting the job and then wonders, what she has gotten herself into, since her charge, a still handsome man, is rude and angry, most of the time. Once a free living, adventurous man, he is now helpless, confined to bed or a wheelchair. He is now a quadriplegic with little use of anything but one hand, and that, only minimally. He cannot adjust to this new unhappy condition. Louisa is not sure she is up to this job, but she desperately needs the money so she remains and works even harder.
Let me warn you reader, keep tissues on hand. As she cares for this defenseless, ill-mannered man, she comes of age, rather late in life. This is a tragic, bittersweet tale of unrequited love, not because there is no love, but because the love cannot be fulfilled. Will Traynor has a secret which will ultimately change the course of Lou’s life and his. Realistically, in his former life, their love never would have been allowed to see the light of day. It was the disastrous accident that brought these two people, diametrically opposed to each other, into the same sphere of influence. Coming from two different worlds, one rich, the other barely eking out an existence, one ambitious and adventurous, the other far less driven, living in the shadow of a brilliant sister, and content with very little, having very little ambition, one disabled, resentful, wishing he could do the things he once did and one able-bodied who has no wishes to do much else with her life, one will wonder how on earth will these two will even be able to interact in the same space, peacefully? Could two so different human beings find any common ground to travel? Well, in six months time, against all odds, Louisa brings color and joy into Will’s world, and he teaches her to expand her horizons and reach her potential. She wants nothing more than to do that, together, with him.
The author has taken a very grim topic and with the artful use of humorous dialogue, has made a very difficult subject easier to read about. Having to depend on someone for every need, having pain almost all the time, being unable to sleep, haunted by memories of what you once were and never will be again, essentially a prisoner in your own body is devastating, and the reader will feel that character’s extreme distress and his wish to bring that suffering to an early end. The reader will feel her frustration as Louisa agonizes over which is more important, her obligation to her job or to her boyfriend.
Although there are times when serendipitous coincidences or uncharacteristic behavior seems contradictory, the books mainly succeeds in inspiring the reader to think about a truly controversial topic, euthanasia, and to explore the reasons it is sometimes considered and the ethics and morality of the choices made by those involved in these kind of life and death decisions. This is such a beautifully crafted and emotionally driven love story that when I reached the last ten pages, I had to briefly pause. I simply did not want it to end. I needed to mull over what I had already read and hope against hope that there would be a fairytale ending, but I knew however the author concluded this novel, it would be well done.
When it begins, we meet two of the world’s “beautiful” people, planning a future vacation together. She wants easy, lolling on the beach, he wants rough, hiking and parachuting. On that day, when he leaves to go his high powered job, where he is CEO, he checks his phone messages and finds many missed calls. Because it is raining, he decides to leave his motorcycle behind and runs out into the storm to find a cab, not an easy task on nasty day in London or any major city. As he walks/runs, he begins to retrieve his messages, and his phone rings. Somewhat distracted, stepping into the cab, tragedy strikes Will Traynor.
Now, fast forward, two years later; we meet Louisa. She has just been fired. Her family relies on her salary to survive. Her sister, Treena, is a single mom, living at home as does her ailing grandfather. Her dad expects to soon lose his own job. In what has been a largely futile job search, Louisa finally answers an ad for a caregiver. Although she has no previous experience that qualifies her for such a position, she surprises herself by getting the job and then wonders, what she has gotten herself into, since her charge, a still handsome man, is rude and angry, most of the time. Once a free living, adventurous man, he is now helpless, confined to bed or a wheelchair. He is now a quadriplegic with little use of anything but one hand, and that, only minimally. He cannot adjust to this new unhappy condition. Louisa is not sure she is up to this job, but she desperately needs the money so she remains and works even harder.
Let me warn you reader, keep tissues on hand. As she cares for this defenseless, ill-mannered man, she comes of age, rather late in life. This is a tragic, bittersweet tale of unrequited love, not because there is no love, but because the love cannot be fulfilled. Will Traynor has a secret which will ultimately change the course of Lou’s life and his. Realistically, in his former life, their love never would have been allowed to see the light of day. It was the disastrous accident that brought these two people, diametrically opposed to each other, into the same sphere of influence. Coming from two different worlds, one rich, the other barely eking out an existence, one ambitious and adventurous, the other far less driven, living in the shadow of a brilliant sister, and content with very little, having very little ambition, one disabled, resentful, wishing he could do the things he once did and one able-bodied who has no wishes to do much else with her life, one will wonder how on earth will these two will even be able to interact in the same space, peacefully? Could two so different human beings find any common ground to travel? Well, in six months time, against all odds, Louisa brings color and joy into Will’s world, and he teaches her to expand her horizons and reach her potential. She wants nothing more than to do that, together, with him.
The author has taken a very grim topic and with the artful use of humorous dialogue, has made a very difficult subject easier to read about. Having to depend on someone for every need, having pain almost all the time, being unable to sleep, haunted by memories of what you once were and never will be again, essentially a prisoner in your own body is devastating, and the reader will feel that character’s extreme distress and his wish to bring that suffering to an early end. The reader will feel her frustration as Louisa agonizes over which is more important, her obligation to her job or to her boyfriend.
Although there are times when serendipitous coincidences or uncharacteristic behavior seems contradictory, the books mainly succeeds in inspiring the reader to think about a truly controversial topic, euthanasia, and to explore the reasons it is sometimes considered and the ethics and morality of the choices made by those involved in these kind of life and death decisions. This is a beautiful love story; Will gives Louisa an new lease on life, even has he contemplates taking his own.

This very imaginative story takes its theme from a children’s Russian fable of the same name, written by Freya Littledale and Barbara Lavallee. The characters are clearly defined as trailblazers, fighting the harsh winters and wilderness of Alaska in the early part of the twentieth century. Developed well, you can sense the contrast in the characters: Esther is larger than life, sturdy and sure-footed, Mabel is frail and tentative, George, a long time dweller in this seeming wasteland, is a wonderful kind, giving man and neighbor, and Jack is sincere and overwhelmed with his effort to develop the land and make it thrive, in spite of his age and inexperience. Faina is depicted as faerie like, magical and young, when we first meet her. Garrett, the Benson’s son, is a boy of the wilderness; he loves it and prefers hunting and camping to farming. The characters are wholesome and thoughtful, helping each other in times of need, living off the environment that they are taming.
Childless and bereft, Mabel and Jack, a loving couple tired of being ridiculed and stared at, as if childlessness was an affliction, decide to move away from family and friends to Alaska, where they can begin their lives again, alone, living off the untamed land. It is a tender tale of deep love and loss, told beautifully with reality and fantasy mixing together with an easy grace.
Struggling to survive a task far greater than they imagined, they grow a little apart, become depressed and forlorn, giving up hope of succeeding in their fight to overcome the climate and the barrenness. Fearing that they will not be able to thrive on the farm they are trying to create, afraid they will have to return to civilization in shame, they drop their guard when the first snowstorm arrives, and like children, they build a snow child dressed in Mabel’s mittens and gloves. They carve features colored with berries, provide branches for arms, they dance around with glee, rekindle their love for each other and renew their hope and efforts to survive.
When a strange child suddenly appears soon afterwards, wearing the mittens and gloves of the collapsed snow child, Mabel and Jack are astonished. For many years, she arrives with the first snowfall and leaves in the spring when the weather warms, witnessed by no one else, not even neighbors George and Esther, who often visit and have helped them to survive the toughest moments of their homesteading. Faina brings joy and warmth back into their lives, albeit briefly. That joy is always followed by a season of sadness when she leaves once again.
Faina, changes and influences their lives and they influence hers. She seems magical, like a spirit, and often strange events occur when she is around. Is she real or a figment of their imagination, resulting from “cabin fever”. Will she always return?
This is a very tender magical novel about dreams and nightmares, belief and disbelief, life and death. Love has the power to deal with all of these scenarios, or does it perhaps create them? How the issue of the snow child resolves itself, is the crux of this lovely little fairy tale.

Although, at first, the book might appear to be a love story between an Armenian engineer, Armen, and an American woman, Elizabeth Endicott, of French and Armenian heritage, it is much more about the Armenian genocide of 1915. When Laura Petrosian who resides in Westchester, NY, discovers a picture of Elizabeth, her grandmother, in an old newspaper clipping, she begins research to find out more about her past. She knows little about the history of Armenia; her grandparents never spoke of their past, nor did her father enlighten her. The journey takes her to far away lands and the knowledge of a tragedy that moves her to tears.
The atrocities committed by the Turks led to the slaughter, torture and degradation of millions of Armenians. It was the intention of the Turks to wipe out the entire Armenian population. The Armenians were allied with Russia, and ironically, the Turks were allies of Germany in WWI. In WWII, the Germans would take such a policy of annihilation to an even more nightmarish conclusion, when it systematically tried to make Germany a perfect Aryan nation by murdering Jews, Gypsies, Homosexuals, the mentally unstable, and others who didn’t fit the mold of the perfect Aryan, the perfect German.
As historic fiction, I found the book very interesting. I knew little about the genocide committed against the Armenians and the book was very enlightening on that score. The timeline traveled pretty much from 1915 to five or six decades later. The narrative alternated between Laura’s investigation and discoveries and Elizabeth’s experiences in Aleppo, Syria. Elizabeth’s story was far more interesting than Laura’s remarks, although this may have been due to the voice of Laura on the audio version I listened to, more than anything else. The voice of the characters with accents, other than American, held much more detail, passion and emotion and imparted far more information. Yet, if Laura did not put the story into words, there would be no book at all, so she was a necessary part of the plot.
The characters were very well described, and as a reader I empathized with their plight and suffered with them. I was horrified by much of what I learned about the Armenian genocide. The inhuman treatment that the women and children were subjected to defied my imagination, and the cold-blooded murder of the men was beyond my ability to comprehend, even though I am well aware of the events of the Holocaust. One would hope that this kind of tragic, savage behavior will not be repeated in history ever again. The attempt to willfully murder an entire population is a despicable act, not worthy of civilized human beings.
The author is of Armenian background, and much of the story is drawn from his Armenian history, although the characters and the story are totally fictional. The twists and turns of the story will defy your imagination and keep you engaged.

When I started this book, I was not sure I would like it. It seemed strange, a bit discombobulated, perhaps a bit disorganized. However, it turned out to be a really wonderful, delightful read. On a certain level, it is humorous, tender and tragic, all of at once. It is the story about all kinds of relationships, the story of a family that no longer communicates, that dances around each other as they search for meaning in their lives, in all the wrong places. The meaning of family is lost in the confusion. The characters are all flawed except for one, Bee Fox, the teenage daughter of Elgin and Bernadette.
Elgin is an upwardly mobile, well respected nerd, working for Microsoft, receiving international accolades for his accomplishments. Bernadette is an international, award winning, female architect in a male dominated occupation. They are surrounded by people who can only be described as “phony”, working to build up appearances, rather than honest relationships, working to create impressions rather than friendships, working to achieve success in the workplace, rather than in the home. They are in denial about their lack of ethics or compassion for others. They seem woefully unaware of the consequences of their behavior. (The realtor had to know full well what she was doing when she handled the secret deal for Bernadette’s neighbor. She did what any cutthroat realtor would do. She represented the seller, however, and what she did was the precipitous cause of long term emotional pain for Bernadette.)They were all following a recipe for failure for someone or other, if not themselves.
Bernadette’s downward spiral begins when she has a row with an influential neighbor. Angry, she sells her crowning achievement and is devastated when it is purchased by someone, secretly acting for her nasty neighbor, who then destroys the building and her architectural legacy. Because of this petty feud, without anyone’s notice, she begins to recede from the business and social world.
She and Elgin move to Seattle where she purchases an old girl’s school to renovate. When she has difficulty conceiving a child, she declines further. When finally, her daughter Bala Krishna (divine child), better known as Bee, is born with a birth defect, she vows never to create another masterpiece if she can be cured. When she survives, she becomes obsessed with her vow to G-d and refuses to do anything else creative in her life, but she doesn’t share her reasons why, with anyone. She allows the house to sink into a decaying state of disrepair. She becomes more antisocial, complains about everyone, ridiculing them, and doesn’t like being around people. She does no work, participates in rare projects at Bee’s school and becomes rather reclusive. Her repartees with people are sarcastic which does not help her “make friends or influence people”.
At the same time as she recedes from the world, she is a warm and compassionate mother and a faithful wife, although a poor homemaker. She does not cook, takeout is the order of the day, and she retreats to a trailer on the property, more often than not. Bee calls it her Petit Trianon. When I read about Bernadette’s habit of knitting away as her projects were created, I thought of Madame Defarge, although I would not characterize Bernadette as a villain, but rather an eccentric with an incredibly creative mind who seems terribly misunderstood in her current state.
As Bernadette flounders, Elgin’s career soars and he is rarely home. He is a workaholic for Microsoft. He pads around in his stocking feet, makes presentations that are lauded by scholars worldwide and in general, seems lost in himself, naïve and a bit eccentric too. When his new admin, Sue Lin (a kind of universal gal Friday for his department, in charge of making all things run smoothly), a Galer private school “gnat”, an enemy of Bernadette’s, becomes involved in his private life, he also becomes tempted by the apple in Eve’s garden. Sue Lin is a good friend of Audrey, the Fox’s jealous neighbor, and the two of them tear Bernadette apart, daily, always looking for fodder for their nasty tongues and minds. Sue Lin has eyes for Elgin.
Bee, is exceptionally bright, mature and well adjusted. She respects her father, loves her mother and excuses all of their foibles good-naturedly. She is happily making plans to go to boarding school, eagerly looking forward to it, actually, and just wants them to take one family trip, to Antarctica before she leaves. Her mom finds it hard to make plans which involve “people” participation, but she and Elgin reluctantly agree.
Bernadette immediately uses her “personal secretary”, Manjula, a woman working in a call center in India, to take care of all of her purchases and appointments, unbeknownst to Elgin, who thinks she has come back to life, organizing and arranging the trip.
Soon everyone learns that it was a very poor idea indeed, to use Manjula, since she gave her all of their personal information, and although she seemed to make everything happen with ease and aplomb, the FBI informs the family that Manjula is involved in a criminal ring, stealing identities. Manjula was a well kept secret, but now, because Elgin has also taken his admin, the “gnat”, better known as parent, into his confidence, she gossips and instigates with her friend Audrey, Bernadettes jealous neighbor, attempting to develop a closer relationship with Elgin for herself.
Worried about Bernadette and the way she has declined, allowing their home to decay and not having normal social relationships, his concern increases when he finds out about Manjula, then about the terrible mudslide which was really Audrey’s fault, since she was the neighbor who insisted the blackberry vines holding the Fox’s hill together be removed for the school publicity brunch which was meant to attract upper class “Mercedes parents”, changing their image from second class “Subaru parents”, then about the accident in which she was falsely accused of running over Audrey’s foot, then her secret email to her friend Paul and her musings when she was depressed, thinking of ending it all, but not meaning it, he rushes to judgment and calls in a doctor to have her committed and convinces him to take her immediately to a hospital where she can be treated. The doctor, overly impressed with his own idea of himself, insists on an interview first but then intercedes when he finds out the FBI is involved in an investigation concerning them. Circumstantial evidence is making Bernadette seem a danger to herself and others, something she surely is not. Personalities, arrogance and self righteousness were the order of the day. Somehow, defying all odds, Bernadette escapes and disappears. Bee is devastated. Then, while at school, she receives an anonymous letter, everything that has happened, and she writes a book, discovered by her roommate (Bee is not doing that well socially, either), who immediately turns it over to the dean. She is dismissed from Choate, and in her anger, she devises a plan to search for her mom.
On every page, the reader will laugh at the caricature of real life that the author paints. The women are gossipy and petty, the men work-driven and possessed with the search for acclaim, all are in self-denial wanting the wrong things out of life, deceiving themselves and overlooking the important things they are giving up or losing. All of them are a bit larger than life in all of their reactions, and as the author draws them so cleverly, we might even laugh at ourselves, witnessing some of the silly little flaws in her characters, looming larger than life in ours.
Over reactions were the order of the day. Well drawn characters symbolizing the modern ills of society were not always likeable but always enjoyable to watch, as they performed, and yes, perform is really the active word here because they were all acting in one capacity or another, playing the role they thought appropriate, the role that society seemed to want of them. The only truly real character was Bee! She was herself always, honest, forgiving, filled with the joie de vivre, eager and bright, courageous in her convictions, experiencing love and sharing it with others.
That is what really makes this book remarkable. All of the events and characters are too frighteningly close to reality! They are all supersmart: over-achievers, social climbers, immature victims of themselves and their own behavior. Yet, they are too close to real life characters, showing little compassion for others in their climb up the ladder, engaging in petty rumors and gossip without regard to the pain and/or shame they inspire, turning a blind eye to the needs of anyone but themselves.
In the end, however, they all have aha moments of their selfish ways, and they repent or show remorse accordingly. However, this may be the weakest part of the story, or the fairytale version, since it all falls into place too neatly, becoming a bit tedious. It is as if the chess pieces were moved by someone else, and so, even the ending is an exaggeration, a caricature of reality.
The characters are charming, even with their fatal flaws, because eventually they realize how “evil” they have been. Infidelity is excused and forgiven, malicious behavior is explained away, erratic episodes are accepted and everyone is one big happy family again. It is a bit Pollyanna, but it is a pleasure to read. Bee, the divine child, lives up to her name!

The Burgess Boys are both lawyers but in very different fields of law. Jim, the older brother, by four years, is famous, extremely arrogant and rude. Bob is an unknown, quiet and unassuming divorced man. Jim represents the rich and famous and Bob represents those in need. They are opposite sides of the coin, politically, financially and socially. Susan is Jim’s twin sister and her tongue is as sharp as Jim’s. She is divorced, still living in small town Maine, while the boys have moved on and are living in Manhattan. Helen, Jim’s wife is suffering from “empty nest” syndrome. She is independently wealthy and rather shallow.
This is a story that examines family dynamics. Even a gentle elderly lady that lives with Susan is haunted by a past in which she questions her own parenting skills and loyalties, as will each of the other characters, in turn. A Somali family will question American values and want to return to Nairobi, even though it, as well as Mogadishu does not welcome them, even though they have come to America to find a better, more just way of life.
Zachary is Susan’s only child. He is a strange and lonely, introverted teen, who has not seen his father, who lives in Sweden, in several years. He suddenly finds himself in deep trouble in his quiet, home town of Shirley Falls, Maine. He has committed a terrible act of injustice against the Somalis of the town. Walking by their mosque, with a defrosting, bloody pig’s head, he drops it and it rolls inside, contaminating the premises and frightening the worshipers. One child even faints from the shock. The Somalis believe they are under attack. Coming from their background, their fears are warranted.
Susan tells her famous lawyer brother, Jim, what has happened. So far, the person who committed this shameful act is unknown. He tells her that Zack must turn himself into the authorities. The ensuing investigation involves Bob and Jim and takes on a life of its own, with the Attorney General and other attorneys grandstanding for their own political and career advancement, with the Somali community up in arms and filled with fear, with the prejudices of the town abruptly coming to the surface, with pride taking over in the making of decisions instead of common sense. In the effort to make an example of Zack, the fact that he is a child, perhaps with no malicious intent, is totally disregarded and forgotten. Vengeance becomes the motive of the civil trial rather than serving the cause of justice.
This is a story about truly unhappy, unfulfilled people, shaped by tragedy. Every character in this novel is needy, has something in their past that haunts them. Hidden fears and family secrets are revealed, in both cultures, the Somali and the American; preconceptions are exposed and bias is examined, although not thoroughly enough. Did Zack commit a hate crime or a stupid childish prank? Was it even on purpose? Was it his intent to hurt these people by contaminating their mosque with the blood of a pig, an animal forbidden to them? Did these people do anything to invite such behavior, and if they did, would that justify such a hateful act? Was Zack a bad seed? The author portrays those that are successful as selfish and greedy, unfeeling, unable to be pleased, snobbish, haughty and affected, without proper respect for the law. She portrays those that are in need as more worthy, kinder, more forgiving and accepting, with better values. They have unfulfilled dreams and hopes which society largely prevents them from realizing. They are law abiding and peace-loving.
This is the story of a family and a community trying not to come apart, trying to contain the drama, sometimes unsuccessfully, sometimes willfully overreacting. Was the event the catalyst to the subsequent traumas? Would they have happened without the commission of the misdemeanor? The characters question their own past, their decisions and their motives. The reader will wonder if the way we treat someone is what shapes them or if the person is shaped in the womb? The Burgess children were certainly shaped by their upbringing. Do we make “haters” of people, or are they simply people filled with angst, people with the capacity to hate, to express anger? Is an act of injustice simply that, or are their nuances? Does our justice system guarantee a proper defense to someone even if they are guilty or is that just a nice concept in theory?
I think the author missed the opportunity to really develop a dialog about the Somali community, dispel stereotypes and enlighten the reader, but instead chose to make a political point, going so far as to make negative comments about a book written by a woman from Somalia in which she criticizes the lifestyle she endured. Although it was not mentioned by name, the book implied seemed to me to be “Infidel”, written by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, which has been described as a brave effort, but the feeling I got from the author was that she feels it was meant to unfairly foment prejudice against the Somalis and present a one-sided view. I wondered if the author was actually using her own book to advance her personal, one-sided political view, without even considering both sides fairly or equally.
Liberals are presented as kind, caring, and righteous, while those on the right are presented as angry, mean, bigoted troublemakers, with destructive intentions. This book’s message will surely please the Progressives and perhaps upset the Conservatives. In the end, the person who becomes Zack’s advocate will surprise the reader, but it will fit with the more liberal viewpoint and approach of the author.

I loved the book and I highly recommend it with the caveat that it is very difficult to read unemotionally. It is a subject all of us know about and all of us fear. We identify negatively with the plight of the main character since none of us want to go down her path. We find that we want to distance ourselves from it in the book and in our real day to day life. Like Alice, most of us would rather have a disease like Cancer which we can fight and which engenders support and encouragement than have Alzheimer’s which makes outcasts of us and engenders avoidance since it makes people uncomfortable to be around someone who is in a perpetual in and out state of confusion which continues to grow worse until all normal functioning ceases and the victim dies in a fetal position. Few people know where to look or how to respond to people with this disease. Although some medications slow the progress, there is no real treatment, no hope of a cure. Victims are isolated and lonely and cannot recreate their former existence nor create a new one.
The story’s narrator is Alice, ironically, a bright, successful Harvard professor of linguistics, who began to experience moments when her memory seemed to fail her as she misplaced things or became confused by ordinary tasks she used to do by rote or lost her command of language as words which always seemed to be on the tip of her tongue were never remembered and speeches she had given before suddenly had missing parts. As these moments became more frequent, she wonders if her problems stem from menopause, aging or something worse like a brain tumor. After extensive testing, it is determined that she has a genetic strain of Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease which she can pass on to her descendants and they, in turn, can pass on to theirs. The question of whether or not to be tested is foremost in her children’s minds. Should they or shouldn’t they? What is to be gained or lost with the knowledge? Is it better or worse to know?
Coming to terms with the diagnosis of a disease which causes its victims to descend into a world of insanity, coupled with the isolation of rejection, was not easy. Alice rises to the task, well determined to live out her lucid days to the fullest. When, finally, she must retire from her job, the people around her, colleagues, family, students all react to her illness with shock and denial. While some automatically ignore her after they learn of her illness, some offer kindness and support. Most people treat Alzheimer’s victims as if they are not present, ignoring them and talking around them which Alice finds disheartening since she once had such a position of respect and was always included in conversations; her input was always sought after and valued. As she descends further into this world of madness, she is spared the humiliation of her behavior because she no longer cares about the reactions of others to her bizarre episodes of forgetfulness.
Alice continues to walk the thin line between being normal and being in the world of her memory loss and hallucinations. She has no idea when she will descend into the insane world of her imagination and lose all connection to reality or if the dementia will lift and allow her some brief period of remission. Sometimes she is fooled into thinking that she is okay, quite normal, actually, but then she relapses and knows she must face her decline. She has no one to turn to for advice. Although there are organizations for the caregivers whose burden is enormous and many are simply not up to the task, none exist for the victims. Alice organizes one herself, while she still has the mental capacity to create it and participate. This allows these victims to share their loneliness and suffering in a friendly environment.
Alice visits a nursing home to check out the Alzheimer’s unit. She finds there are far more women than men in the unit. (This fact made me wonder whether more women are diagnosed with it or do men find it too hard to care for their wives while women remain loyal and devoted to their husbands, keeping them at home. Could it also be that the wives outlive the men and have no one to care for them?) At the end of the tour, Alice decides this is not a place for her and vows to end it all before she reaches that level of mindlessness, if she can only recognize the time when it occurs.
Through Alice we discover that many of us are running so fast to achieve that we often don’t take the time to enjoy the simple things in life like ice cream cones and laughter. As the disease slows her down she begins to notice the small things that make her happy and hopes to live long enough to see her children achieve what makes them happy.
The contrast between Alice’s memory lapses and her husband John’s, highlights the difference between the normal memory loss of aging and the loss of purpose and direction produced by the dementia of Alzheimers. We experience the indignities of the disease as it is experienced by this bright and dignified character and begin to understand the needs of the victims as well as the caregivers.

This is a compelling story about a group of teens who meet at a camp for artsy kids, kids who are not into sports, kids who are more interested in creative endeavors, kids who are just beginning to find themselves, kids who may never realize who they are or what they want to do, kids who make irreversible mistakes. They are all coming of age. It is a summer of discovery for all of them which continues through the following decades that they remain in touch.
It begins in the summer of 1974. Julie’s father has just passed away, at the untimely age of 42. When she receives a scholarship to attend the camp, Spirit in the Woods, her mom decides it would be good for her to go. While there, she flourishes. When some teens get together in a camp tepee and decide to form a group that will continue to be best friends forever, into the future, she is flattered to be invited to attend; Ash and Goodman, (sister and brother), Jonah, Kathy, Ethan (an animation genius) and Julie, the newbie, round out the circle of six. When they call her Jules, she adopts the name ever after. She does comedy routines at camp and comes out of her shell. She and Ash remain best friends into adulthood and all of them remain friends, throughout the years, periodically getting together again. For the most part, they support each other and are positive influences in each other’s lives.
The story follows these characters from the summer of Nixon’s resignation to the ten year anniversary of 9/11, when they are in their fifties. Each of their lives plays out in a different direction. They remain friends all through the ensuing years, some becoming more successful than others. Each finds their own way. Two of them marry, one is gay, one accuses another of rape, one marries someone outside the circle (Dan), and one runs off and assumes another identity in order to escape the errors of his ways. All of them are fully formed, and we live with them, their failures, successes, mistakes and conflicts as they age and face the exigencies of life.
There is some crude language and also there are unnecessary sex scenes which add nothing to the story’s development. From my perspective, relevant and important subjects, like intermarriage, motherhood, parental death, divorce, separation, the Aids epidemic, premarital sex, drug use, and even autism, are only casually referenced and not fully explored, while, at the same time, largely irrelevant, liberal political views run rampant, throughout the text, at every opportunity. Wealth and the evil it spawns, coupled with its alter ego, privation, a problem apparently caused by the rich, in the author’s view, are mentioned as well. (The expression of the author’s personal political views seems to be a very common theme running through the novels today. Authors seem to want to express their personal views and not so subtly plant references to them.)The story is sometimes repetitious as it is retold from different character’s points of view as events play out.
These are not perfect characters; they have flawed families and imperfect lives, with all of the sundry normal problems and not so normal ones in evidence. They have emotional trauma, mental and physical issues and even legal problems to deal with at various points of the narrative. All of the themes are knitted together in the end when the story comes full circle. There are villains and heroes.
In the end, it is about life changes and changing needs as we age. It is about money and the lack of it, what money can buy and what money can destroy. It is about beauty and the lack of it. It is about the relevancy and irrelevancy of issues that sometimes seem so important at one stage of life and so trivial at another. Still, sometimes it takes almost a lifetime to work out the effects of some events in our lives, in order to move forward and live again. Life isn’t fair and it isn’t a fairy tale. It is not for sissies.
Absent the political bias which flies off the pages expressing the author’s dislike of conservative politics, it is a really “interesting” study of a group of teens as they grow and mature, learn how to make choices, some good and some bad, and come to realize that being “interesting” is in the eye of the beholder and its importance depends on circumstances and moments in time. There are many poignant moments, and moments of truth, witnessed by the reader for each of the characters. In the end, most of the characters are altruistic and soon discover that money does not always lift up the rich, but often corrupts them. It is a person’s behavior, hopes and dreams that define them, not their money or position or their popularity and beauty.

This book is the second in a series. The first was Firefly Lane. The book stands on its own and does not need to be read as a sequel. It is about self discovery, reconciliation and redemption.
It covers many major issues: alcoholism, drug addiction, cutting, attempted suicide, troubled and deviant teens, runaways, Cancer, love and loss, mental illness, sexual abuse, racial and religious bias, interracial relationships, and even domestic abuse. Perhaps it was trying to be too many things at once, but it is largely successful in its presentation. Fans of Kristin Hannah will be enchanted with this novel.
The story surrounds the loss of Katie Ryan, a victim of Cancer, and her death’s devastating effect on family and friends. Tully and Kate are best friends, forever. However, they had a terrible falling out, two years before Kate’s illness began, and until Kate expresses a need for her, in her final days, they are estranged. Kate’s husband, Johnny, against his own best judgment, asks Tully to come back into their lives to comfort Kate, at which point she gives up her own life, with dramatic and drastic consequences, to offer herself to her friend.
Kate and Johnny are the parents of Luke and Wills, twins, and Marah a high school teenager. The twins deal manageably well with the death of their mom, but Marah and Tully, truly falter. Johnny feels helpless and behaves thoughtlessly and irresponsibly on too many occasions, considering only his own feelings and no one else’s in his effort to restore normalcy to their lives. He is the adult in the room but he is acting like a spoiled child. For Marah, this might be a forgivable behavior, but, for Johnny, it is reprehensible and has grave results.
Although the book centers around Kate’s death, it is really about Marah and Tully and their individual reactions to grief. Tully is a famous talk show host. She has a damaged life; she is largely ignorant about her past, she is “motherless” in all ways that count, and she descends into her own private Hell after her friend’s death. Her mother’s scars, truly scar her as well. Marah, on another plane, descends as well. She no longer feels that anyone understands her, is filled with misunderstood anger which causes her to withdraw and become sullen. How all of these interacting characters work out their lives, for good and bad, well meaning or not, is the central theme of this novel.
For the first almost 300 pages, the book felt very pedestrian and hackneyed. The characters seemed overblown in their development, almost like caricatures of themselves. Marah, as a Goth, is not very believable although her grief and confusion certainly is understandable. She is selfish and immature, which may be normal, but a perfectly healthy teen, would not, it seems to me, turn so grievously into something else because of the death of a parent, especially when there is a support system around, even if this support system is damaged as well. Surely her grandparents were the most stable influence and could have had more of an effect in real life. Too many of the characters sought to comfort themselves at the expense of others.
In the last ¼ of the book (about 100 pages), the author’s purpose became clearer, and she redeemed herself. The pages turned themselves and I read on until I finished it, without putting it down. The beginning of the book, which seemed hackneyed, now seemed more plausible. Although, I sensed how it would conclude, I still, wanted to learn the details. The novel covers the behavior of the characters and the atmosphere that existed over three generations, from the mid 60’s to 2010. It perfectly captures the 60’s, the flower child generation, the formica tables and the tract houses, the hoods in black leather jackets with slick backed hair, in the style of the sitcom Happy Days. It also captured the puritanical views. It succeeded in capturing the atmosphere of the young teens born to that generation, growing up with their Valley Girl personas in a world with loosened moral standards and greater, often abused, sexual freedoms. Then it encompasses the troubled worldview of the kids growing up today, in a world with technology and personal freedom, heretofore, unknown. It covers the essential, perhaps over “liberalization” of America, in school, at home, in the workplace, and the world.
For me, the book took too long to come together. At times it seemed pedestrian and cloying, demanding sympathy from the reader. Perhaps the author was setting it up carefully for readers who had not read Firefly Lane. Although the characters were fully developed, the plot was fairly obvious, and the narrative was repetitious, at times, because the story was told from the vantage point of several of the characters: Johnny, Marah and Paxton, Tully, Dorothy (Tully’s mom, known also as Cloud), Margie and Gus, (Kate’s parents).
Because of the way the book is written, though, it should cross all age lines in its appeal. It will touch grandparents, parents, and their children, as it concerns the three generations. It is a novel about self image, self destruction and its alternate, salvation. It is about wounded people and how they destroy or heal themselves and find their way home again. There are moments of recognition when scenes remind the reader of Oprah, Bob Woodruff, Fonzi, and the movie, Beaches.

When I turned the last page I had to stop and think, what is this book really about? I decided it was about three things: freedom, justice, and immigration. It is about the freedom to move about, the freedom to make one’s own decisions, the freedom to live wherever one wants, the freedom to have ideas and speak one’s mind, the freedom to cross all kinds of borders. It is about right and wrong, fear and courage, comprehension and misapprehension, deception and clarity, lying and telling the truth and how all of these basic ideas affect the idea of justice and injustice in a free society in which immigrants and citizens live side by side.|
The Torres-Thompson family lives in an upscale neighborhood with all the amenities of people with money. At one time they had several people working for them full time, but because of a shift in their financial status, Scott and Maureen have had to economize. When the story begins, Araceli, the Mexican housekeeper, is lamenting the absence of her fellow employees. They have succumbed to the consequences of the belt tightening. All of the work, child care included, now falls upon Araceli’s shoulders without so much as an offer of additional pay because, essentially, Araceli is invisible to them except in the performance of her duties and is taken completely for granted. They take no interest in her life. She is there to serve their needs and none of hers are considered or recognized. She, however, silently seems to judge them in their lifestyles in her thoughts and comments to herself. There is resentment on both sides. Often the author makes her behavior and values seem superior to theirs, which defies the reality of her situation since she is employed by them, and in all ways, except her thoughts, she is the underling.
Maureen Thompson does not seem to understand the gravity of their situation and still spends money extravagantly. Scott Torres begins to lose his self confidence and worries about how he will be able to continue to provide for his family. Both seem immature and irresponsible. After a particularly aggressive argument, Scott loses his temper and does something out of character; Maureen leaves with her youngest child, Samantha, and does not return for four days. She believes she is leaving her two sons, Keenan and Brandon, in her husband’s care. However, he leaves earlier than she does and neither has any idea that both boys have been left alone, in the care of Araceli, who is not a nanny and has no desire to take on that responsibility. It has been foisted upon her, unwillingly, without her knowledge. Through a series of missteps, both Maureen and Scott have drawn false conclusions, and have abandoned their children.
When Araceli finds out that she is the only one home with the boys, she tries to call their parents, but neither answers their phone. She does the best she can for the first couple of days, but after that, not knowing where the parents have gone or for how long they will be away, and not wanting to have the children placed in foster care, and not wanting to arouse immigration about her illegal status, she decides not to call the police, but instead, sets out with the boys to try and find their grandfather from the only address she has for him, written on the back of a boyhood photo taken many years ago. Not assimilated in America, she is naïve and makes many foolish decisions based on false assumptions. The self-serving Torres-Thompsons make just as many, and they are acquainted with their environment. The ramifications of their incredibly irresponsible behavior, is the basis for this story, and it often plays out in a tortuous fashion.
All of the injustices perpetrated upon the main characters by political spotlight seekers, crazed fanatics on both the left and the right, media moguls looking for a scoop, merge together to produce a horror story of injustice for all. Are there no groups that follow common sense, rather than their own cause, without jumping to false conclusions which support their anger or sense of injustice regardless of its right or wrongness? When truth no longer is of the highest value, when it is the underling to self serving “on the fringe” individuals, how can you have anything but chaos? When people are afraid, they won’t come out of their box to defend the defenseless, but they will watch as they are abused by those stronger, those less ruled by ethical or moral judgments, watch as those governed by their own perceived need for success, regardless of whether or not justice is served, try to take over and wield power through the manipulation of facts. Often, it was the innocent thoughts of the children that rose above the fray and enlightened the reader to the stereotypical beliefs and biases which seemed to shape the characters, rather than the adult conclusions and behavior. Perception was often lacking and honest appraisals of the situation were instead colored by personal grudges and backgrounds.
In the end, I was disappointed. Stupidity continued to reign throughout. Only the scene changed. Nothing was learned, the comedy of errors and circus atmosphere continued. I found the use of foreign phrases distracting and often confusing. I wondered if the author was trying to show the futility of the situation by giving the main characters the name Torres-Thompson instead of Thompson-Torres, since Torres is the husband’s last name. Was it a subtle reminder that to be Mexican in America was a negative image even as he portrayed the Mexican as having the better moral sense, the upper hand and the last laugh? Could there actually ever be such a series of misunderstandings and false conclusions leading to such disastrous consequences?
This is not a quick read. It raises so many questions about civil rights, bias and prejudice, illegal aliens, unreal expectations of immigrants, the rights of workers, the abuse of the poor by the rich which leads to the abuse of their employees, the efficacy of our justice system and child welfare programs. This book has a social message, which seems to follow more liberal ideas. In some ways, the characters are caricatures of real people, stereotypes of the worst kind of adult and parent, irresponsible and immature, selfish, stupid, greedy and egotistic, who run from responsibility and each other to prove they were right when right and wrong had nothing to do with their problems. They were childish, expressing hostility instead of behaving rationally. The book made me angry for four reasons, one because it is overdone in its portrayal of selfish, ignorant Causcasians, and two because it is overdone in its portrayal of the Mexican émigré as the only deserving character, and three because it is decidedly left leaning and four, because the characters are totally hateful. It is only in the end that some of the characters seem to realize the folly of their ways and recognize the injustices they have enabled. The story seemed a bit lopsided.
The author presents his own bias by assuming that those on the left are pretty much only guilty of over-reactions in their need to defend the defenseless, and perhaps guilty of political greed and fifteen minutes of fame, while those on the right are guilty of far more serious behaviors of arrogance, anger, hatefulness and financial greed at the expense of those who are far less fortunate, without regard to consequences which are often deadly. It is not that simple, nor is it accurate.
The book reminds me somewhat of the movie Babel, in which another Mexican maid is unjustly accused of kidnapping the children in her care when the parents are unable to return in time for her to attend her own son’s wedding, forcing her to take those children with her to Mexico for the event.
Two opposite conclusions can be drawn from this book: 1) to Americans, Mexicans are objects to be used, not minds to be explored (the Mexicans think they are better than the Americans think they are); 2) to the Mexicans, the Americans or America is an object to be used, not explored. Two sides of the same coin perhaps coexist and serve no positive purpose at the present time.

Fraught with emotion, this is an achingly heartbreaking tale of war. Devastatingly honest and brutal in its images, it is hard to read without discomfort. It propels one to second guess their own thoughts about war and the reasons for the unnecessary sacrifice of life.
It feels like a series of random thoughts coming from Private John Bartle, with each series separated by approximately one year of time. The story moves back and forth, past to present, from 2004 to 2005, as, through his thoughts, we try to understand his confusion about who he is and why he still remains. Is he a hero or a coward? The absence of war is now an empty void within him that he cannot fill or explain nor can he stop reaching for his missing rifle. He is no longer defined by his past, his childhood or his youth, but now, he is defined by his brief, unbearable experience in Iraq.
In 2003, John Bartle and Daniel Murphy enlisted; in 2004, they went through basic training together and became friends; in 2005, Bartle is discharged and returns home to Virginia. John Murphy, 18, and Daniel Bartle, 21, served together in Iraq. This is their brief story. When one day, Bartle carelessly promised Murphy’s mother that he will protect him, the forward momentum of his life is changed forever. It was an unrealistic pledge that would not be easy to keep. In the end, his effort to protect Murphy’s mother, rather than her son, had drastic consequences.
Their superior officer, Sgt. Sterling, 24, perhaps the quintessential soldier, was demanding and brutal in his expectations of obedience and respect. They loved and hated him, at the same time. He was responsible for keeping them alive and his methods were often cruel but expedient. They were children, in a sense, playing a game of life and death for which they were poorly equipped, but then, who is equipped to commit murder with impunity, especially when punishment eventually lies in wait, in the prison of one’s mind or the prison of one’s peers who judge the crimes without the necessary wisdom to comprehend the reasons behind their commission, but rather with the need to simply hold someone, anyone, accountable, to make someone pay in order to justify the injustices they allowed and even requested be committed.
The book thoughtfully explores the choices we make, good and bad, those necessary and those perhaps not so much. It shows the effect of those choices on those who made them; it also shows the effect on those who had to follow the choices that were made by others, those who had no input, but were, nevertheless, expected to follow, and in so doing, were irrevocably changed.
Choices that were ultimately made for kind reasons were judged just as wrong as those made for cruel ones. Of their own volition, the young men and women chose to go into battle, but they had no idea what they would encounter in that foreign country thousands of miles from home, in more ways than mere distance. Some of the decisions they chose were made because they were driven by the horror of the atrocities they witnessed, by the sheer enormity of them. The magnitude of the death and destruction exhausted and wasted them. The nightmare of war, the madness of it, infected their minds in the daylight of their waking moments.
However, their choices determined their futures. Then too, their superior’s choices, also determined their futures. Ultimately, one is left to wonder if the means ever really justifies the end. Did Murphy find freedom? Did Bartle escape the prison of his mind? Both boys were lost to their families whether or not they returned home.
As the thoughts of the soldiers take life on the pages, the reader will find it hard to read on without respite. Only imagine for a moment, the soldier who cannot take respite when he is in the middle of the fray, and then imagine how their lives are forever altered by their experiences and how an unwitting public welcomes them back as heroes ignoring their scars of battle.

"New York" is a well researched, wonderful inter-generational saga that spans several centuries, from the mid 1600’s until 2011. It traces the generations of several families through feast and famine, prosperity and poverty, hope and despair. Many of the characters develop and reconnect seamlessly and realistically, as time goes by.
The amazing history of New York is told wondrously in this novel, while adhering to the facts perfectly, albeit using a mixture of real and fictional characters. Several families meet again and again, generation after generation, notably the Masters and O’Donnells, the Kellers and the Carusos, even though their relationship and past connections to each other often remains unknown to all, but the reader.
Occasionally, the author creates an “aha” moment for the reader, when he introduces a little known fact and it becomes a painless, teaching moment, like how a street or a river got a name, or who founded a certain part of New York, or who saved the city from a stock market crash. The author’s subtle presentation of facts, important incidents and details, is never burdensome or tedious. The weaving together of both real characters (Tammany, J. P. Morgan, Roosevelt, Koch, Lincoln, Washington, Franklin, Douglas, Kennedy, King, to name just a few that appear throughout the narrative), and fictional characters is never contrived. It isn’t like the history books that can bore you to death with facts, and yet, it is filled with all of the necessary accurate information to create a clear picture of New York’s evolution and rise to the megalopolis it is today.
New York’s foundation is illuminated with such clarity and portrayed with such vigor, that the narrative simply flies by with lively images of life there. The Indians, the privateers, the Dutch, the English, the Irish, the financiers, the soldiers, the gangs, all play a role in the account and all fit in seamlessly, so the reader really understands how New York and its environs came to be and comes to understand all of the people who populated the area in the beginning- from the mid 1600’s onward- and the kind of courage needed to survive as New York City and America grew.
The reader of this audio is one of the best. He does a fabulous job as he is able to throw his voice into each character with authentic accents and precise emotion to fit the moment. He relates the brutality and difficult history of so many things like slavery, the Revolution, the Civil war, the suffrage movement, prohibition, the Civil Rights movement, the Depression, the rise and fall of the stock market, the rise of terrorism with the World Trade Center bombing and its eventual collapse, all with perfect and appropriate inflection, feeling and accent.
I highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to painlessly learn the history of New York and even the United States, since New York was such a major part of its development, while having the added pleasure of reading a wonderful piece of historic fiction that will be memorable and not easily forgotten.

I listened to the audio version of this book and found it extremely moving and engaging. There were several readers playing the part of individual characters. All were excellent.
The book takes place in two parallel time zones of war, one beginning in 1912 and the other in 1940. It is told through a series of letters between the characters.
In 1912, the poetess Elspeth Dunn, lives on the Isle of Skye, in Scotland. Once, she had secretly dreamed of being a geologist, but her fear of water has kept her trapped on the island. When she gets her first fan letter from a reader named David Graham who lives in Urbana, Illinois, whose secret dream is to be a ballet dancer, her life takes a turn in a completely different direction. She calls him Davey and he decides to call her Sue, in the frequent, but secret, touching correspondence that develops over the years.
Elspeth’s husband, Ian, a fisherman, had grown very distant and eventually left her to join the fight in Europe, during WWI. Her confused loneliness is abated, not by the rare correspondence from Ian, but by the letters that often arrive from Davey. After some time, Davey also joins the fight in Europe. He will drive an ambulance. She has a divided allegiance, but she misses them both.
Ian was best friends with Elspeth’s brother, Finlay, and when he discovers her secret letter writing and her secret feelings toward Davey, he is enraged because she has been betraying his friend, Ian, who is now MIA and presumed dead. The family is torn apart when Finlay packs up and leaves home. Will the problems ever be solved and families reunited or will many more cans of worms be opened? Will anything move Elspeth to conquer her fear of water to leave the island?
Now move to 1940, Margaret Dunn is meeting and writing to Paul. They believe they are in love. It is again a time of war and he, too, joins up to fight. Her mother warns her to be careful about love in wartime, because it is a time when hearts often make rash decisions. Margaret is confused by her mother’s odd behavior, especially in the coming days, after her mother's secret cache of letters addressed to Sue, is accidentally discovered in their home. Sue is a person unknown to Margaret. Shortly afterward, her mom disappears, and Margaret sets out to solve the mystery.
Switching back to the 1912 era, the reader discovers that by a trick of fate, Davy and Ian wind up in the same prison camp and the story begins to twist and turn as more and more letters are revealed and more secrets disclosed.
Through the correspondence and interviews with people in 1940, who knew Margaret’s mother, the story is told and it is told with a good deal of humor in the back and forth letters, but the background love story is one of longing and tenderness, as well as secrets and deceptions. The eloquent correspondence of both couples exposes the actions of the characters that have changed their lives indelibly and have been carried with heavy hearts for decades.

As I read this book I was reminded of the Victorian novels I read as a young girl, in which the heroine always faced the most awful circumstances but was rescued by a hero at various turns in her life, each one with a secret that tormented him or her and caused the story to twist and turn until it resolved itself in some way, at the end, with consequences that could not be avoided or altered.

This book is a saga, well worth the read. I listened to an audio version and the reader did a spectacular job speaking in many voices and never confusing any of the characters. Her expression was spot-on. It was almost like watching a show playing out in my mind.

The well developed characters are gentler and wiser than those far more educated and worldly, and they will endear themselves to you. Those that do not are typical of the cruel monsters we often encounter in life and ascribe their tormented souls to their environment or their experience, but whatever the reason, they are the dregs of the universe.

The opening horror-filled scene is quickly moved into the background as the story begins on a beautiful plantation in the 1700's, a time when slavery was accepted and people were property.

A young child, Lavinia, is brought home to a plantation by the master of the property, the Captain, and she is placed in the Kitchen House to work alongside the slaves, although she is Caucasian. Her brother has been sold, her parents are dead, and she is alone in the world.

Blacks who are enslaved and without free papers are doomed to a life of unbearable bondage, poor housing, insufficient food, overwork and constant fear of being beaten, used or sold and separated from those they loved. In spite of their hardships, they forge a community and care for each other, taking pleasure in life’s simple joys. They embrace Lavinia, regardless of her color, and nurse her back to health.

This is Lavinia's story. She grows up "colorblind" and is not aware of her different station in life or of the fact that she will be free some day, and she loves her home and her family, Mama Mae, Papa George, Uncle Jacob, Belle, the twins, and all the family that surrounds her. She wants to remain with them forever. Her days are work filled and pleasant, once she grows used to her surroundings and responsibilities. She thrives and is actually happy, working and enjoying the friendship of other children her age. As young as she is, she cares for those younger and learns to love.

This is the story of her plight, which although in sharp contrast with the plight of slaves, is almost as dreadful, even though it will only be for a finite term of which she is unaware. They are all owned. It is the story of her innocence, her ignorance and naïveté which leads to dramatic events, some happy and some tragic.

The secrets and mysteries of life on the plantation move the tale in numerous twists and turns. Knowing the truth would have made circumstances turn out in a happier fashion, but these were times when many things were not discussed openly, and women had limited power and freedom. Women belonged to their husbands as much as slaves belonged to their masters, albeit they lived in better circumstances.

The author has done a commendable job capturing the idea of what it meant to be a "slave" and a "master" from both perspectives, as well as how enslaved a wife was, even though she was "free". The author has captured the mood of the times, the hardships, total helplessness and hopelessness and the need for utter obedience and humility in order to survive the most distasteful circumstances and in order to put up with the most cruel and despicable people. The lives of slaves were incidental, unimportant to the masters, simply property. There was no justice, no recourse and utterly no regard for their needs or their humanity. They were unable to fight back and had to witness and bear the most awful punishments and deprivations, sometimes just at the whim of the master.

Through Lavinia's eyes, we experience the life of a slave and a free woman in the same body. The lesson we learn from Lavinia is that one's color does not make a difference. Like "The Boy In The Striped Pajamas", when stripped to our souls we are the same, only some of us are cruel and some of us are kind and it is not our color or religion that determines that, but the sickness in one's mind.(less)

This is the story of someone who believes she is not worthy of notice. She believes herself to be part of a class of people who don’t deserve to dream, people who are not memorable, but instead, believe themselves to be unsuccessful, mediocre and invisible in the eyes of the world. This is the story of Nora Eldridge, a single woman, spinsterish, who no longer thinks about a future that includes a happy home, a future that is hopeful and prosperous. She resigns herself to the fact that she is nothing, if not ordinary.
When the Shahids, a Lebanese family, move to town from Paris, temporarily, and their child enters the school system, becoming Nora’s student, she is completely enthralled with them. Reza is 8-years-old. His mother Sirena is a successful artist and his father, Skandar, a very attractive man, is a professor and a lecturer. Nora is a frustrated artist who has never followed her dreams, and she “adopts” this family. Nora begins to live vicariously through her new found friends’ lives and then becomes intimately involved with them. With Sirena, she rents a studio and returns to her creative side, once again making model rooms of famous historic personages, and together, they work on Serina’s latest project, “Wonderland”. One night, believing she is alone in the studio, Nora takes some pretty risqué photos of herself, in conjunction with the room she is building. She is imagining a life for the character who lives in the room she is creating, and she abandons herself to the experience, snapping “out of character” photos of herself, in order to record it.
When Sirena and her family return to Paris, Nora feels the loss deeply. After many years, she visits them there and discovers she was betrayed by Sirena and perhaps, even Skandar. She understands this, at first, as the way “the woman upstairs” is treated, as a non-entity, as someone unnoticed, and therefore, not someone who is thought about in terms of feelings or consequences. She is simply there for their amusement and is unimportant. It is at this point in her life that her anger becomes fierce and palpable, but this anger, rather than creating a sense of depression and helplessness, makes her realize that she no longer needs to be afraid to live, that indeed, she must conquer her fears and forge ahead. She had entertained fantasies about her friend and her friend’s husband and dreamed that their son was hers, as well. She had believed that they embraced her as family, but she had over-reacted, and she had over identified with the Shahids, as she had with others. She had been living vicariously in her imaginings, through the lives of others, rather than her own.
Nora believed we were all lost in a world that wasn’t real, a world of appearances, and she didn’t entertain the idea of hope for a better day, a more fulfilling time in her life, rather she mocked those who told her otherwise, until she was betrayed so completely that her anger finally woke her up and gave her the courage to face life and live. This is a story about a woman who needed to come face to face with the charades that people play and with their disloyalty and phoniness, in order to find the truth and reality in her own life.
The book illuminates how we see each other, each with a different lens. What we see with our eye and feel with our minds and hearts is completely skewed by our personal life experiences and our environment. We all bring a different viewpoint and a different evaluation of situations to the table, based on our pasts. Probably, no two observations or reactions to the same experience or incident will be exactly the same.
This was not my kind of book. There were sexual overtones of deviance that seemed contrived and irrelevant and I did not really identify or become invested in any of the character’s lives. However, the writer has a way with words and that is praiseworthy.

When the reader of this audio uttered the last word, I breathed a sigh of relief. I listened from beginning to end, but it was a chore. There were just too many characters, too many different scenarios that seemed to jump around without any rhyme or reason, too many conflicting ideas and themes coming at me, so that I just could not keep track of it all and enjoy the story. Perhaps, if it were not an audio book, I could have looked back more easily, but even with listening to sections, over and over, it just did not come together.
The narrator is the son of Horace Burr. He is telling the story of a curse that befell the Reverend Winslow Slade’s family from approximately 1905-1906. He has discovered this story by cracking the code of the chronicles written by Adelaide Burr, who was brutally murdered by her husband, Horace.
Many famous people are mentioned in the narrative: Woodrow Wilson, Grover Cleveland, Jack London, Upton Sinclair, Carnegie, Clements, and so many more. I was constantly wondering which part of this story was fact and which was fiction. Which character traits attributed to these people were real and which were fantasy.
The story begins in Princeton, New Jersey, in the early 1900’s, with the revelation to Woodrow Wilson by his mentor, Yeager, of the lynching of an innocent man and his sister. Yeager wants Wilson to do something about it, but Wilson, like most of those in power, turns a blind eye to the events because of the negative effect his attention to it, would have on his future as President of Princeton University. He is currently engaged in a power struggle with Andrew West, for control of the institution.
As the story continues, that thread seems to disappear without being fully developed except to indicate the hypocrisy of the times, and instead we are introduced to the presence of a possible demon, in Princeton, who is responsible for murder and mayhem as he assumes many incarnations. After several horrific incidents, it is assumed that there is a curse on the area. It seems to begin on the day of the Reverend Slade’s granddaughter’s wedding. Immediately after she is betrothed, she disappears with what is presumed to be a demon. The story concludes with the experiences of the Reverend’s grandson Todd which further reinforces the notion of a curse, perhaps upon that family.
The book left me wondering, was Oates mocking religion and G-d? Was this a satire? Was she declaring that G-d wanted the Reverend to successfully cause chaos in the world? Was G-d punishing innocent people for Slade’s wrongdoing? What kind of a G-d would that be? I found some of the dialog sardonic and sarcastic leaving me constantly wondering what the author was really trying to tell the reader. Did some statements act as double entendres meant to make me think more intensely? The history and time line seemed accurate, but did these characters really do the things she attributed to them or were the experiences exaggerated. Was she deriding the history?
There were gruesome details throughout the tale with evil spirits and creatures capable of extreme cruelty. There were hallucinatory moments and scenes in which the characters minds and actions were taken over by malevolent beings. Some of the characters heard voices and suffered madness.
The tale made me wonder if Grover Cleveland possessed such an uneven temperament. Was Woodrow Wilson’s health so precarious? Was Upton Sinclair such a bigot? I could not tell from the narrative what was true and what was fairy tale. Were the traits of these famous personages simply exaggerated to make a point? Was this an excessive use of poetic license?
The author mocks the puritanical views of the times by using the term “unspeakable” to refer to certain events, thereby keeping the reader in the dark because since the events are “unspeakable”, they can’t be revealed. It is an interesting device but it only confused me further. Were there really demons taking possession of some of these characters or were they victims of some kind of mass hysteria? Were there archangels? It was hard to tell who was good and who was evil. Many good characters became evil. Once again, I felt the double meaning was everywhere. It was as if all that we see is never really all that we see!
Using this novel, Oates did expose the cruelty of the times, the religious and racial prejudices of the people, the bigotry and inequality that existed, the duplicity of the socialist movement, the hypocrisy of the church, and the rigid rules governing those admitted to the hallowed halls of prestigious schools. All this, she did, while weaving a Gothic mystery, complete with the often, prevailing misogynistic and superstitious ideas of the times.
Without the gifted prose of this author, the novel would have had no redeeming features for me. In spite of the fact that much of the story went over my head, there were far more times when the use of language and sentence structure was spellbinding and held me fast. I could visualize the characters and the scenes, even when I could not fathom the reason for them.

There have been few times when I turned the last page of a book and sighed with relief, but this was one of them, although I listened to the audio so it was the final word I heard that gave me such pause. My husband had been reading the print book and found it very slow, so we decided to listen to the audio version together. Although the reader was good, there was little he could do with such a drily written tome. It was well researched and there were abundant facts, too many at times, and that made the book tedious when it could have been alive if it was less bogged down with what felt like little known, unnecessary details that seemed included only to fill pages and pages as if there were a predetermined amount the author wished to write. At times it was so boring it was more like a sleeping pill! It was repetitive, and included too many incidental pieces of information like the coupling of his coming across a suicide victim (with a graphic description), with the purchase of a sheepdog. The relevance escaped me. Every famous personage of Jefferson’s time, that he knew or that knew of him, was mentioned in the book. Oftentimes the facts did not concern Jefferson, but them, instead. There was gossip, but not of the captivating kind. It was a potpourri of white noise, in some cases, just facts that could have been left out without altering the book’s value. I did not feel that Jefferson, the man, was developed that fully, but rather the facts about the people around him were stressed.
So, if I had to rate the book, I would give it 4 stars for research, 3 stars for the reader and 2 stars for the book itself, which simply failed to ignite my interest. Whole sections of the book slipped by without me being aware of the message as the reader devolved into a monotone because there was no way to inspire the narrative with any expression. Often the book went off on a tangent and explored issues that distracted me. Jefferson was one of the Founding Fathers, he helped draft the Constitution, authored the Bill of Rights, signed the Declaration of Independence, was Secretary of state, vice president, and finally, a two term President of the United States. The man was definitely a lover of politics, a believer in state’s rights and the voice of the people. His image should have jumped off the pages with passion. A brilliant man of many talents, he was interested in horticulture, music, farming, hunting, science, libraries, and politics. He loved America and wanted to see it thrive. He wanted to see the people happy and less divisive and he worked toward that goal his entire career, however, he was arrogant and was not easily persuaded to change his mind once set on a course of action.
He was a womanizer as a young man but when he finally married, at age 28, he was devoted to his wife and never married again after her death, honoring her wish that her children never have a step parent who cares nothing for them. Bereft, he takes his oldest child, Patsy, and travels to France where he becomes enamored with the country. Although he never married again, he was not celibate. He carried on a long term affair with Sally Hemmings, which began when she was just a young teenage slave of mixed race, who bore several of his children. Jefferson did not believe that slavery was moral, but nevertheless, he kept up the practice.
He never openly admitted his affair, Sally Hemmings, but modern science has proven that the DNA of her offspring are his. I am not sure the world would look kindly on that behavior, or that relationship, today. Perhaps a real student of history, rather than an ordinary reader, would be more suited to this book, since they would be interested in every detail, rather than the overview I desired. Jefferson may have died, but the legacy of his efforts will live on forever, since they formed the foundation of the country.

It is just after WWI, when Captain John Emmett returns home to his family, and finds he cannot adjust to his life. The tragedy of events that he witnessed, during the war, have severely damaged his psyche. After an assault arrest, he is sent to a nursing home where it is hoped he will get well.

Laurence Bartram, himself just returned from the war, discovering that his wife and child have died during his absence, is also lost in his own thoughts and private world. He and John were schoolmates once, years ago, and have lost touch. When he receives a letter from Mary Emmett, John’s sister, he is surprised. She wants him to investigate the circumstances surrounding her brother’s death so that she can understand what he did and why. He was the only friend, ever brought home by John, and so she reaches out to him. She and Laurence had met when they were younger and had emotionally connected, but the war intervened and the moment was lost.

During the war, a tragic event took place that sets a mysterious chain of events in motion. Looking for information about John’s suicide, leads Laurence on a labyrinthine journey, that with its myriad twists and turns will excite and hold the reader’s attention. Conspiracy theories abound and will have the reader guessing in one direction or another, usually, the wrong one, lol.

This mystery is loosely based on a real wartime event. The ending is quite surprising. As secrets unfold, you will ask yourself how far will a father go to avenge a son’s death? Is behavior during wartime acceptable even if it is unjust? Is unrequited love worth pursuing? Are the emotional consequences of wartime actions properly addressed, even today?

The reader is really good but this book would be better in print so the reader could look back to recall the importance and identity of the many characters in the narrative. That said, I simply listened to this book straight through, it was that engaging. I could not stop until the end.

When I first began to listen to this book, I was disappointed and gave up. Thankfully, I tried again a short time later because this author read her own book, and she does the most amazing job with the different voices and varied expressions of the characters. It is not even necessary to know the name of the character because the voice she uses is so recognizable. Often, Japanese quotes are read and translated. There is no problem with those moments; rather they take on a special beauty of their own. When she speaks with the voice of Nao’s great -grandmother, a Buddhist nun, it is mesmerizing, and the reader will be transported to her Buddhist temple and feel the serenity she imparts with her gentle words and manner of speaking as she reaches out to the reader and preaches simple ideals about how to live spiritually well, without over emphasizing religion itself. Nao’s voice, on the other hand, is typical of a hyperactive, confused teen, while Ruth’s is the voice of an older, more mature person. I think listening to this book would be my preferred choice because the printed word could not convey, adequately, all that the author was able to convey with her voice.
At times, the story seemed gruesome and yet this brilliant author used words so masterfully, that even gross situations were tolerable and often described with some humor to lower the temperature of the heinous behavior portrayed. Even when Nao’s morality is compromised, it is dealt with, with a light hand, so although the reader might be enraged to discover the depths to which she had to descend in order to survive, the way Nao describes the experience, softens it. Reduced to its simplest terms, the story is about a troubled teenager and a troubled novelist who is trying to locate her. How they interact over time and through it , is the way secrets are revealed.
When Nao’s father lost his job in America, they were forced to move back to Japan where Nao, as an outsider, is bullied and abused by her classmates. Living in Tokyo with her disappointed mother and depressed, suicidal father, it is no wonder that she has a dysfunctional attitude, as well as negative thoughts about herself. Her often bizarre reactions and behavior are direct results of her lack of respect from others and her own lack of self esteem. The description of her school and home environment is spot-on and totally without guile.
Ruth is of Japanese heritage. She lives in Canada, on a remote island with her husband Oliver. She is supposed to be writing a novel about her mom who suffered from Alzheimer’s and recently died. She has hit a writer’s block of sorts. While walking on the beach, she comes upon a plastic bag and brings it home to throw it out. Soon, however, she discovers the bag conceals some letters, a watch and a diary. She sets out to try and discover who wrote the diary from the clues within its pages.
Nao’s name, pronounced now, is important to the title for Nao thinks and writes about time and its meaning with regard to several characters that are explored. With words that would fly from the page if I was reading, rather than listening, the author discusses the most complex ideas in simple terms to make the message clear. The importance and meaning of life and death is explored. Loyalty and duty to one’s own conscience is investigated. Justice, shame, guilt and the consequences of certain behaviors are studied. The brutality of Nao’s classmates is peeled back like the skin of an onion and the reader will feel her humiliation and her pain. At the same time, they will feel the shame of her kamikaze great uncle. Often, also, there is humor when you would least expect it, to make the subject matter, which is sometimes shocking, more palatable.
Nao’s relationship with her “104” year old great grandmother is beautiful; it is loving, kind-hearted and compassionate. It is she who helps Nao understand life and how to deal with it.. The reader is immersed in the life of Nao and, at the same time, in the life of Ruth, across time. I don’t think Ruth is as well developed but she serves the purpose of bringing out Nao’s story exceptionally well.
The reader will be forced to ponder whether or not magic exists, whether or not the future can change the past, whether or not there are spirits, as legends and myths suggest. It was so beautifully written, that even at times when it might seem a bit confusing because of the interjection of fantasy, it was a joy to read (actually, listen to) with its philosophy of peace and geniality, with its presumption of innocence rather than guilt whenever possible and prominently presenting the idea of giving one the benefit of the doubt. In the end, the reader will wonder, did Ruth change the course of history, did Nao survive the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, did Nao reach into the future to help Ruth, as well, to find a true purpose for her own life? Was magic afoot? Using metaphors and allusions, the author has created a beautiful story that will stay with the reader long after the last page is turned.

I have both the print copy and audio copy of this book, but I decided to listen to the audio book because it makes use of idle time while I am doing something else that doesn’t require much thought, like laundry. The title did not make me want to read the book. I wasn’t interested in learning about flowers. However, my daughter suggested it, and in reading it, I discovered that it was about the relationship of flowers to people, flowers to romance, flowers to serenity, flowers to love, and the effect of these flowers on people’s lives. It was about what a flower symbolizes and how it can bring about harmony and serenity to people, and I discovered it was a really good book.
Victoria Jones is the main character. She was abandoned and brought up in various foster homes and girl’s homes where she was abused and unloved. A life of meanness and unhappiness followed her, until she was placed in Elizabeth’s home. However, lonely, with no social skills and an inability to trust the system, even at the tender of age of nine or ten, she is disappointed by the way life has treated her, she is overcome with her own frustration and anger, and she always sabotages whatever good fortune comes her way, making foolish, dangerous decisions which throw her life into more and more turmoil and chaos with unhappy consequences. She rejects the world and largely remains uncommunicative and a troublemaker, until she turns 18 years old and is released from the last group home in which she resided.
Her life had spiraled downward for a long time, but when finally she is of age, and can strike out on her own, she begins to have a modicum of success. Still, in spite of her good fortune, she is not comfortable with her success or herself. She has little confidence and believes she is undeserving of respect or admiration. She is unable to accept true feelings of love and rejects them rudely.
The narrative of the book flows very smoothly and never gets tedious. It will engage the reader, and it will be hard not to read it straight through to discover Victoria Jones’ eventual fate. As I listened, I thought, this is kind of a fairy tale. There are many evil people and many innocent victims, but in the end, it all works out and no one really pays for the error of their ways. The victims overcome their hardships and their problems and find happiness, regardless of their sins. All is always somehow forgiven by very kind and understanding, compassionate people. It was utopian, in its way.
Yet, it is also a very painful book to listen to, or read, because the main character is, in fact, an abandoned and mistreated child, forgotten by society and treated fairly coldly by her social worker. She does not develop any self confidence or self-respect because of constant ridicule of one kind or another. Her unhappiness grows with her abuse and she soon believes she is unworthy to be loved or even to know how to love in return. I found her to be weak and mean, at times, completely at a loss when it came to appropriate behavior. She was never given the proper social or psychological attention that she needed, and her social worker seemed more concerned with her own successful conclusion of the case than she was with the fate and treatment of Victoria, the child.
I thought Victoria was sad, lonely and angry. These emotions made her manipulative and often cruel and just as abusive as some were to her. She lied to everyone, she betrayed everyone she came in contact with, and still, she was forgiven by all of these people. I, on the other hand, found it hard to feel to sorry for her or to forgive her for her behavior or her irresponsibility, because her self-pity consumed her, above all else, and she didn’t seem to appreciate all the luck that came her way, so she never seemed to grow into a more mature adult. She didn’t trust anyone even though there was evidence that, after awhile, she should and could trust certain people. She tossed all people into the same bucket and ran from all accountability.
When I finished the book, I knew it was a good read. The use of flowers to determine people’s behavior and futures was very clever and the story was made more meaningful because of the history behind each of the blooms. Still, I didn’t like Victoria any better when it ended. Somehow, she manages to survive on her own, with no money, no wherewithal, in the street or because of the kindness of others, and still, she continues to feel sorry for herself and is unrepentant for too long. As an 18 year old, she was able to start a business from nothing, earn the trust of others, though she trusted no one, get paid under the table, which I think is totally dishonest, and have a child out of wedlock which she discards, and yet, is forgiven and not brought to justice by anyone. I think, in the end, this book sets a poor example for the behavior of young adults, even if the story is entertaining.
(As an aside, not all foster parents are cruel or abusive. I was one, and my husband and I were very involved with our foster child’s care and education, treating her with respect and affection. She shared a room with our daughter and was treated as one of the family.)

The book concentrates on a case about reparations for the ancestors of slaves. This is an investigation into the lost hopes and dreams of nameless thousands of people and the consideration of whether or not they are entitled to any kind of recognition, monetary or otherwise. On the surface, it would seem that the company sponsoring this law suit is interested in getting money from the families who wronged the slaves, and who prospered from their efforts, in order to better the situation of the black population today, descendants of slaves, by memorializing them, enhancing their opportunities, and thereby, improving their economic future. In the end, the reader will wonder what truly motivated the firm seeking the law suit, personal greed or altruism.
Two stories lives side by side in this book, separated by more than a century, connected by two important themes, one is freedom and the other is justice. All of the characters are seeking freedom, in some way, although some efforts are more intense, are about life and death, and some perhaps are about saving one’s soul or self in the search for truth and introspection. The search for justice in life and in death, in personal and public life, in the legal and criminal world, is evident throughout. When secrets are revealed, the way is opened for life-changing events. The two themes, one of greed and the need for personal gain over all else, and the other, its counterpart, compassion and the care and consideration of others, constantly oppose each other as the book moves on. The reader will witness the pain caused by the one and the salvation caused by the other. The book will quietly expose the subtle current day racism that still exists in both the white and the black community.
In 1852, Josephine Bell was a young teenage slave on the Bell tobacco farm, a decaying homestead. Beset by bad luck, the farm is descending into a state of neglect and less productivity, and the slaves are being sold off. Josephine, most likely of mixed race, lives in the main house as “the house girl”, and therefore has a bit better life than most of the dwindling number of slaves on the property, but she is still owned and is a prisoner there because of a depraved society, driven by greed. She was a proud young girl who had dreams of freedom and on more than one occasion tried to escape. The first time, she was defeated in her attempt, though she reached safety. She was in an advanced state of pregnancy and was forced to return and deliver a child that very same night. She was told the child did not survive. She was only 14 years of age and she still continued to dream of escape.
We learn of Josephine’s story through Carolina Sparrow, the daughter of a famous artist. She is a litigator assigned by her law firm to find a living plaintiff that can be traced back to a slave that has been wronged. While pursuing the investigation, she discovers a link between the slave-owning family of the prominent artist, Lu Anne Bell, and their slave Josephine, who was their house girl and who was also an artist, sometimes permitted to paint by her seriously ill mistress, but more often asked to complete her mistress’s paintings or correct and improve them. Whose paintings are they, the slave’s or her mistress’s? The reader is privy to correspondence between two sisters in a family that operates an “underground railroad”, and these letters were a highlight of the book. In Dorothea’s letters to her sister, we learn first hand about the danger her family faced in the endeavor to help the slaves and the surprising betrayals that follow their efforts. We witness the danger and fear of the escaping slaves, the trauma and the tragedies as well as the successes. It would be a cold person who remains unaffected by the plight of these persecuted people.
One half of the tale is the tenderly told story (although a repugnant part of our history), of the plight of the slave, Josephine Bell and others who suffered the same fate and harm as she did, captured and enslaved, often raped, beaten, murdered, separated from their families, treated as sub-humans, and the other is the hardscrabble story of upward mobility in the form of lawyer Carolina Sparrow, her fellow workers, her law firm, and their clients, the corporations that line their pockets. Although Lina is an important part of the story, for me, Josephine’s story overshadowed hers.
During her investigation, Lina’s artist father conveniently remembers a case in the art world, he recently read about, which might help her, and conveniently there is a showing of the work of the artist in question and a controversy developing about the slave who might actually deserve credit for the paintings. In the course of the investigation, she also meets people who know, or know of, her father and they, too, are willing to help her. Then she happens on a possible relative of a slave, by chance, and she is attracted to him. He is Jasper Battle, a man of mixed race, heavily tattooed, a musician who seems unfocused, and without a future at first glance, but she learns there is another deeper side of him to which she is drawn. Then there is the “piece de resistance”, the story about her mother. For me, all of these serendipitous moments were contrived and a bit too coincidental to be credible. Also, I found some of the parts about Lina to be tedious, especially when she read off names and sometimes when she ruminated about her research. Then, there is probably a hidden political message in this book, complete with a mention of Cheney and Iraq, but it is not heavy handed and is not distracting from the overall message.
It is a very sad story about a very shameful time of our history. It is another in the genre so popular today that tries to illuminate the plight of the slave and the continuing struggle for civil rights. All readers will be forced to look inside themselves and wonder how slavery could ever have existed, how one human being could treat another so brutally and cruelly simply because it was lucrative to do so. How could there have been no moral conscience to stop this, how could it have taken so long to end the practice of owning a human being and treating “it” as less than human?
With its minor shortcomings, it is, nevertheless, a well told story, and it is a really good read which will open the mind of the reader and make the reader think about how it might be possible to right the wrongs of yesterday which are still quietly in existence today, and stop the forward momentum of the greed which has captured the mind of the country.

From the first word heard on this audio, I was a prisoner. I think the story held me more rapt than the reader; it moved along quickly, and totally consumed me. I never turned it off, until the end. It is about unlikely heroes, who rose above their own expectations, and it is about traitors, by design, as well as those who became quasi-traitors, those tortured into confessions to avoid more pain. It is about the German effort to seek out and find the hidden Jews in order to steal their wealth.
It is about the Holocaust, in that it takes place during the year 1942, in Paris, France. Without dwelling on the concentration camps, it painted an accurate picture of the brutality that was commonplace during the German occupation, and it was sometimes really hard to take it all in. Belfoure truly creates the fear and tension of the moment, and the reader will feel it, as well, experiencing and understanding the reactions of each of the characters, the “good, the bad and the evil”, when faced with terrifying prospects.
The extraordinary strength and courage of some and the mindboggling weakness and sadism of others, join together on the page to expose the heroism and self-sacrifice of one group, as it lays bare the incomparable cruelty of the other. It is a book about people placed in an untenable situation by circumstances beyond their control, and the madness that infects those who are mainly concerned with their own self-preservation. It is about the difficult choices of the citizens; how could they resist and survive, did they have to acquiesce in order not to be tortured and killed, were they brave or cowards, could they have behaved otherwise? It is about the decisions made by those in the resistance to save some, while sacrificing others for the greater good of their cause, juxtaposed against the choices of those in the Gestapo who didn’t care about saving anyone but themselves, who murdered indiscriminately, for Hitler. It is about how these warring factions coexisted under the most extreme conditions in Paris, during the German Occupation.
A question arises throughout the book that is insoluble even today. How do educated, sophisticated, family men, and even otherwise moral men, commit such sins against humanity. How is such behavior justified in the mind of a person with any common sense? Was the depravity of the German behavior simply the madness of some, or were the far reaching effects more a symbol of a world gone mad, an entire world with a diseased mind? I asked myself again and again, could this happen once more? Could someone’s unhappiness and greed, envy and hate, become so strong again that the reasonable answer to their pain becomes the extinction of an entire group of people, becomes the panacea for all their troubles?
Fear is a motivating factor that changes us all. How would we have behaved? We all probably hope that we would have been strong and would have behaved better than the collaborators, better than those who turned their backs on, and a blind eye to, the suffering of others, even as their neighbors and friends disappeared. Schadenfreude was the word of those times; many relished in the pain of the “others”.
Lucien, an architect, was raised to be anti-Semitic by a hateful parent. His life was steadily going downhill under the German occupation, but then he met the very wealthy Monsieur Manet, who offered him a job. He is hired to build hiding places, in various places, in order to save the Jews. At the same time, he is also hired to build factories that produce weapons for the German war effort. Manet believes this is the only way to maintain ownership of his factories and help the Jews to escape. Lucien does not see himself as a collaborator. Is he a collaborator, is Manet?
Pierre is a twelve year old child who is the lone survivor of the round up of his parents, siblings and the people who sheltered him; he grows up quickly and becomes a man in a surprising way. Is he a murderer or a hero?
Adele is a wily, hateful kind of person who easily fraternizes with the enemy for her own benefit. Does she have any redeeming qualities? Her associate, Bette, surprises herself with her maternal instinct, and she changes, as events force her to make uncomfortable decisions.
Herzog, befriends Lucien. He had wanted to become an architect like Lucien, but his father prevented it. He discovers another side of himself, as he witnesses barbarism for the sake of barbarism alone, barbarism simply because these acts of atrocity could be committed by those who actually enjoyed inflicting the pain, and there was no one to stop them, barbarism that destroyed simply for the sake of the destruction itself. Yet, even this lone “quasi-good German” soldier justifies his own cruel behavior by declaring himself a loyal German to the Fatherland.
All of the characters are so real that as they experience life, the reader will experience it along with them. The author has done a wonderful job of capturing the essence of the time period, the naïveté of some of the people, Jews and gentiles alike, the senselessness of the savage behavior, as people used each other and betrayed each other, the fear that everyone had for their own personal safety, the constant state of panic that reigned under Hitler’s rule as he and his minions preyed on the weaknesses of the people, and he also illuminated the courage that people found within themselves against all odds. The book is about compassionate, self-sacrificing, righteous people, and their converse, the vulgar, immoral, self-serving, sinful people who supported The Third Reich.

From the moment, in 1492, when Rodrigo Borgia becomes Pope Alexander VI, after the death of Innocent the VIII, intrigue and his personal quest for power begins. The corruption and greed of the church, its members and followers, is exposed and explored to create a perfectly interesting story about what can only be called the reign of the Borgias. They exploited every opportunity to advance their own position, behaving immorally, even as they prayed and worshipped G-d, behaving as if they were spiritual and honorable, without acknowledging their own duplicity and shameless behavior. They legitimized deceitfulness.
Alexander had several illegitimate children; his favorites among them were Juan, Cesare and Lucrezia. Strong-willed and determined, he took a young cousin, Guila, as his mistress, keeping her from her own husband’s bed. He was a man seemingly without scruples, willing to use the power of the church for his own personal gain and advancement, a man of deep passions who took whatever life offered without regard for rules and regulations, since such was the power of the Pope; he could rearrange the rules and regulations to suit himself. Using manipulation, threats, bribes and if all else failed, an army of men who would fight until the death, for his family and the church, he set about to conquer territory and kingdoms. There was no end to the brutality or unprovoked hostility if it would further the Borgia realm. The influential Borgia name was feared, and that fear manipulated men and enabled conquests.
Of the two brothers, Cesare was the more militaristic, and when his foppish brother, Juan, was murdered, suspicions about his killer were varied, some even falling on the shoulders of Cesare himself. Lucrezia was very close to Cesare but this did not prevent him from using her for his family’s political advantage, or from lying and exaggerating in order to destroy her first and second marriages so that an even better one could be arranged for the empire’s success. He was a man without scruples, driven by ambition, loved by his sister, trusted by his father, but dreaded by everyone else. Having his father’s ear was a great advantage to him, as his sharp tongue and manipulative wit were always plotting some strategy to move the family into greater prominence, in order to guarantee his own position of power, well into the future. Through marriages, alliances were made and alliances were broken with France, Italy and Spain to further the Papal territory. It was a pretty much accepted fact that everyone engaged in treachery.
At the end of the 15th century, in Italy, vengeance, was a powerful tool, and all slights, great and small, real or invented, were punished viciously. Murder and torture were audaciously committed. Children were tools for future coalitions and conquests. There seemed to be no crime that was not worth committing in order to advance the cause of the Borgias.
Sarah Dunant has imagined a very well-written tale, in this piece of historic fiction, which will hold your interest as you discover that Lucrezia Borgia, who was painted historically as a villain because she was so complicit in the corruption in which her family engaged, may have merely been used as a pawn in the game of power that her family played, a game in which she herself was powerless to do otherwise.

Killing Jesus is read very well by the author. He speaks clearly and obviously has a scholarly understanding of the information he is presenting to the reader. However, the book is based a great deal on assumptions, and perhaps presumptions, of a time when there are no living witnesses available to contest any of the statements made and a time in which several versions of events have been previously published and explored. Some of the information could be considered more questionable than others, and some of it depends largely on a belief in Jesus that is based on pure faith. For believers, this book will be an amazing read. For doubters, and perhaps, non Christians, it may be a bit disappointing, because while the church has worked hard at excusing the Jews for the death of Christ, O’Reilly squarely places the blame back on their shoulders, even as he mentions that it was really Pontius Pilate who was the only one with the authority to pass the sentence. He also portrays the Pharisees as greedy moneylenders, flaunting their wealth in the way they comport themselves, and as adversaries and betrayers of Jesus.
The book begins with the story of Herod, the King of the Jews. He has learned of a rumor that tells of a new messiah to be born, who is destined to be the new King of the Jews. The prophecy states that the child will come from the line of David and will be born to a Jew, in the town of Bethlehem, in Judea. His mother will be a virgin and several magi, who are astronomers, will follow a new star to his location. All of this occurs. This new messiah is a threat to his own power, so he orders all babies under the age of two, in Judea, to be murdered. Joseph, Mary and Jesus escape, however.

The book then goes on to outline the history of the time, from Herod to Caesar to Octavian, and on and on until Antipas, a high priest, who is the ruler of Galilee, and the son of Herod. Tiberius is the Emperor of Rome, and Pontius Pilate is the Roman governor. The story also covers the lineage of Mary and Joseph and follows the struggles of the Jews as they try to practice their way of life under the rule of the Roman Empire. The Pharisees, devout teachers, and the Sadducees who are more liberal, confer to make the decisions, and the Sanhedrin, the justices, rule on them. The Jews in the temple are moneychangers, and believers in animal sacrifice. Both practices are unacceptable to Jesus and he overturns their tables in the Temple on more than one occasion, angry that the Temple has become a marketplace rather than a holy place.

John the Baptist is a Jew who predicts the coming of Christ the Messiah, as prophesied, and brings the people to the fold with baptism, which comes from the Jewish ritual bath, the Mikvah. He preaches that those who are not baptized will burn, which means the Jews who do not follow his teaching are condemned. He preaches about a more peaceful, ethical and appropriate behavior of man toward man. John also preaches that the end is near and baptism is necessary to cleanse one’s soul and pass into heaven. It is a powerful message about the possibility of being forgiven for one’s sins, merely by dunking into the water and being blessed. When John sees Jesus, he becomes calm as he claims that the lamb of G- d is approaching. Apparently, G-d told John a dove would come from heaven and land on the son of G-d\\\'s shoulder, and that was what he was witnessing. Jesus gets baptized by John and then goes into the desert to be cleansed and to make himself pure for Passover.

Meanwhile, when Antipas, a Jew, the man who currently believes himself to be the King of the Jews, marries his brother\\\'s wife, which is against Jewish law, John makes his anger about it known and is soon arrested, chained and thrown into a dungeon where he remains until his death.

As Jesus passes his 30th birthday, he is supposedly unaware of his fate, but when he is 36, at The Last Supper, he is prophesying his demise to all who will listen. Few disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane pay him heed; they are preoccupied with their earthly concerns, all except Judas who will betray him for 30 pieces of silver. Jesus knows he is going to be betrayed and he knows where his death will take place. Jesus of Nazareth, a teacher who lives simply, in desert surroundings, subsisting on locusts and honey, rather than living in the state of luxury like the Pharisees, will be condemned. The Emperor, Tiberius, is a cruel, perverse and barbaric man. He murders children with abandon, after they entertain him sexually. In order to prevent rumors from springing up about him, the witnesses must be destroyed. His own background of abuse, sadness and loss, have destroyed his humanity. He rules his regime with brutality and Jesus will suffer an excruciating death.

Jesus chose twelve disciples to follow him. One is the Pharisee, Simon, whom he calls Peter, who becomes his rock, and another is called Judas, from Iscariot, who becomes his betrayer. Except for Judas, the treasurer, whom he also calls his friend, they are all from Galilee. Jesus is a marked man. The Pharisees refuse to believe in his miracles. He is a threat to their power and privileged class. His coming has been predicted in the scriptures, exactly as it is occurring. Jesus rides a donkey down the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem to be crowned King of the Jews. Caiaphas and Pilate know he is coming with hundreds of thousands of followers. They want to avoid the controversy to follow but appear unwilling or helpless to take the steps to do so and lay the responsibility upon the shoulders of the Jews who, to be truthful, seem to want it that way, if the book is accurate.

Parts of Killing Jesus, requires a giant leap of blind faith since little can be truly historically proven or verified. There are parts of the book that are written in such a way that I feel they might encourage the anti-Semitism we have struggled to diminish. He writes that Passover was about money and yet, I never learned that about Passover and I am a Jew. To me Passover is about the miracle of the unleavened bread. He denigrates the Pharisees without explaining they were merely living in the manner of the way of life then. He calls them self-serving rather than men of G-d, teachers or devout believers. One might say that Christmas is only about money, and the Church is self-serving if held to the same standards, but he doesn’t mention that, to soften the blow against Jews. According to O’Reilly, basically, Jesus exposed the debauchery of the high ranking Jews of that time. He is a direct contrast to their unethical, selfishness. He dresses simply and they dress flamboyantly. He preaches poverty and they live by the coin.

The Sanhedrin judges were against Jesus. He threatened their very way of life and existence. He committed Heresy, whether or not they trapped him into it is a question that cannot be proven. However, if someone was going after the Pope in the same way that Jesus went after the so-called “King of the Jews”, what would the expected reaction be then? Does anyone see a comparison in the way the Pope robes himself, except perhaps for the present one who has taken a vow of poverty very seriously and seems to deeply embody the teachings of Christ to love thy neighbor and turn the other cheek, etc.? While the Pharisees and Sadducees came to judge Jesus, so too, was he judging them.

When given the choice, by Caiaphas and Pilate, to pardon one of the criminals from death, the Jews did not choose Jesus. They thought he was a threat to them. Does that excuse what they did? It was a different time, but today, choices are made like that all the time in the Middle East. Jesus’ death was abominable, but it was the brutal, barbaric practice of the times. The Romans enjoyed the blood baths; they were simply the entertainment of the day. In hindsight, it would have been great if none of that took place. But, if it was written that it had to take place that way, according to the scriptures, then G-d was moving them like pawns. Jesus knew he would be in the Garden of Gethsemane, he knew about Judas, and he knew who would sit on his left and right, so, could the results have been any different? If you are a believer, I think not. Like Caesar, who was warned of his impending death, Jesus knew of his. I was left with this question after reading about the awful events leading to the death of The Christ. Are we powerless to change what has been written? Was it written or was that part of history a product of self-determination?
Since some of the dialogue and description of events felt like a stretch, and no one was there to overhear or record what took place, in many cases, blind faith is something the reader will have to accept when they read this book.

This is a very easy book to listen to, and the reader will easily be placed under its spell. When compared to “Gone Girl”, however, one could say that The Silent Wife is also about dysfunctional characters who seem to have no guilty conscience about the things they do, but the characters in this book are a bit less objectionable or diabolical, rather their efforts at evil are more straight forward and obvious.
Jodi and Todd meet after a fender bender. He is engaged in an angry outburst and she silently lets him rage. It was her fault, after all; she was distracted. After a few days, she receives a call from him. He asks her out on a date, and the rest is history; they click and proceed to happily live together for the better part of 20 years. Todd believes that Jodi has invigorated his life and given him a raison d’etre! He had been down in the dumps, his career was faltering, and he thought she would be his lucky charm, more or less. Their lives settled into a stable and routine existence which she recognized was missing the passion they once shared, but it still seemed agreeable to both of them.
Both Todd Gilbert and Jodi Brett live in a world of unreality that they have created. They walk around each other believing if it is not acknowledged, it didn’t happen. That is how Jodi’s family existed. Her mom ignored her dad’s infidelity, even though it was widely known in the small-town community, because breaking up the family would have hurt the children. Todd’s family was dysfunctional, too. His dad drank too much and was physically abusive to his mother. Todd longed for the dynamic of a strong family and the image of happiness and togetherness, the sharing of pleasantries and experiences. Jodi was determined never to marry because then infidelity would not be in question, but in that belief, she was sadly mistaken.
Jodi suspects that Todd cheats on her, but she feels that exposing that truth to the light of day will change their relationship, irreparably, while ignoring it will allow them both to go on as usual. She takes the path of least resistance to maintain the status quo. Todd believes that Jodi knows, but is a really understanding wife who understands he has needs he must fulfill. Todd is a restless soul and believes that whatever he does is justified for one reason or another. They have worked out this arrangement in which they do not speak of things that trouble them because that would give those things a life of their own and cause fractures in their relationship. Rather, they move on as if nothing untoward ever happens, that is, until Todd grows restless again, becoming depressed and unable to find satisfaction from his life. When, he meets Natasha, whom he believes can reinvigorate his desire and inspire him to achieve greatness, he strays beyond the pale.
Jodi, on the other hand, is not restless. She seems like a homebody who enjoys cooking, caring for her husband’s needs and working as a psychoanalyst from her home office. There are hidden secrets from her early life that even she is unaware of, until forced to remember and face them. She is very good at compartmentalizing her thoughts and memories, and while she is basically calm and considerate, she also finds herself able to do things that are reprehensible without feeling any real responsibility or remorse.
When Todd, who has been distant and perfunctory in his behavior, of late, announces his decision to leave her and marry another woman with whom he has been having an affair and who is pregnant with his child, she is completely blindsided. She is sure he will come to his senses and return to her, even after he begins living with his lover, who is the daughter of his best friend, Dean Kovacs. His cold and calculating treatment of her, his disingenuous excuses, under the guise of kindness and/or overwhelming outside pressures, take her completely by surprise, so sure was she that she could trust him and believe in his willingness to still protect and care for her.
Although it was an easy book to listen to, there were few characters that endeared themselves to me. Rather they made me angry that they had such a lack of concern for those they hurt. The lawyer is the stereotype of the cold-hearted lawyer; he is also the stereotype of the angry ex-husband who feels abused and overwhelmed with his responsibility to the family he may have betrayed or that betrayed him. There are friends who use Jodi to advance their own agendas. There are workplace acquaintances who pretend to offer help while really only considering their own needs. One character, Stephanie, Todd’s secretary, seems to be the rare character without rancor or bitterness and seems to possess humanity, rather than malice.
The ending has an almost obvious twist, but it is nevertheless handled very well, although I was disappointed with the number of hanging, unsolved, unknowns. There is no real justice, even at the end of the book, but rather there is an atmosphere of acceptable injustice.

From the moment, in 1492, when Rodrigo Borgia becomes Pope Alexander VI, after the death of Innocent the VIII, intrigue and his personal quest for power begins. The corruption and greed of the church, its members and followers, is exposed and explored to create a perfectly interesting story about what can only be called the reign of the Borgias. They exploited every opportunity to advance their own position, behaving immorally, even as they prayed and worshipped G-d, behaving as if they were spiritual and honorable, without acknowledging their own duplicity and shameless behavior. They legitimized deceitfulness.
Alexander had several illegitimate children; his favorites among them were Juan, Cesare and Lucrezia. Strong-willed and determined, he took a young cousin, Guila, as his mistress, keeping her from her own husband’s bed. He was a man seemingly without scruples, willing to use the power of the church for his own personal gain and advancement, a man of deep passions who took whatever life offered without regard for rules and regulations, since such was the power of the Pope; he could rearrange the rules and regulations to suit himself. Using manipulation, threats, bribes and if all else failed, an army of men who would fight until the death, for his family and the church, he set about to conquer territory and kingdoms. There was no end to the brutality or unprovoked hostility if it would further the Borgia realm. The influential Borgia name was feared, and that fear manipulated men and enabled conquests.
Of the two brothers, Cesare was the more militaristic, and when his foppish brother, Juan, was murdered, suspicions about his killer were varied, some even falling on the shoulders of Cesare himself. Lucrezia was very close to Cesare but this did not prevent him from using her for his family’s political advantage, or from lying and exaggerating in order to destroy her first and second marriages so that an even better one could be arranged for the empire’s success. He was a man without scruples, driven by ambition, loved by his sister, trusted by his father, but dreaded by everyone else. Having his father’s ear was a great advantage to him, as his sharp tongue and manipulative wit were always plotting some strategy to move the family into greater prominence, in order to guarantee his own position of power, well into the future. Through marriages, alliances were made and alliances were broken with France, Italy and Spain to further the Papal territory. It was a pretty much accepted fact that everyone engaged in treachery.
At the end of the 15th century, in Italy, vengeance, was a powerful tool, and all slights, great and small, real or invented, were punished viciously. Murder and torture were audaciously committed. Children were tools for future coalitions and conquests. There seemed to be no crime that was not worth committing in order to advance the cause of the Borgias.
Sarah Dunant has imagined a very well-written tale, in this piece of historic fiction, which will hold your interest as you discover that Lucrezia Borgia, who was painted historically as a villain because she was so complicit in the corruption in which her family engaged, may have merely been used as a pawn in the game of power that her family played, a game in which she herself was powerless to do otherwise.

This is a masterful, wonderfully researched presentation of the initial battles of WWII. Precisely described, in plain language, it brings the war and its character to the readers, depositing them right onto the battlefield, enabling them to hear the sound of the fighting, the cries of the wounded, and forces them to smell the stench of war.
In 1939, WWII was overtaking Europe. After the invasion of Pearl Harbor, in December of 1941, America entered the war. The plan was to concentrate in North Africa, conducting Operation Torch. Hoping to help Churchill, they believed that North Africa was the least dangerous place to begin, considering the green, mostly untrained, American forces. North Africa was, basically, their training ground for the next phase in Europe. At first, tremendous losses were incurred because of their inexperience, inferior equipment and weaponry, more suited to WWI. Moreover, poor communication, a lack of coordination and inconsistent training, coupled together with the incompetence of an untrained military, peopled with commanders who were unprepared for war, led to early failures. In 1942, the Battle of Midway was their first success. Sadly, there were many failures to follow, as well, as their inexperience on the battlefield was revealed and tested again and again. From 1942-43, World War II raged on unabated in North Africa, until finally in May of 1943, it belonged to the Allies, and finally, the Axis knew the ignominy of defeat.
In this, Book 1, of The Liberation Trilogy, we are introduced to General Eisenhower, Rear Admiral Hewitt, General Patton, General Bradley, and General Clark, among many, many others, from the Allied and enemy Axis armed forces, as they begin to plan and mount attacks in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. Throughout, the commanders competed with and criticized each other, as politics, not common sense or military strategy, often ruled the day, leading to incomprehensible tragedies and casualties that could probably have been avoided.
The German weaponry was far superior, the German communication was more advanced, the soldiers were better equipped, better trained and more seasoned, they had been fighting since 1939, and as a result, they were, initially, handily defeating their American and British counterparts. Learning from their failures, however, the Allies improved, ultimately winning North Africa from the Axis powers, but it was a hard won fight and even Eisenhower wondered if he would be replaced because of the numerous defeats. The first month of the war was devastating for the Americans. Lives were sacrificed as reconnaissance failed, as the soldiers fears overcame their common sense and they ran away, showing a lack of courage, often when they were actually winning, but the lack of clear information left them thinking they were in retreat. In the fog of war, cruelty was contagious and the troops on both sides committed atrocities, some of which went unpunished. Ultimately, though, the American\'s secret weapon was their determination; they improved, they gained experience and they simply never gave up, as the author said, they withdrew when necessary, but never retreated, and more often than not, they fought harder, repeatedly, in the face of great danger. General Eisenhower was often faced with doubt, thinking he was not seasoned enough for this battlefield, until many months of casualties and defeats passed and his methods proved successful.
The author describes the taking of every hill, every battle, in precise detail, often using appropriate humorous quotes and anecdotes to soften the effect of the tragic consequences of war. He even made some of the failures seem laughable, despite the resultant loss of life and appalling injuries.There are moments of nostalgia like when the author refers to the Ronson lighter, a thing of the American past. There were moments of tenderness, as well as rancor, when the author describes some of the reactions of the men in the field, the remarks of the commanding officers and their descriptions of each other or the enemy. The North African training ground was a killing field, but it led, finally, to victory, and North Africa was theirs, in May of 1943.
The generals were bull-headed, they worried about their wounded pride when their efforts failed, the field of war forced them to sacrifice a generation of men, deliberately, to make small gains and only a hardened man, of a certain stripe, could issue such orders and command men to their death. Patton was one such man. However, after reading the book, I was struck even more with the futility of war, and it was hard to take after awhile. These pompous generals often gave orders to go into harm’s way, criticizing men for being insubordinate or lacking courage, while they, themselves, sat in safe houses and ate like royalty, remaining unscathed as they called these men weak, even when they returned maimed and gravely wounded.
I listened to an audio of the book, but I think a written version would have been far better, especially one with a map so the battlefield could be illustrated and followed more carefully. I was unfamiliar with many of the locations that were written about and would have, if it was a book, simply gotten up and looked them up. With an audio, you are not always in a convenient place, and by the time you are, you forget the unfamiliar name you want to research.
In the end, the final impression, for me, was one which defined these men, who were sometimes maligned as cowards, as heroes who fought with courage and valor and saved us all from a heinous outcome in which we could have been the vanquished, had they failed. The generals suffered wounds to their pride while the fighting men suffered emotional and physical injury beyond repair. The battle to take North Africa was equal parts bravery, fear and arrogance and hubris, from those commanded and those who did the commanding.
The second and third in the series await me!

Although the author writes in a clear and direct style, making it an easy read, although she captured the flavor of the culture, customs, lifestyle and form of expression used by the characters from a small village in India, she failed to capture me. I struggled with the book. It took the better part of 100 pages before I felt I was engaged enough to want to continue reading it.
The book is basically about two brothers whose lives take divergent paths, and like the two ponds in the lowland near their home that sometimes flooded to become one body of water, as children, they were like a single creature. However, they were closer as boys than as adults, and as they matured, when their politics and philosophy of life differed, they grew apart, like the two ponds after the rains subsided. Although they continued to love each other, they remained mostly distant for the rest of their lives.
Udayan, 15 months younger, was generally the one who made the decisions, and Subhash was the one who paid for his folly because he was older. Also, Udayan was more likely to take risks and defy the rules and authority. Both boys, however, were dutiful sons, respectful to their parents, honoring their obligations to them. The first part of the book covers the lives of these brothers, from the time Subhash is 13 and Udayan about 11, until 1970 when Subhash is about 27 and abruptly learns that Udayan has married. Then it continues for seven additional parts, moving from character to character, from place to place and time to time, until the present.
India’s political problems were exposed through the actions of Udayan, a Naxalite; he is a Communist and a follower of Mao. Subhash, the more grounded brother, respected authority, kept his own silent council, not making waves, and although he was often tempted to behave recklessly by his brother, he remained politically unaffiliated. He was often overshadowed by Udayan, who was favored by his mother, but remarkably, he never resented this, rather, he just seemed to wonder about it and accept it, as he accepted most things. He quietly acquiesced to whatever came his way.
Both Udayan and Subhash were at the same level in college, attending at the same time, having started their early schooling together for the sake of convenience. Udayan’s active rebellion evolved during that time, the turbulent sixties, and the politics divided the two brothers who had previously been like two halves of a whole. In 1967, in the area of Darjeeling, when the peasants began an insurgence which spread to the students, Subhash, who had generally followed his younger brother’s guidance, altered his course. Since he did not agree with the current student complaints, he did not join his brother in his desire to overthrow the government. Subhash disagreed with Udayan’s more radical political beliefs. Udayan believed in Mao\'s Communism and not in America’s Democracy. He saw America and the current government of India as enemies, as oppressive, holding down the people and forcing them to live in poverty. Udayan disliked America and Subhash wanted to continue his studies there. Udayan wanted to stay in India and fight the system that he believed was repressive, and he wanted Subhash to remain also. As their relationship became more strained, Udayan became more drawn to his secret sweetheart, Gauri. His parents had not chosen her for him, as was the custom, but Udayan had no trouble defying customs. Some time after Subhash left for America, Udayan married her and took her home. As usual, his parents accepted his transgression.
The practice of subtly manipulating others to do his bidding continued to be a trait of Udayan’s as he grew older. He even engaged in that behavior with his own wife, compromising her safety without her knowledge when he involved her in dangerous politics without her being fully aware of what she was doing. Still, one might question the believability of her naïveté. Gauri was self-educated, as well as well-schooled, and while it was true that the rebellion Udayan was engaged in was a peasant rebellion, one that Gauri did not personally witness, she was surely aware of the student activities at her school that pertained to the politics of the day. Gauri, although in some ways naïve, was a very intelligent woman. She was very watchful and observant of the world around her. This, in fact, was what she missed most when she moved to Udayan’s home after their marriage; she missed the ability to watch the people and the city move around her. From her in-law’s home, all she could see was the surrounding landscape, the place called the lowland, which was to become not only the beginning of her husband’s life’s experiences, but also the end of theirs.
The way the passage of time was treated, by jumping from the experiences of one character’s life to another’s, was a little unsettling in this narrative. It seemed, almost suddenly, that several years passed by, without the reader’s knowledge, because a child suddenly appeared on the horizon, or there was a death in the family, or a child was now accompanying her father on a trip back to India or there was suddenly the appearance of a heretofore unknown grandchild, and a girlfriend, etc. This jumping from subject to subject, from one time and place, to another time and place, had a tendency of forcing me to stop and think to myself: wait, where am I now? Who is this speaking? How much time has gone by? Where is this character now, and what has happened to put him/her in this place, this new state or country? It disrupted the narrative for me.

As the book meandered back and forth between the characters, as one or another theme was developed, time continued to pass, and we followed their career paths and personal paths until the present time. The characters never fully developed or matured, never grew or changed. They remained the same as they were when we first met them, weak if weak, headstrong if headstrong, selfish if selfish. None ever truly altered their style or personality. Subhash was always the weaker link to Udayan’s strong one. Gauri, Udayan’s wife, had always been single-minded and independent in her own way. She remained that way; self-interest consumed her. When Gauri’s child was born, she too had many defiant personality traits; she represented a combination of her parents’ ways. Not one character ever fully considered the consequences of their actions, and others often suffered as a result of their poor choices.
The storyline did not always make sense to me. Why would Subhash accept punishment for his brother’s errors? Why would Gauri subjugate herself to her mother-in-law’s rule, when both she and Udayan really didn’t believe in that custom? Why would Udayan be the favored son, rather than the needier one, when he was the one who caused the most trouble? Why would Subhash always be blamed for his brother’s transgressions? Why was he so non-confrontational that he never stood up for himself? A too simple explanation is that he was the older brother, and there was nothing to be gained from speaking out. It was true that Subhash could not rein in Udayan’s wildness: Subhash was too timid, but he did know enough not to involve himself in Udayan’s lifestyle, as he grew older, even if he had to move to another country to do this, even if he had to increase the distance between them. To become somewhat independent, Subhash truly had to leave. The two ponds, separating the land, were like the two brothers who ultimately became separated.
Udayan’s behavior was reprehensible and so was Gauri’s. Innocent people were hurt by his fervor as a revolutionary, and she can only be described as an unfit mother. Subhash’s behavior was weak and too self-sacrificing. Their lives never fully developed because they were trapped in their own bodies and minds. Although the character’s justified their behavior to themselves, the reader will be left wondering, were any of their actions really justified, especially when they often had devastating effects on others? Was there any possibility of reclaiming their own lives or do they continue to remain adrift, wanderers in a strange land? Will they always be separate from, rather than belonging to, the people and places around them? Will they remain outsiders?
Throughout the book, the reader will wonder, will they ever reconnect? Would things have been different if they had been able to adapt and react more appropriately to the situations that confronted them? Eventually, the ponds are reclaimed by the land and developed by investors. How the brother’s lives develop, as well, and how separation effects each of the characters, are major themes.

At the end of this book I sighed with relief. I was glad the tension was over, The story, however, is unbelievably magnetic. You can’t let it go once you begin, even as it gets more and more intense. The reader will wonder if they are reading a script in which the actors don’t realize they are participating. The reader will wonder about what in the story is fact and what is fiction. Will all of the varied characters be credibly connected in the end? Is black magic afoot, or is there a perfectly reasonable explanation for all of the mysterious happenings?
A former journalist, Scott McGrath, disgraced after making very negative, unproven comments about a powerful film producer, Stanislas Cordova, becomes embroiled in an investigation of that same producer’s daughter’s very untimely death. Did Ashley, an amazing pianist, commit suicide or was she murdered? What would possess her to do such a thing? Was her father involved? Befriending two young adults, Nora, an unemployed 19-year-old aspiring actress, and Hopper, a sometimes drug dealer, a few years older, who knew Ashley in his past, he sets off in search of answers, and perhaps to clear his name from the stigma of what he believes was his unjust fall from grace. The quest becomes more and more dangerous with increasingly diabolical twists and turns to confound the reader further. Will all the dots be connected in the end or will the investigative journalist, his sidekicks and the reader be left hanging?
All of the people who become involved with Cordova, the film producer of dark films, “night films”, eventually disappear from the public eye, going on to different careers or life paths or disappearing altogether, under strange circumstances. Is he inspiring them to be all that they can, “to dare” or are they running from the experiences shared with him, on the set, as the film was produced? Tragedy often followed those involved with him. The story takes on a very mysterious tone complete with an excursion into voodoo and the black arts, complete with spells and curses.
Believe it or not, this brilliantly developed mystery is told with a bit of humorous dialogue. The spine-chilling turns maudlin and even sympathetic. The horrifying sometimes becomes trite with Scott’s witty comments. In the end, though, Scott will even question his own sanity. The clues the reader is privy to will show him often being led on a wild goose chase for some time, and then, in very dangerous directions he seems painfully to ignore or be unaware of. Were these characters, unknowingly, characters in a film, was everything they saw simply a prop for the scene being prepared for shooting? Was an alternate reality being created?
Although I listened to the book on a long drive down the eastern seaboard, with an excellent reader, reading a hard copy is probably a better experience because of the pdf files created to make the book’s plot more real. A background of the characters in Cordova’s films, complete with photos, drawings and “actual” records, coupled with quotes from the producer, were created for the novel and appear throughout, lending the story within the story credibility.
I was a little disappointed with the hanging ending. I would have liked to know how Scott McGrath’s life was resolved. Did he return, disappear? Did he find peace and the answers he sought? Was Theo Cordova involved in his sister’s disappearance? In order to move Scott in a particular direction, were all of the characters simply being manipulated by someone outside the scene, someone who moved the characters from position to position? Was what appears to be Scott’s deliberate manipulation simply revenge for his previous insulting remarks about Cordova? Was the anger still smoldering in the man described as evil? Was Cordova’s long time right hand girl, Inez Gallo, really able to manipulate everyone in all situations? Is it believable, in the end that they anticipated all of his movements? Did his notes really give away all the information needed to follow his tracks? All these questions still remained a mystery on the final page! The reader has to solve the case!

Fans of Mitch Albom's books will not be disappointed. They are always easy to read, always emotional tug of wars, always a bit spiritual in the requirement of a certain amount of faith to believe in things larger than life, always contain uplifting, inspiring messages, and this one is no exception. From the get-go, the story is a positive influence on the reader. It offers hope of things to come, removes the aura of despair that hangs over those grieving a loss by giving them a lifeline, no matter how fragile, no matter how steeped in fantasy, and it offers a measure of optimism for the future. His stories offer alternatives to our humdrum lives, offer reasons to go on, unafraid.
In the town of Coldwater, Michigan, something strange had happened. Several people were the recipients of odd phone calls. When they said hello, the person on the other end should not have been there because they were deceased! Each of the dead callers imparted an inspiring message, they were happy, they were safe, they said stop worrying, don’t cry, they were in heaven!
One person, who suddenly received these miraculous calls from over the divide, between life and death, decided to go public in her church. During the service, she interrupted the pastor and blurted out her miraculous experience. An investigative reporter was sent to the small town of Coldwater, to find out the truth. Eventually, many networks became interested in the story as it spread worldwide.
Several people who got the calls remained silent, questioning their own sanity or questioning the caller's reasons for tormenting them, or considering it a prankster's cruel joke, a cruel crank call. On the other hand, many people were inspired, they became more faithful, returned to their places of worship, were more hopeful about a hereafter, now that they believed in heaven as the reward. People were reconnecting spiritually, returning to the fold, some after a lapse of years.
The town grew with gawkers, protestors as well as supporters and reporters. There were those, like the mayor, who wanted to use the furor for the advantage of business in town, and there were some who wanted to use it for their own personal gain or advancement. Some of the residents of Coldwater were even beginning to resent the attention given to the ones who got the calls. Some wanted to know how they could get those special phones that connected to heaven. They camped out on the driveway of the woman who went public and tried to buy the exact phone she had so they would get calls too. It became a feeding frenzy. The townspeople and the outsiders who flooded the town, all wanted to be able to connect with loved ones who had died. Religious leaders also vied for position. They wanted to record and acknowledge whose congregant was contacted first. Many religious denominations were involved. Between the naysayers and the yeasayer’s, the atmosphere became charged and hostile, at times. The simple truth of the message, about heaven being there for all, was in danger of getting lost with the almost universal,frantic need to speak to their deceased loved ones, too.
The author used the invention of the telephone as a backdrop. It made this miraculous event possible. Edison speculated that there might be a machine someday which would communicate with the dead, and it seemed to be coming true. Did it matter whether or not this was real or a hoax, in the end, when the reaction was so positive for the believers? Was it really important to discover the truth? You must read it to find out.

This is much more than a memoir. It is a little over simplified, but in this brief little book lives an excellent summary of the history of Afghanistan with regard to women, Jews, Communists, the Taliban and other terrorists, in a patriarchal society of omniscient men, and it takes us right up to the present day. Phyllis Chesler even offers a concise background of the terrorism that exists in the United States and abroad, without extraneous words or unnecessary tangents.
She describes Afghanistan as a country that is beautiful, with a rich history, but one that treats its women like virtual captives within their homes or their burqas. The men have all the power and the women are often abusive to each other for that’s the only power they can wield. It is a land in which the true believers are sure that the infidels poison the atmosphere and must be rooted out. It is a place in which the Muslims now believe that the West is dangerous, evil and corrupt. It must be destroyed to make way for the coming of the Caliphate!
It is 1961, and Phyllis Chesler, a beautiful, young college student, and a Jewess, falls in love with Abdul Kareem, a handsome Afghani Muslim studying in the United States. He is debonair and far more sophisticated than she is, and he sweeps her off her feet. They marry quietly. Naively, without any knowledge of the background of the country he is taking her to (Afghanistan), she abandons her family to travel with him to the land of his birth to make what she believes will be their temporary home. When she meets his family, she learns that her father-in-law has three wives and 21 children.
Soon, she realizes the true meaning of the purdah. The home is large, but she is isolated, although she is living in the harem. She barely sees her husband, is unable to speak the language, unable to tolerate the food and unable to freely move about. She has no passport because it was taken at the airport and never returned. The American Embassy refuses to help her. (She later learns that according to the rules of the country, she has automatically lost her American citizenship by marrying an Afghan man and returning there with him.) She is a virtual prisoner in a gilded cage. She cannot leave the compound without permission, and must always be chaperoned. She has no money. The other women in the harem do not understand her discomfort, having never known freedom, but they try and placate her. They are all kind except for her mother-in-law, the first wife, who is the mother of Abdul Kareem. She is cruel to the servants and often to Phyllis. In the few months that she is there, her husband grows distant and anxious, she is always hungry and becomes very ill. Her experiences there and her eventual escape read like a novel.
In truth, her husband is also in a prison of sorts, since he must prove himself now that he has returned. He must gain the approval of his family for bringing in an outsider and he must prove that he truly wants to get back into the fold, not only to the family, but to the government for which he hopes to work.
When Phyllis finally returns home, a shadow of her former self, she recovers and completes her schooling. She trains as a psychoanalyst and works to improve women’s rights. She is frustrated with the feminists who believe that helping these foreign abused women, who have no rights, who are threatened with honor killings, would be tantamount to racism since there are abused women in this country too. They draw no distinction between the living conditions of the women in western countries to those in living in eastern countries.
At home, she discovers that there is a direct connection to the disappearance of the Jews in Afghanistan, with her husband’s family. At the end of the 1920’s, King Nadir Shah, no longer wanted Jews or Hindus involved in commerce, and he took over the banking industry forcing them out. He only wanted Afghan Muslim Nationals to be involved in the success of the country. Abdul Kareem’s family has made their fortune in the banking industry.
Over the years, Phyllis develops a more grounded view than she had as a young bride. She believes that it is impossible to save everyone, but we can save one at a time. Misogyny is indigenous to the Afghan men. It does not come from the influence of the outside western world. No one can force change upon them, least of all those they believe are infidels. She believes that the Afghans and the hidden women have to want it to change, and their culture has to change; the men have to change. She believes there is a real danger afoot because the jihadists believe in the Caliphate and will stop at nothing to achieve it.
Chesler has presented a version of the history of Afghanistan which will enrich the reader without tedium. He story is concise and easy to read. The pages will fly by. In addition to describing her own devastating experiences, she also describes a friendship between herself and her ex-husband that has lasted for 50 years. She was never truly able to marry the idea that the two cultures could live together; there were always lines that could not be crossed, even when he was forced to flee to America, permanently, when the Communists took over. Yet, she has always remained his first wife, to him.

Although this appears to be a political and social commentary on the views of liberals vs. conservatives, left vs. right, no matter what your political predilection, your heart will be touched by the plight of society’s victims that are brought to life on these pages. They are lost souls who finally may find themselves after surviving the quicksand that is their daily life. Seeing them unfairly harassed by the world, the reader will wonder why they aren’t given second chances more readily, why they are condemned so quickly, why compassion is so rare, except among the victims themselves. Is this pure fantasy or a true picture of society, some time in the future, or even now? Or is it an exaggeration of the ills of society that we are often blind to and, therefore, do not see unless thrust into our consciousness. This is an allegory about the life of the downtrodden in a world that is largely stacked against them, against their efforts, against the possibility of them ever achieving success and getting out from under the burdens of their life. Each of the characters just seems to be trying to find some personal space, some peace and some happiness, trying to survive in a place that seems unable to welcome them into it without extreme prejudice. It is a world depicted as unfair, unjust, bigoted and discriminatory in all things that can affect these characters: the economy, housing, family life, health care, job opportunities, education and compensation.
The story centers on Leroy Kervin, an Iraq war veteran who sustained a traumatic brain injury during combat. He was in the National Guard. He joined for the security, not to fight in a foreign war. His injury keeps him in a muddled state of mind which he finds unbearable. When one night he wakes up clear-headed, he wants to preserve that magical moment, and so he chooses to commit suicide to prevent himself from falling back to sleep and reawakening into the same stupor he has been living through over the last several years. He wants to die with a lucid state of mind, however, he survives his poorly planned attempt. He is found, severely wounded, by Freddie, the night watchman, who visits him in the hospital as often as he can, keeping vigil by his bedside, bringing an occasional gift. Leroy’s hospital nurse, Pauline, although not perfect, could serve as a compassionate example for everyone. She cares little about herself, but rather more about her patients and her father, who is mentally ill, making personal sacrifices to help them.
The story revolves around these three, Leroy, Freddie and Pauline, as they live their lives in the days following Leroy’s attempt to end his life, as they are faced with one dilemma after another but, somehow, manage to muddle through, sometimes even coming out the other end in a better state than they were previously.
The political message is obvious; it is left of left. These characters are victims of society’s wrath. They find themselves in sorry circumstances through no fault of their own, and they are battered by those in society who recognize their weakness, take advantage of it and exploit them. They must come to terms with their shortcomings and reverse the negative effects on their existence. They are the working poor who never seem to get ahead, but they always seem to maintain an optimistic air of hope for survival and improved circumstances. Society and the rich are the evildoers in the book, taking advantage of the oppressed and the browbeaten, demoralizing them further as they exploit them in an effort to break them.
There are those vicims who feel forced to break the rules and wind up paying for their transgressions, which only pushes them further down into the heap of humanity they are trying to escape. The characters are all portrayed pretty much as victims of society’s mercilessness, only doing what they have to in order to get by with a decent living, rather than eke out a starvation existence. The reader will have to decide whether or not this book is based on reality in totality, or if it is just a slice of humanity and not a true example of what exists for the majority of people. Still, the suffering is tangible, clearly evident in their lives, no matter how they try to change their ways. They are often repentant but helpless to really reform.
Leroy’s dreams, or rather nightmares, as he lies in the hospital, are bleak. They depict a world in which the weak are pursued by “the free”, those that are stronger. The weak are supposed to be those that live off the system without putting anything into it, the takers, the lazy, and the cowards. The strong are the military, the bible thumpers, those who don’t practice what they preach, the financially successful and the independent, the very same groups that actually have been taking advantage of society’s weak, society’s victims marked for elimination. There is irony here. In Leroy’s dream, he and Jeanette are living from hand to mouth, on a broken down boat, and yet, she has a job working in a hotel where rich people stay, and he is working on a construction site where a rich person is essentially building a mansion. The imagery is fraught with pain and contrast.
If you believe the message in the book, it is life that makes these people weak, that creates these poor souls described as sponges, these leeches, these freeloaders, or “greenloaders” as they are called in the book. All citizens have been forced to take a “test” which will determine whether or not they are productive citizens or parasites. If they are non-productive they will develop a mark that spreads on the body until it is covered. When the mark is discovered, those with it are tracked and captured, sometimes brutally murdered or tortured. It is the epitome of brutality and injustice, but no one cares, they are afraid to intervene for they might become suspect and suffer the same dire fate.
The characters are behind the eight ball, life has cheated them even if and when their pain is self inflicted. They are still unfairly wounded; life for them is lopsided, not dependent on effort, but rather on circumstance. While they are depicted as lazy, these “tired, huddled, masses” are often working harder than those who employ them, yet the employer often reaps the rewards of the employee’s efforts, while they unfairly compensate them for their work. The “victims” make foolish choices, joining the military after listening to the officers who then help them enlist, the very same officers who often remain out of harm’s way. It is because of the efforts of the foot soldiers that the others who resent them and use them, have the freedoms they enjoy. These demoralized and oppressed victims are unable to advance because they are always in the maelstrom of their own failure.
The story is about the degradation of the weak by the strong and the almost superhuman effort needed to overcome all that is against them, and yet they have undying hope and optimism. All of the characters have euphoric moments contrasted by moments of despondency when they are overwhelmed by life, and all of their burdens and responsibilities. Even in their darkest moments, though, they retain their hopefulness and retain their humanity, often thinking of others even when it is at a disadvantage to themselves. In the end, each character attains a modicum of success in that their dreams are partially fulfilled, their prayers are somewhat answered. Is that really enough?
The book presents a very progressive view about war, poverty, health care, heterosexuality, education, the military, and every aspect of life that can be illustrated to show the left’s advantage, to show how those on the right are responsible for all evils that befall those that are exploited. Hard working people are sucked into the morass caused by those self-righteous people who want to root out the takers from society so they can better enjoy the life from which they shut out those that are considered less substantial. They prey upon those weaker, sending innocents to die, forcing them to compromise themselves to make ends meet. The theme is definitely one for bleeding hearts, but no matter who you are, you can’t help but be moved by the plight of these characters. Often through no fault of their own, they suffer simply because of the ordinary exigencies of life or because of a bad choice they cannot get out from under.
Jeanette was Leroy’s real-life girlfriend. In his dreams the soldiers are after them as are other vigilante groups, belonging to “The Free”. They try to escape to Canada (shades of Viet Nam protestors), but even there, they find no sanctuary, even there they are hunted and murdered, tortured and reviled, even their pets and children which is the epitome of malice and cruelty.
I was disappointed with the ending. I wasn’t sure what would happen to Freddie. Would he make it? Would he provide a decent home for his daughters who were being abandoned by their mother? Would Jeanette find another life? Would Pauline ever be able to commit to a happy relationship? Wouldl she be able to help her deadbeat dad? Perhaps all their dreams would be fulfilled once they were “free”. Maybe there is hope in the book because they all move on, and even as they remained the same, they let go of their pasts and their burdens, and they coped better with their lives. Were they then, truly “the free”?
The author was able to get into each character’s head, presenting them realistically, each with his/her own distinct personality. The suffering just kept suffering and yet they bore up and moved on, they keep on trying to succeed, even though they seemed to be running in place.
For me, it wasn’t a hopeful statement on life. Yet, these characters were so appreciative of small gains that they ended up happier and more content than when they started out. I suppose that is where the message grows positive, rather than negative. Even though the book presents characters in a pitiful state of affairs, dealing with tragedy and stress, they end up smiling and, perhaps, you the reader will also end up smiling, with your own sadness lifted.

Ari Shavit has carefully researched, and thoroughly laid out, the path of the Jews over the last troubled century. He includes all relevant information, including the settlements, peace negotiations and assassinations. He outlines the guilt Israelis must bear for the situation in which they find themselves, and he explains why, what they did, though perhaps excessively brutal, at times, was absolutely necessary for the survival of Israel. In this book, Ari is bearing witness; Ari is expressing his fear for the safety and very existence of his beloved country.
The occupation has done irreparable harm to Israel, the influx of immigrants steeped in Orthodoxy has hurt the economy, and the Oslo Accords sold Israel out, giving the Arabs the upper hand, recognizing them even as they refused to recognize Israel. The problem of the occupation remained on the table, unsolved, and the Arabs refused to give up the right of return, which would effectively destroy Israel as a Jewish state. The simple, stark sentences describing the terror attacks, force the reader to witness the fear felt by all Israelis, children and adults alike. Without that, the reader could not understand what motivates them or how they manage to survive in such a climate of unrest. The stories of success cataloged within the pages of the book show the strength, courage and perseverance of the Jews who settled in Israel. They were determined to snatch success from the jaws of defeat and they did.
When the winds of Antisemitism grew in Europe with Hitler's rise to power, and war loomed on the forefront, the Arabs sided with Hitler. By 1938, the number murdered on both sides of the divide in Israel, increased, with more dead on the Arab side. However, while fringe groups were killing Arabs and were condemned by the Zionists and the Jewish community, the Arab national leadership and public supported the murder of the Jews. In 1942, with war raging in Europe, with Jews being exterminated by the millions, the Jews in Israel transformed themselves into a defensive people, fighting back to save those that survived and to show the world they would no longer give up without a struggle. Driven to be violent by the violence around them, they became a force to be reckoned with, and they paid a great price for that stature. Do modern- day Jews understand that Israel is what holds them together, is what provides the fabric of their future existence?
When Israel was being challenged, the Jews refused to lay down and die again, refused to be conquered once more. It was kill or be killed, and so they killed. It was a hard choice, but fighting back was the realistic choice, possibly their only choice. Yes, morally, some of it was reprehensible. The choice was to expel the Arabs to save the Jews or acquiesce and watch the end of Judaism, for there was no place else in the world for Jews to feel totally free and safe, other than Israel, their own land. Zionism needed to save itself. Jews did not want to go back to the old ways, to wandering, to waiting for the messiah, they wanted to hold onto the road they had, and instead, pave the way for his arrival.
In their effort to become superior, they grew arrogant. The moral fiber of the country changed. Constant fighting demoralized the population. The young now want pleasure first and are no longer nationalistic first. They want to be happy. Drugs and sex preoccupy them. The moral turpitude that pervades many western countries has traveled there. The percentage of people working grows smaller and the percentage of people receiving benefits grows larger. Education standards and accomplishments are declining. In an effort to halt this downward spiral, they have tightened their belts, but still, the workforce has to increase so that there are more hands feeding the pot than feeding from it. Israel cannot sustain this environment and continue as a viable country. They need to encourage and restore a deep love for their country, at home and in countries abroad. They need to encourage the indigent to work, the ultra Orthodox and Arabs to contribute, because right now, there are too few people contributing, and the system cannot sustain that kind of financial inequity. They need to restore and maintain a moral climate in which sex, drugs and entertainment are not the mainstay of the young. They need to restore the love of country that once drove them all to succeed beyond all expectations.
This is a painful book to read. It is difficult to acknowledge the wrong done by the Jews, and at the same time, it is important to understand why. In the end, it does not matter who fired the first shot across the bow, what matters is the end result, and Israel’s future was, and still is, at stake. With honesty and clarity, Ari Shavit explains Israel’s raison d’etre and his hopes for its future.

This is a very long, sometimes tedious book, with excessive detail and description. However, in outlining the life of Woodrow Wilson from early childhood until his death, it is a monumental achievement. Unlike many biographies today which often go off into uncharted territory about people surrounding the person being featured, this book is truly about Wilson. It is a definitive biography of a man who was often misunderstood, whose legacies were only truly recognized in the aftermath of his Presidency. Occasionally, the author’s terminology seemed out of place, as with his use of terms like war on terror, the 99% vs the 1%, and the glass ceiling. There were no such terms during the time frame in which he writes and may have been used to point to a particular political persuasion. Finally, because the narrative was a bit too long, it was sometimes repetitive. Often, I wished I was a historian so that I would have had a better grasp of the enormous amount of information presented. Perhaps an audio was not the best venue for this book, since it was not easy for me to refer back to passages and research those I needed to learn more about.
When Thomas Woodrow Wilson was 17, he believed he had not accomplished enough with his life. What a contrast with the youth of today who often balk at becoming independent as soon as they are able. Wilson was successful at almost anything he tried. He was a scholar, educator, orator, musician, singer, athlete, leader, and debater. He needed no teleprompter and was a wonderful extemporaneous speaker. His health, however, was always very fragile and he required frequent vacations and periods of relaxation, using the game of golf, in later life, as a tool to enhance his mental state.
He was the quintessential liberal, interested in equal opportunity for all, making sure all religions were treated fairly, although his beliefs were peppered with a bit of hypocrisy since he believed that equality for the races was too divisive a problem to solve. Although he campaigned for social justice, he did not always practice what he preached. He did not allow blacks entry into Princeton, during his tenure there, and accepted few Jews or Catholics. He believed blacks were inferior and a woman’s place was in the home. He allowed the passage of Jim Crow laws. He segregated the army and federal government offices. Yes, he was interested in equal opportunity, but not when it came to ethnicity. He was against suffrage for women until very near the end of his second term as President. He was an academician and a scholar, more than a political scientist, and he governed with a stubbornness and arrogance that allowed very little compromise. He rarely forgave indiscretions against him, and more likely, he would hold an unending, lifelong grudge against the offender.
Wilson was well read and wrote beautifully with a prose that was often richly emotional and poetic in style. He was a pacifist, against cronyism and patronage, and adamantly antiwar. He appointed the first Jew to the Supreme Court, Louis Brandeis, established daylight savings time, was the first President to have an audience with the Pope, heralded in the vote for women and people of color near the end of his second term, (although poll taxes and other obstacles were placed in their way), reformed the workplace for woman and children, regulated work hours, established the Selective Service Act, during WWI, creating a national draft, allowed the limitation of free speech during wartime with the passage of the Sedition Act and Espionage act, allowed Daniel Guggenheim to fix prices through regulations so that war production efforts would be more successful, created The 14 Points which led to the League of Nations which was his ultimate achievement for the world, but not for the US, since Congress refused to ratify the treaty of Versailles, or to join the League. It was a terrible defeat for him at home. Among his many other accomplishments are reformation of the railroad system, the banking system, with the creation of the Federal Reserve, and breaking up the machine, the system of bosses that used to run elections.
When his first wife, Ellen, died of Bright’s Disease, he was bereft and often absent from the role he was elected to uphold. When courting his second wife, Edith Gault, his mind was not on the Presidency. He was distracted far more than he should have been and governed in absentia. He presided over a very divided country and an angry opposition party, similar to the situation today. He did not pretend to even want to do anything but his progressive agenda, and he believed he was always right. Edith was strong, deeply loyal and committed to him in every way, going so far as to cover up his illness during the last year of his Presidency, assuming responsibilities she had no right to assume and was incapable of making the proper decisions, leading to confusion and chaos in many parts of the government. Ellen, his first wife was a gentler woman who softened him, but Edith, was often harder than he was and blindly defended him, even when the country’s security and destiny were at stake. Probably, in matters he believed in, she would have been unable to change his mind anyway, and more often than not, she worshiped him and agreed with him unconditionally, when confronted or to save his face.
At the peace talks, at the end of WWI, the war to end all wars, it became clear that Wilson had suffered a health crisis. He did not always appear as mentally competent as he should have been. He ultimately conceded certain points that were not advantageous to the future of the world, but insured his League of Nations instead. According to historians, it was perhaps the extreme punishment meted out to Germany that ushered in the era that eventually led to World War II. The treaty hobbled Germany so severely; there could never be a recovery. The country could not sustain itself.
A little more than a year from the end of his second term, Wilson suffered from a debilitating stroke. The administration drifted with no master at the helm, other than his wife, Mrs. Edith Wilson, who was often vindictive and controlling, grasping far too much governmental power. Wilson’s debilitated condition was kept secret from all, even Vice President Marshall. Other than two or three people, Dr. Grayson, his physician, Ike Hoover, a gatekeeper, and Edith, his wife, the country remained in the dark regarding his condition. Edith became a shadow president, as a totally opaque rather than transparent government, operated in secrecy. She was not equipped to handle the responsibilities she took on when she decided to protect Wilson above the needs of the country, and as a result, the government faltered due to a lack of information, and Wilson’s reputation suffered greatly. Laws were later passed to prevent such a situation from ever occurring again, although, it has been said that Nancy Reagan was the shadow president protecting her husband, Ronald Reagan, as he lost his grasp on things because of Alzheimer’s disease, at the end of his Presidency.
Athough he would have liked to, Woodrow was unable to run for a third term. He was no longer held in high esteem by many and his health, though he tried to ignore it, had failed as did his mental state. In addition to the stroke, his eyesight had failed, and he felt helpless and useless. He was ill during much of his presidency, but the extreme nature of his illnesses had never been divulged by those surrounding him, rather he was protected completely. In the world of today, Wilson would never be electable because he would have been deemed unfit to carry out the responsibility of the office. He suffered strokes and GI ailments which often incapacitated him. He had a nervous disposition, was very emotional and often cried. He became depressed when he wasn’t received positively or when facing personal trauma and required a good deal of medical attention and stroking. His physical and mental state were entirely hidden from the public by an adoring, loyal following.
At the conclusion of the book, it is hard not to draw a comparison between Wilson and the current President , Barack Obama. Both came from the academic world, were largely unprepared for the job, had little management experience, although Wilson ran Princeton well, reforming its curriculum and raising its stature, both were briefly in elected office before running for President, Wilson as NJ Governor and Obama as Illinois Senator, and both were stubborn and a bit arrogant, believing they knew what was good for the people, more than the people knew what was good for them. Both were quick to judge and slow to forgive infractions, or admit mistakes, or correct them. Both endangered America’s leadership position in the world because they believed they had the only right way and pursued it unflinchingly.

While Wilson might be called a racist for his beliefs, Obama has fomented a racial divide in the country which it was hoped he would eradicate with his ascension to the Oval Office. It would seem that Obama has taken a page from Wilson’s playbook and is attempting to do what Wilson could not, which is to destroy the Republican Party and all opposition to his policies. Both Wilson and Obama had toothy smiles and large ears, both were very eloquent and charismatic, rising from obscurity in the world of academia to the highest office in the land, without proper background or experience. Both largely ignored any opinion that was not their own. Wilson will always be remembered for his efforts to create The League of Nations which he failed to convince his own country to join and Obama will be remembered for the Affordable Care Act which failed to get a majority of public support and caused tremendous hostility and gridlock in the government. Both faced a divisive Congress ruled by the opposite party which prevented them from actually doing as they pleased. Obama consorted with the very kind of bosses in Chicago that Wilson abhorred and both bent the rules when it suited their purposes. They were willing to rescind and reverse former statements to fit the moment. Both were able to make promises and feel no remorse at breaking them, using those promises to achieve their goals. They justified their behavior because they believed the means justified the end result. Both were solitary persons, preferring their own company and that of a select few. Wilson was more humble and tried to embrace everyone, although unevenly, while Obama did not often cross the aisle to engage any outsiders, and both proclaimed they would listen to everyone and all ideas, but when it came right down to it, they believed they were right, even when others differed with them, and they marched to the beat of their own drummer, for better or worse.
In conclusion, this book will not only enlighten the reader about Woodrow Wilson, but it will also illuminate the current state, more clearly, of our political condition.

I wanted to like this book. I wanted to believe it. The author seems so sincere. Who would not like to think that there is something beautiful beyond death, that there is nothing to fear, that we can do no wrong and we will be unconditionally loved? Yet, my determination was severely tested by the author’s presentation. When Eben Alexander describes his (NDE) Near Death Experience, in 2008, brought on when he descended into a coma from a rare form of an e-Coli Virus,from which there was little hope of his recovery, he fills his tale with a rather large view of himself. He often apologizes for this, but kind of arrogance is, nevertheless, ever present. I felt as if he believed someone had elected him to the top post, to sit at the right hand of G-d. His explanations were often too technical or needed to be accepted based on his word or blind faith. Because he is a man of science, he came with good credentials, but the book left me wanting more. I needed some substance and the book felt thin in that department. If people coming out of comas go into psychotic states, hallucinating, why is it not possible for them to go into a psychotic state and also hallucinate entering into it? If scientifically it is impossible when the Neo Cortex is compromised completely, perhaps the science is wrong. Surely we know little enough about the brain and how it works to simply believe that what he experienced was real and not a dream state of some kind. He had been unhappy in prior years. His family life and professional life had suffered. He was adopted and was unsuccessfully searching for his roots, until a recent contact with a sister proved somewhat fruitful, and he learned of other siblings. He learned that his parents had married and he had a sister who had died. Perhaps his NDE was merely wish fulfillment, on his end.

When describing his NDE , he speaks of the Realm of The Earthworm’s-Eye View, a place of misery, The Gateway, a place of celestial beauty, where he met the beautiful girl on the butterfly’s wing, and The Core, where he felt communion with a greater being, where he felt close to the Creator, to Om, to G-d, to Jesus. Although he justifies the validity of his experience with claims that these are concepts that are new to him, it seemed doubtful to me, a non-Christian, so how could it not be so to him, even if he was not a religious Christian at that time? Are those concepts not universally reminiscent of Heaven, Hell, Purgatory and/or Limbo?

Eben realized, as an adoptee, that he had always somehow felt abandoned, unloved and when he thought about his NDE, he wondered why he was the only documented case of a person who had an NDE that had not been aware of who he was, during the experience, and the only one who had not met anyone who had died during his life who would lead him through and comfort him, as others had. Why had his father not come to comfort him, to tell him everything was all right; he had not been able to please him and he wanted his forgiveness. These thoughts reinforced his feelings of abandonment. He began to question the legitimacy of his own experience.

When he was still a doubter, in 2008, shortly after his recovery, he went to church and was asked to light an advent candle. Walking up, the music and scenes and sights before him seemed more beautiful than they had in the past, and he was overwhelmed. Since his illness, it would seem that this environment had more meaning for him, and he was brought to tears. The experience evoked memories of his NDE. Eben began to realize that we are so much more than our physical bodies. Still unsure of himself, there was one final act that convinced him he should spread the word about his experience in order to enlighten the world. As a scientist, he believed his word would be more credible than the word of others who had had similar experiences. So when he received a picture of a deceased sister, sent to him by his biological sister he realized she looked oddly familiar. Soon he realized, the last piece of the puzzle had fallen into place. He had met someone he knew. The girl on the butterfly wing in her angelic form was, he believed, his dead sister. He had been reading a book by Elizabeth Kubler Ross in which a young girl relates a NDE to her dad and explains that she met her brother, but she had no brother…her father confessed that a few months before she was born, her brother had died. This revelation about his own dead sibling, gave him renewed hope and faith in his own NDE.

Eben believes that consciousness resides some place other than the brain. Paraphrasing, he says, “we live in the dimension of the familiar, but the grander universe is here, now, with us, in a different frequency.” He believes you don’t have to die to access this frequency, “to access the truths behind the veil”, you just have to learn how, but don’t try to hard, for that will defeat you. Meditation is a useful tool. To understand the grander universe, you have to be part of it, become one with it.”

Eben himself admits that his experiences are very hard to describe and it is evident in his writing which is unclear, at times. I found that there was too much information, too technical at times, but there were not enough facts to make it credible. He says his experience in the Core was greater than his ability to understand it, to put into words, that he was able to absorb knowledge at a faster rate, immediately understand things that would take months, even years in ordinary time. In this place, time didn’t matter. So, although he couldn’t explain it, are we to accept his explanation and beliefs on blind faith? Why was he chosen to pass on this message? I thought the connections he made could be coincidence rather than providential. He had been scientific in his thinking, but now he was more spiritual.

Eben wrote that the Creator allows evil to exist because we have free will, but who is the Creator? He says we are all part of the divine, part of G-d, who is all loving and forgiving. He says the divine is always with us, and our job is to grow toward the divine. If we are all part of this G-d, this OM, then who is it or what is it? I have trouble with blind faith. The book feels too Christian in its concepts to be universally accepted. I believe Eben is being a bit presumptuous when he assumes we can all achieve this divine state. Can Jews or Muslims, or Budhists or Hindus achieve this state without disavowing their own faiths?

After his experience, he founded ETERNA, a non-profit organization to serve the greater good, to advance research into spiritually transformative experiences. The organization offers comfort and spiritual guidance to those going through difficult times with illness, etc. (Eben believes that you have to earn your entry into the higher planes of the realm he visited. Perhaps, he wants to earn his own by being G-dlike, good and compassionate.)

There simply was no PROOF OF HEAVEN, for me. The pieces fell into place, all too conveniently. However, I encourage other readers to draw their own conclusions. Your own background may alter your view and you may find greater inner peace than I did, when you read about what happened to him from the onset of his illness to the time of his recovery and then also learn a bit about his past. As a physician, he also has checkered history which warrants investigation. Perhaps this is all about Alexander’s need for love, compassion and forgiveness. He believes, from his NDE, he learned that everyone is loved, they have nothing to fear, and they can do no wrong. That is the strongest message he received. That is also his strongest need, so perhaps it was his own wish fulfillment during his coma, rather than an ”other worldly” experience. At the end of the day, though, do we all have to be Christians to have this experience, to attain this afterlife?

I have told little about his experiences, so the reader may draw their own conclusions as they read the book.

The title of the book is appropriate, for the hive mentality is evident on each page. The queen prevents chaos and brings about order. The need to be part of her group, to follow her lead, is everywhere. All drones are not alike, but apparently, all queens are, although their methods may differ. They are strong and call the shots.
This book is about the dynamic of the community mentality, the need to worship and conform to the leader’s control. The group gathers round the most popular individual until she wears her welcome out. Then they choose another “queen’ and happily become her prey, her victims, and her followers. How long she will last, no one really knows. There is peer pressure in this “hive”; it could alternately be called a “mob”, for their mentality is surely mindless, at times, and that is fundamentally what makes this group cohesive! Their need to belong is huge. Their need to feel good at the expense of another is obvious. Schadenfreude is big!
When the book begins, it is the first day of school for the children who attend the St. Ambrose School. The mothers are gathering and chatting, coming together after the hiatus of summer vacation. They play catch up and meet to chitchat and plan fundraisers to support the needs of the school. The parent's association is like a shark tank with catty women trying to take control and others trying to one-up each other.
There is so much humor written into the dialogue, maybe not the laugh out loud kind, but definitely the I have to chuckle at this kind or the nod of the head kind, like I remember someone like this or I knew someone who went through that. It is written about young women with kids in grade school, and yet, I think to fully appreciate this novel, it needs to be read by a more mature adult who has actually lived the experiences already, who has memories of the breakups of friend’s marriages, of friends who were less than stellar housekeepers, of friends who were always competing, of friends who were bullies and had to have their way, of friends everyone flocked to for no apparent reason other than they seemed to be part of “the beautiful people” crowd, whatever that is, of friends who without warning could snub you and force you out of the group because they had the special magnetism that everyone was attracted to, of friends too weak to defend you, of friends who suffered untimely deaths, in other words, the person who can look back without feeling threatened by the less than stellar behavior of the character’s in the story.
I think younger readers might possibly resent looking into the mirror, and unexpectedly, witness themselves staring back, because this is definitely a commentary on modern, me-generation women, perhaps spoiled, definitely gossipy. It is almost a caricature of judgmental mothers, mothers whose children can do nothing wrong, mother’s whose children are miniatures of themselves which can be good or bad, depending on the dominant trait of the parent’s personality. Definitely, this book is about a culture of competitive women who are still in the mode of “sorority girl”, deciding who fits in and who doesn’t, who gets in and who doesn’t. It is about the “mean girl” child who grew up into nothing more than a “mean girl” adult. Even the nicest characters subtly descend into the abyss of resentment and experience the need to control, at some point.
Each of the women featured has a different personality and each is really developed in the novel. One could be called “earth mother”, another all around helper, another “miss perfect”, another miss “know-it-all, and another could be designated as the resident bully. There are the insecure, the confident, the talented, the simply normal with no great gift or talent, the dweller in dream world, the jealous, the immature, and those who need to be accepted, who never feel adequately rewarded or noticed. There are the users, the manipulators, the phonies and frauds, the low key and the high falutin’, the insecure and the arrogant. The mothers of the children attending St. Ambrose are constantly vying for position while disavowing the need to be included in the hierarchy of their social scene. Condemning the group dynamic, they are eager to be included in it.
Each is needy in some way, but somehow, they all do get along, eventually, even though they plot and plan underhanded things to undermine each other. They never seem to be aware of their own meanness. Everyone is fair game. There appears to be little acceptance of anyone’s faults and even less real, heartfelt compassion. They all simply seem to go through the motions in their “groupthink” environment. Nothing is ever taken too seriously and every event is a stepping stone to another. It may not be easy to like some of the characters, but in the end, I think the reader will come to understand what rules govern them and will grow with them as they learn to cope with life’s adversities.
The dynamic of female friends, the dynamic of the clique and the bully who rules it, the rebellion of some members as they become aware of how they are being manipulated to do everything she gets credit for, and the individual ways they thwart her are what the readers will deal with as they read, as they decide for themselves, who is nice and who isn’t, essentially identifying with these judgmental women by forming their own judgments too!
In looking at the ratings of other reviews, it is obvious that this book has a love-hate relationship with the readers. I was one who loved it. It is a light, fun read that exposes the current state of humanity! These adult women could not figure out whether or not they were children like their offspring, or grown-ups like their parents! They were someplace in between, until they “found” themselves.

This Town begins with Tim Russert's funeral in 2008, continues with Mike Wallace’s and pretty much ends at the time of Daniel Inouye’s, in December of 2012. One month later, Barack Obama ascends to the throne again. Sandwiched between these funerals, which attract anyone who is anyone, across party lines, is an expose of Washington DC politics. The shameful behavior of politicians, journalists, lobbyists and hangers-on is humorously exploited on the pages of this book, by a very apt author who knows from whence he speaks since he, too, is actively involved in the process.
Liebovich exposes the hypocrisy in the White House today and compares it to the hypocrisy of White Houses in days gone by. He does not hold back and after reading this, the reader may never trust a politician again, if he even does now. He shines a light on DC politics, and in particular on the Obama White House, since this is the time frame of the book. He interprets the mindset of this administration about the dissemination of information, the enactment of policies and about the use of sound bites. They know that the public has a short attention span; they know that the public is largely acting from ignorance; they know that whatever crisis erupts will have a short shelf life; they play that knowledge to their advantage with a complicit liberal media. There seems to be a distinct lack of concern for honor or accomplishment, but rather there is a deep concern for their own personal power, success and financial gain. Self aggrandizement, greed and pandering are the watchwords of the masses who work for, or are attached in some way to, the government in Washington DC.
Although it is a bipartisan representation of the facts, the Democrats seem to come off a bit worse since they are the ones in power during the time of the book’s focus. Liebovich describes how Tim Russert’s funeral degenerated into a circus as the “clowns” worked the room for their own benefit, even as they expressed their sympathies to those in mourning. He renders a picture of these sycophants as they buzz like bees around the “in” people in their environment, those people who can advance their own personal cause, rather than the government’s, rather than the people’s. For those who propelled Obama to fame and fortune, to prominence and the highest office in the land, he ascribes a private persona that is different from their public one. He describes an atmosphere that smells of Chicago politics with the dishonest representation of themselves, their policies and core beliefs. The people who inhabit the halls of this and other administrations flock like bees to honey when it will serve their own needs.
He carefully paints a picture of the elites prostituting themselves, attending functions and parties that will advance their own causes. They can all be bought for a price. It is a sad picture. They smile when they want to cry, they apologize when they really want to say what is on their minds, they lie when they have to and explain later. DC should be called “pander city”, for pandering is the skill in which the “club” members are most adept. It seems to me to be a “freak show”, a bunch of “dysfunctionals” parading around in the clothing of intelligent, concerned experts when no such persons really exists. It is all an act perpetrated by trained “phonies”! The author traces the beginnings of the degradation of Washington to the Clinton years, not because of Monica Lewinsky, but because of the atmosphere he created when he honored money and entertainment in the White House, rather than scientific accomplishment, heroism and intelligence.
This is really a rather tongue in cheek, scathing review of Washington cronyism, nepotism, power plays and influence. It is about the incestuous behavior of the “wannabes” as they snooker up to those who have the influence to change their lives. Forget hope and change for us, it is about hope and change for themselves, first and foremost. The book is about how Washingtonian bigwigs parley their experiences and contacts into big money when they leave the administration. It is about journalists jockeying for position, looking for that sound bite that will propel them into the future, regardless of its veracity, because more important is its “shock and awe” appeal. Who are these people if we remove their masks? They surely are not the faces they show us. There is a “group-think” mentality that prevails. The need is to be invited to the right places, meet the right people, latch onto an opinion that will sell. Forget disseminating news, that is no longer important. Gossip is golden, as exhibited by the popularity of DC’s Playbook, the online tip sheet of Who's Who in the arena. Like Palm Beach's Shiny Sheet, their must read print paper, you must see your name and photo in Playbook’s cyberspace, to guarantee that you are still alive and well.
Washington’s elite are mostly of one mind, liberal. They no longer present the news, but rather they give opinions. The people in the “club” are important, have their own agendas, and have discovered that the people who are not in the club, want to identify with those in it by reading their sound bites, learning their popular acronyms and quoting their talking points. Those in the club can’t be bothered to take the time to educate the people and the people can’t take the time to educate themselves; “they have places to go and people to meet”. They are too important to think of anything but themselves. Because of this lack of concern, the public, in particular the voter, is truly ignorant about the issues and only knows what the “powers that be” wish them to know. The bullies are in complete control. Regardless of the facts or lack of, that are presented, the crowd has to be fed, and the food has to be digestible by those in power and those in the media who may use half truths to persuade you of their honor and purpose. They fawn, they fabricate, they facilitate the rise to power of themselves and other “unworthies” who are deemed worthy only by virtue of the information they impart! The mob is in control;
Obama professed to be above it all, but that was nothing more than duplicity on his part and the part of his handlers. It is apparently no different for any politician. They say and do what they must to further their own cause, to get elected, and then they do as they darn well please, offering one excuse or another to a blind public. Obama has brought this duplicity to an art form for he and his team made the most grandiose promises which they quickly forgot once he entered the Oval Office, in favor of pursuing their own self-serving agendas. For Obama and his ilk, the behavior is particularly egregious because they were going to change Washington so it would no longer be a place of incestuous bargaining, of prostituting oneself for agreements, but they, instead, enhanced the corrupt environment by creating one that is even more secret, more out of control, more unrepresentative of the people’s wishes, unrepresentative of those that pay the freight, that is.
This book will not endear the readers to those who live or work in “This Town”, rather it will disgust them; yet they will put the same people in power, time and again, regardless of their broken promises, regardless of their methods, because they are motivated by the same greed that drives the elites, they are motivated by their own needs, not the greater needs of the country. They are fed half-truths and they make half-witted decisions based on that misinformation, believing false promises and outright lies.

A prolific writer, her fans will love this latest work. Her style of writing uses no contrivances to make her point. The plots are simple, but they take the imagination places that one does not see coming, that one does not expect. Oates des not exaggerate ideas to grab your interest, she merely weaves a tale that, while plausible, is also almost unbearable, bordering on revolting and reprehensible sometimes, and yet, she makes it possible to read the stories without getting up and tossing the book in disgust.
The four novellas are related in a spare prose that leaves nothing to the imagination and yet takes creativity to its limits with each story getting more and more grotesque and bizarre, yet each one is, sadly, in the realm of possibility. Simply using her gift, her ability to mold language into the shape she desires, she has constructed four short works about dysfunctional relationships and dysfunctional people, who are sometimes products of their environments, their relationships and even sometimes, simply products of their own evil nature. It is about the inability of people to either communicate accurately or to comprehend what someone is really communicating to them. They put a spin on things that puts them in the best light, rather than the harsh light of reality. They live in a world of ambiguity, fantasy, rather than clarity. Are they sane or insane? Are they simply unhappy, lost souls, who are products of their environments, innocent, in the end, of all wrongdoing and inappropriate thought? Are things what they actually seem to be? Can the characters trust what they see, or more accurately, what they think they see and surmise about each other? Is what appears to be the truth actually the truth or just perception?
Oates spotlights the inability of people to deal directly with issues, the tendency to run from the truth and try to hide from it or hide it from the outside world. The stories are all about relationships and they question which of the partners is the more “broken” in each of the relationships. Sometimes, both are broken beyond repair. Sometimes it is difficult to tell who has lost touch and who is living in reality. However, all of the stories are about diabolical desires for someone’s deep discomfort or ultimate demise. In all of the stories, the need to have authority is key, the men believe themselves to be the stronger, the more righteous, and the one that should be in charge, with or without fact-based reasons. This latest book gets its title from the first of its four novellas, actually, the one that is least horrific. With each novella, the malevolence grows.
In “Evil Eye”, it is easy to conceive of the relationship between Marianna and her three decades younger husband, Austin. She is an insecure young woman, saddened and deeply troubled by the loss of her parents and is having difficulty coping. He is a man, well-known, worldly and very capable in public life, who needs to be adored, and she fits the bill. He seems to be very authoritarian. Unfortunately, as their relationship grows, so does her discomfort with him. The tale leaves the reader with the distinct question in their mind about who is losing their sanity, Marianna or her husband? Whose imagination and personality is running wild and out of hand? Is the husband the great manipulator she believes or is her mind perceiving things that are pure fantasy?
“So Near, Anytime, Always”, begins with another seemingly innocent and insecure young, woman. Lizbeth meets Desmond at the public library. He is handsome, well dressed and seems older and wiser than she. She has never had a relationship or a boyfriend, and she is so flattered when he waits outside the library for her that she pursues a friendship with him, which as it develops, veers into dangerous territory that she feels she cannot admit to herself or her family. Des appears to be from an upper class family of good background, but is kind of secretive and controlling. What does he really feel for her, she wonders, as he begins to appear more and more in the shadows, even as she wants to distance herself from him? What kind of person is he, really? Will she escape from his hold on her or will he stay with her in her memory, forever altering the way she lives her life?
“The Execution” is about a terribly maladjusted young adult, emotionally and mentally disturbed his whole life, coddled by a too liberal system that tries to understand and explain away the behavior rather than comprehend the nature of the mental illness, rather than facing it, instead running away, hiding from it until the world runs headlong into a possibly preventable tragic event which exhibits the results of their stupidity, when he goes mad and commits a heinous crime! This story is really about madness, about viewing the world through a false lens and interpreting events incorrectly because of an inability to process information properly. It too, is about the madness in men, their frailty and foolishness, their need for control, their need to be right, an inability to see their own faults and wrong doing. It is also about the unrealistic, weak behavior of some women, who show no common sense, who keep secrets when they should share their lives openly in order to protect someone undeserved and be maternal in the face of danger, and instead, in trying to avoid the consequences of disclosure, they later suffer them. I was left wondering if Bart Hansen was stuck in an Oedipal conflict, competing with his father for authority and control, and losing in that effort, also losing his hold on reality?
In the fourth and final novella, “The Flatbed” we meet a young woman, Cielle, (Cecilia) imagining someone referred to as “G”, chained to a flatbed truck, on his way to the slaughterhouse. She wonders if the man knows that he is destined to die? She is in a relationship with a man who is her superior (as in all the other novellas, the woman is weaker), though not her boss, referred to as “N”. They work together. She thinks she loves this man, years older than she, and he loves her. She, however, is frigid and trembles, shivers, shakes and cannot consummate the act of lovemaking or even tolerate an internal exam. He, in his love and devotion to her insists that she tells him her secret, what is terrifying her, what is holding her back from being in a normal relationship? He is kind to her, tries to be patient and understanding, but he says he must know her secret, but can she tell? She has never told anyone that something shameful happened to her as a child, something that she is so ashamed of it prevents her from being in a healthy relationship or even to have a complete physical exam with a doctor. In the end, Cecelia and “N”, now have a different secret that they can never tell.
Evil Eye, Joyce Carol Oates
A prolific writer, her fans will love this latest work. Her style of writing uses no contrivances to make her point. The plots are simple, but they take the imagination places that one does not see coming, that one does not expect. Oates des not exaggerate ideas to grab your interest, she merely weaves a tale that, while plausible, is also almost unbearable, bordering on revolting and reprehensible sometimes, and yet, she makes it possible to read the stories without getting up and tossing the book in disgust.
The four novellas are related in a spare prose that leaves nothing to the imagination and yet takes creativity to its limits with each story getting more and more grotesque and bizarre, yet each one is, sadly, in the realm of possibility. Simply using her gift, her ability to mold language into the shape she desires, she has constructed four short works about dysfunctional relationships and dysfunctional people, who are sometimes products of their environments, their relationships and even sometimes, simply products of their own evil nature. It is about the inability of people to either communicate accurately or to comprehend what someone is really communicating to them. They put a spin on things that puts them in the best light, rather than the harsh light of reality. They live in a world of ambiguity, fantasy, rather than clarity. Are they sane or insane? Are they simply unhappy, lost souls, who are products of their environments, innocent, in the end, of all wrongdoing and inappropriate thought? Are things what they actually seem to be? Can the characters trust what they see, or more accurately, what they think they see and surmise about each other? Is what appears to be the truth actually the truth or just perception?
Oates spotlights the inability of people to deal directly with issues, the tendency to run from the truth and try to hide from it or hide it from the outside world. The stories are all about relationships and they question which of the partners is the more “broken” in each of the relationships. Sometimes, both are broken beyond repair. Sometimes it is difficult to tell who has lost touch and who is living in reality. However, all of the stories are about diabolical desires for someone’s deep discomfort or ultimate demise. In all of the stories, the need to have authority is key, the men believe themselves to be the stronger, the more righteous, and the one that should be in charge, with or without fact-based reasons. This latest book gets its title from the first of its four novellas, actually, the one that is least horrific. With each novella, the malevolence grows.
In “Evil Eye”, it is easy to conceive of the relationship between Marianna and her three decades younger husband, Austin. She is an insecure young woman, saddened and deeply troubled by the loss of her parents and is having difficulty coping. He is a man, well-known, worldly and very capable in public life, who needs to be adored, and she fits the bill. He seems to be very authoritarian. Unfortunately, as their relationship grows, so does her discomfort with him. The tale leaves the reader with the distinct question in their mind about who is losing their sanity, Marianna or her husband? Whose imagination and personality is running wild and out of hand? Is the husband the great manipulator she believes or is her mind perceiving things that are pure fantasy?
“So Near, Anytime, Always”, begins with another seemingly innocent and insecure young, woman. Lizbeth meets Desmond at the public library. He is handsome, well dressed and seems older and wiser than she. She has never had a relationship or a boyfriend, and she is so flattered when he waits outside the library for her that she pursues a friendship with him, which as it develops, veers into dangerous territory that she feels she cannot admit to herself or her family. Des appears to be from an upper class family of good background, but is kind of secretive and controlling. What does he really feel for her, she wonders, as he begins to appear more and more in the shadows, even as she wants to distance herself from him? What kind of person is he, really? Will she escape from his hold on her or will he stay with her in her memory, forever altering the way she lives her life?
“The Execution” is about a terribly maladjusted young adult, emotionally and mentally disturbed his whole life, coddled by a too liberal system that tries to understand and explain away the behavior rather than comprehend the nature of the mental illness, rather than facing it, instead running away, hiding from it until the world runs headlong into a possibly preventable tragic event which exhibits the results of their stupidity, when he goes mad and commits a heinous crime! This story is really about madness, about viewing the world through a false lens and interpreting events incorrectly because of an inability to process information properly. It too, is about the madness in men, their frailty and foolishness, their need for control, their need to be right, an inability to see their own faults and wrong doing. It is also about the unrealistic, weak behavior of some women, who show no common sense, who keep secrets when they should share their lives openly in order to protect someone undeserved and be maternal in the face of danger, and instead, in trying to avoid the consequences of disclosure, they later suffer them. I was left wondering if Bart Hansen was stuck in an Oedipal conflict, competing with his father for authority and control, and losing in that effort, also losing his hold on reality?
In the fourth and final novella, “The Flatbed” we meet a young woman, Cielle, (Cecilia) imagining someone referred to as “G”, chained to a flatbed truck, on his way to the slaughterhouse. She wonders if the man knows that he is destined to die? She is in a relationship with a man who is her superior (as in all the other novellas, the woman is weaker), though not her boss, referred to as “N”. They work together. She thinks she loves this man, years older than she, and he loves her. She, however, is frigid and trembles, shivers, shakes and cannot consummate the act of lovemaking or even tolerate an internal exam. He, in his love and devotion to her insists that she tells him her secret, what is terrifying her, what is holding her back from being in a normal relationship? He is kind to her, tries to be patient and understanding, but he says he must know her secret, but can she tell? She has never told anyone that something shameful happened to her as a child, something that she is so ashamed of it prevents her from being in a healthy relationship or even to have a complete physical exam with a doctor. In the end, Cecelia and “N”, now have a different secret that they can never tell.
This author is a genius at creating mystery and suspense in somewhat “unbelievable” narratives, that incredibly, become believable narratives. The prose is simple, readable and magnetic. It almost forcibly grips and captures the reader's complete attention and imagination.
In the end, all of the stories are about destructive behavior, violent behavior or thoughts, violence which, although it begins in fantasy, often becomes reality, violence that if the symptoms of these dysfunctional people were recognized and dealt with more realistically, in a more grounded, sensible way, treating them rather than excusing them, might never have occurred and the characters might just have gone on to lead happy, successful and fruitful lives.

The book is an interesting story about Nina (Nikolina) Kindahle, and her family’s struggle to survive in Latvia, as the country went through the many incarnations forced upon it by the tragic events of the twentieth century. It is written by a woman who shares her married name, a woman whose novel was informed by the information provided to her by Andris Abolins, the son of Nina and Ernests Abolins and by the memories of other relatives who knew Nina.
Although it is described as a novel, it feels more like the memoir of this real woman, who lived through a terrible time of struggle, for freedom and independence, in the country she called home. It is a country that is torn apart by war, a country that falls victim to the capricious nature of politics, a country that becomes a pawn in a terrible chess game in which the Latvians are always in the position of checkmate and are left to suffer while the world turns a blind eye to the havoc they are causing for these innocent people. It is the story of a woman who is forced to leave Latvia, a dangerous endeavor, in order to survive. She lives out her life in the country she adopts, or we might say, that adopted her, Sweden. A story within a story, it tells the tale of a country’s struggle for autonomy coupled with its people’s struggle for survival amidst the winds of war and political games.
As well as being a memorable novel about Nina, it is a story that needs to be told about Latvia’s moment in history’s narrative. It is a history that cries out to be explored since I am sure, like me, there are many out there who are completely unaware of the suffering and abuse visited upon that country and its inhabitants as it became the object of desire for both Russia and Germany and a victim of the politics of the times.
Nina valiantly attempts to survive even as everyone she loves succumbs to the forces of life and evil that surround her. The book is a testimony to her strength of character and courage in the face of trauma and heartbreak, none of which are under her control. As we learn of Nina’s life, the history and background of Latvia is detailed well in the book, and it is a compelling narration which brings the country to life. It is a story about upheaval and migration, and its effect on family, a story that is about the tragedy that is caused by conflicts and war, politics and the desire for power.
I felt as if it had an identity crisis, not knowing whether it wanted to be fact or fiction, memoir or novel, exposé of the times or a fantasy created around it. The accurate telling of the history and politics of the time was compelling but the personal story often got bogged down with language that felt far too poetic and flowery with allusions to images that were excessive. It just seemed too philosophical and too wordy, at times, which distracted me rather than engaged me.
The introduction was a little confusing and unclear. I did not feel that the character development had enough depth, at first. Some of the names were inconsistent, and therefore, there were times when I was not sure of which character I was reading about or why they were in the narrative. As they came and went, I was often unsure of not only who they were but also of their purpose in the story.
I thought the title was poignant and perfectly chosen for it is the story of what took place between the moments before and after; it is about the time we occupy, the time in which we live. It was a moving story about love and devotion, endurance and perseverance, nationalism and honor, politics and war, courage and commitment, but sometimes it was lost in the morass of excessive description. The editor should have edited out the unnecessary flights of fancy, when it was overly emotive and also should have corrected many of the grammatical errors I detected.
It was a difficult book to get into and it didn’t call me back to it, when I put it down. Still, I was glad I soldiered on and finished it because the story was one that needed to be told. I had to read the entire book to feel its impact, so that when I turned the final page, I indeed thought, this was really a good book, but if I didn’t force myself to continue to read it, I would not have known that. One has to hope that other readers don’t give up before they finish.

The novel begins in Transylvania, as we are introduced to Zalman Stern, a rigidly religious, Satmar Hasidic Jew. He is a follower of this sect which bridges no compromises in the practice of religion. He is well known as a devout scholar. The book then continues on to tell the story of Josef Lichtenstein, a small boy who witnesses the murder of his family. Both Josef and Zalman are connected, for both are miraculously spared from death on the same day, in 1939, as others are wantonly murdered. Josef is instrumental in the rescue of Mila Heller which is another connection to Zalman Stern since both children eventually wind up under his tutelage. Both Mila and Josef, have been orphaned by the tragedy of events leading up to and including, World War II.
Josef spies Mila and her family hiding near where he lives, with his second mother, Florina. He sees Mila’s mother gunned down by Nazis, as she runs to her “Rebbe”, who is sitting in an open “special” cattle car for prominent people who are being rescued from the Germans (although this fact is not known to her). The “Rebbe has all the answers and is sought out to solve all problems. When the “Rebbe” told every Jew under his jurisdiction that they must not leave their land, they must tear up their papers to Palestine, they must not be Zionists, they obeyed him. He said the religion forbade them from leaving their homes and land and forbade them to fight against their enemies. It was G-d’s job to do that. Then he saved himself, explaining his rescue with a story about having a dream that it was G-d’s will that he be saved and sent to America. That story didn’t sit well with me. It actually filled me with disgust as his followers believed and justified the hypocrisy of his behavior. He had condemned them to death, knowing what awaited them, but spared himself. I had to remind myself that this was a novel.
Josef protected Mila by forcing her to remain with him and to keep silent so that she was not shot like her mother, or caught as her father soon was. He was later tortured and murdered. More mature than their young years, the children, Josef and Mila, find her father and bury him. Mila was told by her father that she should seek out Zalman Stern in the event of an emergency and Josef does what he can to help her find him. Josef introduces himself to Mila, as Anghel. Florina, who had formerly worked for Josef’s parents, was busy robbing their apartment after their brutal murders by Jew haters, when she found Josef hiding under a table in the apartment. Florina did not like Jews, they were non-believers, but she loved Josef. (Oddly, this is just one of the strange parallels in the book, since the belief mirrors that of the Satmar Hasids who believe non-believers should be ostracized, avoided, and perhaps, punished.)
Florina takes Josef with her and tells him never to reveal that he is a Jew. She has him baptized, gives him the name Anghel and raises him as a Christian for the next 7 years. When Zalman Stern learns from Mila, that the child he occasionally sees watching him on the road is Jewish, he makes several attempts to rescue him, and when the war is over, after many years of unsuccessful effort, he finally does. Josef/Anghel, is now 12 years old. He is brought back into the fold, lives with Zalman and is eventually sent to America to study further and also to remove him from the pull of Florina. A good Jewish male studies relentlessly. A good Jewish female supports him and is a good wife and mother.
With the rise of Communism, it becomes more difficult to practice Judaism in Rumania. Zalman decides to move his remaining family to Paris, where he takes a position as Cantor. He is a strict observer and religious observance there disappoints him. His disposition changes and he becomes more intolerant, more anxious. His eldest daughter, Atara, wants an education, and when he refuses and threatens to lock her up until he marries her off, she runs away, abandoning her religious life because of his intransigence and its limitations on her freedom and independence. She is mourned by Zalman, as if she had died. Meanwhile, Mila, who has been raised by Zalman and his wife Hannah, since the death of her parents, remains home and grows more devout. Eventually, she is betrothed to Josef, and she moves to America to join him. She has fulfilled her dreams.
When Mila does not conceive a child, the community begins to whisper about her. Years pass. A husband is allowed to divorce a barren wife after a certain amount of time. She resorts to an odd interpretation of the religious doctrines, and finds a way to become pregnant. Unfortunately, it is at that time that Josef also circumnavigates Jewish law and finds out he is sterile. When Mila gives birth to a child, the marriage is irreparably damaged. Although Josef loves the child, he suffers emotionally and mentally, punishing himself, ever after, causing his body to deteriorate physically. The novel explores the effect of fanatic religious observance on the people, and life itself, in these communities. Will tragedy continue to follow them? Will it be G-d’s will to punish them for their sins? Can they find loopholes in commentaries to justify what each has done? Are the personal tragedies, as well as the larger ones, including the Holocaust, as the Hasids believed, the result of disappointing their G-d, of not being a “good enough practicing Jew”, of somehow disappointing their G-d, thereby preventing the Messiah from coming to save them?
This is a book that tells a story steeped in the customs and culture of a devout and fanatic Jewish sect. It will raise questions and concerns in the minds of all readers about the rights of women and about the approach of these believers to those who do not believe. It felt like I was reading about a sect that had a deep, abiding love and belief in the word of their G-d, but overhanging it all were the constant threats of impending punishment and doom, banishment from the community, if they were not blindly obedient. Rigid demands for fanatic observance is the same in other religions, as well, but does that justify the intolerance?
This was a difficult novel for me to review and a difficult book to rate. It moved me fiercely, emotionally, in many conflicting directions as I read it. It left me with many unanswered questions. It presented a picture of Hasidic Judaism that opened my eyes to both their love of the religion and the rigidity of it. It pulled me in polar opposite directions as I read it, first respecting the observance, than disrespecting the intolerance of the observers. I wondered how such strict adherence to rules, especially by the women, who had few rights, was possible, and then I thought, it is possible because every instance in their lives is governed by a rule, questions about the rules are answered unequivocally by the Rabbi, and their education is completely controlled and limited. They are only permitted to read certain books and most have no idea or desire for an independent life in the outside world because it simply does not exist for them. They are forbidden to mix with non-believers and they are brought up to believe that transgressions will be severely punished by G-d or the community. The Rabbi always has the last world on all behavior. I was forced to realize that most fanatic religions are like this, and I shuddered because that is the reason there is such disharmony in the world. There is no room for compromise.

Throughout the story, my opinion of several characters wavered back and forth between positive and negative emotions. Often, the characters seemed so manipulative, so immature, so cruel and mindless, that it seemed there was no room for kindness or compassion on the pages, and I wondered where the story would lead. I immediately disliked the main character who seemed like “a bad seed” when she was a child. However, first impressions are often incomplete, and when I closed the book, I suddenly smiled and chuckled with surprise, because the information revealed at the end is unexpected, and the hard tone of the story softens. The author hints at family secrets, but I never guessed what they were until the book uncovered them.
This is an interesting and well told tale that takes place in a small village in France, during World War II. Although the German occupation and a particular German soldier play a major role, the actual war itself is really part of the background, and it is more about the relationships of the characters to each other and the circumstances they share that affect them, each in their own way. The characters personalities are really exposed and the details of their interactions are examined carefully. Some of the characters will not be agreeable to the reader, but that is because the author does a really good job of defining their flaws.
When Mirabelle Dartigen dies, she leaves the abandoned family farm, in the village of Les Laveuses, to her son Cassis. He has no interest in it, and since he needs the money from its sale to pay his debts, he sells it to his sister, Boise (Framboise). The only other sibling, Reine, is in an institution, and is incompetent. Boise wishes to return to and restore the family farm, although more than half a century has passed since she was last there at the age of 9. She must return under an assumed name to avoid any connection to a scandal that involved her mother, during the war, which ultimately forced them to abandon the farm. She had memories of looking for “Old Mother”, a giant pike, that lived in the Loire. It had eluded all the other villagers. The legend said that if you caught her she would grant you your wish. This wishing moment had a tremendous effect on the future of the family.
Mirabelle had been a hard, bitter woman. She was a controlling, demanding, undemonstrative and unemotional single parent (her husband was killed in the war fighting the Germans). Subject to fits of anger and severe migraine headaches, often brought about by the scent of an orange, she had a sharp and biting tongue, and was often rude and capable of violence. There are similarities between Boise and Mirabelle. Both like to cook, both are stubborn and both have fierce tempers when pushed.
Boise, her brother Cassis, and sister Reine-Claude, walked on thin ice around their mother, not wanting to set her off. Theirs was a lonely existence. They had one friend to speak of, Paul Hourias, a seemingly dull witted boy about the same age as Reine. Their isolation made them devious and they even tormented each other, simply for its entertainment value. Eventually, they befriend or are befriended by a German soldier, Tomas Liebnitz, who is a self-serving young man, who uses the Dartigen family to feather his own nest while he enchants the children. The reader will be hard put to think of these children, or much that is related to this family, for that matter, as nice. They all seem to be scheming and self-serving without regard to the consequences.
Mirabelle left Boise an album filled with recipes and a coded kind of diary interspersed within the pages. It reveals the secrets of her life, and as the message is deciphered and Boise’s memories are examined, the story and its mystery begins to unfold. When she is finally settled and is running a wonderful little French Café in her home, using her mother’s mouth-watering recipes, she rekindles a friendship with her childhood friend, Paul. When, out of the blue, Cassis and his wife Laure come to call on her, pretending to be concerned about her, but really angling to get the family recipes, the anger she harbors toward her brother since childhood, explodes again.
Although it would be easy to chalk up the actions of all of these characters to immaturity, a lack of sophistication or a lack of intelligence, that excuse would simply be too easy and too convenient. The feelings Boise had toward the German soldier did not seem age appropriate. Her brother and sister seemed too naïve to not suspect that their behavior was very dangerous. Their innocence seemed too contrived. The cause and effect of their anger toward their mother seemed outsized and inappropriate, at times, since she wasn’t really intentionally cruel to them, she often tried to please them with special treats, but she was subject to seizure like headaches which brought on angry tirades and violent reactions and a need for medication which continued to grow and consume her.
The author will keep the reader guessing right up to the end of the story when all the missing pieces fall into place. Each of the characters, major and minor, have their own personalities, and they come alive for the reader. At time, Boise seems alternately malevolent, immature, but then, later in life, she is somehow more tender and soft, unlike her bitter and hard parent. It is a fast, engaging book that will please many readers.

The reader on this audio was quite good, but I was really glad when this book ended. Perhaps I had read the first two books in this series too long ago, and the brief review in the first few pages was simply not detailed enough for me. While I will admit the story is unbelievably creative, I will also admit that for most of the book I was lost. I simply did not have the frame of reference I needed from the first two books, and like “Humpty Dumpty”, I could not put the story back together again.

I did find it to be a thought provoking story of a world in chaos, a story that raises the specter of a future in which we are destroyed by avarice and an endless craving for more and more power without regard to consequences. In this world, all that remains of civilization are small groups of humans, several species of animal and bio-engineered creatures. There are Crakers, G-d’s Gardeners, Maddaddamites, Pleeblands, Mo’Hairs, Snakewomen, Painballers, Pigoons, and Wolvogs, It is a time in which only the fittest will survive. The tools necessary to continue the life that once was, are absent, the resources to rebuild are missing and the technology is no longer known.

Crake wanted to end the chaos that existed in the world in which man worshipped at the Church of PetrOleum. He created a virus which he unleashed upon the world to rid it of all life. He created artificially intelligent beings called Crakers. They were gentle, loving, peaceful, kind and considerate. They would survive his plague to populate the earth, existing on leaves and vegetation only, living only for a predetermined, limited number of years. Unsophisticated, uneducated, unashamed, non-violent, unable to cause harm, they walked around unclothed, naked as the day they were created. They wore one skin while humans wore two (clothes)! They had enormous sex organs and seemed to exist only for their personal pleasure and to procreate. Unfortunately, not only these gentle people survived so violence was once again unleashed upon the land.

The story is told as one of the main characters, Toby, hands down the history of the past, by writing her boyfriend Zeb’s story and telling it to the crakers. His stories, which she relates with humor, are not always totally honest, but they are always told in a kind way that will not upset those she is addressing, the Crakers. Blackbeard, a Craker, inherits the job from her, and he continues to hand down the story, verbally, to the descendants and survivors, after Toby is gone. He tells Toby’s story. She taught him to write so he also makes a written copy for a more permanent record.

As with most books, of late, this one has a strong political message. Man is suffering the consequences of his abuse of the environment, his greed and his excessive wantonness. Humans have destroyed their world and now humans must try and restore it. The world is still a dangerous place. It is a situation in which survival of the fittest will be the order of the day. There may not be a time or a place for true justice for a long time. Expedience may have to be the rule of the day until a better situation is in place. Are those they fear dangerous, or are they dangerous merely because of their experiences? Can they be rehabilitated? Is it even feasible to do so with the conditions that exist? Is it safe to allow violence to remain? Do they have the wherewithal to maintain security if they try to rehabilitate some? These are problems that the fledgling society has to solve, in addition to providing food, health care, shelter, education, and most important, their ability to survive. The message in the book tends to be one of political correctness, subt;ly and obviously, pointing out how we, in the present, may cause our own demise in the future.

However, the book also contains an inordinate amount of brutality and vulgarity and, for me, an excessive concentration on weird sex. Perhaps it was the author’s intent to highlight these behaviors in order to exaggerate the environment that led to the chaos and to show why Crake chose to loose the plague upon the world. Perhaps it is the tool she used to illuminate the problems the world is actually experiencing today and to foreshadow the tragic end we may also bring down upon ourselves. Has the author offered us a parody of our own existence and our own world? Experiments with dangerous germs can fall into the wrong hands. Climate abuse may cause aberrations in the weather and the resultant floods and “unnatural” natural events may wreak havoc. Greed creates a “caste” system. Science creates ever more dangerous weapons and tools of war. In the end, Atwood shows us that the world, as we know it, has come to an end, and a new world has begun again. During this time, three women give birth to babies that are hybrids, for they are half-Craker. Perhaps the new civilization will be a combination of human and Craker traits and will, therefore, be a kinder and gentler race of people with the intelligence to advance and survive in a more congenial and peaceful world. Are we headed into the world of Oryx and Crake? It is a frightening thought.

The year is 1924. Willow Frost, aka Liu Song is a single mother living in Seattle, trying to make ends meet. When her mother died, Liu lived with her stepfather who impregnated her, but she never told him about the pregnancy. She left him and raised the child, William Eng, in secret. Meanwhile, she now has a boyfriend, Colin Kwan, and both of them are aspiring actors. Colin knew his way around, and he helped her get bit parts and showed her the ropes, hoping they would be discovered. William is crazy about Colin, and he is crazy about William. Suddenly, though, Colin’s father is taken ill. When he is summoned back to China, to take over the family business, she discovers he is also betrothed to another woman, in China. It is an arranged marriage made years ago. He promises to write and to return.

To make ends meet, when she can’t get acting jobs, Liu takes a job singing in a piano store. The economy is failing. When social service comes to interview her, and reveals that in the case of a single mother, if there is a husband he may legally claim custody of the child, Willow begs the woman not to reveal her child to Leo Eng, owner of the Jefferson Laundry, explaining he was her stepfather. The woman is a cold-hearted caricature of someone who should not be in the field of social service. She is judgmental, beset with prejudices and lacking in compassion, the very antithesis of the kind of person who would enhance the profession.
When Liu loses her job because of the depression, she becomes destitute and is forced to go to Leo Eng, who had previously threatened to take William from her. To keep her child, she agrees to work for him. She becomes his escort and accompanies him and accommodates him in business arrangements, in many ways. She would do anything for William. Soon, though, she discovers she is pregnant again. Before she begins to show, Colin returns and asks her to marry him, but he already has one wife in China. That very night, she suffers a miscarriage and passes out in the bathtub. William, who is just six years old, discovers her. She is taken to a hospital where the doctor refuses to treat her and sends her to a sanitarium. There, she is visited by the social worker again. She gives her a choice to give the child to her stepfather or an orphanage. She must give William up forever or she will not be released. Rather than see him with her stepfather, she gives him up to the orphanage.
Time passes and it is now 1934. William is 12 years old. In the orphanage, all the boys have a communal birthday, and on that day, they are allowed to speak about their family, and if there is a letter, one is chosen for them. Correspondence is not otherwise shared, since most of the children have been given up permanently, and the nuns do not believe they should have any contact with their families. On that day, they also go to see a movie and get special treats. While watching the movie, William recognizes the voice of an actress in the film. It is his mother. He had not realized she was still alive. Sunny, Williams very close friend, encourages William to find his mother. William also has a very dear friend, Charlotte, who is blind and who wants to run away with him. As those events play out, Sister Briganti decides to give William a letter from his mother. She also gives him money for transportation. His mother will meet him at the Bush Hotel, where they used to live.

Willow takes him to one of her films, explains all of the things that have happened to her that led her to give him up, and then she disappears, before the film ends. He returns to the orphanage and buries the newspaper article about his mother and a picture of his mother, at a close friend’s gravesite.

There is a pattern of injustice that runs through this story which, in hindsight, is difficult to justify in any way. The themes of hardship, poverty and despair during the time of the great depression, did not feel as well developed, but will touch the reader’s hearts. At the end, the author revealed that the book was based a bit on his own background, his family’s experiences and the experiences of the orphans during The Great Depression. The story is, therefore, enlightening, in many ways, in spite of the fact that I didn’t feel as engaged as I would have liked. I think the characters could have been more fully developed, since I did not feel the expected emotional attachment to them. I felt, rather, as if I was always skimming the surface of the story and not completely immersed in it. The tragic and traumatic events seemed to occur kind of matter-of-factly, and so I felt no connecting thread. I do believe, though, that the author exposed the biased atmosphere that existed in this country, and on the other side of the coin, he revealed an atmosphere in which there was a refusal to give up the hope of having one’s dreams come true. Also, the reader did an admirable job.

I really wanted to enjoy this book. I was hoping to eagerly await the reading of the third and final one of the series, but instead, I was hugely disappointed. The plot never thickened. The story slipped into fantasy when each family seemed to experience the same circumstances and follow the same life path, over and over. While well written historically, with minute details of events of consequence, the overly descriptive sexual scenes added absolutely nothing to the narrative except unnecessary length. With such a rich history to explore, the author should not have resorted to the use of such devices to maintain interest. Rather than achieve that goal, it distracted the reader from the importance of the historic thread of events. It was just too easy to predict the lifestyle and events which would befall each of the book's participants depriving the reader of any mystery, whatsoever.
Following on the heels of “Fall Of Giants”, this second installment of The Century Trilogy, picks up where the first left off. Hitler is rising to power and life in Europe is marching lockstep toward Fascism with communism and Stalin's totalitarian government close behind. It covers war torn Europe until shortly after Russia’s acquisition of the atom bomb and the beginning of the Cold War. Aside from containing the faults of the first, being a little too long and having too many characters to follow along comfortably, this was also too contrived and contained little of the positive qualities of the first which was an interesting and engaging story. Although the history was interesting and was well researched and developed, even when, at times, there was a passing of many years which seemed to slide by unnoticed, the story itself was completely unsurprising and the characters were too artificial, placed in circumstances that defied reality.
Perhaps, to move the story along and connect the same five families from the first book: the Williams, the Fitzherberts, the Dewars, and the two Peshkov families, the author simply used too many convenient coincidences and so was unable to maintain a sense of reality for this reader. Each of the families experienced an unwanted pregnancy, either from rape or lust or simply poor judgment, followed by the birth of an illegitimate child who was either brought up in secret or well loved. Brutality, injustice, and loss afflicted them all. At the same time, concurrently, the older generation each had an offspring that ascended into the hierarchy of the government and became influential. Each served their country either as a volunteer or in the armed forces. Although many of the political systems were at odds with each other, i.e, Socialism, Capitalism, Communism and Fascism, the particular goals of the characters, no matter which country they represented, were the same; love of their country and nationalism were at the forefront. Each believed they were helping to create a better world, although some were terribly misguided in their efforts and purpose.
The development of the characters could have been more detailed and diverse, so that each family’s life that was explored was unique, rather than almost a carbon copy of another’s. They came from different countries; all of the young men were in the service of their country, regardless of their political preference; they were capable of being compromised, they were sometimes naïve, and yes, they all seemed to feel it was okay to make a woman pregnant and ignore her plight as if they were not involved; yet each family's story could have easily been substituted for the other's, without skipping a beat, just by changing the names and locations, so similar were the paths each traveled. How could each of the families, the English, Welsh, German, American and Russian, all suffer the same exigencies of life, without the story descending into something rather arduous to read because of its redundancy?
The history being covered was so rich with information that I was struck by the inclusion of trivial subject matter and superfluous family themes. It was simply too repetitive, too trite and each outcome, each action of a character was simply too foreseeable. There was hardly anything left to the imagination. As you turned each page you almost always knew what to expect and what would happen. The characters were related in so many contrived ways: Although he didn’t know it for most of his life, Welshman Lloyd Williams was half brother to Englishman Boy Fitzherbert. Lloyd became second husband to American Daisy Peshkov. Boy was her first husband. Lloyd's mother, once a housemaid, was made pregnant by Earl Fitzherbert, Boy’s father. She was disowned by her family, bore the child and moved to London where she married Bernie Williams, a Jew and a Socialist. She is now a member of Parliament. Both her brother Billy and son Lloyd, enter government service as does Woody Dewar, son of a Senator, Gus Dewar who also met the Russian Peshkov's brothers, Lev and Grigori, when they were young boys in Russia. The Earl’s wife, Bea, and her brother, were responsible for the execution of their parents.
Lloyd Williams did undercover work rescuing those trapped behind enemy lines, and also ran successfully for Parliament like his mother Ethel. Maude Fitzherbert, sister of the Earl, secretly marries German, Walter von Ulrich, with Ethel Williams, Lloyd’s mom, as witness. She like Ethel was disowned. She moves to Germany where she has two children, Erik and Carla. Erik is first a Nazi and then a Communist. Maude and her daughter Carla, disillusioned by Nazism, steal secrets from a German officer to sabotage Hitler’s rise and conquests. Ada, the von Ulrich’s maid, and Carla’s friend Frieda, both had a relative who was murdered by the Germans for being mentally deficient. Carla marries Frieda’s brother Werner Franck. He was in the underground working to overthrow Hitler. Although she is very young, she adopts a Jewish child, Rebecca, whom she "miraculously” rescues from a German camp along with Hannelore, the wife of a Jewish doctor, Issac Rothmann, whom she had befriended and for whom she secretly worked and brought stolen supplies, after he was prohibited from practicing medicine any longer. Daisy Peshkov is also related to the Communist Russian Peshkov family. Her half brother, Greg, the illegitimate son of Lev and Marga, is a capitalist. He knows Lloyd, her husband. They met during the war. Lloyd and the Earl were in the same regiment in the service. Her mother, Olga, also, was pregnant before she married Lev who was her chauffeur. Her Russian cousin Vladimir, (Volodya Peshkov), illegitimate son of Lev, works undercover as a spy for Russia. Greg was involved with the group who developed the atom bomb. Volodya’s wife, Zoya, is a scientist who worked on the Russian bomb. Volodya's sister is married to a brutal member of the secret police, who arrests Zoya, Volodya’s wife, to force Volodya to turn a scientist who worked on The Manhattan Project into a spy, in order to steal the secret of the bomb from America.
Carla has an illegitimate child resulting from being raped by Russian soldiers when they conquered Germany. Boy would have had illegitimate children like his father, but he was infertile from the mumps. Ethel Williams had the illegitimate child of Earl Fitzherbert. Grigori Peshkov takes care of his brother Lev’s illegitimate child, and he raises Volodya as his own, marrying his brother’s pregnant girlfriend Katrina, when Lev runs away to America to escape a murder charge. Daisy was conceived before marriage and would have been illegitimate had her mother not married Lev, who had been her chauffeur. Daisy’s brother has a secret illegitimate son, Georgy, with Jacky Jakes, (her stage name), a young black teen, hired by his father to destroy Dave Rouzrokh, a man he competes with, by creating a sex scandal, falsely accusing him of her rape; Woody falls in love with that man’s daughter, Joanne. She is killed during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Woody Dewar’s brother Chuck is gay and his sweetheart is Eddie. Chuck is killed during the war. Boy is killed in the fighting in Russia. Every social issue raises its head in this book with every social disgrace sharing the page with honorable behavior. With all of this confusing, highly coincidental information, is it any wonder the story became tedious?
On the positive side, “Winter of the World” certainly shed light on the system of espionage and the acts of betrayal by citizens of a country, often considered treason or allegiance, depending on which way the war went and who was to be the victor or the vanquished. The study of the character and courage of those who sought to defeat Hitler and even Stalin, often at great peril to themselves, was an emotional journey for the reader. Often, hero or villain was determined simply by circumstance of time and place. A man sharing secrets with Russia, to prevent America from becoming dominant, thought he was being patriotic, thought he was saving the world from further death and destruction. Yet he was betraying America and was a traitor. The man betraying his country, Germany, so Russia could defeat Hitler, became a heroic figure, although he, too, was betraying his own country and committing treason. The problem with the book was that these moments of true bravery or cowardice were surrounded by circumstances that required the reader to suspend disbelief in order to feel genuine sympathy and/or respect for the character’s behavior in such a situation. The events were simply not always credible in the way they played out, and often they were too easy to anticipate in advance. The characters were naïve, and although, at times, for obvious reasons, as in Russia, where the citizens were kept ignorant, often they were simply too immature or headstrong and behaved in a ridiculous manner. Perhaps the frenzy that possessed Boy Fitzherbert and Daisy Peshkov was typical, but their presentation was simply not authentic.
In the next book, for sure, each of these characters or their progeny will return to end the trilogy, and each will probably suffer the same fates as their counterparts, over and over again. I was surprised that the author did not mention Israel, although he was discussing the important events of the century. It was completely omitted in the second book, although it goes to the end of 1949. Israel was created in 1948 with war immediately following, which is consistent with the themes in the book. Perhaps it will be a new thread that is picked up in the third and final piece of the trilogy.

The reader of this book did a commendable job. The story, narrated by Nora, is about her life and her death. It begins with the friendship of two young, naive girls, Nora and Grace, who are bound together on a path of self-destruction, making bad choices, harboring foolish guilt, bearing misguided shame and clueless about the ways of the real world. The results are devastating. Perhaps, in the end, the reader might think there is hope for one of the characters, but basically, these are unhappy people looking for love and acceptance wherever they can find it, and then they discover themselves to be unhappy with what they find.

When Nora was 12 years old, the winds of war were blowing and her mother sent her to live in the countryside to protect her. It was believed that London was going to be bombarded soon with dreadful consequences. The River’s family had volunteered to take an evacuee, and young Grace Rivers chose Nora out of the crowd of children. Mr. Rivers was the rector of a church and spent most of his time there or writing sermons. Mrs. Rivers loved to garden and play the piano. The two rarely came together to interact.

Nora is amazed with their home and the garden with its profusion and scent of flowers, notably the roses. Flowers were extravagant and were never part of her life before. Nora was not from an affluent home. Grace had been away at school, but now she had to remain at home and the two were homeschooled by Reverend Rivers. Grace hated school and Nora loved it, drinking in all the learning she could, educating herself about things she had never known and learning to speak properly. She loved her “new home”. Grace and Nora became like sisters to each other, but to Nora, the relationship was deeper. She realized she loved Grace as other women loved men. She knew it was against her religion and Nora fought her feelings, but as time went by, she began to accept it, but kept her feelings secret for fear of losing Grace.

When the attacks on London proved to be less than expected and children were returned to their homes, Nora chose to stay with the Rivers family, rejecting her own mother. It was three long years before her mom was able to visit, and by that time, their relationship had changed. Nora had moved on, speaking differently and behaving differently, and her mom had stayed the same. She was ashamed of her, her poverty and her backwardness. She forgot all about the deep love her mother had for her. Later on, when her mom was killed in a bombing raid, she also finds out that the Reverend Rivers is harboring very improper feelings toward her, and also, she discovers that she is a replacement child for a child they have lost, Grace’s twin. She is ashamed of the Reverend’s behavior toward her, and she is filled with remorse about her feelings toward her mom. She decides to run away. When Grace discovers her plan and threatens to expose it, she allows her to go with her to London. The escape is haphazard and not thought out well. It is from that point that the plot becomes a bit unbelievable. I know the times were different, I know children were more mature at a younger age, but these girls were unusually naïve, perhaps it was the effect of being raised in a church environment for Grace, but what was Nora’s excuse? She was raised in an urban area where life was “mean”. Was she so blinded by her love for Grace that she couldn’t think straight? Her character is developed as a bright young girl yet she becomes a befuddled fool at times, acting only in anger. Since the exact age of Grace and Nora is not always clear at any of these moments of trauma, I am uncertain as to whether or not the behavior is appropriate.

Once in London, the girls are caught unawares. They are on the street with nowhere to go and are woefully unprepared for the state of the damaged city, the rationing and the decadence, but mostly, of their own fears. When they are befriended by a strange man, Nora’s better judgment pulls the more eager Grace away from him. When, in anger, she leaves her behind, running helter-skelter through the streets, they somehow find each other and oddly enough, they also find the man again, Bernard, and he offers them a place to stay. It is at this point that the reader will probably have to suspend disbelief, because otherwise the story might not be credible. Grace is overwhelmed and flattered by Bernard’s attention and wants to go to his apartment, but Nora does not trust his motives. However, they do accept his offer, for what other choice did they have?

Before long, Nora is jealous of Bernard’s attention to Grace and of Grace’s feelings toward him. When she investigates the boxes in the apartment they are supposedly watching for Bernard, she discovers that he is dealing in contraband, ration books, sugar, irons, and other things in short supply. She warns Grace about him, but Grace thinks Nora is merely jealous because he chose her first. Soon Grace finds herself in a compromised state and discovers Bernard is married with children. Not wanting to jeopardize her relationship with him, she doesn’t reveal she is pregnant, and instead, with Nora’s help, an illegal abortion is arranged for her. The story descends rapidly from this point into one of self-destruction for both girls.

Eventually, though, Nora moves on with her life and marries George, a man who is wheelchair bound. He owns a bookstore, and he mentors her so that she can run it on her own one day. When she is older, ill and no longer able to handle the work, she sells it to Steven, who becomes one of her only friends. She is carrying a terrible secret and the guilt and the shame has made her fearful of all close relationships. However, one day, as she sits looking out of her window, she spies a young girl just staring into space. She sees her often and realizes that the girl is pregnant and probably alone. She is drawn to her and contrary to all she has done in the past, she ventures out and takes it upon herself to try and engage her in conversation. The girl rejects her, and Nora recognizes that her reactions are very much like her own. When, suddenly, she no longer appears, Nora goes to find her. Entering her apartment, she finds her in the throes of labor. Nora has read many medical books because she herself is ill. She helps deliver the child. Then, in her loneliness, she uncharacteristically invites her to live with her. Rose is astonished and afraid but eventually is convinced since, like the Grace and Nora of long ago, she really has no other choice. She asks Nora to name the baby and she does. She names the baby Grace after the Grace she never stopped loving. As Nora cares for Rose, so does Rose, with the help of David, a nurse, care for Nora in her final days

The story is a study in contrasts. Nora’s mother smelled of cleansers and Grace’s mother of perfume. Grace’s mother lived in opulent surroundings while Nora’s mom was uncomfortable in such opulence and was impoverished. Nora was well loved, her mom was attentive, while Grace’s parents hardly noticed her and sent her to boarding school. Nora’s mom was single and Grace’s parents might as well have been, since they hardly interacted. Nora’s mom sent her away to protect her while Rose’s mom sent her away because she was ashamed of her and wanted her to have an abortion. Grace couldn’t go home because her mom would never understand that she wanted an abortion, while Rose refused to have one. With Rose, Grace was providing a better home, as Grace’s family did for her. Nora seems unaware that Rose’s life is now, somewhat, mimicking hers. Grace’s family provided Nora with a better home and a chance to improve. Nora then provided Rose with a better home and a chance to improve and provide opportunity for her daughter Grace. Grace’s twin sister dies in the presence of Grace and Grace dies in the presence of her symbolic sister, Nora. Both were not really the cause, but both seemed complicit. Nora was jealous of Bernard, and later, she is jealous of the nurse who cares for her when he is attentive to Rose. The themes consistently circle each other.

The themes of secrets, along with unrequited live, unfulfilled expectations, and the quest for forgiveness, run throughout the novel. Bernard had secrets, Grace had secrets, the Rivers had secrets and Nora had secrets. The imagery, of the name Rose and the name Grace, recurs throughout the book. While Rose was Nora’s salvation and roses were happy memories for her, the rose itself, for Rose, was an unhappy reminder of her mother’s rejection. More contrasts continue to occur. Nora was treated terribly in the medical facility when she went to find out what was wrong with her, but now that she was dying, the doctor who came was kind and the system helped her with her pain and suffering. Nora believed that her pain was retribution for her sins, rather than being forgiven for them by divine grace. Finally, Nora begins to see that she is creating Rose in her own unhappy image, and confession becomes a theme. She decides to tell Rose all about her secrets before she dies, much as she would have told a priest. In the end, she extracts a promise from Rose, which is probably the only hopeful, possibly uplifting moment of the book!

The definitions of grace are varied. It can mean elegance of movement or as I read in one definition, the “unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings”. It can mean to “do honor or credit to (someone or something) by one's presence".

A rose can mean many things as well. It can mean virtue, love and beauty. It also has religious meanings and there are religious themes of sin and forgiveness throughout the book.

When the story ended, many parts remained either undeveloped or unresolved. For instance, did Mr. or Mrs. Rivers attempt to find the girls after they ran away? What happened after Nora left Bernard’s apartment? Why was no connection made of Nora’s part in Grace’s abortion and Grace’s birth? These are just some of the questions the reader will ponder when they turn the last page.

In the introduction to the audio, the author reveals that some of the book has been redacted by the CIA. He doesn’t believe there is any reason for this, the CIA has no jurisdiction once the FBI has approved it, which they did, but still, they have made requested changes. He does not believe there are any secrets revealed in the book, but allowed the redacting so the book could be published on time. He has vowed to fight back and restore the book to its original state.

Born in Beirut, Lebanon, he was proud to be an American. Because he was brought up in a war torn country, he appreciated his life in America. When he interviewed for the job with the FBI, it was in response to a dare, but once he passed the interviews and exams, he decided he really did want to join. It excited him to be able to work to protect America. Admirably, he wanted to give something back to the country that had given him so much. Fluent in Arabic, he is perfect for the job. He began working there in 1998. His Middle Eastern background, and his assertiveness, helped him rise through the ranks and move ahead within the departments he was involved.

Soufan’s command of the Arabic language and his familiarity and understanding of the Koran was sometimes better than that of the prisoners he questioned. He believed that knowledge was key in questioning anyone, and he was often able to persuade those captured to confess when he was able to prove their beliefs, especially relating to Islam and the Koran, were inaccurate. He outsmarted many with his expertise. He did not believe in enhanced interrogation techniques or rendition, and according to his perception of events, he illustrates its failures. Many of his statements of fact seemed, indeed, however, to be a matter of opinion since there two distinctly diverse opinions exist about many of the events he describes.

Soufan provides information on several investigations, among which are the Kohl, 9/11, and Abu Ghraib and Bin Laden. He informs the reader about the background of many members of Al Quaeda, revealing their personalities and how they got to their positions and involvement in the organization, migrating over from the Mujahedeen. He also describes the personalities of the people he worked with in the FBI. Sometimes it felt to me like they had a good old boy group mentality; they “protected the herd”.

When describing his many investigations, he reveals the lack of cooperation existing in the government organizations with oversight. The CIA would not share information with the FBI, the ambassador to Yemen, Bodine, inhibited the investigation, being more concerned with protecting the Yemeni opinion and reaction to the United States, than with helping to capture terrorists and bringing those involved in the Kohl attack to justice.

The disorganization and lack of cooperation among the higher-ups in the CIA, the State Department, the FBI, and also the roadblocks set up by the ambassador to Yemen disrupted the investigations, and it is implied, perhaps led to the bombing of the World Trade Center. Had the information been shared, they might have been able to connect the dots and the outcome might have been different, not only for that attack, but for others as well. They were aware of many of the planners who implemented the process and also of many of those involved in the actual deeds. Had politics not played such a large role in many of the investigations, some alleged and/or suspected terrorist attacks might have been avoided.

There is a lot of information provided that I was not aware of and some that I cannot be certain was true. I wondered if some viewpoints and/or opinions given as facts, depended on political proclivities. It certainly sounded, at times, like the White House was at fault for many of the delays in the investigation and that may have led to unnecessary deaths. However, the author seems to lean left and does not seem to judge the left and right equally with regard to terrorism and its tactics. Also, for the most part, he blames everyone for all the failures except for the FBI, the agency for which he worked.

The book, as an audio, seemed too long and too detailed. The myriad names were confusing. The redacted and blank parts were enormously distracting and tedious, and quite frankly, annoying. Listening to words that literally said, blank said blank to blank, was meaningless. It could have been a really good book, but instead, it became mediocre. Perhaps they shouldn’t have rushed to publication, perhaps they should republish when they can get rid of the blank told this and the blank said this in blank location and provide the reader with real facts instead of blank ones.

My granddaughter asked me to read this and discuss it with her. She loved it. It is a supernatural YA novel, containing some violence and some tenderness. It is very imaginative and creative with unexpected twists and turns. There are subtleties that might not be obvious to some young readers. The Hollowgasts are the enemy of the “Peculiars”. This is a term similar in pronunciation (especially in the audio book), to another word about a true horror story. The term Hollowgasts sounds ominously like the term Holocaust, which was taking place at the time Jacob Portman’s grandfather, Abe, was in the Home For Peculiar Children on Cairnholm Isle, a fictional island in Wales. One word described an enemy trying to get rid of all Peculiars and the other an enemy trying to rid the world of Jews. The comparison of the two words could lead to an educational discussion. Both words are about evil. Another discussion point could be that in life, as on Cairnholm, people are often judged or misjudged, perhaps unfairly, by the things they do and the way they look

In the audio, an absolutely fantastic reader, with a voice full of the excitement, emotion and fear experienced by Jacob, will lead you on Jacob’s journey. In the hard copy, unusual vivid pictures accompany the narrative, which truly enhance the tale. So suspend disbelief, and enjoy this sometimes brutal, but also compassionate fairytale. It is about Jacob’s love for his grandfather which leads him to fulfill Abe’s dying wish, even at great peril to himself.

Jacob was born in and lived in Florida. His grandfather, Abraham Portman, had been born in Poland. Although Abe kept his distance from others, those two had a strong bond. Jacob’s grandfather used to tell him amazing stories, accompanied by old photos to back up the odd details about a group of unusual orphans. During WWII, Abe was one of them. When Jacob told his grandfather that he no longer believed in his “fairy” stories, that he had grown out of the fables he had told him, his grandfather stopped telling them. He was unable to understand why his grandfather had told him the stories as if they were true, when they were obviously not! His father told him that they weren’t lies but exaggerations of his grandfather’s horrible life as a child. Yet his grandfather’s memories of his childhood were happy ones. Jacob had been told that at the age of 12, because of WWII, his parents had sent Abe, a Jew, to England, in order to protect him from the horrors of the war, but was that the end of Abe and Jacob’s story or just the beginning?

One day, Jacob received a call from his grandfather who was desperately looking for a key to his stockpile of weapons. He believed he was being chased by monsters who were his enemies. The key had been hidden from him because he was beginning to show signs of dementia. Jacob, and his best friend Ricky, went to check on his grandfather. When found, he was severely wounded. Abe’s last words, whispered to Jacob, told him to “go to the island, here it is not safe. Find the bird in the loop on the other side of the old man’s grave, September 3, 1940…”. The message is cryptic and Jacob is confused. In the distance, his flashlight shone on something in the woods that was “a face transplanted from the nightmares of his childhood”. However, no one believed his story about Abe and what he saw, not even his best friend.

At his surpise 16th birthday, his aunt brought him a gift. It was one of his grandfather’s books which had an inscription to Jacob. Within it was a letter addressed to his granddad from Alma Peregrine, the headmistress of the orphanage on the island of Cairnholm, Wales, where his grandfather had lived. Inspired by the letter and his grandfather’s whispered message as he lay dying, he convinced his family to let him go to Cairnholm to learn more about Abe’s life. His father, an ornithologist, goes with him to investigate the birds on the island for a book he is writing. The island is remote and has few creature comforts, but for the first time, Jacob has a dreamless night of sleep, free of nightmares.

From here, the story takes off into a realm of the imagination. On his first exploration of the island, he finds the orphanage completely abandoned and damaged beyond repair. He begins to investigate the background of the home and he goes to the museum curator to find out more about it. He learns his granddad was the only survivor of a bombing that destroyed it. Then one night, a “peregrine” falcon flies into his bedroom, and he decides to return to the dilapidated home to investigate it again. On his way to the orphan’s home, it begins to rain, and symbolically, he remembers that his mom used to call the rain, “orphan’s tears”.

Once there, he hears the voice of a girl, and he discovers she has peculiar talents. She is one of the Peculiars his grandfather had told him about. Thus begins Jacob’s fantastic journey to discover the secrets of his grandfather’s message and life. He learns about strange and dangerous creatures called Wights and Hollowgasts. They are the enemies of the Peculiars. He discovers a world, inside the “loop” where the Peculiars can live safely, as long as they relive the same day, 09/03/40, over and over again. No one ages there; time stops. Jacob finds he can enter that time and experience what his grandfather did in the world of the Peculiars and Ymbrynes. They each have unique special powers. When the Peculiars have to escape the island, and begin again, in search of another loop, within which they can live safely, time begins to move forward. They leave the island on their journey of discovery, on 09/04/40. It is no longer 09/03/40. As he discovers the truth about his grandfather and his life, he will have to decide where his own life will lead him, from here on in.

An interesting comparison of the characters Jacob and Abe, is that Jacob leaves his home to explore Cairnholm Isle, at about the same age his grandfather leaves his home in Cairnholm to fight in WWII. In a sense, it is a coming of age novel for both young men. They discovered their true purpose in life at about the same chronological age, in two different periods of time. While this book has been viewed as a crossover by many, I think it is more geared to YA than Adult. There are some sophisticated themes, but the writing felt too simplistic to crossover completely. There is a sequel to this book and it promises to be equally as exciting. I know my granddaughter is holding her breath for it!

This author used words exceedingly well to subtly encourage the reader to think of comparisons to other events, real and imaginary. For example:

Hollowgast=empty, A Hollow is a fallen spirit that is born from a regular spirit (plus) that has lingered in the living world after death too long, also means to frighten.

Holocaust=The Holocaust was the systematic, bureaucratic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of approximately six million Jews by the Nazi regime. Many others were murdered as well.

Cairnholm=island memorial

Wight is a creature, a human being, in some definitions, one raised from the dead. In recent books, it has been used to define the undead. In the book, the wights lure the victims to the hollowgasts. One hollowgast is compared to the real Jeffrey Dahmer, the serial killer.

Ymbryne= Ymbryne:- According to author, a lapse in time. In Shelfari, the definition is an Anglo-Saxon compound word “ymb”, meaning time, and “ryne”, meaning a course or circuit.

This sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes uplifting tale of tragedy and triumph, mistakes and redemption, is narrated by Theo Decker. It begins with a glowing description of his mother, Audrey Decker, an art historian. Both are on their way to a conference to discuss Theo’s recent suspension from school. He breaks rules with abandon, even though he knows the consequences for him and his mom could be dire. The book could be described as a memoir of Theo’s life, if Theo was real, and indeed, Theo does become real with the expert pen of the author. This book lends itself to the audio version since the reader was accomplished at using accents and tones of voice which perfectly fit each character. The author’s characters are very authentic, more so because of the talented reader, and are beautifully drawn by their dialogue and descriptions. Some books follow a single thread to their conclusion, but this one, follows many and requires the reader’s complete attention. It is an experience that is well worth the effort.
The book takes the reader on a tour of the international art world, its dealers and its thieves, exposing its dangers as well as its beauty. It illuminates the human frailties flawed human beings are heir to and does it remarkably well. The paintings, often described, offer a primer on art for the reader. The author examines the shallowness of the wealthy, the corruption of the dishonest and the foolishness of the irresponsible and immature with a clarity that brings it home. The descriptions put the reader in whatever place Theo finds himself and then witnesses his reality in which right and wrong take on different meanings depending on the circumstances. Although very long, and sometimes overly tedious with details, it is an absolutely marvelous book to read and ponder afterwards. What is happiness? How is it attained? How will we know when we achieve it? Is it the same for everyone? Is every good deed punished in the end?
Theo and his mother are waylaid on their way to the school conference because of a sudden storm. They race into the museum to wait for the rain to stop and Audrey Decker shows her son Theo her favorite painting, “The Goldfinch\". It is a “350-year-old, 13-by-9-inch painting by the artist, Carel Fabritius”. Studying the painting, near them, is an elderly man who is accompanied by a young girl (Pippa), who catches Theo’s eye. Because he is entranced by her, he does not go with his mom when she leaves to view the rest of the exhibition and to make a purchase in the shop for him. Instead, they make arrangements to meet up in a short time. Their plans are thwarted, when without warning an explosion rocks the building. Theo, confused and alone, stumbles upon, and comforts, the elderly man he had just seen. When the man tells him to take the painting, Theo, who is in a dazed state, simply follows his command and removes \"The Goldfinch\" from its frame, taking it with him when he leaves.
Thus begins Theo’s story, from the time of the attack that changed his life, to the time he finally comes of age, albeit as an adult, and understands the errors of his ways and the meaning of his life. The little bird, the goldfinch, was shackled in the painting, doomed to be attached to its perch forever. In many ways, for years, Theo’s life was irrevocably tied and attached to the fate of the painting he removed on that tragic day, the day he experienced the terrible loss of the mother he adored. All of his future actions were influenced by that trauma. The ensuing havoc and horror of the destruction and death were described in graphic and realistic detail. The author captured the violence of the explosion, the confusion of the aftermath and the consequences of its effects, perfectly, with drama and considerable tension.
As the survivor, 13 year-old Theo blames himself for his mother’s death. After all, they would not have been in the museum were it not for his problems at school. Terrified of being in a foster home, shunted from one place to another, he reaches out to a school friend, Andy Barbur, and the social worker arranges for the Barbur family to care for him temporarily.
The injured old man, who told him to take the painting, also gave him his ring and asked him to bring it to a place called Blackwell and Hobart. When he returns it, he meets the old man\'s business partner, Hobie, and also the girl he was attracted to in the museum, the elderly man’s companion, convalescing there from her injuries. He visits with Pippa awhile, becoming more and more attracted to her. Hobie was so touched by the return of his dear friend Woody’s ring that he told Theo he would always be there for him if he needed help.
Eventually, the father who had abandoned him and his mom, turns up and takes him to live in Las Vegas. He has ulterior motives for taking him back into his custody, but Theo is unaware of them until he is asked to lie to the trustee, asking him to give his father a large amount of cash from his mother’s legacy. His father is still a gambler and a drinker and he is in deep debt. While living in Nevada, Theo meets Boris, a rather questionable character who offers him friendship. Boris has some strange ideas about life concerning what is allowed and what is forbidden. Already on a path of dubious ethical behavior, he is led down a steeper path by Boris, who broadens his debauchery with drugs, alcohol, cutting school and petty theft.
With the sudden death of his father, Theo decides to run away to NYC, not wanting to be caught up, once again, in the morass of social services for the social workers are surely coming. Boris does not want to go with him, so he runs off alone, without thinking, and with no other place to go, winds up back at Blackwell and Hobart. There he re-encounters Pippa, and although unattainable, he remains smitten by her for years. Hobie takes him in and is happy to offer any assistance he can. He offers him a far better atmosphere of moral behavior, honor and loyalty than he had ever experienced before. As the years pass, he becomes his apprentice and then his partner. The business thrives. Unfortunately, Theo’s wayward ways follow him and he often confuses what is right from wrong in an attempt to solve his problems. He excuses his acts of betrayal by his need to make things right. For him, the means justify the ends, even when they push the envelope beyond its legal limit.
In the meantime, still in possession of the painting, he hides it in a storage facility and pretty much puts it out of his mind. Although he wants to return it, He doesn’t know how to proceed. He fears retribution and prison for taking it, in the first place, and is unable to decide what to do with it. Eventually, the decision will be taken out of his hands. From the time of his mother’s , until the time he comes to understand how and why he has floundered about, Theo and the painting are inextricably bound together. He is on a roller-coaster of confusion and uncertainty, often obsessively seeking what he can’t have and finding little satisfaction in what he attains. We bear witness to his world full of death and sadness, destruction and disappointment, unrequited love and unattainable desires.
Dostoevsky’s “The Idiot” is mentioned in the book, and like Prince Myshkin, Theo’s development is altered by the trauma of events in his life, and he too, is immature, eventually abandoning his good intentions for foolish ones because he is unable to make mature moral judgments. How will life work out for Theo?

Dr. Moreno has designed a diet for all occasions and all people. He has addressed every contingency such as culture, holidays, family, age, gender and health. He wants to persuade the reader to have a healthier lifestyle, to choose healthier food options and to exercise to increase metabolism and weight loss, encouraging the beneficial effects to overall health. He offers the dieter advice on minerals and supplements required by the body for optimal health. He emphasizes the use of lean protein, low sugar fruits, healthy vegetables and whole grains. Skipping meals is not an option; eating every three hours is the regimen. There are three meals and two snacks a day, in addition to 64 ounces of water which does not include coffee, tea or sugar free drinks. He strongly advises the dieter to drink green tea which burns fat, and he even allows coffee which he says speeds up the metabolism. He strongly recommends whey powder, probiotics, green tea powder, and sufficient fiber in the diet. If desired, he even has an optional transitional day fast consisting of liquids he suggests and even offers recipes for his smoothies. He attempts to give the dieter the confidence to succeed.
His diet is based on the number 17. There are 17 minute exercises tips, 17 ways to burn calories, 17 ways to condition the body and 17 day diet cycles labeled accelerate, activate, achieve and arrive. With each cycle, additional foods are added and additional skills are learned, such as portion control and exercise methods.
Dr. Moreno gives advice on how to avoid stress and stresses exercise as a benefit to health, weight loss and well being. He offers advice on how to reduce the troublesome spots of your body that weight loss often does not address. He offers advice on supplements to aid weight loss and spot reduction. He treats the whole body and mind in this book and encourages weight loss with his upbeat, yet realistic, attitude about a subject that is often an uphill battle for many who need to drop some pounds. When one patient lost her walking partner and slipped back into an unhealthy state, he became her walking partner. He is an active partner in the effort of his patients to lose weight.
At the end of the book there are questions from real people about specific issues they have to deal with and he responds. Some questions will be exactly what the reader needs to know.
Menus are offered for people in different cultures, with different health needs and with different likes and dislikes. There are suggestions for dining out so failure is never an option. He advises on dealing with family and holidays so they don’t sabotage your efforts.
At the end of the first three cycles, the final cycle allows weekend cheating, in moderation. That seems like a wonderful reward and an inspiration to keep the healthy lifestyle, long term. If the dieter can manage this diet, it appears to be oriented toward success. It encourages good habits, self control and healthy food choices. Sugar and fat are eliminated, healthy carbohydrates are added. In the end, he attempts to teach the dieter how to maintain the desired weight by maintaining the diet for life with occasional days when cheating is allowed.
The diet book went a bit over the top for me when it was suggested that marriage prospects and finances would also improve with this 17 day diet. There are many diets out there that are similar, but this is designed for quick weight loss and long term maintenance.

This is the true story of Dalia, a Bulgarian Jew, and Bashir, a Palestinian Arab. Both were uprooted from their homes for different, but related reasons; one was uprooted because of the Holocaust in Europe and the other because of the founding of the state of Israel which resulted from the heinous acts committed against Jews during the Holocaust. It must be mentioned here that the Arabs of Palestine supported Hitler and his Holocaust. They had a common enemy: Jews and Great Britain.
Both people claimed the same land, Israel, only known by that name since 1948, when it was given to the Jews by a United Nations declaration. However, since the ownership of that land is now and has always been disputed, war is never-ending and fear is a constant companion for all sides considered.
Dalia and Bashir meet in 1967, when Bashir knocks on the door of her home only months after the Arab defeat in the 6-day war, just one of a series of violent acts toward the newly formed country since its inception. He asks to see the place he used to call his home, and she graciously grants that wish to him and his two friends who illegally traveled into Israel from their place of exile in the Arab territory. Over the ensuing years, they both become what I shall call frenemies, since they are both driven by different motives and goals, but both also inspiring a feeling of friendship for each other and a concern for each other’s plight. Their needs and solutions pit them squarely in a fight against each other on the playing field that is Israel.
Dalia seeks a solution that will require sacrifice by all parties involved, because she believes it could bring peace to the Middle East. Bashir seeks a solution in which Jews are driven out of their country and sent back to the place they came from. He will not tolerate any compromise regarding the land or the Jews who recently emigrated to his country.
Through their friendship, Dalia learns how her family acquired their home and how Bashir unfairly lost his when Israel commandeered it and forced the community he lived in to flee. She is sympathetic, but realizes that there is nothing she can do about it. She cannot return the home to him, she cannot even sell it to him. It is a brutal mark on Israel’s history, but the Arabs wanted to drive them out, and the newly formed Israel saw no other way to guarantee its survival other than to kill or be killed. Israelis chose survival as cruel as its implementation required.
Bashir, unwilling to compromise in any way, wants only to regain the self respect his family lost which requires them to be able to return to their home, no strings attached. In conjunction, he wants the Jews to return to their homes, not understanding that they often had no home to return to because of the Holocaust. They were not wanted anywhere. Bashir, like the Israelis, believed that any means would justify the end of achieving the right of return. Although he has never admitted it, he was arrested many times for participating in acts of violence and terrorism in Israel. Unlike Dalia, who, to be fair, does have the upper hand as an Israeli, he does not want to work through peaceful means.
The book dwells largely on the different paths each of them follow to find a solution. Dalia eventually creates a school for Arab children in their mutual former home, and Bashir becomes an Arab Freedom Fighter, involved with many violent groups and spending many years of his life in Israeli prisons for the cause of a one-state solution to the Middle East controversy..
Dalia finds it hard to understand how someone she cares about, and supposedly someone who cares about her, can want the annihilation of her people. Yet Israel is also carrying out deeds of brutality, torture and murder, as they invade lands preemptively to protect their territory and their settlers. She finds it hard to justify or understand either behavior.
While Dalia is shown in a sympathetic light, and Bashir is depicted as someone who is the product of years of Israeli abuse, there is little true causation presented that connects the deeds of each enemy toward each other. Therefore, The brutality of Israeli actions often appear to be occurring in a vacuum rather than in reaction to Arab provocation. Israel would probably not exist today had they not taken swift action against their enemies, even preemptively. Did the means justify the ends? Since the Arabs were intransigent and would not accept Israel’s right to exist, after the state was created, I, personally, believe they did.
Dalia appears to be naïve and more than just a little idealistic. Bashir is grounded in his belief that he has the right to return to his family’s land. He beieves in achieving this goal by any means possible. His children are taught that Israel is the cause of all their problems, rather than their refusal to accept Israel’s right to exist. They do not own their responsibility for some of the brutality inflicted upon their people, and they feel no guilt for causing so many unnecessary deaths No matter how hard she tries, Dalia cannot crack his stubborn façade. She believes that in friendship, if they both give up something, if they sacrifice equally, they can compromise and live together, and that this can be applied to the greater land around them, encompassing Arabs and Israelis. She, however, does understand that the right of return would negate Israel’s existence as a Jewish state.
The book’s message is over simplified. Bashir really cares more for his Palestine than he does for Dalia. His connection to terrorist behavior could as easily kill her as well as other innocent and unknown Israelis or innocent Palestinians who lives in Israel. To him, Jews are interlopers who have no right to be there and must be driven out by any means. It is a view similar to the Israeli Jew about the Arabs, sadly.
The author often referred to Bashir’s belief about a resolution guaranteeing the right of return, but this resolution does not actually exist, and the author does not clarify this point, but rather allows the reader to believe what Bashir believes. It is the interpretation of that resolution by Bashir which is incorrect and the author should present it that way. http://www.mythsandfacts.org/conflict/10/resolution-194.pdf
The groups that Bashir supports do not recognize Israel’s history or its right to exist in what they believe is only “their land”. When Jordan controlled the holy sites, Jews and Christians were forbidden access to certain places, even though the UN resolution required it. When Israel controlled them, Jerusalem was unified and religious sites were open to all.
http://www.yale.edu/accords/jerusalem.html
Throughout the Jewish history, they have been attacked just because they were Jews and were different. After a long history of exile and abuse, the Israelis are a bit paranoid, and with good reason. They are a tiny country in the midst of a huge Arab population that will not recognize their right to exist. There is not one Arab country truly willing to give Palestinian refugees sanctuary in their country, on a long term basis, with equal rights and freedoms, yet that is what the Arabs demand from the Jews they attacked the moment the state of Israel was declared.
Many Jews, like me, always believed that all reactions or hostilities, engaged in by Israel, were provoked. In reality, not all were, I learned. I discovered I know a lot about the Holocaust, but not as much about the birth and development of Israel. However, I do know that Israel reacted in its defense, to protect the country from annihilation by an enemy that did not recognize its right to exist, that thought they could wipe the people and the country from the map with impunity and suffer no consequences. When they were forced to pay for their violence, they rebelled and questioned why they were being treated so cruelly when they only, rightfully, wanted their land back.
The problem is this; it was no longer their land. Intransigence will prevent any peace. Both sides have to move to a middle ground, but Israel has no choice, if it wishes to maintain its Jewish identity, but to behave they way it did and will have to continue to do so. Those that do not understand this will wish to doom Israel to extinction. They may even hope for it, as their ultimate goal.
In the Middle East, as in other developed nations, assassinations have become more and more prevalent, as has terrorism. It is necessary to fight hard and early to survive. If two friends could not come to a single cohesive conclusion about how they could live together in peace, how can two separate peoples who desire the same country to call their own, find a pathway to peace?
Dalia could not understand how Bashir could plot to murder Israelis when she could become his victim, and yet, Bashir has become a victim of Israel’s prison system, perhaps not always fairly treated. Because time has passed since the book was published, the fluid situation in Israel has changed and it is now even more threatened by newly formed terrorist groups, by other Arab nations who have experienced the Arab Spring and by an Iran that will possibly soon acquire nuclear weapons. Who knows if there is even a plausible way out? I certainly don’t. However, the truth must be written, not for bleeding hearts, but for the real world with beating hearts for one man’s poison will become another man’s meat on another day.

This is the harrowing account of a free black man who was kidnapped. His free papers were stolen, he was viciously beaten into submission and then transported to plantations in the south as a slave. His whereabouts were unknown to any and all who could free him. The idea that any man, of any color, or any background, could be captured and penned, treated like no more than a brute animal, should have been, then and surely now, nothing short of anathema to any breathing human being. Ignorance could not be a legitimate excuse, anymore than it could have been during the Holocaust. Myself, I am at a loss to understand why an economy driven by slaves would be exalted, why greed would be elevated to heights higher than human dignity.
Man’s inhumanity to man, man’s ability to turn a blind eye to human suffering for monetary gain, will render the reader speechless and horrified. As a Jew whose history is steeped in slavery, I felt personally affected by his plight and angered to the point of distraction, because there is absolutely nothing anyone can do today to reverse the effects of the terrible injustice imposed upon people, simply because of their color. They were kept illiterate, forbidden to improve their station in life, beaten violently for the slightest infractions, by people who would not have wanted such a life for themselves or anyone they associated with, and yet, they turned a blind eye to accumulate the all-mighty dollar. Those who hated, taught their offspring to hate. Those who hated, hired overseers who hated. Those who hated often got away unscathed. Justice was usually not served for the black man. No matter how many times one reads about slavery, it is impossible to get used to the idea that human trafficking existed in this country with very little opposition, for many years, and today, still exists in other avenues of the culture.
The successful economy of the plantation depended upon slavery, but while the South flourished, the slaves did not. They worked until their deaths, without hope of freedom or any basic civil rights. In this book, there is a definitive description of the life of a slave, by a man who walked in those shoes. No man or woman could possibly begin to understand the horror of a slave’s existence, the helplessness, the shame, the humiliation, the human suffering, unless they walked in those shoes, themselves. The reader will come to understand, more fully, how cruel and barbaric the practice was and will understand why it has been so hard, for those enslaved and their descendants, to achieve success, even today.
Families were torn asunder, children were separated from mothers, husbands from wives, friends from friends, and then subjected to abuse, beatings, rape, overwork, starvation, unlivable living conditions, and brutal masters, until they were completely subdued and weakened, unable to defend themselves, unable to change their circumstances, unable to do anything but acquiesce or die.
From Solomon’s descriptions of the despicable treatment of the slaves, as if they were less than human, lower than animals in bondage, made to respond like automatons, the reader will come to understand how strong these people had to be, mentally and physically, in order to withstand so much cruelty and exploitation, in order not to succumb. One will wonder why they would even want to live under such conditions, yet they found a way to find enjoyment and pleasure in the few moments they could share together, on holidays, in evenings, in moments when they were alone. They managed to create communities for themselves, even under such horrendous circumstances. Solomon makes it a point of saying that not all masters were cruel. He often found goodness in unexpected places. He, himself, was sometimes forced to be cruel to his friends and fellow slaves, forced to lose his own humanity by joining forces with the masters in order to avoid his own abuse and beatings. His plight, during his years as a slave, when he was required to whip fellow slaves, reminded me of that of the Kapos, during the Holocaust. Kapos were prisoners who meted out the justice and punishment upon other prisoners, for their Nazi captors. Were they co-conspirators or simply saving their own skins? It is an ethical conundrum.
Perhaps not all masters were the same, but all owned their slaves and valued them more for their purchase or resale price and their productivity, rather than for their lives. Some slaves, realizing they would never be free, tried to escape. When caught, the punishment was inhuman. They were whipped beyond comprehension or murdered. Although many tried hard to please their masters, they were often caught between the petty jealousies of the master and the mistress, neither willing to understand that a slave had no choice but to do what they were told, that they had no free will. There was no safety for them. There were no defenders of their plight.
Simply reading about the beatings, often beyond human endurance, made my skin crawl, made me want to find those barbaric, immoral, insensitive savages who treated other human beings so maliciously, though they are long gone. These poor victims had no recourse whatsoever. The mercilessness of the owners and the overseers leaves the reader aghast and hoping there is an afterlife where these people do get their just desserts. They were totally selfish and cold-blooded, pitiless and callous. There are simply no adequate words to describe that blight upon our history.
The years of beatings and abuse never broke Solomon’s spirit; he saw good qualities in almost everyone he met and always maintained a positive attitude, hoping to be free again.
In this memoir, he presents a clear, concise description of slavery from a slave’s vantage point. His daily life was one of monotonous, unending labor and fear. Solomon was luckier than most. He played the violin and could entertain plantation owners, occasionally escaping the toil of his fellow slaves. He was clever and could build and repair most things, unlike the vast majority of slaves who were kept totally imprisoned by their forced life of ignorance. He was therefore, more valued. He knew of the outside world, while they knew of no other than the world of master and slave. He lived to go from his capture and captivity to freedom and his wife and family. He lived to try and see the worst of these slave traders cringe in fear, but not, unfortunately, brought to justice. Even though he was a free man in the eyes of the law, in the eyes of the world, he was still subservient, still second class. Once free, I read that he lectured on his experiences and also worked on behalf of the cause to abolish slavery and to aid other slaves seeking freedom through the Underground Railroad.
The descriptions of the cultivation and picking of the cotton and the process of planting and cutting of the sugar cane, as well as the explanation of how some of the crude equipment worked, was sometimes tedious, and that was the only drawback I could find in this beautifully written memoir, read by Louis Gossett Jr.

The book has been billed as the sequel to Pride and Prejudice, and so the saga of the Bennett family continues. However, the novel, Longbourn, really can stand on its own. It is a story that takes place during the Victorian Age, an era in which the divide between the servant and the master was unbridgeable. The lives of those who lived above stairs and those who lived below were immutably joined, and yet they were completely disconnected from each other’s. While the servants were expected to identify with the lives of their employers, for whom they worked only while they remained in their good graces, those upstairs were not in the least bit interested in the lives of those who dwelled beneath. In so far as their lives were concerned, past or future, other than the present time in which they served their employer’s needs, they did not exist. Servants were moved about like property, which is what they were, for the most part, because although not slaves, they had their particular place in the world, and it was lowly, without prospect of change. If not in the good graces of their employers, females, especially, were lost when discharged, demoted to the state of street beggar or streetwalker. Mrs. Hill’s comment, “that all the servant can do is work”, sums up their lives completely. They were forced to stand by and watch as those upstairs lived the high life, they were forced to show their devotion and appreciation for the little they received, and they were expected to subsume their own desires and dreams and assume those of their employer’s.
Back at Longbourn, the Bennets are still in residence calling the shots, the war is raging and the daughters’ marriage prospects are being worried over, in order to secure their futures. There is no male heir, or is there? As they are being married off, some family secrets are revealed as well as some family humiliations. Romances abound, upstairs and down. Ancestry, hitherto unknown, is exposed. Mrs. Hill, head housekeeper, had a more interesting life than the one, I had imagined. Sarah, a teenaged housemaid, matures and comes into her own, as an individual, finding love in unexpected places. Risks are taken and mistakes are made, above and below the stairs, but those downstairs pay the greater penalties for the same sins.
Although the world of upstairs and downstairs is like separate planets, the residents of Longbourn all had their dreams. The ladies upstairs, teenagers really, are tempted with beautiful clothes and dreams of romance, as are the young girls downstairs. Below stairs, they also toy with those same dreams, even as they are worked to the bone, with practically no hope of any prince carrying them off into the night. The downstairs is viewed as “less than” which although accepted, is very unfair. However, it is the way it was, and there was nothing to be done about it.
The class system was, and still is, a system of inequality. Yet, the servants thought of themselves as professionals, albeit trapped in their lives; they were grateful for the roof over their heads, the food in their bellies and the clothes on their backs. They wanted to be held in the good graces of their employers, behaving as confidents, dressers, maids, hairdressers, seamstresses, or, more or less, completing any odd duty they might be called upon to perform. The arrogant behavior of the upper classes, while sometimes respectful, was always condescending and sometimes demeaning and abominable. They did not view the servants as having the same basic needs as other human beings, such as themselves. They held all the power and had all the respect. The arrogance of the privileged classes over those who were in servitude was really highlighted for the reader. The tale also illustrated the horrors a soldier faced, the madness of war, the guilt and the shame for the senseless murders and atrocities committed, the hunger, the compromises of morality, the abuses of those in charge and the reactions of those threatened. It is also a tender love story between Sarah and James, particularly apt in this Valentine’s season, in which I listened to this book.
The story of Longbourn ends with almost all of the loose ends tied up neatly. Although there were times when the narrative was confusing to me, as the story went back and forth from place to place and time to time, as the author defined the characters, all of their lives eventually intertwined with clarity. The reader of the book was expressive, but sometimes her accent made some words unclear. Some of the characters seemed to be assuming important roles, but then faded away without much explanation. While I do not think this book will ever attain the status of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice”, it was certainly an entertaining read.
Some discussion questions occurred to me as I finished. Did Mr. Bingley, the footman, ever set off on his own? Did James and Sarah’s life improve?? What became of Mr. and Mrs. Hill? Were marriages of convenience fulfilling? Does he ever inherit anything? Is there a future sequel and will the young 12-year-old housemaid, Polly, be its subject and/or the child of Sarah and James? Will James’s ancestry be further explored?

The book begins with high school junior, Park Sheridan, lamenting about a girl. Where is she? Will she come back? It ends in the same way, but with the caveat about a postcard containing three words. What are those words? This is Eleanor and Park’s story. The narrative switches back and forth from Park to Eleanor. All of the characters are easily visualized by the reader.
The time is 1986, a less sophisticated time, in Omaha, Nebraska. Life moves more slowly there. There are no cell phones in every hand, no computers on every desk; it is simpler and less complicated than the current 2014. The infractions of students do not involve guns or social media or sexting, like they do today. The internet was an unknown entity. Bullying was just as overt, but not as dangerous or deadly.
Park and Eleanor Douglas meet on the school bus when she climbs on for the first time. When the ungainly Eleanor attempts to find a seat, the students make rowdy, cruel remarks. No one wants her to sit next to them. She was new, and she was weird looking; her shabby clothes were an odd mismatched mixture. She was big, encased in a man’s shirt, wearing several necklaces, and an assortment of scarves wrapped around her wrist, and her unusually bright red hair made her stand out in a crowd. No one knows who she really is, no one knows about her background, her poverty, her reasons for looking the way she does, no one seems to care. They were all just interested in tormenting “the new girl”, bestowing unflattering epithets upon her.
When Park Sheridan first sees her, he cringes. He tries to ignore her, but the taunts of the other students and the bus driver yelling at her to find a seat, move him. Sick of how the kids are acting, he signals her to sit. She does, but reacts coldly, ungraciously. Eleanor doesn’t want to seem weak or vulnerable; she doesn’t want to be pitied by this “cool” boy who is sitting next to her, and he doesn’t want people to think they are together, so day after day, they ignore each other. Yet they share classes together, and he begins to notice her more and more. She is different from the other kids. She doesn’t seem to care about what others think about her. She thinks for herself.
Little by little, Park realizes that on their bus ride to school, Eleanor is reading the comic books over his shoulder. After awhile, he begins bringing in comic books for her to borrow, and then a headset and tapes of his favorite music. He just leaves them on the seat for her and she takes them and returns them the next day. As time goes by, they begin to talk. They laugh together. He begins to appreciate her uniqueness, rather than being ashamed of it. She begins to feel lighter, happier, because someone likes her. Slowly, she lets him learn more and more about her. He hadn’t realized how poor she was, that she had no comic books, no headset, no small luxuries at all.
Not many people live like Eleanor, and she is ashamed of her life, frightened of her stepfather and embarrassed by her looks. Gradually, as she and Park develop a friendship and grow closer, she defies her mother and sneaks out to see him at his house, She pretends to be with a girlfriend. Her mom and stepdad would never have allowed her to be with a boy. Her mom made mistakes when she was young, and she didn’t want Eleanor to repeat them.
Eleanor loves Park’s home life. It is so normal. He has loving parents, parents who are devoted to each other and to him. He is an only child. She eats dinner there often. After an initial crisis, in which Park’s Korean mom exhibits some blatant racism, announcing that she doesn’t’ want that “crazy white girl” in her house, Park’s home becomes her sanctuary, as his mom repents and welcomes her. Her other siblings know about her “boyfriend” from other kids in school. Jealous of her freedom and the little gifts she has been getting, they insist on sharing them in exchange for their silence. Eleanor realizes that she will eventually be caught and all hell will break loose when that happens.
Eleanor’s home life leaves a lot to be desired. She has been hurt deeply by her mom. She went along with her stepfather, Richie, allowing him to throw her out of the house for a year, and Eleanor has only just been allowed to return. She has little in the way of creature comforts or basic necessities. She has very few clothes, no toothbrush, no telephone. She lives in a tiny house with no privacy. The bathroom has no door, so she has to wash up before her stepfather comes home. It is often hard to maintain proper hygiene. Her mom puts vanilla behind her ears; it is cheaper than perfume and smells good. All five children sleep in one room, without enough beds, so several sleep on the floor. If one wets the bed, it is as if they all do! Once she had a happy home, a home where freshly baked cookies were waiting for her when she arrived home from school, a time when her beautiful mom was cheerful, but now she has to cope, not only with the bullying at school, but with a drained mom who also lives in fear of her stepfather, who is physically and verbally abusive.
At school, the students call her names like “big red’ or “raghead”. Eleanor discovers that someone is leaving foul-mouthed notes in her locker and writing obscene notes on her books. She scribbles them out to hide them from Park. She suspects that Tina, Park’s old girlfriend, is doing it because she is jealous. She tolerates all of this in silence. Finally, Park, unable to stand the way she is being taunted, defends her in a terrible fist fight with Steven, Tina's current boyfriend. He is a big bully, in stature and behavior. Park gets suspended. His dad, however, is proud of him for standing up for what he believed in, for protecting Eleanor.
One night, when Eleanor returns home, she finds her brothers and sister asleep in a room that has been ransacked. She knows she has been discovered. There is broken glass on her bed, her tapes are unraveled, her private box, which holds her few treasures, is upended and empty. There is a filthy message written across the top of it in a hand she recognizes from the notes she has gotten in school. Tina is not her enemy. She realizes how really dangerous Richie can be. Her only recourse is to leave.
She tells Park that she has to run away and explains why. She is going to her uncle’s house in Minnesota. Park offers to drive her there, and with his dad’s consent, they take off. Eleanor isn’t even sure her uncle and aunt will believe her, will take her in, but she makes Park leave before she knows the outcome of her visit. Park returns home and for the next year, she neither writes nor calls. He pines for her while Eleanor tries to put him out of her mind, believing they have no future together. They are young and from different worlds. Although her life has improved significantly at her uncle’s home where she has creature comforts, goes to summer camp and becomes a more normal young lady, the reader is left wondering, will “Romeo and Juliet’s” love survive this ordeal? Will they reunite?
This book is a primer for responsible behavior. It teaches tolerance of those who are different and compassion for those who are suffering, especially due to circumstances beyond their control. If we only concentrate on the surface of things, we only learn part of the picture. An insecure child reading this book might gain the courage to fight the fears that torment, that interfere with a healthy interaction with others, with a healthy self-image. Being different can be a positive thing, can draw people to you; stressing your creativity and individuality can make being different a gift, rather than a burden. Reading this book, bullies might see themselves in the nasty kids on the bus and at school. Perhaps looking in that mirror they will understand how cruel and mean they have been and might change their ways. One thing is certain, this book will open a door to many conversations on proper behavior and on the rewards gained from a generosity of spirit, mind and purpose. One main character is an outcast the other is the “cool” kid in school. When their love blossoms, there is a powerful lesson to be learned. The outside of a person does not tell the whole story; it is the inside that is the measure of the man.
Note: Eleanor and Park is a YA novel that I was drawn to by the cover. It shows two heads connected by dual headsets. My husband and I, married for almost half a century, walk everyday, connected by a splitter which allows our headsets to listen to books as we take our constitutional. While some make fun of us, saying I have him attached by a leash, I say we are attached by our heartstrings. When Park first saw Eleanor, he thought she was asking for the taunts, because of how she looked, how she acted, how she dressed. He was a cool guy; he wondered, is everyone laughing at them? Should he pull away from her? He overcame those feelings because he had a kind heart and spirit, he was a good kid. He could see beyond his own ego, beyond the bullying around him into his own heart and into the heart of the girl sitting next to him. I think Eleanor and Park are also attached by their heartstrings. We all need to look deeper than the outside surface of things!

This unusual book tells the story of World War II, from the perspective of a German hero, Franz Stigler, a boy who once wanted to become a priest but whose love of flying led him, instead, to become a fighter pilot, a flying ace, whose act of mercy saved the life of an American soldier. He never joined the Nazi party nor did members of his family. His brother was a suspected member of the underground. While I always knew that not all Germans were supporters of Hitler or members of the National Socialist Party, I had rarely given them the benefit of the doubt, excusing their behavior because they had no other choice. Reading this book, I realized that many Germans may have had no other choice but to obey Hitler’s edicts. To do otherwise and defy Hitler would probably have led to their own death in the same brutal way as Hitler’s other victims died, in the Concentration Camps that Hitler called work camps, retraining facilities, exemplary examples of the way a prison should treat its prisoners, but in fact they were little more than torture chambers. Still, with so vast a number of people disappearing, it still defies my imagination to believe that many Germans were unaware of something awfully wrong going on in their country. To be sure, there were noble resistance groups, and they sacrificed their own lives, hoping to save the lives of others who were being persecuted, trying to take a stand against evil and not supporting the Nazi effort simply because they were ordered to or had to or felt nationalism for their country. To me, not supporting Hitler’s policies, but supporting the war by lending an effort to fight or by turning a blind eye to the plight of his victims, was meaningless. It simply meant that if Hitler succeeded, whether or not one agreed with him, their compliance would have guaranteed his remaining in power and his hateful policies against certain people would have continued as would his heinous violence and genocide.
Reading about the bravery of the German soldiers, reading about their fears and their concerns, their losses and their suffering humanized this enemy of the past, to a far greater degree than any other recounting of the history had done for me before, but it remained hard for me to find it in my heart to empathize with those who attacked innocent people for the sake of their Fatherland, regardless of whether or not they supported the Nazis and Hitler. As I read of the plight of these people who were suffering from a lack of supplies and food, who were living in bombed out buildings, I felt little sympathy. Their plight was a result of their duly elected leader’s behavior. While others were being piled onto cattle cars and sent to their death, marched to gas chambers, humiliated by their nakedness, taunted, starved, beaten, and enslaved, terrified of what awaited them, helpless in the face of their enemies, for little more than their beliefs, not their actions, these same Germans were turning a blind eye, saving their own skins from the person they, themselves, put in power. Hitler’s reign of terror brought Germany down and the Germans were complicit, even if it was just in their silence.
Putting politics aside, the book is marvelous in what it does. It conflicts the reader often, since the traumatic events Stigler encountered as he fought for his country, watching his friends die, being shot down, losing members of his family, may cause the reader to hope this noble pilot survives, often forgetting he was the enemy of America and the Allies; he was a German pilot fighting to exalt his Fatherland, and so, while the reader may pull back a bit and rethink what he/she knows and what he/she has learned in the past., the reality of the Holocaust will often stop the reader from becoming too sympathetic to the German’s eventual suffering. They reaped what they sowed. If, perhaps, forgiveness is not possible, a greater understanding is probably more achievable. The book absolutely presents a more human side of the war from the German viewpoint; it does humanize the soldier there, exposing him to be the same as soldiers everywhere, dedicated to their fellow countrymen, dedicated to their country, loyal to their cause, but also simply frightened young men obeying orders.
As I read (I actually listened to an audio version), I tried to be more tolerant and to glimpse behind the scenes of war, to the character of the soldiers and to the landscape of their backgrounds. Some of them, soldiers and officers, were fine men, noble men of purpose who respected the rule of war and did not support Hitler’s Nazi hatred. The soldiers in the German armed forces were trained to follow orders, even when they disagreed, as they area in all countries armed forces. At one point in the narrative, the author seems to be telling the reader that the German soldier actually behaved more ethically on the field of battle, not shooting down the paratroopers as they escaped from their wrecked and burning planes, even as the Americans did that to prevent their enemy from returning to fight them another day, and actually, isn’t that what this books is really about, the life that the German soldier saved the day he did not shoot down his enemy, the kill that would have earned him his Knight’s Cross, the day he realized they were all soldiers following orders and they all deserved to live, the day he did not shoot the pilot and crew in the severely damaged plane, but saluted them and let them return to England! He could have been court-martialed. There were several instances of that kind of bravery mentioned in the book which will give the reader pause. The day that Stigler let the American survive to fight another day was never publicized by the pilot or the crew he saved. It was forbidden to speak about it for fear it would damage the morale of the pilots who might think their German counterparts would spare them. In the end, America admitted they had made a mistake in hiding this act of German bravery and the men who made it back to safety were awarded medals, sometimes posthumously, many decades later. In the mid 80’s, a series of reunions took place and as the American pilot began having nightmares of that fateful day during the war, he began to search for the German pilot. He placed ads in the serviceman’s newsletters and since both were searching for each other, and both read the same newsletter, fate brought them together so they could finally meet.
The book made it seem as if the military was a separate part of this fight, separated from the SS and Hitler’s demons. It made the German officers, who commanded the fighter pilots, out to be gentlemen who insisted that their soldiers engage in fair play towards enemy soldiers so that they would be treated as well, if they were shot down or captured. When one officer found more than 130 prisoners of war in Buchenwald, he immediately arranged for their freedom and they do owe their lives to him for they were scheduled for extermination, only a few days later. In fairness, some Germans did what they could in their own heroic way, even as they continued to fight Hitler’s war. Here-to-fore, I would not have believed that such civilized behavior would be possible from a German soldier in Hitler’s military. Hitler’s brutality knew no bounds, and I would have assumed the soldiers would follow in his footsteps. Instead, another view is presented on these pages, and if the reader can find it in his mind and heart to absorb this story and believe it, it might help to revise their overall opinion of the Germans, during that time. The soldiers felt the same camaraderie as ours did. They were nationalistic, and as they were engaged in fighting, they only heard the propaganda put out by the government, as the citizens did. To think other than that which they were force fed, was subversion, treason and it was punishable by death. There was little opportunity to fight back, because they had allowed Hitler to usurp too much power, slowly, using thugs and madmen in his effort to expand the size and scope of Germany’s influence. They loved their homeland even if they did not love Hitler. Let’s hope that no other country makes that mistake again.

“Roses” is the story of three families and their offspring, over several generations. The lives of the Tolivers, the DuMonts and the Warwicks, are intertwined for years. Even with hard times, two World Wars and a depression, they remained devoted and loyal friends. The Tolivers owned one of the largest cotton plantations; the Warwicks were successful in timber, and the DuMonts owned fashionable clothing establishments. The families had come to America (Texas), from Europe, to make their fortunes, and indeed they did.
Miles Toliver, Percy DuMont and Ollie Warwick were like brothers. Miles had a sister Mary, and both of his friends, Ollie and Percy were smitten with her. She was headstrong, independent and beautiful, and she was totally devoted to the land. Can anyone compete with the Toliver Plantation, Somerset, for her affections?
When her father died, Mary inherited the plantation to the chagrin of her brother and the humiliation of her mother. Her father believed that his wife, Darla, would sell the land and he knew that his son, Miles, had no interest in it. To preserve the plantation, he left it to the only one in the family who would work it and keep it for future generations. This action had life-changing consequences for the family, both destructive and instructive.
Mary worked the plantation, in spite of her family’s wishes that she sell it and divide the proceeds. She loved it too much, and she chose it above everything else, as her father did, when he left it to her, bypassing his wife, making her beholden to her child for her support. Mary knew how much her family was hurt by her father’s actions, but she chose to believe they would come to understand why her father did what he did and would forgive her when she made Somerset successful and paid off all of its debts.
Her brother, Miles, warned her about the Toliver curse. Childbearing was not their strength, and in each successive generation, only one child would ever survive to inherit the land. Mary refused to believe that there was a curse, and although Miles begged her to sell the land and do right by their mother, she loved the farm too much, and she could not do that, or rather, she would not. She had a choice and she made it, ignoring their shame and the anger of her family and judgment of the townspeople. She felt an obligation to fulfill her father’s wishes, to save Somerset and pay off its debts. Throughout her life, she would make prideful, compulsive decisions which would return to haunt her.
As the book developed, there were trials and tribulations, many family secrets were exposed and exacerbated by the often immature behavior of a character. Jumping to quick, emotional, conclusions, rather than well thought out, patient evaluation, often led to errors in judgment and unintended outcomes. There was a common theme of selfishness and excessive pride, recurring through the generations, so that impulsive actions were often followed by long lasting disappointment.
The Toliver women’s major shortcoming, was their excessive love of the land, compelling them to put it before meaningful human relationships. At the end of Mary’s life she regretted her youthful choices. In her will, she, like her father, unintentionally caused great pain with her final wishes. Would the curse be lifted? Would the painful choices help family issues to be finally resolved?
In the story, roses have special significance. A red rose was offered when someone needed to ask for forgiveness; if a white rose was returned, it meant their apology was accepted and they were forgiven; if a pink rose came back, forgiveness was being withheld. These flowers and colors have an important place in the story. There were several major female and male characters. They were well-developed and often infuriating in their behavioral choices, but their number often made it hard to keep them straight. I definitely needed a crib sheet with a family tree.
This is a family saga, complete with all the emotions a family experiences. There were ample examples of sadness, joy, romance, anger, love and hate, success and failure, resentment, pride, immaturity, and even brutal vengeance, but hopefully, in the end, there would be justice coupled with the disappointments. The story is about arrogance, secrets, betrayals and unrequited love. It is written well, although it is a little too long and wordy, sometimes complicated and sometimes hard to follow, requiring a bit of a look back to get the story straight.

This memoir concentrates on a piece of Kelly Corrigan’s life in which she seems to come of age. From her own description, she seems to have been a contrarian child, not eager to please her mother, far closer to, and more accepting of, her father. After graduation from college, she lived with her grandmother, saved her money and set off to travel with a friend. Unfortunately, she didn’t plan her trip well enough and soon ran out of money. She needed to work, but the only job that she could get that would pay her under the table was that of a nanny, and this was not how she saw herself.
Working for a widower, his motherless children, stepson and father-in-law, was an eye-opening experience for Kelly. She suddenly realized what a responsibility it was to be a parent, but mainly how hard it was to be a mother and how empty someone’s life could be without one. As she got to know the children and extended family, and began to interact more and more with them, she came to understand the enormity of the task. It was daunting, and she wondered if she was up to it. Suddenly, she began to appreciate all her mother had done for her and to understand why she did certain things that she once disagreed with vehemently.
Growing up, Kelly was closer to her father, and she did not particularly like her mother’s parenting skills. Her mother was a no-nonsense figure who made the rules and set the standards to be followed. Her father was the softie, the Yin to her mother’s Yang. Her mother told Kelly that her father was the glitter and she was the glue, and from that, the title was born. As Kelly began to mature into a responsible adult, she became more and more like her mother and understood the value of having both the glue and the glitter in one’s life.
Through several emotional events, Kelly seemed to work her way toward self-discovery and a greater understanding of her own life and superficial relationships. When she had to deal with life on a more serious note, when she had to operate on a more adult level, she realized how important her actions were because they had consequences which could sometimes be quite serious. She had really been immature and unaware of the intricacies of the workings of a home and a family. She took everything for granted and often made several foolish, thoughtless choices.
With this memoir, she introduced the reader to the true story of her relationship with her mom and she explored her newfound respect for her as she grew, married and had a family of her own. She discovered how much her mother meant to her, even though she was not affectionate, not demonstrative. She laid the foundation of Kelly’s parenting skills. Her mother was not a bubbly, carefree parent, although she was described that way by those with whom she worked. She had facets to her personality that Kelly never realized.
I didn’t find Kelly that likeable as a child or young adult. She seemed to want to push the envelope too much, to be defiant without giving a thought to the reactions her actions would generate. She shoplifted; she lied, often acted without thinking things through, made rash decisions, even while working as a nanny, while she was responsible for the care of minor children. She just seemed so spoiled and immature, at times, and completely self-absorbed. Most of her thoughts dwelled on anything in pants. She was always fantasizing about something sexual, and she drank too much even when it was inappropriate, forgetting that she should be on her toes since she had to care for two small children who depended on her.
I was surprised at her mother’s behavior as well. Although the dangers of smoking were well known as Kelly grew up, her mom smoked like a chimney in small, enclosed spaces, without regard for the danger she was posing to her family. They all seemed so wrapped up in themselves. I didn’t find her description of her mother’s antics to be that authentic for someone her mother’s age, but rather for someone a generation older. Women of her generation didn’t wear hair spray or sleep with satin pillows to protect their coiffure. Perhaps it would have been a more appropriate description of her grandmother.
To me this was a memoir about self discovery. As she matured and rediscovered her mother, she saw her mother in herself. She became more open to the different facets of her mother’s personality, more understanding about how her mother raised her. She seemed to have matured late and learned about true relationships and human emotions through trauma or necessity.
The memoir didn’t feel real for my world. I thought she simply took one major event and used it to jump off into a description about her learning experience about parenting and her relationship with her mom. Any event might do. It didn’t feel unique or creative. I could not identify with her or her experiences with her mom and hardly with how she felt about her children. My experience with my own daughter and her family does not parallel Kelly’s in the slightest. None of the people I know fit so neatly into any category. In the end, she discovers how much she truly cares for and emulates her mother, but I was surprised that she didn’t learn more from her experiences with the Tanner family. Rather than step into the shoes of her mother, she could have combined a bit of her father and her mother, the glitter and the glue, in the raising of her own children.

The book essentially begins in 1941. The Japanese have just bombed Pearl Harbor and a wave of nationalism sweeps the United States. In a place called Charlesport, South Carolina, like in other cities, large and small, families gather round their radios listening to the news. Eligible men and women begin to come to the defense of their country, enlisting in the armed forces.
Close friends and siblings, Juliette and Tucker Dufresne are in High School. She is shy, ashamed of a birthmark on her face. He is older, a high school senior and a football star. Tucker confides in his sister that he wishes to enlist and serve his country. This family is rather proud of his intentions, as others all over the country are proud of their sons and daughters, fathers and brothers, sisters and aunts. They have not yet witnessed the horrors to come and only experience the passion of their patriotism.

Jules and Tuck have a special secret code that they use when they need brotherly/sisterly aid or protection, like simply making up an excuse to their parents for the unexplained absence, of one of them, etc. The sibling in need sends a note saying they are with the fictional Mrs. Fan, as a signal.

When Tuck turns 18, and enlists. Jules writes everyday. Soon his letters home begin to dwindle. Finally, the family receives a letter stating that he is missing in action. They hold out hope that he will be found but are all too aware, by now, of the possibility that he will not return. Although Tuck had written Jules a letter a month before he went missing, it did not arrive until after they were notified. In his letter, he wrote that he was with Mrs. Fan, so she knew he needed help, but she had no idea how to find him, and wasn’t even sure if he was still alive.

When Jules graduated from nursing school in 1944, she was not yet 18, but because of the letter from her brother, she decided to alter her birth certificate and enlist. She wanted to try and find him; she hoped he was still alive. She went through the training and was shipped out to Europe. She requested the front so she could search for Tuck or at least find someone who knew what had happened to him. Young and immature, unprepared for what faced her, she was buoyed by her idealism.
This is a wonderful story about a brother and sister’s devotion, about family loyalty, about nationalism and also about the tribulations of war which makes all the glory pale in the face of its unexpected tragic consequences. War does not bring out the best in anyone. The author has captured, equally well, both the allure and the devastation of war. She has entered the minds of the injured soldier, the frightened in the foxholes who never envisioned what it meant to be shot at, to step on a mine, or to shoot the enemy. She shines a bright light on the bravery of the medical staff, selfless in their efforts to save their own. She has drawn a clear picture of the cruelty shown to soldiers who were “different”, in a time when homophobia was not a dirty word. She has really drawn a reasoned picture of the cruelty and futility of war coupled with its tragic, useless cost of life and limb.

I listened to this audio book using a new library app, called Hoopla. Unfortunately, there was no way to adjust the speed of the reader and that was often very distracting. It was the equivalent of watching water boil, and it took quite some time to get used to her pace.

Wow, once I started, I could not put it down. This book is excellent. I experienced Susannah’s confusion, fear, and incident by incident descent into the hell that followed the onset of her strange illness. A perfectly normal young woman, she is suddenly exhibiting some not so perfect behavior.
The idea that medicine is in its infancy, and that we are sometimes at the mercy of its incompetence, hits home. Susannah’s odd assortment of symptoms eluded all of the professionals she visited. They could not offer an accurate diagnosis. Doctors, family and friends were at a loss to explain the changes in her physical and emotional health, in her work habits and in her behavior, yet she needed their support. Luckily, she is here to tell the tale.
This book will surely raise many questions about the state of our health care system.

It is very frustrating to read about the incompetence, disorganization, and unnecessary death and suffering that was scapegoated upon the shoulders of those who gave the most and did the best they could under circumstances that were beyond their control when Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans, with a ferocity beyond anyone’s wildest expectations. Who are we to judge those who actually sacrificed themselves, during Katrina, because the rescue effort didn’t work out quite as well as we hoped or some didn’t survive that we thought should or would have. We were not in the shoes of these caregivers and rescuers. We can’t know what they were thinking or why they did whatever they did. We can’t know the pressure, the fear, the lack of ordinary necessities, the concerns for the suffering, the sounds of the gunshots that led the medical staff to make the decisions they made. What we can know is that many decisions leading to the loss of life were also made on the basis of cowardice, greed, and concerns about money, rather than on the efficacy of the plan in place.
At every turn, once the crisis was over, someone sought to blame someone else, whether it was the President, the Governor, the Mayor, the corporations, the nurses, the doctors, in essence, anything but themselves, anything but the looters, anything but those who turned a blind eye and sat in their ivory towers of safety, judging those who put their lives on the line for others, anything but those who chose, over the years, not to fix what was broken, not to insure the safety of the levies and the citizens, anything not to blame nature which was ultimately the sole cause of the tragedy. The situation in New Orleans was an accident waiting to happen, and it did.
During the storm, everything broke down. There was a complete lack of credible communication in an atmosphere of total disorganization. Rumors were the order of the day. They heard there was martial law, they heard there were snipers, they heard there was looting, they heard there would be no more rescues; they were told lies and contradictory information over and over. They lost hope. Equipment failed, the water supply dwindled and disappeared, the hygiene facilities were hopelessly lacking to serve the needs of all those in need and soon broke down, overflowed and stopped performing. Generators failed, power failed, there was no air conditioning, elevators stopped, life support machinery stopped working. Someone had to do perform the job of the machines for the many patients in need and this was exhausting work. The Memorial hospital staff was soon worn out, stretched to their limits. The Super Dome, where evacuees were sent, soon became overcrowded and dangerous. Fights broke out, looting was commonplace (and shame on those looters, on the lowlifes who took advantage of this tragedy to prey on the weak). The marauders inhibited the rescues. Some rescuers were coldhearted, randomly choosing those to be saved. It seems barbaric, in retrospect, but they were all overworked, fearful and unsure of how to exactly proceed. Efficient plans were not in place, and where they were, they were not always enforced.
Monday morning quarterbacks may decide what should or shouldn’t have been done, but they should have been there, if they wanted to pass judgment, so they could understand the decisions that were made. The witch hunt that followed the storm destroyed lives. In future emergencies, doctors and nurses, medical aides and law enforcement officers may think twice before they volunteer their services. Those that sat in judgment, those that pointed fingers were safe behind their walls and windows while the medical personnel who risked their lives to save strangers with the limited supplies that were available, were held up for extra scrutiny. Medical staff and patients alike, feared being abandoned by the system, and when fear makes the decision, it is not always the best, but it is often the most expedient.
Because communication had broken down, the staff had little accurate information and they could not reach their own families; they were terribly concerned for their own welfare, as well. Medications and necessary supplies were not delivered. When they reached out for help, they were often offered it only to find it was rescinded. Was their final solution euthanasia or compassionate medicine? Were they offering extreme comfort in extreme circumstances, or were they offering an end to the suffering, even going so far as speeding up death when a patient had no quality of life and was being tormented? If they were ordered to leave, could they simply abandon their patients or should they put them out of their misery when they were told there was no hope for their rescue. Was someone lying to them? Were they deluding themselves because of their exhaustion? The situation was alternately described as a war zone and as Dante’s Inferno, so who could blame those who eventually succumbed to the pressure.
In actuality, what the prosecutors wanted was to punish the medical staff for shortening the term of the palliative care already being administered to most of the patients who died. Palliative care does not improve the condition of the patient; it merely makes the patient comfortable. It does not extend life, it merely maintains it. We have come a long way in just a few short years since Katrina since what is the main platform of Obamacare, in order to curb costs, under the guise of making it easier for families to care for those “terminally” ill, as all old people are? It is long term palliative care, long term euthanasia. Expedience rules in extreme circumstances.
Pulitzer prize-winning author, Sheri Fink researched the history of the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain, as a prelude to the description of the tragedy of Katrina in New Orleans. Politics and the economy played a part in the ultimate tragedy. She revealed the lack of maintenance for the levies and the inadequate preparation for such a major weather event, although they had been warned over and over again of what might happen in the event of a catastrophic failure. Everyone was complicit in this massive, tragic failure, because everyone knew for years and years that the levies were weak, that they were not built to stand a catastrophic hurricane, and yet, money was never allocated, or if it was, it was never used for the repair and rebuilding of the inadequate structures, but rather diverted to other uses deemed more important or economically advisable
It turned out that the penny wise and dollar foolish attitude of the governing bodies making the decisions not to spend the money on shoring up the dams and levies, was a monumental error. Looters and darkness inhibited rescue attempts and sometimes canceled them. Those in greatest need were abandoned as triage took on a new meaning. Only the ambulatory and well would be evacuated first at Memorial. This was contradictory to all previous methods for usually the most ill and the most in need were treated first. Those with DNR’s were sacrificed even if they were not facing imminent death. There was only so much oxygen, so much medicine, so many nurses. In some cases family stayed and helped, but in the end, with martial law declared, they were forced to evacuate and leave loved ones,under armed guard. Care had to be rationed. Doctors and hospice nurses do kill people to ease their suffering and/or to ease their own. They did what was expedient. Is this what the staff did during Katrina? Is it excusable under the circumstances? Were all the victims at the end of their lives? Who has the right to decide the moment of death? The triage situation was brutal. The patients were numbered, color coded as to who was to be rescued first, who last, who not at all. Some helicopter pilots refused to take bedbound patients, some couldn’t fly at night. There were hundreds of people at the hospital. When they were rescued, they were often taken to places far afield, with no one knowing their whereabouts. It was Hell on Earth for those caught in this maelstrom.
In the end, it was also about money. Whose responsibility was it to remove the decaying bodies, who would pay the victim’s families, who would repair the homes, who would provide the resources to rebuild New Orleans, who would have the foresight to make sure that whatever repairs were made were not substandard but were superior so that this could never happen again. The names of the doctors brought up on charges are known, the names of the victims of possible euthanasia are surmised. The names of the lawyers and DA’s and Attorney Generals looking to foster their careers are all in the public record. Their names are unimportant. What is important is not pointing fingers at someone else, or seeking rewards from the devastation nature wrought. What is important is preventing nature and government and corporations and people themselves from allowing this to happen again, by avoiding the very responsibility that responsible citizens should have in maintaining their own safety and surroundings, by instead, taking on the mantle of accountability and not avoiding a personal duty to do the right thing, or vote for the people who will. George Herbert English said living well is the best revenge, that should be everyone’s motto, but not at the expense of someone else.
At the end of the book the author covered the reactions to the natural disaster in Haiti with their devastating earthquake which left thousands homeless and dead, and the devastating effects of hurricane Sandy on parts of New Jersey. The reader will decide if the response to those events shows that anything was learned from Katrina.
Written like a thriller, it is a riveting depiction of the storm and its aftermath. It is almost impossible to be prepared for all events, but, in this case, it would seem little effort was made, in advance. Even when the evacuation order was given, it was too late, it was not enforceable and it was inadequate. The people in charge were covering their derrieres and not doing what had to be done to guarantee safety.
Sheri Fink slowly develops the characters that were involved in this horrendous incident. She presents information both for and against their behavior in an unbiased, clearheaded manner. She exposes the shortcomings of the information system during the crisis. It was not dispensed in a timely fashion nor was it often correct. The doctors, nurses and patients were largely abandoned by all the services, the state, and by nature. The supplies needed were just unavailable, were in different locations or were simply in too short supply. The best laid plans of mice and men went asunder!

This is the story of a Pak Jun Do, who insists he is not an orphan, but was raised like one in an orphanage called Long Tomorrows. It was run by his father. After his mother’s disappearance, his father was very cruel to him, and he grew up believing that his father could only show his love for his mother by treating him with brutality. Perhaps the author wants to make the point that North Koreans have no separate identity other than the collective, for he gives Pak Jun Do a name without meaning. It is a name chosen for orphans from the names of government appointed martyrs; so essentially, they do not have an identity of their own. They know nothing of their own backgrounds.

Jun Do’s life passes through many incarnations from child to adult and the author takes us on the path that finally brings him to a position in the government. His life is one of duplicity. Like his name that has no meaning, his individual life is meaningless. Orphans are looked down upon by the rest of the North Korean Society and are given the lowliest of jobs, the most heinous of tasks to perform. From one moment to the next, none of the citizens can be sure that day will follow night, or that their lives will not be plucked from them. They are part of the collective being and it moves as one.

We learn that the author believes that North Koreans use convoluted reasoning to explain away their problems. The biggest example of this bizarre method of thinking is the belief in the idea that North Korea is “the most democratic nation in the world”, although they really have no way of knowing the meaning of a true democracy; another is the idea conveyed to the reader, that an example of freedom is actually not the ability to think for oneself but the elimination of the need to make one’s own decisions. Freedom for Jun Do and his fellow citizens is a life of being ordered around, told what to do, what to eat, where to work, how to live, when to sleep, how to love and how to die. They are told that there is health care for all, but there is no health care at all. They believe in the power of the “dear leader” whose only object in life is to give them all that they need. They don’t realize he takes as easily as he gives and what he gives is hardly worth the taking.

Jun Do accepts his father's rejection and ill treatment stoically and with the same twisted logic the North Koreans seem to be taught to use to explain away everything. For instance, when a parent retires, they are sent to a village where they are so happy they never write; they don’t ever again get in touch with their relatives. (It sounds kind of like our idea when a camper does not write home, but these campers are never seen or heard from again.) The citizens accept this reasoning, although they have never seen the island where they are sent to retire and live this happy life, and they have no proof of its existence. They are taught strict obedience on pain of punishment and banishment. What the loudspeakers announce is all they know and all they believe and trust. The Supreme Leader tells them this and the Supreme Leader is responsible for their well being in all his beneficence. He is always right.

When Jun Do is given to the military by his father, he moves quickly from orphan to soldier, to government worker, to kidnapper, to radio listener and transcriber on a fishing vessel, to prisoner, hero and enemy, and finally to a commander in Kim Jong Il’s government. How he gets to these places is the subject of this book and the journey is tortuous. Who is Jun Do? If the book contains any truth, he is a product of a totalitarian government ruled by a madman, a product of continual suffering, under the continuous control of a barbaric ruler. He is part of a country in which he has no individual identity he can claim as his own.

Concurrently, another story runs through the book. It is the winning story in a contest, supposedly created by a citizen who will be well rewarded for the effort. It is broadcast over the loudspeakers which disseminate propaganda all day long. It is told in short segments so the citizens eagerly look forward to the next edition of the story. It parallels the story of Jun Do from another vantage point, from the vantage point of the government of North Korea, of Kim Jong Il. It fills in the empty spaces and connects the dots for the reader. It is confusing, at times, but without it, the true impact of the story’s message would not be felt.

Life in North Korea, as described by Adam Johnson, who has only visited there briefly, is one of powerlessness, starvation, brutality and treachery. There is no rule of law except for that declared by the Supreme Leader, and that can change as the wind blows with whatever whim he may dream up next. The book is so well written, it is hard to leave it. If it only partly reveals true life in North Korea, it is still quite an expose. It may not be a non-fiction account of life in North Korea, but from what little we know of it, it pretty accurately represents the despotic regime and the tyrannical approach of the leader.

If there is even the slightest semblance of reality in the descriptions of the prisons there, they are horrific places. It is a country where torture is acceptable, propaganda is a given and truth has no bearing on reality. If the treatment of the citizens described in this book, has even a minimal amount of truth, it is a bleak window onto their horror screen of life. In North Korea, truth is simply what they are told is truth and it has no bearing or influence on the real world. A hero is a hero because they say he is. His story doesn't have to make sense. The hero depends on the man, not the tale, If the powers that be say he is a hero, the story is true and he becomes a hero. He can just as easily fall into ignominy as quickly. This is a story not only about the rise and fall of a citizen, it is about the suffering and deprivation of a whole society of people.

I found this to be a very sad story about a family falling apart because it was never bound too tightly, from the beginning. It seemed to be governed by anger and a lack of remorse for the perceived hurt they caused each other. They were cruel to each other, abusive emotionally and verbally, and on a rare occasion, physically. The book is very short, but it makes its point. The family seeks forgiveness from each other too late. Once the person dies, there is no way to find redemption. Sometimes, victory can be snatched from the jaws of defeat and a new life can be enjoyed. Sometimes, the time for opportunity passes. When is the right time to exit from a situation that is too painful to continue to live with? Is there a right time? Who decides which one is the victim and which the victimizer? Is the victim ever partially responsible for their failures because of their own behavior? Who deserves punishment? The book was depressing because, even in the end, there was little to inspire hope for a better outcome in the future.

The Middlesteins are an unhappy family filled with dysfunctional members. Each of them takes a long time to discover their own purpose in life; each searches for happiness and finds it elusive. Each seems bent on finding unhappiness instead, always getting angry about something. Did any of them ever really love each other, truly care for each other? The only one who seemed to really care about any of the family, even those she disliked, was the daughter in law, Rachelle, though her concern was colored with resentment, and she was very self righteous and self absorbed. The grandchildren seemed alternately selfish and compassionate, bright and foolish. The author examined many different types of relationships. She got into the heads of the characters, in terms of their basic, selfish needs, but they were never truly developed as full human beings with hearts.

At the age of 60, Richard Middlestein, leaves his overweight, very sick, 300 pound wife, Edie, after 40 years of her abusive tongue and their mutually abusive lifestyle. She won’t do anything to improve her own health, gaining pound after pound, eating constantly with abandon, although the doctors have warned her that she is killing herself. The children are angry that their father has left their sick mother, regardless of his reasons. Rachelle does not want him in her children’s lives because of his selfishness and son Benny meekly acquiesces to his stronger spouse. Daughter Robin is like her mother, sharp tongued. She uses it to berate her father and argues often with the cast of characters. She is discontented. She, too, looks for faults in everything and everyone, and if it wasn’t for her boyfriend Daniel, she would never learn to find any happiness. Benny, Rachelle’s husband is Richard and Edie’s only son. He wants to disappear and not face the situation of his parent’s misery. He just wants to be one of the “good old guys” when it comes to his father and he knows confronting his mother about her lifestyle is futile. Rachelle spends her time planning their social lives, their B’nai Mitzvah for their children, Emily and Josh, shopping and attending to her cosmetic needs. Edie, about three hundred pounds near the end of her life, eats all day, but she a devoted parent and daughter. She is educated, was employed, and was quite respected for her ability, but she is eventually fired because her size makes others uncomfortable, something she neither fights nor tries to change by dieting.

These are unhappy, failed people if judged by accomplishments in life and interactions with others. They and their friends, all of the characters, major and minor, seem shallow and self centered, catty and judgmental, often with misplaced loyalties.

At first I thought the book was a parody on Jewish families, on Jewish life and Jewish guilt, but then I realized it was broader, in concept. It was about all relationships, how some go sour, some thrive, some never should be, it was about lots of narcissistic, self-serving, characters who never seemed to grow out of their childhoods, whose tongues often wagged with negative comments and who never developed beyond the stage of their id, or of immediate gratification.

The reader of this Hachette audio was quite good with the exception of her mispronunciation of a Yiddish expression.

This book was read beautifully by Peter Francis James. If I could have, I would have given it ten stars. It should be required reading in schools across the country. I grew up, went to school, got degrees, but I was never taught about the injustice in the black community in such a detailed, well researched, honest and compassionate approach. It is inspiring and highly informative.
The background of Thurgood Marshall’s life is compelling. In his early days, his fights to end racial tensions and racial bias consumed him and were fraught with danger. A lawyer, he fought for the rights of the black man and woman with a straightforward no-nonsense dedication and fervor. He was married, but he and his wife remained childless. He worked too hard, played too much and often drank too much. He was not always true to his wife, but he always loved her, and they remained together until she died.
Thurgood Marshall spent his life fighting for the civil rights of blacks in all avenues of life. He fought for better educational opportunity and won the case in Brown v. Board of Education, granting the right to an equal education, in all schools, for all students, not separate but equal schools. He worked hard for the cause of desegregation and to right the wrongs of the justice system, but the ultimate goal of integration was a long and hard struggle. He fought to overturn the Jim Crow laws that divided the races. His life was often threatened as he fought the attempts of the KKK to defeat all of his efforts. He became the first black United States Supreme Court Justice.
Although the book provides the background of Justice Marshall and his decades long fight for equality, it dwells largely on the Groveland Boys Case which was a travesty of justice. It took decades to overturn the verdicts due to corruption and deception. Four black men were framed and beaten to coerce confessions, some were murdered in cold blood by law enforcement for the rape of a white woman, “a flower of the south”, a crime they did not commit, and for which they were falsely accused. They were mistreated by a crooked, twisted law enforcement body and a blind court controlled by racists, judges, sheriffs, the KKK, and politicians, all of whom were complicit in allowing this corrupt behavior to dominate their justice system. The true story of the supposed rape and the night of the alleged crime is revealed slowly. The research leaves no stone unturned. As years go by, as people are murdered and terrorized to prevent them from telling the truth, whites and blacks, the tension builds as if it were a novel. It is a story one would wish had been made up from whole cloth; it is such a mockery of justice and an example of outright evil.
The case is about two young black men who made the mistake of stopping to help a young white couple, stranded in a disabled vehicle, on a dark and lonely road which they just happened to pass by. It was to prove to be a terrible accident of fate. From that act of kindness a nightmare developed that extended for decades, ending in bloodshed and death. The true criminals and perjurers paraded around protected by the tactics of those who wore hoods. According to the book, even as late as 2005, there were possible repercussions from the Groveland Case, which occurred in Lake County, Florida. I live in Florida and I am ashamed, even though I was not a resident at the time this “so-called crime” took place. The complacency of everyone towards the plight of the falsely accused men, including the Governor, the courts and the media, was shameful, and the idea that it might still exist is appalling and inexcusable. Without the efforts of the NAACP and the Legal Defense Fund, and finally the media and a few good men, justice, however mediocre, might never have been served.
After reading this book, it is easy to understand why people of color do not trust law enforcement and react with such vehemence when they suspect foul play against their race. They have no historic context to believe anything else. It was so easy for them to be framed, murdered and disposed of as collateral damage to the cause of white supremacy. They had no recourse, no way to fight back, and it took decades to achieve anything to improve their situation. The wheels of justice moved in slow motion and often not at all. My view of the Civil Rights struggle was distorted by a lack of education and a lack of information. This book was an eye-opening, unpleasant and painful history lesson. My ignorance of the real experiences, horrors and helplessness of the blacks everywhere, apart and aside from the common knowledge of the tragedy of slavery, was woefully obvious and speaks to a need for a broader education on black history for elementary school children, with full disclosure.
The Southerners were adamant about separating the races. They didn’t see themselves as hypocrites, but rather as self-righteous keepers of the peace, their warped sense of ethics and their agrarian economy. Because of the atmosphere of fear in the South, even blacks shied away from supporting black causes and did not testify to save their brethren, but rather accepted money and bribes to lie. Their very lives, livelihoods, families and children were often threatened if they didn’t comply, and that went also for white people who went against the fray. Their homes were destroyed, businesses ruined, and their bodies were beaten and left for dead, if not actually dead! The book illustrates the decades of Thurgood Marshall’s dedication to the advancement of the cause of civil rights, so often at great risk to his own life.
This book reads like a thriller; it is a book which one would wish was fiction, rather than fact, so horrific are the details revealed, so monumental are the miscarriages of justice. It is no wonder that blacks carry around the baggage of fear and mistrust. They sure have good reason because the white population has set the precedent for them. The system was unequal and unfair. Black men were murdered for crimes they didn’t commit and white men, when caught and tried for crimes against blacks, were dismissed with a slap on their wrists from all white juries that perpetuated the prejudice, corruption and brutality. While black men were murdered for the “supposed” rape of a white woman, white men were excused for the rape of a black woman. The crimes were not considered equal in the eyes of the interpreters of the law.
I was sixteen when I was chased by a group of white youngsters because I was with a young black man. It was in Saratoga Springs, NY. In retrospect, I shouldn’t be so surprised by what I read, yet I was, because I thought what happened to me was an anomaly, not the norm.. Thinking about it now, we were really lucky that the four of us escaped bodily harm. I remember it well though. My black friends told us to separate from them because they wanted to protect us, and I, young and foolish, thought it was exciting and romantic. I never realized that this type of thing was a heinous threat that hung over them everyday. I was completely naïve.
Marshall’s name goes down in history right next to some of the most memorable legal cases fought before the Supreme Court. He worked tirelessly to achieve a legal system and educational system that was fair to all, regardless of color, and ultimately was successful, but there is still a tough road to hoe.

This is really an odd, but creative, little story. I would be lying if I said I understood all of it. This is the story of Henry Shackleford and how he came to be acquainted with John Brown, the abolitionist. It is narrated by Henry, who spent several years dressed as a female, with a different identity (Little Onion, AKA Henrietta, AKA Henry), in order to survive after his father died. Not quite a teenager, he saw him killed, in his own shop, before his very eyes. John Brown, present at the scene of the crime (portrayed as a bit addle-brained), thought he heard Henry’s father call him Henrietta before he died. He decided to rescue the “young miss”, convinced that he was liberating “her”, rather than kidnapping “her”; so he set off with “Henrietta” in tow. Henry willingly played the part of a girl in order to be cared for, since he was now an orphan. When Henry accidentally ate Brown’s good luck onion, by mistake, he christened him Little Onion, and the name stuck. Henry was now the good luck charm along with a bird feather (from a woodpecker, the good lord bird) and other assorted oddities.
I felt as if the story went on and on, repeating the same kinds of events in different places, even over using some phrases. They recurred, exactly, in different parts of the narrative. It was only the undercurrent of humor that kept me reading because it was just too long.
John Brown was dedicated to freeing the Negro, even against his will. Hea did it awkwardly and unsuccessfully, with many a hare-brained scheme, eventually bringing a great deal of death and destruction upon his friends and family. I wondered, was he mad? Did he hear voices? He thought he was the messenger of G-d, and therefore, was invincible.
Even as he was fighting slavery, his army, which was little more than an unprepared group of supporters, ill-trained and uneducated, was mocked by the author.
Famous names were tossed about like Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglas. The most amusing name of a character was Judge Fuggit. That name, surely a pun, had to be a difficult one to carry. The group of “merry men” was very small and ineffective on their own. They needed the support of the black community, but it was not forthcoming. He was trying hard to free them but they were trying hard to remain safe! He was fighting the war on his own, by and large. Brown’s ragtag army and his slapdash plans were doomed to failure and, indeed, they failed monumentally at Harper’s Ferry.
Brown often quoted random bible phrases. He forgave Onion and others, for whatever they did, interpreting everything as a sign for something else that would bring good-fortune, defying the reality all around him. To call him Pollyanna might be an understatement!
Although the book made John Brown out to be somewhat of a fool, who believed in violence, who had no real plan but flew by the seat of his pants, the fact that he was an abolitionist should have afforded him some honor. He had the right idea, but the wrong approach. Too many of the characters seemed like cartoon drawings of real people, with exaggerated faults, lending to my feeling that this was simply a parody of historic events. The audio book was read well. The speech patterns and accents of the individual characters seemed authentic and aroused the appropriate emotions.

This is a very powerful story about the quest of Holocaust survivor, Ben Solomon, to expose a Nazi Collaborator. When Ben was a 12-year-old in Poland, a local priest recommended that his down and out parishioner, Stanislaw Piatek, who had been abandoned by his wife, bring his son to the home of the Jews, Abraham and Leah Solomon. He said they were good people and would help him. Sure enough, they took the child, Otto Piatek, into their hearts and home, and they treated him as an equal and as a son. He was almost the same age as Ben and they became like siblings. This took place in 1933, and as more than a half-dozen years passed, Otto, embraced the Solomons. He supported them in their struggles when the National Socialists first came to power, even refusing to join the party or his parents, when they reunited and returned for him for the first time, now financially stable, some two years later; he continued to do so as time went by, although his mother pleaded with him tearfully again and again. He was not Jewish and she was able to help him get a good position within the party hierarchy. She could save him. For him, however, the Solomons were now his guardians and mentors. He rejected his parents completely.
Stanislaw and Ilse Piatek’s fortunes continued to improve within the Nazi party, and although Otto always declared his devotion to Leah and Abe and refused to leave them, eventually there came a day when his parents came to claim him and he acquiesced, convinced to do so by the Solomons who were concerned for his safety. He was able to remain in Zamo??, near their home, and he would be in a better position to help them, if need be, if he were not living with them. The Piatecs warned the Solomons to leave Zamo??; the situation was deteriorating for them, and they were in great peril. There was no place for them in Poland or anyplace else in the world of Hitler, but Abe Solomon was an important figure in town, and he wanted to be there to aid the rest of the citizens. The Solomons were motivated by altruism, unlike the Nazis who were motivated by hatred, their own inadequacy and madness. The Piateks were smug and completely arrogant. They supported Hitler and his policies completely. They were totally unappreciative of all the Solomons had done for their son. Rising stars within Hitler’s Germany, they were very impressed with their own power and position. Formerly powerless, unworthy nobodies were suddenly able to call the shots and they were corrupted by their egos and blinded by their incessant greed, as well as their own fears. As Hitler grew more and more successful, they knew full well the depths of his depravity, and although they were complicit in his efforts, they too could be faced with his wrath if they slipped up. Absolute obedience was demanded and received.
Actually, in the end, it was the Solomons who convinced Otto to move out, not only for his own safety, but also because he would be better positioned to help them if they should need help. In his safer position, he hid money and jewelry for several Jewish families, promising to return it to them when the war ended. However, as Otto rose through the ranks of the National Socialist Party, gaining favor and benefits, he began to change, and his loyalty to the Solomons diminished as his alliances with the Nazis grew. He became more concerned with preserving his own position than with the welfare and safety of the Solomons and their fellow Jews. He became a true Nazi and was utterly transformed from a caring young man into a monster responsible for great injustice and evil.
When the war finally ended, years later, Ben and Otto were no longer in touch. Ben had lost most of his family and was living in America where he had a relative who helped him to get a job. He began a new life. Decades later, when in his eighties, he saw a television program about a very wealthy, elderly philanthropist. Ben believed the man, Elliot Rosenzweig, was really Otto Piatek, the boy he grew up with, the man who had become a Nazi war criminal; he believed he was a man whose fortune came from that which he stole from the Jews and a man who was responsible for the torture and murder of countless others, including his father. This man, however, insists he is also a tattooed survivor who came to America penniless, a man who had accomplished the American dream. He amassed a vast fortune and gave huge amounts of money to worthy causes. Ben’s somewhat violent confrontation with this man is the beginning of a massive undertaking by his lawyer, Catherine, her friend Liam, and his friends to discover the true background of Rosenzweig and vindicate Ben’s seemingly irrational behavior. Ben is a spiritual man who sometimes talks with and receives inspiration and advice from his deceased wife Hannah. This causes raised eyebrows and questions about his emotional stability and state of mind. Has he made a false accusation and attacked an innocent man in this muddled condition?
The turn of events, the meticulous investigation and the exposure of the truth is so compelling that I could not put the book down. The culture of the Germans and the Poles is exposed as the history of Hitler’s slow and methodical power grab is explored. The characters were so well-developed that I felt I knew them and was drawn to tears in the end, so closely did I identify with Ben Solomon and his plight. The love stories buried within the tale were captivating. However, the corruption that seemed to exist within the legal system and the court system was disheartening. The level to which most people will descend was for lack of a better word, disappointing; perhaps horrifying would be more appropriate. Each character seemed to be driven by prejudice, self-interest and greed, and even when exposed, driven by the need to save themselves and not necessarily to do the right thing.
On another note, I found that the lawyer Catherine and her friend, Liam, were completely naïve as to the health and capabilities of a man in his 80’s. They dismissed his weakness to exhaustion and stress, not dealing with the reality of his age, as well. Also, they both seemed a bit too ignorant about the circumstances of World War II and the tragedy of the Holocaust. However, they seemed to be driven by compassion, above all else, to help Ben and continued to help him even when outclassed by the money and the power of his adversary. Although this story is fiction, it could easily have really happened which is a sad commentary on the world, even today. The book was excellent and the conclusion was very satisfying, but the story, overall, was not very uplifting, rather it was poignant.

How To Get Filthy Rich In Rising Asia, Mohsin Hamid
This book is written so well, but the audio reader doesn’t do it justice. Often, when the author reads his own book, I find that he doesn’t add the emotional texture that a professional reader usually does, which makes an audiobook a “theater of the mind” for me. Hamid’s voice droned on in a monotone, perhaps because he read it as the instructional book it was supposedly intended to be, rather than as the underlying love story between the two main characters, two individuals trying to rise to the top of the world in their own distinctive way. If the book had been longer, I might have given it up altogether. It was the beauty of the narrative which flowed smoothly and eloquently, that held my attention and kept me listening, and also, it was the intriguing dual narrative of a handbook and a life story.
The book is meant to advise its reader on how to make his fortune in Asia. It is the story of a poor young man and a “pretty young girl” with whom he has an on and off friendship/affair throughout his life. Both characters are well developed and the psychology of their behavior is subtly and richly explored. The characters have no names, and where they live is unidentifiable. They exist in their moment of time, each pursuing their dream, as the world moves on around them, and often, even without them, somewhere in Asia. The culture described in Asia is different than mine, and what is considered acceptable there, even though it is sometimes dishonorable behavior, would be completely unacceptable where I live.
The book begins with the view of a very sick young child, a young boy who dreams of being “filthy rich”. Born into poverty, he attains success and prospers over the years by being rather unscrupulous in his single-minded approach to getting rich. He does anything and everything necessary to achieve his purpose. Although he is not ethical in business (a fact the author makes known is a quality necessary for success), he is compassionate toward his family and supports the surviving members with his fortune, so he is not without virtuous qualities.
This is the story of his rise to the pinnacle of his career and then his ultimate fall from grace, betrayed by those he knows, those he has helped, and those who are jealous of him and want to climb to success on the back of his failure when he is at his most vulnerable and more in need of kindness than sabotage, but this is a practice considered normal in his world. This behavior is the nature of the beast in search of wealth and power. Everyone seems to wait for the opportunity to take from those above them, and it seems to be a conventional practice, not even condemned by those who are robbed, for after all, they view the thieves as those in need, they view the crime as one they themselves would commit in similar circumstances. It is an odd juxtaposition of immorality and morality, compassion and cruelty. It seems like the personification of schadenfreude, at its worst. The victim accepts his victimization by those who destroy him, as if it is their right, and they don’t look back! They enjoy the fruits of their contemptible behavior without shame or remorse. They consider it their reward for their years of loyal service to the person they defraud.
When this boy who has now become an old man, finds that his past behavior has caught up with him, he doesn’t seem to mind. Age and illness have mellowed him, as it has also mellowed “the pretty girl” he treasured his whole life, the “girl who rose to stardom and fame, but who still came in and out of his life over the years, cultivating a hunger within him that he could not dispossess. In the final part of the book, their love story comes to fruition in a close and warm friendship. They share an apartment and offer comfort to each other in their waning days. She precedes him in death and the conclusion is somewhat mystical and spiritual, as he finds true happiness with her in his imagination.
Is the effort to be rich above all else truly worth it, if, in fact, when you lose it all, it is really of little consequence? If you have become fragile and old and your needs have changed, are your riches any longer of much use, or is the friendship of someone you care about and who cares about you of greater importance? Should that not always be more essential to one’s life?

With current day news media outlets covering the positive and negative effects of social media, of sending private information and photographs out into cyberspace for all to see, where it becomes public, regardless of whether or not there are other innocent souls attached to the posts, without their knowledge or permission, where it remains in orbit indefinitely or forever, this book is very relevant. Perhaps the definition of privacy will have to change to accommodate all of the people who are now voyeurs, looking into other people’s lives, as it has surely been changed in this book. While the book is not as well written as I would have hoped, and it jumps from event to event without smooth segues, it is relevant because of the world we live in today and is a great selection for book discussions.
From the beginning, for me, the book presented a nightmare scenario of a future fast approaching. The book feels like a primer for creating a society in which all humans are completely connected in business, pleasure, private and public life. Secrets are non-existent. Sharing is everything. It is the key to a more perfect world, a world free of crime, abuse, disease, evil thoughts and improper and foolish behavior patterns which might lead to unhealthy lifestyles. All thoughts and actions, the whole of one’s life and history, no matter what it exposed, would be broadcast via cameras and audio feeds out to all connected to the program via bracelets that collect and dispense vital information. All this would be overseen by the largest company of its kind, “The Circle”, a company that collects and stores information.
The goal of having the whole country and then the world, connected by camera and audio feeds, so that everyone is exposed to everyone else, so that all information generated would be shared and stored forever, inerasable, supposedly would create a more perfect society with less disease, fewer lies, no secrets, almost non-existent crime, no duplicity, no need for strong government control, perhaps, actually, with no need for a government, since The Circle, that massive corporation, would control it all: voting registration, eating habits, sleep patterns, bodily functions, study habits, work habits, and every other phase of life. It would track all movements and correct those that were inconsistent with proper behavior and optimum health, with direct messages, sent via the bracelet, acting as a gentle reminder to prompt one to act and immediately correct their behavior. There would be millions, maybe billions of watchers at any given time that might hone in on you, and see you, so your behavior in all phases of your life would be under observance as if “Jiminy Cricket” was alight on your shoulder, keeping you in line. Yet, Jiminy Cricket seems like a rather benign figure, and I am not sure the main character, Mae, and her ilk are as non-threatening.
The ultimate company goal is being sold as unselfish, a goal that would be wonderful for humanity, the sharing of all information would educate all about things they might not otherwise experience, would expose evil, eliminate fear, would catch perpetrators more easily since eyes everywhere would be mobilized to track them, would improve life in general, everywhere.
In the end, the reader might wonder, though, was a utopia created or was its opposite, a dystopia, born from the ashes of “The Circle’s effort? Is it Nirvana or a living Hell that they wind up with? Ultimately, can you have freedom when choice is taken away from you and someone else makes all your decisions? It sure sounds like life would be easier, but would it be more enriched, stress-free, or would it be more intense with the responsibility of answering to nameless faces everywhere for your selections in life, for your ancestry, for your weight, for your education, for any choice you might make?
Mae, the main character was delighted to have landed a job working for this quintessential tech company, at a Disneyworld type campus in San Francisco. Every amenity an employee could wish for was available to her. Although she didn’t think she would get the job, they thought she was a perfect fit, and she rockets to the top of the food chain as a malleable blank page. She buys all their propaganda and is someone they can mold to fit their design and ultimate purpose. Mae is a bit off center. When someone crosses her, she is disloyal, doesn’t realize that she might be wrong, doesn’t accept blame or responsibility, but rather blames those around her for her disappointments with concocted excuses that might defy our common sense, but not hers. She doesn’t really see anyone else’s goals but hers as worthy, and as she outperforms others and comes up with strategic company ideas, she rises up the ladder. As her popularity grows, she becomes more and more drunk with her own power.
The sophisticated surveillance systems, already in place, make it very difficult for any company to compete with “The Circle”, and they are moving quickly to establish their vision, embracing everyone into their program and creating what they perceive to be a better world. The ramifications of “The Circle’s” program fail to concern Mae and most of the enrollees. Mae is too overcome with her sudden fame and success to care about anything else. The insecurities and emotional issues she harbors are carrying her forward and upward.
This program, if real, wouldn’t be the first time a flawed person would rise to the top and bring a world down to its knees. Mae has all the makings of that kind of a leader. As she pretends to be reaching out to others for their benefit, she is really only interested in increasing her own image, influence and control. For all intents and purposes, her world has become a “high tech zoo” with the humans gawking at each other instead of at the animals! They are all living vicariously.
In the end, though, it was hard to imagine a scenario where a 20 something, with little experience, could advance so far in a company run by the “three wise men”, but then, we have a youngish President who advanced to the top of the mountain without a shred of experience to prepare him for his job, and that is ultimately how Mae sees herself…as President. Mae envisions an environment which at first seems free and open, with opportunity everywhere for communicating, but which really risks becoming more and more controlled and monitored.
While some of the book’s concepts are outlandish, requiring the suspension of disbelief, some of it is frighteningly close to what is taking place in our lives, at the present time, with our cell phones that monitor our location, our government which traces our phone calls, our doctors who are now forced to put all our information into one massive “pot of information” online. Are we, perhaps, giving up our own privacy and freedom of choice for reasons other than national security, but rather for reasons of irrational narcissistic desires to be watched by others, to create a false sense of our own ability to influence others, of our own importance and power? Are we headed toward a world in “The Circle’s” image?

The story takes place over three and a half decades, beginning in 1803. At first the book seemed to be kind of the same old, same old theme, a combination of recent books, The Help, The Kitchen House and The House Girl. Two thirds to three quarters of the way through, it changed course and became a book that could stand on its own. It is historic fiction; the characters are true to themselves, those that are real, like the Grimkes and those like Handful(Hetty) and Mauma (Charlotte), who are made up out of whole cloth. Hetty represents an excellent example of the awful life a slave was forced to live, in a society driven by greed and callousness, a society that continued the practice of slavery until it was forced to stop, a society that required slaves to dream of sprouting wings in order to be free.
For her 11th birthday, Sarah Grimke’s mother presented her with a gift, her own personal slave, Hetty (Handful). Sarah does not want a slave; slavery disgusted her. She tried to write an order to free her but her parents refused to accept her decision. It was the way of life in Charleston, South Carolina, and Sarah must submit to the societal demands of the upper class. Hetty and Sarah were about the same age, they grew close, and their lives followed a parallel road, albeit in opposite directions most of the time. Their stories will pull on the reader’s emotions. The only true parallel between Sarah and her “lady’s maid”, Hetty, was that they both must be taught their “proper place” in society. Hetty, a slave, had only one job, to please her master. Her life was always at the mercy of others. Sarah, a free woman of Charleston society, had only one main job, to find a husband that was suitable and equal to or better than her own station in life. Both of the young girls wanted more freedom and more opportunity, but for one, it was out of the question.
While Sarah and her mother Mary seemed to feel hemmed in by their lack of freedom, they at least could move about at will and choose a good deal of the life they wanted. Hetty and her mother (Mauma), had freedom to move about only on the plantation and may leave and go to market, only if given a pass and permission. They were always subject to scrutiny, abuse and punishment with insufficient reason. Both the Grimkes and their fellow aristocratic families living in Charleston, had a form of freedom unknown to Mauma, Hetty and the slaves, yet they, too, felt imprisoned, in a sense, by the constraints placed on women in the society in which they lived, a society that viewed slaves as less than people and women as less than men.
When Sarah’s mother had another child, Sarah, robbed of her career opportunities by the protocols of her day, begged her mother to make her godmother to the child. She acquiesced and Nina became more like her daughter than her sister. As years passed, they became great friends, philosophically attuned to each other, and the two sisters became trailblazers for the cause of anti slavery and women’s rights. They were not fictional characters, although the narrative around them was constructed by the author. In real life, the sisters fought for equal rights and equality for all. Their story and their courage is to be greatly admired. They set the stage for the likes of Cady Stanton and future freedom fighters.
Sarah had an independent spirit, which her parents wished to break or control. Her father did not believe in women’s rights to education or professions. Her mother was often a cruel and harsh taskmaster, trying to show her how to be a “lady” in society, how to handle a household and how to discipline the slaves. Mary, Sarah’s mother, thought slavery was a bad situation, but one that was the way of life and must continue. She could be kind-hearted but was more often shown to be severe and pitiless in meting out her form of justice and punishment. Forgiveness was not one of her main attributes. She, like all women of that time, lacked the freedom to do as she wished in life, as far as voicing her opinions, obtaining an advanced education and/or entering a profession. Perhaps it was her own frustration which made her cruel. Her daughters eventually chose a far better way to vent their dissatisfaction with their lives and the lives of the oppressed.
It seemed shallow, at times, and incongruous, to compare the lifestyles of the two women, in opposite societies, as we observed the progress of their lives. Sarah, in all circumstances was always better off than Hetty, though each did eventually have to adjust to the confines of their station in life and the limits that “society” placed upon their actions. Sarah sometimes seemed naïve, even as an adult; she could, quite possibly, eventually have granted freedom to Hetty had she retained ownership of her, but she returned her to her mother whom she knew was cruel, a terrible taskmaster and a mean disciplinarian. So, despite all her protestations, I questioned her decision. Surely she understood the awful consequences that would follow it. While Sarah always nursed her emotions, Hetty always had to nurse her broken body, which was abused by slave masters and owners, and her mother would only make Hetty’s life more difficult.
I believe one of the author’s intentions might have been to show the tragedies and the weaknesses of the entire slave and free society from both perspectives.. What set this book apart from others like it was the nature of the sister’s involvement in the fight to end slavery. What makes it so compelling is the fact that their suffering, their sacrifices, their toils, and the fruits of their efforts really did set the stage for future, more well-known, abolitionists and feminists.

At first, I did not know what to make of this book. A 39-year-old man, Bartholomew Neil, is overly attached to his mother, and he is grieving after her death. An errant priest, Father McNamee, off his meds and suffering from bi-polar disease, believed G-d once spoke to him but since has ceased. He has defrocked himself, and moved in with Bartholomew. He tells him G-d will now speak through Bartholomew instead. He will tell them how to go forward in life. He recommends that he has grief counseling and Wendy, not bound too tightly either, enters the picture and tells him to create life goals. She is in a terrible abusive relationship and is unable to help herself, let alone anyone else. At the counseling session Bartholomew attends, at her recommendation, he meets another rather dysfunctional, simple-minded 39-year-old young man, Max, bereft over the loss of Alice, who turns out to be a cat. Max is coincidentally the brother of a girl Bartholomew has eyed and loved from afar, Elizabeth, the girlbrarian at his local library. Bartholomew wonders, is this synchronicity? Max speaks mostly in curse words and believes his sister was abducted by aliens. Elizabeth is very skittish and depressed since she and her brother are about to be evicted from there apartment. There isn’t a “normal” character among them!

Bartholomew’s only job, his whole life, was to care for his mother. He has no idea who supported them or how their bills got paid, they simply got paid. He believes his father was murdered. He is dysfunctional, his development seems arrested, he was bullied as a youngster, has never had a friend or female relationship, has an “angry man” (ulcer?) dwelling in his stomach. He yells at him and punches him, from the inside, when he is confused or unable to act. Bartholomew is an innocent; he thinks simplistically about all problems and sometimes, because he has no guile, he seems like the brightest bulb in this box of dim lights. He analyzes others and incidents with the most straightforward insights. He exhibits compassion and offers uncomplicated explanations about THE GOOD LUCK OF RIGHT NOW.

Bartholomew’s mother believed that in every event there was an opposite, so if you had misfortune, fortune would follow. When they were robbed and their home was trashed, she was grateful for, and enjoyed, the company and support of others. She thought that was THE GOOD LUCK OF RIGHT NOW. When his mother dies, he discovers a letter from Richard Gere, hidden in her drawer, and although it is not a personal letter, but one that is mass produced to raise money for Tibet, he imbues it with greater meaning. The book is infused with Budhist messages and philosophical phrases.

Bartholomew engages in a one-sided letter writing mission with Richard Gere, (alter ego, imaginary friend?) in which he seems to believe that they are friends, and Gere is his confidante offering needed advice and support. Either in his imagination or hallucination, Richard often appears to guide him.

Bartholomew wants to help others. Is this a weakness? Sometimes his optimism seemed ludicrous and at others, wondrous. One could say he enjoys taking in strays. At the end, I wasn’t so much surprised by what happened, but I felt I could sum the whole book up by saying “will the real Richard please stand up?” All in all, it is a rather sweet and tender story about a group of characters that feel unloved and unwanted, unnecessary and useless. Together, will they find happiness?

It does sound a little trite as I write the review, but the humor holds it together and the simplistic narrative doesn’t tax the brain. The conclusion is clear-cut, lemons turn into lemonade, Bartholomew is the quintessential caregiver and fairy tales come true. This odd bunch of misfits found each other and created a viable family which satisfies all their needs.

A. J. Fikry, owns and operates a charming bookstore, on Alice Island. It is the kind that rarely exists today, having given way to the monster-sized edifices that are home to booksellers today. Fikry is well read, the quintessential bookstore owner; he knows authors and book styles, can recommend books to his customers based on their likes and dislikes. He has his own particular fixed likes and dislikes, often quoting from books to make a point. His life is defined by and through books. He communicates through their words with messages that he passes on as wise tidbits of knowledge.
A. J. is still grieving over the loss of his wife, killed in an accident, and he resorts too often to liquor as a pain reliever. He is feisty and cantankerous and doesn’t seem the type to “make friends and influence people” very easily. As a matter of fact, when Amelia (Amy), appears in his store to present the winter book list of Knightly Publishers, he is rude and indifferent, even when he learns she is replacing the former salesperson who has died. That night, however, truly saddened by the death of that man, he binge drinks, and when he wakes up from his drunken stupor, he finds that his most valuable book, Tamerlane, a book that was to guarantee his secure retirement, has disappeared. Then he discovers a child that has been abandoned in his store. The mother is nowhere to be found. All that he finds is a note entrusting Maya to his care. Maya seems older and wiser than her years. Her influence on him is enormous.
The story that evolves, as he and the child bond and Amelia becomes more and more of a steady visitor, is very tender, somewhat romantic and also humorous, although it does seem to be hiding behind a mask that seems indifferent, simplistic and even mundane, at times. Emotions are quite matter-of-factly laid bare, leaving no doubt as to how the characters feel as they help to make each other more complete. It makes the story even more appealing and comfortable to read.
Human feelings and reactions are explored from the vantage point of adults and from the eye of a precocious, bright, rather well-adjusted child, who has been raised very well, rather unexpectedly, by this inexperienced, insecure man, lonely and somewhat lost without his wife who used to operate the Alice Island bookstore with him. The fictitious Alice Island is a rather appealing place, reminiscent of Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard (for those who know of Cape Cod and the Islands), which can also be reached by traveling on a ferry that leaves from Hyannis, MA. Life is laid back and unhurried on both the real and the fictitious island.
This is a beautiful story about love, loss, relationships, friendships, and even bias is briefly and subtly explored. Race seems to be a tiny underlying subject, but I am not sure why, unless the lack of emphasis is to indicate and reinforce the idea that the race of a person is meaningless, as color has no bearing on any of the relationships, nor should it. The characters exist outside the barriers that are often presented when race becomes the focus rather than the abstract. They simply interact and exist in this imaginary storybook kind of a world, almost free from modern day contrivances.
The story is guided by quotes from books as A. J. leaves notes around for those he loves. It concentrates on the development of beautiful, sincere friendships and a natural love of parent and child coupled with a warm sense of devotion and loyalty. These traits assume far more importance than money, the loss of material things, the revelation of what could be life-changing secrets and even facing illness and death. Rather it dwells on the beauty within people, their ability to face their demons and their ability to forgive and forget. What seems like a simple story is really quite profound as secrets are revealed to the reader and mysteries are solved. Still, life is ultimately dealt with and the tale comes to a warm and satisfying conclusion.

When the story begins, two young men, Charlie and Dave, are involved in a murder. Charlie’s father works for the CIA and they enlist his help in a cover-up. As time passes, the two are very successful in a business partnership. Charlie has even higher ambitions and has engaged in even more unscrupulous behavior, over the years. When Dave learns of the conspiracy to keep all his wrongdoings secret, he decides to disengage from Charlie, but Charlie will not let him go. He was a witness to the murder, all those years ago, and he does not want to take the chance that he will talk to assuage his conscience. When his worst fears are realized and a manuscript surfaces exposing Charlie’s corruption and that of various government agencies, the conspiracy broadens. Charlie wants it stopped and he will stop at nothing to do just that.

The novel becomes a roller coaster ride of intrigue. This audiobook was perfect because it held my interest over a long distance, but boy it was hard to keep track of all the characters popping up. The tale kept switching back and forth from one to another in time and place, from Manhattan to London to Paris and other parts of the globe. The characters were not developed well enough to be that memorable, yet they were all integral parts of the plot. Each of the characters, especially the females, seemed to have a personal problem that made them a little dysfunctional and needy. The men were more or less portrayed as weak and mercenary. They were all motivated by the need to succeed and would do whatever was necessary to achieve that goal.

At times it was very hard to figure out who were the good guys and who were the villains. Danger lurked everywhere as various characters were stalked and eliminated. As one disappeared, another was introduced and I was often stumped as to the role the new character was playing; sometimes they seemed familiar, but at other times it took a while to place them back into the narrative. The switchbacks from character to character, forward and backward in time, from geographic locale to geographic locale, were just too confusing. Also, there was too much unnecessary gratuitous sexual innuendo which had no significant relevance and was distracting.

In conclusion, the reader seemed to read in one voice, not fully identifying with each character, but instead, seemed to simply be reading the book aloud. The book ended in such a way that I believe there will definitely be “The Accident”, part two, as there was no definite conclusion, and even though it was confusing, I would recommend it, especially for a long drive because it will definitely keep you awake!

This is a very heartbreaking story about helpless, hopeless people, not literate enough or free enough to change their circumstances. They pay for foolish decisions with their lives, often when they are innocent. Decades of war have marked Russian/Chechen history. Ethnic Chechens and Russians indiscriminately murder each other. Islamists force their will upon non-believers and enforce it among those who do believe. The situation is so dire that betrayal is commonplace. People are tortured, disappear and are never seen again. The cities are destroyed, rubble is everywhere, poverty reigns, disease spreads, the injured amass, medical facilities are nil, law enforcement is non-existent, and in general, chaos reigns.
When a neighbor, Akhmed, witnesses the kidnapping of a friend, Dokka, who has been betrayed by their mutual friend Ramzan, he knows his friend is about to disappear and never return. Taken to the landfill, he will be tortured and murdered for a real or imaginary crime. There is very little difference in the cause and effect. The result is the same, brutality and corruption even with circumstantial or false evidence. Dokka has a child, Havaa, and Akhmed rescues her and brings her to a doctor in the only, still operating, hospital, hoping she will take her in and help her. The doctor, Sonja, begrudgingly accepts Havaa into her care in exchange for Akhmed’s promise to work at the hospital. He too is a doctor, albeit one that graduated at the bottom of the class while she is exceptionally gifted. Sonja is an ethnic Russian and Akhmed is an ethnic Chechen. The one bright light in the book is that the two, from different warring worlds, are able to work together and establish a relationship.
The connections that knit all of the characters together will become clear as the book draws to a conclusion. Although the link is not known to the characters themselves, they are all united with a common thread through their memories and thoughts, their past and their present. In the end, the disparate parts will become part of a complete whole and even their futures will be intimated.
Sometimes the plot meanders and the timeline wanders back and forth in a confusing manner, but the history and the details about Chechnya are so thorough and so descriptive, that they make up for any shortcomings or confusion that the story might possess. This book is a revelation about intolerance, deprivation, jihad, dictators, foolish dreams, and unrealistic goals in a land without very much free choice, let alone freedom, a land with little respect for human life or its value.
In many cases, the uneducated are in charge, and the illiterate are making the rules. Their one skill appears to be cruelty and disloyalty. The barbarism on all sides in this fighting, this attempt even at ethnic cleansing, is horrific, as torture is the main event and those administering it are gleeful, almost joyful, at the prospect of hurting someone. Treachery is the standard of behavior. The series of coincidences throughout the novel, though perhaps not always plausible, serve to bind all of the characters stories together and illustrate the conditions that exist in that war torn part of the world. They point clearly to the lack of trust, morality and faith. They point clearly to a path of destruction. The only hope is escape. Who among them will be lucky enough to find their own freedom?

To better understand the message of the book, I looked up the definition of jihad and found several; they all had one term in common, struggle. Jihad is a striving toward belief and a striving toward a world governed by Islam.
According to http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jihad, jihad means:
1: a holy war waged on behalf of Islam as a religious duty; also : a personal struggle in devotion to Islam especially involving spiritual discipline
2: a crusade for a principle or belief.
Another interpretation is that among Muslims, it is a war or struggle against unbelievers, while in Islam, it is the spiritual struggle within oneself against sin.
I thought it would be important to read the book with those ideas present in my mind.
When the book begins, Krista Bremer‘s life is going nowhere in particular. She loves surfing and is living with a boyfriend in California. Both have no real end-game in sight. She works for Planned Parenthood, advising pregnant woman of their options. After watching her friends move on with their lives, she decides to make a change and pursue her education further. She applies for her Master’s Degree and is accepted to a school in New England. She packs up and heads there exchanging surfing for jogging for her exercise and pleasure.
Occasionally, when she jogs, she notices a middle-aged man who runs at the same time as she does. Soon, they happen to meet in a store, and they make plans to jog together. He, Ismail, is a Libyan, working and living in America and is a practicing Muslim. She is in her twenties and practices a moderate form of Buddhism, often meditating. Their relationship evolves and when she finds herself in a compromising situation, they decide to marry.
Theirs is an unusual love affair, but it is deep and sincere. They work hard at finding common ground. Their backgrounds and cultures are diametrically opposed to each other. He comes from a third world country where creature comforts are hard to come by, while she is used to taking most creature comforts for granted. He is satisfied with very little and seems more interested in finding inner peace and serenity while she is often dissatisfied and tense, ill at ease and unsure of herself, even embarrassed by some of his behavior patterns.
Krista seems more interested in things of the material world, while Ismail seems more interested in things of the spiritual world. He is devoted to following the practices of Islam with prayer and observance, while she is devoted to the pursuit of happiness as in buying Christmas gifts and Valentine’s gifts which show her interest, concern and affection for those she cares about. Ismail is more understanding and patient with her regarding her form of worship than she is with his, and she is often petty and disappointed in him. She thinks of his G-d as more demanding, and hers as a more forgiving deity. Ismail makes few demands of her, and truthfully, he seemed like the ideal man, which made me wonder if anyone could be that perfect. He always supports her, always forgives her, and always offers compassion and concern.
As their relationship grows and deepens over the next dozen years, and as their family grows from one to two children, she finds more inner meaning in Islam than she ever expected to discover and watches her daughter soften to its demands, as well, actually expressing a desire to wear a headscarf. Krista sometimes seems to glorify Islam while denigrating herself and her own beliefs as inferior and less worthy. At times, I thought she was accepting and endorsing Islam, even as she found some fault with it. She seems to make a conscious effort to explain away the negative aspects she notices. She believes that Islam makes her more humble; she believes that the demands of the religion seem to make her less selfish.
When she and Ismail and their daughter return to Libya for a visit, her reaction seems too mild considering the lack of creature comforts available to her pregnant body. Her description of the bumpy roads and head scarves, forbidden coffee, and paucity of supplies, coupled with relatives eager to embrace her, is a humbling experience for the reader, as well. She was impressed with the family’s joy at seeing Ismail again and with the welcome they provided her. On the other hand, she was disturbed by the way his younger sister was treated and did not understand why a woman would want to be covered, but soon she discovers it offers her a sense of privacy and peace. Many of her descriptions of her husband and his family are a bit overly sentimental and positive, as if she is trying to justify his lifestyle over hers, and often her comments seem naïve and excessive.
As she searched within herself to gain a better understanding of the world around her and her place in it, she questioned the need for women to be subservient to men. She did not understand how Ismail could be oblivious to his youngest sister’s oppressive way of life. Yet, although, in Libya, the sound of the call to prayer wakes her in the mornings, when she returns home, she finds the prayer a comfort. Women could not be outdoors unaccompanied and she could not exercise, but she begins to place more emphasis on her experience there as one of personal growth, rather than one of personal sacrifice, which makes it enlightening for the reader. As she vacillates between her respect for her own culture and religion and her alternating growing respect and admiration for Ismail’s and for his family’s way of handling their lives with all its requirements and deprivations, she admires the way they handle their daily lives with such grace and marvels at the respect they hold for each other. While in Libya, she finds their style of dress liberating, not confining as one would expect. When she begins to wear a headscarf, she is comforted by it, feeling that it provides her a sense of privacy. In America, she was a woman who helped women choose to either have a child or an abortion, and suddenly, in Libya, she finds the harsh rules and requirements placed on women to be liberating, a position with which I was not sure I could agree.
In this honest expose of her love affair with Ismail, Krista describes many of the challenges she faced and continues to face, even now. As she becomes mesmerized by the melodies and presentation of the Muslim prayers, their plaintiveness and the earnestness with which they are recited, she grows closer to Ismail. As she becomes more and more enamored with Islam, she is more and more able to ignore the disrespect for women that it requires. I think Krista was a blank slate waiting to be written upon, making her more open to disparate views. She morphed into a different kind of adult than she was when she first cohabited with Ismail. Although she claims to draw peace from Muslim prayers, she admits that she has no clue about the meaning of the prayers. She does not speak Arabic. Therefore, in a way, at times I had to often suspend disbelief to go on reading, and if it wasn’t so beautifully written, with pitch perfect expression and cadence, I might not have finished it!
Problematically, I found that she seemed to infer or abstractly link the riots in Egypt and other parts of the Middle East, which occurred because of a video, to the murders of the four Americans in Benghazi. To connect the two events, however minimally, when Benghazi had been proven to be an act of terrorism, not the result of a crude, insulting video, implies a bias on her part that I found disingenuous. She made inferences about the practice of circumcision being heinous, actually citing a study to prove it, although it is a religious practice for Jews, their covenant with their G-d. Also, she makes a point of citing a particular close friend and devout Muslim who just happened to have converted from Judaism to Islam. I found the references to Judaism troublesome, but perhaps I am overly sensitive.
The audio is read well by the reader, with just the right amount of expression; the prose is excellent and I have to say the book is beautifully written and put together. However, I often wondered about the author’s descriptions of her personal feelings and the details of her personal growth with regard to Islam. They seemed a little exaggerated, more designed, perhaps, to impress the reader with her willingness to embrace Islam, rather than to present her own honest, legitimate response to her particular situation. I felt as if she colored her descriptions in order to put a more positive light on what it was like to be a Muslim.
All in all, I believe this book is an expression of Krista’s personal search for meaning in her own life and in the outside world. From the beginning, her writing style will captivate her readers as they take this journey with her, a journey that explores her personal struggle, possibly to live a more pious life, a life considered less sinful and more fulfilling.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has written quite a compelling book about his service to his country, his service to eight Presidents, in one capacity or another. His last position, as Secretary of Defense for both Presidents Bush and Obama is detailed thoroughly in this book.
For Secretary Gates, I got the distinct feeling that serving his country was not a job, but a calling. He identified strongly with the demands and suffering of the servicemen. He saw it as his duty to protect, respect and honor them. In this regard, he did not find both White Houses equal.
While he respected both administrations pretty equally, he found the Bush White House never mistrusted the military, and as a result, he often received rousing ovations. The Obama White House, on the other hand, was often suspicious of the military arm of the government and that was, and is, reflected in his reception by the men who serve this country and in his decision making. The men certainly respect the Commander and Chief and will follow his orders, whether or not they agree with them, but Obama’s administration often disregarded the advice of the high command and senior advisors. Many times, the Obama White House reacted to events politically, rather than with regard to what might bring about the best outcome.
Robert Gates describes the contentious mood surrounding the Bush White House when he began working for “W”. Democrats virulently opposed the administration and the atmosphere between himself and Congress was also adversarial. The Secretary’s job was not easy, as it was a daunting task to try to bring a war to a successful conclusion and the emotional drain on him was enervating. He was ultimately responsible for the lives of so many and the number of injuries and deaths was mounting. When politics played a part in the decisions made for our fighting men, it disgusted him. I got the distinct feeling that his relationship with President Bush was more open and honest than the one he had with President Obama, nevertheless, he believed that most of Obama’s decisions were correct, in the long run. Hillary Clinton supported most of his decisions as did Condi Rice, and he had a good working relationship with both women.
When he describes his dealings with Israel, he exhibits an intense dislike for Bibi Netanyahu. He preferred to work with Ehud Barak. I was a bit disappointed that he brought his dislike with him when he had to negotiate with the only democracy in the Middle East, our strong ally there, especially since his (Gates) approach to Iran was different from that of Netanyahu. He seemed to favor the needs of the Arab countries and dismiss the concerns of Israel, especially with regard to Saudi Arabia. Since they had never attacked Israel, he felt they posed no threat and that arming them would not harm Israel’s security. He viewed Barak as his friend and Netanyahu as an enemy, which is not a great attitude to take with you to diplomatic meetings. Obama also showed great disrespect for Netanyahu. While they understood that Israel resides within enemy territory, they didn’t fully seem to comprehend their issues and tended to minimize their concerns, while elaborating on those of the Arabs. I thought, in that case, there was a bit of tunnel vision, perhaps on all sides.
Gates never understood the magnitude of the leaks that came out of the Obama White House, which he often believed compromised our servicemen's safety. The administration reacted politically all the time, always in campaign mode, disregarding the potential danger of their remarks. They were hell-bent on taking all the credit for anything positive that happened while they blamed everyone else for the failures that occurred on their watch.
While Gates and Bush did not always agree, he found that George Bush took the advice of the advisers in the field, more often than not, because he was less concerned with the politics of winning than Obama’s administration was, and Obama’s advisers had very little military experience or managerial experience which also affected the decisions they made. The generals disagreed with Obama’s decisions, more often than not, and his ambassadors also hampered the efforts of the generals. There was an enormous amount of infighting between the military and the government officials and even among the members of their own staffs. Gates learned quickly that what Obama promised was not often what he did. He bowed to the lobbies that put pressure on his White House regardless of agreements he had made to do otherwise. He often broke promises and did not keep his word. Gates believed that he underestimated Karzai and Ambassador Eikenberry undermined America. We actively sought to unseat Karzai, and when he was not overthrown, we paid for our decisions with his continued mistrust of America. It was difficult to work with the inexperienced team of the Obama White House. He was also often disappointed in the way they portrayed George Bush. They were pretty unprofessional in that regard.
When Gates learned of the issues surrounding the poor treatment of the servicemen and women at the VA, predating this current scandal, he sought to fix it, but he was more concerned with the soldiers in the field who were returning with grievous injuries, rather than the treatment of soldiers who had served and were using the VA for injuries and illnesses unrelated to their military experience. Obama ignored the issue. Overall, the Obama team was inexperienced and unprepared for the monumental tasks facing them. The hierarchy was disregarded and often those with less power overruled those with greater seniority. This sometimes led to infighting and to inept decisions.
Although he managed very well during both administrations, he wanted very much to exit the White House. It was breaking him emotionally; writing letters of condolence, welcoming bodies back home, fighting with the administrations for better equipment to save lives, visiting the injured, some that could have been prevented with more modern and technologically advanced design, was wearing him down.
His feelings about Harry Reid, the Majority Leader of the Senate, were visceral. He believed his remarks were stupid, as when he announced that we lost the war, and that he served as a saboteur. He found Pelosi to be more interested in politics than in the success and outcome of the wars.
Secretary Gates believes that Obama’s style of micromanagement is detrimental but his thoughtfulness in making decisions was admirable. He and his staff often overstepped the boundaries, making announcements and decisions which were embarrassing to the generals. His courage in making the decision about the Bin Laden raid impressed Gates, but his need to take credit disturbed him, because it put many of those involved in potential danger. He often gave unauthorized commands, orders, because he and his staff were unaware of the rules of protocol. He was always acting for political gain, not the benefit of his country. Gates always supported President Obama, regardless of whether or not he agreed with his decision, even with regard to the schedule for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Decisions were often made based on the views of the junior advisers rather than more seasoned military personnel and political advisers, leading to unintended consequences, as with the Arab Spring in which the Muslim Brotherhood assumed command and Mubarak was abandoned. Still he expresses great respect and admiration for both President Obama and Hillary Clinton. Towards Vice President Biden, he does not mince words. He pretty much liked him, but he believed that every decision he made regarding foreign policy was incorrect and ill advised.
The book describes the transition from the Bush White House to the Obama White House and the enormous burden of responsibility that he bore upon his shoulders during his tenure. With regard to the national defense and security of the country, he was second to no one but the President. His descriptions of the injured and their courage when he visits hospitals, in particular the burn hospital, will tear at your heartstrings.
Because of the massive amount of detail in the book, it felt almost like a textbook about the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, in addition to the many other conflicts that arose during his tenure, like tsunamis, earthquakes, the incident in Benghazi, the WikiLeaks scandal and Julian Assange, and the continuing effort to improve relationships with our allies and our enemies which occupied most of his waking hours. Although his position was powerful, he was human and felt the pressure of the duty required of him.
My major criticism of the book is that it was almost too detailed, and possibly just a bit too much justification for his own behavior and actions, although he does also admit the mistakes he made.

I listened to this audio in one sitting, trying to understand it. It was short, just over three hours. I replayed several parts over and over, trying to understand the point. I fear I missed some of it.
A man is speaking to what appears to be a psychiatrist, but could just as easily have been an imaginary friend, an alter ego, a prison guard, a lawyer, or himself. He is pretending, at first, to be speaking about a friend, but the reader quickly learns that it is Andrew, indeed, who is narrating.
Andrew, presumably, is an expert on the brain. He is well educated with a diploma from an Ivy League school, probably Yale, if the person he alludes to at the end as his roommate, was really the President of the United States, none other than “W”. The reader will wonder if he is sane, perhaps schizophrenic, out of touch with reality, or simply telling a bizarre tale based in reality. Without intending to, Andrew seems to unwittingly leave death and destruction in his wake, and he has naively brought the hammer down upon his own head, if he is telling the truth.
His character Andrew, tells his tale piece-meal and at times it sounds like half-truths. He has visions, hears voices and believes they are real or symbols representing reality. He speaks to this same character over a period of years, sometimes in different places, not in person, but by phone.
When tragedy strikes his world, Andrew and his wife, Martha, split up. Eventually, he falls in love again with one of his students, Briony, and he enjoys a loving relationship. When tragedy once again strikes him, on what the reader will assume is 9/11 from hints given, he resorts to previous behavior and runs away from responsibility. However, Andrew always seems to be an accident waiting to happen. When he walks his dog, it is captured by a hawk, when he goes sledding and a car avoids hitting him, it kills the driver instead. Everyone he seems to interact with is dysfunctional in some way or in some way suffers from something extraordinary.
While the surface novel is simple: man suffers and man makes mistakes and man pays for his mistakes, real or imaginary, physically, psychologically, emotionally or mentally, there seems to be a more profound meaning. The reader simply has to discover it. Is Andrew often misjudged or is he living in an alternate universe? Did the stories he relates really take place or are they figments of his imagination? Where is Andrew in the end? Is he a prisoner? Is he a free man? Is he an enemy combatant?
Although he does not name President Bush and his staff by name, it is obvious that he is referring to Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld, and he dislikes them, disrespects them, believes they are ill-prepared and inept at their jobs, and that they betray him, in the end, causing his imprisonment as if he had been nothing but a plaything. In fact, I thought the author’s portrayal was a bit insulting, and I don’t believe he would portray the current President in that same way, though he could well have, since the book was published in 2013, well into the current President’s service. An author who has a main character who is an academic, can safely be assumed to most likely be liberal in his beliefs, so once again, an author has taken the opportunity, or the liberty, to use his bully pulpit to put forth his own one-sided political views, which I believe unfairly and incorrectly influences the readers and forces them to swallow the author’s bias without presenting both sides of the issue.
Be that as it may, Doctorow reads his book quite well, with expression, but his voice is gravelly, not resonant, and that made him sound a little tired and not quite that into the reading of it. It was interesting to try and figure out what was happening between the characters and guess the purpose of the conversations between the patient/client/doctor/attorney.

Patrick Hedstrom and Erika Falck live with their daughter Maja in a quiet village in Sweden. The peaceful atmosphere of Fjallbacka is shattered one day when a murder victim is discovered by two young boys. Patrick works for the police department investigating the case, but he is on paternity leave. Coincidentally, Erika finds that she is acquainted with the victim, Erik Frankel, a quiet, retired history professor with a special interest in World War II. Erika had recently discovered some of her mother’s possessions and diaries and determined to unearth the secrets of her mother’s past, she brought the Nazi medal she found to Erik, hoping he could identify it. As she uncovers her mother’s previous life, and as the investigation unfolds, many secrets will be unearthed connecting the past to the present .
Part of the story takes place in 1943, at the time of World War II. Although Sweden is not occupied, German troops are in control in nearby Norway. Some brave men are engaged in an effort to smuggle people out of that country. Elof, Erika’s father, is one of those men. It is a terrible time, a time when madness reigns and men are sometimes driven mad by what they see and experience.
As the story unfolds, the reader learns that Erika’s mother was once a young and carefree girl, part of a close group of friends. There were five of them, four were childhood friends: Elsy Mostrom, Erika’s mom, Frans Ringholm, whose father is a hateful man, Erik Frankel who had an older brother Axel, a Nazi hunter, Elsy’s girlfriend Britta, a bit of a flirt, and Hans, a young man who came late to the group. Hans suddenly appeared as a stowaway on Elsy’s father’s boat, in 1944, and is subsequently sheltered by her family. He had escaped from Norway. Frans, Erik and Axel come from the better side of town and Elsy and Britta from the poorer side. All kinds of prejudice existed at the time, and their different social class makes their friendship unusual. How they all fit into the present day murder mystery that Patrick is quasi involved in investigating, and Erika becomes drawn into as she investigates her mom’s past, is neatly knitted into the story. Without Erika’s insight and Patrick’s expertise, the police force is portrayed as a bit inept, haphazardly handling the investigation. However, the characters all grow into their jobs and their lives, admirably, as time passes.
I enjoyed the writing style of this author and didn’t want the book to end too quickly. Although it is part of a series, it stands well on its own. Erika and Patrick are characters that endeared themselves to me. So many of the quirky characters were charming and the dialog between the characters felt so natural and real with their honest expression of feelings and the injection of humor into their conversations, that I felt like I was a fly on the wall, listening in and watching the scenes unfold in real time. Although there were many unlikely coincidences, they were handled deftly by the author, woven so smoothly into the tale, they just naturally seemed to fall into place. I enjoyed the way the plot twisted and turned and kept me guessing as the mystery unfolded. It was a pleasure watching the characters grow and behave as I would have expected normal people to in real life, not stilted in any way, like watching Martin, a detective, grow into his investigator’s job and gain confidence, and watching the Chief, Bertil Mellberg, as he becomes caregiver to a charming dog named Ernst and falls in love with a salsa dancer, and observing him as he softens into a more loveable character as time goes on, although watching Patrick engage in a friendly relationship with his ex-wife stretched my imagination a bit. I was engaged by all of the characters, complete with the dog, and although some were not very likeable, all were simply human beings behaving as humans do, subject to their follies and foibles, subject to the realities of life, to its unexpected fortunes and misfortunes, compassion and malevolence.
I did find it a little contrived throughout the book because practically every societal issue arose in one form or another. Every character had some kind of an issue from sexual to domestic abuse, infidelity to divorce, gender issues to prejudice encompassing sexual preference, class and ethnic purity, from immaturity to insecurity, and it covered family relationships and dysfunction in all its forms. Still, each incident felt that it was true to form in the way that it was exposed.
If you like a good murder mystery steeped in historic fiction and flavored with romance in its many forms, this book is surely for you. This author has a gift. She makes even the goriest of scenes easy to read because they play out with realistic description rather than sensational explanation meant simply to arouse the reader. There s a lightness, a friendliness, kind of a comfort zone feeling in her words and presentation. She is never crass.
And as a yummy aside, like Erika, I love chocolate caramels and I ate them right along with her! To chocolate covered caramels, long may they live!

I had not wanted to read this book, thinking it could not add to the narrative already out there about the scandal in the Church involving pedophile priests. Was I ever wrong! I was deeply affected by this novel. This is a magnificent exposé of that moment in time, of the condemned and the wrongly condemned, of the dogma and the crises affecting the churches, everywhere, because of the vows a priest must make. It is a book that shines a spotlight on the fact that although they are the conduit to G-d, they are also humans, humans subject to all the frailties and possible commissions of sin they are heir to, humans that G-d, in his infinite wisdom will forgive (if you believe), as G-d forgives the sinner.
I couldn’t stop listening to the audio; I was so taken by Father Art and the way in which he handled the abuse he faced, the anger exhibited toward him, the spewed vitriol. He contended with his sudden discharge from the only life he had known since boyhood, with such a quiet grace, with such a forgiving outlook and compassionate demeanor, always faithful to his beliefs. His behavior contrasted sharply with the harsh judgment passed upon him by the people who jumped to conclusions, friends and worshipers who condemned him and the entire Catholic Church, for the sins of a few, without even investigating the facts.
Were the accused priests guilty? Certainly many were, but the innocent were judged to be guilty right along with them, because suddenly, there was zero tolerance once the crime was publicized and knowledge of it became widespread; the issue went from being ignored, hidden in a closet for years, to appearing on the front page of all major and minor newspapers, and it became the main topic of discussion for all the talking heads on television and radio, as well.
As I read the book, I kept thinking, let he who is without sin throw the first stone! It was an appalling crime and it horrified everyone as it should have, but it should not have taken down the unblemished priest simply because an accusation was made. A mistake in judgment should not have, therefore, been compounded by a rush to judgment. Of course, ultimately, it was the cover-up by the church, adding to the crimes already committed, that led to the over-reactions. The world watched the confessions of troubled adults who were shaped by their haunted childhoods, haunted because they were corrupted by men of G-d. Was their mistreatment the precursor of their own abusive behavior toward others? How pervasive was this pedophilia issue? I was stunned by the betrayals of family members, their lack of trust because of the shame they faced, stunned by the judgments that were made condemning those accused as guilty when those that judged them were sometimes just as guilty of committing great sins. They seemed heartless, and blind to the truth, in their single-minded attempt to wipe out the scourge of the errant priest. Would the Church ever regain its power, its reputation? Would a priest ever again be respected by the parishioners in the same unquestioning manner?
The author has crafted a tale which neither forgives nor ignores the ignominy of the shamed priest, but she also paints a beautiful image of the humanity and benevolence of other priests, those priests who truly connected with their G-d and their calling. She also explored the challenges their vows forced them to face, as well as some of the reasons that a priest might choose that wayward path.
After reading this, the reader will wonder, were some priests wrongly accused in the mania and hysteria that erupted when the world learned of the conspiracy to conceal the wrongdoing of some men of the cloth? How widespread and pervasive was the crime? This is a story about the failure of the Church and some of its priests, certainly only a minority; it is a heartbreaking story of abuse, a tragic tale of dysfunction, injustice, lies and greed, but it is also a story of hope. There is a beauty and sincerity within the dedicated men of the cloth that shines through. Haigh brings a human touch to the scandal of the Catholic Church, a scandal that rocked the nation and forced formerly devout people to question their religion and their places of worship, their relatives and their friends. Liars and scammers, those who were seeking undeserved financial reward were bound to mix themselves into the fury for their own personal gain, regardless of the innocents they hurt in the process. The moral is this: all priests should not have to dwell under the same umbrella as those that violated the very code of decency demanded by their vows!

Having already read the first book in this series with my grandchild, I decided to read the second one so we could discuss it as well. This one is also an adventure story, a story about right and wrong, good and evil, but it develops further into a sweet romance, as well. Contained within the pages are graphic depictions of violence and death. Like the fairy tales of old, it teaches children and young adults how to cope with and outwit their fears through their imaginations, how to solve difficult moral and ethical problems with thoughtfulness that is coupled with intuition, and how to face their future with hope and courage. It teaches them about evil and injustice but also about goodness and honor.
The Peculiars are in grave danger when their Cairn Island home is destroyed. Their loop is closed, and they are no longer safe. They set out in search of another loop before they are all sealed shut. If they can’t find one, time will continue on for them, and they will age and grow old, some faster than others, depending on how long they have been alive. Time will catch up with them. Unfortunately, the Wights capture Miss Peregrine (her brother is their leader), and first the children have to find and rescue her. They cannot abandon her; she has done so much for all of them. Jacob wants to fulfill his grandfather’s last wish and he decides to stay and help. Also, he is becoming more and more attached to Emma, as his grandfather was, as well.
These Peculiars are very ingenious. Although they have not aged and have been reliving the same day, over and over again, they cannot really be considered simple “children”. They are more complicated than that. When they manage to rescue Miss Peregrine, who is a shape-shifter, they discover that she cannot change back into a human form, from her bird form, because she was poisoned. In addition, her wing was injured. The children set out to find another Ymbryne to cure her, for only an Ymbryne can return her to her human form. If they don’t change her soon, she will be doomed to remain a bird forever, losing all human instincts. They discover that all the Ymbrynes have been kidnapped by the Wights, all but one, Miss Wren, so they all go to London to try and find her.
Millard, a Peculiar, studies the book of tales about Peculiars, and he discovers that they provide clues to help them find the captured Ymbrynes, Miss Wren and a cure for Miss Peregrine. However, the task is difficult. The Peculiars find themselves in 1940, in Hitler’s world. Bombs are falling on London; there is destruction everywhere. The Wights are ruthless, the Hollowgasts are running rampant. They are killing all who get in their way, and they are still trying to capture the Peculiars, seeking their secret of staying young and alive. Their plight can only be described as frightful. The Hollows can become Wights, only by eating a Peculiar.
This adventure is many sided. The Peculiars are faced with the horrors of war, the cruelty of the enemy, the danger of bombs, the fear of death, the morality and ethics of certain decisions that have to be made for the sake of expedience, the mystery of odd animals with different qualities than any they have seen before like those in the Menagerie. One animal is a mixture of a donkey and a giraffe, there is a man/dog named Addison, a man thing called Grunt, there are Armageddon chickens; these were not ignorant animals, by any means. There is a lesson to be learned here; don’t judge a book by its cover.
In their travels, the children unexpectedly find other Peculiars with different skills. They find them in places like carnivals, gypsy camps, tunnels, and bombed out buildings. Their adventures move in so many different directions, the reader will be kept guessing, making this second book just as exciting as the first. As their search continues, and the dangers they face increase, each Peculiar discovers a hidden reserve of courage he/she didn’t realize they possessed. Each Peculiar has its own “peculiar” skill. One can send fire from her fingers, one can make ice, one can sense Hollows, one can interpret the future, one is a haven for bees, one can float, one can fold himself up, one has superhuman strength, one is invisible, one has kinetic powers and there are blind twins whose minds work together, and they refuse to be separated, and there are chickens that lay unusual eggs, etc. Traveling with them through time zones and tourist loops, the reader will find a new surprise offered by the author every few pages. Just when you think you feel silly, engaged with the characters as they follow a parrot hoping it will lead them to Miss Wren, you are reengaged by the charm of another “peculiar”, by the innocence exhibited and the kindness shared.
The book has many insights to teach on a moral and ethical level. Judging someone by their outside appearance can be foolhardy, making decisions without careful thought can lead to failure, sometimes there are things that are bigger than yourself, and sometimes you have to sacrifice for a cause, throwing caution to the wind after you consider the consequences. Just because people are related, it doesn’t mean they are the same or have the same values, just look at Miss Peregrine and her brother. There is death and devastation, terror and fear everywhere. They must make difficult decisions; they must decide if saving one person is worth the sacrifice of others. This scenario has just played out in the USA, with the release of Pvt. Bow Bergdahl in exchange for five terrorist masterminds. People are unsure if this exchange was fair or warranted.
The story is so imaginative that although it seems far-fetched at times, fans of the first book will surely love this second one and will eagerly await the next and the next and the next; this looks like a successful serialized novel! I feel sure there will be another book to continue the saga of these Peculiars and the love story developing between Emma and Jacob.
Although this novel can probably stand alone, I wouldn’t recommend it that way. I had to look back to my review of the first book, “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children”, in order to refresh my memory, and without it, I don’t think I would have either remembered or understood the plot as well. It can get complicated as it twists and turns in different directions. One drawback of the audio version of the book is the lack of interesting pictures that are included in the hard copy. However, on the positive side, the characters truly come alive in your mind with this excellent reader. The accents are authentic whether Scottish, British, Russian, or American. When a character speaks he/she is recognizable so the thread of the narrative is never broken and the reader is always engaged.