"The Lost Wife" by Alyson Richman

"A rapturous novel of first love in a time of war".
   This is the advertising for this novel.  And rapture it is!  First love- estatic, euphoric.  The cover captures it!
   This author is a master of words!  The writing is sensuous- involving all the senses. Quote: "There are two sensations of skin you will always remember in your lifetime: the first time you fall in love- and that person holds your hand- and the first time your child grasps your finger". 
Another quote" "You hear in the person you're destined to love the sound of those yet to be born."  
   This story is an emotional roller coaster- the love, the war, Auschwitz.
   The Nazi invasion of Prague separates this couple for sixty years!  Providence gives Lenka and Josef another chance.  Lenka's granddaughter is marrying Josef's grandson in New York.  Both Lenka and Josef believed that the other had died many years before.  Each had married and had children and grandchildren.  But the memory of the first love never left either of them.  Sixty years is a long time and they barely recognize each other when brought together by fate.
   This is an amazing story that was well-researched.  It includes the stories of several people whose lives are documented in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.
   I really struggled with the horrors of Auschwitz-  so difficult to understand the depth of suffering.
   I was disappointed that the reunion of Lenka and Josef is only mentioned briefly at the beginning and the end.  The rest of the book briefly tells Josef's story but relates Lenka's story in detail.  She is "The Lost Wife".  They had been married very briefly before being separated.  I wanted to know what they would say to each other after sixty years, but the novel stops at their first recognition.

  This is a very emotional novel about the power of first love, the resilience of the human spirit, and the strength of memory.

Civil War Trilogy

   These books arrived at our door this week- a surprise for my husband.  He loves the writing of Jeff Shaara because Jeff helps you understand events from the viewpoint of those involved- the soldiers, the generals, everyone involved.
  And, as a special perk, each book is autographed.

   Jeff's father, Michael, born in 1928, wrote "Killer Angels" in 1974.  He taught literature at Florida State University while writing fiction in his spare time- drinking coffee and smoking long into the night.  This stress caused heart failure at 36, but he recovered and continued writing.  "Killer Angels" won the Pulitzer Prize in 1975 and was made into a movie with the title "Gettysburg".  Michael died of heart failure in 1988.

  The son, Jeff, graduated from university with a degree in criminology, but after his father died, he began writing historical fiction, documenting the American wars.  He has now written 13 novels that have been on the New York Times bestsellers list.
   He added to his father's writing by adding a prequel and a sequel, to completely document the Civil War.
   In the autograph for his father's book, he wrote: "For my father's legacy".
   I surprised John once before with Jeff Shaara books.  Read about it here.
P.S. To say that Jeff Shaara books are well-received in this house is an understatement!

"The Excellent Lombards" by Jane Hamilton

Jane Hamilton

  This novel is the growing up story of Frankie (Mary Francis) Lombard.  Members of her extended family own a farm with several buildings and an apple orchard and Frankie is fiercely in love with the whole operation.
  I have enjoyed Jane Hamilton's writing in the past and read this promotion on the cover:  "This is the book Jane Hamilton was born to write, and it is a book that thrilled me to read.  "The Excellent Lombards" is, in fact, magnificent".
That quote is from Ann Patchett who is an author of great renown and I expected a 'great novel'.
  Well, this novel is not 'magnificent', nor did it thrill me.
   When I began reading, I was enjoying Jane Hamilton's ability to write beautiful sentences.   For example:  "The harvest was a wild living thing that you were  trying to tame while all the while it was dragging you behind, arms out, flailing, in the chase. But here, was the miracle: Despite the chaos, the lack of planning, the bad feeling between Sherwood and my father, there was also an overriding unity of purpose, a reverence for the family history, a love for the soil within the property lines."                       
  But eventually, I needed more than well-written sentences.  I was looking for more plot.
  The novel described Frankie's life on the farm, her school life, her friends, and quirky family members.   Mostly she loved the farm so much that she never wanted to leave and was concerned about the other financial interests in the property, as well as the challenge of keeping the town from overtaking them.  Change is inevitable and Frankie is desperate to keep things as they are.
  This book reminded me of "The Orchard" by Theresa Weir.  That book was a memoir and dealt with environmental issues as well as family dynamics.  It was much more interesting.
  This novel really needed some 'pizzazz'.

I have read two other books by Jane Hamilton and enjoyed both of them much more than "The Excellent Lombards".  

                   

The Price of Life

  Amanda Lindhout and Nigel Brennan were kidnapped in Somalia.  I have written about Amanda's book, "A House in the Sky".  This is Nigel's story.
  The book is printed in Australia and very hard to find in Canada.  But I could not rest until I heard Nigel's thoughts.
   It is a very different book- mostly because it is not written by professional writers.  The language is crude and often confusing. 
   Nigel's sister and sister-in-law collaborated on this book.  I was very interested to read about the story from the point of view of the family, interspersed with Nigel's account of the kidnapping.
   The first thing that I noticed was the difference in their family situations.  Nigel had two brothers and a sister. Each of his siblings was married with three children.  They all lived close to the parents and Nigel had previously helped to build a large house for their parents.     
  When the kidnapping happened, Nigel immediately recognized the seriousness and was very worried about his family.  He was the youngest child in his family and was a wandering playboy.  He had just spent time in Scotland with his girlfriend.  But Amanda was able to convince him to join her in Somalia.  She talked about projects that would help his photography career but he was also interested to see where the relationship with Amanda would go.
   The second thing that caught my attention was the complexity of an international kidnapping.  The family home in Australia was swarmed with officials of all sorts.  There were representatives from DFAT (Department of foreign affairs and trade), AFP (Australian Federal Police), QPol(Queensland Police), FLO (family liaison officer). This is the confusing part of the story because there are so many 'negotiators'.  The family use short forms for everything, so they talk about 'negs' for negotiators.
  Operations central was set up in the family home with the telephone in the centre.   The walls became filled with charts containing strategy for negotations- what to say, what not to say, how to answer questions, what questions to ask.  I didn't realize from Amanda's story that there was so much communication - not only with Adan (in Somalia) but with kidnap specialists all over. The negotiator in Nairobi kept changing. There was a TPI (Third party Intermediary) who went in person to negotiate with Adan in Somalia.  He offered $250,000.00 but that was refused.  Amanda's family was not offering any money, content that the government would look after it.
  Nigel's sister, Nicky, was trained to answer the phone calls.  The house was busy with people coming and going.  The family was completely consumed from the moment of capture.
  Members of all the groups were constantly changing as other people were brought in.  Eventually they moved 'operations central' out of the family home because there were grandchildren also running around.  The family was discouraged from using e-mail or cell phones because of security.  Also they were discouraged from fund raising or any form of publicity.  In Brisbane the 'negs' set up MIR (Major Incident room) and in Canberra there was ICC (Incident Coordination Centre).  There are many kidnappings every year and there are international negotiators.
  And so, the story rotates between the three authors- Nigel, Nicole (sister), and Kellie (sister-in-law).  
  Nigel tells how "guilt chews away at me".  He writes that Amanda was a powerhouse in the first week .  She did most of the talking while he struggled to come to terms with what was happening.  Perhaps Amanda was more nonchalant because she had already been kidnaped once for a short time and also she told Nigel that her mother had been held hostage 11 years before, in Japan.  This explains why Amanda was not as devastated as you would expect.
  But as Nigel writes further about their situation, you realize that he had a much, much easier time physically than Amanda.  After Amanda was separated from him, they found ways to communicate and he was aware of Amanda's abuse. 
  When it was getting close to a year since the abduction, with no progress and very little contact with Nigel, the family wanted to try a private negotiator.  They had researched and looked for  help in many places.  Nigel's aunt was willing to give them some money and she organized a trip to Vancouver with Kellie and Nicole to meet Amanda's parents and hopefully make a plan together.
  The actual final negotiations got very bizarre. Such a complicated country to be trying to make a plan that sticks!
  Another surprising thought is that you can go to jail for 25years to life for paying ransom.  So, getting the money out of the country and into the right hands was certainly dangerous.
  At one point, the sister-in-law that was doing all the work wondered why Nigel was in Somalia.  "I wanted to know if Nigel met up with Amanda to get his leg over.  If so, I hoped that shag was worth it cause it's been nothing but trouble for the rest of us".
   This book really added insight into the kidnapping.  I found it fascinating!

A House in the Sky

   I read this book before it was announced for O.B.O.C.  It is the true story of a kidnapping in Somalia.
  The first half of the book frustrated me as I tried to understand Amanda.  She was warned and warned about going to "the most dangerous place in the world".  She was told that she would be raped and beheaded.  She knew that reporters needed ransom insurance.  She saw a corpse along the road that had been beheaded.  She ignored everything.  I could never relate to her. She had magical thinking. 'It won't happen to me'.  And she convinced Nigel to go with her! 

   I was so distressed about the harm she caused the two of them but also many others, including the families at home.
  I pondered Amanda's life and wondered if her childhood is the key to understanding Amanda.  She tells in the book about her mother bringing home men who were violent, and I realized that Amanda was used to being in danger.  As a young child, she was reading National Geographic to escape, while her mother's boyfriend was punching holes in the wall.  I also read that Amanda's mother had been involved with a cult in Japan and was abducted there.
    Amanda's connection with her mother interested me.  I would expect that she would be upset with her mother for not protecting her in childhood, but she really loved her mother.  Did she turn into her mother?
  If any of this is true, it would help me understand how she was nonchalant when abducted and able to remember every detail.

  *****************************************************************************************************************************************************

  Discussion:

   This book certainly does initiate conversation because there seem to be two reactions and people line up on one side or the other.  

  One side says that Amanda was too cocky for her own good.  She constantly ignored advice from people who knew what they were talking about, e.g the fixer, Ajoos.

  The other side is that she is just adventurous- like the explorers, mountain climbers, and other people who have pushed the limits.

  And what about her charity?  When Amanda was freed, she began a charity to educate girls in Somalia. I felt that Amanda had put so much pressure on her family that her number one responsibility should have been to repay her debts to them.

  Another thought (about her charity for education) is that some of the hostage takers were 'educated'.  Does education really solve the problem of Islamic fundamentalism?  And why would she desire to return to the place of torture?  

  Apparently Amanda has been cancelling speaking engagements because 'Adam', who was a key figure in the kidnapping has been arrested, and she is obviously still suffering P.T.S.D.  Hope you got the picture.  Lots of strong thoughts.  

The 5 Love Languages

 

Gary Chapman

 Gary Chapman is a relationship counsellor.  Who doesn't need one of those?
   I saw him interviewed by Oprah and recognized the value in his thinking.
   He writes about expressing love in five different ways and the importance of finding your partner's 'language'.  I understand his idea that everyone doesn't 'speak the same language', because I have always told my husband, "Don't tell me you love me, show me".  And he does- buying groceries, preparing meals, etc. after 56 years.

   These are the love languages according to Gary Chapman:

-words of affirmation
-acts of service
-receiving gifts    
-quality time
-physical touch

    This is a good reminder of all the thoughtful things that can be done to make life more satisfying for a couple.  Although 'receiving gifts' isn't really of interest to me, I do love a new puzzle book every once in a while- especially when it took a lot of searching to find the kind that I enjoy.
   And 'words of affirmation' are always necessary.  Who doesn't appreciate a compliment or a word of encouragement?

   Gary Chapman's research shows that the 'in-love state' only lasts a couple of years.  So when the real work begins, it is helpful to know the 'love languages'.  

  The author also believes that the '5 love languages' are helpful with friends and family.  In fact, he has written books for singles and children.  
"Inside every child is an 'emotional tank' waiting to be filled with love.  When a child really feels loved, he will develop normally, but when the love tank is empty, the child will  misbehave".

"The Burgess Boys" by Elizabeth Strout

When I discovered that I had missed reading one of Elizabeth Strout's books, I decided to get right at it.

Once again, Shirley Falls, Maine is the setting for part of the book.  There is an influx of Somalian refugees and the town is divided on their acceptance of these residents.

Quote:
"About the Somalis, a few townspeople did not speak at all: They were to be born as one bore bad winters or the price of gasoline or a child who turned out badly.  Others were not so silent.  One woman wrote a letter that the newspaper published.  "I finally figured out what it is I don't like about the Somalis being here.  Their language is different and I don't like the sound of it.  I love the Maine accent."

The Burgess Boys, Bob and Jim had long ago left Shirley Falls for New York City- both involved in law.  So their experience was needed when their nephew, Zachary, still living in Shirley Falls, threw a pig's head into a mosque.  Zack was charged with a hate crime.

   I had great difficulty completing this novel.  I feel a connection to Elizabeth Strout because of her beautiful language.  But, this book just could not keep my attention.  There was not enough plot to push my way through, but I persevered.
   The infusion of immigrants could have had real relevance to our lives, but this book was totally lacking.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  "Olive Kitteridge" was obviously the best novel written by this author.  It won a Pulitzer Prize and was made into an HBO miniseries that won an Emmy.  But the last two books have been disappointing.

I have enjoyed Elizabeth Strout's writing in the past because
- her plots are linnear and easy to follow
- I enjoy the small town of Shirley Falls
- the writing is beautiful
- she writes about human nature

Amy and Isabelle               2003
Abide With Me                  2006
Olive Kitteridge                 2008
The Burgess Boys              2013
My Name is Lucy Barton  2016

I will continue to be a fan but hope that future books will return to the standard of the first ones.

"My Name is Lucy Barton" by Elizabeth Strout

"There was all sorts of unhappiness in Shirley Falls that night.  If Isabelle Goodrow had been able to lift the roof off various houses and peer into their domestic depths she would have found an assortment of human miseries."

Elizabeth Strout

   This is a quote from "Amy and Isabelle" by Elizabeth Strout.
   And this seems to be what Elizabeth does best- take the roof off the house to show the human misery inside.
*******************************************************

I enjoyed "Abide With Me" about a widowed minister, Tyler, who was ineffective with his congregation and a disaster as a parent. This book was well-written with a great introduction, interesting development of characters, and a satisfying ending.

"Amy and Isabelle" was about a mother and daughter.  Amy, a high school student is in love with her math teacher.  Her mother, Isabelle, is filled with shame both about her daughter and her own past.
I enjoyed this book because of the beautiful writing.

"Olive Kitteridge" was interesting because it was about human nature.  It was not a direct narrative, but episodic with related stories- all relating to Olive, a very flawed woman.
Quote: 'Olive is a little of each of us'.  
We discussed this book at the library book club and it was not well-liked.  But I did appreciate the point that we are all flawed and searching for love and connection. 
Once again, I loved the writing.


   And so, we come to Elizabeth Strout's new book- "My Name is Lucy Barton". 
    Lucy Barton, a young mother of two, is searching desperately for validation from her mother who comes to sit by her bed in the hospital for five days, then disappears from her life again.
   The chapters alternate between scenes from Lucy's sad childhood and the hospital room with her mother sitting at the end of the bed.
   "Lonely was the first flavour I had tasted in my life and it was always there, hidden inside the crevices of my mouth, reminding me."
   An incredibly sad book about the pain that lasts a lifetime.

Yes, Elizabeth Strout continues to take the roof off each house to expose human misery.
  

One Book One Community

Announcement!  Announcement!  Announcement!

 The book selection for One Book One Community 2016 has been announced: "A House in the Sky" by Amanda Lindhout and Sara Corbett.  It is a memoir of abduction in Somalia.

Amanda Lindhout

   Amanda was fortunate to connect with Sara who agreed to write her story.  It is beautifully written.
  I have read this book and had trouble connecting with Amanda.  Her desire to put herself into danger and her reaction to the kidnapping were hard for me to understand.  Amanda had persuaded Nigel Brennan from Australia to accompany her, so he was also taken hostage in 2008.  
   Nigel collaborated with his sister and sister-in-law to write a book called "The Price of Life".  I searched for this book in order to better understand the situation.  I found it very different and enlightening.
  I will write about both books at a later date.

One Book One Community, 2016.

Readathon

The blogging world has many surprises for me and here is one:

Dewey's 24-hour Readathon 

It's time

I discovered it on a blog that I visit.
Click here: Avid Reader's Musings.
   This Saturday is the date for this readathon.  It was started in 2007 by a woman whose blog was called The Hidden Side of A Leaf.  When she died the next year, the readathon was continued by others.

   You can read about it here.    There is a synchronized starting time that joins the readers at the beginning of the 24 hours and you are encouraged to read as long as you can. Social media is a big part of the readathon and is 2/3 of the fun.  But it is suggested that that aspect be limited to the first 10 minutes of each hour. They have had 2000 participants register in the past.  They give away prizes and have cheerleaders.  

   Melissa at Avid Musings has been involved with 9 readathons in the past and added up her pages and books.  Here is the count: 43 books, 10,113 pages.  Melissa is a very fast reader and I have pointed out her statistics in my blog before.  She has taken a break since having a baby but she is back for this readathon.

   
   This would not work for me because I read, and analyze, and read, and think, and analyze, and read, and think some more, then fall asleep.
Happy reading, bloggers!

Quote of the day

"Beware of the stories you read or tell; subtly, at night, beneath the waters of consciousness, 

they are altering your world. "

Ben Okri, poet and novelist (born 1959)

Do stories really have this much power?

Have you ever noticed that your mood changes according to the book that you are reading?  Perhaps even the quality of your sleep is affected?

When I saw this quote it really caught my attention because I had realized that I was really cranky while I read "The Illegal".  But while I have been reading "Girl Runner", I have slept beautifully. Both books are about runners. 
If I wake up in the night, I think of Aganetha Smart, the protagonist of "Girl Runner" and it soothes me back to sleep. 

Any thoughts on this?

More about prison book clubs

I was so fascinated by the idea of prison book clubs, that I wanted to add this article from the internet.

Carol Findlay

   When Carol Finlay first visited Collins Bay Institution, a prison in Kingston, Ont., she tried to be inconspicuous. Armed only with a copy of Angela’s Ashes, she was out of place and it was obvious to everyone. Carol looked like what she was: a 66-year-old former high school English teacher nervously making her way down the halls of a federal penitentiary. Flanked by guards in bulletproof vests, she passed crowds of men, muscular, bald and heavily tattooed beneath prison-issue blue jeans and white T-shirts.

   “They just walked around with their heads down and no sense of purpose,” says Carol. “There’s a lot of misery and an air of sadness. You can totally disappear from the world.” And that’s where Carol comes in. “I grew up in a family where social service was important.” (Her mother was an Anglican priest and Carol was ordained in 1992.) In 2009, she was teaching in Toronto and spending the rest of her time at her country home near Kingston. “There I was, a middle-class woman teaching, preaching and digging in my vegetable garden. I wanted to be more involved with people on the edge of society. I thought, ‘What do I love that I can use?’ ”

   What she loved was books. And that August, Carol found herself sitting in a circle of empty chairs, waiting for 15 convicted criminals to join her for a literary discussion of Angela’s Ashes. “I’d taught in some rough schools before, but my knees were shaking,” she says. The men shuffled in, sat down and said nothing. But by the third meeting all she had to do was ask who wanted to begin.“To see them turned on to books was wonderful.”

   Book Clubs for Inmates is now a registered charity, and Carol is launching a 10th chapter. But holding a book club in prison isn’t easy. When guards bring members in, it can take an hour just to get everyone in the same room. Then, there’s a rush to get back to their cells. (Lateness can land inmates in trouble and possibly segregation.) “The first time I saw a man in segregation, I was horrified.” On hands and knees, she spoke to him through the food slot at the bottom of the door. “These things stay with me — I hope I don’t become immune.”

   Occasionally, Carol has to defend her vocation. Many of us don’t feel kindly toward inmates, but she has come to see most as essentially good people who have done terrible things. “It takes courage to survive in prison.” One man was too frightened to sleep in his first year; another lost his hair from stress. “My goal is to give them hope and aspirations beyond where they came from and whatever put them there in the first place.”

   Carol has introduced inmates to The Cellist of Sarajevo and The Book of Negroes. Discussions arise about self-sacrifice and overcoming adversity. “We try not to be moralistic, but these things come up. Most inmates don’t get anything to help them on the outside. We can’t give them degrees, but we give them other tools.” Kevin Pinto is a former inmate relying on his book club experience to sustain him as he starts over. He’d joined just to get out of his cell. “I stopped reading as a kid and didn’t think I’d enjoy it,” he says. “But Carol gives everyone a chance and encourages you to voice your opinion. That kind of validation is a big thing in prison.” Now Carol often drops books off at his door — she does everything she can to see members succeed on the outside. “It’s taken over my life in the nicest way,” she says. “I’d rather do this than sit in my parish ministry. The men shake your hand and say, ‘I can’t believe you do this for us.’ I’ve never been thanked like that before — this is the most rewarding work I’ve ever done.”

The Prison Book Club

   I love book clubs, but this is one that I will not be attending!
   The author is friends with a woman named Carol Findlay, who started this charity organization.
   Book Clubs for Inmates is run by volunteers who have developed 22 book clubs in penitentiaries in seven provinces.
It is run by a board of directors.
   The author of this book was asked to help in book selection and she was involved for a couple of years with two of the book clubs.  
    This book was interesting for me because I had read most of the books they were discussing.  But I was more interested in a woman who was so committed in her concern for improving the lives of those who spent time in prison.  She follows them to half-way houses, often starting book clubs there.  She uses her influence in an upper-class society to raise money to buy new books, but she continues to use her influence to help to find jobs, or even have proper clothes for a job interview when they are released.  She finds many ways to influence these people in a positive way.
Quote: "Never leave prison with a partly-read book.  You will return to complete it."  (That's what the prisoners say)
   I definitely can see the value of this experience.  Reading fiction is about developing empathy. My guess is that most prisoners never developed any in childhood.  Thus, a life of crime.
  One prisoner said that "literature had elevated something inside".
  Carol, the organizer, planned many experiences for her book clubs.  One experience was "reading in tandem" with a well-to-do book club in Toronto.  They would exchange thoughts on the book they were reading.  It connected the prisoners to the real world and meant that their thoughts were important. Lawrence Hill was one of the authors that Carol arranged to visit some of the book clubs. He was always interested in hearing their thoughts.
  When the author of this book, Ann Wamsley, got involved, she met many of the prisoners individually in order to find their interests and get feed-back on books.  She gave each of the really keen members a notebook to record thoughts.  These 'keeners' were used as ambassadors to encourage the others to finish books and look for new members.

There can never be enough book clubs!

book bags

   Since I love book clubs, I find this library resource helpful.   Each bag holds  seven copies of one book, which is really helpful when many people are needing a copy of the same book.
  There are 98 different titles and the loan period is 6 weeks.
  I have been a strong advocate for book clubs located in local libraries.  We have four branches of our local library and I am delighted that we now have at least one book club in each branch.  There are so many different ways of running a book club and this is the variety that we have so far:
1.) everyone reads the same book to discuss ( 2 different locations)
2.) discussions about books, films, and music- rotating among the local bars and cafes.
3.) B.Y.O.B. - bring your own baby and talk about books
4.) Amnesty International book club - discussion of one book, followed by social action
5.) cook book book club- sharing recipes and cook books

  I have been concerned with the changes in our local "Ideas Unlimited".  Since the name changed, I was afraid that the focus on books would be gone in the midst of art, music, crafts.
You can read my library rant here.
  But I am happier now that the book clubs are developing.
  The library also has developed a branch of Third Age learning, that has outgrown the room available at any library branch, and has been moved to a local church.
   So there still is a focus on books and learning.

The Soul of an Octopus

   My granddaughter Kaitlyn is an aquarist at the Ripley's Aquarium in Toronto. She works with jellyfish, but she loves octopuses and spends time with them when she can.  When she last visited here, she was telling me about the book that she was reading, "The Soul of an Octopus".  I found a copy in the library and began reading.

   Whatever interests the grandchildren, interests me. It helps me understand them and stay connected. When I e-mailed her to say that I had read the book, she was excited and wanted to go for lunch to talk about it .  So the next time she came to town, we did just that!

"The Soul of An Octopus" by Sy Montgomery
Page 1:"It's hard to find an animal more unlike a human than an octopus."

Perhaps that's why they are so fascinating.

The author spent time in the New England Aquarium in Boston learning about the octopus.  Surprisingly enough, my friend Terri and I also spent some time in that aquarium, but the octopus was hidden in the back of his display and we were more interested in the huge display of penguins.

Interesting facts about octopuses (yes, that is the plural)

- although invertibrates are not known for intelligence, the octopus is very smart

- changes color and shape due to emotion and health (excitement turns their skin bumpy and red)

- tastes with its skin
- may have up to 200 suckers on each arm
- each sucker can lift 30 pounds
- one arm in the male is used for sexual purposes
- short life span ( 3 or 4 years)
- 3 hearts
- brain wraps around the throat
- blood is blue
- lays hundreds of eggs the size of a grain of rice, stringing them together and hanging them in strands

  Some people wonder about animals in captivity.  One man who catches octopuses for aquariums, feels that the animals are ambassadors from the wild and will live a long and happy life.

"An aquarium without an octopus is like a plum pudding without a plum."

Octopuses have thoughts, feelings and personalities, but a soul?

A Breathe of Fresh air

  After being so immersed in Canada Reads, I was delighted to read "Rebecca" by Daphne DuMaurier.  It seemed like a breath of fresh air, although it does have a sinister aspect.  The writing is spectacular and I love the description of the British countryside.

Daphne DuMaurier

  DuMaurier has always said that this novel is a study in jealousy, and apparently she knew about jealousy in her personal life.
  The story follows a young woman who marries a widower and moves into his estate, filled with the memories of his first wife.
  Central to the plot is Mrs. Danvers who runs the household and had adored the first Mrs. deWinter, who is the 'Rebecca' of the title.
  The story was macabre enough to gain the attention of Alfred Hitchcock, who made it into a black and white movie, with Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine.
  I had already read one book by this author, "The House on the Strand", but it was not as compelling as this novel.
  I loved it!

Thoughts about Canada Reads 2016

Canada Reads had a new moderator this year.  Gil Deacon is an author and a broadcaster.  I  really didn't like her questions the first day.

1.) Which book least embodies the theme?
2.) Which novel is most relevant to Canada today?
3.) Which book surprised you?

  It was made very clear that this is not a literary discussion but a game show for fun and entertainment.  I guess I always knew that but hoped it would have some literary value.  It was also mentioned that it is not about 'the best', but about the book that all of Canada should read.  So..it really is about the message.  
   My friend Gayle loves to learn something in a book, but I really just want to enjoy the story.  If there is a subtle message that makes me think, I am delighted!
  It was also mentioned that there are serious themes of mental illness, death, trauma, tragedy, DESPAIR. These situations do cause you to 'start over'.  But Vinay brought up the idea of transformation and I think "The Hero's walk" showed that in a powerful way. All of the books addressed 'starting over', but "The Hero's Walk" was more powerful for me because it clearly demonstrated the first step in transformation- admitting that you don't know everything, that you may have been wrong.
  "Minister Without Portfolio" was the first book to be eliminated. But Adam 'Edge' Copeland really did a great job of supporting it. He is a wrestler but his defence of the book was the exact opposite of the book- so articulate.  Metaphor after metaphor!  
   The second day the book eliminated was "Bone and Bread".
The questions were better the second day and the discussion became more interesting.  The first day, none of the panel wanted to say anything negative about any of the books, but the second day the real opinions surfaced.
  I was surprised that Farah was offended when Bruce mentioned that perhaps the Canada Reads book should take place in Canada. That is a question that has often been explored, but she wanted an apology from Bruce.  I didn't understand that.
  The third day, "Birdie" was voted off.  It really is a difficult read.
  And so, the winner is "The Illegal".  Clara supported the book well and was beloved by everyone.  If Clara didn't have to vote for her own book, I think she would have voted to keep "The Hero's Walk".  Even Lawrence Hill, the author of the winning book, expected "The Hero's Walk" to win.
A great panel with thoughtful discussion.  Canada Reads 2016.

Canada Reads- book five

"The Illegal" by Lawrence Hill
   I was such a fan of Lawrence Hill after reading "The Book of Negroes" and hearing him speak.  However, I was incredibly disappointed in this novel.
   It is a timely subject, and I did get a sense of what it would be like to be "illegal". Having a runner for the protagonist seemed like a good idea.  But...
Let's talk about the characters.  They came and went.  I didn't get all of the characters established in my mind early in the story and was always having to think - who is this?  They didn't seem real.  I never got to really know them. 
   Thinking  back, I wish I had been able to connect more because there certainly was a range of interesting characters.  But even Keita, the protagonist, wasn't developed enough to fully connect with him.  I enjoyed Ivernia Beech. She added some lightness and humour to a very 'heavy' story.
   The novel takes place on two small islands in the Indian ocean, Zantoroland and Freedom State (certainly a play on the word 'free'). Both countries have corrupt governments and the novel is full of blackmail, bribes, beatings and killings.  Guns are involved in the final violent scene taking place in the office of the prime minister of "Freedom State".
   Some of the characters had great promise.  John Falconer was in grade nine and was making a documentary. He certainly was central to the story, but his character was also not well-developed.
  The characters were flat, the plot was bizarre, the setting was unreal.  The language was pedestrian (lacking inspiration or excitement; dull).
  I meet with a group of friends to discuss the Canada Reads books in advance of the Canada Reads discussions.  I realized while discussing this book why I didn't enjoy it.   The book is not based on character, plot, setting or language - all the things that I look for and enjoy.  This novel is really a 'message' book. 

 Clara Hughes is a Canadian cyclist and speed skater, who has won many Olympic medals in both sports.  She is also a humanitarian, involved in several charities.

Canada Reads- book four

"The Hero's Walk" by Anita Rau Badami    

I was hooked on the first page!  What amazing writing!  What beautiful description! 
I was so impressed that I kept stopping to write quotes- how delicious!
For some readers, the description may be too detailed, but I have not been to India and I wanted to know every detail including the cow tied to the porch next door.
Right in the first chapter, I got well acquainted with all of the characters and was transported by the description of the setting. Then I was ready to follow the plot.

I cried at the end and realized that this book has great significance!
I agree with a review that I read on amazon :"This book is heart-breaking, gut-wrenching, a page-turner filled with pathos.  I loved it madly!"
I know that this is the best book that I have read in a long time and I am considering that it may tie with my all-time favourite, "Poisonwood Bible".  It is very different but I see a connection.  In fact, it may surpass "Poisonwood Bible" because of the ending. "Poisonwood Bible" showed a man's arrogance and the effect on everyone he met, but this book revealed a man's change of heart that is profound and moved me to tears.

I am very interested in hearing from this man.  

He was born in Brampton and graduated in business from York University.  

He studied filmmaking and theatre in New York. 

 He has written and starred in three movies.  

He screens his movies for high school students, and recent immigrants studying English. 

 He is only 30!

Canada Reads- book three

"Birdie" by Tracey Lindberg

I was looking forward to this book about a Cree woman.  I was hoping to 'get into her head', but I found that that was a confusing place.  This novel follows Birdie's descent into madness.
"She woke up in a room.  And could not move.
She woke up.  In a room.  And was tied to herself.
She woke up.  In a room.  And was herself tied.
She woke up.  In a room.  And found.  She was not changed.
She woke up.
In a room.
And learned.
She was crazy."

Each chapter starts with Cree vocabulary and a traditional Cree story about an owl winds through the novel.  The story is mostly flashbacks and at times, I got lost.
There was some beautiful writing, but I struggled to understand what was actually happening.  Perhaps I needed to stand back and just try to get the general feel of the book.  The language and traditions made me feel that I was an outsider.  
I would expect that it would be a spectacular read for Cree women, but the general public?
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Who is supporting "Birdie"?

  Bruce began the travel company 'G Adventures'.  He has also written the book "Looptail: How One Company Changed the World by Reinventing", which is the story of his travel company.

We know how excited I am about reinvention.  He changed the world?

Canada Reads- book two

"Bone and Bread" by Saleema Nawaz

   This cover is interesting because the book is about two sisters, Beena and Sadhana Singh. They were born in Montreal, where their Indian-born father had owned a bagel shop but died young.  Their mother was a Californian (born in Ireland) who loved yoga and chanting, and she also died when the girls were teenagers.
   The girls had been very close and I enjoyed the description of this relationship: "We had a hard time knowing where one of us left off and the other began".
  Their uncle took over their guardianship and the problems began. "Uncle had come into our house like our own misery made flesh, and in his blunt bulk had become the wedge around which my sister and I could no longer see eye to eye."
  This novel alternates between two storylines- the present and the past.  In the present, Beena has died and Sadhana is unable to cope with her grief.  The storyline dealing with the past -the early years of the girls was more interesting to me.
  I'm not sure about the theme of 'starting over'.  This book is more about Sadhana's grief and inability to 'start over'.  
  I wondered if a book about grief would appeal to readers, but "February" by Lisa Moore won in 2013.  The theme of that book is an oil rig disaster in Newfoundland and a widow dealing with her grief.
  There is no question that this book is beautifully written!
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Who is supporting this book?

Farah Mohamed is a social entrepreneur.  She began G(irls)20, where one delegate from each G20 country gathers to work on methods to cultivate a new generation of female leaders.

Rules for Writing

   I have been putting some thought into the idea of the rules of composition-  syntax, grammar, punctuation.
   I ranted about "Minister Without Portfolio" and constantly wondered why an author would choose that style of writing.  And further, why Canada Reads would choose such a novel as the best writing in Canada.

Abstract Art

   Then I thought about the visual arts.  And I realized that for all the rules in any discipline, there are those who desire to think outside of the box and break the 'norms'.
   There are rules of composition in the visual arts, but then there is abstract art. And many artists enjoy this form of expression, also.
   Reading is really about learning about yourself to some extent.  I probably already knew that I am generally not interested in innovation- especially when things are working well.
   And so, I really don't appreciate novels that are written in puzzle format where you have to put the plot together as you go, or figure out what this conglomeration of words is about.

Landscape Art

   I love Victorian literature and don't think it can be improved in any way, shape or form.  The introduction sets the who, what and where.  Then the plot carries you along, hopefully with a fascinating climax.
  But that is just me.  And the world is full of diverse thought.
   I still love Thomas Hardy and Jane Austen. 
   And landscape art!
The artist for this painting is my friend Christina Preece.  Love it!
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In my angst about grammar, I forgot to mention who is supporting "Minister Without Portfolio".

Adam will be able to address the theme of Canada Reads this year- "starting over".  He was a professional wrestler (The Edge) until he retired in 2011.  He has been acting since then.

Canada Reads- book one

   Canada Reads has chosen their 5 panelists and each panelist has chosen a book that represents the difficulties of 'starting over'.
This is the book that I decided to read first.
"Minister Without Portfolio" by Michael Winter.
   What a disappointment!  The sentence structure was so poor that I felt that I was reading an elementary school student's writing.  I kept feeling that I needed to correct it- "No, that sentence is not complete, that punctuation is not correct", etc. etc. 
   Of course, punctuation is not an issue for a lot of authors these days. This book has a complete lack of quotation marks, which seems to be fairly common in novels today.
   But the sentence structure was so terrible, that I could not focus on the narrative.
   I had to look up 'syntax' to see if it is still in the dictionary.  Did I come from another planet, where they were conscious of syntax and punctuation?
   I would love to know who decided that grammar (including punctuation and syntax) no longer matters.