What do you read when you are not feeling well?
   I am dealing with a case of shingles and haven't been able to find anything to read that interests me.  It has been difficult to concentrate and so I tried listening to my favourite book ("Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver) on tape.  Unfortunately, the reader was very brisk and clipped, with no expression in her voice.  I gave up on that.

Barbara Kingsolver

  Then I realized that I had Barbara Kingsolver's newest novel on my bookshelf.  I have read four of Kingsolver's books and enjoyed every one.  Her writing is exquisite!
  I wrote a blog about "Flight Behaviour "in 2013, my first year of blogging.  That book was very detailed about the environment- butterflies in particular.  It had a great deal of science in the book.

   Well, her new book, "Unsheltered" has even more science.  It was not the best book for me in my situation.  However, I finally finished it and can say that it has great merit!
  There are two storylines with alternating chapters.  That was too complicated for my state of health, so I read one storyline at a time.
   The stories were 100 years apart but in the same area of Vineland, New Jersey and focussed on science (mostly botany)- especially Darwinism.  And it does get into a court case.  There were references to many things in the past, but also the present.  

   One chapter started with: "He said he could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and people would still vote for him.  Am I dreaming this, Willa asked."
  Well, I was shocked that Barbara Kingsolver dropped this statement into the novel so casually, with no mention of the real person who used these words.  I was also surprised at some of the crude dialogue.  But perhaps she thought that it made the character more true to the times.
  However, her sentences were, once again, beautifully crafted.  She is the master of metaphor.

A new kind of book club

Have you heard of a silent book club?

   The first silent book club was started in San Francisco in 2012 by Guinevere de la Mare and Laura Gluhanich.   
   There are now more that 60 chapters- some in Toronto.
   Silent book clubs choose public places- mostly coffee shops.  Each person brings a book along.  They begin by giving each person a chance to briefly describe what they are reading and what they plan to read.  Then there is an hour of SILENCE.  They read uninterrupted and undistracted.  When the time is up, some leave, others hang around and talk.

Quote: "To have a silent place to read for a whole uninterrupted hour, you really get into the book you're reading and that encourages you to finish the book".

  Silent book clubs are felt to be a stress-free alternative to traditional book clubs because you don't have a deadline to finish a book, no need to answer questions and enter into discussion, and no one needs to host the group.

Quote: "I love seeing the same faces month after month.  I've met so many people and made lasting friendships with people who have been coming to SBC for years, which is funny to think that you can become such good friends with people who get together once a month not to talk." (Guinevere de la Mare).

   Jo Nelson, one of the organizers in Toronto, had been a part of a book club where the members complained about the book choices.
   She describes her SBC group this way: "Members sit around conjoined tables at a coffee shop, in the area of Danforth Avenue and Main Street, in a spot marked with a sign that reads "Reserved for Book Club", on a Saturday morning every month and share what they brought to read before the silent reading hour.  We've got a pact.  You have permission to read for an hour with no other interruptions.  So far, readers have brought upwards of 300 different books to the meetings."

"The Last Resort" by Marissa Stapley

  What is more exciting than author visits for readers?
  Before her latest book was on the library shelves, Marissa Stapley was visiting the Kitchener Public Library.  I went with my daughter.  Here we are with Marissa.

Wendy, guest blogger

  My daughter's friend, Wendy, accompanied us to the author reading.  When I discovered that Wendy enjoys writing, I asked her to be my 'guest blogger'. 
                                                   Thank you Wendy for this excellent review!

   I didn’t like any of the characters when I began my reading journey. It was not until I learned their individual stories and troubles that I began to sympathize with each of them. It wasn’t until later that I began rooting for them. Every good story requires tension and conflict. One character carries that responsibility to the fullest, building in intensity from page one right to the end. But I won’t tell you more than that, you’ll have to discover that on your own.

 The tag line for the novel is “We all have thirteen secrets. Five stay buried forever, but the rest will be revealed.” As you can imagine even before opening the book you have all the ingredients for a great story; an exotic secluded resort, twelve couples, intense therapy sessions and secrets. The author does not disappoint. 

   The story is centered on the secrets of four women; Grace, Johanna, Shell and Ruth. The setting is paradise, somewhere on the Mayan peninsula. A couples therapy resort lead by Miles and Grace Markel, counselling experts that have built an empire fixing broken couples - or your money fully refunded.

   Two couples are in the spotlight; Shell and Colin, Johanna and Ben. Consider making note of who is with whom and what their main issue is. I found it a bit difficult to remember each character, spouse and issue as the story went along. Each chapter is told in a different point of view, not that there are too many, but it may help to keep a roadmap handy. 

   The story arc is like one of those really sharp green covered mountains. The climb may take some dedicated effort, but the peak pulls you over to the downward side which you’ll find is the can’t-put-it down part of this fascinating psychological thriller. 

   It has a great ending. That’s all I’ll tell you and perhaps that is giving away too much.

Marissa Stapley is the Globe and Mail bestselling author of the novels Mating for Life, Things to Do When It's Raining and The Last Resort. Her fiction has been published around the world and her journalism has appeared in magazines and newspapers across North America. She has taught creative writing and editing at the University of Toronto and Centennial College, and still mentors/teaches a small group of writing students every year. She lives in Toronto with her family. Goodreads Author

"The Virgin Cure" by Ami McKay

   This historical novel was inspired by a photograph of the author's great great grandmother, who had been a doctor in New York City in the late-1800's, caring for the poor. 
  Rather than have the doctor as the central character, the author chose to focus on a 12-year-old girl named "Moth".
   Moth grew up in poverty, with a father who abandoned the family and a mother who made her business in fortune telling and sold Moth as a maid to a woman of society.  Quote: "The woman of society does little but doff and don dry goods".  There was much description of complex layers of clothing.  The wealthy women changed their attire often.  However, this 'woman of society' was abusive and Moth escaped into the streets of New York, joining a multitude of homeless street children.  In fact, it is recorded that there were 30,000 children living on the streets of New York in 1871.
   Moth had a vision of wealth that she yearned to attain, spending time watching Miss. Keteltas' house constantly, every chance she had to pass it- looking in the windows, walking around the house, dreaming about the house and its furnishings.  
  Moth was enticed into a brothel where she was groomed by Miss. Everett, while Dr. Sadie, who climbed in and out of tenements caring for the poor, tried to save Moth.  Moth was only 12, but felt that she must complete her contract with the brothel, and then immediately escaped to Dr. Sadie's home after giving up her virginity to the highest bidder.
  Moth did end up 'a woman of society' by working for Mr. Dink's Museum and Palace of Illusion.
  Whoops!   I gave away the ending.  But there is much description of New York in this time period that is certainly worth reading. 
  There is talk of "first-time men"' who want to have sex with virgins.  Often their purpose was to cure syphilis, which was rampant.  Thus, the title "The Virgin Cure".
   The author does a great deal of research for her books.  In this novel there were sidebars with quotes from newspapers and magazines of the day, letters, and other information from that time period in New York City.
  Some people found the sidebars annoying and others found that it added to the authenticity of the novel.

Ami Mckay

  Ami KcKay is known for her first book "The Birth House" (c2006), which was very popular.  "The Virgin Cure" was written in 2011.  Ami has written 3 other novels and recently published a memoir of her family's medical history.

"Good to a Fault" by Marina Endicott

   

   I found many questions to ponder in this novel: What does it mean to be good?  Is there a difference between 'doing good' and 'being good'? What do we owe other people?  What do we deserve in return?
  There are moral, social and spiritual questions in this novel.
  The cast of characters is fascinating.

  Clara Purdy, 43, was on her way to work when she hit a car carrying 6 passengers- all part of a homeless family- mother, father, 3 children, and a grandmother.  While at the hospital being checked, it is discovered that the mother has cancer.  Since the family was living in their car, Clara brings them all to her home.
  Clara's life had been very 'empty' since the passing of her mother.  She is described in this way: "Her self was an abandoned sampler, half the letters unstitched, the picture in the middle still vague".
  Well, her life certainly becomes 'exciting', but perhaps too much excitement.  The father steals her car and leaves, and she falls in love with an Anglican minister who seems only to be able to express himself by quoting famous poets.  All this, while caring for three young children and an elderly woman.
   Clara's chaotic life changes when the mother recovers and the father reappears and moves the family out of Clara's house without mentioning anything to Clara.
   Now what?  

  I read this book in 2010, because it had been a finalist for the Giller Prize.  On re-reading it this time, I was impressed with the ending of the novel.  Although you are not sure what will happen to the characters, there is a satisfaction as the whole cast of characters gathers at a picnic.  And Clara...."At last her mind was not noisy with wanting and her heart had satisfied its longings".

"Educated" by Tara Westover

Just look at the covers for this novel that was just published last year(c2018). Interesting variety.

    This is an autobiography that is gripping.  Tara Westover grew up in an isolated area of Idaho.  Her father did not believe in government, medicine, or education.  As Mormons, they expected the girls to marry and have a family.  The seven children were supposedly home-schooled, but there was not much education at all.  Tara actually taught herself every chance she had, and eventually she passed the test to enter Brigham Young University on a scholarship.
    The father of the family had a junkyard where the children worked in very dangerous situations and often were injured, because they had no instruction or supervision and they were working from a young age.  The father was not only preparing for the end of the world, but he was also mentally ill.  The mother would never go against the father. She was a midwife and she developed a large business making herbal remedies.
   The family was always in turmoil.  There was abuse as well as neglect. 
   Tara eventually achieved a PHD. in History.
   There is a lot of controversy about this book on the internet.   I read comments made by her brothers, but who knows if it really was them speaking?  There is even a letter from the family lawyer.  But, a memoir is one person's experience and it is impossible for seven children to all have the same recollections and thoughts about their family.  Tara was the youngest and also very bright.
  My concern all the way through the book was, "Who could have changed the course of that family?"   Because they lived in a remote area, I don't expect 'family and children services' was available, and any interference would have caused an uproar worse than the actual events.  There were two sets of grandparents not too far away and it appears that they must have been aware of much of the family turmoil.  I constantly wondered what they could have done.
  The memoir is disturbing, but very well-written.

 

Lisa See

Lisa See

   The first book that I read by this author was "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" and I really enjoyed the novel, because you learn so much about how Chinese women lived in the past.
  The story took place in 1823.  Lily, at 80, is reflecting on her life. Foot binding is described in detail, as well as another form of 'binding' called 'Laotong'. This is a relationship between two women that is very strong and formal, lasting for life.  A woman could only have one 'laotong'.  Often that relationship was formed

when two baby girls were born and the matchmaker would match them by their astrological signs, similar to an arranged marriage. Frequently, the girls would develop a private language used only for communicating between the two of them, so that no one else could understand.
   As you can imagine, life circumstances sometimes strained or broke those commitments, as in the case of Lily and Snow Flower.  But when Snow Flower was dying, she asked for Lily.
  It was fascinating to read about women's lives in China during that time- their inferior status, their ceremonies and rituals, and the superstitions of daily life.
Quote: "Only through pain will you have beauty.  Only through suffering will you have peace."

 This month, our library book club is reading Lisa See's latest book, "The Island of Sea Women".  Although the word 'laotong' is not used, this novel is also about the friendship of women and two in particular- Young-sook and Mi-ja.
  This story takes place from 1938 to 2008. 
   It is also about 'haenyeo'- women divers, who make a living from the sea, while their husbands stay home and care for the children- a matrilineal society.
  This novel takes place on the island of Jeju, south of Korea.
  The language is amazing and the characters are extremely well-developed.  It was a difficult life and there is considerable violence in the novel.  This is a novel that you will not soon forget.
   Isn't the cover wonderful?  It clearly reflects the heart of the novel.

Alan Brennert

Alan Brennert

   I really enjoy the novels of this author.  He is able to describe big historical events  using intimate family stories. Click here to read about two of them: "Moloka'i" and "Honolulu". 
   "Moloka'i" was written in 2004 and was very popular, but it was 15 years before Alan Brennert followed up with "Daughter of Moloka'i", and I was delighted to find it on the library shelves.

   "Moloka'i" is the story of Rachel Kalama, who grew up in a leprosy colony in Hawaii, gave birth to a baby girl, who was taken from her at birth and isolated for a year to see if she carried leprosy.  Since she was a healthy baby, she was moved to an orphanage, where she was adopted by loving Japanese parents.
  She grew up with three brothers and hard-working parents.  However, during World War II, they were interned at Manzanar Relocation Camp.
   There is great detail about this camp.  There is also an understanding of Japanese culture throughout this book, based strongly in 'honour'.  Fascinating characters!
   The book follows this baby, Ruth, who had been born in the leprosy colony.  In middle age, she discovered not only her birth mother, but a part of her heritage.
   Because of the love developed throughout the story, there are bound to be tears- of joy, of sadness.  There is a lot of emotion in this book and I enjoyed it!

"Rollback" by Robert Sawyer

  This is The Old Post Office- a branch of 'Idea Exchange', which is the name of our public library system.
  This building 's purpose:
"This will be a building with innovative technology programs for children, teens, parents and seniors.  A true community gathering place for discovery and lifelong learning" (Gary Price, board chair).

    In other words, a bookless library.  While I struggle with this concept, it was the perfect place to celebrate the Preston library book club's 7th anniversary.  
   We had a tour of the building and then a discussion of the book "Rollback" by Robert Sawyer.  The book was our first science fiction, and it was not a hit with the book club.  We felt that the characters were not clearly developed and the writing was not great.  Many parts were very unrealistic, but it is science fiction and not meant to be completely realistic, I expect.
  However, it was a great place for a photo.  This was part of the tour and not everyone is in this picture.

A special treat for me was the fact that our granddaughter from Toronto joined us for this special 7 year anniversary of the book club.  She even read the book!

Joni and Ken: an untold love story

 
   This certainly is an extraordinary love story, since Joni Eareckson is a quadriplegic.   I have just posted a couple of blogs about Philippe Pozzo di Borgo, who was also a quadriplegic.  It was interesting to go from one book to another.
  I have had two women in my life that had ALS and I have always realized how fortunate I am to be able to roll over in bed.  Imagine not being able to do so.  Both Joni and Philippe lived in that situation, depending on other people for everything, absolutely everything!


   Well, Joni has written many books about how her faith has been important in her life, after breaking her neck in a diving accident as a teenager.  This book has a wonderful twist, in that she found a great life partner.  But it also makes it clear that a loving, caring husband does not necessarily make the path easier.  There are complications in relationships and certainly there were immense challenges in this love story.
  Joni was really a celebrity when Ken fell in love with her and the love he had for her may have caused him to underestimate the challenges of a marriage to a quadriplegic.  Even though she was paralyzed, she had chronic pain and needed constant attention.  Add to that a bout with cancer and a broken leg.
  Although Ken wanted to take on much of her care, he struggled to keep his teaching and coaching jobs as well.  Eventually, Joni and Ken drifted apart emotionally.  Much of this book tells how they were able to develop a deeper faith and unite in their purpose and faith in God.  They have been married over 35 years.
   A very inspiring story.

"A Second Wind" by Philippe Pozzo di Borgo

   

Philippe Pozzo di Borgo

 First I saw the movie "The Upside", the story of Philippe, a quadriplegic, and Abdel, his caretaker.  Then I read the book of the same name, written by Abdel Sellou.  But I still wanted to hear from Philippe, himself. 
   I discovered that Philippe had written a book in 2001 called "A Second Wind".  So I was able to get an inter-library loan, in order to get Philippe's side of the story.
 

  
     It is a story of great physical struggles.  Not only did Philippe become a quadriplegic at 42, but his wife was dying of cancer.  She was sick for 17 years.
   They had also had great struggles with starting a family.  Beatrice (Philippe's wife) had had many miscarriages as well as giving birth to a dead baby.  They finally adopted two children.  This is the real cover when the book was first published.
  
 

  

   But...this is the cover now.  What a disappointment.
 Even though this autobiography of Philippe was written eighteen year ago, the cover has been replaced with one from the movie.  Actors on the cover of a real autobiography!


 
    I was very interested in hearing from Philippe himself.  The movie focussed on the relationship between Philippe and Abdul that lasted for ten years. However, "A Second Wind" covers  much more of Philippe's life.
   This is the way Philippe describes Abdul: "He was unbearable, vain, proud, brutal, inconsistent, human.  Without him, I would have rotted to death.  Abdel looked after me without fail, as if I was a babe in arms.  Attentive to the smallest detail, close to me when I was miles away from myself, he set me free when I was a prisoner, protected me when I was weak, made me laugh when I cried.  He was my guardian devil."
   This aspect of the 'guardian devil' is a big part of the movie, as Abdel does many irregular and even illegal acts in order to bring Philippe out of his depression after his wife died.
    I have discovered that Philippe wrote another book to follow "A Second Wind".  The follow-up is called "The Guardian Devil", but I have not attempted to search that one out.  I think I have exhausted my interest in this story, fascinating tho' it be!

"The Upside" by Abdel Sellou

   This is the true story of Abdel Sellou, a Muslim, born in Algeria in 1975. At age four, he was taken to Paris to be raised by an aunt and uncle, along with his brother. The sister stayed with her parents.

   Abdul began shoplifting as a child, was a fighter on the playground, continued a life of crime, and ended up in jail.
 When he got out of prison, he ended up with a job as caretaker for Philippe, a very wealthy quadriplegic.

  The cover of the book is from the movie, which I have seen.  Here are the real characters and the movie characters.

   This is the real Abdel Sellou, who wrote this book.

  

 This is Kevin Hart, the actor who played the role of Abdel.  

    

This is Bryan Cranston, the actor, who played the role of the wealthy paraphlegic.

   

  This is the real Philippe Pozzo Di Borgo, who wanted the comedic aspects of the story brought out, to make people laugh, rather than pity him.

  There were many comedic and touching moments as these two men from two very different worlds, came together.    Philippe came from a long line of aristocrats, had the best education and talked intelligently.  AND he had a great sense of humour.  He called Abdel "his guardian demon".  Abdel had come from a life of crime, but they developed a friendship that changed both of them.

  The movie does not finish the story, but the book tells that Abdel worked for Philippe for ten years, and now he lives back in Algeria with a wife and children, running a chicken farm.

  Philippe has married and lives in Morocco, and the two men still keep in touch.

  Check out this great photo.  Philippe had become a paraphelic because of a paragliding accident, but Abdel had him back in the sky. ( the real men on the left, the actors on the right).

Lawrence Hill

   The first book I read that was written by Lawrence Hill was "The Book of Negroes".  It was the book chosen for "One Book, One Community" in 2009.  I loved it!  It also won Canada Reads that year.  It is a marvellous book.
  Then I read "The Illegal" which is also written by Lawrence Hill and was also chosen for Canada Reads in 2016.  You can read my disappointment in that book here.
   And now "Any Known Blood" is our book club choice and it is another disappointment for me.  There is much to admire in this book - lots of history of the blacks, especially in Oakville, Ontario.  And interesting characters- an important ingredient.  But the method of storytelling is not easy to follow..
   The novel covers five generations of "Langston Canes".  If only he had written the book chronologically!  I would have loved it.  But he moved back and forth between the generations and characters through the whole book, making it quite confusing.  And the book could have been edited.  It did not need to be 512 pages.  

Canada Reads. final thoughts

   Canada Reads 2019

The Panel:

host Ali Hassan

Chuck Comeau

Lisa Ray

Ziya Tong

Yanic Truesdale

Joe Zee

   The panel this year was not as combative as other years.  In the past, there has been more talk about 'strategy' and sometimes it seemed that the panel wanted to get rid of the best book first so there was more chance for the book they were promoting.  That was irritating.  But this year, they appeared to honestly care about the best book winning.

  The theme this year was: "One Book to Move You".  Perhaps that is why the books were so sad and difficult to read.  The themes of the books were: war, mental illness, grief, racism, hate crimes, the holocaust, abandonment- you get the picture.

   It was even hard to listen to the trailers for the books.  The panel members were looking at issues that are disturbing in the world today and, of course, there are many such books.

   But only two of the books had any sense of hope, and they were the last two books to be voted out.  They were the two books that moved you without devastating you.  I would have been happy to see a tie between these two books- ""Homes" by Abu Bakr al Rabeeah and "By Chance Alone" by Max Eisen. 

And the winner was..."By Chance Alone".

  Although I was not pleased with the choice of books, I did feel that the panel worked hard to promote Canadian books in a positive way.  They were supportive of each other and put a great deal of preparation into making the discussion interesting.  

Canada Reads, book 5: "Homes"

Abu Bakr Al Rabeeah

  This memoir "Homes" is the story of Abu Bakr al Rabeeah, as told to his teacher Winnie Yeung, when Abu was 15 years old.
   It tells of a childhood spent in Syria, in a very tight extended family with much warmth and security. Many hours playing video games or soccer. However,  Abu was only 10 when civil war broke out.
  Most of the book is the description of the horrors of the war.  But Abu's family of 10 was eventually able to immigrate to Canada.
   Winnie Yeung did a great job of describing not only their time in Syria, but also the immigrant experience in Edmonton.

Canada Reads, book 4: "The Woo Woo"

  
  This is another book that brings out differing opinions.  I have just read three five-star reviews of this book that call it "darkly comedic", and they enjoyed it greatly.
   I thought it was a horrific story and I could not wait to finish it.
  The author, Lindsay Wong, writes about her childhood in Vancouver, where mental illness reigns supreme in her extended Chinese family!  Her grandmother is a paranoid schizophrenic.  There were 8 connected families (70 people) who all seem to be suffering with ghosts and demons possessing them (the Woo Woo).


Quotes:
  "In that moment I was very aware that my mother might not ever fully recover.  And I was scared that we were all going to be spastic, cosmic orphans, pathetic little planets spinning non-stop, if my father didn't pull himself together and teach us how to effectively orbit around our out-in-space mother."
   "I was beginning to realize that the madness in our DNA was a life-threatening disease, transmitted like a pesky airborne infection, attacking and mutating the pink and grey confetti cells of the brain."
  "We were a product of untreated mental illness that had escalated for generations".

Lindsay Wong

   


  There are 300 pages of descriptions of dysfunction that is extreme and bizarre.   Somehow, the author managed to graduate from Columbia University with an MFA and now is an author who has won many awards. 
  She always was afraid that she would follow her mother and grandmother in being taken over by ghosts and demons, but actually her sickness has been identified as "migraine-related vestibulopathy".

Canada Reads, book 3 . "Brother"

author

   

   David Chariandy has written two novels.  His first novel received recognition from 11 literary awards juries.  His second novel, "Brother" has already been included in 8 Best Book of 2017  lists.  It is on the Giller longlist.  So it may be a good choice for Canada Reads when the topic is "One book to move you".
   David grew up in Toronto but now teaches in Vancouver.

   As expected, it is novel about brothers.  Their parents came from Trinidad and their father has disappeared, leaving their mother to work long hours to put food on the table.  The boys are growing up in a housing complex in Scarborough, surrounded by violence and a strong police presence. 
  The boys escape into the Rouge Valley often as young boys, but later begin to frequent Desirea's- where there are many bodies pressed into a small, hot room with loud music and drinking- often ending up with violence.
   The novel is told in the first person and this quote shows the discouragement of the boys: "We were losers and neighbourhood schemers.  We were the children of the help, without futures.  We were, none of us, what our parents wanted us to be. We were not what any other adults wanted us to be.  We were nobodies, or else, somehow, a city." 
  I found this very short, beautifully written book very sad and hopeless.  It didn't move me, it depressed me.  I need a ray of hope in every novel.

Canada Reads, book 2

    What a cover!  A fuzzy picture of a woman - doing what?
  Perhaps this is significant of the fact that the character "Suzanne" was not well-known.  She was elusive.
  She left her daughter when she was three, then 27 years later, she arrived at her granddaughter's birth.
   Ten years later, the granddaughter is watching from a window. 
Quote: 'On the other side (of the street), a woman falters, her long coat no longer enough to protect her.  Some things children can guess, and even though I don't know you, I sense you in this waltz of hesitation.  You cross the street in long strides, your toes barely landing.  A water spider.  You dart, you head toward us, leaving no trace of yourself on the ground.  You slide a small book into the mailbox before slipping off, yet again.  But right before you disappear, you look at me.  I promise myself I will catch up with you one day."

  The author, Anais Barbeau-Lavalette, searched out information about her grandmother and wrote this fictionalized biography.
  Suzanne Barbeau, the grandmother, had left her family and connected with artists in the Automatist Movement in Quebec.
  Anais' writing, in some ways, reflected the non-conformist ways of her grandmother.  But Anais has had more success in her artistic efforts and in her life also, hopefully.  She is a Canadian writer, film director, and screenwriter.  
  Her grandmother's life was extremely sad and chaotic.  I found it hard to read.  The method of storytelling further confused the story for me.

Canada Reads, book 1 "By Chance Alone"

  I decided to start my reading with this book.  I knew that it would be sad, but probably all of them will be sad.
  One of my favourite books is "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl.  Frankl's experience in the holocaust was similar to Max Eisen's- they both lost their whole family.  But Frankl said this: "We can discover the meaning of life by the attitude we take toward unavoidable suffering.  For what then matters is to bear witness to the uniquely human potential at its best, which is to transform a personal tragedy into a triumph, to turn one's predicament into a human achievement.  When we cannot change the situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.  We need to be responsible for our existence."
   I thought that was a powerful message.  And this book also shows the triumph of the human spirit in the face of immense suffering.
  
  Max Eisen was only nine when Nazi Germany invaded Czechoslovakia, where Max lived with his Jewish family.  They eventually ended up in Auschwitz-Birkenau.  Max was the only survivor in his family and he ended up in 1946 in a school for orphans in Brandenburg, Germany, where he finished his schooling until age 20.  Then he was able to get passage to Canada, where he lives today.
  The details written in the book are horrendous as you would expect.  But I was riveted to Max's story.  It is a powerful story.
  The last time Max saw his father, his father gave him a blessing and told him to 'tell the story'.  And that is what Max has been doing as he travels and speaks to many groups.  His mission: "telling the story of our collective suffering so it will never be forgotten".  He had great difficulty at first trying to get that story put into a book, but eventually he found an editor to work with him to bring out all the details that were needed to make the story as powerful as it is. 
  His warning to all is "stand on guard against radical ideologies and never be a bystander".

Canada Reads 2019

     It's that time of year again!  The final five books have been chosen for Canada Reads 2019.

     I have followed this debate since it began in 2002 and here is the panel that will be debating this year.

left to right:

Ali Hassan is the host

Yanic Truesdale is defending "Suzanne" by Anais Barbeau- Lavalette

Lisa Ray is defending "Brother" by David Chariandy

Joe Zee is defending "The Woo Woo" by Lindsay Wong

Ziya Tong is defending "By Chance Alone" by Max Eisen

Chuck Comeau is defending "Homes" by Abu Bakr al Rabeeah

As soon as the announcement was made, I searched out the books and began reading.

  A few years ago, a group of my friends decided to have a discussion group for the purpose of discussing Canada Reads books.  We have our own discussions on each book and then we are ready to fully enjoy the three days of discussion - on CBC radio and usually shown on T.V.  The dates this year are March 25-28.

   By the way, the theme this year is: "One book to move you".