Awake in the Floating City: A Novel
by Susanna Kwan
Awake in the Floating City by Susanna Kwan (4/21/2025)
Readers who enjoy descriptive stories that allow for contemplation or reflection will especially like this book. The setting is intentionally dreary due to mass flooding from climate change. Many lost their lives and many now live in buildings with the first few floors underwater and unusable. The story provides opportunities to reflect on the past, loss of people and community, the need to document change, and individual people's purpose in life.
I really enjoyed the part of the story about a 130-year-old woman, watching her age and seeing the exceptional care that she received from her caregiver was so interesting and timely for me because my mother is 104. The complicated relationship between mothers and daughters was highlighted. I also enjoyed learning about the involved process that an artist uses while making art and about the importance of memorializing and honoring everyday people's lives. After the flood, I wonder if I would have been one who stayed or one who left.
Help Wanted: A Novel
by Adelle Waldman
Help Wanted by Adelle Waldman (1/3/2024)
I loved this book. It was so interesting to read about the people who worked in the early morning to unload the delivery trucks at a retail store. Each had his/her own challenges and life situations that influenced where and when they could work. Some workers had to deal with snafus with social services, childcare problems, lack of transportation, unreliable living arrangements, and relationship turmoil. Some of their hardships were compounded by actions that the retail store implemented, including changes in their work hours, too few work hours to qualify for insurance, and unrealistic goals for each work day. Also, much of management was out of touch with the workers and lacked an understanding of their needs. In contrast, the retail store was up against some new challenges of its own, primarily the need to compete with online stores which have some unique advantages.
Relationships, support systems, and friendships are necessary for people to navigate life. Waldman highlights this while revealing the quirky characters. My book club will enjoy discussing this story. Years ago, we read Nickel and Dimed. Help Wanted is a bit of a fictional version of it.
Daughters of Shandong
by Eve J. Chung
Daughters of Shandong (11/9/2023)
I loved this story set during the Communist takeover of China. I learned about the history and culture of China which highlighted the destruction of the people and their way of life during this time, the brutality of war, and gender inequality. From the story's emphasis on gender inequality, I learned about the damage that it has on individuals and its harsh effects on society. I was moved by the relationships and the portrayal of the mother and her daughters in their relentless struggle to survive as their lives were continually torn apart. I was uplifted to read about the kindness that some people displayed helping others in similar situations while enduring unspeakable hardship. I have added this book to my list for our book club and look forward to a meaningful discussion.
Above the Salt: A Novel
by Katherine Vaz
Above the Salt (10/5/2023)
The story began in the mid-nineteenth century in Madeira, a Portuguese Island, and continued to the early twentieth century in the United States. It was interesting to read about the world during this time span. The story showed the struggles to survive through hardships, religious persecution, poverty, being an immigrant in a new homeland, poverty, and social class injustices.
It is very difficult to understand the conflicts among different branches of Christianity throughout time, especially when a certain population is driven from its homeland. This is the catalyst that brings the main characters to the United States. The portrayal of the Civil War is brutal and a reminder of the senselessness of war. Love is a constant theme throughout the book, including the great love of parents for their birth children and adopted children, romantic love that endures all challenges, and love of religion and native lands.
The story also depicts a strong, capable women who was ahead of her time and how inventions enrich everyday life. It also provided a lesson in botany and horticulture. Although the story began a little slow and moved ahead quickly at times, it pulled at my heart.
Digging Stars: A Novel
by Novuyo Rosa Tshuma
Digging Stars by Novuyo Rosa Tshuma (7/13/2023)
Digging Stars is a story about a young girl living in Zimbabwe whose accomplished father lives in America. Through the story, I was allowed to see how children's perceptions of their parents and of other countries influence their lives and how perceptions can change as people grow and experience life. The story reveals how differently the characters respond to new knowledge about culture, countries, relationships, and the importance of education. Experiences of poverty and injustice are woven throughout the story. The daughter and father shared a common interest in studying and looking in awe at the stars and constellations and later in studying astronomy and space travel. It is an interesting, thoughtful story.
The All-American: A Novel
by Joe Milan Jr.
The All-American (2/3/2023)
It was so interesting to read a book from a male teen's/young man's perspective and how he compared life events to football. The emotions of the teen, Bucky, are raw and evident. The story provides a glimpse into how some people living in poverty in rural America live, including impoverished adults who care for other people's abandoned children and the impact of student participation in sports, which gives them a place at school, a purpose for the future, and a frame of reference for making sense of happenings as they grow. The story also sheds light on the atrocity of deporting people to their birth country when they have lived in the United States since they were young children. It is unimaginable to watch someone thrust into a country not knowing the language and customs, with no money and no support network. I can't imagine feeling so alone and helpless, but some people make it through unforeseen hard times.
The Nazi Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill
by Brad Meltzer, Josh Mensch
The Nazi Conspiracy (12/30/2022)
For people who do not enjoy history books, this story is written in an interesting, readable style. While reading about the conspiracy, the story also tells of the culture and politics of the time. The reality that unchecked power can lead to such oppression, prejudice, and aggression is difficult to understand, resulting in death, destruction, and other atrocities of war. The story includes a fascinating account of the meeting of the Allied leaders, FDR, Churchill, and Stalin in Tehran that includes security issues related to their meeting, tales of lesser-known individuals, the commitment to victory with unconditional surrender, and the importance of structuring a postwar world for peace. For me, this book is a reminder of the importance of remembering history and of having exceptional leaders, especially in trying times.
The Immortal King Rao: A Novel
by Vauhini Vara
The Immortal King Rao (4/6/2022)
This is a thought-provoking story with timely treatments of climate change, economic systems, wealth disparity, resistance, and the influence of technology. Vara writes of a new government in which people of the world become "Shareholders" and build up social capital in corporations that replace the government. The new government derives from a computer company that is founded by a man that was born a Dalit in India and immigrated to the United States for graduate school. His early life in India is interspersed in the story. I found this story to be both fascinating and disturbing.
Peach Blossom Spring: A Novel
by Melissa Fu
Peach Blossom Spring (2/22/2022)
Reading about other cultures and history deepens my understanding of the world. From Peach Blossom Spring, I learned about the culture and history, beginning in 1938, of China and later of Taiwan. The struggles and upheaval of the people created by war were heartbreaking. Along with the despair, shattered dreams, and loss, the story shows how people adapted to new living conditions, banded together with supportive nonfamily members to survive, and made sacrifices for their family. The significance of shared stories that bind people together and the importance of learning about one's heritage are explored. As I reflected on this story, I realized that some people are incredibly fortunate to have a remarkable family member. I wish that for everyone.
Free: A Child and a Country at the End of History
by Lea Ypi
Free (11/19/2021)
I found Lea Ypi's personal story of growing up in Albania during socialism and then as the country transitioned from socialism to political pluralism engrossing to read. It was enlightening to learn what she was taught in school, including how to think about her country. One of the most interesting aspects of the book was reading about the different perspectives of three generations: parents, grandmother, and daughter/granddaughter. Unlike Lea, her parents and grandmother had experienced life before socialism. I didn't realize how difficult the transition to democracy is for countries and for individuals. This book reminded me to think about what it means to be free and what freedom is. I will recommend it to my friends.
Everybody: A Book about Freedom
by Olivia Laing
Everybody (5/18/2021)
Everybody is an interesting, extensively researched book about the human body and freedom. Laing has the exceptional ability to make connections among events and thoughts of particular times and to point out the struggles of individuals and of societies. I enjoyed reading and thinking about these connections. Today and throughout history, people have been marginalized for who they are, while some have worked to take away or limit the freedom of certain people with laws to control their bodies. This book gave me a better understanding of some of these events, especially related to sexual orientation and rights, feminism, civil rights, the prison system, and immigrants.
Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob
by Russell Shorto
Smalltime (2/22/2021)
I enjoyed Smalltime. It gave me a better understanding of immigrants including the dire circumstances of some of their lives in their birth countries, how difficult it was for them to make a living in the United States, and how these hardships affected their family lives and their choices. It was interesting to learn about the daily workings of a small-town mob. Some of the descriptions brought back fond memories such as sheath dresses in department store windows. I never knew that the pinball industry severely declined after most homes had televisions, but I most enjoyed reading about the family relationships. Just as in the book, many people do not know much about the lives of their parents and grandparents, which limits their understanding of why they lived as they did. Through the exploration of his grandfather's life with the help of his father, the author developed a new and deeper understanding of his family.
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