A Place for Us
by Fatima Farheen Mirza
Biblical themes in contemporary Muslim-American family (3/6/2018)
I found this book to be both educational & deeply moving. Covering decades in the life of a contemporary Indian-American, devoutly Muslim family, it encompasses such ancient themes as generational divides, father-son estrangement, patriarchal family culture and heartbreaking betrayals and misunderstandings. The novel opens with the marriage celebration of the oldest daughter, revealing in the early pages the estrangement of the youngest member and only son, Amar. The plot is complex but the author's skill is most evident in her ability to gradually reveal those complexities through each family member's personal experiences within the family, comfortably shifting back and forth in time, moving the reader to empathize deeply with each of them and their struggles. The parents' devout Muslim faith and their bonds within their religious community play a strong part in the story and may serve to educate some readers in a positive sense regarding Islam as a faith and the difficulties of raising children in a minority faith, particularly in this current age of intolerance and ignorance. I am grateful for having had the opportunity to read this novel and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Stay with Me
by Ayobami Adebayo
Mixed responses (8/7/2017)
I had a mixed response to this novel.The basic storyline and its' Nigerian cultural background was particularly interesting; a well-written novel frequently provides an easy and interesting way of learning about other cultures. The storyline, provided by many other reviewers, held my interest throughout. However, in spite of the interest the story engendered, for the most part (there were occasional exceptions) I felt very little connection to the characters and their story. I have personally experienced traumatic losses including losses specific to this novel, a topic that when it appears, always touches this mother's heart deeply, but yet failed to do so in this novel. I also found some of the particular lies/deceptions hard to accept & thus, the tragic consequences left me somewhat, although not entirely, unmoved. I wanted to care about these characters more than I did.
Karolina's Twins
by Ronald H. Balson
Not great, But Readable (7/5/2016)
I have read a good number of books about the Holocaust, some of them history books and others being novels set in that era. Although I am by no means an historian, it seems to me that Mr. Balson did his homework, in terms of the historical facts. I also read his previous book, Once We Were Brothers, which I very much enjoyed. But I have mixed emotions about this book. The story itself was a good one and held my interest throughout, so anyone looking for a good read with an uncritical eye would not go wrong with this selection. However, I frequently found myself distracted by awkward phrasing and stilted sentences that did not flow naturally, none of which I experienced with the author's previous book. I hate having to include this criticism because I so much enjoyed the previous book and was looking forward to reading this one. Unlike some of my compatriots on BookBrowse, I have to admit that I did not guess the secret which was revealed at the end, but it seemed to me a somewhat appropriately happy ending, for those who really like happy endings. Karolina's Twins is not a bad book, but definitely not as good or as well-written as Once We Were Brothers.
Editor's note: Some of the awkward phrasing that Ginny comments on maybe because she was reviewing an advance reading copy (ARC) which is produced before the final round of editing.
If I Forget You
by Thomas Christopher Greene
Not My Cup of Tea (4/2/2016)
This was a fairly enjoyable read but I found it somewhat unrealistic and predictable with the single exception of the surprise twist at the end. This was my first book by Greene and I may try The Headmaster's Wife before writing him off. Perhaps it's just not my cup of tea.
The Dark Lady's Mask
by Mary Sharratt
Historical Fiction, Feminism, Romance, Cross-dressing, Renaissance,Inquisition (2/15/2016)
As my title suggests, this book has everything! As a one-time, middle-aged college student of English literature, I looked forward to reading Sharratt's novel, set in the Renaissance. I had occasionally come across references to Shakespeare's "dark lady," believed to be his muse, the inspiration for his sonnets. Sharratt fully acknowledges that "there is no historical evidence" to prove that her heroine was in fact Will's "dark lady" and while Sharratt references numerous Shakespeare scholars, she clearly enjoyed letting her imagination soar and we are the beneficiaries. The novel covers the fictional life of Amelia Bassano Lanier, a real-life, published Renaissance poet in an age when women supposedly knew their place, a place that did not include such public acclaim. The plot takes us from Aemilia's lovingly nurtured childhood in which her beloved father is established as her gold standard, so to speak, through her very unusual liberal education as a young woman in the home of a wealthy female guardian and mentor. Upon leaving the manor house, Aemilia seeks and wins the affections and protection of a powerful nobleman in the court of Queen Elizabeth, Lord Hunsdon. Alas, an unexpected pregnancy (some things never change!) results in Aemilia being cast out of the royal court into a loveless marriage. During this period, Aemilia meets the "ragged" poet, Mr. Shakespeare, with whom her life eventually takes on a happier note, for a time, at least. In an effort to avoid spoilers, I'll leave the ending to the reader. The novel is chock-full of characters and changes in fortune for our heroine, which keeps the plot moving along pretty well. However, with only a few exceptions, I never felt very invested in the characters or, for that matter, the events in which they find themselves, which is why I didn't give it a higher rating.
What Lies Between Us
by Nayomi Munaweera
deeply moving (11/24/2015)
I am a great lover & collector of poetry. As I read this book I frequently found myself thinking that it read like poetry. At the end, I put the book down & sat quietly just to let it all settle in my mind & heart. Such a tragic story told with such lyrical beauty & passion! Although the protagonist's voice is that of an adult, the reader clearly hears the child who had no voice, just as she had no name. I was struck by the contrast between the beauty of her environment described so eloquently & the darkness, the ugliness that permeated her life in Sri Lanka. There is no happy ending here, much as there is frequently no happy ending for children such as her, but strangely there may be some measure of peace and acceptance. I highly recommend this book.
When the Moon Is Low: A Novel
by Nadia Hashimi
Touching & Thought-Provoking (8/20/2015)
Most of us are pretty familiar with the tragedy of ever-growing numbers of refugees fleeing war, poverty, & persecution.Social justice issues are dear to my heart and I have read a good number of novels as well as journalists' reports on this subject. While this story reveals some of the horrors refugees experience, I'm inclined to think it doesn't go nearly deep enough.This story is told from the two different perspectives of a Middle-Eastern, widowed mother & her grieving and angry young adolescent son as they escape across several countries with two smaller children, one of whom is grievously ill. No mother's heart could fail to be touched by just the thought of enduring such fear as she & her children went through and I was certainly no exception. The novel, written by an Afghan-American pediatrician, suggests they also experienced a level of human kindness that one can only hope might be realistic. The critical importance of volunteer aid workers in countries hosting refugees cannot be emphasized enough. Saleem, the fifteen year old boy who is determined to be the man of the family, will break your heart, particularly as we watch him repeatedly compromise his principles, as taught by his deceased father, in order to provide food & shelter for his family, while protecting his mother from the truth of just how precarious their lives and futures really are.
Letters to the Lost
by Iona Grey
Great Read (3/11/2015)
Although I didn't accomplish much else while I was reading it, I finished this book in two days...I simply could not put it down. What a wonderful love story! I was a little anxious after requesting this book, fearful that it would be a pretty lightweight romance novel that would bore me. I couldn't have been more wrong. As the story progressed, it captured my heart more completely with each page. I loved the characters and at times I ached for them. Another reviewer mentioned the need for a box of nearby tissues, a recommendation with which I agree wholeheartedly, but while the story doesn't delve into any really meaningful WWII history, it isn't just a tearjerker, either. The author creates a strong sense of time and place & makes it come truly alive for the reader. I am so glad I read it & cannot recommend it highly enough.
The Book of Strange New Things: A Novel
by Michel Faber
Very Strange (8/22/2014)
This was my first foray into Science Fiction in many years ( Heinlein & Bradbury in the '70s) and my first experience with this author. However, before reading the book, I read a lengthy online excerpt from The Crimson Petal and the White & was intrigued by his bold style & strong characterizations. Additionally, I care about religion, both as background and on a personal level, so I was curious. However, I could not have been more disappointed. I simply could not get into this book! The premise was hard to accept & the characters felt strangely empty. I never really cared about them or their struggles. A book has to be really bad for me to fail to finish it, even if finishing means skimming the final pages or chapters. In this case, after considerable effort, I finally just closed the book. It wasn't worth even skimming to get to the end.
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