Minding Ben: A Novel
by Victoria Brown
Minding Ben (2/3/2011)
When I read the synopsis of Minding Ben and the bio of the author, two things immediately came to mind – Jamaica Kincaid, as her bio reads like Victoria Brown’s and Substitute Me by Lori Tharps, a book I read this summer regarding the nanny experience in NYC. So I anxiously waited for Minding Ben to arrive in the mail as I hoping for an updated story of the Caribbean nanny experience which Jamaica Kincaid brilliantly wrote about in her book, Lucy, and to take what Lori Tharps did with a middle class black nanny in Brooklyn and add the Caribbean spin to her storyline. At the end of the story I was disappointed with the overall approach to the story.
I thought the author did an excellent job of showing the frustration, pain, and the abuse an undocumented worker seeking a nanny position has to endure. I also appreciated the peek into the Caribbean world of nannies what binds them and what separates. Many readers had an issue with the dialect, but I did not. I appreciated how the author portrayed the Caribbean women as one to their employers and how among themselves they appreciate their diversity by island, and this is both a common bond and a source of conflict.
The author explores the conflict between the Jewish and Caribbean population in Brooklyn, but this aspect was just too stereotyped to me and did not explore the depth of this relationship. Also, there were secondary themes that were introduced that if further explored would have made a more rounded story, but just left me frustrated. I think the book would have been better served to explore just one or two of themes presented more fully instead of just giving the reader a taste of many. With that said, I do look forward to reading future work by Victoria Brown as she has the potential to be an excellent writer.
The Beauty of Humanity Movement: A Novel
by Camilla Gibb
From the Future to the Past to the Present (12/20/2010)
I had myriad of emotions while reading this heartfelt story. I was grateful to the author for writing a book which focused on the people of the northern part of Vietnam and their need to free themselves from the colonial presences and in the end retained a different yoke on their souls. I was sadden to once again be reminded that war damages people far longer than the conflict itself and is never-ending. I was amazed by the resilience of the people to maintain their humanity through the horror of the many conflicts. And lastly I was enlightened on the history and culture of North Vietnam.
The author was able to invoke all of these emotions through the skillful storytelling of the three main characters, each of whom will need to resolve their personal demons, and find that will come when they come together and accept each other for who they are. A strong cast of secondary characters rounds out the story. The writing was beautifully subtle invoking time and place.
While overall I enjoyed the story, at places the story was repetitive and this seemed to drag out the events.
The Tenth Song
by Naomi Ragen
What Would You Do? (10/30/2010)
I actually rated this book at 3.5
I was drawn into this story from the beginning, and it had me thinking what would I do if this happened to me, to my family or someone I know, if one day without warning they or I were suddenly considered aiding terrorist.
The story centers around Abigail and her daughter, Kayla and their reaction to the situation and how they come to learn who they are and what is happiness to each of them.
The language was beautiful and the storyline was well paced. I especially enjoyed the location description of the desert commune.
Enjoyable read of family obligation and tradition as it plays against individual needs that will generate many wonderful book club discussions on the choices made by each of the book characters.
The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives: A Novel
by Lola Shoneyin
Nothing Is What It Seems (7/8/2010)
I was interested in reading this book as the author has written several books of poetry and it has been my experience that authors who write poetry write fiction very succinctly. But, I did expect the storyline to be predictable, with a polygamous husband who three wives do not like when he picks a young educated woman to be his fourth wife.
What I got was a beautifully written story that was anything but predictable. There are many unexpected events that will keep you reading to the last page. The husband and each wife take turns narrating their story which takes place in the present and goes back in time to add context, but the reader is never confused about who is narrating or if it is the present or past. This story will have you looking at polygamous relationships in a new light and have you wondering about the benefits and how this arrangement changes as society changes. This is a wonderful debut book and I look forward to reading more by Lola Shoneyin.
Daughters of the Witching Hill: A Novel
by Mary Sharratt
Ignorance Is Not Bliss (4/18/2010)
I was pulled into the story from the beginning despite knowing what the ending. The joy in this book is the telling of the story and the language describing the period. I very much enjoy a good historical fiction and once again Mary Sharratt does not disappoint the reader in providing a well-researched book.
While reading the story of the three generations of “healing” women that lived in the late 16th/early 17th century, I was taken with the living the conditions of the time, especially for those less fortunate Just imagine having to walk many miles to Sunday church service and then to have to stand throughout the entire service because you are poor. As a reader, I learned about the use of religion as a means of power control over the people and any diversion of thought and act was not tolerated. And at times, it reminded me of the current times, when we are becoming less tolerant of others who are not exactly like us.
Bess Southerns, aka Mother Demdike, was using the only skill she had to provide for her family, in a time of limited resources. That the use of herbs and plants could be considered witchcraft when these were the only medical resources available at the time, gave me a better understanding on why we “lost” the understanding of plants in keeping us healthy.
I encourage all to read this enchanting story as it will have a lasting effect on you on how the world has changed and then really not changed over the last several hundred years.
Under This Unbroken Sky
by Shandi Mitchell
The Illusion of Freedom (9/8/2009)
In Under This Unbroken Sky by Shandi Mitchell, the reader is treated to a beautifully written debut novel which describes a slice of life of the Ukrainian immigrants in the northern plains of Canada.
It is the spring of 1937, and Theo Mykolayenko returns to his wife and children after serving two years in jail for stealing his own grain. Theo stoically survived jail time by keeping his eyes on the prize of being free and owning his land. After all, wasn’t Canada the land of the free? Maria, his wife, and children survived the years by living in Theo sister’s shed and by pooling together their resources. Theo’s sister, Anna, has secured an adjacent homestead for Theo, unbeknown to her abusive husband. Will Theo be able to forget the past injustices and keep his eye on the future? Why does Anna cohort with the coyotes and will she learn from their strength to resist letting her husband back into her life? Will Maria, with her soothing spirit, be able to mend her husband and her sister-in-law? Will the children of Theo and Anna be able to straddle both their Ukrainian past and Canadian future?
This was an impressive novel that succeeded on many levels. The characters just came alive and will have the reader vested in their lives and feel their pain and joy of the vicissitudes of life. The description of the land and how unrelenting the elements were made Mother Nature a character in the book and you were rooting for this villainous character not to succeed in her attempt to break the spirit and resilience of the other characters. Tragedy was always looming, but to the credit of Shandi Mitchell’s skill as a writer, I was not quite sure when it would happen or to whom. This was an excellent immigrant story which showed that the success of the immigrant was less about the immigrants will to succeed but more on how much the new country was willing to allow the immigrant to succeed, and how those in power would always make and change the rules to make sure that they stayed in power.
Wife of the Gods: A Novel
by Kwei Quartey
Murder Unravels Secrets (8/2/2009)
Wife of the Gods by Kwei Quartey is an impressive debut, a murder mystery set in modern Ghana. The reader quickly learns the mystery is who killed Gladys, a promising medical student, as she was on her way home to Ketanu, a small village in the Volta region. Efia, a wife of the Gods, is the one who stumbles across Gladys’ body, in a forest that separates two villages. As in any small village, the news spreads quickly and everyone has an opinion on who committed the murder. But another mystery also appears; who called the Minister of Health to insist that a detective from Criminal Investigations Department headquarters be in charge of the murder investigation, instead of the local police? So Detective Inspector Darko Dawson is selected to lead the investigation, which will have several twists and turns with expected and unexpected secrets revealed before the case is closed.
But the delight of this novel is the character, Darko Dawson. Dawson is a very likable character, but he is not without his flaws. The reader can appreciate his strong sense of justice and how those who commit injustices should be handled. At times, his hot temper will have Dawson using unconventional methods to solve an issue. The reader will forgive Dawson his transgressions and root for him not to be found out. Dawson has a strong need to protect those he loves and his relationship with his wife, Christine, reveals a strong commitment and respect for each other. I hope to see more of their relationship and Christine in future stories.
As Dawson goes through his investigative process, the reader is taken into the lives of the diverse characters that are part of the story. Mr. Quartey effectively uses the characters to portray the modern Ghanaian culture and its contracts; big city/small village attitudes, gender roles, and superstition/witchcraft.
I recommend this well-crafted novel to all mystery readers. While Mr.Quartey’s style is all his own, readers who enjoy stories that effectively blend native culture as an integral part of the story will want to get in on this series from the beginning. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series and seeing what Darko Dawson is up to.
Something Like Beautiful: One Single Mother's Story
by Asha Bandele
Knowing is more than half the battle - Rating = 4+ (12/15/2008)
Beautiful writing will pull you into the journey of the author as she explains how she got to be "being nervous in front of life". Knowing the subject of the book I did not expect to be so absorbed in the story and did not want to leave it alone once I started reading. You will give pause at the ending of this reading to think to yourself -- how this could have gone another way but the birth of her daughter and her wanting to guard her daughter from all of the harm that come her way. You may not agree with all of her life decisions that she makes but at the end of the book, you will have much respect for the author and glad her illness has a name.
While in the prologue, the author says this book is for single mothers who do not understand that it is okay to feel rage and pain, I think this is a much broader story and it is for everyone and especially for people who feel that they need to appear unfazed and better than others so they can hold their life together.
Soldier's Heart: Reading Literature Through Peace and War at West Point
by Elizabeth D. Samet
My heart goes out (1/27/2008)
I did not know what to expect from this book as I do not know much about military culture. But I was curious on how literature is taught to student soldiers who may one day need to go to war. I did learn more about military culture and the hearts of these student soldiers. I am glad that the soldiers find comfort in the literature lessons learned.
I would recommend this book for those who want to understand more about the dedication of these student soldiers.
I admired the humanism in these student soldier at such a young age and knowing that the United States is developing great leaders.
The Pirate's Daughter
by Margaret Cezair-Thompson
Wonderful Read!! (10/10/2007)
I was hoping to receive this book prior to the Labor Day weekend. I did and read the book in one sitting as I could not put it down. You will feel the breeze off the Caribbean sea and feel like you are there with the characters. Prose is wonderfully crafted. As you move through the story and see how race, class and colonialism affected people, through the eyes of a mixed cast of characters. You will learn how the phase "no problem" is really a sign of a problem. I am going to recommend to my book club!!!
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