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The chilled air inside the Tucson funeral chapel suppressed the punishing heat outside. Amanda shivered as she took a seat on the metal chair.
Title: White Picket Fences
Author: Susan Meissner
ISBN: 9781400074570
Publisher: WaterBrook Press/2009
Pages: 350
When sixteen-year-old Tally's father disappears, and her grandmother dies in Tucson, his sister Amanda Janvier takes her with her to San Diego. Tally has always led an unconventional life with her father, in unusual places. Amanda thinks that a settled life would be welcomed by Tally after all that wild living. Amanda and her husband Neil, along with their two children might be able to give Tally a normal life. Tally tries to resist the move as she knows that her father will come back for her. She doesn't want to tell anyone where he has gone.
Amanda's son Chase has those recurring dreams about a fire when he was a 4-year-old. His parents had long assumed that he has forgotten about it and they are shocked that he has not. When Chase and Tally end up doing a project that involves two Holocaust survivers, more family secrets seem to tumble out. Amanda and Neil's perfect life seems to crumble around them. Tally seems to be in the midst of all this. And everyone start questioning themselves and each other. When the truth comes out, it affects everyone's life.
Tally, in her own way, tries to help everyone to find and face the truth. Her faith in her father doesn't diminish. Although everyone is sceptical about him, she knows he will come back for her. His reasons of leaving her for a while might be incomprehensible for Amanda but Tally beieves in him. Through her, Amanda comes to know her brother, who despite his unconventional upbringing of Tally, loves and cares for his daughter and also cares about the past and its effect on the present and future. And in that we find true treasure.
Right from page one, this book keeps our interest alive. It deals with issues which plague all of us at one time or the other. Ignoring any thing that has happened in the past can't make it go away. We have to face it and deal with it or it will come back and haunt us almost destroying our lives. And when we do deal with it, it brings us unexpected treasure and untold pleasure.
Title: The Jewel Trader of Pegu
Author: Jeffrey Hantover
ISBN: 9780061252716
Publisher: Harper Perennial/2008
Pages: 227
This novel is set in 1598 in Burma. A period and place, most of us know nothing about. Abraham is a 28 years old Jewish Gem merchant, who leaves Venice to seek his fortunes in Pegu, a Burmese kingdom. He is able to fit in the culture, yet follow his own faith. However, he is asked to do a task, that is to serve young brides so that they bring good luck into the families they are married, in exchange of his pursuits. This task is only performed by foreigners. He is revolted by it yet can't avoid it. He performs it without attachment and making is easy for the brides. Thus, he meets Mya, who is barely more than a girl. Next morning tragedy befalls on her and she ends up living under Abraham's protection. Eventually, both fall in love. All this time, there is social and political changes taking place, which affects them. And their future seems a distant dream.
Told in epistolary way, it speaks of people, places, culture, their customs and their way of living. Abraham describes all of his observations to his cousin in Venice. He makes it all come alive in his letters. It is a travelogue as well as a work of fiction, set in a time period that is not known to most. Yet, it is so vivid and makes us feel as if we are in the midst of it. Abraham denounces the custom, yet can't escape it. He also makes lasting friendships with local people. He can assimilate it and yet practice his own religion. His love for Mya has no boundaries. He can't leave her and go back to Venice. Mya is illiterate. But she too gets to say her thoughts and let us know her feelings about Abraham. Initially both speak different languages but eventually come to learn about each other.
This novel makes an impact and makes us question customs which are barbaric, yet looked up as fate. Such customs do exist in certain parts of the world. Historical or not, few things have not changed at all. This book is a serious read, meant for those who wish to know about new places, cultures and customs. And also about those emotions which can only become richer with time. Nothing can change that. A book well worth reading. Thanks Jeffrey, for the novel.
The mind after a sharp blow to the head is like a house after a hurricane unrecognizable shards, shreds and splinters.
Title: Random Acts of Heroic love
Author: Danny Scheinmann
ISBN: 9780552774222
Publisher: Black Swan/2007
Pages: 428
Plot summary:
Leo Deakin and his girl friend, Eleni are travelling in South America, when the bus they are in, has an accident. Eleni dies and Leo blames himself for her death. In his despair, he has no one to turn to. His dad takes it upon himself to get Leo on the way of recovery. He gives him a bunch of letters to read.That is how Leo gets to learn about Moritz Daniecki, who survived the great war in 1917. Moritz escapes from the wilderness of Siberia, and makes a journey over the Russian Steppes to be with Lotte, the girl who had kissed him only once. Leo is totally fascinated by the story but does not know how it is connected to him.
What did you like least?
There is nothing to dislike about this book, other than it ended too fast!
What did you think of the writing style?
It is a beautiful piece of prose. Emotions comes through. One can easily get into the novel and does not want to get out of it.Which of your readers are most likely to enjoy this book? Why?
Most of my readers would love this book. And those who are reading about the World Wars would especially love it. It would also interest those who are into Jewish literature. Only people it would not interest, are those who read only romances and chick lit.
Have you read any other books by this author? What did you think of those books?
It is a debut novel. A remarkable debut at that. I would keep an eye on his upcoming novels, if any.
What did you think of the main character?
Leo is totally in love with Eleni. When she dies, he does not how to cope. He falls into a depth of despair.
What is the central character’s biggest problem?
Leo can't even think beyond Eleni. He does not understand Hannah when she tries to get him out of his despair. He misunderstands her feeling for love for him, which is not true.
Any other particularly interesting characters?
Moritz Daniecki, is fallible like any other person. In his own words, he is not heroic at all. But his love for Lotte keeps him going. He keeps writing letters to her which he never posts.
Title: My Father's Paradise**
Author: Ariel Sabar
ISBN: 9781565124905
Publisher: Algonquin Books/2008
Pages: 325
I had requested for this book from the publicist of the author and he was kind enough to send it to me. When I started to read this book, I couldn't put it down and did it at one go.
It is a memoir but works very well as a novel. It follows three cultures, three countries and four decaded before it concludes. A fascinating account.
Ariel Sabar's father Yona Sabar is a renowned professor at UCLA and is a well known linguist. Ariel thinks his father is weird and wishes to know nothing about him. The turning comes when Ariel gets married and has a son of his own. Then he has a sudden desire to know all about his father, his traditions and the cultural ethos. He and his father undertake a journey backwards, which started some forty years back.
Yona belongs to Zakho in Iraq, where Kurdish Jews lived for more than three thousand years. They lived peacefully alongside Christians and Muslims and spoke Aramaic, which was also spoken by Jesus. With no written script, it had survived by word of mouth. Yona could still speak it and was much sought after because of it.
Most Kurdish Jews had to leave Iraq in the 1950s for the newly created Israel, as many of them were attacked and killed in the post World War II. Yona was one of them, who rich past was wiped out in that exodus. He had belonged to the family of dyers who were rich and well respected. His grand-father used to pray all night in the tiny mud-hut synagoue and was well known for it.
Yona struggles to survive in Israel, studying in night school, working in the day time. He finally decides to live for US to better himself. Uprooted twice from familiar grounds, he retreats into himself, witholding his culture within himself. When father and son venture out, Ariel learns a lot about his father's Kurdish background and is awed by it.
This book takes us into an unknown world of mystic men, rich cultural ethos, the trials of immigration, assmilating it with the present. Love and traditions are at conflict, yet to be a part of such a rich heritage finally makes Ariel understand his father. It is his legacy for his sons too. Ariel Sabar's writing is very beautiful, engrossing and his awe for the Kurdish Jews comes through.
I recommend this for all those who wish to know about ancient cultures, and their struggles for survival in the present world. It also tells us so much about places, we don't know anything about.
