Congratulations to Barbara Younger who won Little Sock Makes A Friend from last week's blog.
I recently listened to a middle-grade audio book that will delight and entertain both girls and boys. The Good Thieves, by Katherine Rundell is an adventure story with a compelling main character and loyal, believable side-kicks.
REVIEW
Vita Marlowe arrives in prohibition-era New York City with her mother in order to help her beloved, grieving grandfather. He is destitute having recently lost not only his wife, but also his castle home to Sorrotore, a greedy businessman. Vita is convinced that if she can retrieve an emerald buried within the castle, at least her grandfather's financial worries will be over. But how is she going to get inside the well-guarded castle and retrieve the emerald all by herself?
Although Vita had polio as a child and still suffers from pain and discomfort, her physical disability doesn't stop her spunk and determination to reclaim her grandfather's majestic home. Brief flashbacks in the beginning show Vita with her grandfather, ground the reader in her illness and their relationship, and reveal her special talents that will help her out at the end.
Soon after arriving in New York, Vita meets Arkady (an animal and bird lover) and Samuel (a gymnast) who are traveling with a circus. In addition, she meets Silk, an orphaned pick-pocket. Vita's new friends hear about Vita's dilemma and pledge their help.
This fast-paced story goes from one scenario to another. Vita is the mastermind of the operation and her three accomplices use their talents to help her accomplish her goal. Readers will want to sit back and applaud Vita for her well-thought out plan! Katherine Rundell has the last word with a story twist which I did not foresee. Afterwards, I recognized the well-place clue that I had ignored in my desire to see what would happen next.
I love a book in which readers are exposed not only to a captivating plot line with terrific stakes and tension, but also in which the reader is exposed to beautiful written language.
I highly recommend this suspenseful adventure story with lively characters that middle grade readers will enjoy. As a classroom read, it would be interesting to analyze Vita's external conflicts (her bad foot, the bad guys who are always close to capturing her, etc) and internal conflicts (can she eliminate Sorrotore when she actually has the chance?). I'd also love to hear middle school students debate the question: Is it stealing when you take something that belongs to your family?
AUDIO CLIP
The narrator, Margaret Cabourn-Smith does a great job portraying the different voices of the characters. From the Russian circus performers to the New York gangster--she's got them all. Here is an audio clip to give you a preview.
GIVEAWAY
Leave a comment by April 16 (with your email address if you are new to my blog) and I'll enter your name to win the download code for this great middle grade read.
I heard Bettye speak at a webinar sponsored by the Charlotte chapter of the Women's National Book Association. After I heard Bettye's compelling talk I reached out to her and we met virtually and have exchanged emails and phone calls. I am thrilled to share her book with you, as well as a few thoughts about her writing journey. Let's just stay that I'm not alone in investing over fifteen years into a project I love.
REVIEW
Few of us can trace our ancestry as Bettye Kearse has. She is a eighth-generation griotte and her mother said to her from the time she was a child, "Always remember--you are a Madison. You come from African slaves and a president."
Bettye unpacks the full implication of this family credo when her mother passes on to her a box full of ancestral documents, priceless mementoes, and photographs. At the time, Bettye was a successful pediatrician in Boston. Her life was about to change.
Bettye (around four or five) standing with her mother .
This rich, sensory memoir begins and ends with the voice of Mandy, Bettye's enslaved ancestor stolen from Ghana. Kidnapped from her home, Mandy is crammed into a slave ship. The reader feels the splinters in her hands in the hold of the ship, smells the reek of urine and feces, and feels the horrific chains binding her.
When she gets to Montpelier, James Madison's Virginia plantation, Mandy's agonies have only just begun. Sexually assaulted by James Madison senior, she gives birth to their daughter Coreen. James Madison's son, James junior, is attracted to Coreen and he takes her for himself--despite the fact that she is his half-sister. (Bettye explains these complicated relationships in this interview.)
Having grown up in the sixties, Bettye is uncomfortable with her mother's unflinching pride in being a descendent of the Madisons. President James Madison had owned and abused her ancestors! How could she be proud of that?
Knowing that she was challenging parts of her family history that her mother hadn't, Bettye wonders what she can contribute to the family legacy. Though hesitant, Bettye determines to uncover the truths about her ancestors and becomes the first person to write the family history down.
An 1860 slave census listing Bettye's great-great-grandparents and their children.
Bettye was very close to her grandfather, and the book is full of their relationship. He frequently told her mother, "Our white ancestors laid the foundation of this country, but our dark-skinned ancestors built it." Another time he commented, "Racism is just another challenge, and challenges make us strong."
Bettye's research into her past takes her to Lagos, Portugal. What she finds rocks her to the core. The people who live in this tourist town are oblivious to the slave trade that had begun there in 1441. "There wasn't one morsel of information about slave stockades. The erasure was complete."
Bettye visits the Elmina Castle in Ghana and imagines what it was like for the enslaved men and women who were stolen, separated from their families, and kept in bondage. Her description of these atrocious events is complete. 150-300 women stood pressed together in "rooms of deep sorrow." They were marched through a "gate of no return" to a slave ship. "The ocean wiped away their footprints."
When Bettye comes back to the states, she visits the National Black Wax Museum in Baltimore. On board a replica of a slave ship, Bettye puts herself into Mandy's horrific experiences of possibly being raped, sick, and close to death. She wonders if she would have made it to the New World.
There is much more to this book: Bettye's conversations with her mother over the nature of the sexual relationships between owners and slaves (her mother called it "visiting"), Bettye's first encounter with Jim Crow when she was five-years-old, the racism she still experiences, Bettye's pride for her family and other enslaved Blacks, how she feels holding the picture of her great-great-great grandmother--the first ancestor she could see.
This is an important book and one you won't quickly forget.
IN HER OWN WORDS
In one of our conversations, Bettye told me that the hardest part of writing this memoir was what to do with the "rich material" she had received from her mother. Initially, Bettye wrote the book the way her mother wanted, as a record of their family stories. Then, she realized that her story wasn't unique to her and a mentor recommended that she write it as fiction; but that came out "flat." Her mentor then suggested Bettye write a memoir. Inserting her own feelings was difficult, but that process breathed life into the narrative. "It was very rewarding to discover my purpose by writing this as a memoir and realizing that I had a message for others."
AUDIO and VIDEOS
The narrator, Karen Chilton, has a beautiful reading voice and immersed me in the memoir. Sometimes I forgot that it wasn't Bettye speaking. Here is an audio snippet to show you how well Chilton reads the book:
Here is a video sequence narrated by Bettye and other historians.
A VIRTUAL SCREENING
Join Bettye for a virtual screening of the Eduardo Montes-Bradley documentary, The Other Madisons. There are several opportunities to view the film over the next few weeks.
GIVEAWAY
Leave me a comment by March 20 at 6 PM if you would like to enter this giveaway. PLEASE leave me your email address if you are new to my blog.
DISCUSSION GUIDE
This book is a great book club selection. Download the discussion guide here.
Congratulations to Danielle Hammelef who shared Stompin' at the Savoy in three places on social media--and won my copy of the book.
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It's been awhile since I've reviewed an audio book because of my new-found fascination with nonfiction picture books. I initially ordered The Korean War from Audible Books to gain a better perspective on what Ben Dinsmore, my protagonist in Half-Truths' father, experienced during and after the war.
Bruce Cummings, author of The Korean War(Penguin Random House, 2011), is an award-winning professor and lecturer of East Asian studies. At 350 pages (eight hours) this book is not an easy read, but provides a lot of information and a different perspective of the "Forgotten War."
MY TAKEAWAYS
The following points helped me understand what Kate's father witnessed.
Cummings detailed the “dirty history” of both Communist and South Korean atrocities.
Cummings believed that American soldiers who fought on behalf of defending the United States against the much-feared Communists, shouldered a thankless task. He also thought that Dean Acheson arrived at the decision to enter the war alone. It was a question of defeating Russia and obtaining prestige for the United States.
South Koreans were trying to go against centuries of inequities of social structure. The state squelched the middle class so there were two classes: peasants and aristocracy. There was a tiny elite of rich but the vast majority of Koreans were poor.
To Americans, the task of trying to create democracy for South Korea seemed impossible. Their ostensible vision was to bring freedom and liberty to servants who were under Japanese imperialism.
Americans underestimated the enemy, North Korea. American GI’s were infected by the racism they knew in the States. They saw all Koreans as unreliable allies, primitivepeople of color, who lived in mud and squalor.
Cummings provides the historic context for the conflict both in Korean history, as well as showing American political and military agendas after WWII. He includes a lot of information about what led up to the war: MacArthur's background, Korean's history with Chiang Kai-Shek), Korean blood lines, how the monarchy was influenced by Confucianism, nationalism in the North... You get the picture. There's a ton of information.
Circa 1950: An elderly woman and her grandchild wander among the debris of their wrecked home in the aftermath of an air raid by U.S. planes over Pyongyang, the Communist capital of North Korea. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
During the first two years of war, the American perception was that south Koreans weren’t trained well and just broke and ran in combat situation.
American GIs were constantly threatened by guerillas.
MacArthur contributed to this dehumanization of the "gooks." In the "Naked Parade of Shame," 2000 POW’s were paraded naked after capturing Inchon. The war atrocities came out years later. All sides violated conventions of protecting civilians, women and children. It didn’t dawn on Americans that South Koreans wouldn’t like to be called gooks.
Korea was a picture of extreme brutality. Upward of 100000 Koreans were killed before the war began. Another 100,000 afterwards. As in Germany during WWII, incendiary bombing was also used in in Korea. Oceans of napalm were dropped on Korea. Depending on which side of the weapon you were on, it was either an infernal jelly or a wonder weapon.
The air war was awful. Many innocent civilians were killed in saturation bombing that was unimaginably destructive.
In 1951, newspaper journalism was put under the jurisdiction of the U.S. army and articles were censored. American journalists were cowed and useless. McCarthy used labels instead of arguments during this destructive era--evidence made no difference.
Korea was the place to where the Cold war first came and never left. Seven decades later there is still oriental bigotry.
Soldiers were there to kill, but also to save and protect. They are supposed to protect the weak and unarmed. When he violates that, he threatens the fabric of international society.
Cummings argued that journalists and historians misread and misreported the Korean war so that it was slanted against North Korea. Atrocities were hidden and classified for 50 years, such as the systematic slaughter of political prisoners in 1950. He feared American complicity in this and believed the Joint Chiefs of Staff repressed photos for 50 years.
Cummings noted some of the results of the Korean conflict including more U.S. army bases around the world. The military industrial complex rose in the 1950’s with a larger standing army as a result. The armaments industry grew after Korea.
The Korean Truth and Reconciliation Commission formed in 2005 for the sole purpose of national healing. Survivors and historians have pursued the truth and brought more information to light.
Cummings thought the war was never won. "If you look at the Washington Memorial, you will see mysteries and unresolved tensions on the stone faces". He felt as the war failed to liberate the north. In fact, our war with North Korea continues with fears of nuclear warheads. "Someday archives will open and someday there will be a full understanding of the war."
Cummings advocated that the United States find ways to acknowledge past crimes and to reconcile with victims. "Forgetting is a gate keeper of conscience." He favored seeking reconciliation, not placing blame and understanding of one’s former enemy. Techniques of requiem, trial, reparations, and apology will help the country put ghosts to rest.
"There is no military solution in Korea, and there never was."
MY THOUGHTS
It would have helped if Cummings had placed the history of the area and of American involvement in the first part of the book. Since there was a lot of material, important facts were given in the middle of the book. That made the chronology difficult to follow.
It was clear by the end of the book that Cummings did not favor American involvement in the war. As it turned out, the day I finished listening to this I met someone who immigrated to America from South Korea many years ago. His opinion was very different. He was vehement in his appreciation of American involvement.
I recommend this book for any young adult or adult who is interested in learning more about this time period.
If you would like to win a copy of this audio book, please leave your name and email address in the comments and Recorded Books will provide a download code for you. This could be a great gift for the history lover in your life, Giveaway ends March 5 at 6 PM.
Congratulations to Danielle Hammelef who won BREAD FOR WORDS from last week's blog. A word to all of those who also want to win books. Sometimes I run "specials." If you share my post on social media, you'll earn extra chances. That's why Danielle's library is growing. Look for these specials so yours can too!
*****
I'm trying to figure out a good lead-in sentence for American Road Trip by Patrick Flores-Scott. But all I can think to say is, "This is a very good book that young adults should read." Totally unoriginal and unimaginative, but there's my opinion in a nutshell. I listened to this audio book, courtesy of Recorded Books. The narrator, Luis Moreno, portrayed the character's voices authentically. Don't believe me? Listen to this audio clip.
REVIEW
Teodora ("T") Avila's family is falling apart. Ever since his oldest brother, Manuel, left for the Iraq War, (with his father's blessing, but not his mother's) nothing has been right. His parents lose their jobs and only his mother finds another one. Teodora's older sister Xochitl (pronounced Soe-cheel and nicknamed Xoch) is a fantastic singer who wants to hold their family together. Each family member thinks that when Manny comes back, everything will be better. But, Manny comes home and it is clear that his presence is not the family medicine everyone hoped for. In fact, he has PTSD, refuses treatment, and turns to drugs and alcohol. T's life is miserable and he's close to flunking out his junior year. When he sees an old friend, Wendy, at the University of Washington ("U-Dub"), he tries to impress her by saying he plans to attend there. Their budding romance (mostly through texts) inspires T to hit the books. He is accepted into the AVID program, and gets a job to pay for tutoring. But when Manny punches through a wall into T's bedroom, T escapes to his friend's house. "I'm done hoping for us, but not for me."
Xoch comes up with a plan. Under the pretense of helping Manny reconnect to good memories, she drives her brothers to see their maternal grandmother. Except T doesn't realize this is the beginning of a long road trip. Manny has his ups and downs, Xoch's old car breaks down several time, and T is furious that his summer plans to prepare for his senior year are ruined. The theme of lying to protect oneself or to get help for someone you love permeates the book. Along the way, T learns family history that sheds light on his parents, sees Wendy and sparks fly, goes to a funeral for a distant cousin, hears of Manny's suicide attempt, and realizes how messed-up his brother is--and how he truly needs to help him. Their road trip ends at Tio Ed's green chile farm in New Mexico. Tio Ed, a Vietnam veteran, understands what Manny is going through and gets him help from the VA and support from other local veterans. Wendy ends up at the farm as T's tutor. Although there is clear sexual attraction, they discuss the slippery slope of sex and agree to be intentional; T follows through on his promise to "be a gentleman." They burn off sexual tension building a chile stand together and T discovers a passion for architecture. Readers may object to T's occasional offensive language and the references to sex. I was impressed by their mutual decision to exercise restraint and wish other young adult books would follow this example. The whole time he and Wendy are together, T fights his fear of failing and showing his "stupid self" to Wendy. When she does find out he lied to her back at U-Dub, he has a price to pay.
It turns out that everyone has a price to pay. Manny paid a enormous price in Iraq. Xoch decides to make a huge sacrifice for their family which inspires T to make a difficult decision. Although T’s transformation is most obvious, each member of the Avula family has a journey of their own. Who is the hero or heroine? Read the story and decide for yourself. Teachers: Click here for an educator's guide.
GIVEAWAY
Leave me a comment by February 8 if you're interested in entering this giveaway. Remember! Leave me your email address if you are new to my blog.
Congratulations to Danielle Hammelef who won BLACK GIRLS LIKE ME from last week's blog.
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I always enjoy sharing amazing books and a young adult author who I'm unfamiliar with. That's what you'll find if you read, or listen to, Carrie Arcos' book, We Are All That's Left (Philomel, 2018). Both narrators, Laura Knight Keating and Elisabeth Rodgers, perform the book with clarity, fervor, and excellence. (Please keep in mind that quotes may not be exact; I took notes as I did other tasks.)
REVIEW
Told in dual points of view, Ms. Arcos provides readers with an intimate look at the effects of the Bosnian War as well as a very personal experience with modern day terrorism. If you're not familiar with this civil war, you might want to read about it first.
The book opens with a view of the River Drina and the bridge that crosses it. The bridge plays an important part in the story and also symbolizes the connection between Zara and her mother, Nadja. Quickly, the reader discovers that Zara feels shut out from her mother's life. Although Zara knows that her mother lived through the Bosnian War and she hears the screams from her nightmares, Nadja never speaks about it. Zara doesn't go anywhere without her camera, but her mother can't stand the sound of a camera clicking. Zara concludes, We have nothing in common except our sea green eyes.
Then, a terrorist attacks. On a summer day, Zara and her brother Benny are at a farmer's market with their mother. Without warning, a bomb goes off, their lives are shattered, and Zara is left holding her mother's yellow ballet slipper. At that point, the novel switches to Nadja's story in 1992. She's a teenager in love with a Serb teen photographer, Marco. They both plans to study in Sarajevo. And even though they are different ethnically, who cares? They are both Bosnians. Then, war breaks out.
The story flits back and forth between the present in which Zara deals with severe physical, emotional, spiritual, and psychological wounds, and Nadja's heart-rending, horrific story. Nadja is in a coma as a result of the attack and Zara experiences a wide range of emotions. Their silence seems no different than what is normal between them, but Zara fears that her mother will die and they'll never truly know each her.
Before the attack, Zara had enrolled in a photography class. Although she feels like a freak with bandages across her face, she decides to attend. Each student must create a photo story. The instructor prompts: "What do you want the viewer to feel? Look for stories around you. What story are you in?"
Zara finds a box full of old letters and photos that Marco took. She feels like she's discovered a treasure which leads her to anger and grief over the grandparents (and uncle) she never knew. I’ve peaked over an abyss I didn’t know existed.
The book holds a sense of timelessness. The events are different in time and place, but Zara grapples with the violence her mother experienced and the ISIS attack against her community haunt her day and night. My emptiness is all that's left. Zara meets Joseph who is also searching for meaning in suffering. Zara wonders how God allows terrorist attacks. Joseph shares his spiritual journey, but more than anything, becomes a friend with whom Zara can unburden herself. By listening and understanding he helps Zara put back together the pieces of her broken self and her shattered life.
I listened to this at the same time that I was reading For Black Girls Like Me. Mother abandonment is a theme in both books and both fathers are overwhelmed and not quite sure how to help their daughters. At one point Zara's father tells her: "People fear what they do not know." Even though it is true, that hardly satisfies her emotionally.
Zara's photography teacher asks the class to consider their photo stories and ask, "What is the character’s narrative and is it true?" Herphotography projectbridges the gap between mother and daughter and brings healing to their relationship. When Nadja comes out of the coma, Zara spends hours in the hospital talking to her and hearing her mother's story. Zara concludes, "Maybe God is love. I have no choice but to use the suffering. Love and forgiveness go hand in hand. I survived and am still surviving."
Here is an audio snippet so you can sample this powerful book.
GIVEAWAY
I'm going to give away this book in conjunction with the January issue of Talking Story on Eastern Europe. Leave me a comment (with your email address if you are new to my blog) and I'll add your name to the list. Hang in there--this book is worth waiting for. But if you don't want to wait until then, get a copy now for yourself or the young adult reader in your life! (Continental United States only.) Giveaway ends January 20.
Congratulations to Susan Rice who won One Red Sock on last week's blog.
REVIEW
I'm a pretty big Avi fan, so when I found The End of the World and Beyondin the Recorded Books catalog, I knew it was a book I'd want to pass along. (I heard Avi speak at the SC Reading Association conference and still quote his thoughts on revision.) This story of twelve-year-old Oliver Cromwell Pitts takes place in 1725. When the book opens, he is a prisoner on board an English ship taking him to the colonies. Instead of being hung for thievery, Oliver has been sold into slavery. The book is told in first person, uses the language of the times, and is aptly narrated by James Langton. Here is a brief link to the recording so you can get a taste of the book.
Before boarding the ship, "Goodwill," he and his beloved older sister, Charity, are separated. Finding her is Oliver's driving goal throughout the story.
While on board, Oliver is padlocked to six other prisoners. Their ordeal to survive with chains around their necks, is described in detail. At one point Oliver observes, “Truth is always held up as a shining ideal. ...truth can also be horrific." He develops new empathy for Negroes who are slaves for life. Although his future is dismal, he hopes he'll be able to be freed after his years of service.
The boat docks in Annapolis where the captain proceeds to sell the prisoners. As much as it is an anathema to him, he realizes he must sell himself or become the property of the city. Since he is young, he is passed over and feels shame over being sold for a lot less than the other felons. Locked up for a time because no one purchases him, he concludes that London jails and American jails are both awful: Misery has no geography, and he "remains a tethered bird in a locked cage." Eventually, he his bought by a cruel master, Mr. Fitzhugh, an alcoholic tobacco planter. Oliver is released from jail and into an unknown, dreadful world. Even on the way to the tobacco farm, escape was always in his mind. "But fear overwhelmed me. My iron collar showed I was an enslaved felon." When he realizes that many people were attempting to running from their masters he observes that this doesn’t speak well of America. Oliver's antagonist, Mr. Fitzhugh, is shown vividly through his dialogue and actions. He threatens Oliver, “You are my property... I only do what I want, when I want. If you try to stop me, I’ll kill you." Fitzhugh's ever-present loaded pistol and knife in his belt demonstrate how he is the epitome of being a malicious bully.
When Oliver gets to his master's house he feels as if he is at the end of the world. There he meets the other servant, a Negro teenager named Bara. Fitzhugh says to Oliver, "Consider yourself lucky. Bara will never get free."
Oliver observes that Bara "is self-contained. It was if most of what he had was within and he had little desire of letting anything out." Bara shows Oliver how to survive Fitzhugh's cruelty and advises him not to resist. "He becomes enraged at resistance. He wants you to fight back." He also suggests that the master will make someone helpless so that he becomes even more helpless as he believes the lies.
Oliver's discovers that his sister Charity is in Philadelphia and his desire to find her leads him to several reckless decisions. Bara is frustrated with him, but together they make a difficult and harrowing escape. When the two part, Oliver feels as if he is saying goodbye to his brother. In fact, Bara was the best friend and mentor Oliver needed. The book chronicles Oliver's physical and psychological maturation. The ending will surprise you. But, take my word for it, this is a terrific book and classroom resource. It will open middle grade and young adult readers' eyes to slavery and indentured servitude before the Revolution.
GIVEAWAY
Leave me a comment by August 15 and leave me your email address if you are new to my blog. Start following this blog or share it on social media and you will earn an extra chance to win.
