Beastmomma

From goodreads:

With the opening line of Silver Sparrow, “My father, James Witherspoon, is a bigamist,” author Tayari Jones unveils a breathtaking story about a man’s deception, a family’s complicity, and two teenage girls caught in the middle.

Set in a middle-class neighborhood in Atlanta in the 1980s, the novel revolves around James Witherspoon’s two families—the public one and the secret one. When the daughters from each family meet and form a friendship, only one of them knows they are sisters. It is a relationship destined to explode when secrets are revealed and illusions shattered. As Jones explores the backstories of her rich yet flawed characters—the father, the two mothers, the grandmother, and the uncle—she also reveals the joy, as well as the destruction, they brought to one another’s lives.

Pages: 352 (Hardcover)

Rating: 7 out of 10

Source: Checked out from the library

A few weeks ago, I got an email about the next meeting of the Professor and Partner book club. I was excited to find out that I would be in town and made plans to attend. I had not heard about Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones, but was intrigued by the description.  Since things were so crazy here in MA with trying to prepare for the upcoming baby arrival and nesting while waiting to get back into our house, I was not sure how much time I would have to read.  Fortunately, things aligned well.  The book was available from the library and the story went quickly, so I was able to finish over a long weekend.

Overall, I was glad to be able to be lost in the story.  However, I found it very disturbing and sad.  I wanted more positive resolution.  It was especially hard to read about the unhealthy sexual relationships of many of the characters.  At the book club meeting last night, we also discussed how sad it was that both daughters were in unhealthy sexual relationships.  the patterns established by their mother's were being repeated in the girls.  I also had trouble with the father who did not seem to be a very good catch, but had two great women who cared deeply for him.  

**Spoiler Alert**

I felt the most bad for the daughters. Dana was constantly trying to get her father's full attention and had orders to stay away from her father's other family.  However, it seemed that she was always stuck with her dad's leftovers.  Chaurisse had no idea that her father had another family, but wanted a friend.  When she got a friend, it ended up destroying her family.  By the end of the book, I felt sad that the two sisters had not been able to reconcile.  With all the complications that occurred between their moms and their dad, it seemed like too great a divide to cross. 

I was also confused by Raleigh's character. He seemed to have a lot of integrity, but ended up following and supporting James.  I wanted either one of the women to end up with Raleigh or him to find a good partner and leave James behind.  

Overall, I think the story is about two girls trying to find their way in a messy world.  The odds were stacked against both of them.  However, I was still hoping for a more positive outcome. 

From goodreads:

Marion and Shiva Stone are twin brothers born of a secret union between a beautiful Indian nun and a brash British surgeon at a mission hospital in Addis Ababa. Orphaned by their mother’s death in childbirth and their father’s disappearance, bound together by a preternatural connection and a shared fascination with medicine, the twins come of age as Ethiopia hovers on the brink of revolution. Yet it will be love, not politics–their passion for the same woman–that will tear them apart and force Marion, fresh out of medical school, to flee his homeland. He makes his way to America, finding refuge in his work as an intern at an underfunded, overcrowded New York City hospital. When the past catches up to him–nearly destroying him–Marion must entrust his life to the two men he thought he trusted least in the world: the surgeon father who abandoned him and the brother who betrayed him.

Pages: 688 (paperback)

Rating:10 out of 10

Source:Purchased from Target, I think, but cannot recall for sure

When we needed a selection for the Partners and Professors book club in MA, I looked at the NPR book list and as a group we discovered that Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese was available in paperback and had an intriguing plot.  Unfortunately, the book club meeting took place during a hectic time and I was not able to complete the book.  I kept meaning to return to it and finally found my way to the pages while I was on vacation two weeks ago.  I started at the beginning and could not devour the story fast enough.

At the risk of sounding trite, I LOVED THIS BOOK! I thought it was an amazing and powerful story.  I found myself thinking about the characters when I was away from them.  While there was a powerful personal story unfolding, I also learned a lot about the history of Ethiopia.  I also appreciated the social justice undertones.  I thought that some of the medical jargon and descriptions would be hard to get through, but the way things were described made the information very accessible.  In fact, one of my favorite things about the book is the way medical phrases and philosophy were applied to personal interactions and ways of being in the world.

** Spoiler Alert**

My favorite characters were Ghosh and Hema.  I loved how they grew individually and as a couple.  Their interactions were sweet and filled with tenderness.  The way they parented Shiva and Marion gave me a good picture of how I would like to parent.  I also had a special spot for Hema because she reminded me of my mother-- the way she navigated the world of medicine and provided a healing touch while adorned in traditional Indian clothing.

My least favorite character was Genet. I hated her behavior and choices.  Mostly, I hated the impact her choice and behavior had on Marion and Shiva.  It infuriated me that she had sex with Shiva and then forbid Marion from telling the truth.  The demise of the closeness of Marion and Shiva was tough to witness.  When Genet returned to Marion's life, my stomach was in knots.  As Marion's health deteriorated, I was glad that the disease brought Shiva and Marion together again.  While there was much sweetness during Marion's time in the hospital, I wish that Genet had never returned to their lives. In case you cannot tell, I was really attached to these characters!!

I am counting the book for the following challenges:

2011 Global Reading Challenge: Much of the book took place in Ethiopia, so it is a bonus read for the continent of Africa.

South Asian Challenge 2011: Some of the characters are of Indian origin and the author is also Indian.

Chunkster Reading Challenge 2011: The book is 688 pages and meets the requirements of a chunkster.

What's in a Name Four: I am counting it for the movement category as cutting is a movement.

From goodreads:

Nine-year-old Oskar Schell has embarked on an urgent, secret mission that will take him through the five boroughs of New York. His goal is to find the lock that matches a mysterious key that belonged to his father, who died in the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11. This seemingly impossible task will bring Oskar into contact with survivors of all sorts on an exhilarating, affecting, often hilarious, and ultimately healing journey

Pages: 326 (paperback)

Rating: 9 out of 10

Source: Purchased from Borders in Silver Spring, MD as they were going out of business.

During the National Book Festival in September, I got to hear Jonathan Safran Foer speak.  It was really warm and the tent was crowded, so I took a seat on the grass.  After a few minutes, I did not notice the heat and was transfixed by him.  He was promoting his latest book called Eating Animals which sounds good, but he quote about Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close stuck with me.  Unfortunately, I cannot remember the exact quote (thanks a lot--pregnancy brain), but the essence of it was that through Oskar we break down grief that seems so large into a small task.  

In March, I was with Beth at the Borders book store in Silver Spring and I was trying to decide which book to purchase.  I picked up Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and Beth convinced me that it was the best option of all the ones I was considering. I am glad I listened to her. 

Based on the premise of the book, I knew that I was going to be really sad.  Reading about a child grieving the loss of a parent is probably not the most appropriate subject matter for a 5 month pregnant woman.  However, I was immediately drawn in and loved Oskar. The questions he was asking and the ways in which he was trying to find out what an object meant to his dad were heart warming and also heart wrenching.  He was not only processing grief, but also figuring out how things were connected and unfolding the complex relationship with his mom and grandmother. One of my favorite things about Oskar was his imagination and how at several points in the book he described what he wanted to do which was an expression of his frustration or hurt.  However, what he ended up doing was something much more subtle and socially acceptable.  Even though I am much older than him, I can certainly relate to that. I enjoyed meeting and learning about the history of his grandparents, but their story was not an intriguing to me as Oskar's.  Also, I found that I was impatient with those passages because I wanted to hear more about Oskar. 

An unexpected gift of reading the book was how it made me think of what I would wish for Partner and my child if I were to die when the kid was young. Partner and I had some good conversations about this which I think will help us parent mindfully.

I am counting the book for the Global Reading Challenge 2011. The book took place in New York. I am counting it as a bonus for North America.

From goodreads: 

On a stifling day in 1975, the North Vietnamese army is poised to roll into Saigon. As the fall of the city begins, two lovers make their way through the streets to escape to a new life. Helen Adams, an American photojournalist, must take leave of a war she is addicted to and a devastated country she has come to love. Linh, the Vietnamese man who loves her, must grapple with his own conflicted loyalties of heart and homeland. As they race to leave, they play out a drama of devotion and betrayal that spins them back through twelve war-torn years, beginning in the splendor of Angkor Wat, with their mentor, larger-than-life war correspondent Sam Darrow, once Helen's infuriating love and fiercest competitor, and Linh's secret keeper, boss and truest friend.

Tatjana Soli paints a searing portrait of an American woman’s struggle and triumph in Vietnam, a stirring canvas contrasting the wrenching horror of war and the treacherous narcotic of obsession with the redemptive power of love.

Pages: 416 (paperback)

Rating: 9 out of 10

Source: Received from Karen of Planetbooks for participation in our book club discussion. She won copies of the book from TLC book tours. 

When I came to the DC area to begin my fellowship last August, I was lucky enough to be able to join the book club organized by Planetbooks. I have not been the best member as work commitments and social obligations keep me from making all the meetings.  When I got my free copy of The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli, I was intrigued.  I had other reading commitments, so I began the book about two weeks before our meeting. I was not sure if I was going to be able to finish. 

Much to my surprise and delight I was so taken with the story that I was gulping down passages and constantly craving more.  I loved Helen's constant struggle with and desire to be  I brave.  The ways she navigated the all male photo journalists club and connected with the soldiers illustrated both her persistence and the unique challenges of a woman working in a combat zone. 

At the book club discussion, I know that Sam was a favorite character. However, I found him cocky and annoying.  His career ambitions have there appeal and I think his work ethic is admirable; however, as a partner for Helen, I found him irritating.   He reminded me a bit of the popular guy in high school-- the one who makes all the big plays and gets the attention of the ladies. 

I much preferred Linh whose keen observation skills and quiet demeanor made him more sensitive and genuine. The ways in which he struggled with his past to figure out how to be in the present made him the most relatable character. I must admit that at times I thought he was too good for Helen. Although, I did enjoy reading about how he and Helen fell in love with each other. He reminded me a bit of the reserved guy in high school who was an amazing person once you got to know him better.  

In addition to reading the book for a discussion, I am counting it for the following challenge: 

Global Reading Challenge 2011: Most of the book took place in Vietnam; I am counting it for Asia. 

From goodreads:

When the Sultan commissions a great book to celebrate his royal self and his extensive dominion, he directs Enishte Effendi to assemble a cadre of the most acclaimed artists in the land. Their task: to illuminate the work in the European style. But because figurative art can be deemed an affront to Islam, this commission is a dangerous proposition indeed, and no one in the elite circle can know the full scope or nature of the project.

Panic erupts when one of the chosen miniaturists disappears, and the Sultan demands answers within three days. The only clue to the mystery—or crime?—lies in the half-finished illuminations themselves. Has an avenging angel discovered the blasphemous work? Or is a jealous contender for the hand of Enishte’s ravishing daughter, the incomparable Shekure, somehow to blame?

Pages: 417 (paperback)

Rating:7 out of 10

Source: checked out multiple times from the library

I picked up My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk to fulfill the November destination of the World Party Reading Challenge.  It took me much longer than expected to finish the book.  While the story was interesting, it is a murder mystery with many possible suspects, I found it hard to get through in the beginning.  I was confused by the cast of characters, but I grew to enjoy the subplots as well as the main plot.  Looking at paintings and artistic style to determine a murderer was very intriguing.  I learned a lot about the connection between art and Islam.

The format of the book also drew me in as each chapter is told from a different perspective, including objects like coins and colors like red.  The book one many awards and while I appreciated the story, I felt like I was not fully grasping all of the historical information.  In spite of my slight feelings of inadequacy, I did appreciate the longing of the miniaturists to protect a practice which they had spent their whole lives perfecting.

For me, the character of Shekure best represented the tension between the modern and traditional world.  She navigates societal norms and expectations in order to secure a place for herself and her children.  It is impressive that she manages to create a life with one of the men she loves.

I am counting the book for the following challenges:

• 2011 Global Reading Challenge: The book is set in Turkey and I am counting it for the Europe continent.
• World Party Reading Challenge: Better late than never; the book is set in Turkey and counts for the month of November.