As a teacher of English, I have many favorite authors. My students introduced me to various new authors and types of genre. I now belong to a book club, keeping me well read and versatile. The following books are in no particular order.
Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak Doctor Zhivago written by Boris Pasternak who won a Nobel prize for this masterpiece helps the reader understand the reasons for the Bolchevik uprising and the control of the government through communism. The purpose of this writing seems to be a statement of Pasternak's view of the economy and the government's exploration of communism. The author masterfully develops his characters so that the reader acquires an understanding of the various levels of society. Zhivago--married, a medical doctor, joins the army and treats all those in need from the battlefield to the small-town people and their problems. Lara--also married, but to a revolutionist, sets up the opposing economic status that was normal throughout the country. The love story between Zhivago and Lara enmeshes love, conflict, war, and life. After Zhivago dies of a heart attack, his friends discover a girl who tells them her life story. The girl, Tanya, is the daughter of Lara and Yury.
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett I became interested in this book when my son-in-law made the recommendation. As a timber framer/builder, a very specific type of construction, he was interested in the architecture of early churches and cathedrals. He is also an avid reader and I trusted his judgement. Follett's Pillars covers approximately 50 years beginning during the middle of the 12th century. Set in Kingsbridge, England, the town and the story are fictional, but realistic and believable for the time. The main character, Tom Builder, is a genius mason who becomes well known throughout the area. The lives of Tom's family become entangled with the political and religious ambitions of the clergy and battles for the throne since the king has no heir to the throne. As a reader, I found a certain kinship with the folks; also, it was easy to detest those who were cruel and uncaring. Secrecy, conspiracy, coercion, and murder are balanced with the victories of love, devotion, faith, strength, and fortitude. The story was rich with history and supported with Gothic and Romanesque architecture. The value of Follett's architectural research cannot be sufficiently underscored.
A Time to Kill by John Grisham The story follows two white men, Pete Willard and Billy Ray Cobb who are charged with the brutal rape of a young black girl in the middle of the racially polarized South. Carl Lee Hailey, the father of the girl promises to avenge his daughter's assailants. Carl Lee fears the men will be exonerated simply because they are white and the child is black so he takes it upon himself to shoot them when they are being moved from the courthouse. It was clear that Carl Lee killed these men and everyone knew it. Jake Brigance, a local lawyer, agrees to take the hopeless task of defending Carl Lee. Grisham writes with complete understanding and authority about the law. He captures his readers because he is able to make the common man understand the court system; the climate in the South between opposing races; and the malicious workings of the KKK to the point of Jake needed to move his family for protection. I loved learning about the legal system and found the subject matter tugging at emotions and logic. Since reading this novel, I have read nearly all of Grisham's novels and found a measure of value in each.
Waiting to be Heard by Amanda Knox
Amanda Knox wrote a memoir in 2013 dealing with her arrest and conviction for murder, her struggles with prison life, and her undying hope for complete exoneration. Personal interest in the country of Italy, the desire to learn language and culture, and being a mother of two young women pushed me to view every news segment and documentary about Knox in order to follow the story about this 20-year-old. After all, moving to France or Italy was within the realm of possibility for me or my daughter. Knox wrote her story well, not exceptionally, just well enough to be understood as a naïve and smart enough young person looking for an adventure. In a letter to her mother, Amanda wrote, "The things that make us suffer, challenge us to be stronger, give us the opportunity to survive, be smarter, better." Lessons learned as the reader becomes a follower of a developing story. Our young people see themselves as invincible to the extent that they don't think bad things can happen to them if they are smart enough to learn a foreign language and learn about the culture of another land. What Knox did not know hurt her--the judicial system in other countries is not the same as what we have in the United States. Knox encounters the worst possible twists and turns in her travels. She admits to making many poor decisions which did not help her case. In the press, she appeared to be sexually permissive and even cavalier about the death of her roommate. Even with the worst facts presented about Knox, I always saw her as a victim of her circumstances and I actually cried for her when she was finally found not guilty by the Italian Supreme Court of Cassation. By this time, Amanda had learned more about life from her prison cell than she could have imagined when she left the protection of her family.
My book club read The Shack. While some found it confusing, we all agreed there was a certain value in the story. This just may be a story that requires a second reading or at minimum a very close reading. Clearly, the author's message is that each of us has reason to hold in our minds personal doubt about faith; some of us harbor hatred that we are unable to overcome; and some of us are able to find greater peace in our hearts and in our minds when we learn to forgive the unforgiveable. There is an insightful video of the author being interviewed about the book which I fully recommend. At the onset, the story, which was not intended to be published, as it was originally written as a gift or his children---possibly a loving, fatherly, teaching tool. Young was encouraged by friends and family to publish. The results are in---successful! Critics are just that, critics. The sales of this book speak for themselves. If you are a person of faith, knowing that you cannot explain the reason of your belief, you will be touched by the complexity and mystery of the story. On the other hand, if you are not a believer, this was not written to change your mind, but to open a door to the possibilities of acquiescence.
Why Meadow Died by Andrew Pollack and Max Eden
Andrew Pollack told the gripping story of how his daughter, Meadow, died in the Parkland, Florida shooting on February 14,2018. The impressive research done by Pollack and Max Eden, an education specialist, brought to life statements made by Pollack which were annotated with proof. The politics of Broward County enabled troubled students a safety net by not reporting them properly to the authorities. Such was the case of the shooter who took the lives of seventeen on that day. Laws were changed and laws were ignored. The superintendent had no experience in the field of education.
Every parent, educator, law enforcer, and social reformer needs to read the book for awareness to a society that blindly ignores all indicators of moral corruption.
A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum
Educated by Tara Westover
The book our club “hated to love” because of its disturbing nature. As we read, we commented on the unbelievable antics of a family suffering from mental illness and planning for the end of the world. Although as individuals, we readers felt a whirlwind of emotions ranging from disbelief, anger, frustration, and despair, we could not stop reading and continued looking for hope. The Westover family lived in a remote area in the mountains of Idaho. They were isolated by parental choice from society because Tara’s father feared and distrusted the government and anyone with authority, including educators and medical personnel. Tara’s mother blindly supported her husband and his decisions. Together their behaviors promoted observance to their own religious beliefs, in addition to family unity and loyalty. The positive was offset by brainwashing and instilling fear within all family members. Surprisingly, both parents displayed a certain level of intelligence beyond the norms. Educated at home with very little assistance from anyone, Tara attempted to find personal validation. She sought love, and acceptance, but found herself trapped. Just as Tara’s education was therapeutic in this resolve, writing her memoir at a reasonably young age was cathartic. The emotional damage done to Tara by her vicious brother and her parents who were in denial of any wrong-doing cost her dearly. Tara discovered grounding through her education which gave her freedom of choice for the first time in her life, but she remained indelibly scarred from her experiences and true freedom seems out of reach.
The Last Arrow by Erwin Raphael McManus
McManus tells his readers that each of us has a quiver of arrows that we can choose to strike or not. Yes, we make choices ourselves. We can bypass life and not try strike our inventory of arrows or we can make each and every attempt to live as if it were our last chance. The author tells us to stop looking back at our past because we cannot change what has already happened. Accepting the past for the lesson for which it is, is a preferred option. Look to the future with sincere hope and do not give up on that hope. Work at it. McManus is a preacher and one who has learned that the dreaded cancer has seeped into his being. This is a christian book with God at its center, but the light of God is also the light of the individual seeking to radiate. The quotes from McManus are numerous. His words seeped into my head and my heart causing me to think, to measure, and to react. I intend to use his quotes to explain his views on life and death.
"If one day we are to have a conversation with God about the measure of our lives, I would rather have him ask me why I tried to do too much than have him ask me why I settled for so little.” These words go deeply into my soul to expel fears, to rid myself of misunderstandings, and to look for the possibilities of life.
"We can become so afraid of that we never live, so afraid of failure that we never risk, so afraid of pain that we never discover how strong we really are." As a yoga instructor, these words found the light within me so I may pass that message on to my students. We must be grounded sufficiently in order to face our fears and risk living.
"Success will lie to you and tell you that your future is just an extension of your past, when at its best, success is simply preparation for new challenges." Our past is just that--our past, done, finished. Somethings may have been successful while others smashed with seeming failure. But is it failure? Only if you allow it to be. If one is able to learn from the past, then it is not failure. It matters what you do with your wins and your losses.
"Life is a series of challenges, adventures, and yes, even battles. There will always be giants to subdue and dragons to slay. I have already decided to die with my sword in hand. There is more courage in us than danger ahead of us." This is how I faced retirement; not as a step toward death, but the opportunity to pull out an arrow that I previously did not have time to strike because I had other commitments with my profession and family. Find your adventure. Look for your challenge. Give that battle your all!
Small Moving Parts by DB Jackson
The cast of characters begins with Dodger, a nickname for Boudean Cooper and Harley Cain. The two are of a generation apart in age, but have one thing in common as the story begins; that being, they both want to exit life with all of the problems they face, and choose to end it themselves. Almost simultaneously, the two make a failed attempt in close proximity. The chance meeting set in the rural countryside near Bufort, Texas in 1958 creates a web of bonding, learning, as well as the desire to face their problems and live. The author uses characterization and setting masterfully to tell a story of survival. The plot unfolds quickly and intricately with a cast of characters, captivating the reader. Both Dodger and Harley find their purpose in life. Author Jackson states, "The world is a complicated place with lots of small moving parts. When someone moves one part just a little, it causes all other parts to move in ways we can't see coming." This seems to be a metaphor for life. We cannot predict our future, but we can plan for options and create the best possible outcome if we try.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
It is heartbreaking to think of the existence of some of our fellow human beings. We tend to believe that we are the norm in life, the average, the ones most like every one else. When reading Where the Crawdads Sing, I found my connection to the world around me totally unlike living in solitude of the marsh and wetlands. Author Delia Owens introduced the reader to Catherine Danielle Clark, otherwise known as Kya. At the onset of the story, Kya and her family lived in the marshes near Barkley Cove, North Carolina. The six-year-old Kya watches as her mother walks down the lane with suitcase in hand. She does not know why her mother left or where she went. For days and months Kya kept her eyes on the lane hoping for her mother's return. Kya was too small to understand that each of her siblings--Missy, Murph, Mandy, as well as her mother, all left for the same reason--because Pa was a drunkard and physically abused all of them until they could not remain with the family. Jodie was the closest sibling to Kya in age and the best friend Kya had. She did not attend school because the other students bullied her and called her "Marsh Girl." Jodie attended school and taught Kya what little she knew until he needed to be free of Pa like the others. Pa taught Kya to fish and provide for the little food they had. Kya's only friends were Tate Walker, a friend of Jodie's, and Jumpin', who sold gasoline to boaters, and Mabel, Jumpin's wife. Their friendships developed over time as Kya learned self-reliance by gardening and trading her smoked fish and the mussels for gas and other goods. Tate and Kya learned about nature, birds, feathers, and shells together as Kya makes drawings to uses her innate talents and her mother's art supplies to make drawings of nature. Kya was blessed with the talent of drawing things around her, mostly in nature. Little did she know that creating her drawings and meticulously keeping them would open doors to her future. The story unfolds as Kya grows through her teen years and experiences a relationship with a town hero. Later, she is accused of murder.
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
Summer of '69 by Elin Hilderbrand
Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America by Michael Eric Dyson