Why did it take me so long to read this? Since it’s such a well-known classic, I won’t summarize the plot except to say it’s about a girl from Irish-Catholic descent facing poverty and family struggles in Brooklyn.
(Spoilers ahead!)
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I loved Francie. I loved how she fought to go to a good school and how she loved her father. And of course, how she loved books-in spite of the not-really-there librarian. How awful was she?! The grandmother’s advice about reading the Bible and Shakespeare was excellent. Carrying it out for all those years was even more admirable. I loved seeing her grow and develop into a young woman. The responsibility of a 14 year-old to support the whole family! Amazing.
Some favorite quotes:
That is what is called learning the truth. It is a good thing to learn the truth one’s self. To first believe with all your heart, and then not to believe, is good too. It fattens the emotions and makes them to stretch. When as a woman life and people disappoint her, she will have had practice in disappointment and it will not come so hard. In teaching your child, do not forget that suffering is good too. It makes a person rich in character. (Mary Rommely’s advice)
From that time on, the world was hers for the reading. She would never be lonely again, never miss the lack of intimate friends. Books became her friends and there was one for every mood. There was poetry for quiet companionship. There was adventure when she tired of quiet hours. There would be love stories when she came into adolescence and when she wanted to feel a closeness to someone she could read a biography. On that day when she first knew she could read, she made a vow to read one book a day as long as she lived.
(Katie, Francie’s mom:) You wait until us women vote. . . You don’t believe we will? That day will come. Mark my words. We’ll put all those crooked politicians where they belong-behind iron bars.
(Francie’s dad:) If that day ever comes when women vote, you’ll go along to the polls with me-arm in arm-and vote the way I do. He put his arm around her and gave her a quick hug.
Katie smiled up at him. Francie couldn’t help noticing that mama was smiling sidewise, the way the lady did in the picture in the school auditorium, the one they called Mona Lisa.
This is the second book in The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith. I read the first book earlier this year and enjoyed it very much. A light-hearted mystery like this was perfect for the late night hours of the read-a-thon.
In this book, Mma Ramotswe gets more cases and a very big surprise from her fiancé. She continues to solve them in her own unique way, and the “surprise” might just be enough to change her mind about him. I definitely plan on continuing this series when I need a break from more serious reading. A very fun, light mystery series.
The Bookseller of Kabul, although it is non-fiction, definitely reads like a novel. Asne Seierstad changed the names of the characters in the book, but even with that, it was obvious to Afghanis who the bookseller was. When the book was translated into English, the real bookseller was outraged. He has even tried suing Seierstad and her publisher, and he has also written and published his own version of events. None of which had much impact in her home country of Norway.
Life for many Muslim women is difficult, and that is clearly portrayed in this book. However, before I give a plot synopsis I would like to caution potential readers of the book to not think that ALL Muslim women are in this predicament. I stayed in a Muslim country in the Middle East for three months and have talked with local women and girls myself to hear their views. I have seen Muslim couples and how they interact. It’s not all bad. All families are different in how they interact with each other, whether they be Afghani, American, Chinese, or Russian. I’m sure there are some families even in non-Muslim America who treat women in a similar way that these women are treated. That said, this book will do a good job opening your eyes to the plight of (some-not all) women in non-Western areas of the world.
Sultan is the bookseller whose word is law. He is the leader of the family and even his brothers must obey him, let alone his mother, wives, and children. He rules his family with an iron fist, all the while telling himself he is a progressive, modern-minded man. He replaces (technically, adds to) his 50-something wife with a young teenager. His son Mansur resents and fears him, all the while treating his mother and aunt deplorably. This aunt, Leila, Sultan’s sister, is basically a slave to the entire family and is treated like one. I felt particularly sad for her story.
Rape, forced “prostitution” of widows, and brothers’ suffocation of their sister are only a few of the awful events in this book. In reading of these, I did question how the author would know about some of them. I was also worried about the safety of some of the family members after the book’s publication. In the end, it does reveal that part of Sultan’s family left to live with another male family member. I was very relieved to know that. I’ve thought of these characters often because they’re not just characters. They are real people.
The Little Prince is a charming story written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. A pilot has crashed his plane and is stranded in the desert, where he meets a little prince from another planet. The prince tells the pilot about his planet and of the people he has met on other planets. Many lessons can be learned of the stories he tells.
This is a great book for children and adults. It is inspired by the author’s own crash in the Sahara desert as well as other personal events. The illustrations were beautifully done by the author. Highly recommended!
Stargirl is a high school girl who, refreshingly, does NOT try to be like everyone else. She marches to her own drummer. She is kind to everyone, almost to a fault. But does everyone love her for it or think she’s too much of an oddity?
I enjoyed this book, though I winced a bit at the too familiar (though long ago) high school culture. A very good story for teens.
This Newbery winner tells the legend of how the Huns and Magyars migrated westward into Hungary. Descended from Nimrod (yes, the one from the Bible), Attila and his ancestors follow a white stag that shows them the way. If you like myths and legends as I do, you will appreciate this book.
My only caution is that Christian parents should read this first to see if it appropriate for their family. Although I love folklore, legends, and mythology, I was a little uncomfortable with the setting up of Nimrod as a hero. Usually I treat mythology solely as fiction with entertainment value. In this case, however, because this book does use passages and references in the Bible, I am a little more cautious.
"Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal." (John 6:27, ESV)
Why did it take me so long to read this? Since it’s such a well-known classic, I won’t summarize the plot except to say it’s about a girl from Irish-Catholic descent facing poverty and family struggles in Brooklyn.
This is the second book in The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith. I read 
The Bookseller of Kabul, although it is non-fiction, definitely reads like a novel. Asne Seierstad changed the names of the characters in the book, but even with that, it was obvious to Afghanis who the bookseller was. When the book was translated into English, the real bookseller was outraged. He has even tried suing Seierstad and her publisher, and he has also written and published his own version of events. None of which had much impact in her home country of Norway.
The Little Prince is a charming story written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. A pilot has crashed his plane and is stranded in the desert, where he meets a little prince from another planet. The prince tells the pilot about his planet and of the people he has met on other planets. Many lessons can be learned of the stories he tells.
