I am a writer of poetry and fiction and an avid reader. Here, I think 'out-loud' about books, movies, stories, writing and other fictions.
I lost the whole site at one point and am rebuilding old posts from my backups.
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
Nathaniel
Price, an evangelical Baptist, takes his family to the Congo on a mission. Everything they planned is turned on its
head. Their garden refuses to grown,
their attempt to convert the local populous only works to enrage their
enemies. Told over three decades from
the point of view of one of the daughters, the family is torn apart and
reconstructed.
Embroideries by Marjane Satrapi (2006) Pantheon
What
do women in Iran do when they get together?
They talk about love, sex and men.
The discussions cover faking virginity, escaping arranged marriages, and
the benefits of being a mistress. The
women range in age and the subject is presented with humor and dignity, or
something that seems to be the same.
Chicken with Plums by Marjane Satrapi (2006) Pantheon
The
author of Persepolis brings her sense of humor and insight with a man who is
the pre-eminent player of the stringed tar. He instrument is broken beyond repair
and he cannot find another one that speaks to him the same way. So, he decided to lay down and die. His family and friends try to change his mind
but cannot.
O Jerusalem by Laurie R King (1999) Bantam
Mary
Russell and her husband, Sherlock Holmes, visit Palestine under the auspices of
Holmes’ brother Mycroft. They work with
two Arabs, Ali and Mahmoud, and track a murderer to Jerusalem, a man who wants
to destroy the most sacred place in the city to ignite more war.
The Rabbi's Cat by Joann Sfar (2005) Pantheon
A
rabbi’s cat eats a parrot and gains the ability to speak. He argues with the rabbi about Talmudic vs
Kabbala teachings and wants a Bar Mitzvah.
The rabbi’s daughter loves the cat and he accompanies the rabbi and his
daughter to France to meet her prospective husband’s family.