Terror: How Israel Has Coped and What America Can Learn, by Leonard A. Cole (2006)
I had the opportunity to meet the author, Leonard Cole in 2007, just at this book was about to be released. Cole is an expert in bioterrorism and terror medicine. In this book, he describes how terrorist attacks against Israel have affected the Israelis and how the Israelis have build in mechanisms to deal with the constant terror attacks against their country.
No country has experienced more terrorist attacks then Israel. As a result, Israel has developed innovative methods to respond to such attacks and threats of attacks. It is well known that the best trauma medicine in the world is being developed in Israeli hospitals.
Although there was a method to his madness, the author's narrative was not in chronological order, which made reading somewhat disorienting. Each chapter of the book discusses the effects of terror on different groups of people or events. There is a chapter on bus attacks, for instance, as well as families of terror attacks, and how doctors and nurses cope with treating terror victims. Israeli's, Cole notes, are in "survival" mode.
Still, Israel has, through necessity, developed well defined and structured protocol for dealing with disasters, whether from terrorist or through acts of nature. In contrast, the United States is totally unprepared to deal with a major disaster as evidenced by the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Cole concludes that the Israeli experience with preparedness can offer valuable lessons to the United States.
I was struck while watching a recent episode of CSI, that, although in theory and on the television, Americans can coherently deal with disasters, in real life, there is no such methodology.
In writing this book, Cole also interviewed Palestinians, including those imprisoned handlers of suicide bombings. These people felt no remorse for their actions in killing innocent victims of their terror acts. Peace cannot come until all recognize and value each other.
Read: September 26, 2010.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
Books Set in the United States: Texas
Same Kind of Different as Me, by Ron Hall and Denver Moore (2006)
The Same Kind of Different as Me is the tale of two men ~ one a wealthy art collector and the other born a virtual slave in northern Louisiana. Their lives intersected in a most unusual way and changed both for the better.
Denver was born in the mid-1930s on a plantation in Red River Parish, Louisiana. Although slavery had been abolished, virtual slavery continued to thrive on the cotton plantations of the south. Denver and his family, (as well as other families working on the plantation) were kept down by The Man. Denver never attended school and never leaned to read. From the time he was a young boy, he worked in the field picking cotton.
One day when he was in his late 20s, he hopped a board a freight train and began live as a homeless drifter. He learned to survive on the streets and was often in violent altercations. In 1966, he was back in Louisiana and was sentenced to 10 years in Angola Prison. Angola has a reputation as being a very violent prison in Louisiana, and when Denver was there, it was particularly notorious.
After his release, he was still without means and ultimately found himself homeless in Ft. Worth, Texas. Enter Ron Hall.
Ron Hall was born into a lower-middle class family. After college and a stint as a banker, he discovered a talent as an art dealer. He soon “quit his day job” and embarked on a career as an art dealer ~ a decision that made him an international known and wealthy man.
Although not particularly religious, one evening he and his wife, Deborah, attended a “prayer meeting” filled with evangelists. Soon Deborah feels the call from God to work with the homeless. Ron initially joined her more to humor her than out of his own conviction. Deborah begins working at the Union Gospel Mission in downtown Ft. Worth serving food to the homeless.
Denver goes to the shelter for food, but he has no interest in making friends. Indeed, he is reluctant to speak to “Miss Debbie”, because the only other time he spoke to a white woman, he was nearly killed. Slowly, however, Deborah brings Denver out of his hard street-earned shell. Deborah has a vision that a homeless man will change the city. That man is the homeless, illiterate Denver.
Eventually Ron and Denver strike up a friendship. When Ron and Deborah’s daughter moves to Denver, Colorado, Ron asks Denver to transport her worldly goods to her new home. Denver is intrigued to have the opportunity to visit the city that bears his name. Although Ron gives Denver precise instructions on how to drive in his $40K vehicle, Denver still cannot read and has only recently gotten his driver’s license. Ron also gives Denver a fair amount of cash to cover expenses on the trip. After Denver embarks on his voyage, Ron begins to worry that Denver will simply drive off with the cash and goods.
For Denver, however, he is thrilled with the enormous trust that Ron has placed in him to take this trip. He takes his responsibility very seriously. After delivering the goods, he promptly returns to Ft. Worth and returns most of he money he was given for the trip back to Ron.
Things are going well for Denver, Ron and Deborah. One day, however, Denver tells Ron to watch out because something bad is about to happen to Deborah. Soon Deborah discovers that she has cancer. Although for the next year and a half, she is subjected to surgeries and chemotherapies, in the end, she loses her battle. She survives much longer than her doctors predict ~ in part, perhaps, because her family prays for her to continue to stay with them. Again, Denver, in his wisdom, tells Ron that they need to let her go to her heavenly home.
This reminded me of the story in Talmud about the death of Rabbi Judah ha Nasi. Rabbi Judah ha Nasi was very old and ill. The rabbis and his students were praying for him day and night as he lay on his death bed. His maid, however, knowing that his prayers were continuing to keep him alive while he was in agony and it was now his time of death, went up to the top of the roof and dropped a jar of water on them. This action stopped the praying for a moment ~ just enough time to allow the Angel of Death to come and let Judah ha Nasi die in peace.
This was the lesson that Denver brought to Ron. After Deborah’s death, Ron and Denver’s friendship was cemented. Today Denver is an artist in his own right and Ron sells some of his paintings.
Although there is a Christian motif in this book, it is not preachy. It is an inspirational and beautiful story of how people can positively influence others by their actions. Denver, despite his violent background, was essentially a good man. His actions speak to all of us.
Truly an amazing story. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.
Read: September 17, 2010
The Same Kind of Different as Me is the tale of two men ~ one a wealthy art collector and the other born a virtual slave in northern Louisiana. Their lives intersected in a most unusual way and changed both for the better.
Denver was born in the mid-1930s on a plantation in Red River Parish, Louisiana. Although slavery had been abolished, virtual slavery continued to thrive on the cotton plantations of the south. Denver and his family, (as well as other families working on the plantation) were kept down by The Man. Denver never attended school and never leaned to read. From the time he was a young boy, he worked in the field picking cotton.
One day when he was in his late 20s, he hopped a board a freight train and began live as a homeless drifter. He learned to survive on the streets and was often in violent altercations. In 1966, he was back in Louisiana and was sentenced to 10 years in Angola Prison. Angola has a reputation as being a very violent prison in Louisiana, and when Denver was there, it was particularly notorious.
After his release, he was still without means and ultimately found himself homeless in Ft. Worth, Texas. Enter Ron Hall.
Ron Hall was born into a lower-middle class family. After college and a stint as a banker, he discovered a talent as an art dealer. He soon “quit his day job” and embarked on a career as an art dealer ~ a decision that made him an international known and wealthy man.
Although not particularly religious, one evening he and his wife, Deborah, attended a “prayer meeting” filled with evangelists. Soon Deborah feels the call from God to work with the homeless. Ron initially joined her more to humor her than out of his own conviction. Deborah begins working at the Union Gospel Mission in downtown Ft. Worth serving food to the homeless.
Denver goes to the shelter for food, but he has no interest in making friends. Indeed, he is reluctant to speak to “Miss Debbie”, because the only other time he spoke to a white woman, he was nearly killed. Slowly, however, Deborah brings Denver out of his hard street-earned shell. Deborah has a vision that a homeless man will change the city. That man is the homeless, illiterate Denver.
Eventually Ron and Denver strike up a friendship. When Ron and Deborah’s daughter moves to Denver, Colorado, Ron asks Denver to transport her worldly goods to her new home. Denver is intrigued to have the opportunity to visit the city that bears his name. Although Ron gives Denver precise instructions on how to drive in his $40K vehicle, Denver still cannot read and has only recently gotten his driver’s license. Ron also gives Denver a fair amount of cash to cover expenses on the trip. After Denver embarks on his voyage, Ron begins to worry that Denver will simply drive off with the cash and goods.
For Denver, however, he is thrilled with the enormous trust that Ron has placed in him to take this trip. He takes his responsibility very seriously. After delivering the goods, he promptly returns to Ft. Worth and returns most of he money he was given for the trip back to Ron.
Things are going well for Denver, Ron and Deborah. One day, however, Denver tells Ron to watch out because something bad is about to happen to Deborah. Soon Deborah discovers that she has cancer. Although for the next year and a half, she is subjected to surgeries and chemotherapies, in the end, she loses her battle. She survives much longer than her doctors predict ~ in part, perhaps, because her family prays for her to continue to stay with them. Again, Denver, in his wisdom, tells Ron that they need to let her go to her heavenly home.
This reminded me of the story in Talmud about the death of Rabbi Judah ha Nasi. Rabbi Judah ha Nasi was very old and ill. The rabbis and his students were praying for him day and night as he lay on his death bed. His maid, however, knowing that his prayers were continuing to keep him alive while he was in agony and it was now his time of death, went up to the top of the roof and dropped a jar of water on them. This action stopped the praying for a moment ~ just enough time to allow the Angel of Death to come and let Judah ha Nasi die in peace.
This was the lesson that Denver brought to Ron. After Deborah’s death, Ron and Denver’s friendship was cemented. Today Denver is an artist in his own right and Ron sells some of his paintings.
Although there is a Christian motif in this book, it is not preachy. It is an inspirational and beautiful story of how people can positively influence others by their actions. Denver, despite his violent background, was essentially a good man. His actions speak to all of us.
Truly an amazing story. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.
Read: September 17, 2010
Monday, September 13, 2010
Books Set in Medieval Europe: Rome
Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross (1999)
Was there a female Pope in the mid-800s? Donna Woolfolk Cross assumes so in her historical novel, Pope Joan.
Historical evidence is scarce to support either the existence or non-existence of a female Pope. If she existed, she would have ruled as Pope John VII. Cross’s research revealed that there exists an ancient copy of a document entitled Liber pontificalis which purports to provide a biography of the lives of the early popes. Although it references the existence of Pope “Joan”, it was apparently added many years after the original text was composed. The current position of the Catholic Church denies her existence.
At any rate, Pope Joan is a tale of medieval life in Europe and the restrictions placed on the average person, especially the women. At this period of time (9th Century), it was not uncommon for the clergy to take wives, although the practice was frown upon and hinder one’s elevation in Church hierarchy.
Since there is virtually know recorded history of Joan, the author creates a life for her, beginning with her birth in 814. Joan is the daughter of a cleric and his Viking wife. Her mother, Gudrun, was captured during a raid and forced to marry the cleric who felt it his duty to “convert” her from her heathen ways. Despite this, Gudrun would often tell Joan stories of her Norse gods ~ stories that would result in a beating from her husband.
Joan had two brothers; Matthew who was intelligent and headed for a life in the Church, and John who was clearly not a scholar and longed to become a warrior. Matthew secretly taught Joan how to read. Since her father despised Joan, when he learned that she could read, he beat her nearly to death. She bore the scars on her back for the rest of her life.
This didn’t deter Joan from her pursuit of knowledge. She was determined not to fall into the same life that was destined to her beloved mother. A nearby clergyman learned of Joan’s desires and offered to tutor her. When duty called him to another location, he gave her a book and promised to find another teacher for her. Joan and her brother, John, are sent off to a school far from home. (Matthew had died from an illness and their father decided that John would take his place in the church.)
The school provided Joan relief from her brutal father, but was ridiculed by her classmates. She is taken under the wing of Gerold, an older married man, with children Joan’s age. Gerold was in a loveless marriage and the two form a fast friendship. While Gerold is away, Vikings come and destroy the village and school. Joan is one of the few survivors. Seeing her brother, John, lying dead, she decides to become her brother and join a monastery.
She lives quietly in the monastery as a man for many years. She becomes knowledgeable in medicine. Ultimately, she finds herself in Rome and is serving in the Vatican. Her knowledge and compassion is well known and after the death of Pope Leo, she is surprisingly elected Pope.
Before becoming Pope, however, Gerold appears in Rome. He recognizes Joan and the two pickup their friendship. He tries to convince Joan to discard her disguise and become his wife. She refuses, knowing that she could not begin living as a woman with all the societal restrictions placed women.
Spoiler Alert: After Joan becomes Pope, there is a tragic flood throughout the city. Joan and Gerold find themselves alone in a distant part of the city. They cannot contain their passion. Again, Gerold tries to convince Joan to run away with him, saying that since everyone thinks the Pope has died in the flood, no one would be the wiser. Joan, however, has a strong sense of duty and cannot leave the Papacy. As luck would have it, after their one sexual encounter, Joan becomes pregnant. She considers her options, but decides to go ahead with the birth. Legends surrounding Pope Joan have her dying in childbirth in the Via Sacra. Cross stays true to legend.
Pope Joan was in interesting book, but not one I would read again.
Read: September 13, 2010
Was there a female Pope in the mid-800s? Donna Woolfolk Cross assumes so in her historical novel, Pope Joan.
Historical evidence is scarce to support either the existence or non-existence of a female Pope. If she existed, she would have ruled as Pope John VII. Cross’s research revealed that there exists an ancient copy of a document entitled Liber pontificalis which purports to provide a biography of the lives of the early popes. Although it references the existence of Pope “Joan”, it was apparently added many years after the original text was composed. The current position of the Catholic Church denies her existence.
At any rate, Pope Joan is a tale of medieval life in Europe and the restrictions placed on the average person, especially the women. At this period of time (9th Century), it was not uncommon for the clergy to take wives, although the practice was frown upon and hinder one’s elevation in Church hierarchy.
Since there is virtually know recorded history of Joan, the author creates a life for her, beginning with her birth in 814. Joan is the daughter of a cleric and his Viking wife. Her mother, Gudrun, was captured during a raid and forced to marry the cleric who felt it his duty to “convert” her from her heathen ways. Despite this, Gudrun would often tell Joan stories of her Norse gods ~ stories that would result in a beating from her husband.
Joan had two brothers; Matthew who was intelligent and headed for a life in the Church, and John who was clearly not a scholar and longed to become a warrior. Matthew secretly taught Joan how to read. Since her father despised Joan, when he learned that she could read, he beat her nearly to death. She bore the scars on her back for the rest of her life.
This didn’t deter Joan from her pursuit of knowledge. She was determined not to fall into the same life that was destined to her beloved mother. A nearby clergyman learned of Joan’s desires and offered to tutor her. When duty called him to another location, he gave her a book and promised to find another teacher for her. Joan and her brother, John, are sent off to a school far from home. (Matthew had died from an illness and their father decided that John would take his place in the church.)
The school provided Joan relief from her brutal father, but was ridiculed by her classmates. She is taken under the wing of Gerold, an older married man, with children Joan’s age. Gerold was in a loveless marriage and the two form a fast friendship. While Gerold is away, Vikings come and destroy the village and school. Joan is one of the few survivors. Seeing her brother, John, lying dead, she decides to become her brother and join a monastery.
She lives quietly in the monastery as a man for many years. She becomes knowledgeable in medicine. Ultimately, she finds herself in Rome and is serving in the Vatican. Her knowledge and compassion is well known and after the death of Pope Leo, she is surprisingly elected Pope.
Before becoming Pope, however, Gerold appears in Rome. He recognizes Joan and the two pickup their friendship. He tries to convince Joan to discard her disguise and become his wife. She refuses, knowing that she could not begin living as a woman with all the societal restrictions placed women.
Spoiler Alert: After Joan becomes Pope, there is a tragic flood throughout the city. Joan and Gerold find themselves alone in a distant part of the city. They cannot contain their passion. Again, Gerold tries to convince Joan to run away with him, saying that since everyone thinks the Pope has died in the flood, no one would be the wiser. Joan, however, has a strong sense of duty and cannot leave the Papacy. As luck would have it, after their one sexual encounter, Joan becomes pregnant. She considers her options, but decides to go ahead with the birth. Legends surrounding Pope Joan have her dying in childbirth in the Via Sacra. Cross stays true to legend.
Pope Joan was in interesting book, but not one I would read again.
Read: September 13, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Books Set in the United States: Wisconsin
The Dive from Clausen Pier by Ann Packer
The Dive from Clausen’s Pier is about relationships ~ how they change and how they change us.
Carrie Bell is a young college graduate who has been dating her boyfriend, Mike, for since she was 15. They recently became engaged, but Carrie is having second thoughts ~ none that she has been able to articulate, though. She just has a nagging feeling that she needs more in her life than settling down in Wisconsin with her childhood sweetheart.
At their annual Memorial Day picnic, Carrie, Mike and their friends head out to their favorite lakeside spot for a day of fun. Carrie is considering how to break it to Mike that she wants out of their pending nuptials. Mike, knowing something is up and in an attempt to catch Carrie’s attention, dives into the water, but things go terribly wrong. He breaks his neck and suffers terrible head injuries.
For weeks Mike remains in a coma. Playing the part of the good girlfriend, Carrie spends hours at the hospital with him, but feels guilt. Her friends all expect her to stand by the injured Mike. His family refuses to believe that he will not recover.
Finally, Mike comes out of his coma, only to acknowledge his own limitations as a quadriplegic. He still faces numerous surgeries and months of rehab. He cannot join his friends on evenings out. Carrie is no longer interested in the party life she enjoyed with her friends prior to Mike’s accident.
One night, however, her friends convince her to join them. She meets Kilroy, an eccentric single male who is visiting from New York City. Something about him catches her interest.
Finally, the pressures of Mike’s illness prove too much for Carrie to bear. She packs her car, complete with her sewing machine (she sews to relax) and heads to NYC, where she crashes with another high school friend, Simon. Simon is gay and feels comfortable being open about his sexuality in New York, where it wouldn’t have been possible in Wisconsin.
Carrie seeks out Kilroy and begins an affair with him. Then she begins to learn about him. He has no permanent job and hangs out in a bar playing pool. Kilroy is 40 years old and is still seeking himself. Carrie learns that he has a troubled relationship with his parents, who are very well-to-do (hence, are underwriting Kilroy’s lifestyle.) Kilroy is unable to make a commitment and is alternating loving and cold to Carrie. He has his own tragedies, as we ultimately learn, that render him unable to move forward with his life.
Carrie enrolls in design school and is destine to succeed, when she receives a call from her best friend, Jamie, back in Wisconsin. Jamie’s message, although very cryptic, is a plea for help. Furthermore, Jamie refers to Carrie as someone who would dump her boyfriend after he breaks his neck. Carrie, whose relationship with Jamie had been altered by Mike’s accident, doesn’t immediately provide Jamie with the answer Jamie was seeking.
After some soul searching, Carrie decides to return to Wisconsin. Carrie is still conflicted and struggling between her needs and those needs of others.
Although most of us aren’t faced with the dilemmas Carrie is confronted with, all of us struggle with relationships as we all grow and change. I was especially drawn to the change in relationship between Carrie and her friend, Jamie. The Dive from Clausen’s Park reminds us that as relationships change, we must take them for the gift they are and know when to let go.
Read: August 29, 2010
The Dive from Clausen’s Pier is about relationships ~ how they change and how they change us.
Carrie Bell is a young college graduate who has been dating her boyfriend, Mike, for since she was 15. They recently became engaged, but Carrie is having second thoughts ~ none that she has been able to articulate, though. She just has a nagging feeling that she needs more in her life than settling down in Wisconsin with her childhood sweetheart.
At their annual Memorial Day picnic, Carrie, Mike and their friends head out to their favorite lakeside spot for a day of fun. Carrie is considering how to break it to Mike that she wants out of their pending nuptials. Mike, knowing something is up and in an attempt to catch Carrie’s attention, dives into the water, but things go terribly wrong. He breaks his neck and suffers terrible head injuries.
For weeks Mike remains in a coma. Playing the part of the good girlfriend, Carrie spends hours at the hospital with him, but feels guilt. Her friends all expect her to stand by the injured Mike. His family refuses to believe that he will not recover.
Finally, Mike comes out of his coma, only to acknowledge his own limitations as a quadriplegic. He still faces numerous surgeries and months of rehab. He cannot join his friends on evenings out. Carrie is no longer interested in the party life she enjoyed with her friends prior to Mike’s accident.
One night, however, her friends convince her to join them. She meets Kilroy, an eccentric single male who is visiting from New York City. Something about him catches her interest.
Finally, the pressures of Mike’s illness prove too much for Carrie to bear. She packs her car, complete with her sewing machine (she sews to relax) and heads to NYC, where she crashes with another high school friend, Simon. Simon is gay and feels comfortable being open about his sexuality in New York, where it wouldn’t have been possible in Wisconsin.
Carrie seeks out Kilroy and begins an affair with him. Then she begins to learn about him. He has no permanent job and hangs out in a bar playing pool. Kilroy is 40 years old and is still seeking himself. Carrie learns that he has a troubled relationship with his parents, who are very well-to-do (hence, are underwriting Kilroy’s lifestyle.) Kilroy is unable to make a commitment and is alternating loving and cold to Carrie. He has his own tragedies, as we ultimately learn, that render him unable to move forward with his life.
Carrie enrolls in design school and is destine to succeed, when she receives a call from her best friend, Jamie, back in Wisconsin. Jamie’s message, although very cryptic, is a plea for help. Furthermore, Jamie refers to Carrie as someone who would dump her boyfriend after he breaks his neck. Carrie, whose relationship with Jamie had been altered by Mike’s accident, doesn’t immediately provide Jamie with the answer Jamie was seeking.
After some soul searching, Carrie decides to return to Wisconsin. Carrie is still conflicted and struggling between her needs and those needs of others.
Although most of us aren’t faced with the dilemmas Carrie is confronted with, all of us struggle with relationships as we all grow and change. I was especially drawn to the change in relationship between Carrie and her friend, Jamie. The Dive from Clausen’s Park reminds us that as relationships change, we must take them for the gift they are and know when to let go.
Read: August 29, 2010
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Books Set in Spain
The Last Jew, by Noah Gordon (2000).
The Last Jew follows the life of Yonah Toledano during the Spanish Inquisition. The Inquisition was initially designed to ferret out conversos, those Jews who converted but were “backsliding” towards their former religion. The Church viewed conversos as suspect, however. In time, however, the Church extended its reach and began targeting all Jews.
Yonah was the second son of a silversmith and only survivor in his family following the Inquisitions raid in his familial home town of Toledo. He manages to escape and “passes” as a Christian by assuming the name Ramon Callico. He recites his Hebrew prayers in secret to retain his ties to his beliefs. At the same time, however, he knows that at anytime he can be turned in to the Inquisitors.
At times Yonah/Ramon is just one step ahead of the Inquistors. At other times, he is able to find a sympathetic family who may or may not have discerned his true identity. Along the way, he reinvents himself ~ he is takes a job as a shepherd, travels with gypsies, recalls his training as a silversmith and crafts armor, and finally apprentices with a physian.
The book started off well, but the plot began to weaken. After a while, I grew bored with the exploits of Yonah. The author researched the period, and details the market for (fraudulent) sacred relics as well as medieval medicines.
Read: August 13, 2010
The Last Jew follows the life of Yonah Toledano during the Spanish Inquisition. The Inquisition was initially designed to ferret out conversos, those Jews who converted but were “backsliding” towards their former religion. The Church viewed conversos as suspect, however. In time, however, the Church extended its reach and began targeting all Jews.
Yonah was the second son of a silversmith and only survivor in his family following the Inquisitions raid in his familial home town of Toledo. He manages to escape and “passes” as a Christian by assuming the name Ramon Callico. He recites his Hebrew prayers in secret to retain his ties to his beliefs. At the same time, however, he knows that at anytime he can be turned in to the Inquisitors.
At times Yonah/Ramon is just one step ahead of the Inquistors. At other times, he is able to find a sympathetic family who may or may not have discerned his true identity. Along the way, he reinvents himself ~ he is takes a job as a shepherd, travels with gypsies, recalls his training as a silversmith and crafts armor, and finally apprentices with a physian.
The book started off well, but the plot began to weaken. After a while, I grew bored with the exploits of Yonah. The author researched the period, and details the market for (fraudulent) sacred relics as well as medieval medicines.
Read: August 13, 2010
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Books Set in India
The Girl From Foreign, by Sadia Shepard (2008)
The Girl from Foreign is both a memoir and a loving tribute to the author’s maternal grandmother. Sadia Shepard grew up in Chestnut Hill, a posh suburb outside of Boston, where she lived with her American father, Pakistani-born mother and Indian-born grandmother. Her father was Christian and her mother was Muslim. When Shepard was a teenager, she discovered that her grandmother was born Rachel Jacobs into a Jewish family in India’s Bene Israel community. When her grandmother secretly married her father’s business partner at age 17, she agreed to raise any children from the marriage as Muslims. She also changed her name to Rahat. She also may or may not have converted herself.
Shepard promises her grandmother that she will seek out her Indian heritage. Her trek begins a few years following her grandmother’s death. When Shepard is awarded a Fullbright scholarship, she makes good her promise. This book is a part of that search.
As Rachel Jacobs, the author’s grandmother lived in the Bene Israel community of India. The Bene Israel are believed to be descendants from a ship-wrecked group of Jews who washed up on Indian shores sometime before 166 BCE. There are still a few remnants of the Bene Israel in India today, although many have now immigrated to Israel.
Upon her marriage, Rachel became the third wife of a Muslim business man. She was believed to be the wife he married for love, the first two marriages were business arrangements. Rachel’s children, including the author’s mother, were raised Muslim in an environment of tolerance.
The author embraces her varied religious heritage, but is on a journey to determine where she fits. While in India, she connects with the Jewish community and attends Shabbat services as well as other Jewish festival services. Clearly, she feels comfortable in this setting. She also befriends a young Hindi man who often accompanies her on her travels to the small Jewish enclaves in India.
In her later life, Rachel began to look back into her faith and wanted to be buried as a Jew. Although her family buried her in a traditional Muslim manner, on the anniversary of her death, she was remembered in a traditionally Jewish service.
Shepard also recounts how, as a child, she and her family would make trips to Pakistan to visit relatives. When she returns as an adult, after September 11, 2001, she finds her Pakistani relatives to have moved to a more militant brand of Islam. She also learns how her grandfather’s other wives and families have decimated her estate.
The Girl from Foreign is a beautifully written book. It is a lesson in understanding cultures that are making headlines in today’s news stories.
Read: August 8, 2010
The Girl from Foreign is both a memoir and a loving tribute to the author’s maternal grandmother. Sadia Shepard grew up in Chestnut Hill, a posh suburb outside of Boston, where she lived with her American father, Pakistani-born mother and Indian-born grandmother. Her father was Christian and her mother was Muslim. When Shepard was a teenager, she discovered that her grandmother was born Rachel Jacobs into a Jewish family in India’s Bene Israel community. When her grandmother secretly married her father’s business partner at age 17, she agreed to raise any children from the marriage as Muslims. She also changed her name to Rahat. She also may or may not have converted herself.
Shepard promises her grandmother that she will seek out her Indian heritage. Her trek begins a few years following her grandmother’s death. When Shepard is awarded a Fullbright scholarship, she makes good her promise. This book is a part of that search.
As Rachel Jacobs, the author’s grandmother lived in the Bene Israel community of India. The Bene Israel are believed to be descendants from a ship-wrecked group of Jews who washed up on Indian shores sometime before 166 BCE. There are still a few remnants of the Bene Israel in India today, although many have now immigrated to Israel.
Upon her marriage, Rachel became the third wife of a Muslim business man. She was believed to be the wife he married for love, the first two marriages were business arrangements. Rachel’s children, including the author’s mother, were raised Muslim in an environment of tolerance.
The author embraces her varied religious heritage, but is on a journey to determine where she fits. While in India, she connects with the Jewish community and attends Shabbat services as well as other Jewish festival services. Clearly, she feels comfortable in this setting. She also befriends a young Hindi man who often accompanies her on her travels to the small Jewish enclaves in India.
In her later life, Rachel began to look back into her faith and wanted to be buried as a Jew. Although her family buried her in a traditional Muslim manner, on the anniversary of her death, she was remembered in a traditionally Jewish service.
Shepard also recounts how, as a child, she and her family would make trips to Pakistan to visit relatives. When she returns as an adult, after September 11, 2001, she finds her Pakistani relatives to have moved to a more militant brand of Islam. She also learns how her grandfather’s other wives and families have decimated her estate.
The Girl from Foreign is a beautifully written book. It is a lesson in understanding cultures that are making headlines in today’s news stories.
Read: August 8, 2010
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Books Set in the United States: Seattle
The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein (2008)
The Art of Racing in the Rain is a beautiful little book as told from a dog’s point of view. Enzo is a Labrador-terrier mix who was adopted as a young pup by Denny. The novel begins near the end of Enzo’s life. Although he cannot speak, he strives to let his Denny know that it is time to let him go. Enzo has a strong feeling that he will become human in his next life, something that he looks forward to.
Denny works in an auto shop with dreams of becoming a famous race-car driver. Enzo truly lives a dog’s life, whose only disappointment is that he has no thumbs. If only he had thumbs, he thinks, what wonderful things he could accomplish!
Enzo’s goes through life changes as Denny’s life changes. Denny falls in love with Eve and marries and begins a family. Eve worries how Enzo will treat their young daughter, Zoe. She should have had no fears, however, as both dog and child become good pals.
Denny has a habit of leaving the TV on so that Enzo can be occupied during the day. Enzo learns about life through the wonderful world of television. Between the television, and Denny’s monologs, Enzo gains insight into the human condition. He learns about life through race-car driving. Life, like race-care driving requires techniques to navigate all the obstacles that are thrown at one.
Enzo knows long before the rest of the family that Eve has a dreadful illness. After Eve dies following her battle with brain cancer, her parents fight Denny for custody of Zoe. Eve’s father dislikes Denny and feels Eve married beneath her class. When a young relative accuses Denny of rape, Enzo becomes his main strength, as he struggles to regain his reputation.
The title of the book comes from Denny’s talent for racing on wet pavement. It is also an metaphor for live itself. The Art of Racing in the Rain is a quick read, to anyone with a pet is an unforgettable story.
Read: August 1, 2010
The Art of Racing in the Rain is a beautiful little book as told from a dog’s point of view. Enzo is a Labrador-terrier mix who was adopted as a young pup by Denny. The novel begins near the end of Enzo’s life. Although he cannot speak, he strives to let his Denny know that it is time to let him go. Enzo has a strong feeling that he will become human in his next life, something that he looks forward to.
Denny works in an auto shop with dreams of becoming a famous race-car driver. Enzo truly lives a dog’s life, whose only disappointment is that he has no thumbs. If only he had thumbs, he thinks, what wonderful things he could accomplish!
Enzo’s goes through life changes as Denny’s life changes. Denny falls in love with Eve and marries and begins a family. Eve worries how Enzo will treat their young daughter, Zoe. She should have had no fears, however, as both dog and child become good pals.
Denny has a habit of leaving the TV on so that Enzo can be occupied during the day. Enzo learns about life through the wonderful world of television. Between the television, and Denny’s monologs, Enzo gains insight into the human condition. He learns about life through race-car driving. Life, like race-care driving requires techniques to navigate all the obstacles that are thrown at one.
Enzo knows long before the rest of the family that Eve has a dreadful illness. After Eve dies following her battle with brain cancer, her parents fight Denny for custody of Zoe. Eve’s father dislikes Denny and feels Eve married beneath her class. When a young relative accuses Denny of rape, Enzo becomes his main strength, as he struggles to regain his reputation.
The title of the book comes from Denny’s talent for racing on wet pavement. It is also an metaphor for live itself. The Art of Racing in the Rain is a quick read, to anyone with a pet is an unforgettable story.
Read: August 1, 2010
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