After Dark

I’ve never read anything by Haruki Murakami but I’ve seen his name a lot lately.  Looking him up at the library I found his novel After Dark.  Not having any clue about Mr. Murakami‘s style or the subject of the story, I inserted the audio book with much anticipation. I popped that CD right in.

Taking place during the wee hours of one night when most people are sleeping, we are told from the very beginning that we are mere observers into the story – a bird flying above or a solitary camera.  The narration begins objectively to find nineteen year old Mari Asai reading alone in a Tokyo Denny’s.  She is approached by college student Takehashi, a  part time jazz trombonist who reminds her that he has met her and her model sister Eri before.  This chance meeting drags Mari into a virtual foreign world far from her suburban life.  Fluent in Chinese, Mari soon finds herself in a “love hotel” helping a Chinese prostitute who had just been beaten.  As the night continues, she becomes familiar with the hotel’s staff and not only learns their secrets, but confesses her own.  Many of Mari’s secrets relate to her insecurities surrounding her beautiful sister.

During Mari’s story, Mr. Murakami reminds us that we are just observers as we frequently visit Mari’s sleeping sister Eri.  We learn later that Eri has been sleeping for two months and no one knows why.  And frankly, neither do I.  Mr. Murakami takes the reader on a bizarre journey from Eri’s sleeping room, into a television set with a man with no face. Uh, ok.

The camera also jumps into the life of the man who beat the Chinese prostitute.  Not a very interesting man, he works a lot of hours at a company while his wife dutifully waits for him at home.

I found After Dark very odd.  The individual stories were compelling enough to hear through to their respective conclusions, and the third party observer perspective was unique. Although not giving any obvious insight into the actual thoughts of the characters, I was able to form my own judgments based on their dialogue and actions.

After traveling through the book as a simple observer, my take away is the story of the two sisters, one who deeply cares for the other.  I also enjoyed the Tokyo setting and little American references – the Denny’s where the story begins and the mention of Hall & Oates on the sound system.

Once in a while I am interested in broadening my horizons to challenge myself.  I’m not giving up on Mr. Murakami, he has received accolades for his work.  Maybe after experiencing a couple more books, I will come back to After Dark and say “A-ha, of course!”

The Abstinence Teacher

After listening to The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta (my review)  I was interested in checking out some of his other work.   I chose the audio version of The Abstinence Teacher, frankly because it was immediately available at the library.

Ruth, a divorced mother of two girls, is a Sex Education teacher at the local high school.  She is serious about her subject and wants her students to be armed with all of the facts.  Seemingly overnight, complaints about the curriculum are grabbing the attention of the school and local school board.  Coincidentally, the congregation of The Tabernacle, the local Evangelical Church, is becoming a louder presence in the community and suddenly Ruth is instructed that “abstinence only” will be taught, no questions asked.   The order doesn’t end Ruth’s continued conflict with the school officials and the new beauty-queenesque “Abstinence Consultant.”

Added to Ruth’s career angst, her personal life is boring.  A re-connect with her pudgy teenage-sexual-partner-turned-hard-body is a complete bust.  Then one day, Jesus-loving Tim enters her life and she is shocked and embarrassed at the feelings he stirs within her.  To add insult to injury, not being a fan of the Tabernacle doctrine, her daughters come home and tell her they want to go to church to “get to know” Jesus.

Tim, divorced father of one daughter and former drug addict/alcoholic/rocker, is a new member of the Tabernacle.  He is trying very hard to live a successful Christian life with his new Christian wife, but constantly struggles with his former self.  He can’t stop thinking of bedding his former wife as she greets him at the door in lingerie.  And the thrill of having played the guitar in a rock band must be currently fulfilled by jamming during church services.  Tim enters Ruth’s life when, as soccer coach to Ruth’s daughter, his faith overcomes him after a game and he prays with the team.  When Ruth hears about this, she and he have a heart to heart meeting which temporarily halts Ruth’s continued actions against him.

Contrary to what the title may suggest, The Abstinence Teacher isn’t only about Ruth.  Every character in Mr. Perrotta’s book abstains from something –whether by choice or not.  Ruth’s students are denied the facts, Ruth’s gay friends are denied the right to get married, her previous pudgy teenage sex partner must be denied the food that he used to enjoy, Tim’s ‘Christian’ wife denies herself in order to please her husband, and the list continues.  By bringing all of these characters together, Mr. Perrotta creates a story about this suburban town and what happens when the Christian Right invades and imposes their beliefs on everyone.   If I think about this subject too much, I become aggravated as The Abstinence Teacher poses more questions than answers about what should/could be done in this situation which seems to be currently happening all over America.  Thus, I choose to enjoy the story simply as entertainment.  Becoming upset is not the goal of listening to audio books during a long commute.

I have concluded that I have enjoyed all of Mr. Perrotta’s books thus far (Little Children, The Leftovers, The Abstinence Teacher) because I can put myself into any one of his stories.  Some readers don’t want stories so true to life – too depressing.  However, I find Mr. Perrotta’s sarcasm and humor extremely entertaining as I sit in traffic.  The Abstinence Teacher allows you to go deeper if you want to, but you can also enjoy it as is.

Anne’s Favorites of 2011

2011 felt like a slacker reading year for me.  But after reviewing my list of reviews of the past year, I’m happy to report that my top five are books that made such an impact on me that I have recommended them over and over to fellow readers.  In fact, all of the following titles (in absolutely no particular order) are now on my list of Favorite Books of All Time.

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly was my entrance into the Young Adult genre (after other failed attempts of Twilight and Harry Potter).  Ms. Donnelly’s vivid and realistic picture of life during the French Revolution helped me sort out some facts while transporting me to another era. (my review)

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot is the unbelievable story behind the HeLa cells which became some of the most important tools in medicine.  I couldn’t put this one down. (my review)

Girls on the Edge by Dr. Leonard Sax gives us some disturbing insight into what issues currently face young girls of today.  Although I didn’t review this one, I was mesmorised by Dr. Sax’s extensive research on the problems for girls: from mean girl issues to Facebook to environmental chemicals that could be detrimental to their growth.  As the mother of a daughter, I read it in a couple of hours.  Technology is new to most of us parents, Dr. Sax reminds us that we’re the parents, and just because it’s new doesn’t make it ok all of the time.

Unbroken by Laura Hildebrand is the unforgettable story of Louis Zamperini, Olympic Athlete turned extraordinary POW survivor.  He is an inspiration for us all!  (my review)

Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes is fiction, but may as well be non-fiction.  I can only imagine that Mr. Marlantes, having served in the Vietnam War, came extremely close to experiencing the horrors described in this story.  A book about war that I never thought I would have picked up and am so glad I did. (my review)

The Leftovers

I received the audio version of The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta from BGB Headquarters right after Tim read the book. Check out his review, too.

What would you do if suddenly millions of people disappeared from Earth? No explanation offered – one moment you’re having breakfast with your kids and the next second poolf! they are gone!  Would you be capable of resuming your life? Would you just give up?  Personally, I’ve never thought about it before, but now thanks to Tom Perrotta, I have.  In The Leftovers, Perrotta brings us his interpretation of this very situation in the town of Mapleton.

The title alone suggests an unsettled feeling and makes me think of old food in the refrigerator.  Maybe the people left behind weren’t good enough to be chosen.  Chosen for what? No one really knows since there is no rhyme or reason as to who is chosen.  Due to the randomness of people taken away, the citizens of Mapleton are depressed, angry and bewildered.

Mr. Perrotta focuses on one family who has a rough time, even though their immediate family remains intact.  Laurie, wife and mother, abandons her husband and two children to join a cult called the “Guilty Remnants”.  Their goal is to ensure that no one forgets the Sudden Departure by dressing in white, not speaking in public and silently stalking the townsfolk around.  They are also required to smoke to “proclaim their faith.”  I found this oddly amusing as Laurie becomes completely immersed in the GR despite their bizarre habits.  I was hopeful that she would regret her decision and return home but that was wishful thinking on my part.

Kevin, husband and father, is elected mayor and tries to cope by helping the community.  Since his wife has left him, he attempts some sort of normalcy by dating, but it’s hard to find anyone that hasn’t developed some odd psychological behavior due to the Departure.  His strongest attempt is with Nora who has a strange fascination with the cartoon “Sponge Bob Square Pants”.  While focusing on his own life, he neglects his teenage daughter who is in desperate need of a parent.  Her mother abandoned her, her dad doesn’t know how to reach her so like any troubled teenage girl, she becomes preoccupied with her ‘new’ friends, parties and subsequently fails her classes in school.  Her brother, Tom, follows a self-proclaimed healer called “Holy Wayne” across the country and then is lost when the prophet loses sight of his original dream of healing people and ends up in jail.

At first the story appears very serious and at times depressing, but then I found myself laughing and feeling guilty about it.   I felt better after hearing the interview with Mr. Perrotta at the end of the audio book (bonus!).  He says that his original intention was to write a comical book about this situation and although it turned serious, he managed to maintain some of the humor he had originally wanted.   I already mentioned the Guilty Remnants making me chuckle, you’ll have to read the book to catch the others.

Even though The Leftovers doesn’t really have a traditional plot, the characters kept me entertained and  I really enjoyed listening to it. I recommend it to anyone else who uses audio books as a means to contain their road rage.  It also got me to thinking about the people that have simply disappeared from my life. Sometimes they died and sometimes we just grew apart and they were gone.  Compared to the family in this story, I’m doing pretty well.

Steve Jobs

(This is a guest post by our friend Debbie in San Francisco.  She couldn’t stop talking about this book. )

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson (Benjamin Franklin: An American Life and Albert Einstein: His Life and Universe) is everything a reader could want and more. It appeals to those interested in the formative years of Silicon Valley and personal computing.  It also appeals to those who like to read success stories of groundbreaking corporate founders and even has something special for readers who just like a well-crafted biography.  But the most rewarding thing to take away from the experience of reading this book is the feeling that we have a front row tour of the history of our beloved Apple products.  We learn how the iPod’s continuous scrolling functionality came to be.  We read about who’s idea it was to make the earbuds pure white on the iPod (hint: it’s not Jobs).  Credit where credit is due is another reason this book should be required reading for anyone who uses Apple products.

Do not be fooled by the author’s seemingly breathless and gossipy tone.  While off putting at first, we realize that this is necessary to tell the tale from multiple viewpoints after many exhaustive personal interviews with major players.  The only way to tell the story is to tell what others say and how they feel and that cannot help but read like “he-said/she-said” gossip.  However, since most all the players are living, the device works.

The ultimate triumph of the book is that Isaacson was able to speak to Jobs himself while there was still time.  Over the course of two years, Isaacson conducts over forty in-depth interviews with Jobs.  During the process it’s clear the two develop a friendship of sorts. Jobs implored his biographer to tell the whole story, even if it made him look bad, which it often did.  The perspective gained from these sessions is infinitely rewarding.  Add hundreds of interviews with others and the resulting prose is dramatic and compelling.

And yet, and yet.  The same reader could feel that something was missing in the story.  The book leaves us wanting to know a little bit more about how Mr. Jobs became so brash and narcissistic in the first place, as these traits are usually visible at a very young age.  We never really learn where in his formative years this behavior was allowed to take root and take over.

We get a glimpse of his earlyish years and the fascination with electronics (remember Heathkits?).  We see the willfull youth pushing back on hapless adults (and maybe not so hapless as in the case of Bill Hewlett who ended up offering the 13-year old Jobs a summer job after the kid looked him up in the phone book and called him to inquire about an electronic part).  We see a friendship of youths forged of mutual interests from different perspectives between Mr. Jobs and Wozniak (“Woz”).  The symbiotic (maybe opportunistic?) nature of this coupling is apparent when we read about Woz’s interests (tinkering, hacking, open systems, freeware) and Jobs’ (closed systems, marketing, aesthetics, revenue streams).  These opposing worldviews remain firmly in place throughout the book and professional careers of these gentlemen.  They never really meet in the middle even though they created something significant together.

The best part of this book is the wild ride and we are in the front seat with Jobs (or at least Isaacson).  The adventure that is creating the epic masterpiece that is Apple, which is the world’s most valuable corporation on some days, next to Chevron.  This is no small feat, and the story is transfixing.  Mr. Jobs outsize personality dwarfs most other players, making reading this book exhausting.  But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.  Creating something this successful IS exhausting, so the reader really gets a sense of the drama and hard work and human interplay that gets inserted to each corporate situation and strategy.

Jobs’ lack of interest in the trappings of vast personal wealth is fascinating.  He and his family seem grounded and as normal as they could be under the circumstances.  Opulence was not something to which he aspired.  He aspired to seeing Apple’s ideas manifest in physical reality of useful and pleasurable objects that serve and entertain.  Mr. Jobs is the Chief Architect of this unprecedented bout of forward motion in manufacturing excellence. As stated elsewhere, he deserves a seat in the pantheon of America’s best business leaders.

After all this, we really want to see the protagonist (is Jobs the protagonist?) personally redeemed.  Sadly, this is not the case. That is one of the great disappointments about the book, and perhaps his life story.  We see the fractured relationship he has with his children which the author describes in painful detail.  The heartbreak of the youngest daughter when a long-promised trip to Kyoto is cancelled by Dad  was especially hard to read.  Also hard to read was Jobs’ clear favoritism toward  his son Reed.

Jobs has been identified as having a narcissistic personality disorder.  Author Wendy T. Behary  in an Oct 06, 2008 article offers the best definition of a narcissist I have seen:

A quick definition of a narcissist: someone who has an exaggerated sense of self-worth, is highly self-absorbed, entitled, condescending, superior, show-off-ish, competitive, and approval-craving. They do not appreciate the impact of their often obnoxious behaviors on others. They have a lot of trouble with empathy and with the notion of give and take.

In the end, we are left with Mr. Jobs’ outsize personality and its effect on those in his family, friends and colleagues.  Much of it is gut wrenching.  How much was necessary?  Given what was created in its wake, maybe all of it.  The reader is left not with a feeling of disgust toward Mr. Jobs’ obvious personality handicaps, but a feeling of gratitude for all that was created under the sheer will of Mr. Jobs.  He has made millions upon millions of lives better, and reading a book about this remarkable evolution is a reward in itself.

Thank you. Jobs and Isaacson.  I am going to read Steve Jobs a second time.

Unbroken

I unintentionally jumped from the Vietnam War (Matterhorn by Karl Melantes) right into World War II by listening to Unbroken by Laura Hildebrand.  I had heard it was a great story without being aware of the subject matter.  If I had known I may not have listened to it, but I am certainly glad I did.

The book chronicles the epic transformation of Louis Zamperini.  His life story is so compelling that Ms. Hildebrand (Seabiscuit) decided it was worth telling.  Louis is a young boy being raised in Torrance California. He spends much of his youth during the 1920′s stealing from people and getting into all kinds of trouble.  For being so mischevious, his personality is bright.  He is perennially upbeat.  He lets no one discourage him; he does what he wants.  His saintly and high-achieving older brother Pete saves Louis several times, but the last time he had to make a deal with the high school principal.  Louis wouldn’t be punished if he ran on the school’s Track team.  This turning point in Louis’ young life gave him a passion he didn’t know he had and he ultimately breaks the mile record all the way to the 1936 Olympics.

World War II breaks out in time to cancel the 1940 Olympics and Louis becomes an airman, flying for the US Army Air Corps, the precursor to the US Air Force.  During an air fight, Louis’ plane goes down in the Pacific Ocean with two other men.  The details of their 46 day survival are too impressive and creative to give any spoilers – it’s unbelievable but true.  In fact it should be said that this entire story is true, which makes it that much more incredible.

After a dramatic water shooting scene, Louis is captured by the Japanese.   We are filled with relief and joy when he’s captured because life in a POW camp has got to be better than life on sea.  Not so in Japan.  Throughout Louis’ two year stay in several Japanese POW camps, he is consistently beaten, starved and injected with unknown substances.  The Geneva Convention had drawn up international laws for POWs which the Japanese chose to ignore.  In fact many of their camps were hidden and unknown to anyone other than the Japanese military.   The worst abuser of all is a man named Watanabe. He is noteworthy because he chooses Louis out of hundreds, to beat daily. It is as if he recognizes Louis’ strong spirit and takes it as a personal mission to squash it.

It is said that man can survive without a lot of food and water, however, if a man loses his dignity there is no hope.  While being held captive, the prisoners find various ways to keep this dignity: they steal and share food, and communicate with fellow prisoners by addressing the Japanese guards, knowing the guards do not understand. The communication is for fellow prisoners.  In one camp in which they aren’t allowed to speak at all, they communicate in Morse Code with their fists.  In so many ways they learn how to trick the guards.

After the war when it seems everything should be going well, Louis and his friends continue to struggle through psychological turmoil.  Although Louis marries and tries to live a conventional life, he has nightly flashbacks and dreams of Watanabe and the horror he inflicted.   His wife works hard to be supportive, but even she starts to lose hope.  One evening, Louis has an encounter that changes his life – and that’s all I’ll say.   It is possible to Google Louis to learn the rest of the story, but I didn’t.  I wanted to listen to it via Ms. Hildebrand.

Ms. Hildebrand brings us a shocking tear jerker – tears of sadness and horror and tears of joy.   Louis Zamperini is an amazing man.  He endured torture that none of us can imagine. Throughout it all, when he thought he couldn’t take another lashing, he found a way to keep his dignity and he lived on.  Louis didn’t just survive the camps, after the war he eventually found a way to flourish and use his experiences to help others.  He remained positive and upbeat. According to his brother Pete, everyone loved Louis.  He truly was unbroken.

My respect for our troops and veterans that was renewed while listening to Matterhorn, only deepened after listening to this magnificent story.  So many combat veterans have and survived by the skin of their teeth, ready to sacrifice it all for America.  I am grateful to Ms. Hildebrand for bringing us this detailed chapter of World War II.   I’m also thankful that she researched every character’s life after the war.  So often after reading these stories I’m left with an emptiness of not knowing what happens.  I’m happy to learn the rest of the stories in Unbroken.

Matterhorn

After reading about how Tim learned about the novel Matterhorn by Karl Melantes and then reading his review, I decided that this war book had to go on my list.  I didn’t read it however, I listened to it.  I’ve seen plenty of movies about the Vietnam War but I’ll admit, I never thought I’d be interested in reading about it.  Reading or listening, Matterhorn is one intense novel.

The story begins with a very graphic incident of a leach being found where no leach belongs. (I had to actually look up leaches because I didn’t realize how horrible they can be.) We quickly learn about crotch rot, heating coffee in cans with explosives and living in a jungle with no food or water.

Yale educated, Second Leutenant Mellas, has volunteered with the Marines during the Vietnam War.  He wants to believe that his reasons for volunteering are to build his resume.

Mr. Melantes immediately transports us into the jungle, to a mountain called Matterhorn, where we follow Mellas through his first three months in Vietnam.  Mellas and his company, due to egos above them, are forced to survive for seven days on just a few days of rations.  They are ordered to build barracks and then ordered to leave and build somewhere else.  They are forced into ambushes for which they aren’t equiped.  And although discouraged by losing limbs and lives, they march onward to finish the job that they have been ordered do complete.

There are quite a few battles raging throughout the story in addition to the war.  Within the company, the racial unrest reflects the inequality at home. The captains and colonels making the strategic decisions are fighting their own political war as well, which makes me just as ill as the actual fighting.  And throughout the story, Mellas has his own internal conflicts –  did he try to save the wounded soldier because he wanted the medal? or because he cared?  Can it be for both reasons?  He spends a lot of time contemplating the war, his friendships and his past.

Mr. Melantes has written a war novel for men and women.  Men love war scenes, right?  I enjoyed these glimpses into war myself,  but I may not have enjoyed the story as much without the complete development of the characters and their relationships with each other.  I really cared for these ‘kids’ and was brought to tears several times.

When Matterhorn ends I wonder what happens to everyone.   The story only covers the first three months, then what? What does Mellas become? What about the young men who begin their adulthood fighting in a war?  I want to believe everyone gets out, but reality in war dictates that very few will come out alive or whole.   If Mr. Melantes decides to write about the rest of Mellas’ tour, then my questions will be answered.

Tim:   Hi, Anne.  Hate to muscle in on your review here, but I just wanted to note that Karl Marlantes is reading tonight at The Tattered Cover in Denver.  Which is where I am this week.  Woohoo.   Carry on.

The Red Umbrella

Had I known the subject of The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez, prior to reading Barnacle Love, I could have written a great comparison between the two.  Both deal with individuals moving to a new land – trying to fit in.  In Barnacle Love, the main character has a difficult time of it, and the ending isn’t happy or warm and fuzzy.  Ms. Gonzalez however, brings us a YA novel with a more pleasant ending that I enjoyed.

Unbeknownst to me, in 1961 thousands of parents loaded their children onto boats and planes to escape the communist changes of the Cuban revolution.  This event was called Operation Pedro Pan.  Ms. Gonzalez’s parents were part of this exodus and their story was the inspiration for The Red Umbrella.

Fourteen year old Lucia and her younger brother, Frankie, are living a very comfortable, carefree life in Cuba until they notice soldiers all over town.  Their father loses his job as a government official and after returning from an unexplained absence is forced to find work as a manual laborer.

Lucia just wants to be a normal girl.  She tries to engage her best friend, but she attends the Communist youth camps, and is obsessed with Castro and the great changes he is bringing to the people of Cuba.

Lucia’s parents manage to secure visas for the kids and they are shipped to the United States – alone.  They spend a few months at a a camp in Florida and thanks to some connections, both are lucky enough to travel to the same foster family in Nebraska.

While in Nebraska Lucia confronts the same challenges as all teenage girls.  In addition to her coming of age issues, Lucia has to deal with the issues of being different and not knowing if she’ll ever see her parents again.

Although Lucia tells a story that relates to teenagers of any era, this isn’t 2011, it is 1961.  Leave it to Beaver was still on the airwaves.  This was also the age of The Kennedy’s, space exploration, the Cold War, West Side Story and Breakfast at Tiffany’s – a more naïve part of our history when international travel was not common for most Americans.  Cubans, in particular, were treated with a bit of caution due to the events surrounding the Bay of Pigs.

Lucia has a few rebellious moments during her self discovery, but manages to keep her head up and stay positive.

Ms. Gonzalez brought me to tears throughout The Red Umbrella.  As a mother, I can not imagine sending my child away with the uncertainty that I may never see her again. Also as an adult, I would have enjoyed learning more about this period in Cuba’s history through the story, but, the book wasn’t written for me, the adult. It was written for the young adult.

The Red Umbrella would be a great addition to a young adult’s libryary.  Reading about someone else’s struggles can be very therapeutic.  Throw in some Cuban and American history and our YAs will become more worldly.  I’m hanging onto this one for my daughter.

Malcolm X

The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley was definitely one of the most enlightening reads of my life. If you were as enthralled with this book as I was, you will want to check out this article  in The New Yorker.  The article features the latest Malcolm X biography,  Manning Marable’s Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention. The author died just days before its publication.

Barnacle Love

The first part of Barnacle Love by Anthony De Sa is told by main character, Manuel Rebelo, a Portuguese man trying to escape his small fishing village for the new world of Canada.  His father died when he was young, leaving a looming presence around the house.   Although Manuel strongly resembles the blond hair, blue eyed father, his life in the fishing village is very unhappy.  His mother is abusive and overbearing, he is abused by a priest, and he continuously dreams of living up to an unrealistic vision of his father.

His journey to the new world begins in the 1950’s.  After almost drowning and then being betrayed by his rescuers, Manuel finds himself in St. John, Newfoundland.  He is almost deported, but manages to find his way to the Portuguese community in Toronto.  In a roundabout way, we find him married to his Portuguese wife (his second choice) with two children.

All of a sudden, we jump into the 1970’s and are told of Manuel’s descent into alcoholism and bitterness by his six year old son, Antonio.

Barnacle Love is supposed to enlighten us to the difficulties of the immigrant experience – specifically though Manuel’s journey to Canada.  I didn’t really get it.  Not poorly written, Mr. De Sa’s writing is clear and his descriptions are vivid; however, both narrators skip around a lot.  We learn about their lives in flashbacks and short stories that didn’t flow for me.  For some readers this style may work but the choppy narration didn’t suck me into the story enough to make me care.

This is Mr. De Sa’s first novel and it has been nominated for a few Canadian awards, so although it didn’t work for me, many people have enjoyed it.  I will be interested to check out his next novel.   I enjoy traveling around the world via books and maybe Mr. De Sa’s next attempt will work for me.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Like many people, when the doctor hands me a consent form, I just sign it, not giving it much thought.  After reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Kathryn Skoot, I think I may actually read the next one.

Many of us have heard about this book, it appeared on everyone’s “Best of 2010″ lists.  Born in 1920, Henrietta Lacks grew up in poverty, working in the tabacco fields of Virginia.  After marrying her first cousin and moving to Baltimore, her doctors discovered in 1951 that she had cervical cancer.  Before the days of consent forms, her doctor asked if he could take a sample of her cells.  According to her doctor, Henrietta and her husband said  yes, and when her doctor placed her cancerous cells in a petri dish he shockingly discovered that they multiplied.  They kept multiplying – they never stopped unless they were frozen

….as long as they had food and warmth, Henrietta’s cancer cells seemed unstoppable.  Soon, George (the doctor) told a few of his closes colleagues that he though his lab might have grown the first imortal human cells. To which they replied, Can I have some? And George said yes.

Henrietta died from her cancer.  She left behind the immortal HeLa cells that would change medical history.  Less important to everyone at the time, were a husband and small children who were also left behind.  Henrietta’s family never broke free of the poverty into which they were born.  Since their parents were first cousins and their father had given their mother syphilis, the children began life at a disadvantage with medical issues.  When their mother died and their father remarried, they were subjected to the worst kind of abuse by family members and close “friends”.

Not until 20 years after Henrietta’s death did her family discover that something had happened with their mother’s cells.   But even then, not one medical professional took the time to explain to her uneducated family what cells were, and what this meant for medicine.

When Ms. Skoot began her research, she was met with reluctance from Henrietta’s famiy. You can’t blame them, though. Many people had come around over the years asking about Henrietta’s life, adding more confusion to what they believed was the truth about their mother.  Fortunately, Ms Skoot had the patience and dedication to tell this story.  She also took the time to introduce family members to medical professionals who were able to explain the HeLa cells in a clear and simple manner. (I was also grateful to these people, not being clear on the subject myself.)

At first, I didn’t want to read a book about medical discoveries.   I just wasn’t interested in reading a science book.  The Immortal Life is science at its best for someone like me who wants a good story and a history lesson.  While educating me about the miracle of the HeLa cells, Ms. Skoot uncovers the life of Henrietta, her family and the medical scene several decades ago.  Ms. Skoot unveils the history of Johns Hopkins Medical Center and the truth behind the rumors of the day when black people feared the employees of Johns Hopkins, believing that they snatched black people off the streets for medical research.

During Ms. Skoot’s unexhaustible search for the woman behind the cells, she developed a relationship with the family that is invaluable to the entire story.  Henrietta’s daughter only wanted her mother to receive the credit she deserved. Other family members wanted some sort of compensation.  The question that was continuously asked by family members was   “if our mother so important to science, why can’t we get health insurance?”   There was never an answer to this question.

Ms. Skoot has set up a foundation to benefit the the descendents of Henrietta with their medical insurance and education .

Henrietta Lacks’ cells were responsible for so many cures and research that we now take for granted. I’m happy Ms. Skoot is able to share the real story behind these cells.  It’s important for all of us to be aware of the pain and heartache of their origins.

One More: Book Passage

Ask anyone in the San Francisco Bay area which bookstore is the “must stop” for all authors they will reply  “Book Passage” in Corte Madera.  When I learned that  Book Passage was five minutes from my friend’s house, I couldn’t pass it up.

I picked up their most recent newsletter and couldn’t believe my eyes – they host an author ‘event’ almost every day in April and sometimes two in one day!   Caroline Kennedy, Isabel Allende, Michael Pollan, Harlan Coben and Sarah Vowell are just a few names that I recognized.

While browsing all the signed copies, I chatted with a woman who is a cover designer for Harper Collins.  Although she prefers good ‘ole paper books, she admitted that her kindle is pretty nice and comes in handy while riding the bus.  She casually remarked that she was surprised to learn that 20% of the sales of a recent Harper Collins release were sold electronically.

If you are planning a trip to the San Francisco area, check out  Book Passage’s events and you may be able to time it just right to see your favorite author.

More History in a Bookstore

After my work had finished, I moved on to Mill Valley, a suburb just north of Sausalito.  Mill Valley was originally a resort town for people who lived in San Francisco, prior to the building of the Golden Gate Bridge.  Vacationers would come in by train around the turn of the 20^th century.  In 1890, the first buyers ended their voyage at the train depot which became a Greyhound bus station in the 1940’s and since the 1960’s has been The Depot Bookstore and Café.

The Depot is a quaint family owned store with a thriving café.  I spoke with the woman working that day and asked her how they are handling all of this e-book business.  She said they have changed their focus to include mostly: local travel books, children’s books and books by local authors.  She said they also have begun selling more gift items than in the past.

Fortunately for The Depot’s café, Mill Valley is one of those rare towns that does not allow chain restaurants.  It was a very busy the weekday I was there.  The Depot is definitely a destination for locals and visitors – definitely check them out.

Bookstores we love: Moe’s – Berkeley

When I think of Berkeley, I usually only think of the university that resides there.  I’d never visited before a couple weeks ago and figured it would be like any urban college neighborhood.  I was right. And just like the rest of the Bay Area, they love their history.  This made Moe’s a must-see on my informal bookstore tour.

Located on Telegraph Avenue and a short walk from campus, Moe’s has been a staple in the neighborhood since 1959 and in its current location since the 1960′s.  Moe’s was founded by Moe and Barbara Moskowitz – both very colorful people that you can read about on their website.  I found it interesting to see an entire table dedicated to Vegan cooking – something I would never see in Atlanta.  I didn’t realize until almost too late that they had two floors overflowing with used books and in addition, an entire room dedicated to antique books!  I wanted to explore that room, but the door was locked!  (I did take pictures through the glass though.)

Judging by the looks of the people hanging out around Moe’s, this store has a colorful past. If only those stacks could talk!

A Fun Surprise in Oakland, California

I knew that I hit the jackpot when my boss told me I was going to the San Fran Bay area for business.  I assumed I would find plenty of cool bookstores to visit – which I’ll talk about later – but to my surprise, Oakland has a secret that I wasn’t aware of – a very strong connection to Jack London.

Jack London was born in San Francisco and ended up doing his homework in Heinold’s First and Last Chance (above) located along the Oakland waterfront which is now called Jack London Square.  He eventually attended the University of California at Berkely not far from this waterfront area.  I certainly never gave much thought to where Jack London was from, I only think -Alaska – when I hear his name.

Located a few blocks from Oakland’s Chinatown, this harbor area, like most of Oakland, is being revitalized.  I had lunch at one of the new restaurants at one end of the strip and down at the other end is Jack London’s cabin.  The logs were brought down from his site in Alaska and re-constructed to look just as they did in the wilderness.

Seeing this historic structure inspired me to conduct a little research on Mr. London’s interesting life.  And interesting it was –Google him yourself.

You can check out the square here.

Some of the most fun sites are the ones we happen to stumble upon.

Fun Tales From the South

Because A Yellow Watermelon by Ted Dunagan is included on the Georgia Center for the Book’s list that all Georgia kids should read, I bought it for some friends, hoping to introduce them to southern history.  Now I’ll have to buy another copy because I’m keeping this one.

Set in 1948, 12 year old Ted lives in a small town in Alabama.  One day on his way home from selling newspapers he is caught sliding down a pile of sawdust by the new worker, Jake Johnson. Ted is intrigued by Jake because he is the first black man that he has ever been near.  Ted and Jake become fast friends. Jake introduces Ted to many new things, specifically the blues, slingshots and walking sticks.

While sopping up the last of the egg yoke and jam with the reamins of my biscuit, I found myself wondering what Jake was having for breakfast, if anything. Jake was the first black person I had seen up close and talked to, tough I had observed them from a distance.

Jake tells Ted about a black boy, Poudlum Robinson, whose family isn’t having an easy time with the rich landowner in town.  Ted and Poudlum find themselves picking cotton in the same field and when they meet in the middle, rows behind the faster workers, they see no reason not to pick together.  Not easy work for Ted, Proudlum teaches him a thing or two:

About midafternoon the ground became so hot I couldn’t stand on it with my bare feet.  Poudlum taught me to scrape away the first two inches of dirt and then stand in the spot we had excavated. The ground was cooler underneath the crust…

One day Ted makes a surprising discovery about the rich man in town. Everyone knows he owns everything in town and is conspiring to steal the Robinsons’ land for the timber.  However, no one knows that he has a ditry little secret that Ted and Poudlum hope to make public.  Ted and Poudlam begin a fun, nail-biting adventure to make things right.

A Yellow Watermelon is a wonderful story about a friendship that crosses the color lines in a time when not many people were brave enough to take the leap.  It never occurred to Ted that he and his friend should be separated.  This story made me smile. My mixed 6-year old daughter and her best friend can’t fathom that once upon a time they would not have been allowed to be friends because her friend is white.

Was this story realistic? I like to think so.  My mother-in-law has spoken of her white neighbors in southern Alabama during her childhood and how kind they always were to her family.  I want to believe that people like this have always existed – even if they were the minority.  A Yellow Watermelon is a must read for all ages as it reminds us that people are just people, and we can connect with all different people, regardless of color.

Encore Paris

Paris Was Ours is a collection of reflections of Paris by 32 writers, compiled by Penelope Rowlands.  I was excited to read all of these memories since I have many of my own from my time spent as a student at the Sorbonne in the late 1980′s.

Revolution (The French One)

I don’t normally pick up YA books, because frankly, I don’t want to read about depressed teenagers. But when Jen told me about Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly (one of her favs of 2010) I couldn’t wait to read it.

The story begins with plenty of teenage angst – which Jen assured me that I could get through. The main character, Andi, is trying to come to terms with a recent tragedy in her life and may not graduate from her prestigious high school.

The tragic event didn’t just result in Andi battling internal guilt, it affected the entire family.  Her mother has become withdrawn and secluded and her re-married father uncommunicative.  Dad decides to take Andi to Paris with him in order for her to focus on her Senior Thesis - a graduation requirement.  He happens to be in Paris working as a world renowned DNA scientist to determine if a jarred heart does indeed belong to Louis-Charles, the son of guillotined King Louis XVI during the French Revolution.

Within the first few days in Paris, Andi discovers in a hidden compartment of an old violin case, a diary belonging to a girl who was a companion to the young dauphin while he lived at Versailles and during his captivity in Paris. The girl, Alexandrine Paradis, recorded her adventures as the French Revolution exploded and gained momentum in 1795.

Revolution takes us on a wonderful journey into present day Paris including hip clubs and parties in the Catacombs.   Through Alexandrine’s diary, Ms. Donnelly masterfully transports us back in time to the Paris of 1795, during the last days of the monarchy and through the Reign of Terror.

At one point Andi time travels back to 1795 and I thought “oh no, this isn’t going to be good” but I was pleasantly surprised. The time travel was done exceptionally well and describes a vivid picture of life during 1795.   If you think rotting teeth, stench and lice are glamorous then the Court of Versailles was for you.  During this exciting adventure she is immediately connected to someone who is very important to her current research. (I can’t give away the details.)  When she introduces this person to her ipod and the music of Led Zepplin and RadioHead, I laughed because that would be so cool! I would love to go back to different places in history, but only knowing that I could return to the present.

Unfortunately, time travel is not realistic, but who cares?  I felt like I was transported – I couldn’t put this book down.  Revolution is a fun novel.  Not only does Ms. Donnelly treat us to an important part of French history, she adds plenty of teenage drama and musical variety for everyone to enjoy.

The Blood of Flowers

I mentioned The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani a few months ago in a general review about audio books.  This is the first book that I have listened to that I’ve wanted to read as well.  I had to find out if the printed word did the story equal justice as the spoken word.  Happily, I was not disappointed.

The story takes place around 1620 in Iran and is told by a young, un-named, girl in her teens.  She lives happily as an only child in a small village with her parents. She dreams of the day she’ll be married with her own family.  Right away, we learn that this girl loves weaving carpets and has been creating her own designs and colors since a very young age.

Unfortunately, tragedy strikes.  The girl and her mother are suddenly left without the male of their happy household.  Without any relatives in their village, mother and daughter are forced to make the journey to her father’s half-brother’s home in the capital city of Isfahan.  Upon entering the city, they can not believe their eyes:

As we walked into the square, I noticed that most of the buildings were tiled in the purest colors of sun and sky.  The dome of the Friday mosque looked all turquoise from afar, but up closer I could see it was enlivened with swirling vines in yellow and white.  Garlands of white and turquoise blossomed on the dome of the Shah’s lemon-colored mosque.  The arched gateways to the mosques sprouted a profusion of tiled white flowers that looked like stars sparkling in the blue of twighlight.  Every surface of every building glittered with ornament. It was as if a master goldsmith had selected yellow topaz, and the purest of diamonds, and arranged them into an infinity of shimmering patterns that radiated color and light.

They believe their luck has changed when they find their uncle who is a famous carpet maker for the Shah.  The uncle’s wife however, isn’t so thrilled to have two extra mouths to feed and puts them to work immediately as new servants in her home.  Mother and daughter are thankful to have at least shelter and food.

The uncle finds himself torn as the girl wishes to learn all she can about carpet making.  She reminds him of himself when he was young, but she is a girl and therefore forbidden from this sort of work.  Little by little, he gives in and allows her to help him with the designs and construction.  Again, she feels her luck has changed twice when one wealthy man commissions a carpet where her design is chosen and one of the shah’s women commissions her work.

Unfortunately, life in 17th century Iran was not easy for a young strong-willed girl and her luck changes again for the worst.  After a few unfortunate incidences she is encouraged by the uncle’s wife to enter into a temporary “sigeh” with a wealthy man. This is a renewable marriage contract for three months at a time during which she will visit her ‘husband’ at night when he calls for her.  She and her mother are given a reasonable sum of money for this sigeh but it ruins her chances of finding a proper husband.

I can’t divulge the turn of events which ultimately force daughter and mother to leave the uncle’s home.   They find themselves begging and almost dying in the streets, until the girl is able to begin carpet making again.  She proves to everyone that although she prayed and always gave thanks to Allah for her good fortunes, she ultimately was in charge of her own fate.

The Blood of Flowers is one book that I will keep on my shelf forever and re-read many times.  Ms. Amirrezvani brings to us the most colorful and beautiful book I have ever listened to or read.  The entire story is filled with descriptions like this:

Although my pattern was based on leaves, the long, tapered shapes that crisscrossed the rug also looked like feathers. They made me think of the lightness of birds and the coolness of wind.

In many cases, flowery words like this would seem almost corny, but in The Blood of Flowers, Ms. Amirrezvani’s detailed analogies work extremely well.  In addition to her colorful descriptions, we are exposed to many Persian words.  I have studied several languages and Persian is one of the most lyrical and beautiful languages I have ever heard, which adds even more beauty to this story.

The love between the mother and daughter also touches my heart. The mother refers to her daughter throughout the story as “joy of my joys” “light of my heart” and “daughter whose face I love” among many others. This emotion from mother to daughter is expressed so clearly throughout the story that I have begun using these loving phrases with my daughter.

At the heart of the beautiful writing and colorful images we read an inspiring story of an amazingly strong girl.  She is sassy, independent and opinionated, definitely not the type of a girl that her culture would embrace. While she is excited and worried about finding a husband throughout the story, survival becomes her main goal and she thinks independently and without fear to make the best possible life for her mother, herself and the other women she encounters.

After being thrown out of the house from her “real”  blood related kin, and during her struggle to survive in the slums, she befriends another woman and her family.  One night she surveys the scene and concludes:

Even though we weren’t family, Alekeh and Davood behaved if we were. Although we crowded them terribly, they had never told us we were not welcome. They shared everything they had and praised us for everything we gave. This, was truly my family, for they loved us and helped us through difficulties without complaint.

I emailed Ms. Amirrezvani to find out if another book would be coming out soon.  She replied that she is halfway through her next novel and that, “Life is short and art is long!” Since The Blood of Flowers took nine years, I may have a few years to wait. That’s ok, when it is released I will be first in line to grab this one.

More Favs of 2010

Everyone else is doing it, so I will too!  My top picks for 2010 – the books I read (but were not necessarily new) in 2010.

In no particular order:

Just Kids by Patti Smith (review)

The Help by Kathryn Stockett (review)

The Girl Who Fell from the Sky – Heidi Durrow (review)

The Singer’s Gun –  Emily St. John Mandel (review)

The Blood of Flowers (review coming) – Anita Amirrezvani