Night

This one is for my freshman English class, as we travel through Night together...

Each time I teach this book and research the background not only of the Holocaust but of Elie Wiesel, the author, I am horrified by the perpetration of such vile acts.  I am also always in awe of the life that Wiesel made for himself after liberation, of his work for peace and the freedom of persecution sought for all people.  It is an honor to teach about his life.

This is a story of a young boy, just fifteen years old, growing up in a devoutly religious family in Eastern Europe.  As his family is swept up in one of the greatest horrors of the 20th century, we as readers experience it along with Elie.  He writes almost abruptly, without flowery description or drama; he relates clearly and succinctly the changes in the laws that affect his family, the move into the ghetto, and eventually his journey through a variety of killing centers and labor camps.  Throughout his searing tale, lies the story of the relationship with his father.  This is a story of hate and bigotry, but it is also the story of a child's love for his father and how far a person can bend before they break.  This book will change the way you view the world, forever...the ashes will leave you scarred for life.

The Passage

Let's preface this review with...no, I don't like vampire books.  Okay, I admit I read all four of the Twilight books.  It was like eating Lay's potatoe chips - you know it's bad for you (ie. the writing is terrible and the editor actually needed to edit), but you can't stop with just one!  Also, Interview with a Vampire was incredibly well-written and fascinating, but gave me nightmares every night until I finally had to put it down.  With that said, Justin Cronin's book is not a 'vampire' book, though they're in it.  I'd describe it more as a post-apocalyptic book, which yes, I always 'bite' on those (okay, stupid pun but bet you still smiled:).

Let's start with how Cronin even got the idea.  As a big runner, he would go for his morning jogs and think about book ideas.  There came a day, however, when his little girl who had just learned to ride a bike, wanted to join dad on his run.  Knowing he would lose that book-planning time, he realized it could be fun to talk out a book with his young daughter.  So, on their first run/bike-ride, Cronin asked her, "What kind of story shall we write together?"  His daughter replied, "Dad, write a book about a little girl who saves the world"...  Aah, the wisdom of youth turned into a HUGE best-seller and the cause of many missed dinners, appointments, and tennis games for me.

The first fifty pages is confusing, following emails from research doctors in South America, stories of government agents, and a sad confused little girl.  However, those first few pages set the scene for everything else; I can't tell you how many times I went back to read the emails from South America (helped explain a lot).  The story moves from a science experiment gone REALLY wrong (yep, think vampires but not the creepy, Bela Lugosi kind, but the end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it kind).  As the plot thickens, it moves well into the future, with a glimpse of the havoc poor lab security can do on our world.  And Cronin can write - not only is the plot provoking, but the characters are rich and the themes of love and family ring true. Yes, I had nightmares all the time, thanks to the 'smokes' as they're called, but not a chance I was putting this book down.  It was one of the most gripping, hair-raising, addictive books I've ever read.  I am counting the months until the second in the series comes out, and would like to hurry Cronin on quite a bit, as next summer cannot come soon enough!

Be cautious when you pick up this book, be patient and get through the first 100 pages, and then be prepared to let your life slip away as you live in the world of the future, waiting to see if Amy really can 'save the world.'

Unbroken

I grew up listening to all the World War II stories from my dad, who was a Navy bomber pilot, taking off and landing from little tee-tiny carrier ships in the middle of a humongous ocean.  I remember watching the old war movies on a Saturday afternoon, curled up next to my dad, as John Wayne shouted out orders and George C. Scott sped through battlefields in a jeep.

When my dad was dying of cancer six years ago, we spent loads of time talking about his youth.  I learned that his entire group of high school skiing buddies was killed in the war; it made me understand why he never really had close male friends during my childhood.  I heard about the sudden leave he was granted when stateside, causing hurried wedding plans down deep in Texas.  I laughed as he told me of how he fixed the bus, when the driver couldn't, so that he could make it to the wedding on time, how he would 'waggle' his wings as he flew over the base so that my mom would know it was him, how his poker-playing buddy helped get him the heck off the base and into flying school just so he wouldn't get in trouble with the lieutenant.  Those months in the chemo chair opened my eyes to a piece of my father that I hadn't known existed.

When my dad died, I went on a reading terror, reading all the WWII war books I could get my hands on...The Last Stand of the Tin Can Soldiers, Flyboys...in an attempt to forge another closeness with a man who was no longer there.  When I read Unbroken by Lauren Hillebrand last year, I felt a further sadness, knowing that my dad was never able to read this amazing book; I know he would have loved it as much as I did.

Unbroken is the story of a little boy, Louis Zamperini, who grows up to be an Olympic runner and a hero in the most real sense of the word.  It is the story of unbelievable courage and the undeniable sense of the unbroken spirit of human survival.  The book includes stories of Louis' childhood, which are laugh-out-loud funny, his running career, as well as his time in the army.  I could not stop reading this...I was compelled to find out what happened.  It's tough to read in many places; the cruelty of humanity is indescribable and vile.  However, the reality of what Louis goes through is part of his story, and vital to the telling of this story.  I cried in so many parts, and cheered the victories when they came.  It is a book that I hope to someday talk about with my dad; it is a book I will never forget.

The Dovekeepers

The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman is locked in a tie for my favorite book of 2012 (next post will be on its competitor).  I was fascinated initially by the concept of the story line - four women, at the Masada, in ancient Israel.  I was also a little nervous, as I knew how the Roman siege of the Masada ended (pretty much the way all things Roman ended back then!), and I didn't feel like getting besieged with sadness would be a great way to begin the Christmas season.  However, as I got to know these four women, I was able to move beyond the plot line, and look instead inside their souls.  Hoffman is a master at combining a touch of surrealism and ancient magic, with true historical fact, as well as themes of betrayal, passion, freedom, and devotion.

Each of the four women are distinct and singular.  The daughter of the assassin, the witch woman of Moab, the baker's wife, and the warrior - each has a beautiful story to tell, and each story could stand on its own.  The power of Hoffman's book is that she forces these women together; you become engrossed not only in their lives, but in watching how their four lives intertwine.

I had to be patient with this book; it took me about fifty pages to really get into it.  First, you have to get to Masada.  Then...you're hooked.  This trip into ancient Israel with four distinctive, heroic, exceptional women is unforgettable.

The Night Circus

While in Hawaii, I was excited to dive into Erin Morgenstern's debut novel, The Night Circus.  I was not disappointed.  From the very first line...The circus arrives without warning...it had me.  It's almost a visceral feeling as you read, watching the magicians construct their competition arena, known as the Night Circus.  You can smell the chocolate popcorn, you can feel the clouds as you jump from platform to platform, and you can watch in disbelief as the illusionist makes herself appear on stage.  The characters are quirky, yet familiar; you find yourself wanting to not only root for them, but be friends with them.  As the reveurs follow the circus from town to city, from continent to country, you wish yourself one of them.  You long for the day the circus comes to your town....

Perhaps I'm just a sucker for the circus - yes, I remember the Nancy Drew and Bobbsey Twins mysteries set in circus tents - but I think not.  It's a magical journey into a world we only dream of...don't miss this trip.  Trust me.