March Reading

The Northern Reach by W.S. Winslow

This book. Wow, it is truly hard to know what to say as I sit here stunned, having read it in just 24 hours. This small town of  Westbridge, Maine has been seared into my soul. Winslow explores the past as she meticulously divulges the families that make up this town: the doctors, the fishermen, the mothers, the drunks, the lonely, the heartbroken, the family ties that not only bind, but never let one leave this town. Each chapter focuses on a family and its members, yet each story is connected to the last, in both overt and subtle ways. We see the funerals, the weddings, the illicit love affairs, the questionable parenting, the scrabble to rise above life's circumstances, the ghosts that live on in this windswept town. The writing style is lyrical, and this book unforgettable. If you liked Olive Kittredge, you may love this book even more, as I did. It is rare that I put a book down, knowing I will choose to read it again but this one is that rare gem. Do NOT miss this incredible debut.

Sparks like Stars by Nadia Hashimi

Since first reading The Pearl that Broke Its Shell in 2014, I have been a huge fan of Hashimi, an American author born to immigrant parents from Afghanistan. She always has a unique perspective, drilling down into the lives of women in Afghanistan. In her latest novel, she goes decades back, to the time of kings and the Cold War, as both America and Russia argue over this mountainous, ancient country. Sitara is a young girl whose father is an advisor to the king when a coup occurs. This one tragic event changes Sitara's life as well as her identity. Only when a chance encounter with a ghost from long ago enters her life decades later, does Sitara deal with the traumas of her past. I loved the history I gleaned, the tension created during the escape, and the strong women showcased. My only"But" has to do with the main character; she is so closed emotionally (for good reason), yet I wanted to see more, know more, understand more about her. However, perhaps this choice was quite intentional by the author, showing us how deep childhood trauma scars one forever.

The Bad Muslim Discount by Syed M. Masood

"We don't take from the world what we can't give back to it...the damage we do to each other, to the world, survives us." This debut novel is a stunner, as in I read it in 24 hours, unable to stop turning pages. It is a book filled with impossible choices, Catch 22's, of more 'rocks and hard places' than one should ever have in a life. It is the story of two people: Anvar, who emigrates to America as a teenager from Pakistan, whose family each struggles in their own way to assimilate; and Satwa, a young girl born in Iraq, chased from country to country by violence, illness, rape, and war, who through the bad luck of geography has never known peace or security. Anvar's story can be crisply hilarious, biting in its observation of both his family and his adoptive country. Satway's story is heartbreaking, authentic, and far too close to home for comfort. A five-star read, this book is not to be missed.

Infinite Country by Patricia Engel

“Emigration was a peeling away of of the skin. An undoing. You wake each morning and forget where you are, who you are, and when the world outside shows you your reflection, it’s ugly and distorted; you’ve become a scorned, unwanted creature.”Written by an award-winning author and child of Columbian immigrants, this book encapsulates so much of what is F-ed up with our immigration system. It is a deep study of one family caught in the web of violence, only wanting safety and security, no matter how it is achieved. It is the story of Mauro, the father, trapped by by his lack of education and thin choices of a way out; of Elena, the mother, who will literally do anything for her children, even if that means giving one away; of Karina, a daughter and a Dreamer, who lives in America but is told she has no right to be there; of Nando, the son, who is bullied for who he is, an American boy but perceived as an 'Other'; and of Talia, the girl sent home to Columbia, who struggles to reach Bogata after running away from reform school, who is the Solomon's child, torn between two identities, two parents, two countries. This book is one we should ALL read, as we hope for a new direction in America, to once again be the shore that welcomes those 'yearning to breathe free.'

 The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor

This modern-day classic is a breathtakingly personal look into the lives of women in the inner-city, trapped by poverty, or children, or tradition, or parents, or just plain life. Yet the beauty of their stories transcends their circumstances. It begins with Mattie, young and pregnant, part of the great Black migration, moving from North Carolina to Harlem, finding her spot as the matriarch of Brewster Place. The stories of seven women intertwine for decades and we seem them struggle with their own prejudices against homosexuality, raising up good children, fighting for their right to exist and flourish. I loved the audio of this one, drawing me into these women's lives as if I was a fly on the wall.

Just Us: An American Conversation by Claudia Rankin

This is a uniquely constructed book, full of poems, essays, historical notes, and photos, all centered on the conversation of 'whiteness' and what it means in today's world. Written and compiled by a Black college professor, I found it a fascinating read, sometimes uncomfortable in a way that forced me to confront my own biases, as well as eye-opening as I was enlightened by past history of which I knew nothing. Want to be kicked outside that box of white privilege and forced to see sometimes what we don't want to? This book will do just that.

Empire of Sand (The Books of Ambha, #1) by Tasha Suri

This book has been in my backlist pile for well over a year, so it was time to finally dive in; what an adventure it turned out to be! Written by an Indian-American writer, this fantasy tale is set in a magical realm much like India, using its cultural and spiritual beliefs to guide the story. It is a tale of mystics and magic, of an emperor who wants to live forever, of a man trapped by a vow, of a mother forced to make impossible choices, and of a girl who can manipulate dreamfire and save their world. Looking for an escape from reality and for a fantasy book not peopled with the all-white list of characters of pretty much all the popular fantasy books of today, this book is a winner.