Dear Martin

My educator daughter Camille recommended that I read Dear Martin by Nic Stone. In the midst of the social justice crisis our country in currently experiencing . . . again, it is extremely important for those of us with privilege because of our skin color to read widely and deeply on the topic. 

While I really, really, really love the subject matter of this book, I really, really, really don’t love the writing style. 

It is a very quick read, and while it delves into the inner thoughts of the main character, it really only addresses the issues of race on a surface level.

Side note: I LOVE that I have two daughters who recommend books for me to read. 😍

Between Shades of Gray

 “You’re reading it for fun?” my friend asked incredulously when I told her I was reading a book about Lithuanian refugees dragged from their homes to a work camp in Siberia by Soviet soldiers in 1941. There’s really no explanation for why I’m reading Between Shades of Gray by Rita Sepetys, except that I like historical fiction, I wanted to learn more about this time period, and it got good reviews on Goodreads. 

"Few books are beautifully written, fewer still are important; this novel is both." —The Washington Post 

The book is a New York Times bestseller as well, and I thought maybe it would be a good suggestion for students of mine interested in World War II. According to Amazon, this young adult book is intended for readers aged 12-17. Maybe... but deeply disturbing graphic descriptions of harrowing living conditions, inhumanity, and sexual references make it inappropriate for my fifth graders.

Told through the eyes of 16-year-old Lina, deported with her mother and brother because of her father’s politics, this story is bleak and heartbreaking. It paints a wretched picture of  “Stalin’s brutal dismantling of the Baltic region.” Details of the devastating conditions and harsh treatment of the prisoners reflect an unsettling account of "what happens to the innocent when world leaders and their minions choose hate and oppression." —Susan Campbell Bartlett, Newbery Honor-winning author of Hitler Youth

The movie adaptation, Ashes in the Snow, is an equally stark but beautifully filmed narrative on how, “One girl’s passion for art and her never-ending hope will break the silence of history.” 

Men Without Women: Stories

How is it that I was not familiar with the author Haruki Murakami? After reading about him in my New York Times morning  email recently, I downloaded a couple of his books.* I really enjoyed these short stories the most.... very thought-provoking commentary on romantic relationships, since I have none of my own to ruminate on ;)

That’s a lie. I have been ruminating for a year now about my lost second-chance-at-love. I’ve been struggling big-time with so many emotions during these weird pandemic times. Rejoicing in the manifestation of human emotion. Wondering about my attraction to men without women. Embracing my vulnerability and what is seemingly my admission into the “women without men” club. So this author’s melancholic writing style is the perfect match as 2020 comes to a close and my 60th year approaches! Or according to the Grinch’s schedule:

"4:00, wallow in self-pity; 4:30, stare into the abyss; 5:00, solve world hunger, tell no one; 5:30, jazzercize; 6:30, dinner with me—I can’t cancel that again; 7:00, wrestle with my self-loathing… I’m booked. Of course, if I bump the loathing to 9, I could still be done in time to lay in bed, stare at the ceiling and slip slowly into madness."

On a serious note, here’s what Barack Obama had to say: “Haruki Murakami’s Men Without Women examines what happens to characters without important women in their lives; it'll move you and confuse you and sometimes leave you with more questions than answers.” —Barack Obama

* In December, I also read Norwegian Wood and South of the Border West of the Sun by Murakami. Both seemed mildly biographical and featured hauntingly complex female characters, leading me to wonder about the author’s real life relationships with women. 

The Couple Next Door

Perfect end of summer quick-read, recommended on Instagram by @msjulieeeeee, aka Julie Doiron, The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena is not one of my favorites. Maybe that's because I'm not really a huge fan of mysteries or possibly the characters just didn't appeal to me. Also, the subject matter of a baby being kidnapped is terribly unpleasant, and the convoluted plot deteriorated into a sensational and unrealistic turn of events that definitely didn’t win me over.

The Dutch House

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett reminded me how much I love creepy old houses and the secrets they hold. I haven’t in a while, but I used to dream about my grandparent’s old Victorian in Taunton all the time. In this book, the house itself is just another unusual character, personification at its finest.

All the story's main characters either love or hate the Dutch House, and in turn, it brings them peace or causes them misery as the plot unfolds. Some characters experience both over the course of about four decades.

It is the story of the relationship between a brother and sister who spent their formative years growing up in the Dutch House, purchased by their distant father as a symbol of his financial success and prosperity in business. The house is an acquired taste, however, and it ultimately contributes to the demise of their parent's marriage because of their mother's disdain for it.

There is a portion of the middle of this book where my mind wandered, but Part Three drew me back in. I enjoyed how the ending created a sense of reckoning with life's complexities, especially for the protagonist, Danny Conroy, who we meet at the beginning of the book as an eight-year-old. The story centers on the bond between Danny and his beloved yet unreserved sister Maeve, who is seven years his elder. Maeve's portrait graces the book's cover, foretelling a significant plot event involving the legacy of the house.