One of the nice things about being back in the US full-time is that I have unlimited access to my books, my sister's books, and my parents books...not to mention the library and book stores galore!!! Since I'm a book fiend, this means I'm in seventh heaven! I usually have several different genres that I'm reading simultaneously, and recently I've read some really great books that I thought I'd share with you here :)
One book I recently enjoyed was Amish Grace, by Donald B. Kraybill, Steven M. Nolt, and David L. Weaver-Zercher. Here's the synopsis:
When a gunman killed five Amish children and injured five others last fall in a Nickel Mines, Pa.,
schoolhouse, media attention rapidly turned from the tragic events to the extraordinary forgiveness demonstrated by the Amish community. The authors, who teach at small colleges with Anabaptist roots and have published books on the Amish, were contacted repeatedly by the media after the shootings to interpret this subculture. In response to the questions why—and how—did they forgive? Kraybill and his colleagues present a compelling study of Amish grace. After describing the heartbreaking attack and its aftermath, the authors establish that forgiveness is embedded in Amish society through five centuries of Anabaptist tradition, and grounded in the firm belief that forgiveness is required by the New Testament. The community's acts of forgiveness were not isolated decisions by saintly individuals but hard-won counter-cultural practices supported by all aspects of Amish life. Common objections to Amish forgiveness are addressed in a chapter entitled, What About Shunning? The authors carefully distinguish between forgiveness, pardon and reconciliation, as well as analyze the complexities of mainstream America's response and the extent to which the Amish example can be applied elsewhere. This intelligent, compassionate and hopeful book is a welcome addition to the growing literature on forgiveness.
I was made aware of the book when I saw the movie made by Lifetime, which is only very loosely based on
the real events of this school shooting. The movie was alright, but the book was actually really interesting. I know that the book, and especially the movie, has received mixed reviews, but I found it to be very insightful. Their research seemed to be very thorough, and they provided glimpses into the Amish belief system that definitely brought sense to some of what we know about how they live. I recommend this book and the subsequent meditation that it will cause on Forgiveness. I certainly wouldn't call this book a go-to book about Forgiveness from a Christian perspective, but it is definitely insightful about Forgiveness within the Amish context.
Next, I read The Russian Word For Snow, by Janis Cooke Newman. This was a first-hand account about the author and her husband's journey to adopting their son from an orphanage in Russia. Her candid style was so different from other stories about adoption that I have read. Instead of being an emotional, heart-wrenching account, it was more gritty and pragmatic, but still just as poignant. I enjoyed it. Here is the synopsis:
Newman, following her mother's death from breast cancer, experienced a change of heart about her long-he
ld determination to remain childless. She and her husband, both in their 40s, embarked on fertilization treatments until they discovered an agency that arranges the adoption of foreign children. Once they saw videotape of a dark-eyed little Russian boy, they were determined that he was their son and began a six-month process of international adoption. The couple traveled to Russia just before the nation's first democratic election and witnessed the uncertainties of life there, and the ebb and flow of anti-American sentiment. Fearful that political turmoil could derail their adoption, Newman and her husband desperately sought to achieve a balance between pressuring and cajoling their intermediaries. In this first-person account, Newman conveys the emotional roller coaster of dealing with the ponderous adoption bureaucracy--bribes expected and gifts required--before securing the release of their son, Alex, whose original name was the Russian word for snow.
After that came Stolen Lives: Twenty Years In A Desert Jail, by Malika Oufkir. This autobiography/memoir told the story of her life growing up as the adopted daughter of the King of Morocco and then later her imprisonment, along with her mother and 7 brothers and sisters, after her father's failed assassination attempt and subsequent execution. It was an astounding read, and definitely opened my eyes to the controversies in an area of the world I was only barely aware existed! I highly recommend this book! Here is the synopsis:
At the age of 5, Malika Oufkir, eldest daughter of General Oufkir, was adopted by King Muhammad V of
Morocco and sent to live in the palace as part of the royal court. There she led a life of unimaginable privilege and luxury alongside the king's own daughter. King Hassan II ascended the throne following Muhammad V's death, and in 1972 General Oufkir was found guilty of treason after staging a coup against the new regime, and was summarily executed. Immediately afterward, Malika, her mother, and her five siblings were arrested and imprisoned, despite having no prior knowledge of the coup attempt.
They were first held in an abandoned fort, where they ate moderately well and were allowed to keep some of their fine clothing and books. Conditions steadily deteriorated, and the family was eventually transferred to a remote desert prison, where they suffered a decade of solitary confinement, torture, starvation, and the complete absence of sunlight. Oufkir's horrifying descriptions of the conditions are mesmerizing, particularly when contrasted with her earlier life in the royal court, and many graphic images will long haunt readers. Finally, teetering on the edge of madness and aware that they had been left to die, Oufkir and her siblings managed to tunnel out using their bare hands and teaspoons, only to be caught days later. Her account of their final flight to freedom makes for breathtaking reading. Stolen Lives is a remarkable book of unfathomable deprivation and the power of the human will to survive.
Finally, the most recent that I thoroughly enjoyed was Princess Academy, by Shannon Hale. This was a novel, and it was so precious. It has hit my favorites list! This would be a wonderful read for mothers and daughters to do together, but I highly recommend it for any woman interested in a sweet, strong, precious, princess story. I'm definitely recommending it, and I'm determined to read the other books by this author! Here is the synopsis:
The thought of being a princess never occurred to the girls living on Mount Eskel. Most plan to work in
the quarry like the generations before them. When it is announced that the prince will choose a bride from their village, 14-year-old Miri, who thinks she is being kept from working in the quarry because of her small stature, believes that this is her opportunity to prove her worth to her father. All eligible females are sent off to attend a special academy where they face many challenges and hardships as they are forced to adapt to the cultured life of a lowlander. First, strict Tutor Olana denies a visit home. Then, they are cut off from their village by heavy winter snowstorms. As their isolation increases, competition builds among them. The story is much like the mountains, with plenty of suspenseful moments that peak and fall, building into the next intense event. Miri discovers much about herself, including a special talent called quarry speak, a silent way to communicate. She uses this ability in many ways, most importantly to save herself and the other girls from harm. Each girl's story is brought to a satisfying conclusion, but this is not a fluffy, predictable fairy tale, even though it has wonderful moments of humor. Instead, Hale weaves an intricate, multi-layered story about families, relationships, education, and the place we call home.
I've had some wonderful reading over the last couple of months, and I'm sure if you check these out, you will enjoy them as much as I have! Enjoy!! :)
Stones from the River is a daring, dramatic and complex novel of life in Germany. It is set in Burgdorf, a small fictional German town, between 1915 and 1951. The protagonist is Trudi Montag, a Zwerg -- the German word for dwarf woman. As a dwarf she is set apart, the outsider whose physical "otherness" has a corollary in her refusal to be a part of Burgdorf's silent complicity during and after World War II. Trudi establishes her status and power, not through beauty, marriage, or motherhood, but rather as the town's librarian and relentless collector of stories. Through Trudi's unblinking eyes, we witness the growing impact of Nazism on the ordinary townsfolk of Burgdorf as they are thrust on to a larger moral stage and forced to make choices that will forever mark their lives. Stones from the River is a story of secrets, parceled out masterfully by Trudi -- and by Ursula Hegi -- as they reveal the truth about living through unspeakable times.
