Light on Snow - Anita Shreve

I just finished a short and easy read by Anita Shreve- Light on Snow. The story is centered around Robert and 12 year old Nicky (Nicole) who live off the beaten path in more ways than one. While venturing on their evening walk, Nicky and her father discover a new born baby abandoned in the woods near their home.

The rescuing of baby Doris dredges up their own personal tragedy as Nicky and her father face the 2 year anniversary of her mother and baby sister Clara. Through flashbacks we learn of Nicky's mother and sister, her family life pre and post tragedy. While trying to deal with their emotions separately, Nicky and Rob receive an unexpected visitor in Charlotte, the mother who left her baby to die in the woods.

So that's the basic synopsis...it was a decent story, easy to read. But on another level, it didn't rouse the emotions in me that I'd expect from such an unsettling topic. The only time I felt really moved was Charlotte's visit to the 'scene of the crime' in the woods. Through Nicky's eyes I could see and feel the grief for myself. The descriptions were vivid and full of emotion. But other than that, I wasn't moved by the story. One could argue that was sorta the point, but to that I say...you can describe grief and loneliness in a multitude of ways that reach your reader.

The relationship between Rob and Nicky was so complicated, and then throw Charlotte in the mix - Shreve just scratched the surface and before you know it the book has come to an abrupt end. What happens to Rob, Nicky, Charlotte, and Baby Doris? She seems to foreshadow that Baby Doris will find a good home...but what about the rest of 'em? We're simply left wondering.

Two stars.....

What's up next you wonder? The Last Summer of You and Me by Ann Brashares. (Author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants)

Angela's Ashes - Frank McCourt

Angela's Ashes a memoir by Frank McCourt is about his family and personal experiences from early adolescence until he is 19.

We first meet Frank and his family in New York...struggling to make ends meet. After a family crisis they all return to Limerick Ireland, (his mother's home town) for better job prospects; however, his father is unable to collect money from his previous military service nor can he get a job since the townsfolk don't look very kindly on those from northern Ireland. And the family continues to struggle.

As we travel through Frank's life we find nothing but extreme poverty, hardship, sorrow, hope and disappointment. If it isn't their father losing every job he gets, then he's spending all the dole (welfare) money at the pub. I was so mad at Malachy (the father)...yes, he was an alcoholic and had a problem BUT he obviously loved his children. How hard is it to give them SOME of the money for food. And then after he ships off to England, in sum they receive 3 shillings....and that's it! Pitiful excuse for a man...c'mon the kids are wearing rags, living in a flooded apartment, and eat nothing but BREAD all day. Unforgiveable.

Of course we see Frank develop into a young teen, eventually working enough to save money, feed himself, and get his family back under one roof. Obviously I'm skipping a lot of the details in order to avoid spoiling the book for you...but there are rays of light and endearing moments throughout the book. Without the love and companionship of his brothers and mom, I'm not sure how one would have survived.

It is a Pulitzer Prize winner, and was also developed into a movie...you may find the book slow at times but stick with it. It's a good story that reminds you just how lucky and fortunate you really are.

Note: Author also wrote a follow up titled 'Tis.

Auschwitz: True Tales from a Grotesque Land by Sarah Nomber-Przytyk

Today I wandered through the library looking for books to read. After buying a few books from the library bookstore I ended up in the non-fiction section surrounded by books on the Holocaust. Yes, I've seen Schindler's List, Boy in the Striped Pajamas, The Pianist, and other movies/shows about the Hitler and his heinous crimes. But I guess after reading Sarah's Key, a work of fiction - I thought why not read something true.

So I checked out two books: Angela's Ashes and Auschwitz. Though terribly sad, I found Auschwitz by Sara Normberg gave me insight into the plight of the thousands of Jews in this horrid German camp. Telling her own story, Sara takes the reader into the hierarchy of prisoners within the camp. I had an image of all these people in a similar situation - looking to one another for comfort..knowing they all shared the same fate. But alas, that's not how it was. Even within the concentration camp there was a hierarchy based upon what 'type of Jew' you were. For instance, a German Jew felt that they would be spared because they were of course "German" or the Hungarian Jews who were looked down upon by others simply because of where they came from.

Then there were the Jews who worked for the Germans as nurses, aides, couriers, etc. These Jews were well fed, slept in the best quarters (by concentration camp standards), and had access to liberties not available to those housed in the main barracks. This group was made up of those who could 'organize' - meaning they could move themselves into better positions within the camp. Maybe what was most surprising is that some of the punishment and death was handed out by a fellow Jewish prisoner.

I liked that this book educated me on the inner workings of the Nazi concentration camps; however, the book is still incredibly sad. Horror upon horror is described - from the killing of new born babies, burning of children, gassing, killing of over 20,000 people in a day, experiments performed on prisoners, etc. etc. etc. Can I recommend it as a read - not sure, its just so sad. If you're interested in learning more about the Jewish plight during the Holocaust from a unique perspective I think its definitely worth looking into. Keep in mind this book only delves into the woman's side of the camp...but its definitely a humbling read.

For now, I leave with you a quote from Albert Einstein that's definitely appropriate for the subject matter.

"A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty." Albert Einstein

Sarah's Key - Tatiana De Rosnay

For our book club we just finished reading Sarah's Key by Tatiana De Rosnay.

The book is about an American born woman living in France as a journalist. She has a daughter, French husband and adores her Parisian lifestyle...until she's asked to write about France's blemish the Vél' d'Hiv'...the 1942 deportation of French citizens by French police to German concentration camps. Soon Julia finds that her husband's family and her soon to be new apartment may have played roles in horrible crimes against the Jews.

Amidst Julia's story we also hear from Sarah - a young Jewish girl whose family is round up one morning in July by French police. Afraid, Sarah has her young brother Michel hide in the secret bedroom cabinet until the family is able to return for him later. Sarah along with other families are sent to nearby holding centers around Paris before being shipped to Poland for extermination.

The book is a fast and easy read. Not only do you want to know what happens to Sarah but you become immersed in Julia's personal battles. The story is incredibly sad; though Sarah's Key is fiction, the Vél' d'Hiv' was a real event where thousands of Jewish people were handed over to the Germans by their fellow countrymen. What makes the Vél' d'Hiv so sad - is that the majority of those arrested were women and children.

I read the book, I enjoyed the story...even though it was terribly heartbreaking.

The Lovely Bones - A. Sebold

I just read The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, which is now a feature film starring Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, and Saoirse Ronan.

In the book we meet Susie Salmon, murdered at 14. Susie lives in her version of Heaven along with Holly, a young girl she met in the afterlife. The two girls end up 'roommates'.

From Heaven Susie watches her family - she lives vicariously through her sister, watches over her mom and dad, and keeps tabs on the lives of her friends - Ruth and Ray as well as her killer. Her constant "presence" in each of their lives affects each person in different ways, but none of them are really able to move past Susie's death.
- Abigail Salmon runs away hoping to forget the tragedy and family
- Jack Salmon is broken by her death and becomes obsessed with finding the killer
- Lindsey Salmon grows up known as "the girl whose sister was murdered"
- Buck Salmon grows up too quickly in the shadow of a broken home
- Grandma Lynn in the absence of a mother, becomes the family's pillar of strength
- Ruth and Ray become good friends through Susie's death - holding vigils and sharing memories of her

Though very dark and sad, I enjoyed this book. It felt honest because there wasn't the "happily ever after" ending. I don't want to give away what happens but Sebold does end the novel on a note of optimism for the Salmon family; however, for the most of the book there's just overwhelming sadness. For days after reading this book, I couldn't lift the fog that settled over me - I had to read a couple books with happy endings for a quick pick me up :) There was only one part - Susie and Ruth's swap that didn't fit the story well, but I could appreciate a 'final hurrah'. So what's the verdict?

I do recommend the book...just not around the holidays. It's really rather depressing.

Major Fashion statement

This was passed on to me this morning. It's a fantastic trouser available for men. Some of the highlights include the slim capri fit in the calf area which is accentuated by the very spacious crotch area - not to mention the waist band fit highlighted with a small white button. Can you tell me what's not sexy about this?! And you can either dress it up as shown in the picture, or dress it down with a pair of sneakers!

If you're not convinced, read some of the customer reviews:

Name: He Who Shall Be Nameless, Small Village, World
Review: FINALLY! Capri pants for men. I guess they obviate the question of "dress right" or dress left". Christ, there's enough room in that crotch to hide a rabid badger... Overall, I give this effort a solid B+. Do the shoes come with that? If not, izzok- I have a set of wooden clogs left over from my village idiot apprentice uniform...

Name:Mongerel, Dogtown, Texas -
Review: My c**k is so long I have to roll it into a bun. Thank goodness I found these pants to disguise my embarrassing package....

Name:Mike Hunt, Gilmer
Review:These pants are ideal for birthing babies at work, or croos country trips if you don't want to stop. I've filled up a 12-14 pound diaper in them without anyone noticing....

Name:Headless Horseman
Review:These fit me much better when turned around and worn as a long sleeved shirt. Now no more cold breeze on my bloody stump, not to mention the embarrassing glances I get....

Still not convinced you should own a pair, read more of the reviews for yourself (click read more in the lower right)
http://www.revolveclothing.com/DisplayProduct.jsp?product=MJOL-MP5&c=Athletic&s=Season&d=Mens+Trends

Happy Wednesday people.

What I Thought I Knew - Alice Eve Cohen

Imagine this...
- You're unable to have children so you adopted
- You're on hormone therapy yourself
- You have a higher chance of cancer due to hormones taken by your mother during her pregnancy
- You have have two uterus(es)
- Your mother died of cancer
- You find out you're in early menopause

That is the author's story. She was a DES baby...this means while her mother was pregnant she took a synthetic hormone (Diethylstilbestrol) which was thought to be safe. Well it wasn't and many of these babies were found to have a higher risk for cancer, ectopic pregnancies, and transsexualism. So after years of trying, Alice and her then husband adopt Julia....fast forward some years.
Alice is now happily engaged to Michael - a fellow free lance artist who is about 10 years younger than her. Around this time Alice begins to feel "strange" - meaning that she has an abnormal lump on her stomach, her breasts are tender, she has an increased need to urinate, and she's very lethargic. After consulting various different specialists and gynocologists, Alice learns she has muscle tone loss, an overactive bladder, and possibly cancer (the lump on her lower abdomen). In order to more accurately detect the cancer or tumor, Alice is sent in for a scan - where she learns that she is 6 months pregnant!

She's in her 40's with a VERY high risk pregnancy. For the past 6 months she has had no prenatal care and exposed the baby to multiple medical procedures, hormones, and alcohol. Not to mention, Alice has crappy insurance and almost no one will accept her as a patient!!! So now she must struggle with the idea - keep the baby or abort at 6 months?

She decides to have the baby...and learns that she is going to have a boy. After genetic testing, they find that the baby actually has XX chromosomes...so its either going to be a transgendered boy OR be a lesbian female athlete....so now she wonders "Do I put the baby up for adoption".....Alice is having the baby she always wanted at a time when she doesn't...on top of that she has a million other things to worry about - bleeding to death, premature labor, transgendered issues, exposure to cancer, etc. Most mothers just have to hope for a happy and healthy baby.

This book is a quick and easy read. It's an interesting story that makes you wonder - what would you do in a similar situation? How would it feel to be misdiagnosed for 6 months and be medically unable to terminate a problematic pregnancy? Not having children - I can say that I wasn't able to relate to her situation much, but it does make you wonder "What would you do?"