Tears of the Desert by Halima Bashir

I recently read the book Tears of the Desert for the Early Reviewers program on Library Thing. Halima Bashir's memoir touched my soul so deeply that I couldn't sit back any longer. I have also read The Translator by Daoud Hari for Library Thing. Both of these memoirs had me in tears and drained emotionally. How lucky for me that I am only reading about the horror. How lucky for me they are visions of the rape, torture, suffering, pain and genocide. It was gut wrenching to think, what about the real victims and witnesses of the crimes and tragedy being committed daily? They may escape the country, but as Bashir would tell you, sometimes she would have rather died than live. I can only imagine that they hold the atrocities they witnessed or submitted to, in some deep cavern of their soul forever.

Review of Tears of the Desert

by Halima Bashir is a poignant memoir capable of producing copious empathetic tears. During the first part of the book, the author recounts her childhood and family life growing up in a village in South Dafur. She establishes a beautiful picture of the Zaghawa tribe culture, her feelings, her aspirations and how she relates to all family members. An extended family surrounds her, most importantly, a father who adores her and her feisty Grandma Sumah, a traditionalist with an iron will. As the pleasant images of her upbringing unfold there are also some which are considered barbaric in other cultures. However, involving the reader in this way she makes you a captive caring companion to her feelings and ideas.

During the next part of the story, she shares the tragic atrocities that were inflicted upon her. She details her eyewitness account of horrors of death and suffering in her village and country. Several times during the retelling of her brutal beating and gang rape by the Sudanese Government supported army, Halima prays for death, prays for an end to her suffering. She would rather die than live. A Memoir of Survival in Darfur, the book’s subtitle really is her survival from despair, hopelessness, and the dark depths of depression. She now believes she survived to be a messenger, to be able to share her personal tragedy with the world community.

As the book concludes, you reflect on this story of survival, courage and tenacity of will few of us can even fathom. The atrocities she witnessed and the torture she endured are graphic and uncensored. This is a reality that every world citizen must face. Her hope is that her story will shed more light on the situation in Darfur so that the international community will help end the pain, suffering and genocide.

Readers will find the epilogue with the details of the history and causes for the current situation in Darfur informative. Organizations are listed for those looking for ways to assist the people of Darfur.

I was moved to tears by this memoir of Halima Bashir. There were difficult moments while reading where I just couldn’t even comprehend the sick savage inhumane treatment inflicted upon Ms. Bashir. I hope that she will find her family and continue to have the will to fight the fight as Grandma Sumah would have. Highly recommended.
Cross posted on Library Thing (loves2read)

The Translator by Daoud Hari

Cross-posted from Library Thing

February 4, 2008

A disturbing, suspenseful, emotional success!!!!!! Prepare to stay in your seat when you begin this book. I received my Early Reviewer copy in the mail in the afternoon and couldn’t go to bed until I had finished this book. Daoud has written a masterful memoir about his homeland Darfur and what life, survival and death is like in his region of the Sudan. He takes you through his travels as a translator risking his life to get the story out. You feel his pain and suffering as he is a spectator to the sick senseless loss of family and friends. Often he is the unwilling bystander to the complete annihilation of villages and people. He will have you quickly turning pages as he describes the way of life for the villagers, their fears of looming death and the brutal sadistic torture they endure. Chills and trepidation abound as they face the thunderous approach of the ruthless rebels. He observes all the chaos and continues to risk his life to help his people. In the book he escapes one day from rebels and, you weep for him when he sees a little girl, waving goodbye. He knows she will not survive the day. He cannot save her. Then you also weep for the little girl and all the other pointless dead. I was not prepared for the contents of this book, but I am grateful to Daoud Hari. His memoir is a requisite read for the world toward gaining a better understanding of the plight of the people of Darfur.

Sunday Salon, Saye by Jeremy H. Walker

Debut Author

This week, it is with pleasure that I present to Sunday Salon, the review of a debut author and illustrator, who is not only a talented writer, but a gifted artist proficient in multimedia presentations. His book SAYE, is the first of five books in a series of science fiction, fantasy. He is currently looking for a literary agent who will represent him. Jeremy Walker is someone to watch!!!

SAYE, by Jeremy Walker

is a deeply rich debut fantasy novel by a young author whose name you will not want to forget. The story is brilliantly crafted with characters he has developed over many years from his early sketches. This refreshingly original book is futuristically visionary and captivating.

The story takes place on the planet Valiku near the constellation Cephues. The planet is inhabited by living beings of two races the kinth and the kolntas. The story is about a thirteen year old girl named Saye, who is abandoned after a long bloody battle. The war between the two races of Valiku,ended in the defeat of the kolntas. Saye has mixed heritage and has been adorned with the beauty from her kinth mother, and the symbol of the kolntas on her forehead from her father.

Saye is discovered by Hilonya, a messenger of the kinth who is riding by on her endelo. She spots Saye as she is running into a cave. With reluctance and trepidation Saye decides to follow Hilonya to Jayxen City, making the wise decision that she has no other choice. Saye is always guarded and doesn’t care much for Hilonya, especially when she tries to cover Saye’s head with a blanket before entering the city. What Saye doesn’t realize is the symbol on her forehead, is a tatoo that will draw attention to her difference. Although she looks kinth, she has the trait of a kolntas. Hilonya fears for the girls safety and wishes only to protect her from possible prejudice and hate from the people of Jayxen.

As the story continues the challenge for Saye is developing her sense of self having kinth/kolntas heritage, in a world composed of kinth people. The path is not easy for Saye and she is full of fury and foreboding.

Readers will relate to this story on so many levels. Saye is a timeless tale told with a sensitive heart. I'm anxiously awaiting Book 2, I couldn't put this one down. Highly recommended.

Read-a-thon, October 18, 2008

1st update:
I had unexpected surprise company this weekend, obviously my plans to participate in the read-a-thon changed. I will begin reading once my guest retires at least for a little while. The first book I plan to read is Drinkwater, by Eric Hopkins. I guess I'll have to call this a mini-marathon for my first time. Next event I hope it will be 24hours. I hope everyone is doing well so far. Please let me know how you are doing. Good luck.

Bookworm's Dinner Children, Oct. 13, 2008

Please visit my new blog for children's book reviews. Click here. I will be blogging about children's picture books, teen novels, and young adult on this site. I hope you will continue to share your comments on this site as well as Bookworm's Dinner. I am holding a raffle on the new site as a kick off, so please check it out. As always, Donna

Sunday Salon, October 12, 2008 Raffle Winner

Raffle Winner of Gap Creek

Congratulations to Lesa from Lesa's Book Critiques. The winner of Gap Creek.
Lesa please send me your snail mail address to my email so that I can send the book out.

This week's excitement

...Thursday I had a day off which was great. I had hoped to spend the day reading, but an appraiser and appointments interrupted that plan. Oh well, the house looks great anyway. A friend is visiting from Vermont and we managed a long visit at the Hickory Stick Bookshop in Washington Depot, CT yesterday. This is a fabulous independent bookstore in the heart of the Litchfield Hills. The bucolic setting, the weather, and the idyllic ride in the country was perfect. Several books later my friend and I left the shop and walked around the town. I bought the best hat and my friend bought an awesome jacket. We topped it off with a couple of lattes and headed on to another venue. It's great to have the kind of friend that can be comfortable for hours in a bookstore.
Ok..I haven't bought any books in a long, long, time. I couldn't contain myself yesterday. I purchased:

Blood River by Tim Butcher
Angel of Grozny,Orphans of a Forgotten War by Asne Seierstad

Asne Seierstad is the author of Bookseller of Kabel, a book I really enjoyed.
My comments on Library Thing were noted: Well done!!! What a fantastic view of the life of a family in Kabul, Afghanistan as they live. Seierstad, a journalist convinces Sultan Kahn to live with his family and write about their daily life. This is not a journal or diary as you may expect. The author crafts this book to read like a novel and you are there as a member of this family. Surprisingly, she does not seem to hold back in her portrayal of the male role in the family especially Sultan (father) and eldest son (Mansur). I highly recommend this for anyone looking to experience as the author did, "life behind the burka."

Currently Reading

Drinkwater by Eric Hopkins
The Last Undercover by Bob Hamer

Have a great Sunday. See you next week. The dogs are getting hungry and won't let me write until I feed them.

Sunday Salon October 5, 2008

Murderers in Mausoleum, Riding the Back Roads of Empire Between Moscow and Beijing

by Jeffrey Tayler
Publishing Date Jan. 27, 2009

Reading Murderers in Mausoleums, you will gain a vital understanding of Russia and China; their culture, their ideals, their fears, their struggles as our global neighbors. Jeffrey Tayler, is a correspondent whose purpose in writing the book is to find out for himself how the people who were once the oppressed are now viewing a renaissance taking place in their countries. He also wants to talk with the people deep within the country, to get a sense of how they feel about the West, especially the United States. What he hears will astonish you.

The book is a journal of his 7,200 mile trip that begins in Red Square and ends in Tiananmen Square. Travel is undeniably a hardship with many obstacles to overcome. Schedules are not always followed. Passports are checked with no consistency. The ubiquitous guards perusing papers will often hold Tayler for a payoff, or just to be officious and obnoxious. He endures extreme hostile climatic conditions, stress from potential threats to his life and difficult barriers that others would not have crossed. I applaud with my deepest respect his valiant pursuit to achieve his goal. Some areas he visited he claims no westerner has ever seen. Amazing!

Tayler uncovers spectacular lies told and perpetuated throughout Russian history. Tayler pays close attention as a citizen of Karaganda, ( the second largest city in Kazakhstan) discusses when coal was discovered in his town during Stalin’s reign. The story of Karaganda is a sorrowful one and amazingly a work camp called Karlag, created by Stalin did not close until 1958. This cover-up speaks to the cruelty and prejudice of Stalin’s nature which is an astonishing story to read.

Murderers in Mausoleums a reference to the leaders who we know now were murderers, not rulers, has the excitement of a novel. At the same time it contains a valuable visual and oral history. This plurality creates a harmonious balance that should capture the attention of those readers who shun history books. Jeffrey Tayler the transcontinental traveler who stops at nothing to get an interview offers a rare insiders look from so far away. Shocking and alluring, this book offers both. Highly recommended.

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In the notebook...

1.If you like Children's Literature see Saturday's Blog for seasonal selections.
2.Don't forget to enter a comment so that you will be entered in the raffle for Gap Creek, Drawing to take place October 8th midnight..

New Children's Books,Saturday Oct. 4th 2008

Seasonal

Homemade Halloween by Fox Chapel Publishing (Author), 2008, $14.95, 79pp. ISBN 978-1-56523-382-9

Just in time for family fun without too much fright this colorful comprehensive manual of easy, quick ideas to decorate for Halloween is here. The book is segmented into four parts. Under Dandy Disguises, you will find step by step, how to instructions including the materials needed to make great costumes for kids. Ghoulish Gatherings, as you can imagine will give you the best recipes and games for a paranormal party with panache. The Haunted House section includes just what you need to change your home into a spooky surprise. All this is can be accomplished by using the patterns and cutout in the last section of ten pages at the back of the book. The photographs are in color showing detailed angles to support your successful finished product. The publisher used real models and photos are of the real objects. Highly recommended.

Little Dragon and the Haunted House by Anni Axworthy, September 1, 2008, $9.95, 32pp., 978-1840894776.

Adorable and fun Halloween story of Little Dragon who dreams of owning his own haunted house. He could do this because he is a very special dragon. No one fears him. He can't blow flames. He can't even fly and he is a brilliant bright blue. However, he has lots of money because something strange happens when Little Dragon cries. His tears turn to pure gold. He lives with his friend Jago and Jago's family in a very small house. After watching a television movie on day Little Dragon decides to buy a haunted house. When Little Dragon finally finds a haunted house he likes, he buys it and they all move in. He begins to frighten the previous occupants of the house and he surprises you with his cleverness. Highly recommended for ages 4-8.

Anni Axworthy has also written another story of Little Dragon called, The Dragon Who Couldn't Do Dragony Things

Miles from Nowhere by Nami Mun

Miles from Nowhere, by Nami Mun

Memorable and moving with remarkable sensitivity, this writer has a distinct talent that has made her book one of my top ten for 2008. Spectacular imagery can be expected when you read Mun’s work. Your vision of setting and character requires little effort to conjure up what she vividly depicts in poetic prose.

I received Miles from Nowhere, about a week ago, and decided to glance over the first few pages as I do with all ARC’s I receive. I began thumbing through the book and reading a little. Within a few pages it became apparent that I wasn’t going to put this book down. I spent the rest of a dreary drizzly day buried in this amazing book.

The book takes place in the 1980s in New York City. As the story begins, Joon a Korean girl lives with her parents. Their marriage is a rocky relationship always on the brink of failure. One day her father finally has enough and decides to leave home. This sends her mentally ill mother, unable to contend with difficulties with his desertion, on a tragic trajectory of wacky behavior.

When Joon takes to the streets she fights for survival wearing the scars of pain. Joon is the main character, and will always be my favorite person in the novel. Who can forget her? She is confused, vulnerable, sweet, gullible, trusting, and generous. You are a part of her as a twin the entire book, difficult to leave her, hard to not feel her pain.

Her battles become narcotic addiction, failed friendships, and lost loves. She tries to climb out of the streets by working in a variety of jobs from dance girl hostess to an Avon door to door sales representative.

The story is written episodically with Joon as the narrator. We learn about all the friends, parents and the people Joon meets through her point of view. You can’t help but love Joon and want to protect and embrace her and tell her it’s just a bad dream. Time passes in Joon’s mind, sometimes rational, sometimes fragmented. You feel her confusion, her sense of loss and despair all through her cognition. Mun makes it look easy the way she has manages to create the passage of time over five years as Joon ages to eighteen.

This is a sensitive, heart-wrenching story, sometimes amusing, sometimes dispiriting yet carrying a message of hope. Nami Mun’s novel is a tale that will leave you deep in thought. With a late December release it just might make the perfect holiday gift for some. This debut work of Nami Mun portrays a veteran of her craft, a talented and compelling author. I hope we see more from her soon. Highly recommended.

Sunday Salon & Raffle September 28, 2008

Banned Book Week Raffle

This is a raffle to celebrate our freedom to read!!! Please leave a comment on my blog to be entered in the raffle to win a copy of Gap Creek,by Robert Morgan. The drawing for Gap Creek will be on October 6th. Good Luck. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this book, it was an Oprah Book Club pick, winner of the Southern Book Critic Circle Award, and a NYT Notable Book. Besides that...I highly recommend it!
If you link to my blog and write about the raffle on your blog you will get two (2) additional chances.

Reading This Week

Finished reading The Fire, by Katherine Neville. I am a huge fan of her novel The Eight, written twenty years ago. I would recommend the Eight to anyone who loves drama, excitement and intrigue. In my opinion, The Davinci Code, often compared to The Eight, pales in comparison hands down. The Fire on the other hand was very disappointing to me after such a long wait for another book from this talented writer. It was difficult to stay focused and I lost interest easily. Unlike The Eight, I struggled to finish the book. If you want to experience Katherine Neville's finest work, read The Eight.

Finished reading Murderers in Mausoleums, Riding the Back Roads of Empire Between Moscow and Beijing by Jeffrey Tayler (Review to follow during the week)

Surprise Read of the Month...Miles from Nowhere by Nami Mun

Miles from Nowhere, by Nami Mun
I received Miles from Nowhere, by Nami Mun about a week ago, and decided to glance over the first few pages on Saturday. When I receive an ARC I thumb through the book, read a little and try to obtain an overview before I sit down and read it.
It soon became apparent that I wasn’t going to put this book down, and it quickly landed on top of my TBR pile. I can’t think of a better way to spend a rainy day. As I began to read Miles to Nowhere, I came to know Joon, a thirteen year old run-a-way, living on the streets. The story takes place in the 1980’s in New York City.
As the story begins, Joon a Korean girl lives with her parents. Their marriage is a rocky relationship always on the brink of failure. One day her father finally has enough and decides to leave home. This sends her mentally ill mother, unable to cope with his desertion, on a tragic trajectory of wacky behavior. When Joon takes to the streets she fights for survival wearing the scars of pain. Her battles become narcotic addiction, failed friendships, and lost loves. She tries to climb out by working in a variety of jobs from dance girl hostess to an avon door to door salesgirl. The story is written episodically with Joon as the narrator. We learn about all the friends, parents and the people Joon meets through her point of view. You can’t help but love Joon and want to protect and embrace her and tell her it’s just a bad dream. Time passes in Joon’s mind, sometimes rational, sometimes fragmented. You feel her confusion, her sense of loss and despair all through her cognition. Mun makes it look easy the way she has managed to create the passage of time over five years as Joon ages to eighteen. This book does not come out until December 26th, but you will want to get a copy as soon as you can. This is a warm, sensitive, reflective story, sometimes amusing, sometimes dispiriting but carrying a message of hope. You will close the cover and say ahhhhhhh.

Sunday Salon, September 21, 2008-Book Raffle Winner

Book Raffle Winner. Congratulations Ti, from Book Chatter and Other Stuff. Here is her announcement card.

Autumn Beginnings

What will be your first book to read in Autumn? I will be reading Saye, by Jeremy H. Walker a debut novelist. Stay tuned to hear more.
I will also be reading Tears of the Desert by Halima Bashir for the Early Reviewers Program at Library Thing. I started reading Murderers in Mausoleums by Jeffrey Tayler.
Tell me what are your first intended reads for Autumn? Let's celebrate our new reading season wherever you live. New Englanders like me will likely relish in the crisp chill in the air and breathe in the sweet smells of the harvest. My cozy book nook is ready. How about you?

Reviews of the week

Going Down South

by Bonnie J. Glover
One World,
978-0-345-48091-0, 272 pp.

Going Down South just blew me away. This is the story of three ordinary yet extraordinary women, Grandma Birdie, her daughter Daisy and her 15 year old granddaughter Olivia Jean who come to live in Cold Water Springs, Alabama. Ms. Glover has created an amazing cast of characters in this beautiful story of forgiveness. The dialogue is so amazingly genuine, offering a glimpse of a culture through conversations that are honest and rarely seen in literature. You can’t get closer to real life than the story Going Down South. As the story spans the lives of the females in one family over generations, they all face life against difficult odds, and harbor deep anger. Through it all they manage to rise to independence and gain a sense of self.

Sometime during the 1960's, Olivia Jean becomes pregnant, and her mom and daddy Turk decide to leave New York to take her down south to live with Daisy’s mom Birdie. Thinking she has protected her daughter from the stigma and shame of an out of wedlock pregnancy Daisy’s life is turned upside down when the preacher Percy Walker singles out Olivia Jean at church. He labels her a whore and and admonishes her for her indiscretion as he preaches from the pulpit.

Moving down south proves to be a tension filled proposition as Daisy and Birdie have been at odds for years. They both conceal secrets from the past that have stirred up malevolent memories. As they choose to let anger and the past fester, conversations are strained, ugly, and hateful, until one day Grandma Birdie decides she has had enough.

Grandma Birdie, is a colorful character with witty jailhouse toughness and sage wisdom with a soft heart for family. Daisy, on the other hand has so much anger, time will only tell when tempers will flare. Olivia Jean at fifteen helps to uncover the many secrets with astounding strength for one so young. These feisty heroines are reason alone to read Going Down South. This book touches on all emotions, and you will laugh out loud. Outrageous at times, honestly human and heartfelt. Fabulous fiction with remarkable realism. Don’t miss this Bonnie Glover’s glorious gift. Highly recommended.

My published review in Historical Novels Review for August Issue

TWO MEN
Elizabeth Stoddard, edited and with intro. by Jennifer Putzi, Univ of Nebraska Press, 2008, $19.95/C$21.95/£10.99, pb, 271pp, 9780803293472
Originally published in 1865, Two Men begins when Jason Auster, a carpenter, leaves home to start a new life. His stagecoach makes a stop in Crest, a seashore village in New England where he decides to settle. Finding work at a local church, he meets dark-eyed Sarah Parke, a woman of wealth and social standing. He learns she is the granddaughter of the well-known Squire Parke. Despite their differences in social class, Jason soon becomes a frequent visitor at the Squire’s home, playing whist with Sarah’s grandfather and backgammon with her. They marry and have a son, who they name Parke.
A stroke takes the Squire’s life, and fate puts Jason in control of his estate. Some years later, Osmund Luce, Sarah’s co-heir, shows up with his daughter, Philippa, who he intends to leave with Sarah. Upon learning of his grandfather’s death, Osmund gives Philippa his inheritance. The novel continues as a complex story of love and romance, relationships left unsatisfied, and surprising, difficult choices.
Two Men takes place during the antebellum period, when men, not women, were allowed to express passion, and marrying beneath your class, interracial relationships, and choosing to be a single woman were all considered taboo.
This is not a Civil War novel. It is a period piece that gives a sense of what it was like to live in mid-19th century American society. The language is indicative of the period, and today’s audience won’t find it shocking. Yet, reading the book I kept wondering what the Victorian attitudes of Stoddard's readership would think. No doubt there were many whispers and raised eyebrows. Stoddard was an author ahead of her time; her portrayal of strong women seems almost anachronistic, her descriptive writing flows, and she conveys much of her characters’ thoughts through dialog. Two Men is a remarkable tale; highly recommended.

Sunday Salon & Raffle September 14, 2008

Saturday Sunshine

It was a busy Saturday creating a new garden with my cousin Russ. We spent the day planning, digging, weeding, setting plants, and scattering spring bulbs. All these plants were transplanted from his glorious gardens in Massachusetts. Some of the flora and herbs in his assortment are generations old. You can see by the final results in the slide-show album. Prior to today, there was virtually nothing but hanging plants, a couple of shrubs, and a stray perennial misfit here and there. I owe so much to Russ and his magic. Here are millions of thanks for everything. You truly are amazing!!!
BubbleShare: Share photos - Create and Share Crafts

I was busy reading a lot this week trying to hold on to the waning days of summer sunshine. It doesn't take long for tension to take hold when you get back to teaching.
I am determined to stay relaxed from the pervasive school stress while at home with reading.

This week to de-stress:

Started reading:
Going Down South,by Bonnie Glover
Tomato Girl, by Jayne Pupek

I finished:
Red Sky in Morning:A Novel about World War II, by Patrick Culhane-Excellent
A Lady of Secret Devotion, by Tracie Peterson Romantic Historical Fiction.

Finishing up:
The Fire, by Katherine Neville
You Are Here, by Thomas M. Kostigen-Alarming-mind-awakening book that will make you think about the cities and places on the planet that are most polluted and who is causing it. Can it be stopped?

Don't forget,
So Long at the Fair....Raffle

Sunday Salon Raffle from September 7th, leave a comment on this posting and earn another chance for the drawing. Please remember to leave your email address so that I can contact you.