A Few More Books

I read this on the heels of The Nightingale, by Kristin Hannah, which was about Occupied France during WW2. This novel takes place in Germany during WW2. Death is personified as the narrator of the story about a young girl who has to start a new life after her mother gives her up to an adoption service. While most children are hungry and stealing food, this girl gets the most joy from stealing books. The overall theme is about the power of words, which is as important today as it was in the 1940's. I liked that not all the Germans in her town were brainwashed by Hitler. I didn't like that I never understood what happened to her biological parents or what the symbolism meant when Death kept talking about the sky (the colors didn't have much rhyme or reason to me). I predict this book will be a classic, as it really is that good. Even though it is a lengthy book (over 500 pages), my daughter pointed out that it was from the Teen section of the library! I hadn't realized that.

I read this over the holidays and it was the perfect feel-good book. The author grew up in Michigan in a large, loving family. The growing and preparation of food was very important to her family, who learned to make do with what they had. Some years were much leaner than others, but they never seemed to go hungry. I think I enjoyed it because she grew up in the same era as me, and the Midwestern approach was relatable to me. After reading this book, I read another of hers, The Kitchen Counter Cooking School, where she teaches people from all walks of life how to stop using processed foods in meal preparation.



I have mixed feelings about this book. First, it's a difficult read due to the subject matter. The story opens with the 5th birthday of a boy who you soon learn is imprisoned in a room with his mother, who was kidnapped at age 19. The boy's father is the abductor. Room (an 11 x 11 foot shed, if I'm remembering correctly) is the only home the boy has ever known. Everything he has learned has been from his mother and television. I grew a little tired of hearing about Dora the Explorer and the other things the boy perseverated on (such as breastfeeding), but I suppose the author was trying to convey what it felt like to be the mother, who had never been apart from the child for one minute in five years. Without giving too much away, I will also say I didn't think the author did her job on researching therapy. I found it odd that the therapists/clinic workers didn't seem to be aware that the boy wouldn't understand things like euphemisms and social cues, due to his severe isolation. I'm sure most people would like this book (and the movie), but it just wasn't my thing.

Let me know if you've read any good books lately!