A Voice of Her Own: Becoming Emily Dickinson (YA Challenge 2009 #12 of 12)

Barbara Dana's idea to write a novel in which Emily Dickinson tells about her teenager years is fabulous. My sister picked this up randomly at the library for me and I am so glad she did. I have only read a few of Dickinson's poems and knew nothing about her life except that she never married. And while it seems Dana did her research well, it isn't exactly a biography. It's just a good read.

There isn't really a plot per say...no truly climatic event. It's just seeing the world through Emily's eyes - her repeated illnesses (which apparently were occurrences of TB), her panic attacks, her strange relationship with her parents and siblings, her discovery of words and of her overwhelming desire to be a poet during a time when women weren't poets. Not only did I like the book for what it was, I am now going to go check out a book of her poetry. The author actually created some poems in what she refers to as the style of Dickinson but they are not actually Emily's poems. I am excited to read the poems Dickinson created, she's a pretty remarkable woman.

Galway Bay

Mary Pat Kelly's novel about an Irish family that immigrates to Chicago seemed to be a great fit for my interests...my grandfather's family were Irish immigrants that settled in Chicago. The story of Honora Kelly begins when she was Honora Keeley...a young girl about to enter a convent. But then she meets Michael Kelly and her whole world shifts. Honora's story is one of love, family, and survival. The novel is set beginning in 1839, several years before the Great Famine and ends in 1893 at the World's Fair in Chicago. Honora is a strong woman who loves her husband and children. She survived the "Hard Times" where her family literally almost starved to death. As a parent, reading about the years of the blight ripped my heart out. But still, the Kelly's never gave up. I loved the story telling though I have to admit there were so many children between Honora and her sister Maire that I got a bit confused between them. I really enjoyed it though.

A Company of Swans

Harriet Morton was quite an ordinary person...at least it seemed so. Raised by her crabby father, a professor of the classics at Cambridge, the one joy she has in her life is dancing. Harriet loves the ballet and is quite talented though her father is convinced that it is not truly a ladylike pursuit. Set in 1912, there are lots of issues of propriety and proper behavior and Harriet is a good girl. But one day a Russian ballet master comes to her class and invites her to join his troupe on a trip to Brazil to dance in the corps for wealthy Europeans living along the Amazon river. For some reason, this sparks Harriet's imagination and in a mad moment of true individualism she tricks her father and heads off to South America. She's only eighteen so this is quite a big deal because legally her father could have her returned to him and really do whatever he wanted to punish her. In the Amazon she meets Rom, a wealthy Englishman who is quite different from her father's preferred suitor, Edward.

I listened to this on my Ipod and liked it. The romance was very sweet. The only thing that I wasn't sure about was Harriet herself. I liked how she came out of her shell and was able to be her own girl, but sometimes I couldn't reconcile how "good" her character was with some of the things she did. Like she was made out by the author to really be above fault which she wasn't. I liked her, but wanted her little bit darker side to be acknowleged for what it was.

Bog Child

The first book I read by Siobhan Dowd was A Swift Pure Cry and I thought it was pretty good. I think though, I like Bog Child better. Fergus lives in Northern Ireland in 1980, the year of the hunger strike in Long Kesh prison. In this particular prison, Fergus' brother is interred with other Irish nationalists who refuse to wear the prison garb saying that they committed no crime - they are prisoners of war. The Hunger Strike was to convince the prison grant them this different political status. Set against this backdrop, Fergus and his uncle discover a body in the bog where they were cutting peat out of the ground.

But this isn't a case of murder...of recent murder anyway. The body is old, very old. Felicity and her daughter Cora come to determine the method and time of the child's death. Fergus' parents own a bed and breakfast and Cora and Felicity stay there while they work. Fergus and Cora are drawn together by the Bog Child, who they have named Mel and Fergus must sort out his feelings for her at the same time he is terrified that his brother will die.

I love Irish history so I was drawn to this book from the start. The brief flashbacks to the Iron Age add to the story quite a bit. Fergus must make some hard decisions and he deals with them in a way that seems real. I learned after reading the book that the author passed away in August 2007 and this book was published after her death.

Tamar (Book Awards Challenge II #9 of 10)

The subtitle of Mal Peet's Carnegie Medal winning novel is: A Novel of Espionage, Passion, and Betrayal. And it sure does contain all three of these. Tamar switches between 1995 and 1944. The modern scenes centered on a fifteen year old girl named Tamr and the World War II scenes, Tamar is also a major figure...only this Tamar is a spy for the Allied Forces who is living in Holland. When Tamar's grandfather (this would be the female Tamar) dies, he gives her a box containing several items which make very little sense to her. As she deciphers the meaning of the puzzle left by her grandpa, his story is also told.

I did enjoy this book but I didn't tear through it like I do with most of my books. It seems as if the World War II books I've been reading lately are from so many different angles and I love that. It is certainly the first story I've read about an Allied spy in an occupied country. There is a lovely romance and both the courage and brutality of war are shown in equal measure.

Silence

Ow ow ow. This book, while amazingly well written, was incredibly painful to read. Shusaku Endo, a Japanese Christian, wrote a historical fiction (based very heavily in fact) about a Portuguese Catholic priest, Sebastian Rodrigues, who travels clandestinely into Japan to find his apostatized mentor, Christovao Ferreira. Things have not been going well for the Christians in Japan. They are cruelly tortured and murdered for not apostatizing and sometimes they are even if they do. And Father Rodrigues keeps wondering why God keeps His silence - why He does not deliver the faithful from their persecutions. It is a fascinating insight into faith and doubt and forgiveness. It made me think about what I would do to save myself from pain and what I would do to save others from pain. I am glad this was a bookclub choice because I am sure I never would have read it otherwise.

The Red Necklace

Sido, the daughter of the Marquis de Villeduval has not had a happy life. After the death of her mother when Sido was only an infant, her father (an unbelievably pompous, naieve, and selfish French aristocrat) sends her to a convent and is happy to be rid of her. Yann Margoza, a Gypsy with magic abilities, has been working in the theater with a dwarf named Tetu who is the only family he's ever known.

As the French Revolution takes its bloody toll in Paris, Yann and Sido are thrown together, both haunted by the same enemy - Count Kalliovski who is a merciless financier, murderer, and supporter of the horrific deaths taking place in the name of the Revolution.

This one was a page turner. The French Revolution was so horrifying a backdrop that it made me squirm at times. The mob mentality and brutal executions. While the ending was fairly predictable, it seems as though there may be a sequel in the works.

Blaze of Silver

The final book in the de Granville trilogy finished off the story wonderfully well. Betrayal and loyalty lie at the heart of the story, Kamil, Ellie, and William have difficulty knowing who to trust. They must deliver King Richard's ransom so he can return to England but on the way the three of them must face a man who is just as villainous as Constable de Scabious - the Old Man of the Mountain. Two fairly minor characters from the second book, Marie and Marissa, take a larger role in Blaze of Silver. I found this a most satisifying story and the conclusion gave just the right amount of closure.

Green Jasper

William and Gavin are back from the Crusades but their lives are far from peaceful. King Richard hasn't returned from the Holy Land and the former Constable of the de Granville lands has kidnapped Ellie, Gavin's bride to be. The two brothers, changed from their experiences overseas, can't agree on the best way to save Ellie and keep their family together. And through it all, Hosanna continues to affect those around him.

As a middle book in a trilogy, I was pleasantly surprised with K. M. Grant's Green Jasper. Lots of action, good character development, and it wasn't predictable. I had to jump right into the third book.

Blood Red Horse

William and Gavin are the sons of Sir Thomas de Granville and they live during the time of King Richard's Crusade to the Holy Land. Ellie is Sir Thomas' ward and promised to Gavin. Hosanna is a red colored courser horse, William's ultimate friend and joy. When William, Gavin, and Sir Thomas are called to the crusade, Ellie is left at home and Hosanna will change the lives of Christians and Saracen's alike.

I can't remember ever reading a YA book about the Crusades, but this first in a triology by K. M. Grant has me quite excited to go check out the other two. The characters are multi-dimiensional and well developed, the story moves quickly with lots of action, and there is some romantic tension weaved through out just to add a little something extra. Hosanna is almost magical but not so much that it is irritating or takes over the story. The Muslim and Christian characters are protrayed with sensitivity, each feeling they have an honorable cause and it isn't a "who's religion is right" story. It's a fascinating look at a historical period.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (Young Adult Challenge 2009 #5 of 12)

This book left me with an ache in my heart. I haven't seen the movie and don't know if I will, but John Boyne's story about the son of the Commandant at Auschwitz, which he calls a fable, is painful and powerful. Bruno and his sister Gretel move with their parents to a house which overlooks the concentration camp which Bruno called "Out-With." He is confused about what he is doing there and is oblivious to the horrors taking place on the other side of the fence, though it is obvious he has an intuitive feeling that something just isn't right. While exploring the line of the fence, he comes across a boy just his age named Shmuel, sitting on the other side of the fence in some striped pajamas. As the boys develop a friendship, Bruno's naievity is so pronounced as he complains about his house only having three stories instead of five and not having lots of kids his age around as Shmuel does on his side of the fence. But still, he truly cares for Shmuel and is clueless about the anti-Semitism he is supposed to harbor for his friend.

This is a unique book about the Holocaust. Bruno is such a believable nine-year old and while there are many Haoocaust books about children, some of which I've read and almost all of them were wonderful, this is the first one I've read from the perspective of an innocent German child. The end shocked me...I had no idea how it would turn out but I will say no more about that. I read it in one sitting and will be thinking about it for a while.

The Professor's Daughter

Lillian is the daughter of Professor Bowell, an Egyptologist in 19th-century London. He has in his possession the mummy of Imhotep IV, and that mummy is awake and in love with Lillian. This rather odd graphic novel by Joann Sfar and Emmanuel Guibert tells the love story of a young Victorian lady and her mummy. It's quite entertaining and the art is lovely. It contains mystical and magic elements along with quite the humorous portrayal of Queen Victoria. I read it in about an hour, well spent.

Quest for a Maid

In 13th century Scotland, practicing magic is dangerous and when Meg's beloved sister Inge uses it to interfere with royalty, she knows that no good will come of it. Frances Mary Hendry's historical fiction novel about a perilous time is one that I read years and years ago and am glad I revisted now. Meg is lovable for her flaws and determination and I am always in for a book about anything relating to the British Isles.

The Staircase

When thirteen year old Lizzy's mother dies during their cross country journey Colorado (in 1870) she isn't sure how she is going to go on. Then when her father leaves her at a convent in Santa Fe, Lizzy is truly alone. She's not even Catholic - she's a Methodist. Lizzy has a difficult time relating to the other girls and befriends a carpenter named Jose who will built a miraculous staircase in the new chapel. This historical fiction novel is based on the legend of the Chapel of Loretto in San Jose. Ann Rinaldi gives Lizzy a true pioneer's heart and the mystery of the chapel's staircase is fascinating.

Megiddo's Shadow (Y.A. Challenge #10)

I haven't read a book about World War I for years. Bodie Thoene wrote some which I liked but they were mostly about adults. Arthur Slade's book tells the story of Edward Bathe, a sixteen year old Canadian boy who enlists in the English military after his old brother was killed in France. Edward eventually becomes a cavalryman and travels to Palestine with his horse Buke to fight the Turks. During his training in England he met Emily, a nurse who he writes to as the war progresses and with whom he falls in love.

Reading the part of the book about his time in Palestine was interesting to me for more than just the story, I lived there for a few months back in 2000. The setting is described is very similar to what I remember...the area it seems hasn't changed all that much.

Edward seems to encompass all that soldiers can be. He enlists with a very proud sense of being on the side of right but the brutality and horror of war affect him. Through his relationships with his friends and enemies, many of the different personalities that seem to come out in truly trying times become apparent. War is a hard thing to read about but Slade was able to balance the war, romance, friendship, and family in Edward's story.

Nine Days a Queen

All of these books about the noblewomen who lived in in sixteenth and seventeenth century England make me so sad. These are women who truly were the pawns of fathers, brothers, and husbands. Lady Jane Grey was the cousin of Edward VI, the King of England and was fifth in line to throne. Through the maneuverings and intrigues at court Lady Jane ended up as the Queen of England (much to her dismay), but had reigned only for nine days when Mary Tudor and her supporters took back the crown and a few months later and Jane was executed. She was only sixteen years old. Ann Rinaldi is one of the best known young adult historical fiction authors. I liked her portrayal of Jane. Not a helpless girl but one who was born into truly a man's world. She did try to assert herself but was always slapped back down.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

Lily and Snow Flower are laotongs, or "old sames." This relationship between two girls is an arranged friendship and one that does not occur very often. These friends actually contract in writing to be lifelong friends and confidants. They learn "nu shu," the secret language of women and write notes to eachother on a feminine item like a fan. This story by Lisa See chronicles their relationship, and explores the damage that a simple misinterpretation of language can do. Lily tells the story as an eighty year old widow looking back on her life, her sucesses and her regrets.

One of the alarming parts of this novel is its step by step description of the process of footbinding. I had heard of the practice but could not visualize what the bound foot looked like. When I actually looked it up I seriously was sick. Oh these poor girls. Here is what Lily had to say, "By nightfall the eight toes that needed to break had broken, but I was still made to walk. I felt my broken toes under the weight of each step I took, for they were loose in my shoes. The freshly created space where once there had been a joint was now a gelatinous infinity of torture." Lily says that this process proves a woman's obedience, discipline, and ability to bear the pain of childbirth. This practice was outlawed in 1912 but wow.