Aussie Author Dr. Bob Rich Reviews The Power of Good People

Title: The power of good people

Authors: Para Paheer and Alison Corke

Publisher: Wild Dingo Press http://wilddingopress.com.au

ISBN: 9780648066323

Reviewer: Dr Bob Rich https://bobrich18.wordpress.com

As I am writing this review, the current government of my country is committing its worst crime against humanity to date. 602 men have been deprived of water in a tropical location, denied food and all other amenities, and exposed to very real danger of murder and mutilation.

These men have committed no crime, but have been imprisoned without trial, in some cases for many years. If Para had sought refuge in Australia a few years later, he might well be among them.

These are the refugees in Australia’s illegal concentration camp on Manus Island. After a sleepless night, I have sent various politicians, including the Minister for Inhumanity, and the Prime Minister, this message: “You are committing a crime against humanity. If any of those 602 men die, you will be guilty of murder.”

What else can I do?

Only what Para and Alison are doing: our best to change people’s perception of asylum seekers. Refugees like I was, like Para is, are just... people. We tend to be those with courage, intelligence and initiative, who manage to escape impossible situations when others succumb. When accepted, we benefit our new home in many ways. Look at the record of high achievers who once were refugees.

The writing in this book is very powerful. Ali’s voice is calm, factual, avoids hysteria, and is all the more compelling for this. She narrates Para’s life, with him figuring there in a great many quotes so that he quickly becomes a real live person to the reader: a boy then young man to admire.

I’ve read other stories of trauma, such as Anne Frank’s Diary, The Rugmaker of Mazar-e-Sharif, and I am Malala. This book belongs up there with them.

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Dr Bob Rich is an author. Read more about what he calls "my best book at http://bobswriting.com/guardian.html. Subscribe to his eclectic newsletter at

  http://wp.me/P3Xihq-1.

Commit random acts of kindness

Live simply so you may simply live

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everithing from Amazon vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. 

This blog is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Writing, The New Yorker, and Christmas

This is a not-so-usual Christmas editorial from my SharingwithWriters newsletter. True to my time-saving advice to recycle (no one person--even one with a paid publicist) has enough time to do everything they want to!), it is never too late to download a pdf copy my newsletters from the archive at http://bit.ly/SWWNewsletter--or subscribe so you don't miss a single issue!

Dear SharingwithWriters subscribers and New Book Review readers, authors, and reviewers: 

I love The New Yorker. My son Trenton sent a subscription to me for Christmas for a couple years, but I told him not to do it anymore because I always felt guilty when I couldn’t read it from cover to cover.

Recently I reconnected with my cousin who had gone AWOL for a while and she sent me a link to a lovely essay on dying (and living!) in The New Yorker. It was written by a well-known memoirist, Cory Taylor. I love how that she wove the pleasures of writing into the other joys of her life. It made me think of the publisher who told my agent that he loved my memoir, but couldn’t publish it because it was just too sad. It also made me think of what I have come to think of as California’s Christmas fires. I have been affected only slightly (breathing smoke and getting less done because of time taken to help fire refugees), but the misery is everywhere. The sky, the freeways, the news.

It seems to me a memoir has no value without the sad parts that make us grateful for life’s delights. So, the upsides and downsides, the yin and yang of The New Yorker? Hard to believe there is too much of a good thing! And the fires? Well, maybe we have had enough of those!

You may already subscribe or decide to subscribe to The New Yorker after reading this. (You may be better at picking and choosing from an overabundance of readable material than I!) Even if The New Yorker has never been your cup of tea, you will want to read this essay. To absorb the author’s wisdom now, when gratitude is such a big part of the holiday season or take a lesson from this author’s writing style. I am sure that it will renew your appreciation of your chosen career.

The essay is “Questions for Me About Dying” by Cory Taylor. An interesting title, but one that in no way does justice to what is contained therein.

Happy writing, editing and promoting and happy holidays,

Carolyn Howard-Johnson,

http://HowToDoItFrugally.com 

PS: I know we think of Dec. 25 as a bit too late to be doing Christmas shopping, but that's why e-books were born.  The chapbook I wrote with Magdalena Ball is available today on Amazon and it's part of Amazon's Matchbook program for prime members--meaning the e-book is free when you buy the chapbook. Wouldn't one of your friends who loves literature like to have a e-greeting card of poetry in their e-mail box today? Here is more about it.  

Blooming Red:

Christmas Poetry for the Rational

Coauthored by Carolyn Howard-Johnson and Magdalena Ball
Artwork by Vicki Thomas

Self-Published in the fine tradition of poets everywhere

Awards: USA Book News finalist, Silver Award from Military Writers’ Society of America

ISBN: 9781449948245

To order paperback or e-book on Amazon: http://bit.ly/BloomingRed

Celebration Series fan page on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CelebrationSeriesPoetryChapbooks

Part of the Celebration Series by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, this little $6.95 book was written with passion and love for those who understand all the ramifications of the holiday that dominates celebrations throughout most of the English-speaking world. It is a lovely tuck-in gift that goes beyond the typical greeting card and is available in quantity discounts to use as a holiday greeting by contacting the authors at HoJoNews@aol.com.

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everithing from Amazon vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. 

This blog is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.