Holli Kenley Reviews Dr. Bob Rich's Aniko

Metadata

Title             Anikó: The stranger who loved me

Author           Dr. Bob Rich

Publisher              Anina’s Book Company

ISBN            1-877053-16-3

Link             https://bobrich18.wordpress.com/bobs-booklist#aniko

 Reviewer    Holli Kenley

Reviewer’s website https://hollikenley.com/ 

A Generational Story of Love and Loyalty and the Losses Within Each

   When I began reading Ankió: The Stranger Who Loved Me, I was eager to devour a biography. Knowing it was a generational story of a Jewish family set in Hungary during World War II, I prepared myself for an intense and intriguing read. Dr. Bob Rich delivers on every level. I could go on and on about the incredible depth of research into his mother’s life and how it was exquisitely and intricately woven into complex historical events of the time. I could share how much I learned from the unearthing of one family’s saga during the horrors of the Holocaust and of wartime atrocities, but after finishing Anikó, I took away so much more.

   Viewing this biography from the lens of a marriage and family therapist as well as someone who knows the heartache and heartbreak of a broken family, I was drawn into the lives of every character – not just Anikó. For me, this was a story of a woman’s profound love – for her husbands, her children, her relatives, her work, and for herself. And yet, those strong bonds of passion carried with them demands for attention and time, revealing the damage resulting from prioritized and competing loyalties.

   I found myself connecting with Robi (Bob) and his brother József, especially as children and adolescents. Secure attachments to parental figures are imperative to healthy developmental growth. In the absence of unconditional love, acceptance, and belonging (especially from Anti), both boys struggled with emotional detachment and grief, as they weighed their love for their mother and from her against her loyalties to people and things which served her. As children and young adults, these “losses” are hard to identify and understand. Later in life, they are even harder to reconcile and accept.

   I admire the raw openness with which Dr. Rich shares this generational story. As I concluded the book, my heart was warmed that Bob did not succumb to bitterness or resentment. And I was moved by the power of his resilience. In choosing a path of perseverance, Bob drew upon his strength, courage, and commitment to wellness in leading a life of authenticity, integrity, and purpose.

   Anikó is, as I stated, so much more than a biography. It is a story of love and loyalty and the losses within each. And it is the story of one man surviving all of it.

Holli Kenley, MA is the author of several powerful books on surviving childhood trauma, includingDaughters Betrayed By Their Mothers: Moving From Brokenness To Wholeness.

More About the Author

Dr Bob Rich is an avid environmentalist. Learn more about all his books at

http://bobswriting.com and

Bobbing Around https://bobrich18.wordpress.com. 

He tweets @bobswriting.

His mottoes:  "Commit random acts of kindness

Live simply so you may simply live" 

---------------------------------------------------

More About #TheNewBookReview Blog

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. 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 and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews or to the guideline tab at the top of the home page of this blog. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's "Authors Helping Authors" service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author, a veteran educator and also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's 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. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

Elise Cooper Reviews Nicole Trope's "The Boy in the Photo"

Title: The Boy In The Photo

Author: Nicole Trope

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Pub Date: June 22^nd, 2021

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

ISBN:  9781538754344

Purchase on Amazon

Reviewed by Elise Cooper

 

The Boy In The Photo by Nicole Trope is a suspenseful read. This Australian author makes her US debut and does it with a bang.  She takes readers on an emotional roller coaster involving love, hurt, heartbreak, and joy.  

 

“The idea started with a story on the news about a woman who was fighting to get her children back from Lebanon. He ex-husband had taken them to visit his family and refused to come home. She ended up hiring an organization who specializes in grabbing your child away from the abducting spouse and returning them to you. The plan failed and she was left distraught. The courts in Lebanon were of no help because the country is not part of the Hague Convention on child abduction. I wondered how long it would be until she was able to see her children again and how they would turn out if they ever returned to Australia. They had been taken from one culture into another and were still very young. I tried to imagine how their father would have explained that they were never going to see their mother again and I realized that he must have only had his own interests at heart.”

 

There is clarification in the story between parental alienation versus parental abduction. “I wanted to show how parental alienation is a term used when one parent turns their child against the other parent. As in the book, it’s mostly a subtle form of abuse because the parent doing the alienating would not simply say, ‘I hate your mother she’s awful.’ What is done is a consistent breaking down of the child’s faith in the other parent. ‘Your mother could have called you today, but she didn’t want to. I would let you do this, but your mother wouldn’t. No one loves you like I do. Your mother is too busy with work to talk to you. You make your mother angry.’”

 

“While I showed in the story how parental abduction is when one parent steals a child from another parent. It’s kidnapping but I’m sure that in some cases the child may not even know it’s happening. It’s a form of abuse and control over the other person in the relationship. It’s a way to make a former partner pay for hurting you by using the child as a pawn. Men or women who are abusive and controlling often use their children as pawns when the relationship breaks down. The child is seen as something to own rather than a person with any rights. Greg took away what Megan loves most, Daniel, to cause her pain.”

 

The story is told in two parts: six years ago, and six years later. Megan Kade divorced her abusive husband, Greg Stanthorpe.  Intending to get Megan back or to hurt her he kidnaps their son and goes off the grid. 

 

“Greg manipulated Megan and Daniel. He took away Megan’s identity as a person.  There is a scene in the book where she is afraid to order a glass of wine.  Her brother asks her ‘what happened.’ She does not even really know.  It starts out as a tiny compromise, and she felt it was not a big deal until eventually everything adds up.  With Daniel, Greg kept him from attending school and was always told not to question. Having raised teenagers when they have questions besides going to their parent they ask friends, teachers, and go on the Internet.  These were all denied to Daniel because Greg isolated him.  Daniel had the same relationship with Greg as Megan did.  They wanted to appease him, feared his anger, and did not want to do anything wrong.”

 

Six years later the boy, Daniel, appears at a New South Wales police station, reporting that his dad died in a fire.  Daniel is distant, volatile, and in some ways resistant to Megan.  He believes all the horror stories told to him by his father.  The flashbacks of how both Megan and Daniel feel in the six-year gap emphasizes their grief and apprehension.

 

“Daniel was a sweet little boy, adored by his mother and just an ordinary six-year-old. At twelve he is confused, distant, aggressive, and filled with uncertainty at his place in the world. He struggles with trusting his mother after everything he has been told including that she no longer wanted him.”

 

This emotionally harrowing story has many twists and turns. It is so heart wrenching for both Megan and Daniel and the reader as well.  People should make sure they have some time because they will not want to put this book down.

More About #TheNewBookReview Blog 

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. 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 and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews or to the guideline tab at the top of the home page of this blog. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's "Authors Helping Authors" service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author, a veteran educator and also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's 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. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

I Miss the Rain in Africa by Nancy Wesson Discussion Questions

I Miss the Rain in Africa by Nancy Wesson Discussion Questions

Title: I Miss the Rain in Africa: Peace Corps as a Third Act

Author: Nancy Wesson

Publisher: Modern History Press

Publisher Website Address: www.ModernHistoryPress.com

Publisher Email Address: info@ModernHistoryPress.com

ISBN-10: 1615995757

ISBN-13: 978-1615995752

ASIN: B0949MFWP6

Page Count: 296 pages

Formats (P.B., H.C., Kindle)

Price: $24.95 Paperback, $37.95 Hardcover, $7.95 Kindle

Discussion and Book Review by Carolyn Wilhelm

This book is a marathon of learning about northern Uganda, the Peace Corps there, and the many difficulties Wesson experienced along the way to her ultimately successful projects to help the population. Some books leave us exhausted and perhaps depressed at the end, but this author manages to shine a light on the positive aspects of her experiences in Africa. She does still miss the rain. 

Discussion questions for book clubs and secondary teachers

1. Why did Wesson end up in Uganda? Where was she supposed to go at first? Do you think she realized how Peace Corps Volunteers would be housed? What is the name of chapter one, and why? 

2. How did the most recent war led by Kony leave the citizens with almost insurmountable problems? What were his weapons? Where is he now? Can you imagine living through such an ordeal? 

3. Given the situation of most of the people in northern Uganda, how do you think the Peace Corps Volunteers felt about how effective they could be at first? How did Wesson's thoughts change near the end of the book as she reflected on her projects?

4. Explain travel difficulties from the point of view of a Westerner in Uganda. 

5. Why was the southern part of Uganda so different from the north? 

6. Of the 46 volunteers, 34 remained after about a year. What do you think caused some people to leave? Was it understandable or not?

7. How did the pillowcases project begin and develop? Did it surprise you that Wesson had to design her projects, such as the children's library? Were you expecting the Peace Corps would have had job descriptions and just sent people to locations to fit into predetermined roles? 

8. How was time different in Africa? How were schedules for travel different? 

9. Discuss the story Wesson shared about getting dental help, traveling in the mud and dark on the way to and from the bus station.

10. Why was returning home also a challenge? How had things changed? How had the author changed?

Carolyn Wilhelm is a veteran educator and author. She contributes study guides for books and film to this blog frequently. She says, "We hope you like our discussion questions! We have others found by checking this link. Thank you for reading, Carolyn" 

More About #TheNewBookReview Blog 

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. 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 and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews or to the guideline tab at the top of the home page of this blog. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's "Authors Helping Authors" service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author, a veteran educator and also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's 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. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

Carnival Lights by Chris Stark Book Club Discussion Questions

Title: Carnival Lights
By: Chris Stark
Publisher: Modern History Press
Publisher Website: https://www.modernhistorypress.com/
Author Website: https://www.christinestark.com/
ISBN-10: 1615995781
ISBN-13: 978-1615995783
Price: Hardcover $37.95, Paperback $24.95, Kindle $6.95
Page Count: 268
Formats (HC, PB, Kindle)

With good reason, two teens run away from a reservation and get jobs at the Minnesota State Fair. Although the book has a linear story within the pages, it also has a spiraling story going back generations explaining how families pass down their problems. Society also hands down its ills, of course.

"The grief of her people lived within her and was a way of knowing, with or without her conscious understanding."

Stark, Chris. Carnival Lights (p. 221). Modern History Press. Kindle Edition. 

What a read! Oh, my. This book hit me especially hard being a resident of northern Minnesota as well as Minneapolis. I walked exactly where the girls walked, went to the fair, and understand 1969 - the setting of the book. I was about their age in 1969. Of course, I was aware of the poverty in the Native American reservations. However, we attended Pow Wows and visited some people, so that I was unaware of the danger to women and children. I have been to Duluth dozens of times and cannot again pass through there looking at the ships with ignorance. We lived in Grand Marais on Lake Superior and I knew there was trafficking, but thought it was all at the border for some reason. 

10 Discussion Questions for Carnival Lights

Download your free PDF by clicking this link

1. How does Stark set up the first chapters so we are convinced Sher and Kris had no choice but to run away? What are several of the convincing reasons provided? 

2. Did you expect the girls would get to the fair rather quickly and experience problems there? What surprised you about the book with generational stories interwoven with the experience of the girls' bus trip and arrival in Minneapolis?

3. Why did the girls spend several days in downtown Minneapolis? Who did Sher call, thinking they might find help? How did they get food? The Vietnam war protest added drama as well as helped explain the times. How was Kris always going ahead and doing things while Sher wanted to hold back?

4. How do they meet Tricia? Why does she say the following:

“Get this,” the woman said, “a couple of farm girls showing me the city.”

Stark, Chris. Carnival Lights (p. 118). Modern History Press. Kindle Edition. 

5. Why do they decide or were told to leave several of the places they briefly stayed? What was the one place they wanted to stay? Why?

6. When in Minneapolis, Stark again sets up the reasons why the girls do not try to find help. Why would they not reach out to a social worker? Why do you think the church where they sat on the steps asked them to leave, probably knowing they were in trouble? 

7. How does the author explain most of Sher's family acceptance and knowledge of her as contrasted with what her mother thought:

"Sher’s mother had admonished Sher for her broad shoulders, her narrow hips, and wearing her brother’s hand-me-downs, as if these oddities sprang from Sher alone, and did not come from the loins of her parents, from her family, from the Creator."

Stark, Chris. Carnival Lights (p. 195). Modern History Press. Kindle Edition. 

8. Were you expecting Sher and Kris would meet different people and find different problems than they did? How were the things that happened to them in Minneapolis worse or better than what you thought? 

9. Why do you think they didn't go home but remembered the good people and things that happened? Their memories helped them cope. Could they have gone home? 

10. The foreshadowing of the ending strongly suggested something terrible would happen. Did you expect what happened or not? How did close calls to people who seemed to think about helping them add to the plot's tension? How was the ending both happy and sad? 

Why do you think Stark wrote this book? What was the overall message? 

Carolyn Wilhelm, Reviewer 

BS Elementary Education, MS Gifted Education, MA K-12 Curriculum and Instruction

Wise Owl Factory LLC

More About #TheNewBookReview Blog The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. 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 and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews or to the guideline tab at the top of the home page of this blog. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's "Authors Helping Authors" service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author, a veteran educator and also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's 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. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

Nomadland Film and Book Discussion Questions Free Instant Download

TITLE: Nomadland

SUBTITLE: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century

AUTHOR: Jessica Bruder
AUTHOR'S WEBSITE: https://www.jessicabruder.com/bio  
GENRE: Gerontology Social Sciences, Economic Conditions (Books), US Travel Guide 
PAGES: 288
PUBLISHER: Norton
Link to Amazon

Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century was written by Jessica Bruder. Made into an award-winning film, it shows a van-dwelling working nomad named Fern. Fern lost her husband and home when the company town shut down. She started traveling to find work. Written, edited, produced, and directed by Chloé Zhao, it stars Frances McDormand as Fern. I find it so interesting that McDormand also helped produce the film after living in a camper van and interviewing itinerant Americans. I rented it on YouTube, as I don't have Hulu.

Click this link for your free instant PDF download with the questions

The story is loosely based on true events regarding the company town of Empire, Nevada. United States Gypsum closed the mine and the town in 2011. People with children were allowed to stay through the end of the school year. Empire mining bought the company in 2016, reopening part of the operations and homes. I love stories based on real events. 

Film Discussion Questions

Book Discussion Questions

The book was nonfiction. Did it seem like it would be nonfiction if the movie was watched first? Some people may have been surprised. The author, Jessica Bruder, certainly went to great lengths to interview nomads, stayed in the campground with them, and even worked with them. She realized she always had the choice to leave the lifestyle where they did not have such a choice. 

Thank you for reading, Carolyn Wilhelm, Wise Owl Factory LLC

Carolyn Wilhelm is the author and sole owner of The Wise Owl Factory LLC site and blog. She has a BS in Elementary Education, an MS in Gifted Education, an MA in Curriculum and Instruction K-12, and has completed the KHT Montessori 12 month program. She makes mostly free resources for teachers and parents. Her children's books are available on Amazon. She was a public school teacher for 28 years. She writes for The New Book Review and Sharing with Writers and Readers.

Dr. Bob Rich Reviews Laura Persons New Book of Juvenile Fiction

Title: Lost But Found

Subtitle: A Boy's Story of Grief and Recovery

Publisher:	Loving Healing Press
Author:	Laura Persons
Illustrator	Noah Hrbek
ISBN-13:	PB 978-1-61599-547-9 /
List Price:	PB $ 14.95
Trim:	8.5 x 11 (26 pp)
Audience:	4-6 years
Pub Date:	12/01/2020
Genres:	JUVENILE FICTION/Social Issues/Death & Dying
	JUVENILE FICTION/Concepts/Body*
	JUVENILE FICTION/Family/Parents

Synopsis

Lost But Found: A Boy's Story of Grief and Recoverydeals with one of the toughest issues a parent may ever have to face--explaining to a child that a loved one has died. Often, to protect them, children are left out of the grieving process. This book allows adults to travel with a young boy as he works to make sense of his loss--and, in turn, their own.

I wrote this book to allow children to ask questions, and talk about their fears and feelings. What I have found is that often children have better insights on these hard life questions than the adults in the room!

Reviewed by Dr. Bob Rich

Review:

Lauren Persons is a grandmother who loves all children (one of my mob). One of her sources of distress is empathy for all the kids in the world who have lost loved ones to this devious virus, with little end in sight. So, she has written a book for them.

I have tears in my eyes as I am writing this review.

This is as much thanks to the beautiful illustrations by Noah Hrbek as to the beautiful, simple words of a loving mother and grandmother. This little book is perfect for small children who have suffered the loss of a parent. Sadly, in our world, riddled by COVID, insane gun violence, and the increase in terrible weather events due to climate change, deaths in the family are far more common than they should be.

However, Lost but Found will also be excellent for little children who are not grieving, because it teaches empathy and compassion.

And it is even excellent for old grandfathers like me.

Do yourself a favour and buy a copy for a small child in your life.

More About the Author

Indeed, William Shakespeare was right when he said, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” Lauren’s rich and varied roles as actor, director, playwright, teacher, poet, wife, mother, grandmother have all contributed to the role of writer and now author of Lost But Found, a children’s book to help parents and children come to grips with the death of a loved one.

About the Reviewer

Dr. Bob Rich wishes he was a psychopath. It would be SO wonderful to be unaffected by the sufferings of others! Alas, this is not to be, so he does the next best thing and uses his writing to reduce suffering. You can assess his effectiveness at his popular blog, Bobbing Around, which hides at https://bobrich18.wordpress.com

Oh his recent books, “Hit and Run” shows the power of unconditional acceptance in changing a mass murderer into a boy you wouldn’t mind dating your daughter; "From Depression to Contentment: A self-therapy guide” delivers what its title claims; “Sleeper, Awake” shows you our future in 1500 years’ time; “Lifting the Gloom” is a collection of short stories and essays that will make your world a better place; and coming in September is “Maraglindi: Guardian spirit,” which takes you to mid-19th Century Australia through the eyes of a little girl born to make all of us into better people.

More About #TheNewBookReview Blog

 

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. 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 and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews or to the guideline tab at the top of the home page of this blog. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's "Authors Helping Authors" service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author, a veteran educator and also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's 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. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

Linnea Gradin Reviews Japanese Novel (in Translation!)

 

TITLE: Heaven

AUTHOR: Mieko Kawakami (Translated from Japanese by Sam Bett and David Boyd)

GENRE: Literary Fiction

AGE / INTEREST LEVEL: Adult 

ISBN: 1609456211 (ISBN13: 9781609456214)

PAGE #: 192

PUBLISHER: Europa Editions

A LINK TO WHERE THE BOOK MAY BE PURCHASED: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1609456211?tag=reedwebs-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 

Reviewed by Linnea Gradin originally for Goodreads

Mieko Kawakami’s Heaven is a short novel with a deceptively simple set-up. Following an unnamed 14-year-old narrator maliciously nicknamed Eyes because of his lazy eye, Kawakami’s second novel (or third including the novella Ms Ice Sandwich) to be translated into English is an account of cruel and senseless bullying. It’s a complete shift in both theme and scene from her hugely successful Breast and Eggs, but just as thought-provoking and unflinching in its execution.

 

Heaven opens with the narrator receiving an anonymous note in school. Upon reading “we should be friends” he is suspicious, yet hopeful — instantly introducing the reader to the narrator’s inner world and the psychological effects of abuse. It turns out that the note is from Kojima, his female classmate who, like him, is a victim of bullying. Leaving each other notes and eventually working up the courage to meet in person, the two form a bond based on their shared struggles and a mutual longing for human connection. Throughout, I desperately wished for this to be the start of a beautiful friendship, but was left uncomfortably waiting for the other shoe to drop.

 

The narrator is shackled by a profound and frustrating sense of powerlessness but Kojima, in an attempt to rationalize their experiences, has devised a philosophy of her own: “I bet we could make them stop. But we're not just playing by their rules. This is our will. We let them do this. It's almost like we chose this.” She desperately clings to the idea of agency and their victimhood as a “sign” of a higher understanding of pain. This notion sets her on a path of self-destructive martyrdom. As both the narrator and Kojima search for answers where there are no satisfying ones to be found, your heart breaks for them. 

 

Through the narrator’s interaction with Kojima and, later in the novel, one of his bullies, Kawakami manages to make these discussions feel true to the characters’ age, while deftly exploring several perspectives on bullying and cruelty. Their exchanges range from the trivial and banal, to the deeply meaningful. At times, I found that Kawakami has sacrificed believability in order to fully explore these contrasting philosophies and ideas, delivered in ladened dialogue. Despite this, the bullying and its effects never feel anything but horrifyingly real and true to life. Leaving sentimentality behind, Heaven is a perfect example of how creative writing can make suffering intelligible to others, expertly capturing the savage cruelty children are capable of. The use of the lazy eye as a metaphor is also quite apt, as the narrator observes his surroundings but lacks some necessary depth of perception. As he contemplates the opposing notions that Kojima and his bully represent, he asks himself whether his lazy eye is central to who he is, or whether it ultimately makes little difference to his bullies in a world which favors the strong.

 

In the end, it is Eyes who must decide which philosophy speaks to him more — whether to follow the self-destructive path that Kojima is walking or whether he can find solace in the utter meaningless of it all. Excavating the many layers of bullying, Kawakami lets him make his choice in the last few pages of the novel and boldly suggests that liberation might perhaps be best found in the absence of meaning and fate. It is, in many ways, a perfectly imperfect ending.

 

Despite the age of the protagonists, this novel is not published for children. It offers very little hope for goodness in the face of everyday evil, and the descriptions of both physical and emotional violence are disturbing. While ruminating on the meaning of the pain of adolescence, Kawakami doesn’t offer any easy or comfortable answers, making this far from a pleasure to read. There’s no empowering message about how the brutal antagonism the characters face will ultimately make them stronger, nor does it harp on the virtues of empathy. Instead, Kawakami excels at presenting countering arguments without picking sides, staying faithful to the voice of the narrator and simply but powerfully depicting his despair.  Like most great authors, she knows how to make something small and invisible shift inside you without you even noticing. The writing is confrontational and bleak, and though Kawakami’s voice is not as defined as in Breasts and Eggs, Heaven is sure to leave just as lasting an impression on its readers.

 

⭐⭐⭐⭐

More About the Reviewer

 

NAME OF REVIEWER: Linnea Gradin

ORIGINAL PLACE THE REVIEW WAS PUBLISHED:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3958173318 

 

Linnea Gradin is a writer for Reedsy, a UK-based company in the self-publishing sector connecting authors with freelancing publishing professionals. She has a Masters of Philosophy in Sociology from the University of Cambridge, and is working towards a second degree in Publishing Studies at Lund University. Needless to say, she has a passion for everything reading but is especially interested in translated literature.

 

Twitter: @_linneagradin

 

EMAIL: linnea@reedsy.com

More About #TheNewBookReview 

Blog The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. 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 and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews or to the guideline tab at the top of the home page of this blog. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's "Authors Helping Authors" service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author, a veteran educator and also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's 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. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

Margaret Ferry by Mary Flynn Book Review

Title: Margaret Ferry

Author: Mary Flynn
Publisher: Barlemarry Press

ISBN-10: 069293720X

ISBN-13: 978-0692937204

ASIN: B07D1F2HBP

Price: $14.68 paperback, $2.99 Kindle
Page Count: 290 pages
Formats (PB, Kindle)

Carolyn Wilhelm

Reviewer

About the Author

Mary Flynn is a gold-medal author of fiction, a poet, an international conference speaker for Disney (retired), and a former full-time writer for Hallmark Cards. Her stories are an eclectic and imaginative mix of humor, pathos, and irony that explore the human experience, often with a surprising twist. She loves meeting readers, other writers, and, of course, people from her beloved native Brooklyn.

Mary's powerful debut novel, "Margaret Ferry," which takes place in 1950s Brooklyn, is enjoying five-star reviews on Amazon and won the gold medal in fiction in the Florida Authors and Publishers Association's 2018 President's Award. Her observational humor has appeared in the Sunday New York Times, Newsday, and other publications.

About the Book

This is a charming as well as a heartfelt novel. Margaret Ferry is an eleven-year-old in Brooklyn in the 1950s. However, most of the characters are adults and this is not a children's book. I thought this would be interesting because I have had a near-death experience myself. Somehow now I'm more drawn to stories such as this one. Margaret has enhanced intuition after her accident. Through the events, she quietly solves several relationship issues in the lives of the people around her, some quite serious. When she asks for a few more minutes, the reader knows another possible solution is next. Reading this will inspire people to be more positive, intuitive, and careful in their communications. 

Margaret attends a Catholic school which some readers will find pleasing. If you are not Catholic (I am not) it is still an engaging read. As each problem is untangled, the story becomes more compelling. I did not want to put the book down as it is a happy story overall. 

More About #TheNewBookReview Blog The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. 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 and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews or to the guideline tab at the top of the home page of this blog. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's "Authors Helping Authors" service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author, a veteran educator and also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's 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. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

Discussion Questions for U.P. Reader Volume #5 Free PDF Download

Title: U.P. Reader -- Volume #5: Bringing Upper Michigan Literature to the World

Authors: Mikel Classen and Deborah K Frontiera

Publisher: Modern History Press

Publisher Website Address: www.ModernHistoryPress.com

Publisher Email Address: info@ModernHistoryPress.com

ISBN-10: 1615995714

ISBN-13: 978-1615995714

ASIN: B09253976L

Price: $17.95 paperback, $28.95 hardcover, $5.95 Kindle

Page Count: 308 pages

Formats (P.B., H.C., Kindle)

Discussion Questions for U.P. Reader Volume #5 Free PDF Download

Click on this link for your free instant download with the discussion questions. 

This anthology is one of the very best collections I have ever read. It is a satisfying long read including poems, stories, interviews, and writing pieces by young authors. It helps to understand the Yooper culture (Upper Peninsula area of Michigan).  Some of the stories are laugh-out-loud funny. Some stories are so sad you might need a kleenex. It is all highly captivating reading. 

You'll want to grab a pasty and eat some smelt soon after reading. Pasties were the lunch women would make for the miner's on lunch hour as they require only one hand to eat, being like a turnover but with meat and vegetables. Have you ever been smelting? The picture in the book shows a fishing boat, but when the smelt are running a bucket is all that is needed. Run it through the water, easily catch a bunch at once, put the smelt in a container, and get some more. It happens once a year. For some people, it is one of the highlights of the year. 

Lake Superior features prominently in the book which is easily understood as the UP is surrounded by the lake. The UPers refer to the lower Penninsula people as "trolls" as they live under the Mackinac Bridge. This book was written by yoopers, not trolls. Maybe you are one of the fudgies who visit the area for fudge (tourist) -- hey, not a bad idea. 

Discussion Questions

*Note: Only ten stories were selected as I try to keep discussion limited to ten questions. However, book groups will probably have no problem finding much to discuss in all the stories. people will probably want to discuss the interview about a book being made as a movie.

1.        “Your Orbit” by Barbara Bartel – the author is working through writing an obituary and manages to make it humorous. Did you like this writing piece? Could you apprentice yourself to write a similar story? What would you say?

2.       “How to Hunt Fox Squirrels” by Don Bodey -- is another humorous story. What struck you as funny? How do mother squirrels put their children to sleep at night? How does the author suggest a person should go about getting a good squirrel recipe?

3.       “A.S.S. for State Slug” by Larry Buege – is really about what topic? How does Officer Koski end the last protest?

4.       “Matter of Time” by Tricia Carr – seems to be about a senile old woman. Who is scheming against her? How does she get back at the schemers?

5.       “The Lunch Kit” by Deborah K. Frontiera – instead of being snowbirds with their friends in Arizona, a couple begins to care for a child they knew nothing about. How did this happen? How does counseling help? What do they decide to do about schooling?

6.       Pictures throughout the book – which pictures remind you of living in, visiting, or understanding the Upper Peninsula? Have you ever gone smelting? Eaten a pasty? Seen a mine? Watched deer in the woods? What other observations regarding the images would you like to share?

7.        “The Rescue of the L. C. Waldo” by Robert Grede – this story is almost an odyssey as there are so many problems faced by the seaman and those on shore. How did people help? Would telephones have been helpful? Why did some people try to help and not others?

8.       “A Night to Remember” by Charles Hand – have you ever had car trouble on a remote stretch of road? What did the students think was going to happen to them? Gitche Gumee and Big-Sea Waters refer to what? What did you think of the plowing? The resolution? The jailer’s office night policeman forgot to do what?

9.       “Right Judgment” by Tamara Lauder – what did the flowers represent?  

1       “Requiem for Ernie” by Hilton Moore – did you realize people thought polio was catchy? Do you remember anything about the time before polio vaccines? Even now people are being told they maybe had it when they were young. Compare and contrast polio and the coronavirus. 

Carolyn Wilhelm

Wise Owl Factory

More About #TheNewBookReview Blog The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. 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 and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews or to the guideline tab at the top of the home page of this blog. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's "Authors Helping Authors" service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author, a veteran educator and also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's 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. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing