Sarah's Key

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A story told in the present and in 1942; the unifying element is an apartment in Paris. In 1942 the French police, directed by the Nazis, rounded up the Jews from this apartment and from others and sent them to camps. In the present an architect is remodeling the apartment for his wife and daughter. His wife unearths a secret in the apartment that changes their lives.

As the story unfolds, there are no surprises, yet it is not a predictable story. The story does show the cruelty and horror of that period of history and its reverberation into present times. In 1942, Sarah is taken with her family to the Veledrome d'Hiver with thousands of other Jews and hides her brother in a closet expecting to return for him later in the day. Her story of deportation and escape are uncovered in 2002 by Julia who is unexpectedly pregnant at the age of 45. Both stories are expertly interwoven in different voices.

The writing takes the reader in; the message is exposed-we must never forget.


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The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
At times, I said, "I can't believe I am reading all this pretentious philosophy. I can't believe it is a novel!" At other times the story was brilliant. Two hedgehogs, two people who are more than they seem, are hiding their intelligence and beauty. The first is Paloma, a 12-year-old girl who is searching for meaning in her posh, rich life, searching for a reason not to burn her building down; the second is the concierge, the super of Paloma's apartment building in Paris. The building is home not only to to Paloma and her family but to many other characters. Madam Michel, the concierge, has hidden her talents for 50 years, pretending to be dull and ugly because of her fear. Kakuro moves into the building and with patience, brings out the best in these two women.

So I recommend this novel to you with reservations. It is a look at the bougeoise and the proletariat. It is rich with strong characters and at times............. there are too many words.

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Cutting for Stone

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese


My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sometimes, I read a novel and even though I close the book, for a few seconds I am still in the world of the book. It is magical. I just closed the cover of Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese, and I am still in Ethiopia. This is a stunning, multilayer novel.

Co-joined twins are born to a Carmelite nun from India working in a hospital outside of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia during the reign of Hailie Selassie. Their story unfolds like a flower through political intrigue, betrayal, abandonment and great gifts of courage and love. The narrator, Marion Stone, one of the twins, describes his boyhood days in the hospital of his birth, his painful coming of age and his forced exile from Ethiopia.

Though the book is over 500 pages, every passage is beautifully written. The characters are vibrant and the stories weave in and out; medicine, Politics, mystery, humor, strong women, noble men, heroes and villains. It is all there. I find it hard to write about this book without giving away parts of the story, but I will carry the images with me for a long time. Read it and let’s talk about it.

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Am just starting Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. The prologue is intriguing. Till next week then.

Karen

Book of the week

Inspired by Amy,

We sat around the kitchen table this evening drinking tea and cocoa and discussing books. Seems like everyone enjoys talking about what they are reading.

Amy also likes to write. She keeps a blog going. I was impressed! I have tried blogs before but the discipline of writing consistently eludes me. Yet...................I really would like to share book suggestions and ideas with libray patrons. So I will give this another try.

BOOK OF THE WEEK

Just finished reading Time Travelers Wife, by Niffenegger. I give it 5 stars. It is a wonderful character study of two people, Clare who lives time consecutively, and Henry who has "Chrono Displacement Disorder" and disappears from the present while visiting the past or future. There are wonderful twists and turns and perspectives of events. Clare first meets Henry when she is six and he is in his 40s. But he meets her for the first time when he is 28. Then there are times when a six year old Henry meets his 30 year old self and the older Henry teaches the younger how to survive in the world. The voices of Clare and Henry alternate but the writing is clear and for all the flashback and travel scenes, there is no confusion and the story unfolds carefully and tenderly. The love that these characters have for each other makes the story sweet and romantic but not overly sentimental. Definitely a good read.