Sarah's Key (6/30)

Sarah's Key
-Tatiana De Rosnay

This was a book that I had passed several times before I actually picked it up to see what it was about. It centers around the Vel'd'Hiv' round up of Jews in Paris on July 16, 1942. Sarah is awoken in the early hours of the morning by the French Police pounding on her apartment door. She is eleven years old. It is just her, her four year old brother and her mother as her father has gone into hiding. The police tell them to pack a bag and to come with them. Her brother hides in a secret cupboard and Sarah locks him in, thinking she'll be back soon to let him out. Her father comes out of hiding to so the family can stay together. With more than 13,000 Jews, Sarah and her family are packed into the Velodrome d'Hiver stadium for several days without food or water. Those that survived were then shipped to Drancy internment camp outside of Paris. There the men were immediately sent to Auschwitz. The mothers and children were later separated - the children left in Drancy to fend for themselves. The children were then shipped to Auschwitz and immediately sent to the gas chambers. Sarah manages to escape from Drancy and is taken in by an elderly couple on a farm in Orleans.

The driving character of the story is Sarah but you actually don't spend much of the narrative specifically on her story but rather how her experience during WWII changes the life of Julie Jarmond, an American Journalist living in Paris sixty years later. Julie has a unique connection to Sarah and her family that she is completely unaware of until she is assigned a story of the anniversary of the Vel' d'Hiv' Roundup. Sarah's story is absolutely tragic as are most Holocaust survivor stories but it's how Sarah's life and the mystery of her life affect Julia and her family that is interesting. Julia is completely changed by what she learns about the round up and Sarah specifically and it sends her life on a completely different trajectory. It's as if de Rosnay is saying that no one who truly understand the horror, despair and tragedy of the Roundup could ever possibly be the same again.

De Rosnay uses the uncertainty and mystery surrounding Sarah as a beautiful and tragic metaphor for the thousands of nameless Jewish children that were rounded up that night, separated from their families and later shipped to Auschwitz and immediately sent to the gas chambers. No one knew who Sarah was - not even her husband or son. She died crippled under the knowledge that her parents were killed in Auschwitz and her younger brother starved to death in Paris. When her son finally discovers the truth about his mother and his heritage, he, just like Julia, is completely changed.

It was wonderfully written and beautiful in it's tragedy.

Literary Rut (5/30)

I confess. I have been in a literary rut of late. I have gotten more than half way through Les Miserables and I just hit the proverbial brick wall. I couldn't bring myself to read more. Instead I went on a bad/cheesy/horrible chick lit spree. Yes, I know. It's shocking and disturbing. They were light, fun (sometimes), easy to read and best of all required absolutely no brain power. I finished several books in a matter of days. After reaching my fill of contrived plots and overly dramatic romantic climaxes, I tried to read something a little more stimulating. Animal Farm, The Secret Life of Bees, Me and Orson Wells....all to no avail. The stack of approximately ten books on my night stand in varying stages of readness (yes, I said readness) will testify to the literary stupor that has held me captive of late. I searched in vain for the book to break the spell. I spent far too much money at Barnes and Noble but still could not find the book that could capture my attention as well as engage the mind. It wasn't until I perused my bookshelves late at night in search of something that would catch my attention.

Lo and behold, there it was - hiding on a double-stacked shelf, out of site. Could it be that I have never actually read this book? I've had it for well over a year...the receipt inside can testify to that. Really? Never? I immediately crawled into bed and rejoiced in the delicious sound of a new book spine being broken, the smell of ink and paper inviting me into a new adventure. Let it be know that my Literary Rut has ended all thanks to Cokie Roberts and her book...

Founding Mothers: The Women who raised our nation.

As you can probably tell this book is about the women behind the men known as the Founding Fathers of our nation. Abigail Adams, Martha Washington, Betsy Ross, Dolley Madison and Mercy Otis Warren just to name a few. Roberts thoroughly explores the maxim - behind every great man is an even greater woman. By using excerpts of letters to each other, family members and their husbands, Cokie is able to paint a portrait of vivacious, intelligent, caring, ardent patriots that made the work of their more famous husbands possible. At one point Cokie states that if it hadn't been for their husbands, history would have forgotten or never known these women. Her point being, they didn't do anything out of the ordinary for their time and yet their lives were extraordinary. In a time when women were not expected to do much of anything by societal norms, these women and hundreds - thousands of women like them - defended their homes from the British, ran business, plantations/farms, supported the Revolution in spirit and physically in the form of donations of money, time, supplies and on more than one occasion by joining in the fighting. My favorite person is by far Abigail Adams. As her husband was off signing the Declaration of Independence, in Paris working on the peace treaty, being Vice President and then President, she kept the home fires burning. She managed their financial matters and often advised her husband on political matters. She often understood the political climate and events better than her husband (the President) and could predict quite reliably what would happen. She wasn't afraid to tell her husband what she thought and let him know she was upset with him. On more than one occasion in letters to anyone who would listen, Washington, Jefferson, Madison, her husband, she advocated the education and equality of women. She was feisty, independent and deeply loved her country and her husband.

If you have any interest at all in women's history or even early American history this book is a must read. Cokie's style of writing is easy to read and entertaining. It's more like talking to a good friend who happens to know quite a bit about early Revolutionary women.


PS. I didn't just arbitrarily skip to (5/30). I did read The Sari Shop Widow (3/30) and O, Juliet (4/30) but I am not going to review them as I didn't like or dislike them enough to make it worth the effort.

Viva!

Reason #86 why my roommate rocks...

Our Saturday morning conversation went something like this...

Me: Man, I really need a vacation.

Lisa: I know - me too.

Me: I think we should take a roadtrip...soon...before I start school.

Lisa: Well, I don't have anything to do next week....

Me:.....wanna go somewhere?

Lisa: Sure, why not.

The next couple of hours we looked at different options. Flying to California, taking the train to San Fransisco, Denver, flights to Boston, New York. Even looking at last minute cruise deals. We considered St. George - it's close and there's a possible free place to stay. But we decided on the city that never sleeps...Vegas. Lisa's cousin hooked us up with a major sweet deal on a nice hotel right off the strip. We're toying with the idea of renting a car (my car isn't that comfortable on long trips) and possibly going to see Lion King while we're there. We'll do a little shopping, touristy sight seeing and pool lounging...possibly. It's supposed to be low 60's and our hotel has a heated outdoor pool.

Yeah...I know. My roommate rocks.

Hallelujah...and maybe Amen too..

It took me far longer than I anticipated, hoped, planned for but I am finally going back to school. I found out on Saturday morning that I was accepted into Westminster's MAT in Secondary Education program. Do you hear that....? That, right there....that noise you hear? It's a choir of angels singing the Hallelujah Chorus. I cannot tell you how great it feels to actually be moving forward. I've been talking about it for almost 4 years (yes, it has actually been almost 4 years since I graduated, what of it??) now but it's actually happening. I was so excited I couldn't stop smiling to myself most of Saturday. I've been in a pretty good mood since (except for the fact that I've been dead tired too...eh, we can't win them all, can we?). This may sound a little melodramatic (but it's me, remember) but I feel like me again. School is what I do. It's what I'm good at so to be repeatedly denied and uncertain and un-studenty (yes, that's a word) took a toll on me. I didn't even realize how much until I heard that I got in. It was like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Turns out I am not an utter and complete failure at life. It's nice. I have a purpose, a direction. There is a specific goal in sight. I'm working towards something quantifiable. It's rather exhilarating.

Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart (Don't judge 2/30)

Mr. Darcy broke my heart - Beth Pattillo

I've been reading Les Miserables and really enjoying it but my dear friend Victor can be a bit on the heavy side. So when I went into Barnes and Noble last weekend I wanted something light and fun that I could get through quickly without the urge to mark passages and make notes in the margins. I was perusing the new fiction table and I noticed this book because of the cover. There is a woman in a pretty red dress...what can I say, I like pretty dresses!

I read the back and the first few pages and was intrigued. Now, here comes the disclaimer - even though I really hate to have to put one, I know I need to. I wrote my undergraduate thesis on modern representations of Jane Austen and actually devoted an entire chapter to Chick Lit - a term that just rubs me the wrong way. It irritates me that it's an actual literary term but so it is. What was I saying...ah yes...thesis. I was looking at how Austen has been used and maybe abused by authors today in a myriad of different ways. It's interesting to see that what is being said usually says more about the person saying it than Austen herself. It's something that still interests me a great deal so when I see a book that has anything to do with Austen I take a look. I've read it all. Continuations of Austen's novels, retellings and works "inspired" by Austen's novels. Some are quite entertaining and others are glorified fan-fiction with sex, duels and heaving bosoms. But I digress...

Pattillo actually surprised me with this story. What could have been more of the same - glorified fan fiction and heaving bosoms intrigued me. It takes place in one week while the main character, Claire, is attending a summer seminar at Oxford on Jane Austen. Claire has recently lost her job, she has a boyfriend that is less than enthusiastic, her parents died when she was 18 and she has been taking care of her younger sister ever since. While there she just happens to meet an old woman who just happens to be a direct descendant of Austen through one of Austen's brothers. And this woman just happens to have the lost manuscript of First Impressions - what would later become Pride & Prejudice.The plot is ridiculous but it's just what keeps the characters moving. Claire, of course, meets a good looking, mysterious man while there but it's not what you think it would be.

Pattillo does something that I haven't encountered with other Austen spin offs. She uses the larger than life character of Mr. Darcy as a vehicle for self discovery for her heroine. The story isn't really about Claire's love life or who she will or won't end up with. It's about her finally coming to terms with her parent's death and letting go of her little sister. It's not the best novel I've ever read but I was pleasantly surprised with it. The sections that took place in the classroom were fun for me because it reminded me of my own Austen Seminar Senior year. This definitely isn't a book for everyone but it was a good antidote to Hugo and his heavy handed metaphors and suffering.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde - see the musical (1/30)

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

I think most of us are at least familiar with the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. There are movies, TV shows and even a Broadway musical based on the story. In fact, it was the musical that made me want to read the original source material (it's good!). I went to my local Barnes and Noble and got it for about $8 (I love the B&N Classics Series). Excitedly I sat down to read, looking forward to the suspense, mystery. Murder! Mistaken Identities! Good vs. Evil! A real page turner, right? Hm...not so much. It's not a full novel but rather a short novella...about 60 or so pages. I got to the very end where Dr. Jekyll explains what he did and I didn't even want to read it. I wasn't attached to the characters, I didn't care what happened to them or what Jekyll's reasons/motivations where. I just did.not.care. If you're looking for an exciting story with a little mystery, don't bother. However, if you're looking for a story that kind of sort of looks at Victorian morals, this may be the story but probably not.

Look, there goes another lemming...

I wasn't going to do a New Year's post and I wasn't going to list my "New Years Resolutions". Mostly because I think New Years Resolutions are kind of cheesy and silly. If you're going to work on something and set goals, then why do you have to wait until January 1st to start? If it's important enough, you should start working on it right away, no matter what the date, right? Well, in theory yes that's true. But the truth is people (myself included) need a little kick in the pants. It can be difficult to actually get started on your goals and if a certain date helps you to get started then who am I to judge, right? I guess I don't like "Resolutions" because it's almost expected that you're going to fail and you'll do really well for the first couple of weeks but then you give up. But, I digress...that's a tirade for another post.

Instead of listing 'resolutions' I am going to list things that I want to do/accomplish in 2010. Isn't that the same thing, you ask? No. It's not...simply because I say so.

Just go with it...

1. Physically fit - cliche, a little but I don't really care. I'm not saying 'lose weight' because that involves a whole steamer trunk of baggage associated with dieting and all that. But I do want to be healthy. So I don't really have a target weight or a dress size in mind. I'm also not doing this for the boys...because honestly, I don't think that will change all that much.

2. Financial Responsibility - It's just me. I have no one else that is dependent upon me to be financially responsible. So if I spend a little too much on a new outfit or maybe an adorable pair of shoes (ahem) I'm the only one that has to deal with the fallout. I think that's part of why I haven't been better about my spending habits. I'm not saying that I run up a balance on the credit card or I'm constantly shopping and spending money. I just don't really think about it that much and that leads to trouble. I'm closer the 30 than 20...isn't it time that I start being smarter with my money? Save more, spend less.

3. Do fun stuff around town. Including but not limited to...
3a. Three Musketeers at Hale (Draper)
3b The Scarlet Pimpernel at Hale (Orem)
3c Michael Buble Concert
3d UMFA

4. Music. This is kind of a blanket goal. I'm still taking voice lessons and I want to take it a little more seriously, meaning actually practice between lessons. Contrary to what I've thought my entire life, I'm not an alto and according to my teacher, I'm not even a Mezzo...I'm a soprano. Who knew?

5. Go Skiing at least 3 or 4 times.

6. Fold and put laundry away instead of letting it sit on the floor of my room all week

7. Read a European History Textbook cover to cover. anyone know where I can get one??

8. Cook more - this will help with both 1 & 2.

9. Learn, memorize & perform Italian aria without making a fool of myself

10. Grad school...please...for the love!!!

11. Learn to knit something other than a scarf

12. pay off piano (so close!)

13. pay off medical bills

14. purge and organize closet - including shoes sniff, sniff

15. Take spontaneous road trip -the spontaneity may debatable seeing as how it's on the list but go with it..

16. Tuacahn - that happens every year anyway, I might as well add it to the list

17. Read 30 books and post reviews

18. Go to a bonfire

19. Host a dinner party

20. Go through photos and order prints, frame said prints and give to subjects of photos and hang on walls.

21. Journal more frequently

22. Read all the books that I have purchased but have yet to actually read

23. Compile family photos/stories into nice little book...this should be an ongoing project

24. fix desk drawer(s) so they actually close & buy screw to put on handle of second drawer

25. replace and/or refurbish night stand


I'm sure I'll come up with more stuff as the year progresses or the need to tweak these listed, but I figure this is a pretty good starting point.