Category: 5 Star Books

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie

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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie: Book CoverFinished audio 9-30-09, rating 5/5, YA, pub. 2007

This is a first person account of Junior, a 14-year-old on the Spokane reservation.  Born with physical problems that have made him a target of bullies, Junior uses his brain and his best friend, Rowdy, to navigate through school.  When he becomes frustrated with what textbooks are being used and hurls one that hits a teacher, he faces his first school disciplinary problem.  Instead of letting Arnold wallow and fail the teacher convinces him he needs to go off the rez to school, one with rich, white kids where he can learn to make his way in the non-Indian world.

Junior is Arnold at his new school and his acceptance by a popular girl leads Arnold to flourish socially as well as academically.  But he still has to go back to the reservation when the school day is over and the people there resent him for trying to become white.  Arnold must learn the fine balance of living between two worlds.  His parents and grandmother are very supportive, but his best friend Rowdy has disowned him.

I cannot say enough good things about this book or hope to do it any sort of justice, but I’ll just say that I adored it and so did my husband.  It was humorous, irreverent, painful, honest and often laugh-out-loud funny.  This book tackles serious issues like alcoholism and death, but also provides hope for Arnold in the form of old friends and new who see something special in him. 

My husband and I listened to the audiobook read by the author and we both agree that this was part of its appeal for us.  Alexie uses his distinctive voice to breathe life into Arnold and it was perfection.  I understand that there are book versions that have illustrations and I might have to buy one of these for my library.  It’s that good.

The Hiding Place, by Corrie ten Boom with John & Elizabeth Sherrill

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Cover ImageFinished 4-28-09, rating 5/5, autobiography, pub. 1971

“Happiness isn’t something that depends on our surroundings, Corrie.  It’s something we make inside ourselves.”

Chapter 3

The ten Boom family was an institution in Haarlem, Holland.  The family had owned the watch shop for over 100 years and the current ten Booms had settled into a comfortable life.  Father, known as one of the finest watch makers in the country, and Mother, with her giving spirit even though her own health was weak, raised 4 children and welcomed two sisters into the tiny house behind and above the shop.  This is a family that knew how to take care of each other. 

By the time the Nazi’s occupied Holland only Corrie, the youngest and author, her sister Betsie and Father were left in the house.  The two oldest children, Nollie and Willem, had families of their own close by.  The ten Booms were faithful Christians, exemplifying the spirit of grace, compassion, and giving.  When the Germans began taking Jews from their small village the ten Booms were appalled.  When the first Jew appeared on their doorstep there was no question that they would take him in.  So, the word was out and more people in need began showing up and the ten Boom family home became the headquarters for the Jewish underground effort. By this time Corrie and Betsie were into their 50’s and Father 80’s.

Corrie and her family had a secret room built in the house, had an illegal telephone and radio, and had to make deals with sympathizers to obtain ration cards and shelter for those needing to hide.  The operation became quite large and it was only a matter of time before they were caught.  First, everyone in the family was rounded up and taken to prison and there they were split up.  After some time both Corrie and Betsie were taken to a camp in Holland and then on to a concentration camp in Germany. 

The one thing that sustained Corrie and her family was their faith in God.  This book is a beautiful tribute to the Christian spirit that they were willing to give and suffer so much in the face of hatred.  Corrie’s words leave an impact and she has much to teach us all about forgiveness, death, and loving your enemies.  I am sure that I will read this book again.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

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The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd

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The Secret Life of Bees by Kidd Monk Kidd: Book CoverFinished 4-2-09, rating 5/5, fiction, pub. 2002

Next to Shakespeare I love Thoreau best.  Mrs. Henry made us read portions of Walden Pond, and afterward I’d had fantasises of going to a private garden where T. Ray would never find me.  I started appreciating Mother Nature, what she’d done with the world.  In my mind she looked like Eleanor Roosevelt.

Chapter 3

It’s 1964 in South Carolina and Lily is a fourteen year old living with her abusive dad and the knowledge that she killed her mother.  All she has of her mother is a photo and a picture of a black Mary with the words Tiburon, South Carolina written on the back.  When she chooses to spring her nanny, Rosaleen, from jail they hitchhike to Tiburon so Lily can find the memory of her mother.  What she finds are three African-American beekeepers that live in a pink house.  The three sisters take  in Lily and Rosaleen.

This novel has been popular for so long, it almost seems silly to to write a review, but I am sometimes silly.  My Mom gave me this book in 2003 and told me I had to read, but I didn’t think it was my type of book.  So, I am silly, a major procrastinator and occasionally wrong.  I absolutely loved this book.

 I thought Lily’s heartbreak over the confusion of her mother’s death and her pain of having T. Ray not love her was touching and real.  I loved her embarrassment over Rosaleen and Rosaleen blossoming in the pink house.  The three sisters were each interesting and August provided Lily with the rock that she needed.  

I didn’t even mind learning about bees and the Black Madonna.  I’m not sure I totally got the ‘religion’ the small group practiced, but it did provide stability for Lily.  And the bees helped her gain confidence.

The book was not only about losing a mother, but racial inequality.  Lily was the only white girl in a house filled with black.  Zach, who worked with the bees, provided Lily with the knowledge that desire is color blind and he was also a friend to lean on.   August, June, and May all accepted her even though it was highly improbable at the time.  I loved Rosaleen’s obsession with registering to vote and the full circle the story provided for her.

This is the best book I’ve read in awhile and I’m happy to have finally read it.  Now I can watch the movie.  Will I be disappointed?

 

Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card

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CD Audiobook CoverFinished listening to 12-21-08, rating 5/5, science fiction, pub. 1985

Ender Wigginis a six year old boy who is chosen for Battle School, after his older two siblings failed to make the cut.  He is sent to  school with other children who are the best of the best, but he is quickly established as the brightest hope.   The alien ‘buggers’ had invaded earth before and it is of vital importance that the International Fleet trains Ender in time to save the world from another attack.  Although he only had six years with his family, he is haunted by loving memories of his sister, Valentine, and fear of his brother, Peter and they affect his performance in both positive and negative ways.

Ender is six when he enters battle school and 11 or 12 at the end of the book.  It is easy to forget his age until his vulnerability shines through in his wanting friends or wanting his teachers to like him and it is at these times that your heart breaks for Ender.  The weight of the earth has been put on his small shoulders and at many times he almost breaks from the pressure.

I loved this book.  It was psychological, political, philosophical and just plain fun.  This book is perfect for all ages.  I listened to the Special 20th Anniversary Edition and it was wonderfully done (Of course it was also 10 1/2 hours, so prepare yourself!).

This is the first in the Ender series.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, by Stephen King

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Cover ImageFinished on 1-22-08, rating 5/5, non-fiction, pub. 2000

My knowledge of Stephen King’s novels is limited.  I’ve read a few, listened to a few more on road trips with my husband, and seen some of the movies.  I usually enjoy them, but I wouldn’t call myself a fan.  So, I was justifiably surprised when I was totally charmed by this book and its author.

The first half of this book is memoir full of stories of his youth and early writing successes.  There were stories of his first sale, for 25 cents to his mother, and his busy adolescence making a statement with his writing.  King moves onto adulthood, marriage, kids, a job he doesn’t enjoy and he doesn’t pull any punches.  This book is told with such honesty that you are drawn into King’s world.  His drug and alcohol abuse could have led to self-pity or delusions of grandeur, but it didn’t.  All of these snapshots of his life are told with rich detail, but with an understanding of just how much to tell.

The second half is devoted to the craft of writing.  Having read much advice from established authors I know there as many ways to write a book as limbs on a tree (King loves simile and metaphor), and King gives his best, unapologetic nuggets of wisdom.  He doesn’t mince words, but they are told with humor and real-life experiences from his own prosperous writing career.  He also delves into what happened when he was hit by a van and was close to death.  The book comes full circle with his telling of the accident.

I loved this book.  I loved the mix of humor, truth, detail, and brevity.  I have been charmed by a horror writer and I’m not ashamed to admit it. 🙂

This is on my Top 100 Nonfiction Books. See the full list here.