Book Review - Americanah & Crossing the Lines

Sometimes no matter how much we plan, things don't go as expected. In the midst of planning a wedding which by the way is going well, we've had some unexpected turn of events all related to our health. My husband has a nagging knee injury that required an MRI and my Little One suffered a third-degree burn. And life goes on.
So while working and waiting, I read. I'm reading my Bible and completing a Bible Study but I also read whatever interests me.

One of my newest favorite authors is Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Her most recent novel is Americanah which lived up to all of its positive reviews. Americanah captured all of my senses. I read it with awe not just at the storyline but at the way, the sentences were constructed and thoughts were developed. This is a confident writer who has no problem sharing her world, or her heritage with the reader. It's shared as common knowledge though it is new to many who are reading.
The story of our two protagonists - Ifemelu and Obinze starts off in Nigeria and winds its way through London, various cities on the East Coast of America and then back to Nigeria.
In mainstream culture - one would say they were high school sweethearts whose paths diverged and then they finally come back together. But in the Nigerian and African American cultures, this is so much more colorful. There are cultural norms associated with immigrating and then returning home - hence the name Americanah - a Nigerian slang term for someone returning from America pronounced with a heavy emphasis on the last syllable.
There's the plight of being undocumented while trying to maintain your dignity and make a living. There's getting to know others who are not like you and falling in love. There is losing yourself in love, yet trying to find out who you really are. There's a discovery of your race and what it means in other countries outside of your own; discovering you weren't black until you came to America. Then there's coming home and how it makes you feel whole again.
Through the eyes of Ifemelu and Obinze, we experience all of these things while we receive a sociology lesson on various cultures. This is pleasurable reading.

Then recently I read Crossing the Lines: A Novel by Richard Doster. This book caught me by surprise in a good way. I don't know why I downloaded it to my Kindle but I'm glad I did. Have you ever thought about the Civil Rights movement through the eyes of a white sports reporter who really loves the South but hates its portrayal to the entire world, while figuring out where he fits and how he feels based on his Christian faith? Those are the intersections that are explored in this book in a believable and entertaining fashion.

As a sports reporter, Josh Hall takes a stand on the integration of baseball and his family suffers for it. As they attempt to rebuild, he is presented with new professional opportunities that have him interviewing leaders of the Civil Rights Movement - Martin Luther King, in Montgomery Alabama and Arkansas. The book humanizes the bus boycott and the integration of Central High. While all of this is happening, we are also introduced to the genius behind the musicians B.B. King and Elvis Presley. We see how race impacted the music of the times and how we came to have the Blues and Rock and Roll.
The book is set in Atlanta, in a suburb, where Hall's local church also struggles with how to deal with integration. The struggle is for the "Beloved Community" that MLK envisioned and the one vs the exclusionary status quo.
This book is a lesson on race in America, with some of the ugliness removed.





--Nylse

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Book Review - Purple Hibiscus

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was her debut novel. I had heard this author's name and wanted to read her works but when I saw the eloquent tribute she left to Michelle Obama, I knew I had to delve into her work.


Purple Hibiscus is a story of zeal based on the Catholic religion. Zeal can be good or bad; in the case of Purple Hibiscus, it is horribly bad. In the name of Catholicism, the family is abused - physically and verbally by its leader - their father and husband. He is fanatically religious and a tyrant at home.It is the tale of domestic and spousal abuse in the name of religion, set in upper-class Nigeria.


A purple hibiscus is a hybrid and is rare - perhaps the elements around this tale are rare also as I never expected such brutality in this setting, and the trajectory of the story is unexpected.
But the hibiscus is also beautiful - so in spite of the abuse, there is a beautiful story that is told around family connection. The family yearns to be free from this tyranny and like the hibiscus, they eventually bloom and are free. But the road to freedom is heartbreaking.


After reading this book, I am more knowledgeable about Nigeria - its customs, its foods, and some of its traditions. The author has a gift for making the story come to life while searing your soul.

Book Review - Water For Elephants

I've returned with a vengeance to reading on a regular basis as it's enjoyable and provides a great escape. I was at the library, looking for one book and ended up leaving with five and Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen was one of them. I had no intention of picking this up initially but it was in the "Book Club" section; I've always wanted to be a member of a book club. I thought if this was selected for a book club which meant it produced great discussion, then it was good enough for me.

This book did not disappoint. Essentially it's a book about animals while working at a circus. This was a whole new world for me, but the story is told from the point of Jacob Jankowski who is now 93 in an assisted living facility. After a traumatic life event at 23, he finds himself at the circus while trying to find himself. So from this vantage point, it is understandable as the character and the reader learn the ways of the circus. It's also a story about animal behavior. Rosie the Elephant is almost human in how she is portrayed and it isn't a stretch to imagine her feelings dealing with the ringmaster and others. This is a well-written story with well-defined characters set in post-depression America.

But ultimately this is a story of love, that encompasses domestic violence, poverty, and animal rights; and finding yourself while being thrown into unexpected circumstances.
If you're an animal lover - the story line will appeal to you. Even if you're not, the overriding story reinforces that love always wins.

International Literacy Day

Important information on behalf of Grammarly. I do believe that Reading is Fundamental so I don't mind sharing. After all, how will you learn if you cannot read?

New Muscles

My life is very interesting in a non-interesting sort of way. When I was 20, I never imagined that I would live the life I now live. For example, I had no idea I'd be on the west coast, that I'd be trying to realize a dream of being a writer, and that I could dig deeper in to God's Word.  Digging deeper in to God's word is a result of knowing that it's good for me, but also because life throws curve balls.  A curve ball represents a significant deviation from a prescribed path. The only way I know how to handle curve balls with any degree of success is with God and His Word.

I've started running on a more consistent basis this year and noticed that I've developed some new muscles - I like this and will continue to run.  In a similar vein, I've attempted to spend more time reading and meditating on God's Word and I've noticed that new muscles are being developed:

• Pray - It becomes easier to pray when you spend time with God.
• Trust - I've learned to worry less, believe it or not. This leads to having a calmer demeanor, because so many things are out of my control.
• Grace - Since I'm a recipient of Gods grace, in my daily life I try to extend this grace to those I come in contact with.
• Mercy - We all need mercy, especially when it's least expected.
• Empathy - I understand many things intellectually, but having not walked in someone's shoes does not mean I can't empathize with their circumstances. With God's help this becomes easier over time.
• Self Control - This one is hard for me; but God usually brings a verse or thought to my mind that stops me from saying or doing what I want. Yet some things have to be said - but I have not mastered the art of tact yet - a muscle waiting to be developed.
• Acceptance - Of myself, my talents, my features. God did not make any mistakes when He made me.
• Contentment - This one is tricky; we're all striving to be at the next level. To be content is to be satisfied with what you have right now;  to stop striving (temporarily) and instead to be grateful.

These are just some of the muscles that I've noticed, and I'm sure there's more. The thing about muscles is that they are part of our bodies but if we don't use them they are not developed. In a similar vein, we all have the capacity to exhibit new muscles but they will only show if we take the time to develop them.

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. Romans 15:4

What new muscles are you developing? Are you stagnant, saturated or growing?

Commercials

On my daily commute, I listen to Christian talk radio. Between shows, there are always these commercials that have nothing to do with Christianity; they usually sound like someone trying to promote their business to the Christian demographic (whatever that is). I hear these commercials so much, they become ingrained on my brain. The same thing happens when I watch TV.

So recently, a friend needed a ride to the airport and I was unable to accommodate her- but because I had recently viewed many commercials for a shuttle service to the airport at a great price, I suggested it to her, though I had never used the service myself. Turns out, the service was great and it lived up to what was portrayed.

What's my point? If we read the Bible with the same frequency as we listen to and watch commercials, we will be surprised at what comes to our brains and our mouths when we need it. Sometimes we may not even know that what we are saying is coming from the Bible, but because it is in us, it comes out. Because its coming from the Bible, it will be edifying, useful, and make you appear wise. If its spirit breathed it will also be the right application for the situation. This has happened to me many times,and when I take time to reflect, I realize that expression/thought/saying came straight from the Bible.

The most arcane instance of this was when the phrase "This thing was not done in a corner" came in to my mind. I did not ever remember reading this and I pondered where it came from. But this statement was made by Paul in his defense to King Agrippa and Festus about Jesus, in the book of Acts - it was so simple and powerful. The first time I read the book of Acts, I was a freshman in college and I read this book like it was an action adventure on a NYC subway - it was that good and I couldn't stop reading.

Do not only read the Bible as an intellectual pursuit, read it as a spiritual endeavor. Read it to know God; read it because you love God and have a relationship with him; read it because it can provide direction in every area of your life.

Like those commercials on TV and radio, you never know when words from the Bible will come back to you, but unlike commercials, the words from the Bible will not disappoint.

Dreams of Writing

I love writing. I get an unnamable high when I'm writing, especially if it’s something that I think is inspired. My hands go very fast and my brain can't keep up with my hands. I love the feeling I get as I type what's in my brain. I like writing so much that I don't mind helping my college age students with their essays. In my mind, I'm performing the job of an editor. That's right, my dream job would be a magazine editor - probably an inspirational magazine like Guideposts or a women's magazine dealing with a range of women's issues - spirituality, sexuality, roles in society, raising children, what happens when our children aren't what we think they should be; and then fun stuff like hair, makeup and fashion. I could even be an editor of a technical magazine since by day I'm a Technical Writer.

My other aspiration is to be a devotional writer. For many years I have read Our Daily Bread and as I've grown and matured, I've felt that God has given me insight that would be beneficial to others.

I see how God is working in all of this - after all He made and wired me and gave me the gifts. Since I was young, I've wanted to be a writer. I used to say "I want to be an author,” since reading and writing go together like a hand and glove. I read because I love a great story, I'm intrigued by the author's mind, and I like to see how words and thoughts come together. I love when I'm reading a book and there comes a point in the middle of the book where I can see how the title came to be. For example - in Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston the narrator notes as the storm is wreaking havoc around them (the main characters), "They sat in company with the others . . . They seemed to be staring at the dark, but their eyes were watching God." I love it when it all comes together!!!

I digress; so I'm living part of my dream - a technical writer by day, and a blogger in my spare time.
Keep on dreaming - you never know where your dreams will take you.