Fleeting Memory by Sherban Young

This book was a nice change of pace from the more somber subject matter of last week’s read. This is the second book by Sherban Young that I’ve read and so far both have proven to be good books to turn to when you just want to read for fun.

The novel opens when our protagonist awakens to find a beautiful blonde at his door. The mysterious lady can’t remember who she is or how she got there. As our protagonist attempts to comfort her, he has the disturbing realization that he can’t remember a thing about himself either. The blonde, thinking he is making fun of her, leaves in a huff. He unsuccessfully chases after her and returns to his cabin to find a small dog and a dying man.

Not long after, the dog’s owner, Enescu Fleet, arrives on the scene. Fleet is a retired detective and can’t help but be intrigued by our John Doe. Soon enough, our protagonist finds that Fleet is his only ally in a world he can’t remember.

As the novel progresses, we gain tiny bits and clues as to the mysterious man, blonde, and of course, dead body. Finally, in a manner mirroring Poirot, the suspects are gathered together and all is revealed.

Overall Impression: The author’s narrative style is full of humor and his protagonist tends to make good-natured fun of himself. The book relied less on slapstick humor than some of the author’s previous work and instead had a more carefully developed plot line. Overall it was a light-hearted and enjoyable read.

Critique:

• While we get to know Fleet and the protagonist pretty well, it would have been nice to have a few more well-developed characters

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

I had some trepidation about reading this book because I’ve struggled with this author before. His writing style tends to lean toward more of a stream of consciousness feel which really isn’t my taste. That being said, I was hooked on this book after about two chapters.

The story centers around Oskar Schell, a bright, imaginative little boy who lost his father on September 11th. The novel opens as Oskar and his family are on the way to his father’s funeral, and Oskar is spending his time talking with the limousine driver about anything and everything and trying not to think about the empty coffin they are about to bury. Later in the book, Oskar discovers a mysterious key with the name Black written on it among his father’s things. Oskar makes it his life’s purpose to unravel the mystery of the key and solve this final riddle from his father.

In the meantime, we receive glimpses into the past of Oskar’s family. We learn about his grandmother’s childhood and the tragedy she witnessed before coming to America. We also discover how she and his grandfather met, why his grandfather left, and his grandparents’ struggle to build a life. In time, the author also reveals the full truth of what Oskar experienced the day his father died, and we follow Oskar as he struggles to keep living after losing such a huge part of his life.

Overall Impression: It took me a few chapters to get used to the book’s style, but it was well worth it. Oskar is creative and funny, and his grief is honest and heartbreakingly innocent as he tries to make sense of a world without his father. While the book is full of sad themes, Oskar has an energy about him that keeps the book from becoming too overwhelmingly sad.

Critique:

• The writing style still isn’t really to my taste. Happily, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story, but I did find it distracting at times.

• The author used illustrations in parts of the book. To me, the illustrations felt more like interruptions than enhancements to the story, but some readers may enjoy this creative addition.

Little Bee by Chris Cleave

I’ve had a run of good books lately and am feeling rather spoiled by my reading material. Little Bee is well written and its title character has a voice and spirit that will easily capture even a reluctant reader. However, don’t be fooled by its seemingly light-hearted title, Little Bee takes a grim look at the reality of a refugee who lacks the paperwork to gain legal status. It also challenges readers to examine what they would sacrifice to save a life.

The story opens just as Little Bee is about to be released from an immigration detention center in England. She has been in the center for two years and has spent her time learning to speak the Queen’s English perfectly because she’s heard that to survive you have to either be very pretty or speak beautifully. On the day of her release, she is left hoping her mastery of the language will be her saving grace.

Little Bee knows only two people in all of England, Andrew and Sarah, a married couple she met once on a beach in Nigeria. Since she has Andrew’s business card and driver’s license, she calls him to let him know she is coming. A few days later, when Sarah opens the door to find Little Bee, it is also the same day as Andrew’s funeral. Sarah spends the next few weeks in a haze, trying to reconcile the past she and Andrew share with Little Bee, her young son’s grief over losing his father, and her inability to properly grieve for her husband.

Overall Impression: The story handles grievous subject matter with grace and a sort of undeniable joy in spite of grave circumstances. The narration moves back and forth between Little Bee and Sarah in a way that is clear and that adds to the story by showing two dramatically different perspectives. The sections told by Little Bee are beautifully done, I found myself highlighting passages just because I enjoyed the phrasing so much.

Critique:

• While I loved the character of Little Bee, she may have been a little too angelic to be real.

Sky of Red Poppies by Zohreh Ghahremani

My only knowledge of Iran before reading this book is that which I gained from the Persepolis graphic novels. Everything else I know about the country is just from browsing through news headlines. Long story short, I don’t know much about the country. Part of why I love reading is the opportunity to learn. Granted, reading one novel is never going to make you an expert on another culture, but it is, at the very least, a start.

This novel is set in Iran when the Shah was still in power. However, unrest among the population is beginning to grow, and the Shah is using a secret police force to try to silence any voices that may raise opposition. The novel centers around Roya, a girl who is high school aged and comes from a wealthy family. Roya is just reaching the age where she is beginning to question the unyielding obedience to the Shah and her family that she has followed all of her life. While in school, she becomes dear friends with Shireen, a headstrong girl who will sacrifice everything for the cause of freedom.

As the girls grow into women, they see the country change. The Shah’s secret police, once seemingly a far off entity, are everywhere and friends, loved ones, and neighbors start to disappear with little explanation. Roya finds herself torn between the desire to stand for the cause she believes in and to remain loyal to the safety of her family. Though she attempts to avoid becoming entangled, she inevitably discovers that she cannot ignore or hide from what is happening.

Overall Impression: I think the author did an excellent job in the character of Roya. The way Roya responds to the changes surrounding her seemed very true to life. She is a character you can sympathize with, even in her weak and hesitating moments.

I was also impressed with the way the author portrayed the gradual way the tensions in the country began to escalate. A revolution is not born overnight, it has to simmer for a while. The author captured the frightening way that the government slowly began to try harder and harder to scare the people into submission.

Critique

• While Roya is a very relatable character, it was harder to connect with the other characters in the book.

• This is a heavy subject matter and the book is full of sorrow. I think it is well worth the read, but just be aware that there is a sense of heaviness that will follow you after you are done.