"Hello. My name is Cecelia Rose Honeycutt, and I live at 831 Tulipwood Avenue. The preacher on the radio said if we opened our hearts and asked, we'd...more"Hello. My name is Cecelia Rose Honeycutt, and I live at 831 Tulipwood Avenue. The preacher on the radio said if we opened our hearts and asked, we'd be saved. He said it was that simple. So I'm asking, will you please save Momma? Something's wrong with her mind and it's getting worse every day. And while you're at it, will you save me too? There's nothing wrong with my mind, but I sure could use some help down here. I'll do anything you say. Thank you. Amen."
This is a story about a girl who is grieving the loss of her mother, the loss of her father, and the loss of her childhood. Luckily she finds herself surrounded by a bouquet of old southern ladies who are ready to save her in their own crazy ways. (less)
Never have I read a more scathing report of the irresponsibility of the British legal system - or legal systems in general. I think this should be a t...moreNever have I read a more scathing report of the irresponsibility of the British legal system - or legal systems in general. I think this should be a text for all ethics courses in law school.
I'm glad that I read it. I'm glad that I'm done reading it. I really enjoyed getting to know Boythorn, Woodcourt, George and Mr. Jarndyce. I feel Esther lacks gumption (which is kind of a big thing). And, while Mr. Tulkinghorn was a well devised villian, Mr. Skimpole and Mr. Vholes were, in my view, equally as villianous.
Let me assure you that Dickens observed every single use of the comma. Though, that is true for all good literature of the time. So, I digress.
The main issue that I take with this novel, besides all the commas, is that most of the characters seem to embody one character trait which not only clearly defined them but also crowded out any other character trait that may have offered complexity. Jarndyce was nothing but goodness and philanthropy. Esther was nothing but selfless. Boythorn was nothing but superlative. Skimpole was nothing other than entitled. Ada was nothing but loving. Richard was nothing but gullible. And so on and so forth. (less)
This book, I will read again. And, next time I will make a flow chart! Daring Greatly has the ins and outs of human emotions that help us to be succes...moreThis book, I will read again. And, next time I will make a flow chart! Daring Greatly has the ins and outs of human emotions that help us to be successful or stop us from daring greatly. It is not a book that I would have ever picked up on my own, so I owe thanks to Kate Bradford for picking it as a book club title.
Brene Brown is a great writer who knows how to speak my language... referencing Harry Potter and Gremlins to help me understand the complexities of vulnerability and shame. That is a little bit awesome. (less)
In preparation for our trip to Cambodia and the Killing Fields near Phnom Penh I read three books: In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner, First...moreIn preparation for our trip to Cambodia and the Killing Fields near Phnom Penh I read three books: In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner, First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung, and When Glass Floats by Chanrithy Him. Each of the three books was about a young girl who, with their families, suffered under the Khmer Rouge communist regime and their genocide campaign.
The Khmer Rouge took control of Phnom Penh, its last obstacle to ruling all of Cambodia, on April 17th, 1975. They turned the cities into ghost towns, evacuating or killing the city dwellers and forcing their populations into the countryside. They abolished schools and universities. They nullified markets and the monetary system, making them all destitute. And systematically executed all those in the former government and military, the teachers, the doctors, the religious leaders, and any they viewed as intellectuals...sometimes just because they wore glasses. All this was done to satisfy Pol Pot's dream of turning Cambodia into an agrarian state isolated from Western influence. But, this was just the beginning of the Khmer Rouge atrocities. When the country was liberated from the regime in January of 1979, an estimated 2 million Cambodians had suffered death under the regime. Almost an entire nation was orphaned.
Both First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung and When Glass Floats by Chanrithy Him are autobiographical whereas In the Shadow of the Banyan is a novel, though based on the author's experiences. If you are only going to read one of these three books, I recommend reading First They Killed My Father for its scope. However, I do still recommend reading this book as well. Thy's (short for Chanrithy) story of war starts 6 years before the other two stories - in 1969 - where we get a glimpse of how the competing agendas of the US government and the Chinese government played a role in the rise of the Khmer regime and a Cambodian nation at war before the beginning of the genocide. And, though it is a story that relates to Loung Ung's story it also adds depth of understanding that is not offered if you only read one book. In this book you also find the truth that not all the Khmer Rouge were evil, but they themselves were trying to survive.
"As I stare at these Khmer Rouge, Uncle Seng's last words replay in my mind: The Khmer Rouge are my first enemy. I won't stay to see their faces. This is the delicious power of the mind - they can't stop me from my silent thoughts. They can't interrogate my memories."(less)
In preparation for our trip to Cambodia and the Killing Fields near Phnom Penh I read three books: In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner, First...moreIn preparation for our trip to Cambodia and the Killing Fields near Phnom Penh I read three books: In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner, First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung, and When Glass Floats by Chanrithy Him. Each of the three books was about a young girl who, with their families, suffered under the Khmer Rouge communist regime and their genocide campaign.
The Khmer Rouge took control of Phnom Penh, its last obstacle to ruling all of Cambodia, on April 17th, 1975. They turned the cities into ghost towns, evacuating or killing the city dwellers and forcing their populations into the countryside. They nullified the monetary system, making them all destitute. And systematically executed all those in the former government and military, the teachers, the doctors, the religious leaders, and any they viewed as intellectuals...sometimes just because they wore glasses. All this was done to satisfy Pol Pot's dream of turning Cambodia into an agrarian state isolated from Western influence. But, this was just the beginning of the Khmer Rouge atrocities. When the country was liberated from the regime in January of 1979, an estimated 2 million Cambodians had suffered death under the regime. Almost an entire nation was orphaned.
Both First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung and When Glass Floats by Chanrithy Him are autobiographical. In the Shadow of the Banyan was such a different reading experience from the other two because it was a novel steeped in poetic prose. The protagonist, Raami, is still based on the author and Raami's struggles mirror the struggles of Ratner but the novel format allowed Ratner to tell her story in a much different voice.
"Words, you see," he said, looking at me again, "allow us to make permanent what is essentially transient. Turn a world filled with injustice and hurt into a place that is beautiful and lyrical. Even if only on paper." (pg 106)
"I told you stories to give you wings, Raami, so that you would never be trapped by anything - your name, your title, the limits of your body, this world's suffering." (pg 134)
If you are only going to read one of the three, I'd honestly read First They Killed My Father, but if you are going to read two or all three, I'd recommend reading this novel first. It is filled with Cambodian tradition and stories that will give you a sense of the spirit of this people before humanity was taken from them. Through this coming of age story, Raami was able to see the violence and suffering around her without losing her ability to find the words that would give her wings. (less)
In preparation for our trip to Cambodia and the Killing Fields near Phnom Penh I read three books: In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner, First...moreIn preparation for our trip to Cambodia and the Killing Fields near Phnom Penh I read three books: In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner, First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung, and When Glass Floats by Chanrithy Him. Each of the three books was about a young girl who, with their families, suffered under the Khmer Rouge communist regime and their genocide campaign.
The Khmer Rouge took control of Phnom Penh, its last obstacle to ruling all of Cambodia, on April 17th, 1975. They turned the cities into ghost towns, evacuating or killing the city dwellers and forcing their populations into the countryside. They abolished schools and universities. They nullified markets and the monetary system, making them all destitute. And systematically executed all those in the former government and military, the teachers, the doctors, the religious leaders, and any they viewed as intellectuals...sometimes just because they wore glasses. All this was done to satisfy Pol Pot's dream of turning Cambodia into an agrarian state isolated from Western influence. But, this was just the beginning of the Khmer Rouge atrocities. When the country was liberated from the regime in January of 1979, an estimated 2 million Cambodians had suffered death under the regime. Almost an entire nation was orphaned.
Both First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung and When Glass Floats by Chanrithy Him are autobiographical whereas In the Shadow of the Banyan is a novel, though based on the author's experiences. If you are only going to read one of these three books, I recommend reading First They Killed My Father. Just like the title suggests, it is completely honest in its telling. I feel grateful for the blunt voice of Loung and for her willingness to share her experience. And, though When Glass Floats also has a matter of fact narration, I think that this book has a greater scope of the Cambodian experience than does the latter. Also, Loung is a girl with vivid imagination and possesses wells of strength. She is a joy to know.
"He says the Khmer Rouge government views science, technology, and anything mechanical an evil and therefore must be destroyed. The Angkar [the regime "Organization"] says the ownership of cars and electronics such as watches, clocks, and televisions created a deep class division between the rich and the poor. This allowed the urban rich to flaunt their wealth while the rural poor struggled to feed and clothe their families. These devices have been imported from foreign countries and thus are contaminated. Imports are defined as evil because they allowed foreign countries a way to invade Cambodia, not just physically but also culturally. So now these goods are abolished. Only trucks are allowed to operate, to relocate people and carry weapons to silence any voices of dissent against the Angkar. (pp 57) (less)
Loading...
