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Mel
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Feb 14, 2024 06:01AM
Hi Dvora -- Joe Berger is a friend and old journalist buddy. He read some of my early draft pitch letters of my book and helped sharpen the focus. I would recommend his book to everyone on this chat board.
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Mel wrote: "Hi Dvora -- Joe Berger is a friend and old journalist buddy. He read some of my early draft pitch letters of my book and helped sharpen the focus. I would recommend his book to everyone on this cha..."I just wrote to him! But he didn't respond. I asked (presumptously, I suppose) if he would be interested (or willing) in reading my book, which is similar in topic but very different in substance, for a possible indorsement. I'm just finishing it up now. Oh well. In any case, I mention him in the afterword because he gave me a piece of minor information, but the way I found it and him was serendipitous.
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There seem to be several editions
Displaced Persons: Growing Up American After the Holocaust
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Stacey B wrote: "Thank you to Jewish Book Council for sending me a copy of "The Book of V." by Anna Solomon.
The synopsis of this novel is about showing how women's roles have and have not changed over thousands o..."
That sounds like a very interesting book. I am going to see if my library has it. In fact I just went on Libby and she seems to be having some issues.
The Best Strangers in the World: Stories from a Life Spent ListeningI enjoyed this book but did not find it memorable.
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I enjoyed this book but did not find it memorable."
Hi Rachel,
Hope you are well.
Enjoying the book can be a lot more memorable than closing it before finishing. On the other hand, I always remember when I close a book I cant finish. That annoys me to no end and becomes cemented in my mind.
Vaseem Khan's The Lost Man of Bombay and Navi Yehoshua through the amazing Nach Yomi class with Adina Shmidman. Continuing to listen to Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn, which is simply magnificent.
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Perlie-
Going to check the first one you posted. I heard about it- I read the Malabar Hill first of the series but I know nothing of the Nach Yomi course. Just looked it up.
I know I said this to you, the Daniel Gordis book is outstanding. I recently reread the half I needed. Heard him speak- smart guy.
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Was going to suggest you add it but see Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn is recommended in the Books on Israel discussion in the very 1st comment. no less.
Stacey B wrote: "Rachel wrote: "The Best Strangers in the World: Stories from a Life Spent ListeningI enjoyed this book but did not find it memorable."
Hi Rachel,
Hope you are well.
Enjoying the..."
That is so true about not being able to finish a book. It is very frustrating indeed.
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I am reading Three Minutes in Poland: Discovering a Lost World in a 1938 Family Film by Glenn Kurtz. This is one fabulous book. I'm not yet half-way through, but it didn't take long for me to know I was going to love it. Starting from something so small as the three minutes his grandfather caught on film on a trip to Poland just before the war, Kurtz goes on to find survivors, stories, names to put on faces, and on places. He brings back to life a whole small world that was lost, most importantly he brings back a few of the six million that were murdered and puts names to them and sometimes pieces of their stories.
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Hi Dvora,
Looks like you are fascinated with this book. We always love to hear positive feedback regarding any book, so thank you.
I read the description of the book and it seems this one will have a happy ending even though the stories may be heart-wrenching at times. This is a book I would love to read when the time is right- for me. In the meantime, let us know how you reacted when you finish it.
I recently read Color of Water, by James McBride. I picked it up after reading Heaven and Earth Grocery Store. Both deal deeply with the Jewish American experience. There's a lot to unpack in this book. I posted this review on GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
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Hi Mel,
I just saw your review- Wonderful
Stacey B wrote: "Mel wrote: "I recently read Color of Water, by James McBride. I picked it up after reading Heaven and Earth Grocery Store. Both deal deeply with the Jewish American experience. There's a lot to unp..."Thanks for the great review. I read The Color of Water when it was new. I really enjoyed it. I guess the twining of Mr. McBride's African American and Jewish background gives his interest in these two books poignancy.
Mel wrote: "I recently read Color of Water, by James McBride. I picked it up after reading Heaven and Earth Grocery Store. Both deal deeply with the Jewish American experience. There's a lot to unpack in this..."I read the Heaven and Earth Grocery Store and the discussions on this site have peaked my interest in the Color of Water book. I am going on vacation in a couple of months and this will be one of the books on my phone Kindle app. I'm looking forward to learning more about the author and his mother, and her experiences in Harlem. Thank you Mel for the review.
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It sure does Rachel.
Jan wrote: "Glad you are finding great books to read, Perlie. I looked up your class, and that's impressive!Was going to suggest you add it but see [book:Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn|28693693..."
:-)
I just finished the last chapter. My box of print editions arrived, and I'm planning on making a curriculum for this, over summer break.
Stacey B wrote: "Perlie wrote: "Vaseem Khan's The Lost Man of Bombay and Navi Yehoshua through the amazing Nach Yomi class with Adina Shmidman. Continuing to listen to [book:Israel: A Concise Histor..."I would love to hear him speak. I feel like his book needs an addendum to address October 7th. So much of what he wrote felt like the warnings of a prophet.
Dvora wrote: "I am reading Three Minutes in Poland: Discovering a Lost World in a 1938 Family Film by Glenn Kurtz. This is one fabulous book. I'm not yet half-way through, but it didn't take long for me to know ..."This sounds fascinating. I'm not sure if I'm brave enough to dip in. I try to portion out Holocaust works sparingly. It can be so overwhelming, especially right about now!
Mel wrote: "I recently read Color of Water, by James McBride. I picked it up after reading Heaven and Earth Grocery Store. Both deal deeply with the Jewish American experience. There's a lot to unpack in this..."I *loved* The Color of Water when I read it way back when. I have Heaven and Earth on my to-read list. Maybe over the summer. I want to give it my full attention.
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Perlie,
I hope there will be an opportunity for you to hear him speak.
Check his calendar of events. .
What I'm currently reading:I'm listening to The War of Return: How Western Indulgence of the Palestinian Dream Has Obstructed the Path to Peace. It's interesting, although so far I haven't learned anything new. It's read by the author, who has an interesting accent for an Israeli. She reminds me a bit of my childhood Ivrit teachers, who all spoke English with a quasi-British accent (post-Mandate, I guess?).
I'm reading The Postcard, which I didn't expect to find so absorbing. It's good enough that I will sneak a chapter in here and there when I should be doing other things.
Also falling a little behind in the Nach Yomi class, Book of Judges / Shoftim. Reading Joshua felt like current events. This is a little different, but still very applicable. Just finished the Song of Devorah, and it's fascinating to know that she was a judge and prophet!
Stacey B wrote: "Perlie wrote: "Stacey B wrote: "Perlie wrote: "Vaseem Khan's The Lost Man of Bombay and Navi Yehoshua through the amazing Nach Yomi class with Adina Shmidman. Continuing to listen t..."Thank you! I'll check. I get his daily email and I'm always gobsmacked by how someone can something truly thoughtful every day!
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:)
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I'm listening to The War of Return: How Western Indulgence of the Palestinian Dream Has Obstructed the Path to Peace. It's interesting, although so far I..."
I heard something like the message of that title from one of Ken Stein's Center for Israel Ed zoom guests: that the current destruction in Gaza could make the Palestinians, who know very well who provoked it, say "No more!" and get down to state building. But encouragement from Western ideologues solidifies in them the fantasy that Israel is only there as the project of one empire or another and can be made to fade away under pressure.
Perlie also said, "...I'm reading The Postcard, which I didn't expect to find so absorbing. It's good enough that I will sneak a chapter in here and there when I should be doing other things....."
I have heard how good it is but have continued to be intimidated by its length, because I have so much to read right now. Thank you, Perlie, for that encouraging comment!
Based on a comment by Jan, I finally got around to reading The Nightingale by Kirstin Hannah. Here's a review I just posted on GoodReads:
The Nightingale by Kristin HannahMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Mel Laytner
On a superficial level, The Nightingale is about two French sisters living through the Nazi occupation of France during World War II. It is a sweeping saga that spans the war years: the shock of defeat of the French army, the ignominious collaboration of French authorities in the deportation of Jews, the spiraling Nazi violence, the deepening hunger and dire straits of the local population as war drags on, year after year.
The sisters are pretty much estranged. The elder is traditional, sensitive, gentle, dependent on her husband for emotional and psychological support. The younger, an outspoken firebrand, falls in and out trouble, gets expelled from school after school. Remorse isn't in her vocabulary; going along to get along is not in her DNA.
Their radically different sensitivities, personalities, and temperaments shape their actions and reactions to the Nazi repression. Both suffer unspeakable violence; both are heroic in their distinct ways.
At its root, however, The Nightingale is a poignant examination of survival and survivors. What does it take to survive, what compromises must be made, what deals must be struck with the devil? Should one fight back aggressively or engage in passive resistance? How does the physical fact of surviving affect the survivor?
The Nightingale deals with these questions obliquely, as any good story should, by showing rather than telling. While I felt some romantic scenes were shoehorned into the narrative for emotional effect, it’s hard to imagine readers not becoming teary-eyed by the end of this book.
View all my reviews
Mod
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
My rating: 5 of 5 sta..."
Mel,
This is a great and detailed review.
I especially agree with the fourth paragraph you wrote, as those were thoughts I pondered. I read this in 2016 and gave it 5* as well. And as with many books in this genre...
Does history repeat itself- it most certainly does.
Mel wrote: "Based on a comment by Jan, I finally got around to reading The Nightingale by Kirstin Hannah. Here's a review I just posted on GoodReads:The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
My rating: 5 of 5 sta..."
Your description is so well put.
I read the Nightingale several years ago for Sisterhood Book Club. I liked it and yes, I was teary eyed at the end. We all enjoyed it. I think I read Winter Garden before the Nightingale and really enjoyed that one also, though maybe it was a bit contrived. Then I read Firefly Lane and didn't like it too much. If someone has a favorite Hannah book, let me know, and I can add it to my someday I'll read this list.
I would like to read something by Hannah but am not open to WW II books. Is there a recommendation from anyone?
Mod
Hi Rachel,
I read two of her other books. Firefly Lane and The Great Alone.
Two very different books, both of which are neither are WW2.
I just finished reading this wonderful and unusual book, a kind of history but also a memoir. Three Minutes in Poland by Glenn Kurtz.https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mod
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
Thanks, Dvora. ...although I got Displaced Persons so will hold off on buying your other recommendations for now! :)
Stacey B wrote: "Rachel wrote: "I would like to read something by Hannah but am not open to WW II books. Is there a recommendation from anyone?"Hi Rachel,
I read two of her other books. Firefly Lane and The Great..."
Thanks I will look into those 2 suggestions.
Mod
It doesn't take long at all to read, and there's a half-hour Zoom session to discuss it tomorrow, Tuesday March 12,
James (this is you)584 books | 54 friends
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I just finished The Arc of a Covenant: The United States, Israel, and the Fate of the Jewish People by Walter Russell Mead. Arc is a tour d' force of greatness, no question. Mead seeks to take the course of U.S. history as it relates to Jews and then Israel from just after the Civil War through 2022. Without serving as a spoiler, Mead effectively makes the argument that Israel's importance to the U.S. stems more from its military and economic success and power than it does to the impact of the "Jewish" or "Israel" lobby. Indeed, he very effectively belittles the impact of the lobbies asa being the equivalent of Star Trek's "vulcans;" an imaginary force thought to be creating a wobble in Mercury's or Venus's orbit. He states: "Not only does Israel occupy a "continent" in the American mind; Jews, at 1.9 % of the population...." in arguing that the focus on Israel is out of proportion to Jewish numbers. The contrast is even starker when compared to an estimated worldwide population at 15.7 million, 0.2% of the 8 billion worldwide population. What the author leaves out is that the Jews, historically, have had a disproportionate pull on the world psycho.
I do have my quibbles with the book: 1) there are lots of run-on and awkwardly constructed sentences; 2) the book illustrates the dictum in intro to Practicing History: Selected Essays by Barbara W. Tuchman, that it is hard to write good history close to the occurrence of events. It certainly was, and is; and 3) part of point II, the last two chapters, on the history of the relationship under Obama, Trump and Biden are not yet history given how recent they are.
While I do not accept 100% of the author's opinions, the book is an indispensable starting point of any serious analysis and understanding.
Mel wrote: "I recently read Color of Water, by James McBride. I picked it up after reading Heaven and Earth Grocery Store. Both deal deeply with the Jewish American experience. There's a lot to unpack in this..."Mel, when I went into business with my very dear friend, she and I decided to read a book that would familiarize us with the experiences of the other -- she being a black woman and me being a Jewish woman. I can't remember what book I suggested to her, but she suggested The Color of Water, which had just been published. I have never forgotten that book and the powerful impact it made on me. She and I have now been friends for over 50 years and we continue to dialogue about being a minority woman and being different in America.
That is a wonderful story. Thanks for sharing it.
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584 books | 54 friends
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I just finished The Arc of a Covenant: The United States, Israel, and the Fate of the Jewish People by Walter Russell Mead. Arc is a t..."
James, I just want to belatedly respond and say I too read this book, and I agree with you on its importance. Also remembering that Yair Rosenberg and Matti Friedman, in separate pieces for The Atlantic, said if you're only going to read one book on Israel, read this one. I mean, I can't remember which one said that, but both were enthusiastic. Important book.
I haven’t been here in a long time. But I’ve been reading a lot of Jewish themed books lately.I loved The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store when it dealt with the Jewish woman but as it went along I just felt it got confused and lost it’s way.
Then I finished The Wolf Hunt which I thought was exceptional until the conclusion which I found to be pathetic. It’s the second novel I’ve read by this Israeli author and she really let me down this time. Then I read The Auschwitz Detective by an author I had never heard of before. This is one of seven in a series about a Tel Aviv cop around 1949. I thought it was fascinating-the details about life in Israel after the war and the gap between Holocaust survivors and other Israelis was fascinating. Plus it was a really fun detective story. Now I, reading my first The Woman with the Blue Star and I’m kind of wary of her work. I keep waiting to see her stumble but apart from a very tiny scene so far the story is interesting enough. The thing about this author is that she has built her career on these sort of books which has spawned an endless amount of similar Holocaust fiction and I’m wondering if it’s too much. But I’m continuing with the book and I’ll see how it goes.
Mod
Hope you and loved ones are well.
I read The Wolf Hunt- have it a 3*.
The Auschwitz Detective was great with a clever storyline.
I have read all Jonathan Dunsky's work; including his short stories.
He has become quite the seasoned author- waiting for his newest release in July which I believe is titled " In That Sleep of Death".
I havent read McBride's book yet; seems to be a favorite by many. Yes, Pam Jenoff has her genre, many followers and also a seasoned author. I have read her other books, and I really would be surprised if she stumbles at all. I'm holding off on it for a little bit. At the same time, I applaud her writing about about years of documented history, as we see it repeating itself. Have you read Lisa Barr's book "Woman on Fire"? I loved that one too.
Hi Stacey-thank-you for your greeting.I looked up interviews with Jonathan Dunsky and to my surprise he’s the only Israeli I’ve heard speak English with almost no recognizable accent. I’ve known many Israelis my entire life-my earliest childhood neighbour was Israeli-and while they were always fluent in English one could still hear even the slightest of accents. It’s remarkable that he chose to write in English only and that his mastery of the language is so great. Do you know if his books are translated into
Hebrew? I look forward to reading all of them.
I am not familiar with the second author you mention and will look her work up. Best..
Pam Jenoff is a phenomenal author, and I would not judge her by the one work that was least up to par. I agree with you that that was not her best or most acclaimed work. The weakest of all of her canon. But please don’t judge her on it.
Mod
I looked up interviews with Jonathan Dunsky and to my surprise he’s the only Israeli I’ve heard speak English with almost no recognizable accent. I’ve known m..."
Alan,
Jonathan Dunsky being Israeli spent many years abroad. He also wanted to mater the English language- so much so as you said, one cant detect an accent and he writes his novels in English. Im not sure if his books are translated into Hebrew. I also had the same reaction you did watching an interview.
I have to say one of the reasons I love his books is that I am familiar with the settings they take place in, including streets, buildings, and the like. This for me adds the relatable aspect in having the ability put yourself right at the scene of an upcoming action scene. A suggestion would be to read "A Death in Jerusalem". The author opens with an event taking place analogous to a major recent event happening a few years ago. You will know where each take place.
Mod
Totally agree with you Amy!
Amy-could you please recommend your favourite Pam Jenoff book?
I have read most of her canon. a couple of names come to mind, but I want to wait and take a look at her list and see which one stands out before picking absolutely one. I will tell you that I have the breakers secret in the house. I will get to this year. Tonight I will answer this question. Although I would love to hear what other people have to say. Most people would probably go with those who save us. Or the orphan in the circus. But I really loved the Kommandants girl and its sequel. Again, let me get back to you on this one.
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