The Screwtape Lettters

November's genre in Books & Beer Club is inspirational. The group selected The Screwtape Letters, the classic masterpiece of C.S. Lewis. It's a satirical look at religion and the afterlife. I didn't appreciate the humor and I didn't find this book at all inspirational!

I started reading the book and it just slogged on and on. Then I decided to listen to it, thinking it would be easier to get through it. It was easier as I didn't have to pay close attention. I heard the main ideas and let the rest of the words just roll over me. I know the idea of the book, I know how it ends, and I'm prepared to discuss. I really am curious to find out if the others found the book inspirational. How? And why? I don't think a book club meeting will change my opinion of this book, but I want to understand why others seem to view it so favorably.

My husband, the non-reader, listened to the last hour or two of the novel in a long car ride. He seemed more engaged than I was. And he asked when the book was written (1942) since so much of it seemed current to him. I guess questions of religion's intersection with government existed forever and will continue to exist as long as both governments and religions exist.

I'm not a fan of this book. I gave it two stars on goodreads where it has a 4.22 overall raiting.

On Division

After I read about On Division, Goldie Goodbloom's novel about a 57-year old woman in the Chasidic community of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, I suggested it to my synagogue book club as a title for our next meeting. The response from the group was mixed, but once one woman purchased the book while we were still discussing it, we decided that we might as well go with this one for our January discussion.

We typically try to select books that would be of broad interest to Jews and non-Jews. While this book fits the bill, some of the language and customs might only be recognizable to someone familiar on any level with Chasidic Judaism. However, the big ideas of the novel were a late-in-life pregnancy, dealing with the loss of a child, and aging in general. We're hoping to grow our book club. I'm not sure if this was the title to help us achieve this, but I'm quite anxious to talk about this with the group.

Surie, at 57, is getting ready to enjoy a more quiet life after her husband, Yidel, retires at 62. They've raised 10 children, have multiple grandchildren and are expecting their first great grandchild. A late-in-life pregnancy wasn't in the plan. And how did this miraculous pregnancy even take place (besides the obvious)? Surie needs to come to terms with her condition before she shares the news with others in her family.

Besides her children and grandchildren, Surie has loving in-laws who live in the same apartment building. One of her daughters lives in the building with her family as well. The lives of those in the building are very closely interconnected. Will she be able to keep her secret until she is ready to share with the others?

If you enjoy reading "Jewish" fiction, I would definitely recommend this one!

The Japanese Lover

I'm not sure if I really enjoyed Isabel Allende's The Japanese Lover more than I might have because it's the first audio book I've listened to in years. In my previous life, I spent lots of hours in the car alone and I always had an audio book going. Usually the audio books I listened to were lighter than the books I was reading in print. But sometimes I'd listen to a book club book or a book I needed to read for my work as a fifth grade teacher.

The Japanese Lover is a BIG book. Not in terms of length, but it terms of all the themes covered in the book. Included in this novel is a story about Poland during World War II, a refuge child sent to California. A little girl growing up with her extended family. A young woman running away from her old life. Japanese internment. Sex slaves. Child pornography. Recreating life after a life altering injury. Taking on a new identity to run from an ugly past. Falling in love. Art. Gardening. AIDS. And aging. I don't think I've forgotten anything. If I have, apologies.

Alma is a young child when she leaves her parents and Poland to go live with her mother's sister and her family in San Francisco. She is in her 70s when she moves to Lark House, a home with stepped up care from independent living to assisted living to end-of-life care. Living in a community where there are mostly older adults, that was something I could relate to. She hires Irina, a careworker in the home, to be her personal assistant. Each woman has secrets, but as they grow closer, their secrets come out. This is in part due to Alma's grandson, Seth, who is writing a family history, digging into Alma's past.

The characters are well developed and each of the subplots feels complete. I never felt as though the author was rushing through one story to get to another. I'd highly recommend this one, and will probably suggest it to my book club as a possible title for discussion.

I was reminded by how much I enjoy listening to audio books. I need to find one that my husband and I can enjoy together. Or I need to find more alone time in the car!

Annie's Life in Lists

It's been far too long since I read a middle grade chapter book! I must have requested this novel, Annie's Life in Lists by Kristin Mahoney, from the library after reading a recommendation, a review or something about it somewhere. One day, I got an email from the library saying it was checked out. I read it, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The plot of Annie's Life in Lists is really similar to the plot of a middle grade chapter book that I wrote... but then never did anything with. Annie's family moves from Brooklyn, NY to upstate New York after her father gets a new job. In my draft, my main character - whose name I can't even remember - moves from suburban New Jersey to rural central Florida. Both stories are about adjusting to new lives, leaving friends behind, making new friends.

What makes Kristin Mahoney's novel unique is that it's totally written in lists. Annie is incredibly observant and has an amazing memory, but she keeps her life in order by writing lists.

This is certainly a book that any middle grade reader will enjoy.

The German Girl

There's lots to like about Amrando Lucas Correa's debut novel, The German Girl. It's the story of the Rosen family and their exile in Cuba.

The Rosenthals were a wealthy, influential family in pre-WWII Berlin. They are persecuted by the ogres. After laws making them non-persons in Germany, they are given the opportunity to escape Berlin on the luxury liner, The St. Louis. Alma, Max and their daughter, Hannah, make their plans. They'll go to Cuba temporarily until they are able to get into New York City. They've transferred large amounts of money to a trust in Canada that they plan to live off of. They have an apartment ready for them in NYC. Alma and Hannah get their papers to go right away. Eventually, Alma is able to purchase "Benitez papers" for Max. Accompanying them on the trip are Hannah's best friend, Leo, and his father.

Hannah and Leo enjoy their crossing. The cruise ship is their world and they are free to explore as they wish. Their relationship grows even stronger. They make promises to each other.

When the ship makes it to Havana, most of the 937 passengers on board have had their papers invalidated. Including Max, Leo, and his dad. Hannah and pregnant Alma are two of the very few who are able to disembark. We eventually do learn about what happened to Max and Leo and his dad, but the bulk of the story is about Hannah and Alma's time in Havana.

Fast forward to 2014. In New York City, 12 year old Anna Rosen is struggling to take care of herself and her mother after her father was killed on September 11th. They receive a package full of photos from Anna's great aunt, Hannah, living in Cuba. This prompts Anna to ask if she and her mom can go to Havana to meet Hannah and to learn more about her father.

I'd heard about the St. Louis before. I knew that it was turned away from the USA with many refugees on board. But I didn't realize that the ship was bound for Cuba and that the folks on board had papers that they believed would let them into Cuba. I also didn't realize that this was a luxury liner and that the passengers enjoyed more or less a cruise experience during the crossing. I learned quite a bit about that.

The book left me with many questions, though. I had specific questions about Alma and Hannah's life in Havana as well as life for the Jews in Havana. That might be something I need to research.

I'd recommend this book.