Just Plain "WOW"!

I haven't posted anything for a while because I've been reading a really big book (think "Hawaii"). This one was almost 800 pages, and that's in fairly small print. The book is AZTEC, by Gary Jennings (1980). Thanks to a good librarian, this came to my attention.
The story traces the entire lifespan of an Indian native to Mexico prior to and during the Spanish invasion. The narrator, Mixtli, is telling of his life and of his country to a group of priests who have commanded him to do so.
The story is divided into segments as transcribed by the priests to be sent to His Excellency, the Emperor of Spain. The book is so well done that not only do you learn about Mixtli, you also get several chuckles about the priests.
I'm so glad I got to read this book. I feel that it's probably pretty accurate historically, but it's also darn good entertainment.

A lot more than just history

I am not a lover of history --- except sometimes, and on certain subjects. I don't know a lot about the depression except that my parents lived through it, and that I was born near the end of it. And other than seeing The Grapes of Wrath several times over the years, I don't know much about the American Dust Bowl which happened in the same period of time.
But now, thanks to Timothy Egan, Pulitzer Prize winning reporter, I know a whole lot more about each of them. His book, The Worst Hard Time (2006), covers both grim subjects in an enjoyable manner.
Are you aware that more land was ruined in Kansas than in Oklahoma? Do you know that the major cause was greed? How about Americans starving to death? Ever hear of a soil temperature of 142? And no matter what your political persuasion, I believe this book will lead you to a lot of admiration for Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
I'm sure this review could not make you eager to read the book, but I was very impressed with it. Give the book a try. I bet you'll agree with me.

This was way different...

A close friend loaned another good book to me. It is Solar Storms by Linda Hogan (1995). The book won the Colorado Book Award for Fiction in that year. The narrator is a teen-age Native American almost-woman, who has been separated from her family and raised in foster homes. She bore the facial scars of an early injury, but no knowledge of how she had been hurt, nor of why she had been given away by, or taken away from, her mother. After making a connection with her grandmother, she also found a great-grandmother, her grandfather's first wife, other relatives, and eventually, her mother and a sister.
The three older women and the girl make a long and hazardous journey by canoe through the upper waters of Minnesota.
The book is written in a simple and beautiful manner. I liked it a lot.

More than Memorable

I recognize that I probably sound overly enthusiastic in my book reviews, but I seem to be going through a cycle of only being exposed to excellent, one-of-a-kind books.
My latest love affair is with Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (2006). The author's picture on the inside of the book's back cover shows her to be a pretty, young woman -- so how could she possibly portray the old (90 or 93, he's not sure which) man in a retirement home with such bull's-eye accuracy? I hope I'm not infringing on the copyright to quote just a small segment.
*******************************************************************************
" There's dead silence in the room. I look around. All eyes are trained on me. "What?" I say loudly. "Is that so much to ask? Doesn't anyone else here miss real food? Surely you can't all be happy with this ... this ... pap?" I put my hand on the edge of my plate and give it a shove.
Just a little one.
Really.
My plate shoots across the table and crashes to the floor. "
**********************************************************************************
Isn't that great! I'm going to drive the library nuts trying to get her other books.
Anyway, the basic story is about a young almost-veterinarian who ends up caring for the animals in a circus train during the depression years. The narrator is the old man who is remembering.
You'd have to be a real pickle-puss not to enjoy this one. Remember her name. Sara Gruen.

Awed by an Author

I feel so fortunate in living at this time, in this place in the world where I have access to magnificent books, and good friends who recommend them. At the same time, I feel a lot of guilt about being so unaware of the actual suffering of other women. Not that I could have done anything, but women as a group could have, and we should have known.
I love our country deeply, but hate the fact that we Americans allow ourselves to be so isolated from the rest of the world. Try learning anything of any depth from the ordinary media. Ha!
All the above was inspired by reading two books written by Kahled Hosseini. They are Kite Runner (about 2005), and A Thousand Splendid Suns (2007)
Both books were heart-breakers. They are set in Afghanistan in the very recent past.
Kite Runner tells the story of two boys who grew up together in an Afghan city. The narrator was the son of a rich man; the other boy the son of a servant. Their friendship is shattered by a betrayal, but the love continues, though unrecognized by one of them. I feel certain that the book is at least somewhat autobiographical, but don't recall any confirmation of that.
A Thousand Splendid Suns tells of two women. We meet them as children of very different backgrounds, but as a young adult (15!), each of them is married to the same man, who is a miserable excuse for a human being. The book tells of living under the Soviet occupation, the Taliban, and all the way to the current situation.
I am not getting old and easily moved to tears, but the author makes you love these women and care deeply about what happens to them. Read it!

Not a book, but a movie

Mike, my husband, and I watched the movie Kelly's Heroes in 1970. Admittedly, that was 37 years ago, but we remembered it as a good, funny movie. I remembered Donald Sutherland as a spaced-out hippie, I remembered his tank that shot paint and played loud music, and I remembered that that these army guys were trying to get some gold bars that were in a German bank behind enemy lines (the movie was set in WWII).
Since we subscribe to Netflix, and love it, we thought we'd like to see this movie again.
Decades make a big difference in perspective.
Yes, it had funny moments, and it's still a good movie. I don't know about Mike, but what I saw was greed, death and destruction.
The earlier memory was more fun, but this realization was more accurate.

Old, New (to me) and Wonderful

Since the last post, I read a couple of mysteries by Harlan Coben, whose books are always good. However, since I read so many mysteries, I instantly forget the plot, and sometimes buy (as a used book) or check out the same one. If it's a library book, I simply return it, or I use a purchased one as a trade-in.
As a change of pace, I then read Final Gifts -- subtitle: Understanding the special awareness, needs, and communications of the dying -- by Maggie Callanan and Patricia Kelley (1992). I believe the subtitle tells you probably as much as you might want to know about this one, other than that I found it gentle, factual and worthwhile.
The main subject of this post, though, is High Tide in Tucson by Barbara Kingsolver (1995). I thought I had read most of her books, but somehow, I missed this one. Why didn't any of you guys tell me about it??? I don't remember enjoying a book this much in a long, long time , if ever. This is a collection of essays Barbara has written over the years. She writes of a hermit crab; weather in Tucson; her career; childhood; a secret slut society; divorce; living in Spain; a visit to Africa; traversing a volcano in Hawaii; being in a rock band; and well, you get the idea. I love her attitude about almost everything. If I had to be lost on that mythical island with only one book, I take this one. It gives you so darn much to think about.