"Yes, thought the Count, the world does spin. In fact, it spins on its axis even as it revolves around the sun. And the galaxy turns as well, a wheel within a greater wheel producing a chime of an entirely different nature than that of a tiny hammer in a clock. And when the celestial chime sounds, perhaps a mirror will suddenly serve its truer purpose---revealing to a man not who imagines himself to be, but who he has become."
-from the novel
One of our members suggested this book in November for our first book of the new year. I am very glad because it was quite unique and memorable. It took a while to get through its near-500 pages but I enjoyed the journey.
Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov is a Russian aristocrat in 1922, a very bad time to be labelled as such.
He is put under house arrest by the Bolsheviks but his "prison" is the very elegant Metropol Hotel across the street from the Kremlin. He had been living in a lovely suite in the hotel for 4 years but is banished to a tiny, humble attic space. His life sentence ends up being more blessing than curse, it seems to me, as he meets and befriends many fascinating characters including a beautiful actress, a precocious little girl, a former colonel of the Red Army and officer of the Party, an American who wants to recruit Rostov as a spy and various members of the hotel staff. All are very interesting characters, especially Rostov himself, who is quite charming. Rostov's outlook on the world ends up being enhanced by living in its microcosm, the Metropol.
I had recently visited St. Petersburg in Russia and wished it had been more prominent in the story. Only mentions that Rostov, called Alex, and Mishka, his friend, had attended university there. At one point in the story nesting dolls, a souvenir I purchased for my granddaughter, was used as a hiding place.
Towles has a sophisticated writing style, both philosophizing (e.g. the quote above) and educating the reader in a not-so-pretty period of Russian history while using humor to weave an engaging tale. I rated this one a 4, almost a 5.
I look forward to hearing the group's reactions to the book this week.
-------------------------------------
Page Turners met today, our first meeting in a restaurant. It was very enjoyable although we were not able to discuss the book as much as we normally do. The group average was 3.7 with 17 of 22 votes being 4 or 5. Many of us found the Count to be an appealing, memorable character although at least one person found him to be rather unbelievable noting that he was just a little too perfect or a little too lucky. We could pretty much agree that the Count's banishment changed his personality as he was affected by the people he met and the incidents that occurred.
Some of us were curious about the movie "Casablanca," the Count's favorite film and one he shared with Osip. What was it about the film that resonated with the Count? I wonder how many of us will find and watch the movie.
The group agreed that there was much humor in the story, even some laugh-out-loud parts like when he ripped his trousers numerous times as he ran around the hotel trying to eavesdrop with 9-year-old Nina and a description of the ideal duel (page 47).
Turns out A Gentleman in Moscow was a good selection with which to begin 2019.
Thursday, January 24, 2019
Saturday, January 12, 2019
Three Beautiful Books by Patricia Polacco
"Master storyteller and artist Patricia Polacco has outdone herself in this poignant holiday tale of two families, two faiths and two lonely people united by a beautiful twist of fate."
-from the book jacket of Christmas Tapestry
My love for this author/artist goes back to my teaching days when I discovered her amazing stories, mostly originating from within her family, and her wonderful illustrations. All of her books are picture books which appear to be for young children but many contain stories of multigenerational interest and appeal. I believe all 3 of these, some of my very favorites, are examples of such.
Christmas Tapestry (see quote)
A story of nothing short of a Christmas miracle, this one touches me deeply every time I hear or read it. I loved it so much I adapted it for the stage and produced it at my church as a live radio play, giving complete credit to Polacco for the story. The audience thought it was outstanding. I conducted a talk-back after the show and the cast enjoyed sharing what the story had meant to them.
Pink and Say
I shared this Civil War story with my 5th graders when we were studying that time period. I had not read it in a number of years and when I reread it recently, it brought tears to my eyes once again. It is the story of two very young Union soldiers brought together when one helps the other who has been wounded. Sheldon Russell Curtis, nicknamed Say, is the injured soldier who happens to be white. Pinkus Aylee, Pink for short, is the black soldier who rescues him after a battle in Georgia. It is a beautiful story of friendship and heroism which sheds light on the horrors of war. I bet you cannot read it without goosebumps or a lump in the throat.
The Trees of the Dancing Goats
Another December holiday story involves two families who are neighbors---one Christian, the other Jewish. While the Jewish family is preparing for Hanukkah, they find out their Christian neighbors, the Kremmels, are sick with scarlet fever and will not be able to make Christmas preparations. The Jewish family then sets about organizing Christmas for them---with very special decorations and food. A touching story of brotherly love!
Ms. Polacco is so very talented and prolific, with many other books to her credit. Some involve teachers, which are near and dear to my heart, and two others I really love are The Keeping Quilt and The Butterfly. I would insist that most of Polacco's books are not just for children!
-from the book jacket of Christmas Tapestry
My love for this author/artist goes back to my teaching days when I discovered her amazing stories, mostly originating from within her family, and her wonderful illustrations. All of her books are picture books which appear to be for young children but many contain stories of multigenerational interest and appeal. I believe all 3 of these, some of my very favorites, are examples of such.
Christmas Tapestry (see quote)
A story of nothing short of a Christmas miracle, this one touches me deeply every time I hear or read it. I loved it so much I adapted it for the stage and produced it at my church as a live radio play, giving complete credit to Polacco for the story. The audience thought it was outstanding. I conducted a talk-back after the show and the cast enjoyed sharing what the story had meant to them.
Pink and Say
I shared this Civil War story with my 5th graders when we were studying that time period. I had not read it in a number of years and when I reread it recently, it brought tears to my eyes once again. It is the story of two very young Union soldiers brought together when one helps the other who has been wounded. Sheldon Russell Curtis, nicknamed Say, is the injured soldier who happens to be white. Pinkus Aylee, Pink for short, is the black soldier who rescues him after a battle in Georgia. It is a beautiful story of friendship and heroism which sheds light on the horrors of war. I bet you cannot read it without goosebumps or a lump in the throat.
The Trees of the Dancing Goats
Another December holiday story involves two families who are neighbors---one Christian, the other Jewish. While the Jewish family is preparing for Hanukkah, they find out their Christian neighbors, the Kremmels, are sick with scarlet fever and will not be able to make Christmas preparations. The Jewish family then sets about organizing Christmas for them---with very special decorations and food. A touching story of brotherly love!
Ms. Polacco is so very talented and prolific, with many other books to her credit. Some involve teachers, which are near and dear to my heart, and two others I really love are The Keeping Quilt and The Butterfly. I would insist that most of Polacco's books are not just for children!
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
"He [father] loved these [lilac bushes]. It's a lovely reminder of him, but terribly sad too, to see his favorite Abraham Lincoln lilacs blossom without him.....But it's fitting in a way---Father loved the fact that a lilac only blossoms after a harsh winter....It's a miracle all this beauty emerges after such a hardship, don't you think?"
-Caroline Ferriday, from the novel
At close to 500 pages, this one took a while to get through but it was well worth the time spent! Kelly weaves a tale of three women of the WWII era, two of them based on real people. The stories proceed chronologically from 1939 to an epilogue of sorts set in 1959. The narration alternates between the three women: Caroline Ferriday, a volunteer at the French consulate in New York; Kasia Kuzmerick, a teenager in Lublin, Poland who becomes involved in the underground resistance after the Nazi takeover; and Herta Oberheuser, a female German doctor at the infamous Ravensbruck concentration camp. Many cliffhangers inspire you to read on.
This reader found herself immediately predicting how the stories would collide and trying to guess the significance of the title. Caroline is an admirable activist trying to help French orphans and victims of the war and one feels deep sympathy for Kasia who experiences unspeakable horrors of Nazi occupation, even undergoing the "experimental surgery" at Ravensbruck. But Herta is the one you love to hate, going against her conscience in blind subservience to the Reich. Lilac Girls is a story of bravery, determination, survival and single-minded loyalty leading to extreme cruelty.
There is only a bit of humor in this captivating story but a couple of love stories woven into the plot do relieve the intensity. If you enjoy historical fiction, I recommend Lilac Girls. I give it a 5 rating.
-Caroline Ferriday, from the novel
At close to 500 pages, this one took a while to get through but it was well worth the time spent! Kelly weaves a tale of three women of the WWII era, two of them based on real people. The stories proceed chronologically from 1939 to an epilogue of sorts set in 1959. The narration alternates between the three women: Caroline Ferriday, a volunteer at the French consulate in New York; Kasia Kuzmerick, a teenager in Lublin, Poland who becomes involved in the underground resistance after the Nazi takeover; and Herta Oberheuser, a female German doctor at the infamous Ravensbruck concentration camp. Many cliffhangers inspire you to read on.
This reader found herself immediately predicting how the stories would collide and trying to guess the significance of the title. Caroline is an admirable activist trying to help French orphans and victims of the war and one feels deep sympathy for Kasia who experiences unspeakable horrors of Nazi occupation, even undergoing the "experimental surgery" at Ravensbruck. But Herta is the one you love to hate, going against her conscience in blind subservience to the Reich. Lilac Girls is a story of bravery, determination, survival and single-minded loyalty leading to extreme cruelty.
There is only a bit of humor in this captivating story but a couple of love stories woven into the plot do relieve the intensity. If you enjoy historical fiction, I recommend Lilac Girls. I give it a 5 rating.
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