The Middle of Somewhere: the Secrets of a Lost Soul

Well, hello there! Long time no blogging!

It's not like I don't like telling you what I've been reading about, no; it's just that I haven't been opening many books in the past few months. Shame on me, yes! What am I thinking when this world is full of amazing stories waiting to be read, mysterious characters waiting to get into my head. I have missed reading. I crave it every now and then, so I decided to come up with a plan: in 2016 I will be reading at least 12 books in full (I have this habit of stopping midway). I think 12 is a good number for me - one for each month.
Well now, I've just added even more pressure to my plan because now you all  know about it, HA HA HA! How about we focus on the book I want to talk about today? The last book of 2015...

They all say this book is intense, but I don't completely agree with that. So here it goes.

The Middle of Somewhere, by Sonja Yoerg tells the story of Liz, a woman with a past and a lot of guilt, not revealed to her boyfriend, Dante. Perhaps in seek of redemption or at least some calm, she decides to hike the John Muir Trail. By herself. Well, that is until Dante decides to go too, as he doesn't want to be apart from her for so long. None of them are exactly the hiking type of people, as Liz is terrified of storms, and Dante is more of a fitness gym type of guy, but you'll know exactly who leads the way!

On the trail, they come across two brothers, Payton and Rodell Root. These mysterious men are not just some simple hikers in search of inner peace, and they make sure Liz knows that. They hike along with her, but they keep their distance, almost as if they weren't there. But you know they were...

However, these two are not Liz's only problem. Liz is a woman consumed by her past's mistakes, and this trip might be her chance to unleash even the darkest of secrets. But it is also an opportunity to be forgiven, to leave everything behind and to, maybe, be able to enjoy Dante's love. If he's still willing to offer it...

“Courage lays within easy reach of a child who knows nothing of how easily understanding can unravel, leaving a set of rules that apply to nothing, and an empty heart.” 

Coming back to this book being intense, let me tell you that it has its dose of unpredictability, and suspense, even painful sometimes, but I wouldn't call it intense!
I like Liz's character: strong, almost unafraid even when she does feel fear. She is a leader, and Dante knows it. She comes off as a tomboy or maybe an old soul - taking charge, making decisions, understanding the map and the wilderness, facing danger on her own. And also an introvert.  I believe she owes her personality to her childhood - barely present parents, each of them in their own worlds.
Dante, on the other hand, is the type who follows, he almost seems like he doesn't have a mind of his own. And he doesn't mind it, either. It's surprising when hit by secrets, how he can turn around and be his own man!

“Here, at the edge of this lake, on the broad flank of this mountain range, under the boundless sky in the middle of nowhere, she was small and bare and completely inconsequential…On this journey, she would travel deep into the indifferent wilderness to discover what was possible for her, and what could not be undone.” 

Sonja Yoerg www.sonjayoerg.com/

The story has its flow, and it seems to be going in a certain direction. And the more you read about Liz, the more she hides. But for some reason, I thought the ending would be more dramatic, more complicated and surreal. A type of ending you wouldn't think of. However, it was so common and ordinary. I say this because the story itself was flowing in a way that made you wonder "How is this going to end?".But maybe it's just me, as I'm a dreamer; one who believes in fairytales, and sees life like a Broadway play. Dramatic romances and story endings.

Overall, I liked this book. I felt drawn to it, and waited anxiously to have some free time to pick up where I left off. I would however, give it a different ending. If only the writer were me...

Secret: I picked this book off the shelf at the drug store. The title got me! Yeah, I am one of those...
Secret 2: I now want to hike the John Muir Trail.

Rating: 8/10                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Tell It to the Trees: But Only to Them

Dear readers,

I’ve really been keeping up with the reading duty, and the book I am writing about today is one of the best I’ve ever read. It’s not my most recent one, but I do want to tell you about it while it’s still fresh in my mind.

Tell it to the Trees, by Anita Rau Badami is something different from what I have read before. I preferred not to read the back of the book, so really I had no idea what would it even be about. Like my previous read, the story takes place in Canada, in the household of an Indian family, but is has nothing to do with Everything was Goodbye, by Singh Karan.

The Dharma family is one with lots of stories and secrets, in which every member does everything for the family and anything to keep appearances and a clean name. Vikram’s first wife dies, and left with a daughter, he goes to India looking for a new one. He finds Suman, who will never be close to what his dead wife was. Their marriage quickly turns into nothing on a personal level, and if there were ever any feelings, they completely vanish, leaving room for violence, obedience and fear. Vikram’s children, Varsha and Hemant are the centre of attention in this book, and then there’s also Vikram’s mother - being old and sick, she spends her days telling stories and giving advice.

Having lost her mother at a fragile age, you can tell that Varsha is not like other kids.

She has become obsessed with keeping her family together, and never letting Suman leave. She loves her family, she loves her little brother Hemant, but she is definitely different. Possessive and jealous, Varsha even has some sort of meanness in her. But when Anu Krishnan, a tenant in the Dharmas’ cabin, shows up in the picture, that’s when Varsha feels threatened. Anu brings a sense of peace and companionship in the family, but certainly not to the girl.

This book was written with such a clarity and easiness, that I pretty much just fell in love with it. But it’s got something that not everyone might like: every chapter is told from the point of view of a different character, and they each tell their own story. You may think it’s confusing and hard to keep up with the details, but it’s really not. Also, the moment you think you know something, Badami proves you don’t. She is so good at surprising you, and so good at illustrating the character. She makes them feel so real...

And Varsha...oh Varsha! You just never stop asking 'What is wrong with this girl?!'

(click on photo to enlarge)

   Anita Rau Badamiwww.anitaraubadami.ca/

I hope you get to read this book. Despite its dark theme, it’s such a refreshing read, and that just because the way it’s written. I recommend it 100% and I really wish I could discuss this book with you, guys. So let me know if you've read it, or if you will. I’d love to hear other opinions and perspectives on this book.

Everything was Goodbye – When all you’re left with are the memories

Hello dear readers - friends or strangers,

After I did my first review, on Sarah’s Key, by Tatiana de Rosnay it took me a few days until I picked up another book, even though at the moment I have lots of them lined up for me. I almost didn't start reading again. I felt lazy, but mostly, I think I didn't want to deal with the risk of starting a book I wouldn't feel drawn to. Fortunately, I have made this blog and all I kept thinking of was how I have to keep it going.

I started reading this book before but for some reason I put it down. So, this time I just picked it up and here I am, ready to tell you about it!

Everything Was Goodbye, by Gurjinder Basran is a book that takes place in Canada, 1990, in the house of an Indian girl. She has five sisters, her father died when she was very young and her mother tries her hardest to raise her girls under the Indian tradition. But Meena, the main character, is not a typical Indian girl. She is a rebel – but not to the fullest, she is a punk music listener, and she does not feel Indian - Meena is Canadian. Occidental.

Her best friend is Liam, a boy from school and neighbour. They have a special relationship, based on not knowing and not asking questions. Meena is a girl who constantly fights with who she is and who she should be. Years pass by, people come and go in her life, and she reaches a point where the only choice is to surrender to the life an Indian woman must follow.

I was very frustrated with her character, because whenever you thought she would put her foot in the door, she would only go half way. That’s why I said she wasn't a rebel to the fullest - because her mind was thinking all the right things, but she was lacking courage. I feel sorry for her, because I really believed she would step up for herself, and live the way she felt she should.

This book definitely has a topic that I enjoyed. I like reading about other cultures, especially Arabic and Indian. It is a sad story, as the title says it too, but it’s worth reading. It teaches you to choose at the right time, and yes, life gives you second changes, but they might be short. I recommend this book to all the readers who are interested in knowing how life is outside ours. The way it is in other homes, in other cultures…

Have you read this book before? If yes, I'd like to know what you think about it, and if you haven't, does it sound like something you might chose off the bookshelf?

Sarah's Key - a book about desperation and hope

Hello dear friends, and strangers,

 My name is Brigitte and I have created this blog because I love to read (even though I don’t do it much) and I thought that by having this little space of mine, I’d feel motivated to read more often, share with you the stories still full of dust that sit on my bookshelves , and hear about yours as well. I will start by telling you about the book I have read last, and which I am proud to say (for a non-active reader) I have finished in less than a week. Enjoy, and I hope to hear from you! 

 Brigitte

Sarah’s Key, by Tatiana de Rosnay, was a book recommended to me by a friend of mine, and what first drew me to buy it was the title. Most of the times, if I let myself led by the title, I don’t get disappointed. This time however, I can’t say that this book was nothing what I expected it to be, but there were a few things that I wish happened differently.

The readers’ biggest complaint about this book was the fact that the story is taking place in two different places, two different times eras, and it goes back and forth between two characters. For me, that was the part I most liked about the book. I probably would have hated it in a different book, but in Sarah’s Key this way of keeping the reader under suspense, and allowing the two characters’ stories to slowly come together worked very well. 

 

Part of the story takes place in 1942, during the Vel' d'Hiv Roundup, when one night, French police knock on the door of Sarah’s home, taking her and her mother with them, without explaining a word. Sarah locks her younger brother in the cupboard, planning to come back for him.

They were Jews, and it was so sad to live those times through the eyes of this 10-year-old girl. She couldn't understand this term of Jew, and why it was considered such a bad thing. The innocence of this girl, the questions she kept on asking herself, but mostly the complete confusion she was going through were so well described, that I was able to live those times through her eyes. It was scary!

On the other hand, in 2002, with the up-coming 60^th anniversary of  Vel' d'Hiv Roundup, Julia Jarmond  is slowly discovering information about the event, and is getting herself involved in this story that has more to do with her than she can imagine.

What threw me off in this book, was the fact that after the two stories became one, the book suddenly lost something. And that was okay for a while. For a few chapters after this, the story was still interesting, and keeping me alert. However, it felt at some point that the story was just dragging, going forward very slowly. Also, I believe I was expecting a different ending, not only for the main character, Sarah, but also regarding other aspects of the book.

When writing the review for this book, I discovered that there was also a movie made in 2010, with Melusine Mayance in the role of Sarah, and Kristin Scott Thomas playing Julia. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I will watch it for sure. 

These being said, I totally recommend the book. The story will keep anyone interested, and some of you might not even be as picky as I was, and will actually enjoy it until the end.