The Literature Thread
As many of us fly regularly, we may also read regularly on those flights (or elsewhere). So i thought i’d create a Lit Thread.
The lit here doesn’t have to be about TCKs it can be the book you are reading atm, or one you’ve just finished. Or even a place to ask about long loved but forgotten books. Any genre is welcome!
If the book is one of fiction, please provide a synopsis as well as author and title.
I’ll start:
I have recently read “The Queen’s Fool” by Phillipa Gregory.
Synopsis:
A young woman caught in the rivalry between Queen Mary and her half sister, Elizabeth, must find her true destiny amid treason, poisonous rivalries, loss of faith, and unrequited love.
It is winter, 1553. Pursued by the Inquisition, Hannah Green, a fourteen-year-old Jewish girl, is forced to flee Spain with her father. But Hannah is no ordinary refugee. Her gift of “Sight,” the ability to foresee the future, is priceless in the troubled times
of the Tudor court. Hannah is adopted by the glamorous Robert Dudley, the charismatic son of King Edward’s protector, who brings her to court as a “holy fool” for Queen Mary and, ultimately, Queen Elizabeth. Hired as a fool but working as a spy; promised in wedlock but in love with her master; endangered by the laws against heresy, treason, and witchcraft, Hannah must choose between the safe life of a commoner and the dangerous intrigues of the royal family that are inextricably bound up in her own yearnings and desires.
From me: Hannah is a TCK — she often speaks of how she misses Spain, how she is sick and tired of moving countries. Others comment upon her dark skin and eyes and her Spanish accent.
A book that i am trying to find:
I have long been searching for a book set in World War Two in America. I remember details. The protagonist is a young girl (in her early teens) named Frances who is English and has been evacuated to America for the duration of the war. She stays with a rich family who do not care that there is a war happening as it does not affect them. Frances is scared for her brother who is serving in the armed forces and wishes to be back home. She cannot understand why these people have no empathy for others’ suffering. In the end, her brother dies and Frances grows to learn that not all Americans are bad — she is given a necklace with both the British and American flags.
See? I can remeber all that but i can’t remember the author’s name!
Related Posts
14 Comments to “The Literature Thread”
January 11th, 2008 at 6:07 am
Great thread Isa! I love reading and am always looking out for new interesting reads
I tried to start a thread like this but failed lol
Right now, apart from reading the TCK book I started reading “Under the Tuscan Sun”. I know there’s a movie for it but I read the synopsis and thought the movie probably would kill too much of the details. I am not too far into the book so there is a long way to go but I already fell in love with the wonderful descriptions of Italy
I love how there are actual recipes written into the story.
My boyfriend’s sister gave me a book called “Confessions of a Shopaholic”. I haven’t started it but I heard it’s a pretty hilarious book…can’t wait to crack that open.
The last book that I read that I really enjoyed was “The Historian”. It’s about a vampire hunt and the narrator is a TCK as well! That was a surprise, I bought the book based solely on the history part of it. It’s about a teenage TCK who discovered an interesting part of her own history and her search for the vampire that happened all across Western and Eastern Europe. Made me want to go to Europe so badly…
Well that’s all for now
(Is this spam?)
January 11th, 2008 at 6:34 am
Panda: I LOVE historical fiction - or biographies - and have been meaning to read the Historian. Is it worth a read?
If you like historical fantasy a good series os the Sevenwaters Trilogy by Juliet Marillier. I can’t give anything more away except by saying the first book “Daughter of the Forest” is based upon the Brother’s Grimm tale “The Seven Swans”. It is far more complex than that of course. Filled with political and familial alliances between two countries at war and Sorcha’s quest to free her brother’s from the curse of being swans their whole life.
(Is this spam?)
January 11th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
As always, I’m always going to plug Terry Pratchett as an author. His Discworld series is the best I’ve ever read, and it’s still going.
Set in a flat fantasy world which lies on the backs of four giant elephants who stand on a giant turtle swimming through space, the Discworld really is just Pratchett’s setting for edging-on-the-satirical portrayals of our world, and trends and events within it.
His writing is pretty unique in that it has everything, depth of colorful characters, lots of humor, stealth philosophy, and thought-provocation.
While I would recommend starting with “Guards! Guards!” because it introduces a lot of core characters, I’ll provide the blurb of one of my favorites, “Going Postal”
—
Suddenly condemned arch-swindler Moist von Lipwig found himself with a noose around his neck and dropping through a trapdoor into… a government job?
By all rights, Moist should be meeting his maker rather than being offered a position as Postmaster by Lord Vetinari, supreme ruler of Ankh-Morpork. Getting the moribund Postal Service up and running again, however, may prove an impossible task, what with literally mountains of decades-old undelivered mail clogging every nook and cranny of the broken-down post office. Worse still, Moist could swear the mail is *talking* to him. Worst of all, it means taking on the gargantuan, greedy Grand Trunk clacks communication monopoly and its bloodthirsty piratical headman. But if the bold and undoable are what’s called for, Moist’s the man for the job - to move the mail, continue breathing, get the girl, and specially deliver that invaluable commodity that every being, human or otherwise requires: hope.
(Is this spam?)
January 12th, 2008 at 2:14 am
I recently finished reading The King’s Last Song by Geoff Ryman. It’s set in Cambodia in two different time periods - the first is modern day (2004) and the second is in the 1100’s. I really enjoyed it because I spent nearly half my life in Asia and travelled a lot in South East Asia. I loved the people and cultures I found there more than anywhere else I’ve visited, so some of the descriptions and sentiments in the book struck a chord with me that it might not do with all of you. Anyway, the description (copied from Amazon, because it was easier…):
A great king brings peace to a warring nation. Centuries later, his writings (a book called the Krain Meas) will bring hope to those facing the tragic legacy of modern Cambodia’s bloody history. When archaeologists discover a book written on gold leaves at Angkor Wat, everyone wants a piece of the action. But the King, the Army and the UN are all outflanked when the precious artefact is kidnapped, along with Professor Luc Andrade, who was accompanying it to the capital for restoration. Luckily for Luc his love and respect for Cambodia have won him many friends, including ex-Khmer Rouge cadre Map and the young moto-boy William. Both equally determined to rescue the man they consider their mentor and recover the golden book, they form an unlikely bond. But, William is unaware of just how closely Map’s bloody past affects him. The book contains the words and wisdom of King Jayavarman VII, the Buddhist ruler who united a war-torn Cambodia in the twelfth century and together with his enlightened wife created a kingdom that was a haven of peace and learning. His extraordinary story is skilfully interwoven with the tales of Luc, Map and William to create an unforgettable and dazzling evocation of the spirit of Cambodia and her peoples in all their beauty and tragedy.
(Is this spam?)
January 12th, 2008 at 2:44 am
I’m surprised no one here har mentioned “Global Soul” by Pico Iyer. Although I have not read it yet - I just received it from Amazon this morning - I’m quite sure it would be an interesting read for everyone in here
The full title is: “The Global Soul: Jet-lag, Shopping Malls and the Search for Home” and the synopsis is as follows:
“[THE GLOBAL SOUL is] quite a tour, around the world and then some, dense with detail….The book is filled with men and women of diverse nationalities and ethnic backgrounds, most of them making cameo appearances, establishing themselves as cosmopolitans. There is not much time to get to know anyone, because the experience is necessarily kaleidoscopic and in constant motion….Iyer is a good writer with a sharp eye, a well-furnished mind and a keen moral sense. It is probable that he intended THE GLOBAL SOUL to be as dizzying as its subject.”
Excerpt from another synopsis:
“Introducing himself as a guy who doesn’t have a sense of belonging to a single nation, he immerses himself in the cultures of a number of typical geographical refuges of the ‘Global Soul’, a term he coins to describe his, and many others’, postmodern lifestyle of constant travel. He’s interested in LAX for its “town life without a town”, and in Toronto for its renowned multicultural atmosphere. He organises his entire journey under a search for a home, his Californian home having burnt down during a night of out-of-control weather. Iyer explores the different ways in which the natives of the locales he visits adopt to their environment, whether embracing or resisting (or both) what it has to offer.”
(Is this spam?)
January 12th, 2008 at 3:22 am
I always liked reading Pico Iyer’s essaies in Time magazine but I can’t relate to the guy if we’re talking about global culture and TCKness. He’s more of a child of immigrant parents who was born and raised in one place than a TCK who was uprooted and dragged all over the place then sent back home. Pico did not have to repatriate to the East Indies when he was a teenager. Visiting the country of origin of your parents after you’ve found your place in the world because you’re perfectly well-adjusted to that particular society is a very different thing from what many of us have had to go through…or are still going through.
But putting that aside - I do think Pico Iyer is a good writer anyway
(Is this spam?)
January 12th, 2008 at 8:24 am
I recently finished “The Poisonwood Bible”, fascinating TCK book. I was particularly fascinated by it because it is set in Congo between 1960 and 1997. My dad was living in Congo during the early years, and I have cousins who still live there.
The book is the story of a family that went to Congo as missionaries. The family falls apart and much of the book is about how the three TCK sisters deal with the TCK experience. Looked at from that light, it’s a really interesting read. One girl stays in Africa and joins Africa; one stays in Africa and tries to stay separate; one goes to the States but finds Africa is still in her. Oh, and the author is TCK so she actually presents things with some knowledge. I recommend the book, even if (as an MK) I don’t agree with some of the portrayal of the missionary father. (Though I grant that there are people like him in the world, I know a lot of people that are nothing like that.)
(Is this spam?)
January 12th, 2008 at 8:29 am
that was a good book… Although you’re right, I don’t particularly agree with the description of the father.
And the end is kind of depressing, I thought.
I didn’t know that the author was an MK though.
(Is this spam?)
January 12th, 2008 at 8:37 am
I have also read the book, and thought the same thing you did. From a TCK perspective, it’s very well written and insightful. I enjoyed it for that reason. From a missionary perspective, well, it makes us look bad! I know there are people like that in the world, but I’ve never met one, and I’ve met a lot of people, including lots of missionaries.
(Is this spam?)
January 12th, 2008 at 11:18 am
The author was TCK, but not MK. She was the daughter of volunteer health workers or something like that.
(Is this spam?)
January 13th, 2008 at 4:27 am
“The Historian” based on the reviews I’ve seen may not be so good if you already read a good story about vampires. But personally I haven’t read too many stories about vampires and this one is really good. Some find that all the details make the reading a bit tedious but it is that that made me love the book - the details of the stories that date back in time and the events gradually being revealed…just very exciting
(Is this spam?)
January 17th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
When I was a teenager, one of my favorite books was Kim, by Rudyard Kipling. Kim was a boy who was born British in India during the Colonial times, and he was orphaned young and raised by locals. He basically grew up as a poor hindustani boy who barely spoke English, and at some point the British army discovers him and takes care of him. At the time I did not know what a TCK was, but I loved the book because it was about another TCK. Also, it was full of intrigue, and I like intrigue. That’s all I’ll say about that.
It has been many years since I read it, so I don’t know what I’d think of it now. Hm, maybe it’s time to re-read it.
(Is this spam?)
January 17th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
i keep starting the poisonwood bible and never finish for some reason. and althoug one dimentional, matthew, i have say unfortunately i have met missionaries like the father was portrayed. of course that is not to say that all or even most missionaries are like that, but yeah, you are right, it sucks they are out there.
one of my favourites is by tsitsi dangarembga, called “nervous conditions”. the book is actually about a girl that is bron and bread in zimbabwe, but there is a side character, he cousin who is tck and repatriated as a teen. the cousin is a well fleshed out character and i totally related to her (even though she becomes bulemic and does some other stuff that i have never been through, it was her desperation and sense of being different and not understanding why i connected with).
i also love the fact that she explores this cousins relationship with her father who kind of acts one way when he was in england, and another in zim. i thin sometimes parents don’t even realise they are doing it, like how when you are living outside your passport country it is ok to speak another language but as soon as you repatriate, even your ‘rents seem not to understand why you don’t speak your mother tongue fluently.
anyway, i’d recommend it. the author is tck too.
(Is this spam?)
January 20th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
I recently finished “When we were Children” by Kazuo Ishiguro. I know Ayako’s mentioned it before as a TCK novel.
And a TCK novel it really, really is. I feel like Ishiguro goes out of his way to make his main character go through a great many TCK-ish things in ways that don’t necessarily drive the story.
So while there’s a lot of novelty in having a novel focused on a TCK character… It isn’t actually a very good book. It doesn’t read well, the TCKisms don’t seem to have much impact on the storyline, in that the character need not ever have a strong TCK link to Shanghai, that it could have just been about orphans in the UK, or anywhere else.
So while I recommend it on the basis of “Oh that’s such a TCK thing to do!” throughout most of the book, it doesn’t capture me as a reader and I wouldn’t reread it.
On the other hand, I’m reading “Birds Without Wings” by Louis de Berniere, and it’s terrific so far.
(Is this spam?)