Keep Reading October 2020
I don’t know about you, but I won’t mind saying goodbye to this year. Only two more months to go.
October was a good reading month for me. I did a lot of walking and a lot of reading. I also seem to not be doing as much sleeping as I would like but that also means more reading time. Every cloud has a silver lining even if the lining is a little tarnished.
Apeirogon Took first prize this month against several very good books. Colum McCann starts with two real men with real stories and adds his magic touch to make this book as wonderful as it is. A man from Israel and a man from Palestine both lose their daughters to violence cause by the conflict in their towns. These men find each other and share their stories. A group is formed for families in similar situations. They prove that both sides of a long-time conflict can work together to create peace. I really love this book.
American Dervish by Ayad Akhtar gives a different look at a different conflict. Young Hayat Shah’s life changes when his mother’s friend Mina, a woman of great intelligence and beauty, arrives in his small midwestern town from Pakistan. Hayat learns from Mina about the dervishes and is determined to become a hafiz–one who memorizes the Quran–despite his parents’ objections.
The Tenderness of Wolves is written by a woman who never visits the place she writes about. In fact, she is pretty much someone who does not leave her house other than to do research at the library. However, Stef Penney takes the reader on a beautiful and frightening journey through the northern Canadian wilderness. You will slowly get to know a vivid cast of characters living in the 1860’s trying to survive in difficult conditions. Through in a great mystery and you are off on a wild journey.