The Reading Globally group inspired me to vastly expand my reading horizons in 2008. As a result, I visited more than 30 new countries last year and really enjoyed the experience!

Message edited by its author, Jan 14, 2009, 7:48am.

Alright, then! Some of my favourite reads from 2008, in random order:

SWEDEN: Astrid and Veronika by Linda Olsson. This is a beautiful novel about two women – one in her 80s, the other in her 30s – who gradually become friends and offer each other solace by being there for one another, listening quietly, lovingly and with infinite patience. Some of the themes include friendship, love, transformation, and the joy of sharing. I enjoyed the Scandinavian setting.

FRANCE
Just Like Tomorrow. This debut novel was written by the 19-year old French writer, Faiza Guene, of Algerian parentage. The narrator is the delightful 15-year-old Doria who paints a vivid picture of life in the run-down high-rise area, north of Paris, populated by struggling immigrants from Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. Doria's commentary reveals the many personal challenges she and her mum, as well as the other grappling individuals, face as immigrants in a foreign country. Her telling is matter-of-fact, but very engaging. It's touching and also quite funny. Enjoyed this read!

FRANCE
Toujours Provence. A delightful jaunt in the French countryside of Provence accompanied by Peter Mayle’s breezy and entertaining anecdotes of living, eating and farming with the boisterous Provencal locals. Entertaining!

TURKEY
An Island in Istanbul: At Home on Heybeliada by M.A. Whitten. An enjoyable memoir about creating a life on the Instanbullu island of Heybeliada in 2006. The author and her husband bought a property on the island, and have to come to terms with the people and culture of the islanders. This was really charming.

CHINA
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa Lee. This was an extraordinary book in many ways. This novel reads like a memoir, and is told by 80-year-old Lily who reminisces about her life, from early childhood, encompassing a deeply-rooted friendship, through marriage, to old-age.

It goes back to the early 1800s in China and reveals an exotic world where women were subjected to stringent rules and ancient customs. One of these rituals was footbinding, an agonizingly painful practice (that finally ended in the 1950s). This rite is described in excruciating detail as the protagonists, Lily and Snow Flower, experience the process to ensure that they have "white lillies" i.e. perfect, tiny feet to secure better marital prospects.

The friendship that develops between Lily and Snow Flower during their footbinding ritual at the age of seven is fostered by the secret language nu shu, which they use throughout their lives to communicate with one another via their secret fan. This language was used by women in the higher strata of Chinese society, and employed exquisite artistry, paintings and flowery language to convey heartfelt emotions.

The story was beautiful and, at times, melancholic. All-in-all, an intriguing cultural experience!

HONG KONG
Gweilo: Memoirs of a Hong Kong Childhood by Martin Booth. This is the delightful account of a 7-year-old adventurous kid who traipses around Hong Kong in the 1950s, exploring the city when his dad's "posted" there from England for three years. An enjoyable memoir.

I read three from Afghanistan that I would recommend:

AFGHANISTAN
Earth and Ashes by Atiq Rahimi. This poignant novella is set in Russian-occupied Afghanistan. A heartbroken old man sets out with his grandson, Yassin, who has been rendered deaf by the bomb-blast that destroyed his home, killing his wife, son and daughter-in-law under the most demoralizing conditions. His task is to find his son, Murad, who is away working in the mines, to tell him the devastating news.

The narrative, though short, is very touching as the old man grapples with the harshness of war and the moral dilemmas facing him. This is a very short but powerful book that succeeds in depicting an old man's anguish.

AFGHANISTAN
Mahboba's Promise: How One Woman Made a World of Difference. This is the biography of the extraordinary Afghani-born Mahboba Rawi (no touchstone) who managed to escape war-torn Afghanistan and finally established a new life for herself in Australia.

Rawi eventually founded Mahboba’s Promise, an internationally recognised aid organisation, which provides basics, including food and shelter, but also hope to thousands of women and orphans in her native Afghanistan. For more info, visit www.mahbobaspromise.org.

I had this book for months before I read it. Once I'd started, I couldn’t put it down! A heartbreaking but inspiring read.

AFGHANISTAN
The Sewing Circles of Herat: A Personal Voyage Through Afghanistan by Christina Lamb. Lamb is an award-winning British journalist who's extensive knowledge of the Afghanistan is evident as she paints a vivid picture of the country – both its rich and cultured past and its ruined and bleak present.

She is adamant in seeking out stories, and manages to secure interviews with top military commanders in a male-dominated realm. Her meetings with people from all strata of society reflect a picture of hope, where people still yearn to replenish their society and reestablish a culture of learning, in spite of the utter devastation and loss they have experienced.

The “sewing circles” in the title, is a case in point. At a time when women had been relegated to the margins of society and had been banished from learning by the Taliban, they formed “sewing circles” where women could legitimately get together to learn the art of sewing; only they were not meeting to learn sewing skills, at all.

The innocuous sewing classes acted as a front for an underground network of writers and poets who risked their lives for literature, to instruct women in forbidden subjects such as aesthetics and foreign classics.

The sewing circles anecdote forms a very brief, but enjoyable, part of the book. There are many photographs accompanying the narrative that enhance the telling of the stories. This is a proud nation with a glorious history of heroism and bravery in the face of numerous wars and losses. An important, solid read, if you want to know more about Afghanistan and its history.

IRAN
Even After All This Time: A Story of Love, Revolution and Leaving Iran by Afschineh Latifi. This is Latifi's memoir of the Iranian revolution, the execution of her father in Iran, her migration to Austria with her sister where they subsequently schooled, and their later move to the US. On the one hand, she tells of the gruelling hardships they faced, the language barrier, financial difficulties, etc. and on the other, the love and kindness of strangers-turned-friends. A satisfying read.

Neither East, Nor West: One Woman's Journey Through the Islamic Republic of Iran by Christiane Bird. I thoroughly enjoyed this journalist's four-month ramble though Iran, where she engaged with Iranians from all strata of society. She got me completely engrossed in the telling. This book was well-researched.

Now to Africa, from which some of my favorite 2008 reads emanate:

GHANA (AND THE CARIBBEAN)
The Seasons of the Beento Blackbird by Ghanaian-born Akosua Busia. This is a beautifully crafted debut novel that transports the reader from the breathtaking Caribbean islands, to the outskirts of a village and its people in Ghana, and then off to the lofty publishing houses in New York, and back. The writing is lyrical, the characterisation rich and the story compelling. It contains elements of magic, and deals with the phenomenal power of love within marriage, and the ability of books to move and uplift people.

This book made me want to read more books from Africa because I so enjoyed its rich, resonant culture; but also because it made me want to know more about Africa's valuable and moving history. I definitely recommend this book; it would make an excellent book club read that's sure to fuel a whole lot of discussion! This was an absolute treat!

ETHIOPIA
Sweetness in the Belly by Canadian author, Camilla Gibb. This thoughtful novel explores the themes of belonging, ethnicity, politics, faith and love. Lilly is a British child whose parents die while they are in Morocco, leaving Lilly to be brought up by the sufi Sheikh Afdal. She adopts a life of religious conviction, and at 16, finds herself forging a life in Ethiopia, amongst the locals.

Gibb's research is astounding and her writing effortless. The reader is plunged into Ethiopia during the 70s under the autocrat, Haile Selassie. She offers a glimpse into the intimate lives of Muslim women, exploring issues of prejudice, deprivation, and female circumcision. She also succeeds in highlighting commonalities between people that transcend religion and culture. An easy read, brilliantly written and highly recommended.

More favorites from Africa:

SOUTH AFRICA
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton. One of the best book I read in 2008. The prose is beautiful, graceful, insightful and wise. It’s a very easy read, layered with meanings. This story, set in apartheid South Africa, will tug at your heartstrings. Highly recommended.

TANZANIA
By the Sea by Abdulrazak Gurnah. This is an expertly crafted novel. Two men – one a furnituremaker, business- and family man, the other a poet and professor – find themselves refugees in England and as they tell the story of their lives, a compelling tale emerges. Though they're in a cold and bleak environment in England, the backdrop to their stories is the warm east coast of Africa in Zanzibar – where traders descend seasonally with the musim winds, bringing perfumes, spices and exotic pieces of furniture.

The tales hark back to the oral storytelling tradition, and captivate one from the first pages that draw you in with the masterful storytelling and hold you in its grip, until the final pages as the story draws to a close. Most intriguing is the brilliant intertwining of events and the effect it has on each of the men and their families as well as the greater society. The stories tell of realised dreams, friendships forged, love found, passion, seduction, deception, disillusionment and ultimately the unexpected displacement of individuals in a bid to survive.

Gurnah's writing is absorbing and profound. Highly recommended.

ZIMBABWE
Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga. A wonderful novel set in former Rhodesia during the 60s told from the perspective of the aspirant young Tambudzai, who gets the rare opportunity to acquire an education when her only brother dies. As the telling unfolds, we gain insight into a patriarchal system and the rigorous demands placed on women, particularly Tambu, her mother, her uncle’s educated wife (she has a Master’s Degree obtained in England) and her cousin, Nyasha, who has a difficult time adapting to life in Rhodesia after being exposed to a totally different mindset in London for a few years. A worthwhile read.

To quote Rachel (rachbxl), also in the Reading Globally group: "I found Nervous Conditions to be one of those books that really opens your eyes to another place, another culture, another way of living."

Hurray! I'd been wondering when you'd get round to starting a thread here. I'm really looking forward to seeing where your reading takes you this year.

Thanks, Rachel! I am, too! :)

My favorites from Nigeria thus far:

NIGERIA
Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. This is, I think, a YA book set in Nigeria. The protagonist is 15-year-old Kambili. I found her innocence delightful, and the writing wonderful. Kambili lives with her well-to-do parents and brother, and is totally cloistered by her controlling and authoritative father. When she visits her "poorer" cousins she learns that, although they live on top of one another with barely any breathing space, they are so much richer for the love, laughter and camaraderie they share. This was a sweet and poignant read.

NIGERIA
Half of a Yellow Sun also by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. This was Adichie’s second, more accomplished novel that received rave reviews on LT, so I won’t say much about it. I found it compelling and substantial, and recommend it highly.

NIGERIA
Lemona's Tale by Ken Saro-Wiwa. This book stayed with me long after I read it. Lemona has been silent in prison for 25 years but the day before her execution, she permits a visitor to whom she finally recounts the story of her life. It is a woman’s story of passion and despair, of love and abuse, of dreams and betrayal, set in Nigeria.

* A Note on the Author: Ken Saro-Wiwa's biography is fascinating. He was a Nigerian author, television producer and environmentalist. He was of the Ogoni people, an ethnic minority in Nigeria. Although busy, he devoted a lot of his time to human rights and environmental causes, advocating particularly for the rights of the Ogoni people.

As a result he was imprisoned, without trial, in 1991 by the Nigerian military government. In 1995, he and eight others were executed by the Nigerian army. His death provoked international outrage and the immediate suspension of Nigeria from the Commonwealth of Nations.

This book was published posthumously.

Message edited by its author, Jan 16, 2009, 4:26am.

MOROCCO
The Caliph's House: A Year in Casablanca by Tahir Shah. In an attempt to realise his "delusions of grandeur", as he puts it, Shah moves to Morocco with his family of four, from London, buys an expansive home set on an acre of ground and starts renovating to make it more habitable. Apparently the house had been vacant for ages. This delightful memoir spans the year of renovations and of coming-to-terms with the sometimes outlandish customs of the locals. This was well-written and very entertaining!

INDIA
The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar. Set in India, this is a story woven around two compelling, but very different, women. This is another book that stayed with me. I loved the writing and found many quotable quotes.

BANGLADESH (Immigrants to London)
The Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri. A lot has been said on LT about the wonder of this book! This slim volume was an absolute pleasure to read. Lahiri is a masterful storyteller, and what she is able to accomplish in a short story is incredible.

BANGLADESH/INDIA
The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh. The setting – the Sundarbans, an immense archipelago of islands between the sea and plains of Bengal, on the east coast of India – is as important a character in this novel as the other personalities. It provides a tranquil background fraught with secrets and hidden dangers.

Against this setting, we have the impassioned Piya, an American of Indian parentage who has come here to pursue her life's work – finding and researching rare dolphins in the waters of the Sundarbans. Add to the mix Kanai Dutt, a womanising Indian businessman who is there at the request of his aunt, a local figure, and Fokir, an illiterate man, who understands the waters and Piya's enthusiasm and is able to take her to the heart of the action. There is also Fokir's unsettled wife, Moyna, among the other characters.

There are a number of stories and myths within the story, as well as the struggles of the settlers in the region that make for interesting reading. All in all, a good read.

SRI LANKA
Mosquito by Roma Tearne. A beautifully written tale of love and the ravages of war. Some pages were just so exquisitely crafted that I wanted to underline the entire page!

JAMAICA
Small Island by Jamaican-born Andrea Levy. Tons of opinions on this one on LT. I’m grateful to the many LTers who recommended it! It is a special book that had me laughing out loud, and then there were the tears … it is funny, and it is profound, and I recommend it highly.

RUSSIA
Dreams of My Russian Summers by Andrei Makine. Translated from the French Le Testament Francais by Geoffrey Strachan (no touchstone). This is a coming-of-age, biographical novel. Makine was born in Siberia and now resides in France.

As a child, the protagonist spent his summer holidays in the steppes with his French grandmother, Charlotte, who regaled him with stories that held him spellbound during the long Siberian nights on the balcony. She is an engaging storyteller and her stories take on a life of their own – so much so that they become an ineluctable part of his life.

When Charlotte left France as a young woman decades before, the only thing she had with her was a suitcase filled with old photographs and newspaper clippings. These, along with her almost tangible memories, form the keystone of her endless stories and anecdotes. He becomes completely enthralled with Parisian life – at the expense of real life. He was, “imprisoned in the fantasy of the past, from whence (he) cast absent-minded glances at real life.”

This book, while celebrating his grandmother and the depth and wonder she brought to his life, also brought to light the struggle he experienced in finding and coming to terms with real life as opposed to the wonderful dreams and anecdotes that were so much a part of his daily existence.

This book made me want to reminisce about the good old days with my grandmother. I also wanted to go and dig out old photographs of yesteryear, showing my grandparents in another era - posing in studios in elegant attire for a deft photographer stooped over a tripod under a black cloth :)

ARGENTINA
Mothers and Shadows by Marta Traba. Translated from the Spanish by Jo Labanyi. This was my first foray into South America and it was an eye-opener. This is the story of two women, Dolores and Irene, activists during the Dirty War in South America (1976-1983).

These Argentinians, one young and one older, meet five years afterwards and their conversation and interior monologues disclose the terror and untold suffering they – and thousands of others – endured during that time. The tale encompasses their personal lives, and tells of the widespread participation in demonstrations that led to arrests, senseless beatings and torture, as well as the loss of loved ones to death. The psychological trauma of the women is evident. As they talk, they form a bond and begin the process of healing.

One memorable scene in the book portrays a scene in which Irene participates in a demonstration known as the 'Madwomen of the Plaza De Mayo'. This was a weekly demonstration by thousands of women carrying photographs and lists of names of loved ones who had disappeared. Each woman would don a small white scarf as a sign of hope, so the demonstrators would appear like a sea of white scarves waving in the air on the plaza. Apparently some 30,000 people went missing during this time.

Incidentally, The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo is an activist organisation that still exists today. Their objective is to fight for the right to find and reunite families.

This book was somewhat reminiscent of the struggle years in South Africa, and I'm glad I read it. Recommended.

CHILE
Eva Luna by Chilean author Isabel Allende. Translated from the Spanish by Margaret Sayers Peden. For me, this was an impressive introduction to Allende’s flamboyant storytelling ability. For those who enjoy a colorful tale blended with a healthy dose of magical realism, this is a book to savor.

Another one from RUSSIA
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch by Alexander Solzhenitsyn. Translated from the Russian by H.T. Willets (no ts). This book is an account of one day (in an 8-year term) in Ivan’s life, spent under the watchful eyes of his warders in a Stalinist work camp in Siberia. It is a viciously cold day and we get a sense of the strategies employed by the prisoners – and the camaraderie that develops – in a bid to survive the raw chill and stave off the intense hunger, that never lets up.

The book is based on the life of the author who was sentenced to eight years in a labor camp after making derogatory remarks about Stalin. Although the subject matter is stark, the book is not in the least emotional or sentimental. It's an easy and pleasant read that leaves one grateful for all the simple pleasures in life. This is another book that tends to stay with one after the read.

akeela, These are fascinating reviews of many interesting-sounding books (some of which I've read), with many to add to that tottering TBR.

akeela, the premise of Lemona's Tale sounds the same as Nawal el Saadawi's Woman at Point Zero (which is based on a true story). Silent woman in jail (though not for years), and just before her execution for murder she agrees to speak to a woman psychologist. Further synopsis HERE I found the novel compelling and powerful.

Thanks, Rebecca. Alas, LT's responsible for many tottering mount tbrs - and I suspect that's precisely why we love it! :)

Lois, thanks for the link. I have access to Woman at Point Zero but will have to wait until I'm in the mood for it - it seems very dark. Lemona's tale is an easy and compelling one, not at all emotionally taxing.

It's interesting that WaPZ is based on a true story. Wasn't Al-Saadawi a trained psychiatrist? Hmm.. It should make for interesting reading!

akeela, your list is quite impressive and the reviews marvelous. Thank you for posting them!

Well, thank you, Paola!

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:
Burning Marguerite by Elizabeth Inness-Brown. This stunning debut novel about love and death is set in New Orleans. One morning James Jack Wright finds his 94-year-old Tante Marguerite dead outside his cabin in the snow – what follows is the moving story of her life from the present in New England to the past, as a teenager in love in New Orleans around the Great Depression.

Much of the tale unravels from Marguerite’s absorbing perspective and the reader gains a strong sense of this mother’s love for the child in her care. The story hinges on the tender relationship between her and James Jack, whom she adopted when he was orphaned as an infant.

The writing is wonderful and Inness-Brown uses the metaphors of fire and ice so superbly they almost become additional characters in the book! There is also a period when she takes to drawing and quilting that I rather enjoyed. This is an effortless engaging read, one I definitely recommend.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:
Gift From the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. This is one of my enduring favorites. Although this memoir was written in 1955, it is still completely relevant today. In the midst of being tied up with her family life –she has a husband and five children – Lindbergh decides to take off and spend some time alone on an island to replenish herself. As the days pass, she starts relaxing and leaving the busyness behind; she then begins to soak up nature and the abundant gifts the sea has to offer in terms of life lessons. Very wise, and beautifully written. Highly recommended.

UNITED KINGDOM:
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. A dedicated butler quietly reminisces about his lifelong devotion to his job and the choices he has made. The result is a moving, wise book filled with grace and subtlety. It is brilliantly crafted, and most definitely recommended.

UNITED KINGDOM:
After You’d Gone by Maggie O’Farrell (pesky touchstones won't load). This is an accomplished, heartrending debut novel. It is the story of a profound and true love tragically aborted. O’Farrell’s fine prose explores powerful themes of family, loss, grief and healing. This is one to savor.

UNITED KINGDOM:
Iris and Ruby by Rosie Thomas. The wilful 19-year-old Ruby runs away from England and finds her way to her 82-year-old grandmother, Iris, in Cairo. Her unexpected arrival is like a breath of fresh air to the lonely, older woman and an unlikely camaraderie develops between them. Filled with nostalgic tales harking back to the war era where the youth escaped the harshness of the landscape with music, parties and romance. A lovely read.

That's it! Last year's reads. I will now add some of this year's reads, and then hope to go back to books I read from around the world, prior to discovering LT. Not sure how many I'll unearth, but I will try to reconstruct reviews from memory (mmm..) and fragments of notes scribbled here and there :)

2009’s Reads:
Another from INDIA:
The Hero's Walk by Anita Rau Badami transports one to Big House, the busy home of the Rao family, in Toturpuram, a hot and dusty town in Southern India. We meet Sripathi, the man of the house; his crotchety, mean-spirited, caste-conscious, 80-year-old mother, Ammayya; his long-suffering wife, Nirmala; son, Arun; and spinster sister, the poor Putti, who has not been married simply because her mother prefers her at her beck and call 24/7.

Sripathi and Nirmala also have a daughter, Maya, who lives in Vancouver. Maya has been denounced by her father because she has defied Hindu rules and married someone outside of their caste; even worse, she has married a non-Hindu, American man, and for this, Sripathi cannot forgive her, refusing even to acknowledge his grandchild, Nandana, when she is born.

And then, the unthinkable happens. Maya and Alan are killed in an accident. And Sripathi has to fetch the orphaned 7-year-old, Nandana, to join the family in India.

The coming to terms with Maya's death is a large part of the book, as Sripathi, Nirmala and Nandana each face their own inner struggles.

The writing is lovely and one can taste and smell the Indian air and its surrounds. Although the subject matter is weighty, the writing isn't. There were many passages that were beautifully written, and Badami has cleverly sprinkled bits of humor throughout.

SENEGAL:
So Long a Letter by Mariama Ba. Translated from the French by Modupé Bodé-Thomas.

This distinctive debut novel is written in the form of a letter from Ramatoulaye to her childhood friend, Assiatou, on the death of her husband. The two women have a deep-rooted friendship, cultivated over many years of shared life experiences: from good, happy marriages, and the birth of their children, to the challenges when their long-term husbands reveal that they have taken young, second wives.

Although polygamy is acceptable in their circles, the two women are dazed by their husbands' actions, mostly because they've had meaningful relationships with their spouses – and their reactions are markedly different.

Ramatoulaye reminisces and her outpouring of the heart is thoughtful, and considered. The letter depicts Senegalese society during the 70s, after independence, especially the reduced role of women, slowly coming into their own. The writing is simple, yet profound. It is wise, and moving, and there were numerous paragraphs that resonated with me.

This may be a woman's voice in the throes of disappointment and loss, but it is equally a voice of hope and remarkable personal growth. Ba's writing is exquisite and this gem comes highly recommended!

PAKISTAN:
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid. The book is a monologue of sorts. The setting is a café in Lahore where the protagonist, Changez, sees a visibly uneasy American stranger and starts chatting with him, in an effort to put him at ease. They are seated and place their orders as Changez tells the man about his life as an immigrant in the States, living the American dream.

He is an intelligent 25-year-old who graduated top of his class at Princeton U, then got snatched up by a prestigious NY firm where he achieved spectacular professional success. To crown it all, he found love with the classy Erica, who proceeded to introduce him to the elite circles of Manhattan society. In the midst of this headiness, September 11 occurs and Changez is seized by a strong sense of allegiance to Pakistan.

This was a quick, compelling read. I thoroughly enjoyed the elegant, thought-provoking prose.

That is an impressive list, Akeela! I'm adding Just Like Tomorrow, Toujours Provence, Gweilo, The Seasons of the Beento Blackbird, and So Long a Letter to my exponentially growing wish list.

Thanks, Darrel! :) Hope you get to them!

Message edited by its author, Jan 16, 2009, 5:13am.

Now to find some of my old favorites!

YEMEN
First up: Like Nowhere Else by Denyse Woods. I adored this book, and am surprised I’m the only LT-er with a copy! Amazon.com has only one review. It starts: “Like Nowhere Else is one of those rare novels that makes you sigh with pleasure”.

I have to agree.

Londoner Vivien Quish is a would-be travel writer who has dreamt her entire life of visiting the mystical city of Sana’a. She wants to inhabit the city and explore the area, like others before her have done for centuries.

In preparation she has devoured books, and remembers passages from travellers before her. Though she is surprised by the rigid heat and whirling dust when she eventually gets there, she relishes the setting with the advantage of others’ experiences to guide her. But, in the process of living her dream, Vivien finds more than her love of Sana’a in Yemen; she also discovers the love of her life in the scorching heat of the desert.

The writing is mesmerising. And the detail of the magical city, its people and culture through different eras is a treat. I found the plot riveting and, in spite of its 400 pages, could not put this book down until it was done.

Message edited by its author, Jan 16, 2009, 2:33am.

EUROPE (!)

Travelling With Djinns by Jamal Mahjoub. Only 7 copies on LT!

A note on the author: Mahjoub was born in London to an English mother and a Sudanese father, raised in Khartoum and now lives in Barcelona. He’s a trained geologist, librarian, journalist and translator.

I can vouch that Mahjoub is also an exceptionally gifted novelist. This book is about a man and his 7-year-old son setting out on a road trip across Europe. His wife has threatened divorce and this is his last opportunity to let his son know something about himself. The problem is, he is still coming to terms with his life and his past, growing up in the Sudan.

The trip takes them through Germany to Paris and on via Provence to Spain. The relationship between the father and son is beautifully portrayed, as father and son interact and get to know one another. Mahjoub is an intelligent writer and his prose is filled with interesting facts about the history of the different countries they pass through, as well as the Sudan.

The protagonist, Yasin is well-read, so he has lots of snippets about authors and books to share with Leo. Also, his mom loved movies, so there are lines and scenes from movies, which was great. This was a very entertaining, intelligent read. There were many heartfelt moments, balanced with very humorous ones. I loved this book!

ohhhhh, akeela! This thread is going to be a disaster for my TBR pile! Thanks for all the great reviews and book ideas!

Akeela, Travelling with Djinns is my first purchase for 2009! I purchased the last copy currently being sold on Alibris, and it is out of stock at Amazon US and The Book Depository. However, Amazon UK still has some copies.

>33
am surprised I’m the only LT-er with a copy!

You will be happy to know you are not the only one; three other people have a copy catalogued. :-)

BTW, this thread is dangerous - my list is growing (again)!

You're welcome, Liz! :)

Darryl, I'm glad you managed to get a copy!

sqdancer, I'd still like to see even more people read Denyse Woods. Her first novel was The Catalpa Tree, which I also really enjoyed, published under the pseudonym Denyse Devlin.

>38

Have you read Hopscotch? Is that the same Denyse Devlin?

>39 No, I haven't, sqdancer. Have you?

No, I was just looking up Denyse Devlin in the local library consortium and that was the only book of hers they had listed. Maybe I'll give it a try.

THE NETHERLANDS
Ciske, the Rat by Piet Bakker. This book was originally written in Dutch. I read an Afrikaans translation of it called simply Ciske and I’m flabbergasted to find that there’s no mention of the translator’s name in my copy, especially since it’s an outstanding piece of work.

This is one my all-time favorite books. It’s set in Amsterdam and is the story of 11-year-old Ciske Vrijmoeth, a street child whose dreadful mother works in a bar and has so many children, she cannot be bothered about poor Ciske. He’s an intelligent, sensitive child who, like any other child, needs attention and wants to please. But his circumstances are harsh and he sometimes reacts to danger very quickly – because he’s been exposed to it so often – with heartbreaking results.

Ciske has no friends and is called “The Rat” possibly because he’s so quiet and lives on the street. But this child has dignity, and he steals your heart. He has a father he adores, who is frequently away at sea. Thankfully, Ciske attends school.

The narrator of the story is his teacher, Mr Bruis, who starts taking a real interest in this child and sweeps the reader along in descriptions of the boy who is sometimes so free and joyful, and at other times and more frequently, anxious and withdrawn.

Once on a school outing, we see the joy Ciske derives from the freedom to play and do cartwheels at the beach with the other children. He’s at the heart of the excitement, on the day. At school, he risks befriending a sick child, Dorus, and we see the quiet pleasure he derives from the new experience of having a friend. Dorus once gives him a book to take home, and he cherishes this book.

At home his life is a misery, as his appalling mother goes from one abusive relationship to the next. Then Ciske surprises his mother at home one night with yet another boyfriend. In her anger at being imposed upon, she tears some pages out of the precious book that Dorus had given him. Ciske is so enraged by her, he grabs a knife and stabs her, with fatal consequences. He is arrested and jailed for murdering his mother.

This is a beautiful tale told from the perspective of a caring teacher, who becomes completely involved in this disadvantaged child’s life. It is a wonderful read. Be warned, you will need Kleenex!

Another one from NIGERIA:
The Stillborn by Nigerian-born Zaynab Alkali. Thirteen-year-old Li has just finished grade 7 – the highest grade girls are generally allowed to complete – in the neighboring village and is on her way home in a swerving truck brimful with kids. One is immediately struck by her independence and verve. She dislikes being squashed up in the truck, and is the only child to notice that the driver is driving recklessly. Everyone else is totally absorbed in clapping and cheering the driver on home.

Though she is excited at the prospect of being with her many siblings again, she is ambivalent about her parents. They live in a compound with her grandparents, her senile grandmother and a grandfather whom she adores.

While she attends to her daily chores, Li enthusiastically daydreams about her future in the city: "She was dreaming of a paradise called the 'city'. A place where she would have an easy life, free from slimy calabashes and evil-smelling goats".

As children, she, her older sister, Awa, and their friend, Faku each nurture their own private dreams of a happy future dominated by marriage and many children. But Li has dreams beyond marriage; she wants to be educated and become a successful teacher.

This slim novel takes you to the heart of an African village, into the huts and down to the streams to collect water and firewood. You also experience nights of revelry, where the entire village comes to dances dominated by the beating of the drums that dictate the rhythm of the dancers.

But one cannot ignore the harsh patriarchal rules imposed on the women in this society. Women are to stay home and wait for proposals, or for their husbands to come home to them at the end of the day. Women wait, while men go out in search of their destinies.

Li is different. She is resolute and goes in search of what she wants. When she is attracted to a handsome new kid-on-the-block, she leaves a gaping hole in the fence through which she escapes to go out to be at the dance with him – something unheard of, with potentially severe consequences.

She follows her heart, and although everything does not always work out for Li, and we may not always agree with the choices she makes, she is a woman struggling for her dreams. In the process, she may grieve, but she also grows.

The title is a reference to the dreams the women have and the fact that while some dreams are realised, others remain stillborn.

I enjoyed this trip back into Africa. There are obviously many deeper issues at play here, and this was ostensibly a first step by Alkali in addressing issues of women in contemporary Nigerian society and the approach of modernisation.

This book made me want to immerse myself in the works of Chinua Achebe and Buchi Emecheta because the aura of the African setting was so wonderful. Also I loved the level of respect between the different characters as they conversed with one another, and the good warm wishes they’d extend as a matter of courtesy. Lovely!

Loving your thread akeela. You should be a writer yourself! Now going to add The Stillborn to my wishlist.

Thanks, Liz! That's very flattering!

Well, it's genuine, you write wonderfully. Probably all that reading you do!

Great thread, akeela!

akeela - this is the coolest list.Thanks for posting all this.

*note to self - look up Traveling with Djinns*

>47-48 Thank you both!

Dan, I think you'll enjoy Mahjoub's writing.

RHODESIA/ ZIMBABWE
Doris Lessing’s debut novel The Grass is Singing – published in 1950 – had me completely engrossed from its first troubled pages until the bitter end.

The book opens with the murder of Mary Turner and the arrest of the black man responsible for the deed. From the outset, there is this huge gap between the whites who are "hungry for contact with their own kind" and the lesser blacks who will rape, murder and steal, given half the chance.

Lessing is a consummate writer who draws one into the arid blazing heat of the African landscape. The story revolves around Mary and Dick Turner, who met, got married and went to live on a farm in a little ramshackle home in Southern Rhodesia in the 1950s.

They don't particularly like one another; in fact, sometimes each one is totally revolted by the other. But, as neither wants to hurt the other's feelings, they live together, mostly, in silence. Inside, they are filled with resentment and a build-up of debilitating negative energy.

Mary hates the searing heat, only marginally more than she loathes the black workers on the farm. There is no limit to her contempt for the natives, whom she deems savages. While Mary is at odds with nature, Dick is at peace with it. He has an innate love of the land that he so dutifully cultivates.

In this novel, Lessing boldly thrashes out the theme of racism, as well as human isolation and alienation. While depicting a broad societal view of racism, she also zones in particularly on the relationship between one white woman and her black male servant.

Though Mary and Dick Turner may well be the most unlikable characters I’ve come across, Lessing’s storytelling is superb and her timing unbelievable. You may want to give up on the wretched Mary and Dick, but you cannot discard this book – until you know exactly what has happened!

ITALY:
Another favourite from my 2007 reads: Extra Virgin: Amongst the Olive Groves of Liguria by travel writer Annie Hawes.

While on a working holiday to graft roses in Italy – something she knows nothing about, but how difficult can it be, right? – Annie Hawes and her sister are convinced by an Italian local to have a quick look at a ramshackle house and garden. While they work and learn to graft roses properly, they eat too much delectable Italian fare, consume excessive amounts of the local wine, get to know the Ligurian folk and find themselves falling in love with all things Italian.

The next thing, Hawes buys the hillside cottage on the Italian Riviera for a song and finds herself a signorina, welcomed into the fold of the local community. Their new neighbours are completely baffled by their peculiar foreign habits but set about remedying the matter.

What follows is a series of faux pas, as Hawes and her sister learn the outlandish ways of the gregarious Italian locals. Of course, they become acquainted with the appreciation of Italian food in all its gastronomic detail – apparently all-important to any and all Italians (Paola?)

Besides everything else, of course they have no idea of how to produce oil from the olive trees on their property, but that’s not a problem because the folk of Diano San Piedro are readily on hand - to ply them with enormous meals, eager company and all the skills they need to survive.

This is a wonderful memoir with many hilarious moments by Hawes who had lived in Liguria for 15 years by the time the book was published. She really was smitten, as was I!

akeela, I have the book (which I have not read yet) and, incidentally, I come from Liguria. The area Hawes describes is, I believe, in the province of Imperia.
Ligurian people, especially from the 'inland' areas, tend to be reserved and not really friendly, at least not until they get to know you.
The food is an important part of our culture, and the nice thing is that it varies according to what part of Italy you are in, often with several variations in the same region.
I have not difficulties in believing you were intrigued by the book, and your opinion and excellent review just pushed it toward the top of my TBR mountain. Thanks!!
:-))

Hey Paola! Thanks for your speedy response. I was actually just teasing :) (I think secretly we're all obsessed with food. We just won't admit to it as readily as the Italians, say :)

It's quite a coincidence that you come from Liguria, as well! In the book, the Ligurians were initially a critical and crusty lot, if I remember correctly - until they decided the two girls were okay and took them under their wing!

It was very well-written. I look forward to your comments!

Yes! The Ligurians ARE a crusty (I love this word) lot, and not only to foreigners, believe me!
:-))

KENYA
I just finished A Grain of Wheat by Ngugi. This novel is set on the eve of independence from British rule in Kenya, in the early 60s. The protagonists are a handful of men, including Gikonyo and Mugo who each face their own demons after time spent in prison and detention camps, as political prisoners. This is a country on the brink of change, so there is a fair amount of hope as the resistance plots and plans for the new, free nation they envisage.

The story unfolds from a number of varying perspectives, and a picture emerges of an entire community in turmoil. Amongst the male protagonists there is, of course, a beautiful woman in the form of the desirable Mumbi, who has stolen the imagination of more than one of the men, which leads to all sorts of interesting events.

Ngugi is a supreme storyteller with the amazing ability to build up tension in the plot. He literally had me on the edge of my seat a few times during the telling! There’s intrigue as the whole community rallies to find the person responsible for the betrayal and murder of their struggle hero. Furthermore there’s a compelling blend of joy, hope, tragedy, fear and disillusionment that makes for an informative but great read!

A Grain of Wheat is already on my wishlist, and will be going up in the queue following this review.

I have the predictable Things Fall Apart on my pile ready for February's theme read, because it's the only African book I own a copy of at the moment. Think I must read more, after really enjoying Purple Hibiscus last year.

Message edited by its author, Jan 27, 2009, 4:21am.

Liz, there are countless wonderful African reads. I hope you'll discover some more this year!

Here's one I just finished:

At home, in SOUTH AFRICA
The Whale Caller by South African-born Zakes Mda. This was a treat! The Whale Caller is passionate about the whales that periodically visit the waters of the small coastal town of Hermanus, where he blows his kelp horn for them. He is especially enamoured of Sharisa, a female southern right, who responds to his call and rewards him by dancing to his music, with him, for hours on end.

Saluni, the feisty village drunk, is equally passionate about the Whale Caller. She follows him around and makes no secret of her adoration for him. Being of subtle disposition, he is regularly embarrassed and scandalised by her attention. She couldn't be more different to him. "Saluni was made to be recklessly happy". She is a free spirit who loves life, laughter and living; he is quiet, cautious, and patiently content with his lot.

"She has no cares in the world ... She is a transgressor of all that he holds sacred: quiet dignity, never raising the voice, avoidance of vulgar vocabulary, never flaunting desires of any kind, frugality. Created in sin, she is such a wonderful sinner. A glorious celebrant of worldliness."

Her physical make-up is as colourful: Her manicured nails are red. She always wears a fawn pure-wool coat over a green taffeta dress, with red pencil-heeled shoes (which she often has to remove, when inebriated), black fishnet stockings, a long black cigarette holder and shock of red hair, to complete the picture.

As a relationship slowly develops between the two, we become steeped in an unforgettable love triangle compromising a gentle man lost in his adoration of a whale, a whale who seems to love him in return, and a seriously enamoured woman who will stop at nothing to have the man she loves completely to herself. According to Saluni, "The fish must go!"

This was a wonderfully entertaining read! It is naughty, playful and sometimes totally irreverent.

A Note on the Author: Zakes Mda is a South African writer, painter, composer and filmmaker. He commutes between South Africa and the United States of America, working as a professor of creative writing at Ohio University, as a beekeeper in the Eastern Cape, a dramaturge at the Market Theatre in Johannesburg and a director of the South African Multimedia AIDS Trust in Sophiatown, Johannesburg.

I have some catching up to do on this thread!

Another South African read I just finished and really enjoyed:

Fools by the distinguished Njabulo S. Ndebele. This is a wonderfully written novella of remarkable subtlety. The protagonists are both male, one a middle-aged schoolteacher, the other an 18-year-old who has just completed school in Swaziland. They seem to be the complete opposite of each other, yet they are also surprisingly similar. Zamani, the older man, sees his younger self in the idealistic Zani who has returned home with enthusiastic hopes of uplifting his community.

The book is narrated in the first person from the Zamani’s perspective and we see a haunting picture of embarrassment and disappointment emerge as the tale unfolds. He is a restless soul desperately in search of meaning in his life. Zani knows Zamani’s darkest secrets and makes no secret of his derision for him. Yet they form an unlikely bond and come to depend on one another for support in moments when it really matters.

Although the novel is told from the male perspective, Zamani and Zani’s relationships with the women in their lives play a pivotal role in the level of their humanity, and their struggles to be their best selves.

Ndebele is an academic with a notable career. He was the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Cape Town from 2000-2008. This book won the Noma Award, Africa’s highest literary award for the best book published in Africa in 1984. Definitely recommended.

>52, 53 I've met her, Akeela, and she's not the least bit crusty;-)

The Lessing sounds wonderful, as do the others.

Ha ha ha ha!!!! Lois, you are the best!
;-)

> 58 So you've met the inimitable Paola! Of course she's not crusty!!!! She's one the best-loved LTers around!

Oh my! You do make me blush......thank you!
:-))))))

CHINA
A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers by the Chinese-born Xiaolu Guo. When 23-year old Zhuang is sent to the UK to learn English by her parents, so that she can benefit the family shoe business, she learns a lot more than she bargained for.

We follow Zhuang’s voice from the inception of her journey to London, as she relays her thoughts, hopes and fears and negotiates the daunting challenge of being in a foreign land with a miminal grasp of the language. Her Concise Chinese-English Dictionary, which goes wherever she goes, is her saving grace as she stumbles and learns many mystifying lessons. When Zhuang falls in love with an older Englishman, the lessons become even harder...

The text is filled with humor, and wisdom. Zhuang is baffled by the English breakfast, which could easily qualify as lunch for a construction worker as far as she is concerned; the confusing verbal linguistic tenses, which don’t exist in the Chinese language; only 26 letters in the “lazy” alphabet, as opposed to the thousands of characters in Chinese; the perplexing preoccupation of the English with the weather, which doesn’t warrant a second thought in China, and so on. Interestingly, each of these examples corresponds with a mindset that distinguishes the English from the Chinese on a deeper philosophical level.

This is a remarkable book that demonstrates how language and culture are inherently bound together, and that by learning a language, you are effectively adopting a culture. An enjoyable, humorous and thought-provoking read.

no Touchstone...??

Message edited by its author, May 24, 2009, 4:57am.

CHILE
The Postman by the Chilean Antonio Skármeta, expertly translated from the Spanish by Katherine Silver. Rather than becoming a fisherman – like every other man on the beautiful island of Isla Negra, just off the mainland – Mario Jiménez becomes the postman. He only has one client – Chile's beloved poet Pablo Neruda, the only literate person on the island, who incidentally gets loads of mail daily. Mario, like everyone else, is a devotee of the poet, and dreams of obtaining his coveted autograph.

When Mario falls in love with the gorgeous Beatriz González, he promptly enlists the help of the poet to woo the voluptuous barmaid. And so he begins to impart his lush and sensuous metaphors, which work its magic, despite her mother’s fervently impassioned protests.

I enjoyed the unexpected friendship that blossoms, and develops, between the two men and the lengths Mario would go to for his friend. When Don Pablo leaves to accept the Nobel Prize for Literature and a diplomatic post in Paris, he misses Chile so much that he sends Mario a tape recorder saying:
"I miss the sea. I miss the birds. Send me the sounds of my house. Go into the garden and ring the bells. First tape the small bells that chime so thinly in the breeze, then pull the rope on the large bell, five or six times ... then go down to the rocks, tape the crashing waves. And if you hear the silence of the stars, tape it. Paris is beautiful, but it is like a suit a few sizes too big for me..."

And so, to his mother-in-law's dismay, Mario goes about the serious business of taping the sounds of Chile, "with the dedication of a philatelist ... his life and work were reduced to pursuing the waxing tide, the waning tide, and the rough waters churned up by the wind ... He tied the Sony to a rope and lowered it into crevices in the rocks where crabs sharpened their claws and the seaweed clung for dear life."

This may be a little book, but it elicited many chuckles! The writing’s a treat and there are some priceless metaphors, as could be expected. It's a quick, light and poetic read, and it looks like it may be headed for my Top 10 list at the end of 2009.

Message edited by its author, Jun 4, 2009, 2:49am.

The Postman was my read for Chile too, and I also loved it! The language was very poetic in places, and I also enjoyed reading about how he tried to tape all the sounds of Chile.

Your China read looks fantastic, I will be adding it to my wishlist!

Hi Amckie, glad to know you enjoyed it as much as I did!

You might also consider Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, which I mention way up in post #3. It provides a sense of China in the 1800s and was a good read.

Thanks for the review of the Skarmeta. It looks like another one to add to the list. Is it a relatively light-hearted read? I could do with a couple (not because of my own life, you understand, but because of the groans of misery emanating from my TBR).

You're welcome, Andy. It is indeed an extremely light-hearted read! And it's very small, too - so don't expect any kind of substance to this one - it's just a light fun, romp, if you will.

Yes Akeela, that one has been on my wishlist for quite some time... probably since I read your post in #3! ;)

And Depressaholic, it is definitely light-hearted. And very short. Sometimes it is nice to get a quicky in there between the long reads!

Sharon and My Mother-in-Law: Ramallah Diaries by Suad Amiry. In 1981, Dr Suad Amiry moved to occupied Ramallah, where she lived and worked at the Birzeit University. There she also met a wonderful man, fell in love, married, and acquired a mother-in-law.

This memoir takes you into the heart of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict but, though the book’s setting is dire, the tone is surprisingly light. Amiry conveys her story with a sharp sense of humor, choosing to see the funny side of things – perhaps a mechanism employed to deal with the senselessness and absurdity amid heartbreaking circumstances.

We are given some insight into the challenges Palestinians face, the physical destruction of the land and homes, and the permits, passports and checkpoints that are a part of the day-to-day routine. Amiry has an amazing understanding of humanity and portrays her own struggle vis-a-vis that of others, on both sides of the divide. The narrative is mostly comical, but also sometimes quite sad.

Interestingly, these journal entries were written as a form of therapy during very trying times. When anxious friends asked how she was, Amiry would simply send her ramblings to them. When she later met fellow-Moroccan Fatema Mernissi in Stockholm once, the issue of publishing her thoughts first came up and later materialised. She then she had to recover some of the entries from friends, as she had lost track of many of them.

On the whole tongue-firmly-in-cheek, of course, it seems she cannot decide what her biggest challenge is: Ariel Sharon and the subjugation he has imposed on Palestinians, or having to deal with her mother-in-law and all that comes with it! This was a wonderful, insightful, funny read.

Ooh, I'll second the recommendation of Sharon and my mother-in-law - I really enjoyed it too.

#69 and #70 Well it's come home with me from the library today, because of Akeela's recommendation on her Club Read thread, and it looks GOOD! I'll report when I'm finished (might be a few weeks.)

HAITI
Breath, Eyes, Memory by the Haitian Edwidge Danticat. This was an astonishing debut novel, a window into the world of Haitian women. It is a coming-of age novel, narrated by Sophie, who is an adorable wise 12-year-old at the beginning of the novel, who lives with her aunt, Tante Atie, since her mother deserted her as a baby. There is a beautiful bond of love between the two.

When Sophie’s mom sends for her from New York, she is put on a plane by her aunt, despite the pain they share at their parting, to go and live with the woman she has only known via the stories her Tante Atie has woven for her through the years.

As she slowly comes to know her mom, she also learns her own story. This is a novel about a circle of four generations of strong women bound together by their stories, their traditions, their circumstances. It is funny, and wonderful, sad, and painful. I was really moved by the prose, and loved the evocative sense of place, and the descriptive writing.

An excerpt describing an everyday scene in their village: "The roads to my grandmother's house were too rough for anything but wheelbarrows, mules, or feet.

Tante Atie and I decided to go on foot. We walked by a line of thatched roofs where a group of women were pounding millet in a large mortar with a pestle. Others were cooking large cassava cakes in flat pans over charcoal pits.

In the cane fields, the men chopped cane stalks as they sang back and forth to one another. A crammed wheelbarrow rolled towards us. We stepped aside and allowed the boys to pass. They were bare-chested and soaked with sweat, with no protection from the sun except old straw hats."

This book has joined my "favorites" collection on LT!

Akeela,
For all things Haitian (well, some things Haitian) including a lot of Danticat, check out the group read from March 2008:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/28844

Great review by the way. I had intended to read Danticat after the group read but sort of forgot. Thanks for reminding me of my interest.

Thanks, Andy! I'd actually forgotten about that thread. I'm going to head over there rightaway.

FRANCE/ALGERIA
Graphic novels are not something I thought I’d ever consider, but I ventured into one this year, that led to another. And found both wonderful!

My first graphic novel: The Rabbi's Cat by the French cartoonist Joann Sfar. It’s set in 1930s Algeria and is a-chuckle-a-minute.

The book revolves around a scrawny, gray cat with personality who lives with the gentle, widowed rabbi and his daughter, Zlabya. He adores his mistress, and will stop at nothing to be pampered by her. The family also has a parrot who squawks all day, irritating the family.

One day the cat gets into a tussle with the parrot and gobbles it up, with the result that he gains the ability to speak. And he doesn’t stop for a moment!

This cat has an opinion about everything. As he blabbers on, the rabbi realises that he’s taken to lying, so decides to mend his ways by teaching him the Torah. The cat, in turn, decides that if he is Jewish, he wants a bar mitzvah. This gives rise to some theological questions. When the rabbi cannot deal with the cat’s questions anymore, he takes him to his older and wiser rabbi for the bigger questions :)

When Zlabya gets a proposal from a dashing young French rabbi, the dejected cat accompanies the family to Paris, where he is up to his usual antics.

This was such a fun read, and the graphics are more than charming! I learnt a thing a two about Judaism that I didn’t know before, which was interesting. But on the whole, I was totally tickled by this irreverent, opinionated cat.

I read it months ago and have since pulled it off the shelf on more than one occasion for a quick dip in, and a chuckle. It’s a lovely addition to any library, IMO.

IRAN
My second, equally enjoyable graphic novel: Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi. Translated from the French by Mattias Ripa. This was a quick and wonderful read. It is Satrapi’s memoir of her childhood in Iran, during the Iran-Iraq war and the Iranian revolution. This was an LT-inspired read, and I found it to be nothing short of brilliant. The cartoons are inspired and the deeper nuances amazing. While being entertained, I unexpectedly learned about Iranian history.

I have the sequel Persepolis: The Story of a Return lined up on Mt TBR and can’t wait to get to it!

Incidentally, The Rabbi's Cat was in full color, and Persepolis in black and white. Both were superb.

The Rabbi's Cat sounds wonderful, as does Persepolis. I've added both books, along with The Rabbi's Cat 2, to my Amazon wish list. Thanks, Akeela!

Message edited by its author, Nov 22, 2009, 4:36pm.

You're welcome, Darryl! There's The Rabbi's Cat 2, also? Uh-Oh! Another one for the wishlist. Thanks, I think...

The author's LT page shows five versions of The Rabbi's Cat, although it appears that only versions 1 and 2 are available in English. Uh oh, indeed!

I've just finished The Complete Persepolis -- I had read the first part before, and the second takes us into Satrapi's adolescent experiences in Europe trying to find a place to fit in and her return to Iran to reconnect with her family -- heart-wrenching.

I've put the Rabbi's Cat on the wishlist -- this graphic novel thing is fascinating -- I think I'm going to have to order Maus as well.

I'm going to have to try Persepolis, the book. I tried the movie and didn't get past the first few frames.