book reviews: WWII and France, literary magic and bildungsroman

I've read a few really good books lately and it occurred to me that I could share my thoughts about them for friends and family. It seems like I am always in search of the next great book, and so are the readers I know and love. So here are a few for your consideration, just in time for summer!

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr: Wonderful writing. I loved how the writing was sort of sparse but so perfect. Like that person who doesn't say a lot, but when they speak you really want to hear what they have to say. This was an original way to tell a story, too. The plot was really different and interesting. It first caught my interest because it is historical fiction based in France (Paris) which is my sweetspot of books. The story is set in WWII and it is awful, and scary and terrible which is why it is important to read. I loved these characters and how the story played out. A favorite.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah: So, I feel like Kristin Hannah's writing is definitely enjoyable and somewhat entertaining. After reading "Light" it took me awhile to get used to her style again and I felt like it was a little flowery at first. But this story is so good that I soon stopped noticing and got caught up in the character's lives. Again set in France during WWII, this is a difficult story to read, with many horrifying situations. And again, this is why it's even more important to read and try to understand, to have this perspective. I highly recommend it. (BTW, my mom loved it, too. Also conjured up memories of her own family's stories of this awful time in world history.)

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrente: Translated from its original Italian, Friend is a coming of age story of two best friends. I felt drawn by one in particular. I think the character development was excellent and seemed so real. This is a very interesting look into Neopolitan life in the 50s and 60s. Thankfully, this is the first in a series and I am very much looking forward to books 2 & 3. Evidently, there's a 4th coming out in August. And by the way -- new vocab word: bildungsroman, which is a word to describe a coming-of-age story.

The Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zavin: This is book for booklovers. It moves along quickly and is a lovely tale. I was taken by surprise by some of the developments, but my dear friend Anne who recommended it to me tells me that it was pretty obvious to her, so you'll have to see for yourself.

Ella, Otto, Russell & James by Emma Hooper: What a unique, interesting story. This story is set in rural Canada and the concept of the landscape there, and how it changes through the story and the character's journey, are really interesting. There is a lot of symbolism in this book. The story includes some 'magical realism' that adds to its texture and keeps you really thinking. "A gorgeous literary debut about unlikely heroes, lifelong promises, and last great adventures," is how it's described on Amazon and I think that's a perfect description.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on these books and I hope you enjoy them as I did. Someday I will write about my very favorite book I read in the last year which was, "The Awakening of Miss Prim."

turtles, darkness and the green pig

It wasn't until we turned onto that last dirt road that I started to panic.  I mean, it was REALLY dark and the jungle was completely surrounding us... bouncing down that dirt road, huge puddles filling in even 'huge-er' potholes.  Our "guide" seemed worried about his friend who was supposed to be following us.... friend?  friends?! where were we going and who were we meeting?

It all started earlier in the afternoon when my family decided to rent a car on a rainy day to explore our surroundings.  The JW Marriott in Guanacaste is lovely, but it's a bit isolated and we needed to get out of the tour bus for a day and get lost in our surroundings.  FIrst stop -- check out the turtles that nest on the local beaches this time of year.

A guy behind the desk at the hotel suggested we talk with the guides at the Los Baulas National Park near Tamarindo.  So off we went... the little brown wooden building was just where he said it would be, but the guides were quite unorganized.  After a few confused minutes, the guy "in charge" said he could help us --- if we came back at 5:30 when it was dark and turtles would come out.  $40 later and a promise to pay another $40 made a deal.  It all seemed fine... at least in the daylight, that is!

So several hours later, he's riding in our car, we have NO IDEA where we are going and we are assaulted by the overpowering smell of non-filtered cigarettes emanating from this guy.  Who, by the way, informs us his name is Cerdo Verde -- green pig.  This does NOT add to my comfort of this strange guy taking my little family out into the jungle when no one knows where we are and we have no idea where we're headed, and it is just getting darker and scarier.  Believe me.  I was praying to my sweet Jesus to save us and promising myself to NEVER EVER to do this again.

PRAISE JESUS!  We finally arrive at a pitch-black beach where we quickly shut off all lights -- and there is another car with a young couple and a toddler there with us.  Just seeing other Americans put me more at ease.  

We were then treated to a most amazing experience!  Although the beach was dark and dificult to navigate (especially when we were told, RUN NOW! HERE'S A TURTLE!!) We spent a couple of hours on the dark beach while our guides found several Green Pacific turtles for us to see.  We also took a 20-minute hike (in the dark! but with flashlights) through the jungle and up and down a mountain to yet another dark beach and another turtle.  

Finally, back at our original beach, we even witnessed a Ridley turtle laying her eggs -- there were about 80 of them -- covering her little nest, and heading back to the ocean.  Green Pig came through for us and it all ended well, albeit a shaky, scary beginning.  I still think it is not wise to hire a guide in this way and I would not do it this way again.... but praise God it was quite an adventure.

The other cool memory I have is the twinkle in the sand as we walked -- something like fireflies would light up as our feet hit the sand.  It was like we were fairies leaving fairy dust on the dark beach as we walked.  

Jesus is so good.