Monique and the Mango Rains by Kris Holloway

Monique and the Mango Rains is the memoir of Kris Holloway's Peace Corps experience and the friendship she formed with Monique, a midwife in the small village where Holloway served.

The book was well written and fascinating, with tidbits of knowledge about the area and Holloway's work. However, the real focus of the memoir is the deep friendship between Monique and Holloway, a friendship that transcends differences and changes the lives of both women. There were many heart-rending moments as poverty and illness were rampant in the village, as well as the lower social status of women. This short read both expanded my horizons and touched my heart.

If you are interested in global health, diverse cultures, or simply a touching story of friendship, Monique and the Mango Rains is both a quick and enriching read that I highly recommend.

4 stars

Warnings: Violence, graphic medical info

House of Serenades by Lina Simoni

Title: The House of Serenades
Author: Lina Simoni
Genre: Historical fiction, multicultural fiction
Publisher: Moonleaf Publishing, 2004
Source: NetGalley
Read for: Review

The Berilli family of Genoa, Italy are wealthy and respected, seeming on the surface to live happy lives. However, beneath the surface is the mystery behind the death of only daughter Caterina, good-for-nothing son Raimondo, lonely, cast-off aunt Eugenia, and the patriarch himself, who has retreated into his reading room for two days with no explanation. Soon a series of threats has the entire family in fear -- and wondering what the truth is.

I requested this book from NetGalley because my husband used to live in Northern Italy and I thought it would be fun to read a book about the region. While at times The House of Serenades was a bit dramatic and overwrought, it definitely had a strong Italian flavor and was a fun and enlightening read.

The House of Serenades is pure soap opera drama in print. Every character had a secret, and every character had done something scandalous. From forbidden love to hidden convents in the mountains to black cats hung on doorways with the word "death" scrawled above them in blood and illegal child trafficking, House of Serenades was certainly not short of twists and turns. For the most part, while the plot was over-the-top, I enjoyed the constant drama. However, toward the end of the book there was a segment of time where everyone was immersed in misery and punishment, and I became a little fed up with reading this book about people doing horrible things to each other with no redemption in sight. The book felt somewhat fluffy at first but towards the end became completely weighted down with woe.

Because the plot was so replete with action, the characters were somewhat flat. Their motivations are generally one-dimensional and motivated by money or lust. With the exception of Caterina and Ivano, none of the characters changed their ways or learned from their mistakes. Instead, the focus of the story was just the crazy things that happened to the characters. For me personally, a book with only minimal character development is somewhat unsatisfying.

I think my favorite aspect of the book was the Italian personality and learning more about the culture. It is a historical novel, so of course certain aspects, such as the extreme difference in class, are not as relevant today. However, the dramatic, gossipy relationships are, my husband informs me, still typical of Italian culture. In addition, it was fun to tell my husband the names of the characters as well as certain words that were presented in this book. I really enjoyed being immersed in an Italian story for a few hours.

House of Serenades is, for the most part, a fun read. Towards the end it does become a little weighty and tragic, but it was an interesting journey into turn of the century Italian life.

3.25 stars

Warnings: Violence, detailed description of sexual abuse, innuendo

Second Person Singular by Sayed Kashua

Title: Second Person Singular
Author: Sayed Kashua
Genre: Contemporary fiction, multicultural fiction, literary fiction
Publisher: Grove Press, 2012
Source: NetGalley
Read for: Review

Second Person Singular is the story of two Arab men in Jerusalem and the way their lives are affected by the divisions between the Israelis and Arabs. A wealthy lawyer, seeking to become more educated, picks up a copy of Tolstoy's Kreutzer Sonata and finds a note addressed to another man - Yonatan - in his wife's handwriting. This spurs a search for the man he believes has sullied his wife's honor, and a shocking secret.

Second Person Singular was a unique and bizarre book. As the lawyer delves into the secrets of the mysterious Yonatan, we discover a more and more absurd backstory involving mistaken identities, newfound passions, and a catatonic young man in his twenties. Sound confusing? It is, at first, but Sayed Kashua draws you into the ever tightening circles of his story with finesse.

Generally, I am a fan of character-driven novels, so if the characters are unlikable, the book is a fail for me. I did not in the least like any of the characters in Second Person Singular, but for some reason, I still loved this book. While none of the characters particularly appealed to me, and they all did despicable things, their complexity and motivations were so fascinating to read that I was enthralled.

I also enjoyed the cultural perspective of this book. I think in the post 9/11 United States, we tend to never look at things from the perspective of of Muslims. It was interesting to see the oppressions that Arabs in Jerusalem endure and the other side of a story that is often told with quite a bias.

I found Second Person Singular to be both educational and enjoyable. This quirky, unique read will appeal to those who love literary books and books about other cultures.

4 stars

Warnings: Language, some disturbing images, some discussion of sex

Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok

Title: Girl in Translation
Author: Jean Kwok
Genre: Contemporary fiction, multicultural fiction
Publisher: Riverhead Hardcover, 2010
Source: Audiobook from library
Read for: Alex Awards Challenge

Kimberly and her mother immigrate to New York City from Hong Kong with high hopes of a much better life. They find themselves rather disappointed when they find themselves in a freezing, roach-infested apartment, in serious debt to Kimberly's Aunt Paula, who helped to bring them to America. Kimberly's mother doesn't speak English, and Kimberly is none too certain what many of her fast-talking classmates are saying herself. However, despite the difficulty of adjusting to life in America and Aunt Paula's oppression, Kimberly uses her talents to overcome her circumstances.

This book grabbed me from the very first sentence, and I was swept up for the entire time. I listened on audio, and it was a great option for this book. The narrator was dynamic and emotional, and I felt connected to Kimberly and her friends and family.

The story is told in the first person, and Kimberly's voice is distinct and powerful. Her story begins when she is in elementary school and follows her through the beginnings of her adult career. Kimberly goes through the typical ins and outs of growing up coupled with her differentness from her classmates and her misunderstandings of American culture. She shoulders the heavy burden of not only living in severe poverty and illegally working with her mother in a factory after school to help earn money, but also keeping the rest of the world from finding out about the way she lives.

The secondary characters are just as vibrant as Kimberly. Her best friend Annette, who is passionate and boisterous, supports Kimberly throughout their teenage years, despite being shut out of the complicated secrets of Kimberly's life. Then there is Curt, the popular it-boy at Kimberly's high school who fixates on her despite her "differentness." And of course, there is Matt -- another boy who works at the factory, and who has the greatest influence on Kimberly's life of all.

Like Kimberly, Jean Kwok immigrated from Hong Kong when she was a young girl, which I think is one of the reasons why this book has so much depth and power -- it is frequently coming from personal experience.

I think Girl in Translation would be a fantastic choice for a book club due to the complex decisions that Kimberly has to make throughout the book. This book doesn't mute anything -- Kimberly's struggles are poignant and painful, with no easy solutions. While some of her decisions left me gaping in disbelief, at the same time when I considered how I would face them, I had no answer.

For a powerful, moving coming-of-age story, Girl in Translation should leave readers satisfied.

4 stars

Warnings: Some drug use, a scene of sensuality

American Dervish by Ayad Akhtar

Title: American Dervish
Author: Ayad Akhtar
Genre: Contemporary fiction, multicultural fiction
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2012
Source: Received from the publisher for review
Read for: Review, South Asian Challenge 2012

Hayat's family has always been unstable -- his neurologist father spends a lot of time with other women, and his mother is very vocal about it. However, when Mina, his mother's best friend, comes to live with them, Hayat discovers a new world, both in the teachings of Islam and the vibrance of Mina's presence. However, as Hayat becomes immersed his belief and Mina becomes immersed in a relationship, prejudices and ignorance threaten everything they are fighting for.

American Dervish was compelling, heartbreaking, and very different from anything I've ever read. I've always found Islam to be an interesting religion, especially as it has been met with so much prejudice over the last several years. While I enjoy learning about it, I often find it difficult to find objective information (which is the case with most religions, I guess you could say). Generally what I've read has been either extremely vindictive or else embraces the religion as gospel truth. American Dervish was told from the unique perspective of someone whose experience of Islam had shining moments of transcendence and light and also dark, violent repercussions. Through Hayat's story, I felt both the beauty and peace he felt as he strived to commune with God and the confusion he experienced as men who were revered within the Islam community vilified those who did not follow their stringent expectations.

In addition to Hayat's multifaceted perceptions of his religion, his unique relationship with Mina Ali, his mother's best friend, is portrayed. Mina sweeps Hayat under her wing when she comes to live with his family, introducing him to the Quran and the hafiz, Muslims who memorize the Quran, thereby gaining salvation for themselves and their parents. Hayat's relationship with Mina goes beyond his religious education -- he seems to love her half as a mother and half as a love interest as he is dazzled by her beauty and desperate for his approval. Mina's side of the relationship is also not typical. One would assume that she would view Hayat in a strictly mother-son, adult-child type of relationship; however, it is clear from the way she acts when she is angry with him that she sees him in a more equal, adult to adult capacity. She communicates with him like they are on the same level, and she also retaliates against him like they're at the same level when he threatens her happiness. Their relationship was bizarre and fascinating.

This book also explores the tense relationship between the Jewish and Muslim religions. While the conflicts in Palestine/Israel are nothing new to me, it was interesting to see spelled out the way the Quran identifies Jews. The judgments and tensions on both sides were cuttingly explored, giving a dark example of the way groups that are different from each other vilify each other. While Christianity wasn't dealt with much in the book, I also gained new knowledge into Muslim beliefs about Jesus Christ, which was very interesting.

All these elements are tied together with well-executed prose, sentences that illustrate the pain and passion of these characters' lives. I felt present in the book as I read it -- the scenes were vivid in my mind with every word.

American Dervish is a powerful and at times disturbing book. It takes an unabashed look at Islam and lays it out with its positive and negative facets. I think Hayat's story will not fail to illuminate and move those who read it.

4 stars

Warnings: Some of Hayat's friends take it upon themselves to teach him the facts of life; some strong language, much of it associated with the aforementioned scene; some brief violence

The Artist of Disappearance by Anita Desai

Title: The Artist of Disappearance
Author: Anita Desai
Genre: Literary fiction, multicultural fiction, novella
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011
Source: NetGalley
Read for: Review, South Asian Challenge

In this book of three novellas set in India, Anita Desai explores the lives of three different people who aren't content with their lives. Because this is really three stories in one, I will summarize each story and then give it a mini-review, then give you my thoughts as a whole at the end.

The Museum of Final Journeys - In this story, a young lawyer, dissatisfied with his rural, boring area, is approached by the caretaker of a house, who wishes to show him the mysterious museum within and beg him for a way to save the museum, because they can't afford to maintain it and the precious artifacts are going to ruin.

I found this to be an interesting story, beautifully rendered. I was intrigued by what could be in the museum, why the son who sent all of the artifacts chose to send them, what the young lawyer would do. I was slightly disappointed by the ending, although I suppose it was realistic and illustrated the frustration the lawyer felt. I also felt considerable annoyance towards the lawyer, as he would one moment seem to be excited and enthused by the museum and the next moment bored with it. He seemed to me to be a selfish character driven by his own whims and concerned only with what he wanted.

Translator Translated - In this second novella, the awkward, lonely Prema runs into Tara, a girl she idolized in school, at a function for alumni. Tara has become the head of a prestigious publishing house, and Prema convinces her to let her translate a favorite book in an obscure language to English. In the process, Prema learns about her hopes and desires and whether she is strong enough to fight for them.

Of all the stories in The Artist of Disappearance, I certainly related to this one the most. I felt a kinship to Prema, plain and often ignored, yet transformed by her love of literature and her desire to bring it to the world. I loved the way having a passion allowed her to truly live without fear, and was saddened by the way a lack of encouragement and courage stunted that passionate living until she retreated back into who she was before. I think this story belongs to so many people. I particularly loved the emphasis on literature and writing, because those are my passions.

The Artist of Disappearance - A lonely child, Ravi fills his life with the outdoors, reveling in the wild world of animals, mountains, and plants. However, as tragedy strikes his life again and again, he becomes a recluse, avoiding all human contact and living outside. He is able to create a world of beauty despite his isolation, but when a group making a documentary seeks him out to film the product of his creativity, Ravi feels as if his world is threatened.

I felt lukewarm toward this story. While the writing was beautiful and the plot was well-crafted, I just didn't feel any stirrings of emotion, any interest in what would happen to Ravi. I felt sorry for him, but at the same time I felt as if he was isolated within the story. Because he cared only for nature and the outside world, and not for any person, it was hard for me to care about him. He seemed to lack humanity to him.

This is my first Desai, and I was awed by her lovely writing. Whether or not the novella held any emotional connection for me, I had a hard time peeling my eyes away from her perfect and clear sentences.

When he looked up from it he found the woolly dusk had knitted him into the evening scene, inextricably.

Tell me that isn't beautiful. In addition to beautiful language, Desai also wove together multiple themes in her stories that unobtrusively came together to a cohesive and meaningful whole. The stories are understated, with endings that at times seem anti-climactic, but speak to the human condition. However, occasionally the stories feel flat for me because of their subtlety. I needed something more to draw me into the lives of the characters and to care about the outcomes of their lives. At times, Desai seemed only to be illuminating isolated scenes instead of telling a complete story with a definitive ending. While stylistically stories like this are not always my preference, overall the stories were beautiful and complex, despite their short length. If you love literary fiction and meanings that must be teased out of stories, this collection won't disappoint.

3.5 stars

Warnings: None

One Amazing Thing by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Title: One Amazing Thing
Author: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Genre: Contemporary fiction, multicultural fiction
Publisher: Hyperion Voice, 2010
Source: Audiobook from the library


9 strangers wait in a visa office, preparing for trips to India. A massive earthquake hits, trapping them in the basement office. While at first their emotions and anger runs high, after finding some food they decide to spend their captive time sharing an amazing story from their lives. These stories bring the diverse group together and illustrate lessons learned about life.


I thought this simple, quiet little book was lovely. I have heard it criticized as unrealistic  (From Amazon: "Oddly, the group spends little time brainstorming ways to escape, even when they run out of food and water, and sections of ceiling collapse around them."). However, I found the stories from each of the character's lives to be moving and illustrative of what it means to be human. 


The framework of the story, being stuck in the basement during the earthquake, was at times slow-moving and dragging, but the stories from each character were luminous (admittedly some more than others). Each of the stories was about love in some element, whether that be romantic, filial, parental, or for a cherished pet. For me, the most moving stories were those of Jiang and Lily - Jiang because of the mingled sweetness and sorrow of her love story and Lily because I could relate to the frustration of trying to be the best and finding that struggle unsatisfying. The stories fit together as the last story is told, weaving the lessons each character has learned into one over-arching moral - the reason we live life is to experience "one amazing thing" - something to take our breath away and imprint itself effortlessly in memory. 


While this book was not necessarily earth-shaking despite the event that brought the characters together, it was sweet and at times touching. This is the perfect book for a rainy day, and may even inspire a bit of soul-searching.


4 stars


Warnings: some references to drugs, a little language

A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam

Title: A Golden Age

Author: Tahmima Anam

Genre: Historical fiction, multicultural fiction

Publisher: Harper, 2008

Source: Library

Rehana has struggled for her children since the death of her husband, Iqbal. At first financially unable to care for them following her sudden widowhood, she was forced to give them up to her childless sister-in-law. After fighting desperately to bring them back into her home, another force threatens to take them away - the civil war between East and West Pakistan that ultimately resulted in the formation of the nation of Bangladesh. Rehana's two children, Maya and Sohail, are swept up in the passion of the new era, but Rehana will do anything to preserve their lives and bring them back safely.

My favorite book of all time, Kartography by Kamila Shamsie, also occurs during the civil war, but in West Pakistan. A Golden Age gave me the opportunity to see the Bangladesh side of the conflict, and it was a fascinating glimpse. Amam illustrates very clearly the consequences of war for someone living what appears to be a normal life (or as normal as can be expected in a country at war). Underneath the grumbles about ration cards, the "Ah yes, I sent my children to India where it is safer," the attempts at normalcy, Rehana lives an undercover life, attempting to help her compatriots and praying for the safety of her children.

A Golden Age has three themes that really stood out to me, and all of them were very meaningful. More than anything, this story is about motherhood. Rehana lost her children once, and she fears losing them again. However, she has to learn to let them go in some ways and protect them in others as they join the movement for an independent Bangladesh. She also has to deal with her differences with her daughter Maya, a passionate but serious girl that Rehana has difficulty relating to. As Rehana puts more of herself into the war effort, she is better able to understand and sympathize with Maya. While I am not a mother yet, I thought this was really interesting because it showed the way the relationship continued to unfold and evolve. I think mothers have different roles in our lives at different stages, and learning to move through those stages and adapt to the changes that occur as children grow up can be very difficult for both mother and child. A Golden Age presented this in an interesting and touching light.

A second issue Rehana must deal with is whether or not Bangladesh could even be considered her home. Born and raised in India, a nation that is soon seen as an enemy, she must determine if she should feel more affinity to the country of her birth or to the country where she was married, raised her children, and developed friendships. I liked the questions about this throughout the story, because I think it raised the question of what Rehana personally was fighting for. Did she want independence for Bangladesh? Did she want things to remain the way they were? Paying close attention to this question definitely demonstrated her motives and allowed a depth to the story that went beyond actions.

The third issue that I really enjoyed in this story was that of growth for Rehana. She is a widow, never remarried, living a quiet life in a nice home and renting out a second home to tenants. She dotes on her children and is terrified of losing them. This could have led to stagnancy, but throughout the war Rehana learns countless new things about love, loyalty, resourcefulness, and courage. I enjoyed her development and the people she helps along the way.

The story itself moved at a seemingly quiet pace, but the events that transpired between the first and last pages were dramatically different. The reader proceeds through the narrative at a leisurely pace, like living life from day to day with a few dramatic alterations from the war, but looking back at the beginning can see how far the characters have come. The story is low on melodrama but deals with many harsh realities of war and being a fugitive.

To me this story was a solid example of excellent literature, presenting a complex plot with many themes. While I didn't connect on a deeply emotional level with the characters, I enjoyed their story and look forward to reading the sequel, The Good Muslim. I think this story is an excellent choice for anyone interested in understanding the experience of a woman left behind in war time.

4 stars

Warnings: A few f-bombs, innuendo, violence

A Thousand Rooms of Dream and Fear by Atiq Rahimi

Title: A Thousand Rooms of Dream and Fear

Author: Atiq Rahimi

Genre: Contemporary fiction, multicultural fiction

Publisher: Chatto and Windus, 2006

Source: Received for review from NetGalley

Farhad is caught out after curfew in Afghanistan in 1979. Rescued by Mahnaz, a young widow, Farhad goes through "a thousand rooms of dream and fear" as he hallucinates, suffers, and tries to make sense of what has happened to him.

This was a raw, edgy little novel. I didn't particularly enjoy reading it, but it stayed with me, even inspiring a frightening little dream where I dragged myself through the dirt to avoid the flare bombs of an infuriated drug lord whose son I had inadvertently married (I have weird dreams).

The book begins with Farhad's confusion. The whole story is told within his mind, which is muddled from alcohol and a severe beating. "Have I got my eyes shut or is it dark? I can't tell," he begins. Every image confuses him as his grandfather's Islamic teachings, ghost stories from childhood, images of his family, and muddled memories from his beating crowd his mind. This can be frustrating at first, as we as readers also experience Farhad's confusion, but I found that this gave the story strength and power as I was forced to journey through the convolutions of Farhad's experience.

One interesting aspect of the story was Farhad's attraction to Mahnaz. He is torn between desiring her, this woman with him in such a forbidden situation, and seeing her as a mother figure, especially as she breast-feeds her brother, broken and disabled from his own war experiences. The short hours he spends in her home become the pinnacle of love in his mind, an experience heightened by his traumatic experience.

This isn't a novel I want to revisit, but I think it was worth the time spent reading it. Rahimi demonstrates the insanity of Afghanistan's oppression and a few days of one man's life upheaval. Don't expect to enjoy this novel, but do expect to learn something.

3 stars

Warnings for the sensitive reader: Violence, language