Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Ewa recommended this to me several years ago and although I have given it to several people as a gift I had not read it myself. 

Ali's memoir of her childhood in Africa and subsequent immigration to Europe is memorable and shocking.  She grows up in both Muslim Ethiopia and a secular Kenya, and as she gets older is troubled by the treatment of women in Islam.  Her childhood is very traditional - she is ritually circumcised, her absent father makes a lot of the family decisions, and she sees women being beholden to men's choices.  The first third of the book that covers this part of her life is gripping, but long.  At some points it was confusing as to why so much of the book was what felt like background.

The next part of the book chronicles her escape to the Netherlands where she seeks asylum and settles into this very different society.  She has a boyfriend and a job, and decompresses from her years of oppression.  The contrast between her life in the Netherlands and that of her life in Africa is where many of her political ideas come from.  At some point in the book she begins to argue quite aggressively that Islam is bad for women and thus bad for societies.  She suggests that any Islamic country is intrinsically backwards based on their treatment of women.

It is this core belief that begins Ali's ascent into politics, which is the subject of the third and final part of the book.  She becomes a highly public figure in Holland politics and, at times, is seen as quite contraversial.  As she struggles with the demands on her public life, she faces difficult choices in how much is at stake when she stands up for what she believes in.

I enjoyed reading about Ali's life and I appreciate the honesty in her memoir.  While the flow of the narrative was uneven, the story was fascinating. 

Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson

This was a great book - not sure how I missed it a few years ago when it was on the bestseller list.

The story starts as a courtroom drama - a man has been accused of murder in a small town on an island off the coast of Washington state.  The accused is Japanese and the victim Caucasian.  Since it is 1954, the memories around WWII, both foreign and domestic, are still fresh. While parts of the book revolve around the proceedings of the case in a way familiar to those of us in the Law & Order generation, other sections dive into many of the characters' personal histories.  Most memorably, the accused, the victim, the accused's wife, the prosecutor, and a local reporter.  Through these characters' backstories, the town's character is also revealed. 

The most memorable moments in the book were not around the case.  One that sticks in my mind was when the Japanese learned they were being taken away from their homes.  Another notable section described the relationship between a Japanese man and a family he was purchasing land from.  And there is a love story between two characters when they were teenagers that is similarly unforgettable.

Several years ago I read When the Emperor Was Divine, also about this period in history.  While I remember that book as ethereal - strong characters without names - a single family's devestating experience in an internment camp told in what I remember as a fugue/dream - this book was much more solid.  I like to think of these books together, telling different versions of a similar trope.

It's only January, but I suspect this book will be one of my favorites for the year.  It had solid plot, interesting characters, excellent setting of place and time, and a good resolution. 

Book Spree

I got a gift card at work a few months back and I've been wondering what to do with it.  Today I decided to go on a shopping spree at Barnes Noble.  With a trip to the West Coast next week and vacation soon after I got everything in paperback.

Here's what I got.

Cutting for Stone
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
Let the Great World Spin

Makers
Angel's Game
Those Who Save Us
The Glister
Too Much Happiness
Pack of Two
Velva Jean Learns to Drive

I'm very excited.

What to Read in 2011

WOW - Not barely out of 2010 and The Millions had a comprehensive list of great books scheduled to publish in 2011.  Kevin Brockmeier, Ann Packer, and Ann Patchett all have new books as do a slew of other authors.  it is hard to believe how long my reading list is about to get!

http://www.themillions.com/2011/01/most-anticipated-the-great-2011-book-preview.html