Review: The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After

The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After by Clemantine Wamariya
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This memoir was beautiful. It followed Wamariya as she and her sister flee civil war in Rwanda, survive several refugee camps throughout Africa, and eventually make their way to the United States.

What I most liked about this is that embarrassingly, the majority of my knowledge of the civil war in Rwanda was based on the movie Hotel Rwanda. This was a great education on what happened after - how did the people who escaped make their way, what kind of difficulties did they have, how did resettlement feel to people, what did it do to relationships among refugees?

Wamariya was generous in sharing a wide swath of her experience - from the pain and disappointment, to the people who helped her, to the complex relationship she had with her sister, and even the dark side of appearing on Oprah. Truly a lovely, honest, and wonderful memoir.

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Review: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Yes yes yes. I adored this book. I had tried to read it years ago, and didn't get very far, but glad that I read Chabon's wife's recent book A Really Good Day: How Microdosing Made a Mega Difference in My Mood, My Marriage, and My Life, which prompted me to try this again. The story follows two cousins, Clay, raised in the United States, and Kavalier, a magician-in-training who flees Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia. They become fast friends, and partners in creating a universe of comic book characters. The book follows decades of their lives, loves, and business together.

I loved everything about this book - but most of all the storyline. I really enjoyed the depiction of the comic book industry of the 1950's and '60s, Kavalier's magic and escapism, and the love story that runs through the book. I also appreciated the comic-book-like characters and situations sprinkled throughout the book.

Can't wait to read another book by Chabon.

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Review: The Fishermen

The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I picked this book out when I was stranded in Toronto and sought refuge in a bookstore. :) It was ok. The story followed four brothers in Nigeria who are growing up. When they run into the town madman during a disallowed visit to go fishing, he prophesies the death of the eldest. This prophesy sets in motion a complex set of familial decisions and its own madness. The writing was good, and I appreciate how well the author painted the setting and surroundings. However, I found the story to move too slowly for my taste, and take some predictable turns. I almost loved it, but in fact did not.

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Review: Home Fire

Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was definitely one of the best books I've ready lately. It was about Pakistani Muslim three siblings who (as adults) are separated for the first time. One arrives in the US for college, one remains in London, and the third, the only boy, is suddenly missing.

The story unfolds with the sister in the United States running into a former neighbor, and as they become close, she worries that their political differences will stand between them. He and his family become inextricably linked with her family over time, though not in the ways that present themselves initially. I thought the characters were great, the plot was wonderfully complex, and the writing was excellent.

As a side note, the plot follows that of Antigone - which I had no memory of from 10th grade English class. Still a great read.


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Review: Alternate Side

Alternate Side by Anna Quindlen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I usually love Quindlen's books - Object Lessons is one of my all-time favorites. But this just didn't hit the mark for me. It was about a tight-knit neighborhood on a dead end street in Manhattan. The neighborhood had the usual squabbles over parking, personalities, and annual parties. When there is an accident involving the neighborhood's friendly handyman, suddenly fractures in marriages, racial tensions, and complications in friendships arise. While the story was good, her writing - usually ethereal - wasn't as good as usual.

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