pickThis is a haunting recollection of the earthquake that shook Haiti in 2010. Each chapter tells the story of someone affected by the tragedy; lives and relationships intertwined in one way or another. Almost 300,000 people lost their lives and 1.5 million were left homeless.
This is an important piece of literature and I‘m glad it was chosen as our One Maryland One Book this year, though it was heartbreaking and tough to get through.
pickBeautiful, devastating, and so so much more. There's a lot of trauma packed in this one. Many scenes that seemed so light—some made me think it's going for a happy or hopeful resolution—are revealed to be horrifying by a simple yet gut-punching line. Definitely not for the softhearted. I took plenty of breaks but I still couldn't stop my tears near the end.
Ou libéré?
My afternoon reading buddy.
pickWhew, if you read this prepare to be emotional. This is a heartwrenching novel about the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Chancy gives us a very intimate and devastating look at how people were affected in the moments and in the day, weeks, months after the evnts and the ways that try to recover and heal.
pickAs far as Graham Greene novels go, I‘d say this one ranks somewhere in the middle of his oeuvre. While no Greene novel is complete without some Catholic or faith theme, this one‘s protagonist is seemingly lacking that faith, yet the question of whether it‘s important or whether he ought to at least believe in something is a constant undercurrent. As usual, another novel of colonizers and their intrigues amongst the colonized; an okay read.
Who went overboard at the Friends of the Library used book sale? Def not me! It‘s all for the library, right? 😉
pickThese are the most satisfying short stories I have ever read.
CLR James is literally one of the greatest to ever do it, and The Black Jacobins certainly earns its reputation as a classic. Impossible not to think of Gaza as you read.
“When history is written as it ought to be written, it is the moderation and long patience of the masses at which men will wonder, not their ferocity.”
pick2.75/4 ⭐️
I think this is a soft pick for me. I was expecting a different story. This wasn‘t a bad story, just sad. I enjoyed the magical realism elements. They weren‘t overpowering though. It was more like realism with a touch of magical.
“If only I could break the glass separating me and Manman with my thoughts alone.”
#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl
