Book numbers 8 and 9

So, I swear that this blog hasn't turned into only book reviews:) Really, I promise that is not the case!! Even though it certainly seems like it.


We have been hibernating quite a bit this Winter. We've led extremely boring lives. Nothing blog worthy has been going on around here. Unless of course you want to hear about me taxiing kids around or Andy working excessive hours. So excessive that we barely remember what he looks like these days. Perhaps you would like to hear about the boys playing Lord of the Rings online? Or maybe Maia and I watching The Voice, American Idol or Dance Moms? Or just maybe I should share my obsession with Pinterest? Yeah, I didn't really think anybody wanted to hear about those things:)


Spring is coming though and when nicer weather return, our lives will be much more exciting. I promise. So until then...you get boring book reviews:)


Book number 8 for the year was Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. I enjoyed this book. It was set in WWII era in Seattle's International District. It was about a little Chinese boy, Henry,  and his very traditional parents. The boy "scholarshipped" at a very American school. Basically that just means that he was the only ethnic student there and that he had to work in the kitchen to earn his keep. He hated it!! He was made fun of and had no real friends to speak of. Until an American girl, of Japanese descent shows up. She must also work in the kitchen. The two form a very sweet friendship. A friendship that eventually turns into first love. Everything is interrupted after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The girl's family, all of whom were born in America, was sent to internment camps. I always knew that this sad piece of American history existed but I had never really explored it before I read this book.


It was interesting to me, that we were imprisoning people based on their heritage here in America, while at the same time we were fighting so hard to release the Jewish people from the same thing on another continent. Granted we didn't starve, torture or kill the people we encamped like the Nazis did. I'm not comparing us to the evilness of Hitler in any way. But, we did tear them away from their families, businesses, communities and homes. They lost many many precious possessions. Pictures and family momentos that could never be recovered. We forcefully took a large mass of people and made them sleep in horse stalls, behind barbed wire fences while armed guards stood watch to ensure that no one could escape. I understand the fear, panic and hysteria that was running through our nation after Pearl Harbor. I have lived through 9/11 so I really do get it. But it still makes me so very sad to think that we did this.


This book made me think and challenge myself. Just because someone looks a certain way or even believes a certain way--doesn't make them a bad person. Before we moved to our current city I will admit that ALL Muslims scared me to a certain extent. 9/11 had left that legacy for me, along with many other Americans. Now I realize that a lot of Muslims ARE Americans. Born and raised here just like you and me. Most do not want to see their country terrorized.  The truth is that not all Muslims are extremists. We have Muslim neighbors and classmates. Yes, we have very different beliefs. I'm not willing to sway from mine just as I'm sure they're not willing to be swayed from theirs. But knowing that there are many good Muslim people here in America, I am very very glad that we didn't send them off to camps after 9/11.


Next up was Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. This book had rave reviews and was recommended by a Christian friend. It was supposed to be about a beautiful, lifelong friendshipor a loatong,  between 2 young girls. I'm gonna be honest here...I HATED this book. It was set in an 1800's remote Chinese village. The first several chapters went into great detail about the ancient "art" of chinese footbinding. Talk about positively painful to read. I mean who in the world first thought this sick, disfiguring and disabling practice would be a good idea? And reading about it just wasn't enough for me. Noooo, I had to go and google images of a "golden lilly" because I just couldn't fathom what a 3inch foot looked like. Well, now I know. It looks disgusting... and painful!! By the end of the book I was certain that the footbinding practice was simply a way for men to keep women locked up. The only thing women were really valued for was their ability to birth boys, the much coveted sons. Honestly, I haven't read anything  that makes me believe the Chinese culture has ever placed any value on girls or women:(    How sad is that? I'm sure that there are many Chinese families that love their daughters. But you certainly don't hear about it. Instead you hear about baby girls abandoned, left to die or aborted...simply because they were girls.


   I thought once I got through the chapters that mentioned the footbinding that the book would get better. I was wrong. The book did keep me intrigued enough to finish it but I sort of wish I hadn't. The characters just weren't likeable to me. At all. I was glad when this book was finally finished.


I may have more exciting things to blog about later in the week. We are expecting very special company on Tuesday:)