Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer

 

“What art of waiting is practiced by the mosses, crisped and baking on the summer oak? They curl inward upon themselves, as if suspended in daydreams. And if mosses dream, I suspect they dream of rain.” Robin Wall Kimmerer

  Did you know that many mosses may lose up to 98 percent of their water content and still survive for years? Once they receive the water they need, they thrive once again, but this is not the most interesting fact about the tiny plants that lack stems, flowers and fruits. There are many quirks that make them unique and essential to the ecosystems.

 After reading Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book you will never look at mosses the same way.

  Contrary to popular belief, there is no scientific evidence to prove that mosses damage shingles or that they are responsible for leakages in roofs. Yet people continue to waste money on chemicals to remove moss, and in doing so, they ignore the benefits of moss:

 “A mossy roof can protect shingles from the cracking and curling caused by intense exposure to the sun. Moss adds a cooling layer in the summer and, when the rains come, slows storm water runoff.” Therefore, it is unnecessary and even deleterious to remove it.

  I became interested in Gathering Moss soon after I read Braiding Sweetgrass by the same author. However, I was skeptical about whether a book about moss would hold my interest. Oh, boy, I was wrong to doubt myself. This book was even more engaging than Braiding Sweetgrass!

  I was entranced.

  I appreciate books that open up my views to new perspectives of understanding the world around me. I fell into a magical trance of musings and knowledge. This unique book seems to make time come to a halt; reading it is an adventure of exploration, yet it provides a space for reflection and meditation, a sanctuary amid our fast-paced world, a reminder to reconnect with our natural roots and the precious acts of observing that which is often ignored or taken for granted.

  Gathering Moss will take you on an adventure of research and exploration through experiences that make you feel you are by the author’s side, wading through the waters of a river to observe the details around you, rolling up your sleeves to do the work your project calls for to unearth the secrets that lie hidden before your eyes.

  These secrets display the ways in which the lives of mosses are intertwined with those of other living beings. It takes an open mind to comprehend the intimate bond that develops between the rocks and the mosses, the shelter mosses create for other tiny creatures, the material they become for the nests of birds. 

 Moss plays unique roles purifying streams, and maintaining the humidity of microenvironments that are vital to many living beings. They belong to the vital architecture of the forests, helping to maintain the health of a forest and the organisms that are part of it.

    

 

 Mosses are small, but being small does not make them unsuccessful. Robin Wall Kimmerer explains the ways in which being small has helped mosses. Mosses inhabit almost every ecosystem on earth, and more than 22,000 species of them exist. They thrive in micro-communities where being big would be a disadvantage:

 “Between the cracks of the sidewalk, on the branches of an oak, on the back of a beetle, or on the ledge of a cliff, mosses can fill in the empty spaces left in between the big plants. Beautifully adapted for life in miniature, mosses take full advantage of being small, and grow beyond their sphere at their peril."

 I recommend Gathering Moss to educators as well. Like Braiding Sweetgrass, it is an invaluable resource to awaken students to the interconnections that make up life on earth...

   The solstice is coming up. I consider the solstice a time for reflection and silent contemplation.

   I feel thankful for the incredible work done by the librarians and for the fascinating public libraries, which support our work as educators. Without the work of librarians My Writing Life blog: Awareness, Reflection, Inspiration would not exist. My heart is filled with gratitude for them.

  Next, I want to express that I am thankful for my loved ones. Thank you for keeping the interest in my writing alive. Without their love this blog would not exist.

   My Writing Life blog does not promote books. It promotes a love for reading books. It offers a space to feel invigorated by knowledge. It attempts to inspire readers to observe and learn something new, to be thankful for what exists and for what remains, and to encourage readers to keep moving forward in constructive and creative ways.

  I look forward to another year of sharing the amazing energy that comes from reading good books.

  Finally, I want to thank you, dear visitor, for reading my words. I hope you find a sanctuary here, a space of awareness, reflection and inspiration.

 If you want to support my writing, feel free to share a blog post that you love with your friends.

    Happy Solstice everyone, whether you are in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere.

        Thank you for visiting My Writing Life blog: Awareness, Reflection, Inspiration.

                      Till next year.

 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1lU29SHA9E

 

Love in Defiance of Pain: Ukrainian Stories

 

   PEN America and the Tompkins Agency for Ukrainian Literature in translation have published this book of short stories. The proceeds from the sale of the book are donated to humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.

  Ukrainians are fighting for their independence because they do not want to live under Vladimir Putin’s Orwellian regime. I wrote about Vladimir Putin’s regime in Russia when I wrote about Oleg Sentsov, so you can check my post if you haven't done so. Ukraine was invaded by Russian forces on February 24, 2022, and since then Ukrainians have been fighting to protect their democracy from the forces of Vladimir Putin.

 Love in Defiance of Pain contains eighteen short stories and an insightful introduction by Adam Higginbotham. His words capture the spirit of resilience of the Ukrainian people and bring to light some of the historical information that helps us to understand the characters and plots.

  Many of the short stories transport us to Ukraine, revealing aspects of her history and culture. However, not all of them take place in Ukraine. For example, “Frogs in the Sea” by Tanja Maljartschuk unfolds in Austria, where an undocumented Ukrainian man befriends a senior woman with dementia. The ending was shocking because it reminded me of the ways meaningful acts of kindness are sometimes treated with distrust and disrespect due to a combination of prejudices, cruelty and ignorance.

   Many of the stories are realistic, but there are a few of them that contain elements of fantasy or that are surreal. The anthology is like a box of artisan chocolates to be enjoyed slowly. Some of the stories are nostalgic. Some are peculiar and engaging. There are two or three stories that I found boring. I think there is something for everybody here, because the stories are all different. Some of them have shocking, unexpected endings. Others have an ending where you least expect it.

  One of my favorite stories is by Natalka Sniadanko: “When to Start, What Not to Pay Attention to, or How to Fall in Love with George Michael.” It is quirky and humorous. On the other hand, I did not like the one by Vasyl Makhno, which takes place in New York. In this disturbing story the men are portrayed as helpless victims and the women are the hopeless deceivers. There is no love in defiance of pain here. It is the kind of story that traps us into a groove of biases and social prejudices that will not allow us to break glass ceilings. It perpetuates the rigid mindsets that will continue to empower toxic bullies, but this is just my humble opinion on it. Read it yourself and reach your own conclusions.

    I still have seven stories to read from a total of eighteen, and I don’t read them in order. I will come back to write an addendum to the post later this month if there is something else that needs to be shared.

 

Relevant links:

https://pen.org/

https://www.tault.org/about-us

 

100 Bike Rides of a Lifetime by Roff Smith

  

  Biking is akin to flying. The simple act of bicycling reminds us to move forward with both excitement and balance.

  Bicycles are not designed to move backwards; they do not pollute the air, and they help us stay fit, strong and healthy. What’s not to like about them?

  I reflected on the wonders of my biking experiences when I wrote about the book Ride Cycle the World, but 100 Bike Rides of a Lifetime published by National Geographic is ten times better. The quality of the stunning photographs will empower your imagination to travel to distant places across the world.

  You will be enraptured by the artistic sceneries created by Mother Nature. You will ride through history as well.

  You may find yourself hovering along the Underground Railroad, roaming by the Berlin Wall, and trundling through the most pristine places of every continent.

 You may take a jaunt through the beauty of Medieval European towns like this one in Germany: Nordlingen. This one “has the distinction of being among the very few German towns whose complete Medieval walls are still standing.”

 You will admire the vibrant views of Mediterranean scenes from islands and towns in Spain and France. You will encounter islands you've never heard of, and may even discover hidden "gems" or reunite with towns you’ve only seen in your dreams.

  Did you know that Slovenia is one of the greenest places in Europe? “It holds the continent’s record for carbon dioxide absorption with its forests absorbing nine metric tons of carbon dioxide per hectare per year. “

  Just like me, you will be tempted to explore this cozy bookshop in Wales, but, hold on, you can't jump in… You will make up for it, however, because Roff Smith has some book suggestions that will mesmerize your reader’s heart…I will let you find them...

 You may be enchanted by mysterious elves in Iceland… or simply revel in the spellbinding imagery of your choice. There is no need to read this book in order. Flip through the pages and settle where the photographs seize your curiosity.

 

 There is so much to learn and read about. We are short of photographs after all…

 Dive into the magic of this book, and then get on your own bike and dream on. Celebrate the beauty of Mother Earth. The more we learn, the more committed we become to protect her precious body, the home we inhabit together, the home that is part of who we are as people of the Earth. May our actions honor her wonders and our duty to live in harmony together.

 If you appreciate this post, feel free to read my reviews on these books as well:

 

Dirty Gourmet

Ride Cycle the World

Sweet in Tooth and Claw

 

 

Interview with T. J. Saddler

 

  Choosing a path of authenticity in one’s life sometimes requires a change of careers. It takes courage, tenacity and determination to change the course of one’s life to embark on a path that aligns with one’s purpose and goals.

  T.J. Saddler was working as a supervisor in a glass plant when he decided to become a dedicated science teacher. He is the author of Corning Incorporated to Education: A Tale of Two Careers as Planet Earth Turns.

   Julia: How did you take the leap? What inspired you to do so? How did it happen?

 T.J. Saddler: While working at Corning Incorporated, I was sidelined and placed on a list ensuring I would never work again, as a result of systemic racism. This painful experience ultimately led me to reevaluate my purpose. Around the same time, I learned that industrial managers were being encouraged to transition into teaching roles.

 While substituting in the science department at a local high school, a fellow teacher informed me of a summer teaching program in New Hampshire that could help me secure a teaching license. This encouragement, combined with my passion for education, solidified my decision to pursue a new career. I vividly recall a second-grader’s excitement when I substituted in his classroom, exclaiming joyfully that he had a male teacher for the day. This moment confirmed my calling to inspire the next generation, which I delve into my book.

 Julia: What is your book about? What is its purpose?

 T.J. Saddler: My book, Corning Incorporated to Education: A Tale of Two Careers as Planet Earth Turns, weaves together emotional anecdotes from two distinct careers. It begins with my experiences at Corning Incorporated, where I faced profound challenges, including an encounter with over forty KKK members who threatened my life. The story transitions into my courageous pivot to education, where I found purpose in teaching science to the next generation.

 The book’s purpose is to inspire readers to pursue their passions, embrace career transitions, and face adversity with faith, resilience, and determination. Through these personal stories, I hope to encourage others to find meaning in their own journeys.

Julia: What makes your book unique?

 T.J. Saddler: My book is unique because it offers a deeply personal perspective, starting from my upbringing at age two through my educational and professional journeys. It shares vivid stories from my time at a global Fortune 500 company and various educational settings, from kindergarten to post-graduate classrooms.

Additionally, the book explores broader themes such as labor rights, education, and the societal challenges of systemic racism. It blends these insights with engaging storytelling that read like a novel, making it accessible and relatable to a wide audience.

Julia: Did you have to deal with judgments from others in the process of making the change? What obstacles did you have to deal with?

 T.J. Saddler: Yes, I faced significant judgment and rejection when transitioning into teaching. Despite being a qualified industrial manager responding to calls for managers to enter classrooms, I was twice denied opportunities in the local school system. On my third attempt, I was offered a substitute teaching position, despite objections from some staff members.

These challenges only strengthened my resolve. My story reflects the resilience needed to overcome societal barriers, financial hurdles, and the doubts while staying true to my purpose.

 

Julia: What are the greatest challenges you face as a science teacher? What topics do you teach?

T.J. Saddler: One of my greatest challenges was completing the rigorous teacher certification program at Franklin Pierce University, which I finished in nine months. Classroom management also required innovation, as I developed techniques like comprehension maps to engage students and ensure understanding. These tools were later adopted by fellow teachers, and I was recognized with an award for my successful teaching methods.

 I taught general science, natural science, earth science, biology, chemistry, and honors chemistry. I found the greatest comfort in teaching chemistry and honors chemistry, as my passion for the subject was unmatched. I used diverse teaching methods, including field trips, hands-on experiments, and tailored lesson plans to accommodate short attention spans, ensuring an engaging learning environment for all my students.

Julia: What do you love the most about working as a science teacher?

T.J. Saddler: What I love most about teaching is seeing students experience “aha” moments-when they finally grasp a challenging concept or see the relevance of science in their everyday lives. Inspiring curiosity and critical thinking while fostering a love of discovery makes teaching deeply rewarding. My greatest joy comes from knowing I’m shaping the next generation to think analytically and contribute meaningfully to society.

Julia: Would you like to add anything else about the book?

T.J. Saddler: After facing adversity at the high school, which became a toxic place to continue teaching, I embarked on new teaching adventures. I transitioned to a private school, provided personalized support, and eventually rekindled my love for teaching at a local Job Corps Center. These diverse experiences allowed me to reimagine my teaching style and focus on student empowerment.

  My book reflects on my time at a global Fortune 500 company and these teaching adventures, offering a unique perspective on overcoming adversity, embracing change, and finding purpose. It’s a story of resilience and hope that I hope will inspire readers to persevere through their own challenges.

 

Greek Lessons by Han Kang

 

  Soon after learning that Han Kang from South Korea was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, I searched her works. I selected Greek Lessons, a story about the bond between a woman who has lost her voice and a man who is gradually losing his eyesight. He will become totally blind due to an inherited condition.

 Imagine for a moment the relationship between two people in this situation. He is almost blind and she is mute. How do they communicate?

 The narrative is unconventional and unique in many ways. It is classified as a novel, but I think it belongs to the poetry genre. The plot of the novel is elusive. The author uses the interplay of metaphors, personifications, flashbacks, philosophical ideas and lyrical writing to explore the background of the two main characters in depth. 

 The chapters about the lady are narrated in third-person and the ones about the man are written in first-person. I think this was done on purpose. It conveys a message about the female character.

  “Even when she could talk, she’d always been soft spoken. It wasn’t an issue of vocal cords or lung capacity. She just didn’t like taking up space. Everyone occupies a certain amount of physical space according to their body mass, but voice travels far beyond that. She had no wish to disseminate her self.”

   The female character is a poet and a former teacher, but now she cannot teach anymore due to her condition. She has lost her voice and also the custody of her son.

    She meets the visually impaired man when she joins the Greek lessons that he offers at an institute in Seoul. During his childhood and youth, the man lived in Germany as an expat, and the study of Greek had been a refuge for him, a territory that other students found gruesome.

   Now the Greek lessons offer the setting that brings them together. Their vulnerabilities and fragility are naked, and their bond sprouts unexpectedly beyond the realm of words.

 Amid the grim circumstances of grief, two alienated human souls find each other.

 

 

“Deep-sea Forest”

 

We were lying side by side in the woods under the sea then.

In a place that had neither light nor sound.

 

You were not visible.

And I was not visible.

 

You did not make a sound.

And I did not make a sound.

 

Until you made a very small sound,

Until a tiny, frail bubble emerged

From between your lips,

We lay there.”

 

There are allusions to Jorge Luis Borges’s metaphors and life several times. Jorge Luis Borges was an Argentinian author who also lost his eyesight. I appreciate how some of her metaphors echo Borges’s reflections.

 

  You can watch this video to learn more about the author:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_dLqhhkHOM

Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

 

  I needed to take a break from reality on the night of November 6, 2024, so right after dinner I immersed myself in Octavia Butler’s book. But life has a way of playing tricks on me. When I reached page 25, I was shocked to read that the main character, Lauren, had written a journal entry dated on Wednesday November 6, 2024. Yes, you’ve read that correctly. It was the same day of the week, date and year. I had trouble believing the coincidence of such a synchronicity.

  According to the journal entry, Mr. Donner had won the presidential election and he would dismantle environmental regulations and worker protection laws…

   I can’t believe I am writing this but… dystopias are not meant to be used as playbooks. They can be offered to relay the fruits of the author’s foresight to people who are confused and can’t evaluate the consequences of foolish actions and decisions.

  A dystopia takes us to a place where we do not want to go. Parable of the Sower dares to do that.

  What happens when people choose vulgarity and hatred over empathy and common sense?

  What happens when a climate crisis is blatantly ignored and not addressed?

  What happens when the truth does not matter anymore?

  To know the answers to these questions, you can read Parable of the Sower. Octavia Butler delves into the context well. It is like going back to the Middle Ages, but with a climate crisis on top of it. It is unsettling and disturbing. Read it and pass it on to those who still believe in the power of books. It is a story of survival amid dark life circumstances. It is riveting, fascinating and very unpleasant. I am still reading it…

  I can’t believe she published this book in 1993. Octavia Butler was a genius. I can’t figure out why this book is not as widely read as Farenheit 451. Perhaps it is because the author is a woman of color and not a white man.

 The setting is so vivid and terrifying: you can see with clarity how far misogyny, hatred and racism can go; in this reality, people do not even have the privilege of whining about high gasoline prices anymore, because they don’t have enough clean water to drink and keep themselves clean.

  Octavia Butler won several awards, and you can read about her life and accomplishments here:

https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/octavia-estelle-butler

 https://grist.org/culture/octavia-butlers-1993-parable-of-the-sower-predicted-climate-reality/

   I will end the post with the starting quote of her book:

“Prodigy is, at its essence, adaptability and persistent, positive obsession. Without persistence, what remains is an enthusiasm of the moment. Without adaptability, what remains may be channeled into destructive fanaticism. Without positive obsession, there is nothing at all.”

 

 

  Addendum to the post:

 I finally completed the read. It is a remarkable story that belongs to the speculative fiction genre. This novel provides the fertile soil to have fruitful discussions on several topics and issues that assail our modern societies. If you belong to a book club, I hope you will consider sharing it. I will continue thinking about it and reflecting on it. 

 It is interesting to point out that when the novel was first released in 1993, critics refused to accept it as speculative fiction. They believed it was a book of science fiction.

  The novel is now accepted as speculative fiction; it has become a best-seller.

 

 

Bird Brain: An Exploration of Avian Intelligence by Nathan Emery

 

   If somebody calls you a “birdbrain," feel free to take is as a compliment, because the derogatory use of the word “birdbrain” is outdated. Scientists now know that birds are very intelligent.  

   Nathan Emery is a bird researcher, and his book Bird Brain debunks the myth that birds are dumb. It is, indeed, dumb to believe that birds are simple automatons responding to instincts. As a keen observer of birds, the insightful information in Emery’s book did not surprise me, but it may help to transform the perspective of people who never take the time to pay attention to birds’ subtle behaviors. Seriously, how can anybody believe that birds lack intelligence?

 “Some birds display great feats of memory, recalling the location of thousands of different items, even after long intervals. They travel some of the longest unaided distances of any animals on the planet.”

 Birds may not have a human language, but this does not mean that they do not know how to communicate.

 “Birds communicate their intentions using visual signals and recognize what others are looking at, even when hidden from view. Their vocal communication shares traits with human language. Birds are social, yet the pair bond is at the heart of their society. Birds form intense long-lasting relationships with others and can remember friends and enemies. They cooperate, share food to curry favors, and help to support one another.” Specific experiments have shown that birds understand mathematical concepts. Emery shares some of those experiments.

 

Birds and tools

  Did you know that some birds use tools? “Some birds use different tools for different jobs, and stick to the same tool that their peers use, displaying something akin to culture. They create tools to solve novel problems, perhaps using insight.” Birds can plan ahead and store food. To learn more about how some birds resort to the use of tools, read Bird Brain. 

 

  The impressive photographs enhance the reading experience. Bird Brain also contains diagrams and drawings to make the information clear. One drawing I enjoyed was the one about the structure of a birds’ brain, where you can see the different parts of a bird’s brain and then read about their functions.

   The memory of birds

  It is not surprising to me that “birds remember specific events in their past, what happened, where and when, and use these memories to plan for their future. Because some birds respond to hidden marks on their bodies in the presence of a mirror, they may even be self-aware.”

  If you have a backyard, don’t forget to leave some clean water for them on a regular basis.

  There is still so much we need to learn about birds, so go ahead. Open your window and look out. You don’t need to go far away. Embrace the chance to learn and appreciate birds.

  Welcome their experience and observe them with fresh eyes.

 There is a world of opportunities to get to know them. And those who are stuck in the past using the word “birdbrain” to denigrate others… well, there is no hope for them unless they choose to educate themselves, and that is a personal choice, as far as I know.

 

    If you enjoyed this post, feel free to read my writing on the following books:

     Deer Man by Geoffroy Delorme

     Birding to Change the World by Trish O' Kane

 

 

Interview with Natalie Jacobsen

 

 Natalie Jacobsen is an award-winning journalist and writer based in Washington, D.C. She is originally from Oregon and lived for six years in Japan, where she wrote and photographed for magazines, television and music studios.

 Natalie is the author of Ghost Train, a novel based on true events. The story is set in the summer of 1877 in Kyoto, during the last Samurai Rebellion.

Julia: What inspired you to write Ghost Train? What is the book about?

 Natalie: I studied Japanese history and media in college, and became enraptured by the amount of folklore that was born from the Meiji Era. With the influx of introduced technologies and Western ideals, Japanese society was turned upside-down; and folklore was often used to explain the unexplainable. One of the most interesting mysteries was around trains themselves – “ghost trains” were a real concept in 1877 Japan. Train conductors would work long hours, driving trains into the night in desolate areas. When they were sleep-deprived, they were prone to seeing hallucinations; often which took the shape of phantom trains (similar phenomenon have been recorded among long-distance semi-truck drivers). But my book asks: what if those ghosts were real? What are the repercussions? Where did they come from? And what do these ghosts want?

It’s also a metaphor: how does society react when there is a new invention or import of another cultural concept? How does it affect our identity? Do we mourn and grieve what was, or do we embrace the future? The story touches on many existential concepts, portrayed through each of the characters who are living through and witnessing these rapid changes to their own country.

 

Julia: What kind of research did you do to write it?

Natalie: So much! I had a great deal of background in the context of Japanese history and firsthand experience in Japan; I was constantly taking photos and able to comb through those to make sure I was describing places correctly and even conveying the light at the time of day accurately. But there’s more to writing historical fiction than knowing an overview of history. I needed to really understand the myriads of perspectives that would’ve been held during that time – between different classes, sexes, regions, professions, and educational background. And since I didn’t embody each of those perspectives, I needed to do research.

I read nearly 3000 firsthand accounts, documents of recorded history, and essays on the time period. I interviewed a dozen historians and subject matter experts to understand nuances of the time period and civilian life, and get details on particular niche areas that weren’t widely shared – like astrology that geisha would’ve known and advised clients on, types of kimono prints between different classes, and even architectural differences between Shinto and Buddhist shrines and temples. The research was half the fun!

 

 Julia: What sets your book apart from others in the genre?

 Natalie: The thing about Ghost Train is it has a touch of almost every genre under the sun, save for Romance. First and foremost, it’s a historical fiction. The amount of research that went into it compares to a student writing a thesis, or educators compiling an academic book, or a journalist doing a long-form investigative report. But Ghost Train also includes the supernatural and paranormal – things you don’t normally see in a Historical Fiction.

  I tied in ghosts and demons into an otherwise grounded historical fiction primarily because of how Japanese perceive and talk about folklore in their own culture: in many instances, these stories are sometimes seen as fact, not as fiction. Yes, demons can be pranksters and silly, and ghosts are considered unprovable entities. Yet, in Japan, they’re seen as synonymous with life, so I wanted to genuinely write about them as if they were real – and that’s not something normally included in a true historical fiction.

 

   Julia: How does the book connect with your life? Did any personal experiences influence your writing?

 Natalie: Surprisingly, there are a number of parallels between 1877 and 2024. We are living in a technology and information age, with globalization spurring so much change every day. Each day we grapple with new information and combat misinformation, we deal with connection and conflict, and progress and hurdles that hinder us toward it. We just experienced the global pandemic from the COVID-19 outbreak, and in 1877, Japan was dealing with a number of cholera outbreaks after Europeans arrived in droves to help install their new technologies. The amount of information Japanese were receiving and processing on a daily basis was immense; it was stripping down their culture and reshaping it for a modern era.

   In some ways today we could relate to their struggles, shock, and situations from 1877, and, there are a lot of emotions we would share, both individually and collectively, as a result. We all have different perceptions on what’s happening around us, and react differently. In 1877, people were no different. People were apprehensive or welcoming, skeptical or afraid, curious and excited. It’s just like us today, when something new is introduced or challenged, so I harnessed my own emotional experiences and wove them into this story, imagining what a civilian would’ve seen and felt during that tumultuous time.

 

Julia: What is the main purpose of the book? Is there something else that you would like to share?

Natalie: The story was intended to examine the process of progress; who does it affect, and what are the societal, philosophical, and emotional conflicts that come with it? It’s neither an argument for or against progress; it’s more of an examination and snapshot of what one civilian’s life might have been like during such a rapidly-advancing time for Japan. Many cultures and countries can relate to the upheavals, so the story is also meant to demonstrate how connected we all are, and how similar we can be when we experience changes. Humans are not so different from one another, even if we speak different languages or live halfway around the world.

 

 Julia: What kinds of books do you enjoy reading? Did they have any influence in your writing?

Natalie: Unsurprisingly, I love reading historical fiction. I love reading to learn. The first books that influenced that love were the Little House on the Prairie series, which many will say felt long in some parts and included details about how to make furniture or cure meat. Growing up, that was fascinating. It made learning history so much more interesting when I could follow a character and immerse in their world, so I wanted to capture that magic and impart some teachings to my own readers.

 Ghost Train was released in October. You can learn more about Natalie Jacobsen and her background by visiting her website:

                                                 https://www.najacobsen.com/

 

Auschwitz Lullaby by Mario Escobar

  

  It was emotionally difficult to read this book. Mario Escobar turned the true-life story of Helene Hannemann into a personal diary he imagined she could have written had she had the means to do so.

   When we read what millions of families endured during the Holocaust as a result of Hitler’s abuse of power and rage, the small moments of one’s life acquire a new dimension of greatness.

  Mario Escobar imagined that Helene’s Hannemann last words on her diary were the following:

  “Blessed daily life, may nothing break you, nothing wound you, nothing deny your beauty and the sweet strokes you paint in our souls.” Soon she would walk toward her death while singing a lullaby to her children. 

  Despite the lessons of history, humanity is still assailed by the monsters of hatred. Humanity still faces the abuse of power of dictators who have no respect for life while claiming otherwise.

 Helene Hannemann

  You may wonder who Helene Hannemann was. She was a German woman who married a man considered to belong to a different race. Unlike her family, Helene was considered a “purebreed” by the Nazis, so for a while her family was spared. Her husband, Johann, was Romani, but the Germans used the word Gypsy or tzigane to refer to him. His entire family had been deported to Poland, and they had never heard from them again.

  Johann was a violin virtuoso. He had played for years in the Berlin Philharmonic, but since 1936, the restrictions against everyone who did not fit into the Nazi Party’s social laws had grown much harsher.

  Helene was a nurse. She was heading to work one day, when the German Police showed up to take her children and her husband away from her. Helene Hannemann refused to separate from them, so she was taken too.  

 Their destination would be Auschwitz. Fiercely protective of her five children and of those around them, Helene had to endure the deprivations and violence of a place whose conditions had been created by the evils of hatred.

  Scapegoating and hatred fueled deportations, family separations, forced labor, and torture. Hitler convinced the Germans that he would get rid of people who were like “vermin.” Hitler said they were poisoning German blood.

  Helene’s husband was forced to separate from Helene and their children. They had to join different concentration camps. 

 The Nazis liked to tear families apart.

 Jewish people, Gypsies, gays, and dissidents were imprisoned. 

 The Nazis considered that people with disabilities were a burden to society, so they murdered them systematically.

  The Nazis claimed to be fighting against communism. Hitler and his Nazi followers used “patriotic” emotions to justify their evil behaviors and persecuted those who disagreed with them. Hate crimes were common under Hitler’s authoritarian regime. His dictatorship was fueled by the hatred and distrust he promoted through his speeches and lies.

  Under Hitler’s influence German people followed a pattern of bullying against those who were different. The hostility toward Jews and other groups of people led to the formation of concentration camps where people were starved and abused. The groups of people mentioned above were imprisoned and/or enslaved to serve Hitler’s regime. Hitler referred to them as “vermin.”

  The SS officers tried to create a sense of false reassurance among the Gypsy people at times by making them believe that Hitler’s goal was to fight against communism, and that Gypsies would be treated differently.

 

 The nursery school at the Gypsy camp

  Due to her German ethnicity, Helene was given some privileges. At Mengele’s request, she committed herself to organizing a nursery school at one of the Gypsy camps. This special task enabled her to deal with the suffering and empowered her to give others hope despite the shortage of food, water and the lack of sanitation. The people were tormented by diseases and had to endure the extremes of temperature. They knew the Nazis would not hesitate to murder them if they became sick. They lived under the threat of being taken away to be murdered.

 Helene managed to create a space of comfort and love for the children amid the devastating conditions of the camp. This nursery school was open from May 1943 through August 1944. At least 22,000 thousand Gypsies were slaughtered by the Nazis. Six million Jews perished during the Holocaust.

  The cruelty of the Nazis never extinguished the light of Helene’s bravery and love. Till the last moment of her life, Helene was able to sustain the forces of hope and love for her family and the prisoners with whom she had to interact.

  Helene even said she would refuse to hate her enemies because by succumbing to hate, she would resemble them; she did not want to turn into a monster. Therefore, she chose to hold onto her dignity instead. This choice requires inner strength and resilience, but it also takes courage. 

  I dare say this choice relies on a kind of intelligence that bullies lack.

  Her courage made Josef Mengele uncomfortable. It made him doubt himself.

   The only Holocaust survivor from this book was Elisabeth Guttenberger, a Jewish woman who may have provided details for the story.

 

Nazis and the treatment of women

  Nazis wanted women to be obedient and follow commands without questioning anything. They wanted German women to marry and have many children, so the Nazis banned abortion and contraception in German women. It goes without saying that banning abortion had nothing to do with honoring life. It has been associated with a desire to control and manipulate women’s lives. This is a clear feature of their ideology. Mark Robinson, a MAGA Republican who labeled himself as a “black Nazi” admitted that he had paid for his girlfriend to have an abortion in the past. Yet he fiercely supported banning abortion without any exceptions. Similarly, Donald Trump has complimented Hitler’s regime by saying that “Hitler did a lot of good things.” In fact, his ex-wife Ivana reported in 1990 that Donald Trump kept a book of Hitler’s collected speeches in his bedside cabinet.Therefore, it should not come as a surprise that Donald Trump and Vance spread so many false rumors to vilify immigrants and stoke hate. This is what Adolf Hitler did. Trump simply follows his playbook. 

 Research has shown that immigrants in America are less likely to commit crimes. Extensive research shows that immigration does NOT lead to more crime. Yet Trump and Vance keep repeating a false narrative to ignite hate toward immigrants.

   Hitler  knew that if he repeated a lie several times, people would eventually start to believe it. Trump and Vance follow Hitler’s strategy. Strangely enough, some of his fans are eager to believe and swallow anything that comes out of Trump’s mouth. (Some of those followers were even happy to swallow disinfectant during the pandemic to treat COVID because it was Trump’s suggestion). Again, I am not joking. This happened during Trump’s presidency and you can verify the information here.

  Like Hitler, Trump has referred to his opponents as “communists” and “vermin.” Like Hitler, he insists that migrants are "poisoning the blood of our country."

 The truth is that Hitler was nothing but a very insecure man; he was just a coward. Do I need to say more?

  When the government forces itself into the private realm of women’s healthcare, it follows the Nazi ideology, which viewed women as walking incubators and objects to be used for sexual pleasure. There is no genuine concern for their health and safety. Trump’s presidency had devastating consequences for women because it led to the overturning of Roe v Wade. In states with abortion restrictions maternal mortality is higher. This is a fact.

 Amber Thurman and Candi Miller are examples of women who died as a consequence of overturning Roe v Wade, a change facilitated by Trump through his choice of judges for the Supreme Court. Trump took credit for overturning Roe v Wade, and said he was proud of it… how can anybody support a convicted felon who is proud of letting the government meddle with women’s healthcare? It is incomprehensible to me. The next step will be to scapegoat healthcare professionals because Trump’s strategy is to scapegoat and ignore facts. He lies continuously. How can anybody even believe that he supports freedom and ethical values?

 Let’s hope that history serves an important purpose: to learn from the past and avoid making the same mistakes.

 

Conclusion

 Auschwitz Lullaby shows what the worst of humanity can do. It can be used as a warning. It is a wake-up call to choose human dignity instead of hate. Helene’s life is an example of that. 

 I liked The Librarian of Auschwitz even more than this one, but I think both books can help us to understand the dangers of empowering a bully. Reading these books is an immersive experience. It is effective in exposing the horrors of the Holocaust.

  It is going to be a year since the horrifying terrorist attack by Hamas took place. The fact that some people have justified this brutality shocks me, but it also helps me to understand that there are people out there who are okay with Nazi strategies and tactics. There are also those who choose to deny the Holocaust of October 7. They deny the rapes and the atrocities committed by Hamas, but their denial does not wipe out the truth. The suffering it has caused will not be forgotten. The repercussions of that massacre continue to haunt the world, triggering more wars and violence.

 Those of us who believe in democracy and human rights will continue to speak up against atrocities and vote for candidates who oppose bullies.

  Let’s not forget the hostages and the struggles of the families honoring their loves ones while trying to seek justice. I cannot even start to imagine the desperation of being in such a situation. I am sharing a recent speech by Noa Tishby here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmUSIeL7ZUo&rco=1

 

 

Supplementary links:

 https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/data-shows-migrants-taking-black-jobs-hispanic-jobs-114741798

https://www.theholocaustexplained.org/life-in-nazi-occupied-europe/controlling-everyday-life/women/

 

https://www.auschwitz.org/en/history/categories-of-prisoners/sinti-and-roma-in-auschwitz/

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/10659129221111081

https://cambridgeblog.org/2023/03/hitler-did-a-lot-of-good-things-trump-and-the-us-rehabilitation-of-nazism/

https://siepr.stanford.edu/news/mythical-tie-between-immigration-and-crime

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/donald-trump-gives-supporters-the-green-light-to-blame-jews-if-he-loses-in-november

https://forward.com/fast-forward/615880/donald-trump-hitler-nazi-references/

https://sph.tulane.edu/study-finds-higher-maternal-mortality-rates-states-more-abortion-restrictions

https://www.mediamatters.org/abc/new-analysis-shows-no-migrant-surge-or-border-crisis-heres-how-often-broadcast-news-has-said

https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/17/politics/kfile-mark-robinson-abortion-ban-no-exceptions/index.html

https://antisemitism.adl.org/

https://rsf.org/en/free-narges-coalition-calls-urgent-release-narges-mohammadi-ahead-iran-s-address-united-nations

 Mario Escobar has a licentiate’s degree in history and an advanced studies diploma in modern history. He has written numerous books about the Inquisition, the Catholic Church, the age of the Protestant Reformation, and religious sects.

 If you enjoyed this post, you may also like to read my reviews on the following books:

Women Heroes of World War II

 The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe

Life Went on Anyway by Oleg Sentsov

Israel by Noa Tishby