This Book Won't Burn by Samira Ahmed

 

 “Pick up a book, open a doorway. Take the journey the story invited you on, be a part of the conversation. Reading gives you power. Don’t ever forget that."-Samira Ahmed

   Noor Khan was in the last year of high school when she decided to wear a white t-shirt with the following words printed on it:

                     “I READ BANNED BOOKS.”

   As a result of her bold action, the school principal put her in detention. The only reason for this was that she asserted her right to read banned books.

   You may think that this is something that could have happened to a student in Nazi Germany or under Mussolini’s Fascist regime, but this is what happened to the main character of a young adult fiction novel written by Samira Ahmed. The story takes place in a small red town in Illinois and it reflects a reality that deserves attention. According to PEN America 23,000 books have been banned in public schools in America since 2021.

 

  Noor had always loved books. Her parents had instilled in her a love for reading since she was a young child, so she was disillusioned when she found out that five hundred titles were in the process of being removed from the shelves of her school library.

    Noor Khan was a new student there. She had recently moved away from Chicago  with her mother and sister after her father had abandoned the family unexpectedly. Her mother had found a new job at the local college, so they moved to the small town of Bayberry. Her daughters—Noor and Amal – were forced to attend the high school in town.

      Noor was determined to advocate for the freedom to read books.

 Would the community welcome her decision?

 

   Noor and her new friends, Faiz and Juniper, invited other students to read banned books together at the park during lunchtime.

  Why were the books banned?

  Some parents claimed that those books contained “indecent” content. Noor realized that almost eighty percent of those books were written by people of color, LGBTQs, or they were about the experiences of survivors of sexual assault… Why did these parents want to censor this content? Yet twenty percent of the books removed from the school library did not belong to any of these categories. For example, Farenheit 451 did not fit into any of those groups. The bottom line was that a small group of parents felt entitled to decide what the students were supposed to avoid reading. Apparently, they believed they were morally superior to other parents, which is quite ironic considering that they voted for a xenophobic, misogynistic man who also happened to be a convicted sexual abuser and had bragged about sexually assaulting women.  

      When the principal learned about the meetings at the park, he forced students to have lunch in the cafeteria, and prohibited the release of students during the lunchtime break altogether. Due to the punishment imparted by the principal, the teenagers at her new high school were furious at Noor, and this was the beginning of a chain of events that would lead to more conflicts and strained relationships.

     Around this time Noor befriended Andrew, the stepson of the head of the school board of education. She did not know this when she first started hanging out with him. Andrew had lost his dad when he was only nine years old, so Noor and Andrew somehow shared a sense of grief: Noor’s dad had abandoned the family whereas Andrew’s dad had passed away. There is a touch of romance interwoven into their relationship that never fully blooms.

   Their grief bolsters their friendship and creates a sense of connection and understanding between them. I appreciate how the author reveals the intricate layers of grief and the multiple aspects of their friendship. The fact that Andrew’s stepfather wants political power and tries to influence Andrew and exert his power over him creates a social constraint that rankles Noor. Yet Noor and Andrew are very much attracted to each other and there is a sense of uncertainty that hooks the reader. I admit I expected more from this relationship. I liked how the author sets it up. I am not sure I liked the outcome of it…I think Andrew had strong feelings toward her and I wanted their relationship to flourish—even if it was only in the form of a friendship.

   The author carries the suspense well throughout the novel as she constantly rides the relationships and plot on a wave of uncertainty. Noor receives banned books in her school locker from an unknown sender; she shares them with her friends. Furthermore, she and her friends set up little free libraries across town, challenging the bans of the school board. Andrew is also engaged in this endeavor, despite the restrictions of his authoritarian stepfather...

  The school librarian is treated unfairly and is not allowed to do her work. Eventually she is put on administrative leave and there are acts of vandalism and bullying against Noor and other students, which are rooted in bigotry and prejudices.

 

Highly recommended for school libraries

  This Book Won’t Burn highlights the importance of advocating for the freedom to read books. It reminds us that there are silent people out there who can do more and should do more to advocate for justice and democracy. I highly recommend this novel to teenagers and adults.

   I hope school librarians and educators will consider adding this book to their libraries. It has the potential to kindle interesting discussions. It evinces the power of community, education and collaboration.

 

 

 

 Favorite characters

  

Amal: one of my favorite characters is Amal. Amal is Noor’s sister. Even though she was very depressed after their father abandoned the family, she was still resilient and supportive of her sister’s goals. She was a free spirit, an activist and also a book lover.

Ms. Clayton: Ms. Clayton was the school librarian. She braved the oppression of the principal and school board members with grace and wisdom. She mustered up the courage to promote banned books. She nurtured the students' motivations and curiosity, inspiring them to read a variety of books.  She never gave up on the Bayberry community and had the hope and enthusiasm required to bring people together.

Andrew: Andrew had lost his father when he was nine years old. He welcomed Noor into the community. He  made a couple of mistakes that rankled Noor... I did not like that he bullied Faiz when Andrew was nine years old, but I do see that Andrew changed over time, and by the end of the novel he had com of age. 

  Even though Faiz was also a lovely character, I cannot say that Faiz was a favorite because the author is invested in portraying him as a perfect guy. Why is this? Unfortunately, the portrayal of Faiz does not sound credible or realistic.

 

What I did not like about the book

This Book Won’t Burn has some flaws and weaknesses.

 There is no resolution in the relationship between Noor and her father. What happened? We never find out. 

 I wanted to learn more about the outcome of the relationship between Andrew and Noor. I expected more from this.

 Why is Faiz portrayed as a perfect character? Doesn’t he have any biases?

   The story appears to show that only white people can be racist. I invite Samira Ahmed to open her eyes to the fact that being white is not a requirement for being racist.

  As far as I know, people of different skin colors voted for a misogynistic racist man in November 2024. Here’s an article that will hopefully open her eyes to the truth:

https://www.npr.org/2025/03/03/nx-s1-5249686/arab-muslim-voters-dearborn-hamtramck-trump-gaza

Yes, some people from minorities are racist too. Here’s an article on this:

https://news.law.fordham.edu/blog/2022/09/27/lets-be-blunt-latinos-can-be-racist-too/

   Voting for fascism is an indicator that bigotry and xenophobia are real.

    I propose that we stop using the word racism and adopt the words bigotry and xenophobia instead. First of all, the color of the skin is not an indicator of somebody’s race. Color of skin has to do with the amount of melanin in the skin. Melanin is just a pigment. Science has shown that races do not exist. There is only one race: it is the human race. Therefore, putting people into boxes according to a so-called human race classification that is not even real is a social construction that has been used to sow division, hatred and oppression of groups of people.  I know white supremacists will be in denial of the fact that human races do not exist, but we all know who are the ones who love to deny science.

  Unfortunately, too many people fall for the trap of believing that human races are real. Biologists and anthropologists have debunked this myth, so let’s open our minds to the truth. Let’s work together to heal our home, the planet Earth, and to eradicate the roots of our social maladies: prejudices, discrimination, bigotry, misogyny, hatred, toxic masculinity, greed and the list goes on. These maladies exist in every part of the planet as far as I know. They seem to be present in every culture. They belong to the human race as a whole.

 

Why this book is so important

  Banning books is not only about censorship in libraries. It also sends the message that some voices don’t matter and should be suppressed. On the other hand, the freedom to read books is the foundation of a healthy democracy.

   We can all be part of a movement to support and promote the freedom to read any book we want.

   My Writing Life: Awareness, Reflection, Inspiration is dedicated to promoting a love for reading. 

 

To learn more about censorship and book bans, you can check the following sites:

 

American Library Association: https://www.ala.org

 

EveryLibrary:  https://www.everylibrary.org

 

Freedom to Read Foundation: https://www.ftrf.org

 

PEN America: https://pen.org

 

Unite Against Book Bans: https://unitedagainstbookbans.org

 

 

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you read my writing on the following books:

 

Fault Lines by Nora Shalaway Carpenter

 

I Will Always Write Back by Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda

 

Walking Away from Hate by Jeanette and Lauren Manning

 

 

The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak

 

  The second post of February could not be released on time, but it does not matter all that much because the previous post continued to gain momentum and relevance... Am I correct? Do you agree with me? Yes, I know; at least Jarret was not a convicted sexual abuser. Predictions are not always perfect.

  The patriarchy continues to act with impunity and without shame. The trump regime bombed a girls’ school in Iran.  At least one-hundred and sixty eight people--mostly girls-- were killed, but this did not cause much outrage in the American corporate mainstream media. It is heartbreaking to learn about the actions of the bone-spurred psychopath in power. What is the American Congress doing right now? How can they be so heartless? 

  Don’t forget that the patriarchy promoted Donald Trump as the “peace president” and blamed Kamala Harris for the war on Gaza. What can be wrong with that?  Wait a minute. I thought Americans did not want to start new wars, but why would trump care about what Americans want? He knows that he can invent excuses to avoid elections in America; the Republican Congress and the mainstream media will follow along, because this is what they have always done.

  They always manage to “normalize” him.

  Let’s make it clear: sycophants of the mafia boss do not make America great. They are part of the mafia. I warned the readers of My Writing Life: Awareness, Reflection, Inspiration about the risks of electing Donald Trump  but the patriarchy did not index my blog post, and the mainstream media promoted the pathological liar instead.

  Now you may wonder what this has to do with today’s book presentation…

  A few weeks ago, I wrote about a novel by Elif Shafak which had been heavily influenced by the patriarchy, but today I have a special surprise for you. I offer the antidote. In The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak we meet a couple of women who stand up to toxic masculinity and finally impart justice…

  The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak is a brilliant masterpiece with memorable characters. It has the enchantment of a mystery crowned with a totally unexpected ending. Be prepared to appreciate the psychological aspects of this riveting novel. Culture and history intermingle to entrance the reader and invite the imagination to run wild.

    The stories and people connect in fascinating ways and show how life is a tapestry of experiences and coincidences in which past, present and future relate to one another.

  Elif Shafak’s writing style is unique and captivating. I appreciate her sense of humor and the painstaking way of showing her eccentric characters.

  Armanoush is an Armenian American woman whose mother, Rose, is from Kentucky. Her father is Armenian American. He divorced her mother when she was a toddler. Soon after her divorce, Rose married a Turkish guy, Mustafa Kacinzi, who is originally from Istanbul. Rose did not even know that Istanbul was located in Turkey when she first met him…They met in Arizona, where Armanoush grew up, so Mustafa becomes her step-father. 

    Armanoush wants to learn more about her family background, so she ends up travelling to Istanbul secretly to visit Mustafa’s family and get to know the city where her own Armenian grandmother had grown up. Mustafa has four sisters who live with their mother and great-grandmother. Mustafa had not cared to see his sisters for almost twenty years. The reason for this is eventually revealed…

 Armanoush writes about the women to her cyber-friends in the following words:

 “The family I am living with is quite interesting, a bit crazy, but perhaps all families are. There is something surreal here. Irrationality is part of the everyday rationale. I feel like I am in a Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel. One of the sisters is a tattoo artist; another sister is a clairvoyant; one other is a national history teacher; and the fourth is an eccentric wallflower, or a full-time cuckoo.”

 Then there is another woman, of course. Her name is Asya. She is the daughter of the household. A woman with four mothers and no father. “Quite a character—full of rage, satire and wit. She’d make a good Dostoyevsky character.”

    This book is an exquisite gift to anybody who loves to learn about other cultures and to understand history through engaging fiction. It is an opportunity to travel with the mind from the comfort of your home and to understand the present with enhanced perspectives.

 Among other things, this book invited me to explore the conflicts and richness of multiculturalism. It made me think about the concept of self-actualization, authenticity and the sui generis power of creativity. It made me consider the effects of cultural influence and the need to follow one’s personal journey.

 The Bastard of Istanbul made me reflect on the fragility and strength of friendship. It made me ponder on the significance of resilience in the face of trauma.

 I could be writing for hours about each topic in this book, but I will stop here. Delight your senses and feed your intellectual curiosity by simply diving into it. It is a multicultural adventure.

     In 2006 Elif Shafak was put on trial because she was falsely accused of “denigrating Turkishness” under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code. She could have been given up to a three-year prison sentence because of what the Armenian characters spoke in the novel.  Thankfully, the charges were eventually dropped.

  My favorite character in the novel was Petit-Ma...I enjoyed reading about these strong female characters, but I did not like that Zeliha and Asya smoked and drank so much. Why would anyone pay to become sick? 

 There is something very disturbing about Asya that is revealed on page 119 and the author mentions it a second time: "Whenever she met a new woman she did one of two things: either waited to see when she would hate her or hated her right away." 

  What is the author trying to communicate here? I found it stark and ominous--even scary. What is this dark side of Asya conveying? It made me wonder how many people out there feel this way without saying it. Is misogyny the root of all our social maladies?

     Read The Bastard of Istanbul and discuss it with friends. It is an excellent choice for a book club.

 

Relevant links

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLiverQ1s44

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTbU3l_aymM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKXag_5fppM

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/01/iran-school-bombing-death-toll-us-israel-strikes

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/world/ukraine/iran-war-russia-putin-oil-prices-sanctions-trump-ukraine-middle-east-rcna262679

Parable Of The Talents by Octavia Butler

 

 “If I had to get shot by strangers, shouldn’t it be while I was trying to help the community, and not just while I was trying to run away?”

      From Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler

   If you suffer from depression or anxiety, I do not recommend this book. Yet the themes of The Parable of the Talents gain momentum every day. Also, the quality of the writing is outstanding. 

   I did not want to read this dystopian novel, but I felt compelled to do so due to its relevance. With an attitude of detachment and skimming through some terrifying parts, I was able to navigate the disgusting violence in this story. There is, however, a sense of comfort in the author's wisdom.

    In 2032 many people are bamboozled by a man who promised to make America great again. Enough voters in America believed that a “strong man” was needed to lead the country. The so-called “strong man” is a fascist, authoritarian guy with many insecurities and hatred toward anybody he considers different…

   Lack of quality education of the masses in 2032 plays an important role in helping the tyrant become president. The Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments are clearly violated by his “administration.” Innocent people are abducted for no reason and some of them are sent to concentration camps…

   The effects of climate change are wreaking havoc on America; sex slavery and other forms of slavery are normalized under the fascist regime. The elected fascist president promised peace but drags America into a war on Canada.

   Above all, the tyrant promised to make America great again:

   “He wants to take us back to some magical time when everyone believed in the same God, worshipped him in the same way and understood that their safety in the universe depended on completing the same religious rituals and stomping anyone who was different. There was never such a time in this country. But these days when more than half the people in the country can’t read at all, history is just one more vast unknown to them.”

   Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler starts in the year 2032. It is about Lauren Olamina and her family. It is about her community. Lauren Olamina’s daughter, Larkin, reviews the entries of her mother’s journal. In doing so, we learn what happened to Larkin’s parents and to the members of their community.

   Larkin had been forcibly separated from her parents by the regime. Alternating with Lauren Olamina’s journal entries, we read Larkin's narrative. Larkin shares her own dreadful experiences.

     This disturbing, prescient novel shows how technology can be used by authoritarian demagogues against the people of a country. It reveals how technology is used to dominate, manipulate and even kill its own people. I am reeling from the unpleasant experience of reading Parable of the Talents. It made me have nightmares. On the other hand, the novel also offers wisdom and inspiration (more on this later in the post).

 

  Lauren and the presidential election of a fascist dictator

    Despite the election of the fascist demagogue, Lauren Olamina is determined to strengthen the bonds of the unique community she created. The name of this community is “Earthseed.” “Earthseed” was her source of hope. She poured her heart and soul into this community.

   There is a brief introduction on “Earthseed” in Parable of the Sower.  “Earthseed”, however, becomes even more relevant and clear on the pages of Parable of the Talents as we discover the details on its inner workings, aspirations and goals. Not surprisingly, “Earthseed” also becomes a target of the regime.

   Lauren Olamina worked hard to strengthen her community and to expand it. Through “Earthseed” Lauren Olamina prioritized education, sustainability and empathy. She forged bonds of trust and cooperation, and she did whatever she could to protect the members of her community. However, after the fascist leader takes over America something terrifying happens…

  Under the tyrant’s fascist regime, sexual slavery and other forms of slavery are normalized. It is a dystopian reality:

 “Thanks to malnutrition, climate change, poverty and ignorance a lot of diseases are back and some of them are contagious.” Also, the regime goes after her community. I will not elaborate on this. I will let you dive in and find out more.

  One important aspect of the story to reflect upon is the way education had been sabotaged over the years, because this may have been one of the factors that enabled the sexist, misogynistic mafia boss to gain support and win enough votes to get elected as president.

  “Public schools had become rare in those days when ten-year old children could be put to work.”

   It is distressing to read that the elected mafia boss claims to be after criminals while protecting pedophiles and rapists that support him. Moreover, many of his own supporters are in denial of the situation even when they know what is going on, and the survivors are blamed  and falsely accused of being "heathens."

 

   The insights and visionary power of Octavia Butler

   Nobody can deny that Octavia Butler was a visionary. I was astonished when I learned that Parable of the Talents had been published in 1998. As I ponder on the story, I realize that Octavia Butler had an in-depth understanding of her present. This can be corroborated in her last interview, which took place a few months before she passed away. You can read about it here.

    It is true that in order to be a visionary, a person needs to have an understanding of the present, but the present is also connected to the past, and the study of history requires knowledge of sociology and politics combined. Understanding the confluence of sociology and politics is necessary to fully comprehend political developments. She clearly had the knowledge and wisdom to perceive the impact of both in society.

   Lauren Olamina embraces change. In doing so, she cultivates resilience and perseveres in the face of trauma. She is a fighter, a woman who awakens you to the truth of the past in the following lines:

 “My ancestors in this hemisphere were, by law, chattel slaves. In the U.S., they were chattel slaves for two and a half centuries--at least 10 generations.”

   Parable of the Talents shares insights into social situations that put groups of people down in various ways, an act that is compounded by the ignorance of people who vote against their own interests. 

  Butler is not afraid of exposing the social drivel that marginalizes women. She has the talent of encapsulating the provincial mindset and behaviors in a single paragraph. Her wisdom and experience shine through her narrative.

  All in all, her book is an important warning to those who genuinely care about democracy, justice, freedom and our future on Earth.

 

 Features of fascism  (This list is based on the description provided by Keene State College, and I adapted it to provide more precise information).

 

-Loyalty to the leader is paramount.

-Powerful, often exclusionary, populist nationalism centered on the cult of an “infallible” leader who never admits mistakes.

-Political power derived from questioning reality and promoting lies. In America we have heard the word “hoax” in relation to topics that the fascist in power considers inconvenient. Some examples of these include the following: “climate change is a hoax”, “Epstein files are a hoax”, “COVID is a Hoax”; he also referred to “affordability as a hoax perpetrated by Democrats.” Interestingly, this pattern of referring to critical issues as “hoaxes” started over ten years ago, but the voters did not take heed.

-The use of scapegoats to blame vulnerable groups of people and to fuel hatred and division in the population.

- Persecution, imprisonment and/or execution of opponents.

-Rampant sexism.

-Control of mass media and undermining “truth”.

-There is an obsession with national security and crime that is used to terrorize and oppress groups of people.

-Religion and government are intertwined.

-Corporate power is protected and prioritized at the expense of public health, workers and the environment.

-Disdain for intellectuals and the arts when they do not align with the interests of the regime.

-Fraudulent elections. This is something we have to work on to prevent it from happening. In America Trump has dismantled protections and has cut positions at agencies responsible for election security. In several ways he has threatened the democratic process and you can read about this here:

 -Rampant corruption and cronyism.

-The regime often seeks to expand territory through armed conflict.

- The regime opposes any initiatives and institutions that promote diversity, equity and inclusion.

-Disregard for human rights is a feature of fascism.

 I would like to add to this list the disdain for science when it does not align with the interests of the corporations that finance the election of the fascist.

 

 

 Please support the independent journalists who are doing a remarkable job reporting what is going on in America today. I provide several relevant links to their reporting at the bottom of this post. You can subscribe to their channels.

 

 Feel free to also take action today to stand up to fascism and the environmental destruction perpetrated by the trump regime:

 

https://www.aclu.org/action

 

https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/get-involved/

 

https://earthjustice.org/action

 

 

Relevant links and reporting by independent journalists:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f13HINY_6RY

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmCgX-dPFnc

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0En3X--3-Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSkzN7R5VAM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv5bfo_m1_Y

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNtK4syb_cE

https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minneapolis-hospital-ice-beating-assault-4e77742e0629fc7f127c0aa38b3d2a70

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/feb/03/jeffrey-epstein-powerful-men-women-girls

 

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/feb/06/republicans-ice-separations-families

https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-female-reporters-quiet-piggy-comments-b2913454.html?test_group=lighteradlayout#comments-area

 

Take a break and have a good laugh with Seth Meyers’s wit. He keeps you informed while adding a touch of humor to your day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDuxH6m4ld0

 

 Addendum:

 Here's a video by Marc Elias on how to protect the integrity of elections in America:

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

A Brilliant Life by Rachelle Unreich

   

     How does a mother’s love make a difference against the forces of a totalitarian Nazi regime? How can her legacy help us move forward with hope and resilience as we face the pain of losing innocent lives due to the terrorist actions of a tyrant in power? How can we raise awareness on the need to preserve democracy? 

       How can we teach the new generations that democracy matters?

   When we learn the lessons from history, we are better prepared to face the challenges with the foresight needed. Perhaps voting will be understood as a duty to save lives…I will never understand why so many people have taken democracy for granted in the United States of America.

      Rachelle Unreich’s book is a good resource to believe in the power of our knowledge and determination, to stand together against the abuse of power of a regime that slanders, labels and persecutes decent human beings.

     Mira Unreich has a lot to teach us after surviving four concentration camps, including Auschwitz, and a Death March. She was eighty-eight years old when she was diagnosed with cancer in Melbourne, Australia, where she lived. Rachelle, her youngest daughter, was taking care of her mother when Mira was battling cancer. She asked her questions as a form of distraction, but then she realized that her mother’s experiences could be a source of hope for others. She was right. Her book came to me when I needed it. This is what happens with books. They are like satellite souls of the authors with the gentle power to build bridges of understanding, solace and community. They forge paths of hope and faith. 

   I want to share a quote from Rachelle’s book; it refers to the coincidences in her mother’s life. “It was how it was in Mira’s life: coincidences folding over and over each other, forming such an elaborate pattern that it was impossible to tell where they started, and if they were finished.”

      Mira passed away ten years ago. During the pandemic Rachelle decided to write down her story.

     How did Mira survive the atrocities she witnessed and the devastating experiences she went through during her teenage years?

     Mira was born to a loving family in a small town in Czechoslovakia. She had a talent for singing and learning different languages. She loved to tell stories. People were attracted to her warmth and positive attitude.  Love, music and joy filled her childhood; it was a pleasure to read about her culture. Things changed for them, however, when the dehumanizing and scapegoating of Jews under the Nazi regime took over Germany like an epidemic; Jewish children had to drop out of schools; Jewish families were treated as “suspicious”. The Nazis imposed legislation to strip away their civil and human rights, and to destroy their livelihoods, jobs, businesses.

  The nazi regime targeted and and killed millions of Jews, but it also persecuted and murdered LGBTQs, Poles, Roma, people with disabilities, communists and dissidents of the regime. 

     Mira had three brothers and one sister. Her sister and one of her brothers were taken to concentration camps and died. Her father was shot in front of the family the day the Gestapo officers forced themselves into Mira’s home, a few hours before Mira and her family were about to escape from their house.

   The details of her life as a prisoner in the concentration camps were hard to read. Through Rachelle's book,  I continued to learn more about the cruelty of the Nazis and the brutality of the Holocaust. The sadistic behaviors of the abusers are hard to comprehend, but one can perceive the same kind of cruelty in certain modern speeches in America.

  The dehumanization of people they considered different fueled the executions, the tortures, the starvation of millions of people exposed to the elements. Families were torn apart, and many of them were sent to work under inhumane conditions that led  to their deaths.

        Following the liberation of the Neustadt concentration camp on April 30, 1945, Mira knew she had to brace herself for the dangers that lurked around her. No place around her appeared to be safe. I was astonished to learn about the cases of rape of  former prisoners by soldiers who were supposed to be there to liberate them. Those days were full of uncertainty and confusion. Thankfully, Mira did well and managed to be safe, but other women were raped or even lost their lives in the hands of soldiers. I was impressed by the painstaking approach to her story, by how she was able to put all the information together.

    All in all, A Brilliant Life is not only a relevant historical testimony but also an examination of how the trauma of Mira’s experiences somehow touched aspects of her life and her relationships. Yet it did not prevent her from living life to its fullest potential.

   Mira would finally reunite with two of her brothers under the most incredible circumstances, and they would start a new life after the war. Read A Brilliant Life and find out more about it.

   As she shared her story, Mira tried to focus on the goodness of those who helped her along the way.  Despite the horrors, I was able to savor the mystical moments of “protection” that enabled her to survive in the concentration camps.

   During the worst days of her captivity, there were helpers who made a difference. I was speechless to learn about them. Those were moments of wonder and faith, like little miracles that saved her life. The kindness of those people made a world of difference, and the love of Mira's mother was always inside her, sustaining her hope… I needed this book this week. I also needed to share it.

    Mira survived but millions of people perished in the hands of the Nazis. I would like to believe that human beings learned something from history, but the election of November 2024 in America showed that this was not the case. It was not enough to stop seventy-seven million people from voting for a man who liked to read Mein Kampf and spewed Hitler-like speeches at rallies.  Referring to his opponents as “vermin” and accusing immigrants of  "poisoning the blood of Americans" are just some examples of this. Additionally, ninety million people in America looked the other way and chose not to vote, empowering a criminal. Think about it for a minute: a woman needs to be perfect to become president in America; a man can be anything...

     One aspect I want to highlight about reading this book is how the Nazis tried to hide their evil, depraved behaviors, how they found a way to convince others that what they did was right. We need to pay attention. As I write this, people are being kidnapped by masked men in America. People die in detention centers. Why is the access of Democratic members of Congress to ICE facilities restricted in Minneapolis? This is serious.

 

 

A message of solidarity

  I am deeply sad and outraged about the brutal murder of Alex Pretti. Alex Pretti was an ICU nurse. He worked hard saving veterans’ lives.

  Alex was giving aid to a woman when a bunch of border patrol agents attacked him viciously. Seven Border Patrol “agents” bludgeoned him to the ground and then they shot him ten times. It is not true that he had been brandishing a gun. He was a legal gun owner, but he was doing nothing illegal. Alex had only been filming the violent actions of those agents with his cell phone, but Nazis like to hide their evil actions so they murdered him. Seven cowards against a brave, courageous, kind man of integrity. Seven Gestapo agents against one hero. It is hard to watch. It is heartbreaking.

  This is what the trump regime is doing, so, please, America, wake up. Please vote out anybody who supports the trump regime.

   Let’s not forget Renee Nicole Good. Say her name.  Let’s not forget Keith Porter. I recently learned about him. What kind of government slaughters innocent citizens and falsely accuses them of being domestic terrorists? Think about that for a moment.

 

   My heart is with the people of Minnesota, where innocent citizens are being kidnapped from their homes by cowards wearing masks. These thugs force themselves into homes without court orders, just like the Gestapo did in Nazi Germany. The trump regime violates the Fourth and Fourteenth amendments of the US Constitution. Now they also want to violate the Second Amendment. They want to trash our democracy. They think they are above the law but nobody is above the law. They should be held accountable. Remember that the trump regime is using our tax dollars to cause terror, persecute and even kill innocent people.

   Desperate to hide the Epstein files and the Trump effects on the economy the trump regime does whatever it can to cause outrage, sow division and spread hatred. That is all the trump regime has to offer. There is nothing else but constant lies, corruption, cruelty, violence and hatred.  There are threats to invade other countries and there is propaganda to praise the regime. This is what the Nazi regime did. 

   If you have not done so yet, read my blog post on Alexei Navalny’s book. Putin’s tactics are set in motion in America through the trump regime. Also, read Alexei Navalny’s book if you have not done so yet. You will not be disappointed.

  Thank you for visiting this site. Stay strong. Stay informed. Remember that every voice matters. Every act of kindness and solidarity can help make a difference.

   Democracy depends on us.

 

Relevant links:

https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-immigration-us-citizen-detained-hmong-d009590a491c0c8243ef21ef24db7182

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11bK4bjsiGg

https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-protester-alex-pretti-15ade7de6e19cb0291734e85dac763dc

 

 https://www.theglobalist.com/trumps-disgraceful-and-destructive-use-of-presidential-pardons/

 

https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-shooting-congress-visit-ice-5eb6749b18d59ed8c47b5eeab9784432

 

 

https://apnews.com/article/israel-holocaust-remembrance-day-auschwitz-survivors-f6ed4882964e9455cc014f243b307fec

 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRXAy5SLMyg

The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak

 

“Don’t follow the flow. Be the flow.” From the book The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak

  I was fascinated by one of the characters in this philosophical novel: Shams of Tabriz. I enjoyed every minute of his interactions with others until something happened that made my hair stand on end. Falling in love with Rumi led him to do something cruel and stupid.

    Shams of Tabriz was a Persian poet, a wanderer, a Dervish who lived in the thirteenth century in the Middle East. He is credited with turning Rumi into a poet. Shams was not afraid of speaking truth to power. He did not waste time on pleasantries; he viewed gossip with contempt.  One of his talents was to see through people, and he had visions…

   I liked him because he was never misled by bigots, and he evaluated situations and people with fresh eyes without being influenced by gossip. His intelligence and introspective nature enabled him to defeat the bigots through the peaceful power of his words, and so they hated him. By diving into the truth, he cared to expose the light that the bigots refused to see.

     Rumi was a popular scholar and a privileged member of society, but he felt that something was missing in his life. There was some kind of void. When Shams met Rumi, they discovered that they shared a kind of profound spiritual connection. Close to the end of this novel, however, Shams did something cruel and outrageous. He married a fifteen-year-old girl. Shams, a sixty-year-old man married Kimya, a gifted fifteen-year-old girl. (I will share more about this later in the post).

    In The Forty Rules of Love there are two stories that run parallel to each other. One is the story of Ella. The other one is the story of Rumi and Shams. Ella is as boring as a neat, tidy garden loaded with pesticides and herbicides. I am not judging her as a person here. I am simply stating that after reading the first chapter of the novel I wanted to stop reading it because I was not interested in reading her story. Her husband, David, cheats on Ella and she accepts it as part of her marriage. It is presented as a normal part of their relationship. Let’s not feign surprise here.  A man cheating on his wife is acceptable and normal in the eyes of seventy-seven million people in America. The only reason I continued reading the novel was the number of positive reviews I had encountered. I was intrigued.

        Ella is the mother of three children and she has been offered a job at a literary agency. As part of her job, she is expected to read unpublished books and write reports about them. Her new assignment is to read a novel titled Sweet Blasphemy, which had been written by a Scottish man who had become a Sufi. His name is Aziz. Because of this assignment Ella writes to Aziz, and they start exchanging emails. The chapters of the novel alternate between the chapters about Ella’s life and the chapters of Sweet Blasphemy, a novel about the life of Rumi and Shams of Tabriz. In the chapters about Ella’s life, we follow the spontaneous interaction between Ella and Aziz, which takes place through emails.  

    Both stories unfold in different time periods. Rumi and Shams of Tabriz lived during the thirteenth century, and they meet for the first time in Konya, Turkey, in the year 1244. Ella’s story takes place in 2008 in the state of Massachusetts. Azis lives in Amsterdam.

   The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak is a philosophical novel that narrates two different stories in alternating chapters. Yet these stories are analogous to each other, even though they happen in different time periods. I invite the readers to become aware of the synchronicities of these two stories. The analogy responds to the theme of the novel: the fact that everything is interconnected; the idea that we are one. This idea is well summarized in the following quote by Shams of Tabriz:

  “The universe is one being. Everything and everyone is interconnected through an invisible web of stories. Whether we are aware of it or not, we are all in a silent conversation. Do no harm. Practice compassion. And do not gossip behind anybody’s back—not even a seemingly innocent remark.”

 

  I will share what I loved about the novel and what I disliked about it. There is a lot to appreciate about the story, and there is a lot to dislike about it as well. I do recommend it.

 

What I loved about the novel

 

 The synchronicity and harmony between the two stories kindle a sense of wonder in the reader. The reflections of the novel and the so-called “rules” of love are the gist of the novel. They provide the core upon which the stories hinge. The thought-provoking revelations do not sound preachy because they harmonize with the situations that arise. These reflections are an invitation to discuss topics that affect our present. They can generate introspective conversations and raise awareness on social issues that pervade society.

      I wrote down many of the quotes because I like to share them and I enjoy revisiting them.  They can be a source of hope and inspiration. I encourage you to seek them yourself. I will be keeping many of them in my notebook, like hidden treasures.

   Here’s one of relevance today:

“There are more fake gurus and false teachers in this world than the number of stars in the visible universe. Don’t confuse power-driven, self-centered people with true mentors. A genuine spiritual master will not direct your intention to himself or herself and will not expect absolute obedience or utter admiration from you, but instead will help you to appreciate and admire your inner self. True mentors are as transparent as glass.”

   Let me share more quotes by Shams here:

“There is only one kind of dirt that cannot be cleansed with pure water, and that is the stain of hatred and bigotry contaminating the soul. You can purify your body through abstinence and fasting, but only love will purify your heart.”

   There are several different characters in Sweet Blasphemy. One of them is Desert Rose, a sex slave in Tonya, Turkey. The author refers to her as a “harlot”. She should have referred to her as a sex slave instead. I did not like that the author did not use the proper word. Think about the implications of referring to a sex slave as a "harlot". The influence of a patriarchal society in the author’s words is clear. 

   When Desert Rose tried to escape from the brothel, she did not get much support. In response to this situation, she offered the following reflection:

 “Some people feed on the miseries of others and they don’t like it when there is one less miserable person on the face of the earth…”

  Desert Rose risked her life to recover her freedom. This is an example of strength and resilience.

  Now think about how many people are okay with the existence of sex slaves in this world. Think about how some powerful people support the trafficking of sex slaves and cover up for pedophiles and you will agree with Desert Rose. It is not difficult to see that people who cover up and facilitate this exploitation normalize the objectification of women and girls. It is also sad and tragic that the author does not use the word “sex slave”. 

    There are many thought-provoking statements in The Forty Rules of Love. I appreciate the insights into the behavior of religious bigots. For example, Shams said, “Instead of losing themselves in the love of God and waging a war against their ego, religious zealots fight other people, generating wave after wave of fear.”

 

 Here’s a reflection on patience:

“Patience does not mean to passively endure. It means to be farsighted enough to trust the end result of a process. What does patience mean? It means to look at the thorn and see the rose, to look at the night and see the dawn.”

 

 

   What I did not like about the novel

 

  If Rumi was so enlightened, why didn’t he let Kerra have access to his books? I get it. He lived in the Middle Ages, but even in the Middle Ages, I would not have expected a fifteen-year-old gifted girl to “fall in love” with a sixty-year-old man who could have been her grandfather. The author of the novel tries to make us believe that Kimya fell in love with Shams, a sixty-year-old man. The fact that the novelist shows us that Kimya was so deeply in love with Shams is a clear indicator of how powerful the patriarchy influenced Elif Shafak’s writing. She also wants to make us believe that the words “beating a wife” can mean something reasonable and acceptable. No, Elif, I disagree with your word salad on the matter. Beating a wife means beating a wife, so do not try to manipulate the readers into believing something different.

     Shams did not love Kimya back, but he had no problem humiliating her, so how enlightened was Shams? This was truly nauseating. The unhealthy attachment between Shams and Rumi led to the suffering of others. Furthermore, divine love is not about physical attachment, which was evident in the relationship between Shams and Rumi. Divine love is about understanding, compassion, empathy, respect, dignity and freedom.

      The fact that children are still forced to marry men and the fact that girls and women continue to be trafficked and abused should be a reason to shock people, but the truth is that too many people participate in this, which is why this still happens. Also, the word “harlot” is not the same as sex slave. I did not find a single review stating this.

 

    Seeing Desert Rose teach Kimya how “to win Shams’ s heart” was deplorable and humiliating in many ways, but I will let the readers read about this and reach their own conclusions.

 

    Ella trusted a stranger in a way that made me uncomfortable. I think this aspect of the story is overrated. However, it is understandable that novels are fiction, and, for this reason, they can present unlikely scenarios and situations that may be extremely rare in real life. Also, the email exchange is referred to as an “affair” even though there was no evidence of “an affair” when they exchanged emails. What did I miss here? David Rubinstein, on the other hand, had affairs-real affairs- but the author does not even care to explore that part of the story. I did not like this. What happened with David? Yet the author refers to a simple email exchange between Ella and Aziz as an “affair”. 

  What is wrong about two human beings exchanging emails? That does not make it an affair. Ella eventually meets Aziz in-person. That is another phase of their relationship that should not even be considered an “affair” because Ella had already told David that she loved Aziz.

 

    Last but not least, it is annoying and disappointing that the women in this novel seem to need the input of a man to be inspired and encouraged to change in constructive ways. Apparently, Elif Shafak does not believe that women are clever enough to do so without the feedback of men. Again, the patriarchy did a “good job” influencing the writing of this novel.

 

 

   Conclusion

 

  The Forty Rules of Love is a philosophical novel with thought-provoking insights and reflections that have the potential to dissolve the provincial attitudes and behaviors that keep the world stuck in patterns of injustice and inequities. The way the two stories unfold creates a sense of wonder and intrigue that makes the read engrossing. Unfortunately, the influence of the patriarchy is present like a shadow in this novel, even though the author tries to convince us that the women were “transformed”. On the one hand, the author expresses brilliant ideas and insights, but on the other, she sabotages those ideas by assigning more wisdom, power and authority to men and by choosing words that demean women. In many cases she portrays them in ludicrous situations that do not represent their true selves.

    Did Ella follow the flow or was Ella the flow?  Read The Forty Rules of Love and reach your own conclusions.