Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton

 

   Something life transforming happened to Chloe Dalton one day, when she went for a walk in the countryside in England. She came across a baby hare, a leveret. She thought the leveret’s mother was close by, so she did not disturb her. A few hours later, however, she checked on her; the baby hare was still there, lying still on the grass.

   Chloe Knew that the baby hare was at risk. Something may have happened to her mother. She may have been killed. Foxes and stoats lurked around. The leveret was a potential prey to several creatures. Chloe knew that the baby hare would not survive without her mother, so she did what any caring person would have done. She decided to rescue her.

    There was not much information out there on how to feed a leveret. She asked wildlife and conservation experts for advice. She searched for scientific literature, but even literary references were more helpful in this case. Her sister, who owned a small farm, did not know anything about hares, but she gave her powdered milk for kittens and a two-ounce bottle suitable for puppies, kittens, bunnies and hedgehogs.

   The new experience of taking care of a leveret that belonged to the wild had begun and Chloe did not feel prepared for it.

   I was a bit frustrated to read about a couple of clumsy actions toward the leveret that clearly showed that Chloe had little knowledge or intuition about the natural world. As I read the book, I could see that Chloe Dalton was a city person; her misconceptions and prejudices were evident in the ways she viewed certain situations. However, the experience of raising the hare opened her up to a deeper connection with the natural world.

 

The adventure of raising a hare

  Raising Hare shares interesting literary references and information about hares. It is about  the adventure of raising a hare from the wild. Despite the fact that Chloe Dalton refused to nourish a sense of attachment to the hare, the bond took place. It was built on trust and care. Did Chloe Dalton-the city person- learn that love happens too in the wild? Why do human beings feel a sense of superiority? I feel that her sense of superiority got in the way of understanding the hare a couple of times, but the hare was also a source of wisdom, and Chloe learned to appreciate that.

  “She has taught me patience. And as someone who has made their living through words, she has made me consider the dignity and persuasiveness of silence. She showed me a different life, and the richness of it.”

  I enjoyed learning about how the hare transformed Chloe Dalton’s life. The hare changed Chloe's habits and some of her behaviors. The hare awakened a kind of awareness that led her to live her life differently, in a more meaningful, mindful way, a kind of simplicity that she had lacked before she met the hare.

   “For months, I had risen at dawn to make bottles of milk or lay out food for the leveret. I had tiptoed around my house in the daytime so that it could sleep, and changed my own sleeping patterns, going to bed with nightfall. I had imposed on family and visitors the requirement to talk quietly and not frighten the young hare. I had avoided switching on lights at dusk, so as not to interfere with the leveret’s rhythms, and I had stopped using them in the garden, conscious for the first time of their disruptive effect on the vision of nocturnal animals. I had not worn perfume for months, imagining it to be caustic and disorienting to a hare’s sensitive nose, and no longer turned on the television for the evening news, to avoid subjecting the leveret to loud and discordant noises.”

 

             Freedom, love, risks

   At some point the leveret grew and became a hare who searched for her freedom beyond the walls of Chloe Dalton’s garden. Freedom comes with a whole set of new risks, but the love and care of a mother are never forgotten. They are treated with respect and trust. The hare left… but she also returned to her “human mother”.  The hare without a name came back home and shared her joy with her human mother… I will not add more. Read it and let the wondrous experience touch your heart and open up your senses to the sweetness of empathy.

    It is sad that Chloe Dalton did not name the hare. The hare deserved a name, just like anybody else does, but Chloe was stuck in her own prejudices. Oh, well. Mothers do not have to be perfect to be good mothers after all. Dear Chole Dalton: Being wild does not mean not having an identity. The hare has one too.

  The book contains delightful drawings of hares. You will fall in love with them. I can’t get enough of these drawings.

 I don’t have hares in my backyard, but I love watching the behaviors of the rabbits. Every moment is an opportunity to feel thankful in the garden.

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

 Rewilding Our Hearts: Building Paths of Compassion and Coexistence by Marc Bekoff

The Darkness Manifesto: On Light Pollution, Night Ecology and the Ancient Rhythms that Sustain Life by Johan Eklof

Addendum: if you find an animal in the wild that needs help, be mindful of their needs and do your best to help by seeking expert advice. Wildlife rehabilitation centers can be helpful. Here's some information on what to do and what not to do:

https://www.humaneworld.org/en/resources/how-help-orphaned-or-injured-baby

Do It Like A Woman by Caroline Criado Perez

 

   Welcome back readers! After surviving one of those so-called “natural events” that are getting worse due to the massive amounts of greenhouse gases spewed into the environment, I am back here. I got sick after that, which delayed the writing of this post even more... I am thankful that I survived without any injuries, and now I need to keep my book blog active.

  If there is only one book you want to read this year, make sure you pick Caroline  Criado Perez’s book: Do It Like a Woman.

  You may not know this, but even educated people are biased against women. Both men and women are; the consequences of these biases are disastrous for humanity and the planet we inhabit. Therefore, Caroline Criado Perez’s book may be an effective vaccine to prevent this terrifying, subliminal social phenomenon.

   Even though research has debunked the myth that boys are better at math than girls, even educated people are known to spread false beliefs that have a harming impact on society as a whole. In 2005 Lawrence Summer, the then president of Harvard University, made a bizarre speech about how girls are just intrinsically worse at math than boys, and that issues of “socialization and continuing discrimination” are in fact secondary to this “variability of aptitude.”

   Stereotyping and prejudices have a serious impact on peoples’ lives. I have always been aware of the fact that gender double standards are normalized and considered acceptable. The problem is rooted in the fact that both girls and women are penalized when they do not conform to stereotypical gender behavior. In The Equality Illusion, Kat Banyard cites a 2003 study of teachers which found that the same behaviors that led boys to be indulgently labelled as “just mucking about” led girls to be called “bad influences,” “spiteful,” and “scheming little madams.”

    Research has shown that "men who asked for flexible time to enable them to carry out childcare commitments were rated as more respectable, likable, committed, and promotion-worthy than a woman who made the exact same request." 

Do it like a woman who does not behave like a sycophant… and change the world 

 Do It Like a Woman by Caroline Criado Perez is about women who try to transform systems that put women down systematically. When they cannot transform them, as it happens in some cases, they defy them. The book brings to the spotlight situations and data that are not even questioned or acknowledged. It happens across the world.

     There are no excuses to be surprised anymore. Before the election of November, 2024 in America, I remember journalists interviewing people who  clearly expressed that they would never vote for Kamala Harris for president because she was a woman. ( One cannot help but  wonder why these people are afraid of intelligent women while they trust an incompetent man and vote for him to make him president).

   In November 2024 in the United States of America seventy-seven million people voted for a convicted felon instead of voting for the female candidate who had a clean record. This is not an opinion; this is a fact. 

    Social misogyny is expensive and destructive.

     Seventy-seven million people voted for a man who promised to lower grocery prices, stop the war in Ukraine and Gaza, fix the healthcare system and reduce gasoline prices. He also promised he would start no new wars and to be a dictator on day one. He expressed admiration for Vladimir Putin. This is what they voted for.

   On February 28 the man they voted for was responsible for the death of more than 160 girls in a school in Minab. I am still waiting for signs of accountability; the silence is deafening. This atrocity was not enough. Then he threatened to wipe out an entire civilization. Yet his sycophants continue to normalize him. 

   Many people have died as a result of the votes in November 2024 and continue to die. It is hard to keep up with so much destruction, injustice and irrationality.  Let’ s not forget the people in America who die in the hands of ICE. Money that could be invested in education, health and the environment is used to build detention centers to detain innocent people. I do not see any signs of social and fiscal responsibility here. 

    The trump regime is now busy going after political opponents, covering up for pedophiles and building a ballroom. It is also too busy trying to censor comedians and posting ridiculous material online by using AI... It is hard to understand why seventy- seven million voters in America have so little self-respect. It is truly sad to see how they were okay with voting for a man who is happy to destroy their own country. 

  How can they even call this the political party of social and fiscal responsibility?

   Let's refresh people's memories because they are very fragile and feeble. Seventy-seven million people voted for a  man who started an unlawful war to cover up for pedophile crimes. Ninety million people could not bring themselves to vote for a woman because she was not good enough for them.

  How many billion dollars are being spent daily on an unlawful war to kill children when the money could have been used for education, health and the environment?

 

      Social misogyny has devastating consequences for every country in the world and we need to face the truth and work to address it. This is why Do It Like a Woman is an important book.

  You will learn about women working to fight the corruption of systems that put women down in every country. You will learn what it means to simply try to live a normal life when the forces of sexism threaten your safety.

    Different versions of this book can be written in one million other ways with lots of different women, but this is what Caroline Criado Perez put together with comprehensive research. She shares the experiences of human beings fighting the good fight against structures of corruption and injustice.

   Let’s focus for a moment on the imposed stereotype that considers women  “irrational.” Here’s a thought on this on page 56:

  “’It is always a source of wonder to me how male anger, which so routinely explodes on our newspapers in the form of rape, beatings and murders, hasn’t earned men the label of ‘irrational’.” We are used to hearing how irrational women are; this is used to mock and safely dismiss women.  By the same token, when women behave in rational ways that challenge the concept of irrationality, they are treated with distrust. They are breaking some kind of rule that is used to stereotype them.   

   On page 107 there is an insightful analysis on the Greco-Roman roots of silencing women who speak up against systems of corruption. The influence runs deep in literature. I encourage you to read it because it will help you to awaken to biases that are accepted as part of the normal landscape.

   “An ancient scientific treatise pontificating on the way a ‘deep’ voice indicates manly courage, while a high voice alerts us to the presence of female cowardice; a Roman anthologist from the first century AD describing the ‘impudent’ barking and ‘yapping’ of a woman.”

  These influences have been carried by literary works throughout history, so it is important to identify these subliminal forces that shape mindsets and judgments.

  I like how she cites, for example, the case of Henry James, a celebrated writer. “In the nineteenth century, Henry James is explicit on this point in one of his essays comparing women’s voices to the moo of the cow, the bray of the ass and the bark of the dog. Like the undermining of women’s voices as shrill, nagging, whining, this reduction of female speech to animalistic, unintelligible noises serves a purpose beyond denying women access to human speech. It highlights the fundamental denial of access to rationality and knowledge.”

 

    Perhaps dismissing women’s voices is a tool to abuse power and disregard the need for empathy. It is a strategy to impede the growth of positive qualities in a society.

    I would change the title to Do it Like a woman who is not a sycophant. I think it is important to be specific here. It can make a world of difference, right?           

    Read it. Share it. Pass it on. We need more books like this one, not only to awaken people to their own biases, but also to change attitudes and behaviors.

    Stay informed, stay active.

 

  Relevant links with updated content, information and reflections on what is going on:

 

Fascism expert provides important insights to understand what is happening in America:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOHqE--T7-U

  

Brain Tyler Cohen explains clear examples on how the pathological liar’s words come back to haunt him:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GIeIGlSThw

 

How data centers are worsening climate change:

https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/30/climate/data-centers-are-having-an-underrported

 

 

He promised to cut energy prices. The opposite is happening:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O7R4M3haac

 

 

He wants taxpayers to fund his ballroom:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwa3VXZojNQ

 

 

The regime is deleting data. This is a form of censorship and it facilitates the spread of falsehoods and misinformation:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/may/07/trump-administration-deleting-data

 

 

Black lawmakers are getting arrested for opposing the gutting of the Voting Rights Act:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYSLuE5I3dM

 

 

A refugee was left to die in the cold in Buffalo, New York. This is what Nazis did too:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/27/rohingya-refugees-buffalo-new-york

 

 

The pattern to silence women online is real:

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/may/01/un-warns-women-in-public-life-face-increasingly-sophisticated-online-violence

 

 

 

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

 

Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez

 

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler

We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates

 

     

Platero And I by Juan Ramon Jimenez

 

   Those of us who experience the depth of the emotional connection with a non-human animal will understand the significance of Platero and I.

     Juan Ramon Jimenez’s poetical prose is about the shared experiences between the author and Platero. Platero is a donkey; Juan Ramon Jimenez reveals the soul of his humble donkey friend with tenderness, giving way to a poignant emotional connection with the reader.

     Juan Ramon Jimenez’s Platero and I is a memorable tribute to Platero, his inseparable companion, as they share moments of contemplation, joy, sadness and reflections. Their encounters with animals, people and the beauty of their natural surroundings in the small town of Moguer in Andalusia, Spain, fill the reader with wonder.

   “He is so much like me, so different from the others that I have come now to believe we dream the same… his dreams mine… and my dreams his.”

   The mutual understanding between Platero and Juan Ramon creates a sense of comfort.

   “We understand each other. I let him go wherever he wishes and always he takes me where it is I wish to go.”

   The narrative warms the heart and transports the readers to a sanctuary of serenity where everything turns into a metaphor or an expression of beauty. The author invites the reader to see everything through the eyes of a poet.

  The presence of Platero in Juan Ramon Jimenez’s life clearly connects him to his surroundings and people in meaningful ways. The author also appears to relish their shared solitude, which appears to provide Juan Ramon with opportunities to paint and read. Every instant seems to be pregnant with intrigue and fascination.

  This is the kind of book that touches you so deeply, it can move you to tears. It swathes you in a blanket of gratitude for the simple moments of life, the immaterial treasures that make life meaningful.

  The souls of Platero and Juan Ramon coalesce in the magical sweetness of nature. The freshness of the morning breath, the brightness of the moon, the colors of the sunset adopt a new dimension of reality. They become unique moments of elation and healing.  

  Juan Ramon Jimenez’s bond with Platero is so precious and intimate that he does not even perceive Platero as a donkey but as a person.

  “He is tender and loving like a young boy, a small girl, a child… but inside he is strong, he is dry like a rock, like the land he walks.”

   Platero’s gentle spirit permeates the poet’s way of looking at everything; their connection feels eternal, like the seasons and cycles in nature. It transcends the limited scope of their individual lives. Their kindness expresses itself in their interactions with animals, people and landscapes. Even though brief unpleasant situations take us by surprise in the story, the empathetic voice of the poet never fails to bring us back to the gentle, patient attitude of Platero and Juan Ramon to restore a sense of hope, immersing ourselves once again in a moment of balance and peacefulness despite the abrupt despair, grief or the appalling cruelty of others…

     Juan Ramon Jimenez was a poet, editor and critic who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1956. He was born on December 23, 1881 in Moguer, Andalusia, where he wrote Platero and I. He started writing when he was a child. His most famous masterpiece, Platero and I was published in 1914; a longer version of it was later published in 1917.

    You can learn more about his life by visiting the website of the Poetry Foundation:

 https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/juan-ramon-jimaenez

 To visit some of the places in his poetical prose, enjoy this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZR0MNJ4Uuc

 

Here's a video about his biography and poetic work:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHgXcxmH6mM

 I recommend the full version of the book. The photo of the book cover in this post showcases an old complete edition in Spanish that I possess. It contains the most delightful drawings. I am lucky to have it…

  To satisfy my curiosity I borrowed an English translation of the book from the library. Unfortunately, many parts have been cut off from the translation. Make sure you find the complete version of this delicate memorable book, whether you read it in English or Spanish. Platero and I has been translated into more than fifty languages.

 

 

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

Deer Man by Geoffroy Delorme

Second Nature: the inner lives of animals

Dirty Gourmet: plant power: Food for your Outdoor Adventures

Italian Short Stories edited by Jhumpa Lahiri

          

      If you started following this blog early this year, you may have been looking forward to the post on this anthology. 

      Every short story in this compilation is preceded by a brief biography of the author. At least forty Italian authors are featured in this book. The writers come from both rich and poor families. The diversity of stories includes realist, neorealist, avant-garde, fantastic, modernist and postmodernist styles.

  Some authors in this anthology cultivated literary fame while others shunned it. The Second World War influenced the writing and lives of these authors in various ways. Bear in mind that two of them were in Nazi concentration camps; another writer escaped from one. At least twelve of these writers were forced to live in hiding, either because they were members of the anti-fascist Resistance, or because they were Jews.

    The authors in this compilation lived during the twentieth century, and Jhumpa Lahiri offers an introduction about the selection of the stories, her personal connection with Italy and relevant information about the historical context.

    The Second World War had devastating effects on the Italian society and economy, but the aftermath of the Second World War gave way to a new cultural movement during which literary magazines proliferated and innovative publishing initiatives cropped up.

      In the introduction to this anthology, Jhumpa Lahiri explains that Mussolini’s fascist regime sought “to standardize and flatten the language.” This is one of the features of totalitarian regimes. They sabotage language, which is an essential tool for communication. As you know, Orwell exposes this action of totalitarian regimes in his novel 1984. In the case of Mussolini's fascist regime, language serves the purpose of fascist ideology. For example, the pronoun lei (as opposed to voi) was prohibited as a second pronoun because it was claimed to be a Spanish grammatical import, and also because it sounded “feminine.”

      Fascism stripped women of political influence and expected them to be subservient. The roots of this trend may have had a Greco-Roman origin (more on this in a future post). 

   After the fall of fascism new trends in literature emerged as writers reckoned with the past. There was a transformation in response to the rigidity imposed by the fascist regime. I looked into this further and found a list of novels about living under Italian fascism. I will probably choose something from this list in the future:

https://electricliterature.com/8-novels-in-translation-about-living-under-italian-fascism-italy/

   

    One of the stories I enjoyed from Jhumpa Lahiri's anthology is “Miss” by Anna Banti. It reveals the life journey of a woman who makes the choices that somehow define her identity, and the patriarchy underestimates those choices.  Yet she still feels compelled to make those choices because she is curious and intellectually active. The stream of consciousness reveals how her intellectual curiosity and talents guide her in the direction she chooses to go despite the condescending attitudes and the lack of respect she faces, which appears to be a normal part of her existence as a female member of the human race.  

   In her mosaic of interests and talents, her voice claims its space in subtle, yet powerful ways that captivate the reader. At least it captivated me.

   I would like to explore more stories by Anna Banti. Another writer I enjoyed reading was Lalla Romano. I appreciate how these two writers put into words situations and thoughts that are not easy to verbalize.

    Another story I would like to highlight from the collection is the one by Dino Buzzati. It is about a family and friends inside a house that slowly gets flooded, but the residents have trouble accepting what is going on in it.  They are in denial of the truth, even when the truth is right in front of their eyes. This story could be used as an analogy on what is happening today with the effects of climate change along with the attitudes and words of the deniers. Similarly, the analogy may be applied to the way some people choose to be in denial of the actions of brutal, senseless political regimes. It is a powerful story that left me reflecting on the ways people are in denial of facts that threaten their own livelihoods or the lives of others. An example of this was the COVID pandemic. Thousands of people refused to acknowledge the existence of a pandemic, referring to it as a hoax, even when people close to them died. Imagine now the example of a demented irrational  psychopath ruling a country with unrestrained power. You get the idea. 

    What does it mean to be in denial of something that needs to be addressed as soon as possible? If you read the story by Dino Buzzati: “And yet They are Knocking on your Door” you will know what I mean.

   One of my favorite stories in this collection is the one by Alba de Cespedes in which the writer explores the embarrassing emotions and reputation of the citizens of Italy after succumbing to the fascist regime. I will be exploring more of Alba de Cespedes’ works…Likewise, I would  like to read more works by Italo Calvino. His story about a conversation with a tortoise surprised me. I thought it was original, insightful and ahead of its times, a good summary of the manifestations and effects of human arrogance on the world…

    Many of the short stories in this collection clearly expose the power of the patriarchy and the subjugation of women in society. Some of these tales are oppressive and unpleasant.  I prefer stories that open a window of hope and new possibilities; this is not the case with most of the stories in this anthology; I would have chosen stories that deal with these themes from a rebellious perspective, in a more adventurous way.

  I think Lahiri could have made a better selection to excite the reader. It took me over three months to complete the read.

   Some of these stories are good, but many of them are deeply misogynistic, boring and, of course, stupid. For example, there is one called “The Streetwalker”, a disgusting story about a man who cheats on his wife by going to sex workers regularly, and he shares every detail of his irrelevant outings. I am not even sure if some of the sex workers are indeed sex workers or sex slaves. Women are clearly used by the narrator as objects to satisfy his personal desires.  Women are not viewed as human beings with feelings, needs and emotions of their own. They are not treated as human beings that deserve basic respect. They are simply used to satisfy his desires in the most convenient way. It was nauseating. Interestingly, I feel the same kind of nausea whenever I hear or see a clownish orange psychopath... I suppose in America there will be many people fascinated with this kind of man considering the kind of politician they voted for to rule the country in a king-like manner that makes no sense. I thought the story “The Streetwalker” was vulgar and irrelevant—a complete waste of my time.

   This is a very heterogeneous collection. The feat of this collection, however, is that it offers literary works that had never been translated into English. I also appreciate that it awakened my interest in new Italian authors and their works.

  I think the introduction could have provided more information on the effects of fascism on literature and society since this is a critical issue that authors had to contend with. Jhumpa Lahiri could have analyzed this in relation to the stories to highlight the relevance of the book. I was not interested in her personal experiences with Italy as much as I was in the reverberations of fascism.

    I wanted to learn more about the historical context of the tales she picked.

  All in all, I recommend this book, but bear in mind that you will have to complete the literary and historical exploration yourself to dig deeper into the lives of the authors and the meaning of their stories.

 

Good news to share

 

Yesterday I was thankful to receive an email that informed me that a federal judge blocked trump’s attack against the endangered species act. You can learn more on this here:

 

https://earthjustice.org/press/2026/federal-court-strikes-down-president-trumps-attacks-against-endangered-species-act-restores-bedrock-environmental-law-to-pre-trump-status

  Thank you to everyone who helped to make this possible. This is just the beginning of the battle. We need to continue working to protect the earth from the vandalism and assault caused by the trump regime.

   It is also important to educate the public on the lies of the so-called MAHA movement. The trump regime has dismantled regulations that protect us from toxic, harmful chemicals, pesticides and pollutants. Many of them cause cancer, developmental disabilities, and other serious health issues. You can read about this here. Make sure you share these links and let your representatives know that you disagree with what they are doing.

 https://earthjustice.org/feature/trump-maha

  

    

   The fossil fuel industry is complicit with this regime. Dirty oil continues to kill people in senseless wars and in our everyday lives. There is no concern over public health and the environment. There is no concern for the lives lost in unlawful wars. Please, vote for democracy and justice. Do everything you can to vote out fascism. Support clean energy initiatives. They support rural economies and provide jobs. Support the future of your children to keep them safe from sexual abuse and to live in a planet where they can enjoy nature. VOTE. Stay informed. Every voice matters.  Use your voice. Call your representatives. Sign petitions.

      Ten years ago, I anticipated the current situation when I wrote a well-researched article on the need to support the development of clean energies and to work toward a sustainable future. It was published in The Mindful Word.

     I like to remind myself that I am thankful for the beauty of the sun… but I also feel thankful for how the sun powers our home and transportation without polluting the air we breathe… what is not to like about this?

      Take a moment to contemplate the Pink Moon today. It symbolizes renewal, rebirth and growth…

 

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, LGBTQ people, 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 come 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 Petite-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