Saturday, November 25, 2023

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

 


   A fragile friendship bloomed between Sage Singer and Joseph Weber in New Hampshire in the year 2013. After losing her mother in a car accident that she survived, Sage, a twenty-five- year-old lonely baker, joined a grief support group where she met Joseph, a ninety-five-year-old man who had lost his wife. Their intimacy eventually led Joseph to reveal something dark about his past: he had been an Auschwitz guard for the Nazi regime. Sage, on the other hand, was the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor. Joseph had a special, desperate request for Sage.  It was an unethical kind of request, and, by the end of the novel, Sage found herself in a snare.

 The revelation about Joseph’s past prompted Sage to learn about her grandmother’s life story, one that Minka had kept hidden from her.

  Minka, her Jewish grandmother, had dreamed of being a writer, and during the time she was in a concentration camp her talent for storytelling saved her life. The way this happened is carefully revealed throughout the novel, so I will not disclose more information about this aspect of the story.

 The atrocities and horrifying situations Minka witnessed and experienced become vivid in the narrative she shares with all sorts of details. (I would not be able to watch a movie of this book because it would be traumatizing).

 The different chapters are written from the point of view of the main characters: Sage, Minka, Joseph and Leo. This feature of the novel helps to gain a deeper understanding of the plot and characters.

 There is suspense, romance, humor and various turns and surprises that enhance the reader’s interest. Philosophical reflections and ethical issues shake the reader to the core. It is not easy to put this novel down. Jodi Picoult is a remarkable storyteller. I appreciate the way she develops her characters and how their relationships unfold. She knows how to evoke the undertones and challenges of those relationships with graceful artistry and precision.  This novel was an emotional rollercoaster and it made me think about issues I had never paused to consider.

 In the early 1940s Minka’s father had been a baker who had the habit of making a special roll for her. The core of the delicious roll contained chocolate and cinnamon, but the main ingredient he used was love. The art of baking is interwoven into the story in a way that delights the senses and boosts the reader’s interest. 

 Sage had a true vocation for baking; her great-grandfather’s abilities and passion for this art resuscitate in Sage Singer’s talent and work.

 I highly recommend The Storyteller. It is the perfect book for a book club because it offers various topics for discussion.  The worst and the best of humanity are in full display in this shocking novel. The love for family and the sacrifices attached to it are only some of the themes that run through the story; there are many more. I would like to write about this novel for hours, but this is not possible because I must avoid spoilers here.

  I also think it is important to learn about the Holocaust. After reading The Storyteller I realize that there is so much about the Holocaust that I did not know… Even though this is a fictional story, the experience of witnessing hate crimes, being forced to live in a ghetto and living in  concentration camps was real to millions of Jews. Starvation, executions, torture and the separation of families were real. Antisemitism was the excuse underpinning these crimes against humanity, but Jewish people were not the only ones persecuted. Gypsies, dissidents, homosexuals and people with disabilities were also executed. 

 The context of the novel is very well-researched. I appreciate the work Jodi Picoult did to elaborate this riveting story.  She provides the references she used to craft The Storyteller. Jodi Picoult's book has educational value. 

 I like to compare this novel with a yarn ball made of several pieces of yarn tied together to complete the ball.

At the end of the novel all the parts come together like the pieces of a puzzle. The final chapter, however, has two shocking surprises. I had to read it a few times to convince myself of the outcome...

 All in all, this is a novel that will leave you with questions and reflections. It has the potential to kindle insightful discussions and conversations, and the characters are memorable. I look forward to reading more books by Jodi Picoult.

 Here's an interview with Jodi Picoult in which she shares her experience interviewing Holocaust survivors for her book:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMD5pLTjKHk

 

Thursday, November 16, 2023

The Island by Gary Paulsen

 


  Wil Neuton was fifteen years old when he discovered the island near his new home. An abandoned boat helped him to reach it. The island seemed to invite him to stay there.

  Wil and his parents had recently moved to a small town in northern Wisconsin from the city of Madison. Will had left behind the familiar places and people that had shaped his life there. He had no friends in the new small town, but he soon met Susan, a girl his age who introduced him to the simplicity and idiosyncrasies of the new place. A new world of discoveries awaited him…

  The island was part of that elusive world, and he felt he had to stay on it. It dawned on him that staying on the island would help him to understand things about life. He observed nature around him: the herons, the turtle, the fish, the lake. Everything made him pause and reflect.

 Wil also looked back on his past. His mind conjured up happy and poignant memories of his deceased grandmother whom he had loved dearly. Now he began to understand her better as he reminisced about the time he had spent with the sweet, jaunty woman. He wrote down his thoughts and meditations. He drew with pencil and painted with watercolors. The island afforded him a precious space to exercise and move his body, to watch the living beings around him. A new kind of awareness awakened in him.

  Wil did not know when he would return to his parents’ home. His camping on the island piqued the curiosity of several people. His parents were puzzled and wondered if there was something wrong with him.



   The Island by Gary Paulsen has a unique voice that combines humor and wit. It is an introspective contemplation on life, a quiet reflection, a respite from the chaos of the world. If you have a teenager in your life who will appreciate this gentle masterpiece, don’t miss the chance to share it.

   There are some hidden treasures of wisdom in this exquisite novella. I highly recommend it.

 This is the second book by Gary Paulsen that I’ve read. My first one was The Glass CafĂ©; you can read my review here.

 


 

 Photo by Dave Hoefler. Source: Unsplash.

Monday, November 6, 2023

One month ago...

 

  On October 7 I went to work feeling an inexplicable sense of sorrow inside myself. I could not fathom why I was feeling this way. Everything around me was going well. Yet I could not dispel the sadness inside myself… then, on my way back, I turned on the NPR radio station and heard the news. The Hamas men had assaulted and attacked the peaceful Israeli communities near Gaza: the Kitbbutzim. The Hamas terrorists had destroyed everything on their path. Peoples’ homes were burned; Jewish people were brutally murdered in their own homes. Some of the residents of the Kibbutzim had been kidnapped. Jewish women had been raped. Even babies and children had been brutally killed by the Hamas men. The brutality of the Hamas men was made clear for the world to see.  Many of  the people attacked by Hamas were activists for a Free Palestine

   It is distressing to read that some people now try to justify the Hamas attack or to  excuse it. Let's make this clear: Hamas men do NOT care about the freedom of Palestine. The Hamas men’s intention is to kill Jewish people, and they don’t care about the wellbeing and safety of Palestinians. Their cowardice is evident in the fact that they use Palestinians as shields. The Hamas men invested in a terrifying network of two-thousand tunnels under Gaza when they could have spent those resources on the wellbeing and future of Palestinians. Hamas is a fundamentalist organization with no respect for human rights, women’s rights and LGBTQ rights. Hamas men have no respect for individual rights. The main purpose of Hamas is to destroy Israel. I am surpised that this is often left out of the conversations. 

 The bombing of communities in Gaza is heartbreaking. Innocent people in Palestine die and suffer the consequences of the bombings, but the destruction in Gaza would not have happened if Hamas had not attacked Israel. If Hamas had an interest in helping Palestinians, they would release the Israeli hostages.

  Hamas is a cult, a fundamentalist terrorist organization that has been ruling Palestine since 2006, and it oppresses Palestinians on a daily basis. Hamas is NOT a liberation movement. Erdogan referred to it as a liberation movement. He is wrong and he knows it. Erdogan has no ethical principles to start with. Please, read my post on A Coup to learn more about Erdogan and what he stands for. He now claims to care about the deaths of Palestinians. He does not. Now Vladimir Putin is also happy because this war helps to keep the attention off Ukraine and enables the agenda of fundamentalists, dictators and authoritarian regimes.

 The current situation in Israel and Gaza is very complex for both Palestinians and Israel. My heart is also with the Israeli hostages and their families. I hope they will be liberated as soon as possible. If Hamas genuinely cared about Palestinians, they would be releasing the hostages.

 It is outrageous and incomprehensible that some people across the world choose to align with hate. I am referring to the horrifying hate crimes happening in different places. When this happens, tyrants and terrorists win. Empathy and human dignity lose. Hate breeds more hate. Let’s all remember that hate is NOT the answer. Hate is the root cause of this conflict. Hate kills innocent people and destroys the future of millions of people. Hate pollutes the soil where people need to grow food to survive; it pollutes the air we breathe and the water we drink.

 The questions that can lead to helpful answers are the following: Who funds Hamas? Who are the people who support and fund Hamas? These questions require urgent answers and investigations…

  I am sharing some articles that can bring balance and sensibility to the conversation . They will hopefully help people understand the complexity of this situation. I support both a free Israel and a free Palestine. I send my love to the innocent victims of this war, and I hope that a peaceful resolution will be reached. A two- state solution is important and necessary, but with tyrannies on both sides of the border, it appears to be an insurmountable goal. This is why it is so important to vote for democratic leaders in elections. Fair and free elections and peaceful transfers of power are the foundation of every healthy democracy.

 I am thankful for the Humanitarian organizations providing aid and support to the innocent victims of this war.

 We all have to encourage peaceful coexistence without oppression of any kind. Peace and respect for life are the ways to health, growth and a hopeful future for everybody.

 

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/10/27/manela-two-state-solution/

https://time.com/6323178/antisemitism-israel-gaza-attack-essay/

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/gaza-plagued-poverty-hamas-no-shortage-cash-come-rcna121099

https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/israel-gaza-palestine-hamas-cease-fire-rcna124632

https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/benjamin-netanyahu-israel-criticism-polls-rcna123564

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwvsrybklf8

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/10/decolonization-narrative-dangerous-and-false/675799/


https://www.ajc.org/news/7-ways-hamas-has-conned-americans-and-spread-hatred-of-jews

https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/israel-women-hamas-rape-rcna126047

https://www.sasktoday.ca/highlights/commentary-explaining-hamas-islam-and-the-treatment-of-women-7751888



Wednesday, November 1, 2023

Beyond the War on Invasive Species: a Permaculture Approach to Environmental Restoration by Tao Orion

 


 

It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”-Charles Darwin

Thousands of animal and plant species are in the process of migrating to adapt to the conditions that climate change imposes on them for their survival. Considering this fact, how can we expect ecosystems to be “unchanged”? We can’t. Ecosystems are dynamic. The concept of “invasive” species becomes a controversial one when one cares to analyze the intricate ways in which everything is connected.

  New species have to adapt to their new surroundings. You are not alone if you have been wondering about the implications of the new situations that arise as a result of climate change and other phenomena. I have noticed how this subject has been conveniently neglected, so I am thankful for Tao Orion’s book.

    Tao Orion explains that non-native species are the symptoms of a complex situation caused by human actions such as logging, mining, emissions of greenhouse gases, unsustainable agriculture, pollution, war conflicts and other human destructive behaviors. The root causes of the presence of invasive species are not even taken into consideration when resorting to the use of herbicides and pesticides with the futile goal of eradicating a species under the delusion that these chemicals will not affect the native ones. (These chemicals may increase the revenue of the manufacturers, but there is no evidence that they support biodiversity, human health and the environment).

 When Tao Orion was employed to restore land in 2010, she was shocked to learn that she was expected to use Round Up for her work. As an organic producer of food, she disagreed with this management. Today we know more about the effects of herbicides and pesticides, and we are continuously learning about the consequences of climate change, so Tao Orion’s book has become more relevant.

  Research on the effects of Glyphosate, for example, continues to emerge. In 2023 research conducted by scientists at UC Berkeley School of Public Health showed that “childhood exposure to the world’s most widely used weedkiller, glyphosate, is linked to liver inflammation and metabolic disorder in early childhood, which could lead to liver cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease later in life.” You can read about it here, and learn more about the researchers’ recommendations.

 

  While it is necessary and important to foster the growth of native plants, it is also crucial to understand the issues that bring in new species to a place in order to address the root causes of the shift instead of adamantly trying to eradicate a so-called “invasive” species. It is also crucial to understand how new species interact with the environment, because this may help to advocate for strategies that can integrate non-native species into the new environment. For example, pollinators may benefit from flowers that are not considered to be native.

  Even though Tao Orion’s book was published in 2015 and some specific points may be outdated, her approach introduces the science of permaculture to restore ecosystems, and encourages us to apply this knowledge to our daily choices in our own gardens. The book contains a foreword by David Holmgren.

  Tao Orion advocates for methods that consider the relationships in ecosystems, not only those among the living beings in specific habitats but also their interactions with water, air and soil.

 Classifying species into “native” and “invasive” groups is akin to labeling them as the “good” versus the “bad” ones.

We could define nativism as the war against naturalizing species, an ideology that sought to separate nature into good and bad species according to some fixed historical reference.” A paradigm shift is necessary. Ecologist Haikai Tane in New Zealand coined the term “ecosynthesis” to describe the restoration of ecosystem function in the process of combining native and foreign species that colonized abandoned landscapes.

 

I invite you to read this interview with Tao Orion to learn more:

https://macskamoksha.com/2022/02/beyond-the-war-on-invasive-species-interview-with-tao-orion

  You can also listen to a podcast with Tao Orion at Reseed Canada:

https://www.reseed.ca/listen/remembering-we-are-stewards

 


 As I type these words, my gaze wanders out the window to embrace the vibrancy of the fall leaves swirling and settling on the ground, creating a composite of hues: ochre, yellow, red and orange. Leaves are an excellent source of nutrition for the soil. Putting them in plastic bags to send them to the landfill is a very poor decision. Leaves are rich in minerals that can support the soil and the development of new plants. People waste money buying mulch when they could simply use the leaves as mulch. The leaves can also be shredded before using them for compost. This link provides some ideas.

 The leaves on the ground also form habitats, establishing new sources of shelter and food for various creatures. There are many worlds of life around us that we often take for granted…


 

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

Sweet inTooth and Claw: Stories of Generosity and Cooperation in the Natural World by Kristin Ohlson

Deer Man by Geoffroy Delorme

The Wisdom of Wolves by Jim and Jamie Dutcher


Helpful links I encourage you to visit:

https://www.beyondpesticides.org/

https://www.drugwatch.com/roundup/alternatives/

https://www.drugwatch.com/roundup/glyphosate/