Living with Napoleon. . .

The Second Empress: A Novel of Napoleon's Court by Michelle Moran

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ahhh, it is so lovely to receive free books in the mail. What a nice way to end your day (thank you goodreads!).

I really enjoyed this book. I started reading it the moment I unwrapped it (very helpful that this was my husbands night to golf). I stayed up reading until 10:30 - very late for me!

The novel is told from the perspective of three people: Maria Lucia, Princess of Austria and Napoleon's future bride, Pauline Bonaporte, Napoleon's sister, Paul Moreau, chamberlain to Pauline. Of those three, Maria Lucia is my favorite, Pauline is just one very strange lady. In the book she wants to reign over Egypt with Napoleon, as his wife. In researching her after finishing the book, it appears that there are those who did believe she Napoleon was one of her lovers. Like I said, strange.

There is enough of history and enough of story to keep your interest. As noted, I was intrigued enough to go online and try to separate the true from the untrue. Maria Lucia is particularly interesting. In the book she appears to be strong, and smart. When Napoleon goes to war, he leaves her in charge. When he is exiled though, she goes on to live her own life, taking their son with her.

Throughout the book, you will see Josephine's hold on Napoleon, mostly through letters Napoleon sent which are shared throughout. What interesting intrigues these people had in the court. It seems no-one was faithful to spouses, and extravagance ruled the day.

If you are a lover of historical fiction, this book is for you. It has nice bits of romance, history, and fact and fabrication to hold your interst.

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Just Send Me Word: A True Story of Love and Survival in the Gulag by Orlando Figes

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this book on my kindle. I was enticed by a review I read, and presto, I bought it and read it. Gotta love this instant society.

The world that Svetka and Lev lived in was definitely NOT an instant world. Theirs was a world where communication was sporadic, censored, and even dangerous. Despite these odds, they persisted in their love for each other, and continued to devise ways to "speak" through letters, photographs, and the occasional (never more than annually) visit.

Lev and Svetka devised a system of numbering each letter, so communications could be accounted for, and they would know if a letter was missing. Svetka communicated about the outside world to Lev, and Lev shared what life was like in the Gulag to Svetka. Their love, although not often spoken with words (despite all these letters), comes through in their words of encouragement and hope to each other.

Researchers are amazed at these uncensored letters which give a peek into life in the 1940s in both Moscow and the Gulag. Letter writing, and journaling, are becoming a lost art. I wonder if historians will find any depth to the writings they will cull from blogging, tweeting, facebook and the like? It seems that the richness of language diminishes with the more technology that we have. The letters in this book, however, will give you a good picture of who Lev and Svetka are, the lives they led, and admiration for their courage and persistence.

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He Cares About You Affectionately

Lately I've been keep track of two eagle nests via ustream. I've just been fascinated by how the eagle parents are taking care of their babies.

I began watching the first nest some weeks after the babies were born. I'm not sure how old they are, but they have been cracking me up lately. Although they don't fly yet, they've discovered they have wings. It's often very windy up in their nest, and they'll stretch out their wings and let the wind ruffle their under-feathers, then they take a short run and hop up and down with all their might. Practicing I guess, for the big day. I really hope I get to see them take their first flight. I imagine it will be exhilarating for them. I suppose eagles don't really feel, but if you subscribe to any Narnia imaginings at all, I would think they would be first scared, then surprised, and then, oh, such fun!

In the second nest I'm watching, the babies are just born. I saw the parents sitting on the eggs, and then sitting on the babies once they were born. They took turns with the sitting, and it was fascinating to me to see how carefully they maneuvered their talons around the eggs, and then the babies. Then they would hunker down, rocking back and forth, until the eggs/babies were totally protected. The same thing is true for when they are feeding their babies. These huge beaks, powerful enough to tear the flesh off fish, and yet carefully feeding the eaglets tiny bites of their meal.

The interesting thing about the AEF Ustream is that there are different camera views. One of the cameras is positioned above the nest, others are positioned evenly with the nest. I've been loving the view above the nest, and here's why. If you look at the views with the camera even with the nest, it looks like the eaglets are vulnerable and exposed. But, when you look at the view above the nest, you see one or both of the parents watching over them from the edge of the nest. They are constantly looking into the distance and around them, protecting their family.

It's just been reminding me so much of God. How sometimes we feel all alone, and like He's stepped out of our sphere. But He's right there watching over us. We might think He's not there, but we're wrong.

In 1 Peter 5:7 we read this (from the Amplified version): "Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully." (Italics mine).

 For me, that above the nest camera view is a perfect picture of God watching over me. In my human-ness, I don't always see Him, but that's because I'm not using the eyes of my heart. God has promised that what He says is true, and the eagles remind me that He cares for me.



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Hunger Games

So many of my friends have read the Hunger Games and have pretty much raved about it to me. I knew a bit about the story line. Although the plot wasn't something that would have drawn me to the bookshelves, I decided to give it a try, based on the recommendation of said friends and family. If this is on your to read list, you many not want to read any further.

I was disappointed, and more than disappointed, disturbed that so many people (particularly our upper el/middle school children) loved this book. Not just because of the premise (children killing children), but because of the acceptance of society (wait, not just acceptance, but eagerness of society) to watch the broadcast with all the gory details. Don't bother to tell me it's just a book - a book (at least a good book) will take you outside yourself and make you a part of the story. The very best books make you forget the world you are currently living in and enter another.

The book starts well, with the heroine Katniss, giving up herself to the "games" to save her sister Prim. That is an admirable part of her personality--that and the responsibility she took for her family after her father's death. Once she is in the Capital, and then in the games themselves, she loses her luster for me.

First, she is the most confused heroine I ever met. The things she does that are good, are accidental events, not intentional events. The fact that she is later chosen to be the leader of an uprising, has nothing to do with doing what is right and good, but only to do with getting some selfish desires on her part. These desires are not necessarily bad desires, but, they are not for the greater good, they are for the good of her, her family and her friends. She doesn't really even understand what the uprising is about in any good way. Her friends, Gale and Peeta, have a better understanding of it than she does. I'm a little disgusted with her! I don't want my hero's to be confused - I want them to know the right path and to take it with purpose. I hope, if I ever am called upon to be a hero, that I will do it with rightness and purpose.

Second, you're not too far into the book and you realize it's a story that could have been crafted from a video game. The people that design the games are given the title of Gamemaker. The games are controlled by the gamemakers and might include catastrophes of nature, circumstances that force the children into combat with each other, and the gifts of sponsors that might heal wounds, provide food or water, or provide shelter to give their chosen candidate an advantage over another. Society (excluding the families of the children who participate) is eager to watch blood shed and cheer their chosen candidate on. The candidates may form an alliance with each other while it is convenient, only to kill in the end, as there can be only one survivor.

I know that kids are playing video games like this today. Many of them are ugly games, that in my view are not good past times for kids or really even adults. For a person who is competitive, and who likes challenges, a video game requires a person to use skillful thinking and planning to achieve victory. But why are so many of them killing games? I know my kids would not agree with me, but I do think we become desensitized to the violence, particularly as video games can be so realistic nowadays. They would also say they know the difference between what is real and what is not real (this is actually a line that is used in the last book for a character that can no longer make that distinction), but how long before some cross the line?

If you have read a book like Lord of the Rings, the Narnia series, or even something like Redwall, you are familiar with the good vs evil plot. With the aforementioned books, the bright thread of hope was woven through the story line. In "Hunger Games", I feel there was only despair. Even the "good guys" resorted to evil in the end. There wasn't a clear distinction between right and wrong, and ruined, forlorn lives were not resurrected. I myself, did not feel the ending was a hopeful one, I felt it was mostly sad.

Even more disturbing to me, I came away feeling like we are not too far off from being a Hunger Games society. We may not be participating in these actual games, but we are participating in games with people's lives, whether it's in our politics, our ignorance or willingness to overlook poverty and the havoc it can cause, or our monetary systems. . . are we (am I) participating in endeavors that will keep people everywhere from hope and despair, or am I just watching the news and saying, oh, that's too bad? Worse, are we just indifferent because it has become the norm.

So, "Hunger Games" lovers, I did not like this book, and would not recommend it. If your children want to read it, please do read it first.

Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss

I love this book! I am fortunate to have a copyrighted 1880 hardcover copy that includes a sketch of the author that my mom bought somewhere for 75 cents.

This is a sweet old fashioned story of a young girl, Katy, and her struggles to accept God's love. The circumstances of her life are told in journal format, and her story charmed me.

For me, this book is real - I resonate with her feelings of wanting to be a God honoring person, and my own selfish desires. I struggle with letting go of what I want and leaning into the life that God wants just like Katy. It is clear, as the book continues, that God uses Katy's struggles to mold her into a God honoring, unselfish woman. As she works through life's disappointments, or perhaps I should say just life in general, she becomes a person who can accept with peace the circumstances of her life. Someday, I hope to get to this place myself.

It was through this book that I learned about "The Imitation of Christ" by Thomas a Kempis.

You know, it is not often that I read a book about being a good person, and the fact that it doesn't just happen naturally. It is a struggle to let go of selfishness and take hold of self-lessness. It really cannot happen without, as Katy would say, "flying to God" to tell Him about it and accepting His help. A life for God really does go against what the world is about--self gratification.

Although the book is old-fashioned by the world's standards, it is still so real. I don't know about you, but every day I can get sucked more and more into the world and farther and farther away from God. There is a sweetness in flying to Him, and a strength that comes from spending time with Him. Someone, somewhere, recently said that this world is not our home, but we have a way to visit our home, and it is through prayer. This book is a picture of what it means to journey into being at home with God.

The Tiger's Wife

The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Tea Obreht writes a very strange story. I started this book months ago and put it down as I couldn't get involved. However, in light of the fact I had nothing to read, and that it was lent to me, and I really need to return it, thought I'd give it another go. If you don't like stories within stories, you may not like this book. In some ways, it reminds me of "Life of Pi", which was also very strange (in my opinion).

This story reads like a dream to me. You know how you can have dreams and they can seem so real, but are yet surreal, and seem so fantastic, and don't always make a lot of sense? That's what this book feels like to me. As I moved forward in the story I became more intrigued about the title and the story within the story. I don't feel like I have a complete understanding of the end, but, like a strange dream that sticks with you, the story is sticking with me. I want to come to terms with it. For this reason, it seems like a good book club pick to me--perhaps if I can talk about it with another reader or group,it will become clearer.

This is a rather nebulous review, so I'll just close with the fact that once again I am reminded of my naivety and innocence as far as my place in this world. What fortunate people we are to live in a country in which we don't live in the chaos and uncertainty of a war torn nation or to come to grips with the facts that the boundaries of our homelands can change as a result of wars and/or treaties. Although our men and women serve, we, in America, have relative security and peace. We can choose not to get involved in the difficulties of getting medicine, food, water even, because we have been blessed to be born here.

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Human Extremes

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Human beings can fall on such extreme ends of the spectrum--cruel and ruthluss, grace-filled and forgiving. You get to experience both in "Unbroken".

I am always amazed, when I read true life stories, how ignorant I am of historical events. I am also amazed at how evil human beings can be.

"Unbroken" started kind of slow for me, but a few chapters in I became intrigued and involved with the story of Louis Zamporini and his experiences as a POW interred in a Japanese camp. I'm intrigued by several things. One, it is so difficult for me to comprehend how people derive pleasure from hurting and demoralizing other people. In so many ways, my brain just cannot grasp this. What sort of sickness drives a person to demand that person eat excretement, or beat a person for really no reason at all.

In fiction from the old days, people were sometimes referred to as souls. I like that. It implies to me, that you see not just a person's body, but their heart, their person. It says, you are a person, you are worthwhile, you are so much more than just a race, or a body. You're real, you have value. I don't know that we see each other like that anymore, and Rudy's experience, as well as the other POW experiences, attest to the fact that they are really, even less than invisible to their captors. In some way, their captors see them as deserving of mistreatment. Truly, I find this so hard to fathom.

And then the "souls", the people whom they are abusing, they have a quality that is also difficult to comprehend. They survive. They have hope. They remain human. Would I be able to hold on to these qualities in similar situations, or would I give in to hopelessness and despair? Would I give up?

Louis's story has a happy ending. He survives. He has angry and bitter years, but, through God's grace, he forgives, he is absolved of the demons of anger, and lives his life. Just that simple statement should be enough to astound us. He's a testament to God's power to change lives. His story humbles me in my small struggles to live a life of grace.

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