Wanna Get Away?

You might think you want a change - even a drastic change - in your life, but after reading this book, you might be happy with the usual humdrum. The author, an Afghani married to an Indian woman and living in England, really misses the sun, remembers his childhood family vacations wandering in northwest Africa, and decides to capture that geography and less-hectic lifestyle for his own children. He buys a long-unoccupied palace in the middle of a shantytown in Casablanca and embarks upon the overwhelming task of renovating the palace. He inherits a group of employees and soon is forced to hire many more -- and let's just say that this man was not born to be a boss. He is soon pushed around by all the carpenters, tile-layers, "guardians," as well as the cook, the nanny, and his professional assistant, Kamal. This assistant somehow cuts through red tape, gets things done, and navigates Tahir through many back alley deals -- but he, too, exhibits his own Moroccan way of working -- he doesn't show up for days, and then appears seemingly out of nowhere with a long-missing but absolutely essential document or permit. Besides the employee problem, Tahir also faces the obstacle of superstition about evil spirits -- especially the evil Jinn (i.e. genie) which inhabits his palace. Tahir adjusts to the fact that the uneducated workers are obsessed by the need to placate the Jinns, but as he meets other people whom he respects, he discovers that this superstitious belief is universal throughout Morocco.

This book is a series of funny anecdotes interspersed with history, culture, geography, and travel. If you enjoy reading to spread your awareness and to travel to new places, you will love this book. I did -- and I've heard that his newer book, In Arabian Nights, is even better. I give this 4 out of 4 stars.

A walk in different shoes . . .

What do I really know about modern-day life in Mexico? I have vacationed in a couple of resort towns -- I have read headlines about the effect of NAFTA and other USA economic policies on business, agriculture, and so on, and about how "they" all want to come to the United States for jobs -- and "they" take unfair advantage of our social services and education, but refuse to learn English. All the usual prejudicial statements. This novel immersed me into the realities of daily life in a small southern Mexican coastal town -- one which has been abandoned by most of the men (who have gone north to find work), leaving the women, children, and old men to be harrassed by banditos. These thugs have invaded the town, taking over the home of the wealthiest resident, eating food without paying, and generally creating an unsafe living environment. Nayeli, who works at a diner and also runs the projector at the local movie theater, is inspired by The Magnificent Seven, and she decides to go north to Los Angeles to recruit seven "soldiers" to come back and protect the town. And, by the way, she plans to take a side trip to Kankakee, Illinois, to find her father and bring him back home. Two of her girl friends and Tacho, the gay owner of the diner, come along.

The novel provides a look into life at the border -- the poverty and crime among the hopeful border-crossers, who are victimized by those charging large amounts for minimal service -- the garbage dump in which many unsuccessful crossers and other homeless people have settled -- the wealth and privilege of others -- the nightlife peopled with both Mexicans and Americanos who have no trouble returning back to their homes in the United States . . .

This is a book of adventure and humor, as well as an immersion into a culture both foreign and familiar. A lot of Spanish dialogue is scattered throughout -- some of which I could figure out in context, while some passages went right over my head (but Spanish readers would no doubt love these parts!) Although not one of my favorite books of the year, I AM glad I read it, and recommend it to the extent of 3 out of 4 stars.

Chilling yet Possible?

After reading a couple of "have-to" books, I was hungry (get it?) for a just-for-fun good book. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, fit the bill perfectly. It encompassed a cautionary tale along with a romance, adventure, a suspenseful conflict, and plenty to think about along the way.
The story takes place in a country that used to be the United States, which is now divided into twelve "districts" ruled by the Capitol. In punishment for the attempted rebellion of the twelve districts, the Capitol enforces an annual "Survivor"-like competition in which a boy and girl representative from each distrist must meet and fight to the death. 17-year-old Katniss is a hunter, responsible for putting food on her family's table since her father's death in the coal mines six years ago. Two names are drawn from a large ball to determine the district's representatives, and when Katniss' 12-year-old sister's name is drawn, Katniss rushes forward to volunteer in her place. Peeta, the son of a baker whom Katniss knew from school -- and also from an incident when he saved her from starving -- is the designated boy. They are whisked off to the Capitol to prepare for the Games. Soon the 24 competitors are locked into the "arena," which this year includes a forest with a stream, a lake, a grassland, and a large open meadow. All her life Katniss has been forced to watch the Games, and she knows some of the strategies that have helped former competitors survive. But she, and all the competitors, are at the mercy of the all-seeing Capitol, which has cameras stashed everywhere, and which can manipulate the weather inside the arena, can introduce natural disasters, predatory creatures, and other things to force the competitors to come together for battle -- for the sheer entertainment of the "viewers at home." I really got into this story, and saw many parallels with today's reality TV "entertainment." The environmental situation which brought the country to the conditions described in Hunger Games are reflected in almost every disastrous prediction you read in today's paper. So -- this COULD happen. And what would you or I do to survive, if this all came to pass?

I highly recommend this book, and give it 4 out of 4 stars!