A few years ago I saw the movie, based on this deception. It was quite good. The book, though, was far better. I listened to the audiobook with a terrA few years ago I saw the movie, based on this deception. It was quite good. The book, though, was far better. I listened to the audiobook with a terrific narration - but. I tend to remember names and places when I eye-read rather than listen, so I wouldn't mind getting the book in print and giving it a glance to get names and places straight.
To think this spy book is non-fiction - it reads like a thriller, but it actually changed the course of history.
I had no idea this was a young adult book, as I don't usually read that genre. Having said that, I breezed through this, and learned quite a bit of liI had no idea this was a young adult book, as I don't usually read that genre. Having said that, I breezed through this, and learned quite a bit of life after Spain's Civil War and Franco's regime of terror. I knew many people living in South America who had fled Spain, but knew very little of the details. The post civil war regime was brutal, living conditions were difficult at best and poverty was rampant.
The book includes a love story, which I am sure will keep the interest of youth. It was cute but required a bit of suspension of reality for me.
What I found most interesting was the role of the Catholic Church and the 300,000 or so babies that were removed from the parents for adoption to families that aligned with the Franco ideology. In fact, I know someone, now in her 60s, who was just such a baby. ...more
Full disclosure 鈥� I can鈥檛 compare this book with Huckleberry Finn 鈥� as I don鈥檛 remember reading it. If I did, it was so long ago, I don鈥檛 remember.
鈥泪 Full disclosure 鈥� I can鈥檛 compare this book with Huckleberry Finn 鈥� as I don鈥檛 remember reading it. If I did, it was so long ago, I don鈥檛 remember.
鈥泪 have lived my life under the gaze of the white man, pretending he is my master. But I am my own man, if only in my head.鈥�
When I read a book like this, I try to understand why the author chose to write it and why they chose the scenes and/or the characters. This is a book that is way more than a story of a fun character 鈥� this is a telling of history that needs to be told.
Written in the first person, we find the slave Jim, being told he鈥檒l be sold and separated from his family. Rather than disappear to never see his family again, Jim chooses to run and work to reclaim his family. This is not a dumbed-down character 鈥� this is a real man. A slave who has learned to read and write, and who has learned to speak in code. One language in front of white people and an educated language in front of the rest of his world. When on a tour of a slave plantation in Louisianna, our guide mentioned that this was more common than previously thought. I thought his mastery of the English language was a bit exaggerated, but given the power of this book, it鈥檚 a minor thing.
There were parts of the book that were difficult to read. Slaves who were almost content with being dehumanized, believing they weren鈥檛 worthy of being free human beings. The constant fear of James of being captured, tortured and then murdered; the thought of never being able to find his wife and children 鈥� all too painful to call the book funny in any way, shape or form. I found the book profound, memorable, a book that needed to be written as much of the sentiment still exists today. ...more
This one was not one of my favorites. It was ok, but if I had to recommend a Turow novel, it wouldn't be this one.This one was not one of my favorites. It was ok, but if I had to recommend a Turow novel, it wouldn't be this one....more
As six astronauts circle the earth, they reflect on what they see and feel. This book had no plot and it wasn't a work of science fiction. Yet it was As six astronauts circle the earth, they reflect on what they see and feel. This book had no plot and it wasn't a work of science fiction. Yet it was beautiful. I listened to it as an audiobook, but I think I want to get a print copy to annotate and underline and savor the writing....more
3 stars is very generous for this book. The narrator was annoying, the voice of the whiney, spoiled little girl made me want to smack the kid, and the3 stars is very generous for this book. The narrator was annoying, the voice of the whiney, spoiled little girl made me want to smack the kid, and the ending was absurd.
Having said that, I still listened to the entire thing and enjoyed the legal aspects of the court drama....more
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