I am intrigued by the fact that two brothers, raised in the same family, are now on polar extremes in regard to their faith (or lack of faith) in God. I have heard some of Christopher Hitchens arguments (see film entitled Collision
), and now I'd like to read how his brother came to believe in God after 20 years of being an atheist.
:, go to the Waterbrook Multnomah website.
My selection this week is The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O'Connor McNees,
to be released on April 1, 2010:, Kelly O’Connor McNees deftly mixes fact and fiction as she imagines a summer lost to history, carefully purged from Louisa’s letters and journals, a summer that would change the course of Louisa’s writing career—and inspire the story of love and heartbreak between Jo and Teddy “Laurie” Laurence, Jo’s devoted neighbor and kindred spirit.
She has characters who sound like people I know. And even though I am not a knitter, I enjoy reading the books set in a knitting shop. The others have also been fun reads. There is a new one being released in May called Hannah's List
. Here is the description from Debbie's website:
On the anniversary of his beloved wife’s death, Dr. Michael Everett receives a letter Hannah had written him. In it she reminds him of her love and makes one final request. An impossible request. I want you to marry again. She tells him he shouldn’t spend the years he has left grieving her. And to that end she’s chosen three women she asks him to consider. During the months that follow, he spends time with Winter, Leanne, and Macy, learning more about each of them . . . and about himself. Learning what Hannah already knew. He’s a man who needs the completeness only love can offer. And Hannah’s list leads him to the woman who can help him find it.
when I was a teen and I was fascinated by the stories of the Chinese people. I especially remember the part where one of the characters was expecting a child. She was working in the fields, and when it came time to have her baby, she stopped working, gave birth, then simply went back to the fields and resumed her work. I couldn't believe that some people actually lived like that! It wasn't until later that I found out that that particular part of the book was true. Childbirth is very different in China among the working class. Pearl S. Buck was simply writing about the Chinese culture that she had come to know.
When I first saw an article about Pearl of China by Anchee Min a few weeks ago, I knew I wanted to read it. I have heard about Pearl S. Buck for many years. I'd like to know more. And to see that this is a book written from a Chinese perspective makes it even more intriguing. 
Product description from Amazon:
Jacob Hunt is a teenage boy with Asperger's syndrome. He's hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, and like many kids with AS, Jacob has a special focus on one subject -- in his case, forensic analysis. He's always showing up at crime scenes, thanks to the police scanner he keeps in his room, and telling the cops what they need to do...and he's usually right. But then his town is rocked by a terrible murder and, for a change, the police come to Jacob with questions. All of the hallmark behaviors of Asperger's -- not looking someone in the eye, stimulatory tics and twitches, flat affect -- can look a lot like guilt to law enforcement personnel. Suddenly, Jacob and his family, who only want to fit in, feel the spotlight shining directly on them. For his mother, Emma, it's a brutal reminder of the intolerance and misunderstanding that always threaten her family. For his brother, Theo, it's another indication of why nothing is normal because of Jacob. And over this small family the soul-searing question looms: Did Jacob commit murder?
