The House I Loved by Tatiana de Rosnay

The House I Loved by Tatiana de Rosnay


My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Like many of the other reviewers, I read The House I Loved because Sarah's Key was so powerful. This book is different. There can be no comparison between the story of the French government sending Jewish citizens to German death camps during World War II and the story of the hardship caused by eminent domain laws that were used as part of a massive renovation of Paris during the reign of Emperor Napoleon III. But every book does not have to be about genocide. The House I Loved is about memories and about the redemption brought about by recalling the bad as well as the good. In its own way it is a powerful story.

The plot is revealed through a series of letters being read and written by Rose Bazelet, a woman living in mid nineteenth century Paris who is determined to resist the razing of her home to make way for a wide boulevard. Most of the plot comes from Rose's writing to her deceased husband, Armand. In these she reflects on the early stages of their relationship and on both the wonderful and the tragic times they shared in their home. She has also kept a number of letters that have been written to her over the years. These give a different perspective on her life.

The house seems symbolic of Rose's life. There are reasons why she doesn't want to give up on her home, but there are also reasons why it would make sense for her to say “good riddance” to it. The same is true of the relationships she's had in her life. There isn't always logic behind the way things played out for her. Why does she love some people more than others, when in many cases it would make sense that she would feel the other way? I'm not sure what the answer to that question is and for that reason The House I Loved felt very real.

I felt Ms. De Rosnay gave a full picture of ordinary life in Paris in the nineteenth century, the shops, the relationships, the politics, the role of women, and much more. I listened to the audio version. It was read by Kate Reading, who brought the words to life in a marvelous way.

Steve Lindahl - Author of Motherless Soul




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Fall of Giants by Ken Follett

Fall of Giants by Ken Follett


My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Fall of Giants is the type of novel I love to read. It takes the reader on a long, winding trip through a period of time that presents the characters with unusual and dramatic obstacles. It is set in England, Russia, Germany, France, and America during World War I and the years prior to and following that war. It follows the lives of a handful of characters who fight, fall in love, and react in different ways to the situations around them.

The plot depends on an incredible amount of coincidences, in particular characters encountering each other repeatedly in remote sections of the world. Readers who can't get beyond that type of manipulation should skip the book, but for me the strengths of the story outweighed that problem. I even found myself anticipating the encounters in a way I enjoyed.

I loved the history that was woven into the plot. I learned a great deal about the Battle of the Somme and the incompetence of the British officers during that conflict. I was also fascinated with the novel's portrayal of the rise of the Bolsheviks in Russia and the battles between the red and white forces. I went straight to Wikipedia after reading those sections to confirm their accuracy. Ken Follett has a reputation for researching his historical novels well. He deserves that reputation.

The novel has multiple love stories in it, all unique. There is the story of an English woman from a wealthy, titled family who falls in love with a German, equally well connected in his homeland. They are both loyal to their two countries, but also loyal to each other. There are two Russian brothers who grew up in poverty to become men who treat women in very different ways, one using women in any way he can while the other attempts to treat the woman he loves with honor and respect. My favorite of the romantic relationships involves the interests of a welsh woman, Ethel Williams, who is the daughter of a union leader in a coal mining region. She has to decide many times whether to follow her heart or her head.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes long stories with strong characters and interesting historical settings. It is the first part of a trilogy, but Fall of Giants stands on its own well.

Steve Lindahl - Author of Motherless Soul




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The Second Virgin Birth by Tommy Taylor

The Second Virgin Birth by Tommy Taylor


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The Second Virgin Birth is an interesting book, yet it is different from most of the novels I have read. My impression is that Tommy Taylor did not write this book because he loves writing fiction, but rather because he loves God. I had some issues with his style. There are too many cliches, a lack of attention to detail, and character reactions that are not believable. But the big ideas expressed in the book kept me turning the pages.

When I first read the concept of The Second Virgin Birth I was hooked. We live in a time when events that once would have been considered miracles are now achievable through technology. Advances in reproductive medicine have made it possible for a woman who is technically a virgin to give birth. Cloning processes have reached a point where it is possible to create a person who is more or less an identical twin of another person—if the DNA is available. So the cloning of Jesus Christ sounds plausible.

Before I started reading it, I thought the book was going to be about the realization of God's plan through the work of brilliant people. But instead of taking that path, Taylor has given us a story filled with traditional miracles. These include, among others, the ability of the new Mary to speak with God, the sudden deaths of two hospital orderlies who are about to harm Mary, and a truck driving angel who appears to help her. The way divine intervention was included in a story about science was interesting.

The focus of The Second Virgin Birth is on Mary rather than Jesus. Unlike the first mother of God, this Mary is far from a humble young lady who is told by the angel Gabriel that she has been chosen by God to give birth to His child. Instead this Mary communes with God. She has read all the holy books of the world by age eight and understands them. She enters a trance, not speaking for four years. When she finally talks she tells the people around her what God has told her and she is immediately believed.

The villains of the novel are motivated by greed. The Pope is the worst offender among the people who seek riches and power. This fictional Pope, John Paul III, does everything in his power to prevent the birth of the cloned Son of God, including sending out assassins to kill Mary. He is worried that the birth of her child will cause believers to leave the Roman Catholic church to follow the new messiah. This part of the novel parallels Herod's role in the Christmas story.

I believe this book will appeal to open minded Christians who enjoy reading different interpretations of their faith.

Steve Lindahl - author of Motherless Soul




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In A World Of Small Truths by Ray Morrison

In A World Of Small Truths is a collection of short stories by Ray Morrison, an award winning writer from North Carolina. Morrison's use of language is concise, sharp, and beautiful. His attention to detail is phenomenal.




The stories are touching portraits of people caught up in problems readers can identify with, such as dealing with guilt or trying to understand the actions of others who have disappointed them. Sometimes the problems are set in common situations and at other times, in stories such as S, the characters are in situations we hope we will never see. Yet Morrison always takes us along paths that are justified by the strengths and failures of his characters.



One of my favorites in the collection is Calvin Bodenheimer and the Dalrymple Bull which at first appears to be a tragedy in the classical sense. Calvin, the hero, has a character flaw, shyness, that keeps him from developing a relationship with a pretty farmer's daughter named Dreama. But the story takes a number of unexpected twists and turns and ends up being more about Calvin's relationship with himself than about Dreama. Another story, June Bug is a powerful piece about a woman reflecting back on the way her mother's prejudices affected her life. And another, Lenny and Earl Go Shooting Off Their Mouths is filled with dark humor and has one of the best titles I've ever read.



Although In A World Of Small Truths contains stories set mostly in and around Winston-Salem, NC, the characters could exist anywhere. The Small Truths are emotional struggles we can all identify with and learn from. This one is a great read!



Steve Lindahl = author of Motherless Soul

A Game of Thrones by George R R Martin

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I had heard of A Game of Thrones through the reputation of the HBO series. I don't have an HBO subscription, so I don't plan to watch it. But I thought it might be fun to read the book. The novel isn't quite as focused on sex as the series is supposed to be. It has its share of both sex and violence, but all of the titillating aspects of the plot are justified in the written version. This is not a medieval Shades of Gray.

The plot is a massive story with more characters than I could keep track of. There is a listing of names in an appendix at the back. If I had known it was there, I would have taken advantage of it and that might have helped. But the main characters were well defined and whatever confusion I had with the minor ones didn't affect my appreciation of the work.

The story takes place during medieval times, in a world populated with lords, ladies, knights, and peasants. The fictional environment created by George R. R. Martin is realistically portrayed, but it branches off into mystical moments that are critical to the story. The shift from realism to mysticism is handled smoothly and fits well in the context of the story.

The majority of the plot concerns the relationship of Eddard (Ned) Stark with King Robert Baratheon and the conflict between Ned's family, the house of Stark and the family of the King's wife Cersei, the house of Lannister. There is intrigue, deception, jousting, battles, and everything else expected from a story about a struggle for power in that period. I loved the excitement as the various plots progressed.

The one thing I did not like about A Game of Thrones is that it doesn't stand on its own. Multiple subplots were left hanging when the book ended. I understand that it is part of a series, but it should still conclude the majority of the story lines. I want to know what happens to Arya and how Jon will fit in. Leaving something up in the air makes sense to me, but this book leaves too much unresolved. I plan to read the other books in the series, but I don't know how soon I'll get to them.




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Shakespeare and Company - Paris, France

I don't have a book to review this week because I spent the last couple of weeks in France. It was my first trip to Europe, so my wife and I were too caught up in exploring to spend much time reading.  Instead this entry is about one afternoon when Toni and I decided to look for Shakespeare and Company, a fairly famous bookstore for anglophiles in Paris – all the books are in English.




It was a cloudy day, cool enough to wear jackets, which was good for walking and also meant I had pockets. I had a compact umbrella in one of those pockets and Toni had one in her purse.



We had just toured Notre Dame and had crossed the Seine on a bridge (Pont de l'Archeveche) that was east of the famous cathedral. That was a mistake because walking along that road brought us to the south of the street we were looking for. We turned left instead of right and moved further away from the bookstore.



That's when the rain came (our only rain during our vacation). It poured. The umbrellas helped, but we still had to find shelter. We ducked into a parking lot and waited until the rain lightened up. During that break we went over the map we had and determined that we were going the wrong way. When we got out to the street we asked for directions. Toni speaks enough French to get by and we found that the French people were always happy to help us when they could. Unfortunately, a bookstore that carries only English books was a landmark that the French speaking people we stopped didn't know. We finally found Rue de la Bucherie, the street where Shakespeare and Company was supposed to be. We walked it end to end and couldn't find the store. We were about to head back to the metro, but I decided to try one more time. Toni told me how to say “Where is?” and I already knew how to say “Please” and “Thank you,” so I stepped into a restaurant and asked again. A waiter there knew the store and explained to Toni that a park (Square Rene Viviani) broke the street in two. When we went to the other part of Rue de la Bucherie the bookstore was there.



Shakespeare and Company is a two story, narrow store jammed with books. The aisles and the staircase are tiny. There's a reading room upstairs and some seats out front. It has great atmosphere and a very interesting collection of customers. It was worth searching for. We didn't take any pictures, but here are a couple I found on the web.

Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding

Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I enjoyed both the Bridget Jones movies and now that there's a third one on the way, I decided it is about time to read the original “diary.” I liked the other chick lit books I've read (Sophie Kinsella's Remember Me, Can You Keep a Secret?, and Shopaholic & Baby) with their pseudo airhead main characters who are actually quite intelligent and competent. Since I hadn't read Helen Fielding's work prior to this, I was expecting something similar. The tone of Bridget Jones's Diary is light and the humor is fabulous. Bridget Jones, however, is not a brilliant woman trying to escape from an airhead facade. There isn't a competent bone in her body. When she succeeds she does so through luck and the good will of those around her. But somehow her self absorbed, scatterbrained personality works. I liked her.

The novel is dated, of course. For example, when Bridget thinks about a fairy tale wedding she talks about Princess Diana rather than the Duchess of Cambridge. But the core of the book is the immersion into the mind of a woman who is desperate to impress others by losing weight, drinking less, and gaining a boyfriend. There are still plenty of people like that. And what's even more significant is the fact that we all have a little of Bridget's personality in us. That's why the book is so funny.

There are books that need to be read slowly, so the reader can dwell on the concepts behind the story. Then there are books that are a fun read and need to be read quickly. Bridget Jones's Diary is one of the latter.

Steve Lindahl - author of Motherless Soul




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