Book bits
The Monitor's weekly literary roundup.
from the February 27, 2007 edition
Page 3 of 3
Readers' picks
Call It a Gift by Valerie Hobbs is a sleeper from a small press with no publicity. It is a love story of older adults who try to balance
family responsibilities with their own needs. It is amazingly sensitive.
– Julia Mayberry Palo Alto, Calif.
I have no interest in Kalahari Bushmen whatsoever, but I couldn't put down The Old Way: A Story of the First People by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas. She writes of her experiences in the Kalahari many years ago and of the recent sad, destructive
changes. She is a most empathetic and observant anthropologist and writes clear, engaging, and provocative prose.
– Dennis Lynch, Glenshaw, Pa.
I just finished Loung Ung's second book Lucky Child. She does an excellent job of explaining her thoughts as she evolves from starving refugee to thoughtful adult.
– Patricia Jones Akrabawi, Tulsa, Okla.
Small Island by Andrea Levy is a story of emigration to England in 1948. Levy evokes the desperate turmoil of postwar England in this
novel of a young Jamaican couple facing prejudice and poverty in their bid for a new life in the "Mother Country."
– Judy Weaver, Merrill, Wis.
Sea of Thunder by Evan Thomas, about World War II naval combat in the South Pacific, focusing on the Battle of Leyte Gulf. The story is
told through two Japanese and two US officers, and shows how stereotypes helped shape pivotal battle decisions.
– Ben Beach, Bethesda, Md.
The World Is Flat by Thomas Friedman, required reading for understanding our place in the world.
– Linda Genteel, Richmond, Va.
What are you reading? Write and tell us at Marjorie Kehe.
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