Audio Book Review: The Secret Chord, by Geraldine Brooks

The Secret Chord is another stunning adult novel.  I seem to be getting more interested in adult titles lately.  The audio version is excellent.

Brooks tells the story of King David of Israel, from his childhood to the end of his reign.  The story is told from the perspective of Natan, who first prophesied Davd's rise to power and became his closest confidant.

I'm not into biblical stories, but The Secret Chord was exciting and captivating.  I'm sure Brooks has embellished the biblical version, but it all seems very plausible.  The characters are interesting.  The story is intriguing. This "Second Iron Age" was a brutal time.  They were always at war, and it seems like the men were raping and pillaging with abandon.  If you wanted to be king, you just found some men who would follow you and tried to take over without being killed.

And the women didn't fare very well. They were merely property and a means to create alliances and produce heirs.  And David had a lot of heirs; most were not very likable.

David is not always portrayed positively. He had his shortcomings, and he paid the price for them.

My only complaint is that Brooks uses the Hebrew names for all of the characters.  I get that it's authentic, but I wanted to know who all these people were! I ordered a print copy of the book, thinking there were be a translation, but there is only a list of the characters (their Hebrew names.)  I found this Behind the Names website which helped a lot but was still annoyed that I had to use it.  I would have just preferred she used the familiar names throughout the book.

The audio book narrator, Paul Boehmer, is superb.  He reminded me of Charlton Heston in The Ten Commandments, which was perfect for this story.

I highly recommend The Secret Chord if you enjoy historical fiction, especially about biblical times. It's fascinating.

Published by Viking, 2015 (Penguin Audio)
Audiobook obtained from the library
320 pages

Rating: 4.5/5

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Book Review: Mornings in Jenin, by Susan Abulhawa

Mornings in Jenin is a very good book. It isn't, however an enjoyable book.

Mornings in Jenin follows a Palestinian family through four generations -- during multiple conflicts with Israel. At the beginning of the novel, it's 1948, the Arabs are cast out of their homes and put in a refugee camp called Jenin. A new Israel is created. The story continues for over 50 years, continually returning to Jenin, which is still a refugee camp.

It's a sad story of love, family, horrible brutality, and lots of loss. The writing is beautifully descriptive, and the reader gets are real sense of the Palestinian way of life.

Mornings in Jenin is unique, I think, in that it is sympathetic to the Palestinians. Our main characters are Palestinian. You must realize, though, that this is a book about individuals (fictional), not about politics. We don't hear much (although there is some) talk about governments, negotiations, and treaties. Since much of the story is told through a child's eyes, the politics aren't clear. And that's OK.

We know there are two sides to every story. Atrocities were (and are) committed by both sides. I did appreciated the POV of the Palestinian's though. Being from the United States, we are definitely bent to side with Israel. And that's really all I want to say about politics.

What I really got thinking about while reading this book (other than the horrible losses these people suffered) was about vengeance. Both sides retaliate over and over again. Something is bombed that kills 15 Israelis. A couple weeks later, 13 Palestinians are killed. A couple days later, 22 Israelis are killed, and so on. I know vengeance is a sin, but we all feel that. If my entire family were murdered, I would definitely want vengeance! But I'd want to take down the perpetrators. I don't understand how senselessly murdering innocent people -- women and children--no matter what their race would make one feel better about losing one's own family. Yet, this seems to be the way things are dealt with in these cultures. I don't get it. Attack the army base. Attack the seat of government. But a school? How can that make you feel better?

The characters in Mornings in Jenin are sympathetic, even with their cultural differences. Another thing that stuck me is that kids are the same everywhere. They need to play. Love is the same everywhere. People take risks to be with those they love. There are many universal truths that shine in the background of this compelling story.

The writing is sophisticated, and there are many characters. At first it's hard to keep them apart, especially because the same character can be called different names. Something like calling someone Mom once, and then calling them by their given name. Only in another language. There is a glossary in the back which helps. If you are interested in this culture, and this (continuing) global conflict, I highly recommend Mornings in Jenin. Sophisticated high school readers who are interested will also enjoy this one.

Published by Bloomsbury, 2010
Purchased eBook
352 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Book Review: The Blood Gospel, by James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell

I found The Blood Gospel to be riveting -- I actually stayed up past my bedtime to finish, which is very rare for me. Although very entertaining, I consider The Blood Gospel to be a bit over the top.

Erin is an archaeologist working on a dig in Israel. Jordan is a sergeant in the military who is an expert in forensics. Father Korza, well, he's a vampire.

Now he's a "good" vampire, called a Sanguinist, who serves God and the church and never drinks human blood. His goal is to defeat the Strigoi -- the bad vampires who want to rule the world.

These three characters end up together because of an earthquake in Masada, Israel, where an ancient underground tomb is supposed to contain a treasure that the Sanguinists and the Strigoi have been searching for. This item will give those who posses it complete power over the universe. It is a book -- a gospel -- written by Jesus in his own blood.

The quest for this book sends them all over Europe, most of the time barely escaping with their lives. The quest gets more and more intricate -- the back story that is slowly revealed is complex and complicated. There are many characters, but I didn't find it hard to keep track. The Blood Gospel is well organized and easy to follow. It's a complex story that required more concentration than my usual YA fare, but it was also immersive. I had a hard time putting it down and found myself thinking about the book when I was away from it.

My only complaint, which is a minor one, is that as the story goes on, as our beloved characters overcome obstacle after obstacle and are pulled from the jaws of death over and over, it just got a little difficult to buy. They were very lucky at times. (Or I guess, God was watching over them.) The "alternate Christianity" part of the plot got farther and farther from the traditional Bible stories, especially at the end of The Blood Gospel, and became a bit much for me. Not that I was offended or anything, just that some things that were "re-told" were a bit  far-fetched. I do admire the authors' creativity though.

The Blood Gospel is the first book in a series called The Order of the Sanguines. There's a character in this book called Tommy, who inexplicably survives the initial earthquake in Masada. We get a glimpse into what is happening to him once in a while, but his character is purposefully vague. He is part of the big setup for the continuation of the series. So, while The Blood Gospel has a climactic ending, there are still plenty of questions and much more to discover about this world.

I would highly recommend The Blood Gospel to the right reader. It grabs you and takes you on a very entertaining ride. It's almost 500 pages long, but it didn't seem like it. There are a select few teens that I could recommend The Blood Gospel to, but it has wide appeal for adults who enjoy a good adventure story with a lot of biblical history and some vampires thrown in too!

Published by William Morrow, January 8, 2013
Copy obtained from the library
479 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Book Review: The Dovekeepers, by Alice Hoffman

The Dovekeepers is a truly epic story. One that is so lyrical, it's almost reads like a symphony. I highly recommend the audiobook version of this beautiful and tragic story.

The Dovekeepers take place around the year 70 C.E., and the main setting of the story is a mountain called Masada, with a fortress that was built by Herrod. Hundreds of Jews are holed up here, after the Romans have forced them out of Jerusalem and every other place in Israel.

There are four main characters in the book, all women. We learn each woman's story in separate sections of the book, but all the stories end up woven together as they experience life on Masada. There's tragedy and heartbreak and many secrets. Their's plotting, and scheming. They are struggling with hunger, and lost love, and trying to keep their families alive.

I cannot describe the beautiful writing in The Dovekeepers. I haven't read any other of Hoffman's books, but I'm a fan. I'm sure part of my passion for these words has to do with the audio format. The book is read by four different women, and they are all PERFECT. Each one of them distinct, but so rhythmic and well-paced. I must be honest--I might not have finished this if I were reading the print. It is long and very detailed. But I must emphasize that it's worth the read -- in any form.

The Jewish faith and traditions were fascinating. I can't imagine the research that went into this book. I'm sure The Dovekeepers is a work of love. Everything is a symbol for these people. If some blackbirds land in  your path -- that means something. Every drop of rain, change in the weather, everything birds and other animals do, every breeze means something. And the rituals -- every spice and plant is used to bless something. Their are all sorts of charms for blessings and healings.

It's all very devout, though. These people base everything on their belief in God. No aspect of their existence is without him.

If you are a fan of ancient history, you must read The Dovekeepers. It requires some patience, but you will be rewarded, I guarantee. Not many teens I can recommend this for--nothing inappropriate, but just because of the subject and the weight of this book. But I will pass it around my family and friends for sure.

Published by Scribner, 2011
Audiobook obtained from the library
512 pages

Rating: 5/5

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