Book: La vérité sur l'affaire Harry Quebert

My bookworm friend recommended me this book and I had it as my christmas gift from my sister-in-law. I read the original version in French and while writing this post, I realised that there is a version in English. The title is The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair.

This novel though is more than 800 pages, is easy to read. The many twisting plots make reading unstoppable. Each time, when I started to read the book in bed, I knew that I would sleep only in the early hours of the night. 

I really enjoyed reading the book. Once the book is finished, I find it remarkable of the author to come up with such ideas. I won't write about the story here. Go read it. It is highly entertaining.

Book: Bakhita by Véronique Olmi

Last year I mentioned that I gave this book as a gift to my retired doctor. I also mentioned that I wanted to read it. A few months back, I borrowed this book from the village library and read the 400++ pages in a fortnight.

This book by Véronique Olmi is based on the life story of Bakhita who was kidnapped at the age of 7 and became a slave. In a twist of events, she ended up in Italy and became a religious sister when she gained freedom.

The book was in 3 parts (if I remembered correctly). The first part on her stolen childhood was very painful to read. The enormous sufferings she went through was unimaginable. No normal person, least a child can survive this. Her thoughts and longing of home was heart breaking to read. 

When she arrived in Italy, things seems to work out better for her. However she was a foreigner in a white people's land. I could empathize with her thoughts. Not being able to express herself in Italian, not being used to the culture, not having family and worst, not remembering her own name; the name given by her parents. 

I do not think this book is available in English. But if you are interested in Bakhita, you can read about her on Wikipedia. It does give a good description of her life. This book touched me a lot. If you read French, take the challenge to read this book. It is not easy to read, I cried. But it is so worth it in the end.

Book: Le mec de la tombe d'à côté

The village library is closed during the school holidays. One of the librarian is A2's classmate's grandmother. One day while picking up the boys, I met her and asked if the library had travel books on south of Italy. A few days later, she passed me two books and told me she had borrowed them under my name. Wow. This is village life. I appreciate this kind gesture.

Back to the main topic. I borrowed two books, Le Tresse and Le mec de la tombe d'à côté before the holidays. The latter was written by the Swedish author Katarina Mazetti and translated into several languages. In english, the title is Benny and Shrimp.

I enjoyed this book a lot. I read it late into the nights during our vacation.

The story is about two people who visited the graves of their loved ones and met each other there. Desiree was visiting her husband and Benny was visiting his parent. They shared a bench and slowly got to know each other.

They became an item but both were opposites in personalities and in their life styles. Desiree was a cultivated girl working in a library. Benny was a struggling farmer who had to take care of the animals and the land now that he was alone without his parents.

In the book, Benny and Desiree described about their relationships in alternating chapters. It was funny to read what each other expected from his/her partner. I also got a glimpse of the Swedish culture and food.

The ending was interesting. I was not expecting it but it did not come as a surprise. Did they overcome their differences and get togather at last? You have to read to find out.

Book: La tresse

Just read the first novel written by Laetitia Colombani. La Tresse , the braid. 
Three women living in three continents different.

Smita was an untouchable living in India with her husband and her 6 year old daughter. She wanted a better life for her girl.

Giulia was a 20 year old Italian living in Sicile. She worked in her father's declining business making wigs from Italian hair. When her father met with an accident and was in coma, Giulia had to head  the business and realized that the company was going bankrupt.

Sarah, a successful lawyer in Canada. She was a single mum to her 3 children. Her brilliant career collapsed when she was diagnosed with cancer.

All three determined ladies faced with difficulties in their lives and trying their best to overcome them. Though they never met, at the end, they were connected.

Smita ran away with her daughter as the child was not allowed to study and looked down upon. She wanted to join her cousins in the city 2000km away to give her girl a better future. Along the way, she made her pilgrimage to the temple of Tirupati. As an offering, she shaved her head as she had nothing more precious than that. She wanted to thank and receive blessing from Vishnou.

Giulia saved the family's business by going against the wish of her mother and sister. She bought hair from India to make them into wigs as supply was low in Italy.

Sarah was devastated that her company abandoned her upon knowing her illness. The sacrifices she made for her career were in vain. As a fighter, she came out of depression and decided to take care of herself well. She went to a salon recommended by a fellow patient and got a wig. One that was made from hair from India, washed and dyed and planted hair by hair in Italy and fitted her like a glove on her head. She felt confident to combat her illness and gained a new perspective of life.

This is a positive read. The stories of Giulia and Sarah are our daily struggles and I can relate to them but what strikes me most is the life of Smita. In this era, it is still very real in India. The untouchables doing work that no one wants to do and most of the time not getting paid for it. I wonder when this caste system will end.

PS: This book is in the process of being translated to other languages. Keep a look out if you are interested to read it in English.

Book: De tes nouvelles

I borrowed this book from the village library. It was an easy read. No suspense, just a story of a father and her young girl ending their 7 years of road trip by settling down at Valentine's home. Eric, the father slowly got over the death of his wife and came to love Valentine. The young girl Anna-Nina made friends easily with everyone.

There were other characters who recited their lives along the way. 

Heart warming story and how a family formed between the main characters and their friends. The author has humor and some conversations between the characters were really funny.

This is Agnès Ledig's second book. Her first book, Juste avant le bonheur, is well received too. I shall check if the library has it.

Book: L'attentat

I read this book three weeks ago. I borrowed this book from my friend's son who is 17 and had to read it as part of his school work.

This book is available in english under the title 'The attack'. The author wrote under the pen name Yasmina Khadra.

A suicide bomber exploded in a packed restaurant in Tel Aviv. Dr. Amin Jaafari, an Isareli Arab surgeon who was respected and admired by his colleagues was informed that his wife might have been the suicide bomber. He could not believe it and decided to find out the truth.

This book is not a thriller. It is not too dramatic. It talks about how the life of Dr Jaafari completely changed after this news. He went to the morgue to identify his wife. He started asking questions to himself. His house in a high end neighbourhood was visited by mobs calling him names and accusing him of being a terrorist like his wife. He was questioned by the police. He was lost and decided to visit the places his wife had visited to find answers.

As the story gets closer to the end, the author showed the readers the other side of the wall. Life in Palestine. Dr Jaafari realised that his wife was indeed the suicide bomber and he came to realise what she was fighting for. He realised he could never be part of her belief. He was a surgeon meant to save lives.

The ending was sad. This is the second book I read about the conflict in the middle east. I would prefer the other book. Though I read it many years back, it is still one of my favourite book. I shall write about it soon.

Book: La cigale du huitième jour

I love to read. Since I don't take public transport to work, I hardly have time to read. I normally read during vacation or just before going to bed.

I just finished reading a novel and thought I start to write down the title of books I read with a short review as I tend to forget the author and the title after.

I have been reading in French as English books are not available in the nearby library. My friends lent me books in French. I have no complains as I like french writers and french books by foreign authors are usually well translated.

Tika recommended me La cigale du huitième jour (The eighth day) by Mitsuyo Kakuta. I didn't like the ending but overall the story was interesting. It was about a woman who went to her ex-lover's house to see the baby of his wife. Out of impluse, she stole the baby and raised the baby as her own. She was always on the run to avoid being caught. The second part of the story focused on the baby who had become an adult. The story brings us through different parts of Japan. There are various women's issues mentioned which touched my heart.

After reading the book, I would like to visit the Japanese islands mentioned.