An impressive debut novel. I had some difficulty getting into this, but once I was in Ruba's world I did not want to leave. Abi-Ezzi does an excellent job of revelaing the stories of the other characters in bits and pieces through her young narrator. Ruba's relationships with the other characters reveal a great deal on how children percieve the world and events around them.
I often enjoy having a child narrator, but the challenges of trying to figure out what was really happening with the adults in this novel made it all the more intriguing.
Major Themes:
Lebanese Civil War
Trauma and violence from war
Sibling relationships
Friendships
Courage
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Ending & The Night Counter
The job hunt has gone nowhere. I am so naive and pathetic because I rush to pick up every phone call and check my email very early every morning. Maybe it's not meant to be. Frustrating!
All week, I spent my free time reading the Night Counter. It's a recently released book by Alia Yunus. I really enjoyed it...couldn't put it down.
Disliked:
The Arabic transliteration was totally off sometimes, but the author does live in Abu Dhabi, so maybe the pronunciation was some unique Lebanese one. The ending was predictable. It was too contrived and a little too neat for so many messy lives. I was also irritated by the FBI agents. I had a hard time understanding the humor behind it all.
Likes:
Amir & Decimal. I admired how he did care enough about his grandmother to keep her and how she felt comfortable enough to stay with her. Decimal's earnest interest in her Tatya's stories.
Fatima's life was remarkable. I really appreciated how Yunus has weaved American history with her life story to create a unique Arab-American experience that is not often portrayed.
I look forward to reading more work by her.
All week, I spent my free time reading the Night Counter. It's a recently released book by Alia Yunus. I really enjoyed it...couldn't put it down.
Disliked:
The Arabic transliteration was totally off sometimes, but the author does live in Abu Dhabi, so maybe the pronunciation was some unique Lebanese one. The ending was predictable. It was too contrived and a little too neat for so many messy lives. I was also irritated by the FBI agents. I had a hard time understanding the humor behind it all.
Likes:
Amir & Decimal. I admired how he did care enough about his grandmother to keep her and how she felt comfortable enough to stay with her. Decimal's earnest interest in her Tatya's stories.
Fatima's life was remarkable. I really appreciated how Yunus has weaved American history with her life story to create a unique Arab-American experience that is not often portrayed.
I look forward to reading more work by her.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Former Students and Getting Older
One of my occasional reminders that I'm getting old really fast is random meetings with former students. Yesterday, a student who I remembered as a 4th grader approached me in the masjid. She rushed towards me and I was slightly taken aback by this young woman. Luckily, I recognized the face and remembered the name. She was now in 10th grade and was obviously no longer the little girl I remembered. A slender, tall young woman, who graciously made small talk with me.
Where did the years go?
Where did the years go?
The Job Hunt
I have two kids (2 and a half and one) to take care of. As any mother would know, keeping up with kids can be exhausting and rewarding. I have learned from experience that I physically can't keep up with them while I'm working a full time teaching job. I just get stretched too thin and don't feel satisified with any of the work I'm doing.
But sitting at home and spending my time with only a bunch of kids can make a person a little crazy. So I'm looking for online teaching positions. I've applied to a bunch of places, but haven't heard anything back. It seems kind of hopeless in this recessesion economy, but maybe I'll get lucky.
But sitting at home and spending my time with only a bunch of kids can make a person a little crazy. So I'm looking for online teaching positions. I've applied to a bunch of places, but haven't heard anything back. It seems kind of hopeless in this recessesion economy, but maybe I'll get lucky.
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