The Vagrants by Yiyun Li

I saw this book on a display table at Barnes & Noble.  The cover caught my eye--the front of a Chinese jacket/overcoat.  I am very attracted to Asian art--very refined, delicate and it always tells a story.  When I read the inside cover, I wasn't all that impressed, but I thought "I'm still going to buy it.  It might surprise me."  Always work on your instincts when it comes to a book.  This one surprised me.

Although very sad and poignant, it is also quite ordinary in terms of the movements and actions of the people.  This story takes place in 1979, Communist China.  The town was specifically built by the regime and specifically "planted" with people to promote the socialistic cause.  There are also some people who wandered into this village.  It is, on one hand, small and on the other, quite large.  There are distinct disparities amongst the social and economic classes.  There are boundaries that are prescribed and unspoken.  We meet people of the lowest beggar and of the highest government within the town.

The story is about the actions and reactions of a community when faced with, are part of and after the excution of a counterrevolutionary woman.  Some of the stories are excruciatingly ugly.  Some of them, such as her parents, are excruciatingly sad.  Some never had to occur.  Some should have happened and you wonder what if?  In the end, you know that this could have really happened.  All these storylines happened because of the excution of that woman.  She had no knowledge they would happen and couldn't have controlled many of them if she had known.

In 1979 I was 10 years old and I was entering the 4th grade.  I knew about free elections.  I knew I liked to read a lot.  I knew I could go home and have a good dinner and be loved.  I had siblings who laughed and loved.  I had parents who cared and protected.  I live  in the United States, where freedoms are protected--freedom of speech and of press.  Freedom of religion and thought.  Education is valued for the ideas it creates.  I cannot imagine living in China in 1979.

The author is originally from China and lived in this regime.  She now lives in the United States.  The Vagrants by Yiyun Li.

Margaret Peterson Haddix

I'm going to start reading Margaret Peterson Haddix's series.  I think I'll start with the Shadow Children series so I get a feel for her writing.  I noticed if the middle schoolers were not checking out her books, they were into James Patterson.  I have to admit, as an adult writer, Patterson is one of my favorites. 

So, I guess that means his YA books are next on the list.  I have quite a reading list to work.  I also have the last Last Apprentice to read.  I'm waiting on PC Cast's last two books in the teen vamp series to come out in paperback.  I also have to read Sorceress and Necromancer in the Immortal Secrets of Nicholas Flamel series.

I'm also going to add Copper Elephant to the list.  Saw that one in the library today at the high school.

Historical Fiction

One of my friends is ALWAYS recommending books. She turned me onto Diana Gabaldon, whose Outlander series takes place between 1940 and 1740 initially. As the main character, Claire travels across time, she meets and falls in love with Jamie (James) who is a Scottish citizen and fiercely loyal to his clan. They eventually get caught up in the Stewart rebellion and Claire returns to her own time. She carries with her Jamie's child.

When she returns, she comes as a doctor and a mother of a full grown child. She has made the decision to return to Jamie on the death of her first and modern day husband. Her child, Brianna, eventually follows her. Across time and across continents, they travel back and forth. Jamie is never able to cross time, but he takes the time travel in stride.

The reader learns of the Scottish history, some English history and early American immigration settlements in the late 18th and early 19th Centuries. It is a time of treason, a time of loyalty, a time of exploration, and a time of war. You might even catch on to brewing scotch whiskey.

Her next book is An Echo in the Bone, due out 9/22/09.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

I was young when I first read this book. It was engaging and not boring like older books might be in my mind. My grandmother had read the book as a girl and she asked me if I cried when Beth died (sorry to those who haven't read it). I think every young girl cries at that point. I would think others would cry when Jo opens the door to find Mr. Baer.

This story is about a young family of mom and 4 girls who try to survive in the north during the Civil War. They have little enough to live on, their father having lost everything in his investments and then having to go off to war. They need to provide for themselves, both for food and entertainment. Their mother goes off to help the less fortunate and when typhoid hits, the daughters take care of those families, Beth especially.

As they grow, we learn about each of their strenghts. Meg the mother, Beth the peacekeeper, Jo the writer and Amy the socialite. We meet their neighbor, the elder Mr. Lawrence and his nephew Laurie. We read about the "upper crust" and the cruelty of not having enough money to fit in. We share their triumphs, enjoy their plays and cry at the heartbreaks.

This timeless classic is written in such a way that Alcott leads you to believe it could take place in any time and in any country. Readers bond with the characters and want to be their friends. In the end, for the unsuspecting reader, there is joy that a sequel was written in the form of Little Men. Of course, the reader then must re-read Little Women.