#39: Night of Many Dreams by Gail Tsukiyama

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Covering the years between 1940 and 1965, Night of Many Dreams is the story of Hong Kong born and raised Joan and Emma Lew (15 and 9 at the start of the story) both during World War II, which they spend in Macao, and after. I was initially put off by how easily the sisters fit into stereotypes-pretty Joan is flighty and dreamy, obsessed with Hollywood, and wants to be an actress, while plain Emma is smart, practical, bookish (and only Important Authors are namedropped), and wants to go to school in the United States.

Thankfully, they rise above the stereotypes and they, along with their mother and aunt, paint an interesting portrait of Chinese women and family throughout their decades. I particularly like that their mother, despite clinging to tradition, is largely accepting of her daughters’ choices.

Unfortunately, it never quite managed to charm and engross me the way The Samurai’s Garden did, even though the subject matter seems more geared to me, though I did like it. I think part of it is the The Samurai’s Garden was bittersweet because it was about a time and a place, but the bittersweetness of Night of Many Dreams feels more like “real books are bittersweet at best, but more likely sad and/or tragic.”

The Mzungu Boy by Meja Mwangi

[kyuuketsukirui.livejournal.com]

Title: The Mzungu Boy
Author: Meja Mwangi
Number of Pages: 150 pages
My Rating: 4/5

Set in British-ruled Kenya in the early '50s, this is the story of Kariuki, a Kenyan boy who becomes friends with Nigel, an English boy who's come to stay on his grandparents' farm during the summer.

What I really liked about this book is how honest it was. While the boys are friends, it doesn't paint an idealistic portrait of their friendship. Being friends doesn't magically make the horrible things that are going on any better, nor does it solve any problems. In fact, it only makes things worse. It's not a story about a white person becoming friends with a person of color and learning to be a better person, either. This is told from Kariuki's POV and Nigel's entitlement and privilege are not glossed over at all.

For example, when they first meet, he insists Kariuki take some fish he (Nigel) caught, even though Kariuki tells him they're not allowed to have fish and that he will get in trouble if he takes them. So of course Kariuki gets in trouble, and Nigel is just la-di-da, whatever, and goes on about his merry way and continues to do the same sort of thoughtless things throughout the book. Another good example is when the villagers are all rounded up in a pen because Nigel's grandfather thinks they've done something, and Nigel just sits there and then when he spots Kariuki, waves blithely at him.

Reading this book, I could imagine how it would have been if written by your typical white children's author and was so, so glad it wasn't.

17-19 Sherry Thomas, Chinua Achebe, Sherman Alexie

[sumofparts.livejournal.com]

17. Delicious by Sherry Thomas
I saw this posted on the comm a couple of times but never really looked into the book because I don't usually read romances. ( Cut for possible spoilers )

 All in all, an enjoyable read.

18. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
The book is a look at an African culture (Ibo or Igbo) before and after contact with white people and Christianity. It was divided into three parts with the first part essentially setting the stage of these people's lives - their customs, their personal histories, their culture, their world. The second shows the gradual entry of white people into the consciousness and into the area and the reaction to their arrival. The final part shows the change in reaction and also how the white people's behaviour changes. The story is primarily told in relation to one man, Okonkwo, and his family.

This book elicited mixed emotions from me. On one hand, it's a fascinating look at a group of people and a culture that I'm not at all familiar with. One previous reviewer said it well, describing it as "making neither demons or angels of them" (here). On the other hand, I'm seeing certain actions and values within the culture that I find troubling, specifically the violence against women and children.

19. The Absolutely True Story of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Other people have covered this book so I won't get into it too much. Basically, I really liked the main character, Junior, but what happens to him and to people around him was incredibly eye-opening and depressing. I really admire Junior (and by extension, Alexie for writing it so well) for his strength of character in not letting the tragedy in his life overwhelm him and also in being just a great character.