A Year of Reading

 

December 31, 2012 – A Year of Reading

One of the pleasures of this past year has been the additional time to read.  Maybe it’s unusual, but I’ve been keeping track of my reading since high school.  At first my list was in a little spiral notebook, then it was on index cards, and now I keep a spreadsheet on the computer.  Looking back over the list of the 31 books I read in 2012, I noticed that a certain thematic thread runs through many of them, both fiction and non-fiction.  Many deal with World War II, the Holocaust, and Holocaust survivors. 

Here are a few of the books I enjoyed this year:

Haven – by the amazing journalist Ruth Gruber.  Tells the story of a small number of refugees (less than 1,000) brought into the US during World War II and given haven in a former military camp in Oswego, NY.  It reveals how the US State department routinely suppressed cables coming from Europe that told of Hitler’s program to exterminate the entire Jewish population and the strong opposition to increasing immigration during this critical time period. 

American Dervish – by Akhtar Ayad.  A novel with a contemporary setting.  The main character is a Muslim American boy.  It deals with questions of identity and was a joy to read. 

The Sandcastle Girls – by Chris Bohjalian.  Fiction, but based on historical events, namely the Turkish attempt to exterminate the Armenians.  Set in what is now Syria around the time of World War I, when the area was still part of the Ottoman Empire. 

Honolulu – by Alan Brennert.  Historical fiction.  The setting is Hawaii in the late 19th/early 20^th century, and the focus is on the Korean immigrants. 

The Hare with Amber Eyes – by Edmund de Waal.  A beautifully written family memoir.  The author, who is an artist, tells his family history before, during, and after World War II, as he describes a netsuke collection that was passed down through generations. 

Raquela – by Ruth Gruber.  This is a biography of a woman whose family had lived in Jerusalem for 9 generations.  Through her life story, the author gives insight into conditions in Palestine in the years leading up to World War II, and the problems that followed the establishment of Israel. 

In the Garden of Beasts – by Erik Larson.  A great work of non-fiction.  Set in Berlin in the 1930s.  Through the eyes of the American ambassador and his daughter, we see the rise of Hitler and fascism in Germany. 

The Life of Objects – by Susanna Moore.  Fiction, dealing with World War II and the Holocaust.  Very moving.

On Gold Mountain – by Lisa See.  Another family memoir, set in China and California. American author Lisa See tells of her Chinese family members who immigrated to the U.S.  (She wrote Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.) 

The Chaperone – by Laura Moriarty.  Fiction set in the Roaring 20s, it recounts the story of film star Louise Brooks, told by the woman who accompanied her to New York City as her chaperone. 

I also enjoyed other novels, such as State of Wonder (Ann Patchett), Life of Pi (Yann Martel), and In the Kingdom of Men (Kim Barnes).  On a lighter note, I found Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential and Marcus Samuelsson’s Yes, Chef very entertaining.  Both are memoirs with lots of cooking and food. 

Happy reading in the new year!