The Girl Who Fell From the Sky

Also known as possibly the saddest book I read in 2011. Or #5 in my last 15.

The Girl Who Fell From the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow

In the frantic last days of November I wandered into Inkwood Books and told one of the clerks that I needed a new book. I told her I was making an attempt to read 75 books and I wanted something a little different from what I’d already read that year. She, being a good bookstore worker, asked me about the books I’d read. I ran through the highlight reel: The Elegance of the Hedgehog, The Rules of Civility, The Book Thief (we had a brief discussion of Markus Zusak) The History of Love and I told her some of my favourite authors. It took a few minutes and I had my hands full of several vaguely interesting books until the moment when she realized “different” had been my key word. So she picked up The Girl Who Fell From the Sky and told me the basic premise:

“It’s based on a news story,” she said, “and sort of semi-autobiographical.”

“Okay,” I said.

“The story is about a bi-racial little girl whose mother throws herself and her children off the roof of a building and the little girl survives. It deals with her developing her identity after moving to her grandmother’s.”

“I’ll take it,” I said.

It’s parts coming-of-age, social/racial commentary, and orphan story. Having read Dickens’ David Copperfield earlier this year my mind immediately wants to make connections to the similar orphan story… the wandering nature of the child. It’s a story told in sections as the main character grows up and very, very slowly comes to terms with the hurt in her life.

Rachel, the main character, is given more than her fair share of tragedy at a very young age and continually during her years developing into a teenager. And the woman at Inkwood was right, the semi-autobiography is there. The reader is shown glimpses of a world between races through the eyes of a confused and hurt child and an insecure teenager. I found this particularly interesting. As children grow up they attempt to construct worldviews to explain the behavior around them. Rachel for the first time at 10 or 11 years old is introduced to the world of racism (having lived overseas before). It overwhelms her mother’s attempts to protect and is rooted in her grandmother’s behaviors. Rachel finds brief solace with her aunt, but spends much of the book trying to figure out where she fits in. She barely longs for the days before the fall because even that time she didn’t really understand.

A boy, also from Chicago, who holds a key to Rachel’s understanding of her life, makes his way from Chicago to Portland in order to tell Rachel what he knows. I found myself really interested in his part of the narrative. As well as Rachel’s mother’s diaries discovered by her friend Laronne.

The interweb is full of reviews of the book that are much better than mine. Like this one. But I have to say I was pleased with it. And even more so pleased with the service I received at Inkwood. I’d encourage you to read it, but be aware that it will take some guts. It’s not always a pleasant story, but it was definitely one worth telling.

let’s talk about…

…why Markus Zusak is awesome. But first, this:

Markus Zusak reading The Book Thief

1. He’s a published author – this doesn’t make every published author awesome, but it wasn’t the obvious first choice so I went for it.

2. He’s Australian – which most people would have listed first, but we’re all about the unexpected surprises here at anecdotalmusings. Also, I’ll point out to you something the host pointed out about 8 times last night: Markus Zusak is a “bit of Australian Eye-Candy”. This moniker did well with the audience. Jen and I realized at this point that the majority of the audience was probably crossover from the “Twi-mom” phenomenon. We actually watched one of the moms get all touchy with Mr. Zusak which made us both quite uncomfortable.

3. He’s a really good published author – seriously. If you haven’t read The Book Thief yet you should do it right now. You don’t know how long you’ll be alive, best not waste another moment.

4. He coached Rugby. Which he called football. Also, he apparently, on occasion, wears beanies.

4. He’s one of the most engaging authors I’ve heard – I’ve sat through several readings/author appearances and they’re always slightly awkward. The audience is filled with a lot of expectation and the author, though vastly entertaining on the page, is either shy & unsure or overly confident & cocky. Neither of which breed a pleasant interaction. Markus, however, is used to speaking to large audiences of teenagers. He mentioned that at the start of his career he mostly spoke to groups of 200 fourteen year old boys who were forced into assembly rather than gym and were ready to rip him to shreds. If you’ve worked with teenagers before you know that you have to endear yourself to them rather quickly or they, rather quickly, will make your life hell.

He began the evening telling a story from his teenage years about life as the youngest child and how fortune favored him one day with the opportunity to “get his brother back” for some of his ill-treatment. The story involved hard-boiled eggs and learning to crack them on one’s forehead. It was quite funny and surprising the way the story developed. He told the story in order to provide examples for four things he felt were important his writing process. Unfortunately, I don’t remember all four, but it was a wonderfully enlightening experience. He talked about the importance of detail for veracity and distinction. He talked about knowing your audience and gearing the story toward them. He talked a lot about writing the kinds of books that only he could write and how careful he is about only including the sorts of details that are vitally important to his story.

Jen and I were both excited to learn that he writes his stories chronologically (a refreshing sort of fact since everyone seems to think writing them from the end is trendy) as well as writing out notes and working on his novels in notebooks. He was very encouraging to the students that were in attendance at the reading last night after having spent most of the day with the Tampa Prep students (I might have been a bit green when I heard about that). I love to hear authors encourage students, not only to read, but learn how to write as well. I think it’s an essential part of education. There was a really good turn out, too. Though Jen and I were the only ones that fell into the college-age/young professional category.

It was quite the fun evening. And inspiring. We’re quickly approaching NaNoWriMo. With that in mind Jen and I both are waiting in breathless anticipation to begin projects that we’re both excited to write about. Young Adult Literature is easily passed over, but if you can do it well, I feel like the community generated out of it absolutely wonderful. It’s something I’d like to be a part of some day.

Vivid Verbosity

Also titled Summer Reading – The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

  I first became conscious of The Book Thief‘s existence in the last Border’s near me. Jenna and I had made the trek to St. Pete in effort to find a Paperchase journal suitable for holding the next year of my life and Border’s was the only place to purvey these particular journals. Alas, we trekked in vain and found, much to my dismay, that whomever is in charge of graphic design for Paperchase’s journals is now heavily influenced by 12 year olds and neon color combinations.

  Anyway, Jenna said something about it supposedly being a good book. Then my friend The Scholastic Mind suggested it to me. I figured the fates were conspiring or something and added it to my Library Hold List. It joined the stack of books that went with me to vacation. Truth be told I actually finished The Book Thief back in Riverview (but it was Sunday night so it still counted as vacation). I looked at the first page on Amazon before I requested it at the library and was immediately hooked.

  Here’s the opening:

First the colors.
Then the humans.
That’s usually how I see things.
Or at least, how I try.

***HERE IS A SMALL FACT ***
You are going to die.

I am in all truthfulness attempting to be cheerful about this whole topic, though most people find themselves hindered in believing me, no matter my protestations. Please, trust me. I most definitely can be cheerful. I can be amiable. Agreeable. Affable. And that’s only the A’s. Just don’t ask me to be nice. Nice has nothing to do with me.

***Reaction to the ***
AFOREMENTIONED fact
Does this worry you?
I urge you–don’t be afraid.
I’m nothing if not fair.

-Markus Zusak, The Book Thief

  That is the first page of this novel. If you’re anything like me your immediate reaction was something like, “What?” So opens a novel narrated by Death sometimes known as The Grim Reaper. And he’s an odd one. But it’s fascinating. Death is an unconventional storyteller, he gives away the end before the story has really gotten started, he bases a lot of action in colors and feelings; he tells the story in the way he would want to hear it.

  And it is a hauntingly beautiful story. It’s about the things that make humans great, the capacity for love and caring, as well as the things that make men monsters. It’s a story of Holocaust Germany unlike any you’ve read or seen before because Death is unflinching in his narration. He has no side, he has no motive, he’s just tired.

  Zusak employed possibly the most striking narrator I’ve ever read. He also wove a believably human story about children who grew up in Nazi Germany and were only vaguely aware of the atrocities around them. But I think my favorite element was the illustration of the book that Max (a Jew hiding in the basement) makes Liesel for her collection. In the middle of the book there are several pages devoted entirely to the recreation of Max’s book, written and illustrated by Max. Yeah, definitely my favourite part. There was so much effort and detail in that section.

  Eventually I’ll talk more about what I learned from Mr. Zusak’s writing. But for now I think I’ll leave you with this tidbit of exciting information. I receive emails from Inkwood Books about upcoming readings and events. Last month there was a “Save the Date” section that informed me Markus Zusak would be speaking at Tampa Preparatory school October 13th at 7 pm. I plan on attending. I’m very excited. And if any of you want to join me, just let me know.

SIDENOTE: Yesterday the interwebs were telling me that it was Read a Book Day or something like that. I hope that you’ve had the opportunity to read a book. And if not make the time today.

Summer Reading – The Book Thief

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Today I owe you a review about The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Unfortunately you’ll have to wait until a little later than 5 pm. It’s Labor Day today which means I will be working all day (everyone loves to visit the pool on long weekends).

But when I get home I promise to crank out a wonderfully verbose and vivid description of my experience reading this unique novel. I hope you can stand the wait. Now, I’m off to get breakfast and set up for work.

Have a solid holiday

-n.