Wander the Labyrinth of Literature  with

THEBOOKJEANIE

On exhibit last summer at the Royal Festival Hall on the Southbank in London, this vast maze of books was created by Brazilian artists Marcos Sabaya and Gualter Pupos and assembled by an army of volunteers.  Titled aMAZEme, this unique installation was designed as a tribute to Argentian writer and poet Jorge Luis Borges -  in the shape of his fingerprint. 

Discover your local public library - an amazing free resource!  Most of the books that I review for this blog have been obtained at my neighborhood library. I usually reserve a book online once I hear about it and the library requests it from another branch in the county if it is not part of the local collection.  The Pima County Library buys more that 100 DVDs each month, including British TV series and foreign language films.  I have recently been watching Kingdom, a current British series about a country lawyer and his unusual practice.

It would be hard not to admire a writer who published her first book at age 73. Winner of the National Book Award for her novel Stones for Ibarra, Harriet Doerr went on to write a second novel, Consider This Señora, as well as a book of short stories and recollections, Tiger in the Grass. After a privileged childhood and adolescence in Southern California, Harriet Huntington left to attend Smith College, transferring after one year to Stanford University where her future husband was a student.  In 1930 Harriet left Stanford without graduating and married Albert Doerr, raising a family and eventually settling in Mexico.  After Albert died in 1972, Harriet returned to Stanford, completed her degree in 1977, and was named a Stegner Fellow in the Creative Writing Program.  Wallace Stegner, in his admiration of Doerr, said that she has "an almost flawless lens, with a capacity to make a world out of the fragmentary images she had caught."

In my favorite novel of Doerr's,  Stones for Ibarra, Sara and Richard Everton leave everything behind in California and travel to a remote village in Mexico with the dream of reopening the copper mine that was abandoned by Richard's grandfather decades before. With her spare phrasing, Doerr allows us a glimpse into the lives of this singular couple who venture into a harsh and desolate landscape full of optimism but little else.  The Evertons must rely on the local people who are respectful but wary of these foreigners who seem to promise change in a place where little has ever changed.  With patience and persistance Richard and Sara slowly acquire the language as well as knowledge about copper mining and coaxing life from the dry soil.  And as they come to know the villagers, the Evertons begin to recognize and accept that life presents many challenges beyond their control.  When Richard becomes ill, Sara seeks solace in the familiar patterns of life in the village and the stark beauty of her surroundings, but eventually she must summon her own strength as an individual and make decisions for them both.  Doerr brilliantly explores not only the unique bond between Sara and Richard but also their relationship with a community of people so different from themselves, who offer much more than the Evertons ever expected.  

          

World Book Night was launched in the UK and Ireland in 2011 in order to promote adult literacy and reading.  The United States joined the campaign in 2012 and last year over half a million free books were distributed to adults throughout the country on the night of April 23rd.  This program especially targets reluctant or non-readers by offering 20 titles chosen by literacy specialists for adults.  Twenty titles are selected and specially printed in paperback with the authors foregoing royalties on these editions.  All books are printed and shipped to individuals who pre-register with the program and agree to distribute 20 books of one title that they have read and enjoyed - a "person-to-person" promotion - on the night of April 23rd.  If you would like to be a part of this program in 2014, go to http://www.us.worldbooknight.org/how-do-i-get-involved/newsletter

For the titles of the books that are being distributed on April 23rd this year, go to http://www.us.worldbooknight.org/books/2013

What a fantastic idea - I plan to participate next year.

Read to a child - your greatest gift!

See you next week!