The Bookshelf

In Cleopatra: A Life, author Stacy Schiff explores the question of the queen’s allure, and the paradoxes of being a strong ruler in an environment so set against powerful women. Some questions you may want to keep in mind as you get ready for the next Pages Through History discussion:

• Do we remember Cleopatra solely based on her beauty, or is it the power of her presence? Was her charisma physical, or was it found in her personality – the way she carried herself, expressed herself, and showed her intelligence?
• Was her place on the throne due only to her birth, or was it merely the inevitable result of a lifetime of grooming, based on an intense education provided by some of the ancient world’s greatest scholars?
• What was it about Cleopatra that frightened men? Why do you think ancient (and modern) historians have tried to deny her these attributes?

While telling the story of Cleopatra, author Stacy Schiff also gives us great insights into the character of Julius Caesar.

Caesar stressed to his generals the Roman Way- the belief that one must make war, obtain vast wealth, and attempt to rule the world or perish in the effort.  Do you feel that this gives us an insight into the overall psyche of all the Roman people, or merely the elite Roman people? Or is it just a look into the individual personality of Julius Caesar? What do you think the appeal of Caesar was to Cleopatra?  What does Ms. Schiff argue?  Let us know what you think on the blog and on May 23 at 7 when we discuss Cleopatra: A Life.

This weekend is Mother’s Day and it is time to get shopping! Because deciding what to buy mom can be a difficult dilemma, the Bookshelf is here to offer guidance in picking the perfect books to give mom.

NPR Storycorps travels the country gathering stories from real Americans talking about their lives. Mom: a celebration of mothers from Storycorps by Dave Isay collects the stories about mothers and presents them in this wonderful book. Whether mom is looking for inspiration or a laugh, this book is for her.

No one writes better about the sometimes epic clashes and the always epic love between modern mothers and daughters than Jennifer Weiner. Her latest book, Then Came You, comes out on paperback today- just in time to buy it for the mom who likes a touching, but funny and witty story.

Who doesn’t think their mom is a superhero? In Melanie Hauser’s delightful Supermom series single mother Birdie is one! Birdie is cleaning one day and combines 3 different cleaning products. This potent mixture knocks Birdie unconscious. After waking up, Birdie is shocked to discover that she has super powers. A whimsical tale that is sure to have your mom wishing that she too has superpowers (besides the eyes in the back of her head, of course).

For other book gift suggestions for mom, consult our Booklists on Modern Motherhood and Adoption.

As we read Ms. Schiff’s biography of Cleopatra, it seems that although the main characters are some of the most famous and exciting figures to set foot on history’s stage, there is another figure looming in the background.  This gigantic historical figure influences all of the ancient Mediterranean world and his legacy is felt not just by Cleopatra, but by Julius Caesar as well.  Who is this figure…well, I am not going to tell you, but his picture should give you a clue about his identity.  Do you agree with our assessment of this man’s influence or do you think another figure holds greater sway? Let us know what you think on the blog and on May 23 at 7 when we discuss Cleopatra: A Life.

Losing my religion …

Cartwheels in a Sari: A Memoir of Growing Up Cult by Jayanti Tamm

Tamm was born to disciples of guru Sri Chinmoy, famous in the 1970s and 80s for attracting celebrity followers such as Carlos Santana and Carl Lewis. Chinmoy declared her the “Chosen One,” a child destined to be his most devoted follower. She writes with wit and disarming candor about her isolated and ruthlessly controlled upbringing, which culminated in a psychological breakdown at age 24.

(Adult Nonfiction 294.5092 T)

And one DVD:

Higher Ground

Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air) directs and stars in this intelligent drama about a born-again Christian wife and mother who suffers a crisis of faith. The New York Times offered one of many glowing reviews: “There is something remarkable—you might even say miraculous—about the way Higher Ground makes its gentle, thoughtful way across the burned-over terrain of the American culture wars.”

Farishta by Patricia McArdle. This novel is based on the author’s stint as a diplomat working in a remote British outpost in Northern Afghanistan. The main character, Angela Morgan, lost her husband in the Beirut bombing and subsequently her unborn child. She is still trying to come to grips with her personal tragedy when she is assigned to Afghanistan. Her facility in languages has earned her a position of determining the reliability of interpreters in official negotiations. Being the only woman at the outpost, she struggles to gain the respect of her associates, including that of Mark Davies a British major. The author paints a vivid picture of Afghanistan and the difficult, dangerous living conditions of those stationed there. Being a woman in a culture which generally treats women as chattel, Angela often dons a burka to keep a low profile when she’s out among the general population. She observes the Afghan children pulling up all available trees and brush, any vegetation that can be used to build a fire for cooking, a practice which has resulted in a devastating denuding of the land. In the hopes of helping the women find an alternative means of cooking she devises a solar oven made of tin foil and glass. The book is an engrossing read and is recommended for anyone interested in this area of the world and who likes to read inspiring stories about strong women.

Time in Between by Maria Duenas.  As the story opens we meet 12- year- old Siri Quiroga is working as assistant to  her  seamstress mother in 1930’s Madrid. After learning the dressmaking trade,  Siri’s life takes a radically different path when  she breaks her engagement to her attractive fiancée  and leaves Madrid to go to Algiers  with a  smooth-talking typewriter salesman  After squandering Siri’s inheritance, her lover leaves her penniless,alone, and in debt.  Siri uses her skills as a seamstress to survive and establishes a name for herself as a couture designer. Upon returning to Madrid at the onset of World War II,  she  enters the dangerous world of espionage by acting as the leading designer for the wives of Nazi officers.  The unique settings, time period, and  interesting heroine make this a compelling read.

Knowing I’m always in the market for a good mystery, especially a good British one, I recently got a recommendation to read the Ruth Galloway series from Elly Griffiths from someone who is English.  I couldn’t pass that up, right?  And what I discovered is a fantastic new writer who weaves an excellent British mystery with an archaeological spin. Set in the eastern English county of Norfolk, Ruth Galloway is an archeologist who gets called in by the local authorities to check the age of a skeleton that was found. This find leads to Ruth getting emerged in a missing person’s case and a whole web of mystery and murder. I VERY MUCH liked the chemistry between Ruth and the inspector who works with her…Nelson (and a surprise at the end of the book means that their relationship is only beginning).  Nelson is the kind of “man-you-love-to-hate…” meaning he’s gruff and harsh, with a sweet side and a heart of gold.  And Ruth herself is a refreshing female mystery character, who is less amateur sleuth and more “right place, right time” gal.  She never ASKS to be involved in the police investigation…it just sort of happens.  And Ruth is full of spunk and vitality, though she’s more than her fair share of self-effacing. I will read more from Griffiths and look forward to where she leads Ruth and Nelson next!

Losing my religion …

Rumspringa: To Be or Not To Be Amish by Tom Shachtman

Rumspringa is the period when 16-year-old Amish teens are allowed to run free in the “English” world and decide for themselves if they ultimately want to adhere to the traditional Amish way of life. Shachtman chronicles this unusual journey of secular experimentation and spiritual reflection in a book that is a companion piece to the HBO documentary The Devil’s Playground.

(Adult Nonfiction 289.70835 S)

Still: Notes on a Mid-Faith Crisis by Lauren F. Winner

Raised Jewish, writer and theologian Winner was in her 20s when she converted to Christianity. Years later, devastated by her mother’s death and her own divorce, Winner found herself questioning her spiritual life. She writes with piercing clarity and beauty about a profoundly personal yet frequently universal topic.

(Adult New Nonfiction 283.092 W)

Stacy Schiff is in my opinion a true all-star. Everyone of her biographies have recieved critcal aclaim. Saint Exupe’ry was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. Ve’ra , the life of Mrs. Vladimir Nabokov, won the Pulitzer Prize, and A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America, was winner of the George Washinton Book Prize, and the Ambassador Award in American Studies. Each of her biographies were on the Notable Books List published by the N.Y. Times.
Ms. Schiiff was also a Director’s Fellow at the Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers at the New York Public Library. In addition to her biographies she has contributed articles to the Boston Globe, New York Times, Los Angelas Times, the New Yorker, and the Washington Post.
Ms Schiff was also gracious enough to respond twice to our e-mails, telling us how excited she was about our discussion and offering to answer some of our questions . I will certainly be sending her these and if you want to send me your questions as you read the book I will pass them on to Ms. Schiff. I’ll talk to you next week when I bring you the first topic Lynnanne and I would like you to consider, as we move towards our next meeting. Hope you’ve had a wonderful time reading Cleopatra and don’t forget to send your comments and questions to our Blog. Ron

Losing my religion …

Unchosen: The Hidden Lives of Hasidic Rebels by Hella Winston

Born out of the author’s doctoral thesis, Unchosen is a controversial examination of discontented Hasidim living within Brooklyn’s insular and strict Satmar sect, which rejects contact with the outside world. The book features a mesmerizing glimpse into a rarely seen culture and introduces unforgettable men and women struggling to find a place for themselves.

(Adult Nonfiction 305.69605694 W)

My Jesus Year: A Rabbi’s Son Wanders the Bible Belt in Search of His Own Faith by Benyamin Cohen

Benyamin Cohen was the good Jewish son of an Orthodox rabbi—he kept the Sabbath, ate kosher, prayed three times daily. But something was missing, and Cohen was determined to find it, oddly enough, by spending twelve months in a rollicking road trip through the Christian churches and worship services in the Deep South.

(Adult Nonfiction 296.7081 C)