Recent Reads - The Girl With the Louding Voice

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The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Dare - I remember seeing this title on the reading lists of other bloggers, and although it's not my usual genre, something about the cover and brief description captured my interest. I'm so glad I took a chance on this novel - it has been a delight and the main character is one of my favorite young heroines.

Adunni is a fourteen year-old Nigerian girl who wants an education more than anything. She lives in a small village where education is not highly valued, and certainly not for girls. Her mother was her champion and worked hard to keep Adunni in school, but by the time the story opens, Adunni's mother is dead and her father is broke. Adunni is sold as a child bride to an old taxi driver who already has two wives, and that is the end of her hope to continue school. In fact, Adunni's future is very bleak, as she is hated and abused by the senior wife, but she finds an unexpected friend in the second wife who encourages Adunni to hold onto her dreams. 

A tragedy takes her new friend's life, and fearing for her own life, Adunni flees the village, and is taken to the capital city of Lagos and given as a house servant to a wealthy woman known as Big Madam. Adunni naively hopes that Big Madam will send her to school, but these hopes are soon dashed and Adunni finds herself in slavery and regularly beaten and abused by her mistress. Thankfully she finds a friend in Big Madam's household too - the cook Kofi tries to keep her safe and when he discovers Adunni's dream of education he shares information with her about a scholarship opportunity. 

Despite the many obstacles and disadvantages, Adunni starts working towards applying for the scholarship, eventually coming to the notice of a young woman in Big Madam's social circle who is sympathetic and is convinced to help Adunni. Tia is reluctant to get involved at first, but Adunni's hope and kindness wins her over and the two become close friends as Tia teaches Adunni better English and even agrees to sponsor her and write a recommendation for the scholarship application.

Adunni faces more hardship, abuse, discrimination, and cruelty than anyone should have to bear, and certainly far too much for a young teenage girl, but her hope and spirit is infectious. Her fondest dream is to finish her own education and earn a voice so that she can return to her village and help other girls find their voices and a better life through education and independence. Or, as Adunni words it, "to find their free". 

Adunni narrates her own story, and her broken English is lyrical, with descriptions of her feelings and surroundings that are incisive and haunting, and often achingly beautiful and poetic. She knows that she needs to improve her English, and as she does so with Tia's help, the narration's grammar becomes more standard, but Adunni's insightful observations and expressions remain distinctive. 

I have no idea if a follow-up novel is planned, but Adunni is such an endearing and inspiring character that I would love to see her story continued as she grows to adulthood. In the meantime, I give this moving and beautiful novel my highest recommendation.

This is a book outside my (genre) comfort zone (and a debut novel) for the Modern Mrs. Darcy 2020 Reading Challenge.

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Connect Five Friday - Prejudice

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The Friday Five Link Up is a List Link Up hosted by The Book Date. It can be five connections of any kind. Books can have been read last year or any year. Books can be used more than once. They may not have been read yet. . . It can be as simple or as complicated as you like. Maybe it's not a list of actual books, but things connected to books - e.g. favourite book shops, recipes etc. It might even be five movies related to books or five poems or five poets or five bookish moments, five thoughts about reading - be creative! The link-up will be open each Friday and will close on Thursday. Use the hashtag #connect5books

Last week I listed five books I had read or was reading because they were assigned in classes I am teaching. One of those books makes an appearance on this list as well, because shortly after finishing it, I realized that my reading list included some other books in which prejudice or racial bias played a huge role in the theme and plot.

Five Books Featuring Racial Prejudice

Pudd'nhead Wilson by Mark Twain (reviewed HERE) - Pudd'nhead Wilson is the lawyer in Dawson's Landing, Missouri, but the story centers around children switched as infants. A slave woman switches her fair-skinned baby with the wealthy white family's baby in an attempt to keep him from being sold down the river. Tom grows up believing he is the Driscoll heir and never suspecting that he has the "drop of black blood". Racial prejudice features prominently and affects the actions and motivations of several key characters in this crime drama set in the antebellum south.

**

The Heart Changer by Jarm Del Boccio (reviewed HERE) - This is a YA novel about a Hebrew girl taken as a slave to Syria. Naturally she has prejudices towards the people that have attacked Israel and taken her captive! Her master, Naaman, although a good man, has so much prejudice against the Hebrews that he almost refuses to follow the instructions of the prophet Elisha so that he can be healed of leprosy.

**



Shadow among Sheaves by Naomi Stephens (reviewed HERE) is a retelling of the Biblical story of Ruth, but set in England shortly after the Great Rebellion in India. A young Indian widow goes to England with her widowed mother-in-law, and the two face extreme poverty and homelessness because the prejudice against Indians is so great that even the mother-in-law is shunned, despite being a member of British aristocracy.

**



Warriors Don't Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals is what I'm currently reading. It's the author's memoir of her experiences as one of the Little Rock Nine - the first black students to attend Central High School in 1957. I'm just a couple of chapters in but already I'm horrified by how hateful and cruel people could be simply because of skin color.

**



Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton - This is one I started reading late in 2019 but wound up setting aside. I do plan to take it up again. It's a story about Zulu pastor Stephen Kumalo and his son, Absalom, in South Africa. The devastating effects of racial injustice and the apartheid system make for a melancholy and discouraging setting, but in what I've read so far the patience and gentleness of Stephen Kumalo is a hopeful contrast.

©2008-2020 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

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Recent Reads - The Eight

The Eight by Katherine Neville - This exciting adventure story has been one of my favorites for many years, and it's one I re-read fairly regularly. It's sort of a combination of thriller, mystery, and historical novel, with some sci-fi and fantasy elements thrown in for good measure. There are parallel stories taking place in two different time periods. In one, a French nun named Mireille has fled an Abbey during the French Revolution, and she carries with her pieces of an ancient chess set said to have mystical power. Some of the other nuns have carried away pieces of the chess set as well, and the mission the Abbess has charged them with is to protect those pieces and scatter them so that the mysterious formula hidden in the chess set cannot fall into the wrong hands. Mireille eventually winds up with many of chess pieces, and on her own personal quest to recover as many of them as possible and figure out the secret hidden in the set. She travels all over Europe and to Algeria in her search, and faces intrigue, conspiracies, and deadly situations. In the second story, Catherine is a computer specialist in the 1970s who has been assigned to develop programs and models in Algeria for the fledgling organization OPEC. Before leaving the USA, she is recruited to hunt for an antique chess piece while in Algeria. She becomes a player in the same dangerous Game as Mireille, and embroiled in her own race to find the chess pieces and decipher the formula before the "bad guys" do. But who is on the Black Team and who is on the White Team? Who can either of these women trust as allies?

As many times as I've read this book, I thoroughly enjoy it every time, and I especially love the character Catherine's dry humor.

My previous posts about The Eight can be seen HERE and HERE.

By the same author: The Fire

(Book #39 in the 52 Books in 52 Weeks Challenge)

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Recent Reads {A Spear of Summer Grass}

A Spear of Summer Grass by Deanna Raybourn - I have been an avid fan of Raybourn's Lady Julia series for quite some time, and also enjoyed her stand-alone novel, The Dead Travel Fast, so I was eager to see what she would do with a setting in 1920s British Kenya. I was not disappointed. Delilah Drummond is a daring socialite with a talent for scandal and failed romances. With the death of her third husband shocking society, her mother decide that Delilah needs to get out of the public eye until the scandals die down, and so she is sent to her stepfather's crumbling estate in British Kenya. There she connects with the eclectic British ex-pat society, including enigmatic safari guide Ryder White. Despite their efforts to avoid any entanglement with each other, as the story progresses, they are developing feelings for each other. But both are proud and fiercely independent, and both carry plenty of baggage from their past. Delilah also finds herself falling in love with the land of Africa and with its people, and struggles with the decisions of whether she will return to her socialite lifestyle when her 'exile' is ended, or whether it is worth her while to stay in Africa and build a new life there.

Delilah is not always a likable character - she is jaded and selfish, and carelessly contemptuous of her cousin Dora (who has been sent to Africa with her as companion). She has all kinds of bad habits, including promiscuity, and she can be crude and mean-tempered. But she is cool and confident under pressure, intelligent, and has a knack for social justice and compassion hidden under a rock-hard facade. Despite her faults and flaws, she was also someone who had been hurt badly by life and at least part of her prickly nature was her way of trying to protect herself from further hurt. The development of her character through the story is very well-done, so that even when she is behaving abominably, and acting quite stupidly, I couldn't help but sympathize with her and desperately hope that it all came out right for her and that she would find happiness. Ryder is a similar character in that he puts up a wall around himself and acts as if he is cold and uncaring in order to protect himself from being vulnerable. Both characters take some very daring chances as they realize that their loyalty to the Africa they love, and their need to be together is worth the risk.

A very enjoyable read that truly made me wish there would be a sequel!

By the same author: Silent in the Grave, Silent in the Sanctuary, Dark Road to Darjeeling, The Dark Enquiry, Silent Night, The Dead Travel Fast

©2008-2013 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Tuesday's Treasures {The Seven Wonders of the World}

This post is copied from my main blog, Homeschool Coffee Break, but because this link-up is about books, my contributions will appear here too!

The Seven Wonders of the World by Ron Tagliapietra - A long time ago (but not in a galaxy far away) I picked up this book because I thought it might be helpful in our study of the ancient world, and give us more information about the seven wonders of the ancient world. It met those expectations, but there's a lot more to this book. It's sort of a combination of a travel brochure, a history lesson, and a Bible lesson. The seven wonders of the ancient world are discussed and described, but there is also great information about other lists of wonders - technical, archaeological, architectural, and natural. Of course, these lists change from time to time and vary depending on who compiles them. Kennady and I recently completed a lapbook project about the seven natural wonders of the world, and only three of them are the same as the ones listed in this book, which was published in 1999. I haven't checked, but I imagine a few of the technological wonders listed have been eclipsed by structures that are bigger or more amazing. For each of the ancient wonders, the author describes them and puts them in context of Biblical history. By comparing and contrasting the religious beliefs of the builders of the ancient wonders to the God of the Bible, there are some interesting lessons as well. The wonders from the other lists are also well described along with some historical context. This book has proved to be a great resource for studying history and geography, and has come in handy for science as well. It's probably best suited as a reference, and some of the Bible lessons are a tiny bit forced, but I'm glad it's in our homeschool library.

I found it available through Amazon and through Christian Book Distributors. I'm sure it's available through other vendors as well.

(I originally wrote about The Seven Wonders of the World a couple of years ago for this blog.)

The original post is linked at Every Bed of Roses for Tuesday's Treasures. Blog about a book on your shelf, one you're reading, or one you found at the library.

©2008-2013 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Tuesday's Treasures - The Eight

This post is copied from my main blog, Homeschool Coffee Break, but because this link-up is about books, my contributions will appear here too!

This week I'm featuring another book that would never have caught my eye, except for the recommendation of an acquaintance. The Eight by Katherine Neville was suggested as a monthly read by a lady in a book club I was in several years ago. The book club members scrounged up copies through the library, inter-library loan, and half.com and got to reading. I purchased a copy and hoped that I wouldn't regret having spent the money. I never have.

This is a thriller/medieval mystery/historical novel/romantic adventure story all rolled into one.  The action jumps back and forth between two main characters and their respective time periods - Mireille, a French nun in the late 1700s; and Cat, a modern-day computer specialist in the 1970s. As revolution grips France, Mireille and her cousin Valentine flee the ancient abbey with the mission of carrying away pieces of an ancient chess set supposedly once owned by Charlemagne. Cat is sent to Algeria for her accounting firm, but has been asked to do a little side job while she is there - search for an antique chess piece. Each woman finds herself on a quest to find and decode the secret of the ancient chess set which holds a mysterious power, and to find the scattered pieces of the chess set before the team of  "bad guys" does. Intrigue, conspiracy, power struggles, and dangerous situations are part of their daily adventures in the Game they are involved in.  In many instances, it's hard to tell who is on the White Team and who is on the Black Team - and even which team is considered the "good guys"! The first time I read it, most of the surprise ending elements were truly unexpected - I read the final chapters with all the storyline resolutions and realized that it all made sense but I hadn't seen it coming at all. I've read it several times since and have enjoyed just as much upon each re-reading.  

There is also a sequel, The Fire, which is not quite as gripping, in my opinion, but is still very good.

One little caution - this is definitely a secular book, and subtly presents the idea that all religions are based in the same ancient mysticism. The mystical and fantasy elements will not appeal to all readers. There are also a  couple of 'love scenes' that aren't overly graphic, but are more descriptive than is necessary.

Here are the posts I originally wrote about The Eight and about The Fire.

The original post is linked at Every Bed of Roses for Tuesday's Treasures. Blog about a book on your shelf, one you're reading, or one you found at the library.

©2008-2013 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Recent Reads {Nefertiti}

Nefertiti by Michelle Moran - This book has been on my to-read list for a long time, but wasn't available at the library.  UNTIL I got my Kindle, and then I could borrow the Kindle edition from the library - how awesome is that!  It was a great read too, just as I've come to expect from Moran.  The story of these legendary queen of Egypt is narrated by her younger half-sister Mutnodjmet, and the tale begins with the death of Pharoah's older son, whom Nefertiti had been expected to marry.  Not long afterwards, her marriage to the second son, Amunhotep, is negotiated, and the family is thrust into the political intrigues of Pharoah's household.  Mutnodjmet would prefer to continue to live a quiet life in the country, far from the palace and its political games, but her ties to her sister and the ruling families will not allow it.  Nefertiti and her family are locked in a competition with Amunhotep's first wife and her family for political advantage and position, and Mutnodjmet is drawn into dangerous positions time and again.  Meanwhile, Amunhotep becomes more obsessed with a minor god and selfish building schemes.  Ambition, intrigue, politics, and drama are on every page of this fictionalized account of the infamous queen of Egypt.

By the same author:  Cleopatra's Daughter, Madame Tussaud

Recent Reads {And Only To Deceive}

And Only To Deceive by Tasha Alexander - Tasha Alexander titles have popped up a few times on Amazon as suggested books after searching for other historical fiction, but when I quickly skimmed past a review on a Jane Austen fan blog I thought I would give it a try.  The setting and many plot elements actually remind me far more of Deanna Raybourn's novels, her Lady Julia Grey series being a favorite of mine.  This one opens with the young society widow Lady Emily Ashton reflecting on her brief marriage and very superficial relationship with her late husband, Philip.  She readily admits that she accepted his proposal in order to escape her mother's home, and although she liked him well enough, she certainly wasn't deeply in love, nor did she feel a great loss at the news of his death while on a safari in Africa.  As information about Philip's regard for her, and his interest in Greek antiquities comes to her, she begins to regret his loss more keenly and especially that she never really got to know him.  However, her interest in her late husband's dealings in antiquities also stirs up danger and intrigue and a number of questions about how he might have been connected to a black market in antiquities and engaged in fraudulent activities.  Determined to remain free of her mother's influence and resistant to any thought of marrying again, Emily sets out to unravel the mysteries and decide which, if any, of Philip's friends she can trust.  She also decides to follow up on rumours that her husband may still be alive somewhere in Africa, and her quest places her in more danger than she realizes.  Emily is an interesting character, and while there are many elements of this story that are strikingly similar to the Lady Julia series, I think Raybourn's characters are more eccentric themselves, and certainly have a more unusual supporting cast of characters.  Alexander's novel has a lot of flair in its suspense and mystery, with just a hint of romance, so it was an easy read and left me wanting to read the follow-up novel.

Recent Reads {Cleopatra: Last Queen of Egypt}

Cleopatra: Last Queen of Egypt by Joyce Tyldesley - I decided to read this biography because I'd recently read a couple of novels set in Cleopatra's Egypt and was curious as to how accurate some of the fictional portrayals of the queen, her court, and her city were.  While the book was definitely interesting and went into great detail separating the myth from the facts about Cleopatra, it is not exactly light reading and is probably more "scholarly" than would appeal to the casual reader.  Much of what most of us think we know about Cleopatra has been influenced by the popular movie portrayals so our concepts of what she looked like and how she behaved have been modernized and shaped by Hollywood to a greater extent than we are aware of!  Tyldesley gives a great deal of background on Egypt under the Ptolomaic dynasty, and explains the culture and politics and many other details exceptionally well.  One thing I found confusing at times was that the book was arranged more topically than chronologically.  However, I learned much that was new to me and very interesting.

Recent Reads {City of the Dead}

City of the Dead by T.L. Higley - This novel in Higley's Seven Wonders series was not what I expected, but I mean that in a good way.  Obviously it is based in ancient Egypt, during the building of the Great Pyramid, but I thought it would probably be a romance.  Although there is a love story winding through it, it is actually a murder mystery, and a fairly good one!  The story is told in first person by Hemiunu, the Grand Vizier and the architect of the Great Pyramid.  He references a tragedy that occurred in the past that still haunts him, and as events unfold he realizes that it is linked to the murders happening in his present.  Hemi is also cousin to Pharoah Khufu, and their royal circle includes Khufu's wife, Merit, and a couple of other high-ranking Egyptians.  One of their number, Hemi's closest friend, is murdered and Hemi is determined to find the killer and restore ma'at (the Egyptian concept of order) without losing any time on the ongoing construction of the pyramid.  When Merit is also murdered, the search for the killer is intensified, but Hemi begins to meet resistance and to see the possible connections between the murders and what happened in his youth.  During this time he also befriends his new foreman and his daughter, who happen to be People of the One - worshippers of the One God of the Jews - and accepts their help in his quest for answers, and a relationship between himself and the daughter blossoms.  Hemi is himself accused of the murders and spends time in prison and on the run before the mystery is solved.

So is this book a "Christian romance" novel?  Not exactly.  It's unusual in a few ways, and a very enjoyable read, one I highly recommend.  By the way, you can also visit Higley's website, No Passport Required, for more information about her books and what is fact and what is fiction in each of them.

By the same author:  Pompeii: City on Fire, In the Shadow of Colossus

Recent Reads {The Seven Wonders of the World}

The Seven Wonders of the World by Ron Tagliapietra - This book is kind of like a combination of a travel brochure, a history lesson, and a Bible tract.  It presents a short description of each of the accepted wonders of the ancient world, and then lists and describes the seven wonders of some other categories - technological, archaelogical, architectural, and natural.  In each Tagliapietra carefully explains the criteria and why some 'wonders' were chosen over others.  When describing the wonders of the ancient world, he puts them in context of Biblical history and draws some contrasts between the religious beliefs of the builders of these wonders and the truth of God.  The descriptions of all the wonders are fairly short - about three to five pages - and most include historical background and some brief information about visiting the sites.  I've found this book to be a good "extra" when studying history and geography in our homeschool.  When we studied Egypt, we read the section on the Great Pyramid.  When we studied Australia, we read about the Great Barrier Reef (a natural wonder).   The narrative lacks continuity in some places, and a few of the Biblical lessons seem a bit contrived, but overall it's a unique study of various wonders of the world suitable for readers from middle school up.

Recent Reads {Cleopatra's Daughter}

Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran - I didn't know much, if anything, about the children of Cleopatra and Marc Antony before reading this historical novel, so it came as a bit of a surprise to me that the daughter, Kleopatra Selene, and her husband were known for their great love story as well. Moran's well-researched novel tells the story, from Selene's viewpoint, of the defeat of Marc Antony and the death of Cleopatra, followed by the exile of the three youngest children to Rome under Caesar Augustus (as he would be later known). Selene and her twin brother Alexander must cope with the sudden deaths of both parents, followed by their captivity and the death of their younger brother.  They are treated as honored guests in Rome, brought up in the Caesar's household, with his sister Octavia (who was Marc Antony's former wife! - this is where soap operas get some of their ideas, I think!) as their guardian.  Friendships grow and are threatened, especially as they all grow older and closer to marriageable age.  At the same time, someone calling himself the Red Eagle is challenging the system of slavery in Rome and stirring up possible rebellion, and Alexander and Selene have their own speculations about the Red Eagle's identity.  Selene faces tragedy, fear and injustice with determination and hope, and there is a happy ending for her when she is given in marriage to Juba, the heir to the kingdom of Mauretania who has been serving Caesar for most of his life.  This is a great read for anyone interested in this historical time period!

Recent Reads {The Bell Messenger}

The Bell Messenger by Robert Cornuke with Alton Gansky - It surprised me to see the Cornuke has also written some works of fiction, and piqued my curiosity, but I did manage to find this one through my local library.  The story follows a Bible as it passes from one 'messenger' to another, always with the challenge to "Be God's messenger as I have been."  The Bible is first passed from a young Confederate named Elijah Bell to the Union officer who shot him, and from there the Bible journeys around the world with its various owners.  Cornuke uses parallel storylines beginning with the Union officer, Jeremiah Tate, and the modern-day recipient of the Bible, Gary Brandon.  Gary receives the Bible as a graduation gift from an alcoholic uncle and begins to research the names recorded in the Bible in an attempt to find its true owner and its history.  Tate takes the Bible with him to San Francisco, and it passes through the hands of a Chinese doctor, a new bride on her honeymoon tour of Egypt, a soldier during the Great War, and a treasure-hunter seeking gold in Saudi Arabia.  The story is enjoyable, and as I expected from Cornuke, full of well-researched historical background.  I'm not sure the ending was completely satisfying, but I won't give it away. ;-)

By the same author: In Search of the Lost Mountains of Noah, In Search of the Mountain of God, In Search of the Lost Ark of the Covenant,  The Lost Shipwreck of Paul

Recent Reads {The Lost Shipwreck of Paul}

The Lost Shipwreck of Paul by Robert Cornuke - Bob Cornuke's experiences in Ethiopia while seeking the Ark of the Covenant included a shipwreck in a storm on Lake Tana.  His reflections on that harrowing experience led him to consider Luke's account in Acts of the storm that wrecked the ship carrying the apostle Paul and other prisoners to Rome.  Luke was a very accurate historian and gave many details about the journeys of Paul, and some very specific information about this particular shipwreck on the island of Malta.  Cornuke's research led him to speculate that the anchors thrown from that ship might still rest on the ocean floor near Malta, and this book is the chronicle of his investigation.  As in the other related books, he unravels the clues just like the detective he once was; and the account mixes scholarship, history, and Biblical insight with a dose of adventure.  He examines the possible beaching sites where the shipwreck might have occurred, and follows up with several Maltese divers when he discovers that Roman-era anchors have been brought up from around the reef where the shipwreck must have occurred.  Another exciting and eye-opening read from Cornuke!

By the same author:  In Search of the Lost Mountains of Noah, In Search of the Mountain of God, In Search of the Lost Ark of the Covenant

 

Related DVD: Mountain of Fire

Recent Reads {The Call of Zulina}

 



The Call of Zulina by Kay Marshall Strom - This historical novel is about Grace, the daughter of an English sea captain and an African princess, set in West Africa in 1787.  Grace runs away from the family compound to avoid an arranged marriage, and starts to find out more about her family's business - that her parents capture and trade slaves.  She is held for ransom and imprisoned in the fortress of Zulina, where her father holds captured slaves.  Grace has to make difficult choices and display great courage and leadership as she becomes involved in a slave revolt.

This was the first novel by Strom for me, although she is apparently a prolific writer.  I found that I was probably two-thirds of the way into the book before becoming really emotionally invested in the outcome of the story.  At that point, I couldn't put it down!  There are some unexpected plot twists that Strom saves for the end, and only a hint at the possibilities of a love match for Grace instead of the arranged marriage she escaped from.  This is the first of a series, so it appears Strom has saved the romance part for a future installment.   Of interest to me - in the Acknowledgements, Strom says that Zulina is based on a slave house in Senegal, and Grace's parents are modeled after an English/African couple she learned about while researching her biography of John Newton.  At first I wasn't sure I would want to read the next in the series, but now that I've finished the book, I think I will look up the second book sometime.

Recent Reads {In Search of the Lost Ark of the Covenant}

In Search of the Lost Ark of the Covenant by Robert Cornuke and David Halbrook - This is the third book by Cornuke and Halbrook that I've read, and it was fascinating. Cornuke made several trips to Ethiopia, where it's believed that the Ark of the Covenant is located. Cornuke visits Axum and Lake Tana as well as the St Mary of Zion Church, and interviews monks, priests, and scholars. The narrative provides a unique view of the religious practices and daily life of the people of Ethiopia, and the Biblical research raises thought-provoking insights about the possible role of the Ark and the prophecies and clues in Scripture. Of course Cornuke and his team never see the Ark themselves, because it is kept in complete isolation, but there is enough evidence to be convinced that the object the priests guard so carefully is indeed the Ark, and that it may yet play an important role when Messiah returns. Reading this book has been particularly timely, as our adult Sunday School class has recently studied the Exodus, and are now studying the Tabernacle worship of the Jews while in the desert.

By the same authors:  In Search of the Mountain of God, In Search of the Lost Mountains of Noah

Recent Reads {The Cat of Bubastes}

The Cat of Bubastes: A Tale of Ancient Egypt by G.A. Henty - Confession: this is the first G.A. Henty book I have ever read.  It was on the reading list for Spencer's WorldLit and since the younger kids were studying ancient Egypt, I thought it would make a good read-aloud.  We started our schooldays by reading from this classic over the past few weeks.  At first Landon and Kennady were very reluctant, but I think their attitudes improved as we got further along in the story.  Kennady made several inquiries as to when the Cat would finally appear in the story, and indeed the title character doesn't make an appearance till about halfway through and (spoiler alert!) is dead within a chapter of her first appearance.  However, the circumstances surrounding the cat's death are pivotal in the outcome of the story so perhaps the title Henty chose isn't so odd after all.  Overall, we enjoyed the book and while no one has asked about other Henty books, I suspect there wouldn't be too much objection should another of his titles appear on our reading list.

Recent Reads {Kilimanjaro}

Kilimanjaro - A Photographic Journey to the Roof of Africa by Michel Moushabeck, photography by Hiltrud Schulz - A book I ordered from the library expecting to use it for school turned out to be far more interesting to me than to the kids.  I did flip through so they could see some of the pictures, but they weren't very impressed.  I, on the other hand, was intrigued not only by the lovely scenery, but also the photos included of the people and headed to the introduction to find out a little more about them.  And wound up reading the whole book.  Now THIS is how I like to go mountain-climbing - reading about it and enjoying the spectacular views through the lens of someone else's camera.  I would love to go there myself, would love to be able to stand on the Uhuru Peak and see it all for myself, but I'll be honest - I'm not likely to take up mountain-climbing at this point.  Not even Kilimanjaro, which the author points out is the tallest mountain in the world that can be climbed without technical equipment.   Moushabeck, a publisher, tells how he impulsively asked to accompany a climbing-guide author on her climb of Kilimanjaro; and details the preparations for the trip as well as the eight days the group spent in climbing to the summit.  His descriptions of the people, sights, and sounds are almost poetic; and his own sometimes humourous observations make it a very personal story as well.  His wife, Hildi, is the photographer, and the images she captured are beautiful.  I don't think most people have a mental picture of Kilimanjaro that includes vast glaciers and ice fields - it's in equatorial Africa, after all! - but they are there, and Schulz's photos are stunning.

Recent Reads {The Eight}

The Eight by Katherine Neville - I first read this as a book club pick over a year ago, and loved it.  Honestly, not near as fond of the cover displayed here as I am of the cover of my copy, which has a chessboard with the white knight piece.  But that's really not important.  This is a thriller/medieval mystery/historical novel/romantic adventure story all rolled into one.  The actions jumps back and forth between two main characters and their respective time periods - Mireille, a French nun in the late 1700s; and Cat, a modern-day computer specialist in the 1970s.  Each finds herself on a quest to find and decode the secret of an ancient chess set with a mysterious power, and to find the scattered pieces of the chess set before the team of  "bad guys" does.   Intrigue, conspiracy, power struggles,  and dangerous situations are part of their daily adventures in the Game they are involved in.  In many instances, it's hard to tell who is on the White Team and who is on the Black Team - and even which team is considered the "good guys"  The first time I read it, most of the surprise ending elements were truly unexpected - I read the final chapters with all the storyline resolutions and realized that it all made sense but I hadn't seen it coming at all.   There is a sequel, titled The Fire, that is an upcoming book club pick, and I am eager to get started on it, in hopes that it will be just as enjoyable as The Eight.  If you want to read it, I do want to add a little disclaimer - the review blurb on the front cover of my copy says "Readers thrilled by The DaVinci Code will relish the mulit-layered secrets of The Eight."   In other words, if you're the type of person who was bothered by The DaVinci Code, you may not be comfortable with this either.  It is definitely a secular book, and subtly presents the idea that all religions have their basis in ancient mysticism, and also contains a couple of 'love scenes' that aren't overly graphic but are pretty descriptive nonetheless.