To the End of the Land by David Grossman
In this intense Israeli novel, two old friends, Ora and Avram, set off on a hiking trip to avoid news of the military action Ora's son is fighting in. As they walk, fragments of their complicated family history, which is inexorably connected to the history of their country, are revealed. Grossman has written a deeply personal and compelling story that gives insight into the psychological burden put on people living in war.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
The life of Achilles as told by his companion Patroclus. This story of love and war explores themes of heroism and fate while including many interesting historical details. Miller writes with unforced lyricism that echos the original source material, but keeps the story moving at a steady pace.
UPDATE: I recommeded Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan and Housekeeping by Marilyn Robinson to M'Lissa based on her annoatations of The Expats by Chris Pavone and The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbaugh.
Hello Kate. Based on your description of To the End of the Land, I think you might like The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce. Written with a deceptively light tone, the elderly Mr. Fry's walk across England to visit a dying friend gradually reveals his family's surprising and messy history.
ReplyDeleteHave you read The True Story of Hansel and Gretel? Called a "mirror image" of the Brothers Grimm's original fairy tale, two Jewish children from a Polish village flee the Occupation and are hidden by a crone in her remote cottage in the woods. As with The Song of Achilles, this historical fiction choice includes plenty of historical detail (in this case, WWII) and focuses on the heroism of of the individual and the sacrifices made for love.
Thanks Lori! They both sound great.
Deleteoops! The True Story of Hansel and Gretel was written by Louise Murphy.
ReplyDeleteKate, we're all chomping at the bit to provide you with exemplary Readers' Services!
ReplyDeleteBased on what you described for The End of the Land, I thought you might like 'Skeletons at the Feast' by Chris Bohjalian. The author weaves a story of unlikely friendships formed by war, in this case, Eastern Europe and Germany during WWII. A number of characters come together to battle their own complicated pasts and create new identities. The complex characterization and story line might appeal to readers of Grossman's novel. The very stark and realistic details of what it's like to manage everyday survival during war, both physical and psychological, are written about with clarity and bluntness.
Thanks Jenny! I've been meaning to read Chris Bohjalian for a while, so maybe I'll start with Skeletons at the Feast.
DeleteBoth of your book annotations are very well done. I enjoyed Song of Achilles, and will probably recommend to the End of the Land to customers in PI.
ReplyDeleteYour blog list is looking quite robust - good work!
I've been eyeing up Song of Achilles for quite a while. I love retellings of the Iliad, but just needed one good recommendation to push this title onto my "to-read" list. It's there now!
ReplyDeleteI did here someone describe it as Achilles fan fiction, but I thought it had a lot more going for it than that.
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