Day After Night

Set in the Atilt Detention Center, Day After Night is the story of four young women who, after surviving the horrors of the holocaust, meet in a British run internment camp in Palestine. Their stories entwine as they await the proper papers that will allow them to complete the immigration process. 

The characters are well developed and completely engaging: Shayndel is a Polish Zionist who fought with the resistance. Many believe she was a hero, but she is haunted by memories that bring her shame. Zorah tries to hide the tattooed numbers on her arm, mortified by anything that associates her with the atrocities of Auschwitz. Tedi, with blue eyes, blond curls, and long legs, was sent into hiding by her parents, who trusted in her Dutch genetics to save her. Meanwhile, her younger sister (who took after the Jewish side of the family) was not so fortunate. Leonie, the Parisian beauty, gets rescued from the round-up, only to discover another form of Nazi torture.

Diamant's story is a verbal collage. She has an amazing way of piecing a plot together through a collection of snapshots. Different times, settings, characters, and themes are arranged in such a way that each has a significance of its own while contributing to the bigger picture. 

The author carefully researched the Atilt Detention Center  (which can still be visited today) as well as the events and circumstances surrounding many of its detainees. While I appreciate her commitment to candid realism, it sometimes results in hard-to-read passages. She does not glorify violence or evil, but she does describe them accurately. At the same time, beauty and tenderness are given their due. Like the title suggests, Day After Night is rich with contrasts: Hatred and love; cruelty and kindness; justice and mercy.

I have only read two of Diamant's books, and I have liked them both. Her writing is not for the faint of heart, her world is not made of sunshine and roses. Rather, she paints the clouds and the thorns for what they are--while allowing the sun rays and rose petals to be seen in their midst. 

Surprised by Oxford

When Carolyn Weber is awarded a scholarship to do her graduate studies at Oxford University, she sets off on what promises to be a life-changing adventure. Immersed in the the study of classic literature, surrounded by history, and enveloped by a richly diverse group of friends, she tries with all her might to hold unswervingly to her post-modern agnostic beliefs. Wrought with wit, her memoir is both intellectually stimulating and spiritually inspiring.

"Prayer is weird. There's no way around it. The concept of it seemed bizarre. Talking, possibly out loud, to Someone unseen who might or might not be listening? Weeeird."

Weaving words into narrative like a skilled artist weaves a tapestry, Weber recounts her journey to faith. She does not skip over the difficult themes that many Christians writers have either long forgotten or gingerly avoid. At the same time, she humbly submits to truth once it is revealed --and welcomes it as both a stranger and a friend.

"Then a story from the Gospel of Mark jumped into my head. Scripture has a way of working like that. Be forewarned."

My fellow forty-somethings will appreciate the author's references to current events during her formative years, which reveal that Weber is right about our age. She knits her story together with references from Milton and Donne, quotes from secular literature, and lyrics from contemporary music --demonstrating God's ability to work His redemptive power through--or perhaps despite--the brokenness that surrounds us.

"'Grace, the name of a girl', U2 later sang. And the name of a thought that changed the world."

Surprised by Oxford is for the believer who is sick and tired of the second-rate writing that typifies contemporary Christian literature. It is for the skeptic who is open to a challenge. As well written as it is thought provoking, this memoir reads like a novel. I tore through it in two days, but I have been ruminating on it for months. It is one of those rare books that leaves you feeling both smarter and happier for having read it.

"Just before going abroad on my scholarship, I came across an epigram by Alexander Pope, the eighteenth-century English poet famous for his clever wit and urbane satire. Pope engraved the verse on the collar of a dog, which he then gifted the king:

I am his Highness’ Dog at Kew:

Pray tell me, sir, whose dog are you?

Granted, the dog image is not as elegant or politically correct as some might prefer, but it does effectively beg the question: just who is your master? For we all have one." 

 All quotes from of Surprised by Oxford, by Carolyn Weber

Let's Talk Books

When I was young, my safety-conscious, popcorn-loving father had a rule: One at a time. To minimize the risk of choking, we were not permitted to grab fluffy white handfuls and shove them into our mouths. Instead, we ate one kernel at a time. It made snacking on popcorn into a laborious task; still, we persisted. Popcorn is worth it.

And while I learned to limit myself to dainty portions where popcorn was concerned, I have never been one who could follow the "one at a time" rule when it comes to books. At any given moment, I am in the process of reading three four five different books. I rarely reach the end of one tasteful tome before I happen upon another nummy novel, and I begin to indulge like one who can't be bothered to finish dinner before starting dessert. That uneaten dinner becomes luscious leftovers for lunch the next day.

Oh, I do eat leftovers--that is to say, I finish every book I begin, though some are fully devoured in hours while others are savored over weeks and months. I am a literature gourmet!

This is a place where I will write about the books that I read. I will share my opinions and invite you to share yours! I plan to review at least one book a week, starting this Friday.

Let the feast begin!