Review: My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher

This was possibly the best book I’ve read in years. I rarely give a “5 Star” status but didn't even have to think about it. There were many reasons for me NOT to like this book. It’s contemporary fiction (I’m drawn to fantasy). It’s about “depressing” subjects, it’s akin to a “problem novel,” which I tend to find forced with see-through agendas taking on too many issues. But I loved this book. It wasn’t forced, it was genuine. Not depressing, but uplifting.

When children ask questions, and adults won't or can’t answer, they are left to make their own assumptions about life. Ten-year-old Jamie has a lot of questions and the first person narration captures his observations.

His older sister, Rose (a twin), died five years before the novel begins in a London terrorist attack. Jamie can hardly remember Rose, but his family has fallen apart because of the loss. His father harbors fear and hate for Muslims and holds onto his grief, forcing it onto others. His mother has checked out and left the family. His older sister, Jas, does her best to make sure Jamie knows he is cared for.

What shined was Jamie’s relationship with his classmate and best friend, Sunya, who wears a hijab to school. Though this relationship is a risk for Jamie (how furious would his father be if he knew?), it is Sunya who strengthens Jamie’s spirit when he is at his lowest. She sticks up for him, plays into his fascination with superheros and even calls Jamie out when he acts like a fair-weather friend.

Jamie’s belief that things can get better and that friendship is important carry this book. He loves his family despite their glaring problems and takes action, doing the best a 10-year-old can, to make things better. I laughed and I cried in no small part to Annabel Pitcher’s writing but also because of David Tennant’s amazing narration. Just fantastic.

The mantelpiece, the hearth, is supposed to be the center of home which conjures feelings of warmth and belonging, love and security. But in Jamie’s home, his dead sister lives on the mantelpiece and her ghostly presence looms large, scattering all positive emotions. But with help from Sunya and Jas, Jamie finds a way to make his presence known and remind a family what it means to be family. 

Though targeted at middle-grade readers, I'd recommend this book to anybody. Anybody! <3

Publisher: Findaway World, 2012     Length: 6 hours

Rating: 5 Stars     Source: Public Library

Review: The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie

I’ve been waiting a few days to write my review for this book. It left me with an odd feeling that I’m still not quite sure how to translate into words. Did I like it, how did it make me feel, what did I learn? I’ve been asking myself these questions but Alexie doesn’t make them easy for me to answer. There’s a lot to digest.

The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven is a short story collection by Native American author Sherman Alexie. The text revolves around several characters living around the Spokane Indian Reservation but focuses primarily on Victor, Thomas and Norma. There are several themes explored in the text but the main thrust seems to be a quest to present what it means to be Native American in the 20th century (the text was published in 1993).

My first and lingering impression of this text is that it marks Alexie’s early writing career. There’s a lot of angst coming through the words. It seems as if he had much to express, much that he wanted the world to hear and there’s fingers pointing every which way which left me feeling dizzy. And it comes across rather loud and in your face. I think Alexie’s later works reflect similar messages but with a lot more skill. That isn’t to say this work isn’t skillful. No, Alexie’s got skill by the bucket loads. Rather, his later works show a honed skill.

These stories are powerful in their representation of Indian life. There’s a lot of conflict – between father and son, between urban and reservation Indians, between white culture and reservation culture. Alexie confronts the stereotype of alcoholic Indians. I thought it was interesting how Victor is shown before he begins drinking as full of promise and hope and after he begins drinking his hopefulness and positive outlook disappears. Most of the men on the reservation succumb to alcohol. Victor and his friends seem to lose their cultural identity when they become alcoholic, or in other words, they take on a new cultural identity – one that feeds stereotypes and doesn’t reflect Native American traditions. In one story, Victor is involved in a car accident and the white authorities are shocked he isn’t drunk. It is the small victories like these that offer hope.

I’m still not sure how to answer my initial questions. It was a worthwhile read. I recommend it to people interested in or unfamiliar with Native American life, cultural studies or a general interest in anthropology. 
Publisher: Harper, 1994    Pages: 223   
Rating: 3.5 Stars                 Source: used bookstore.

American On Purpose by Craig Ferguson

American On Purpose is an uplifting and fun read. This is not to say it is an entirely funny read. There is plenty of humor interspersed, as would be expected of the host of The Late Late Show, but this memoir is a reflection on the harrowing journey Ferguson took through drugs, alcohol and failed relationships before landing a successful show-biz career in the land of the free and home of the brave.

Growing up in Scotland, Ferguson felt an affinity for the United States as a young child, and after a visit to NYC he swore he would return to pursue a career in Hollywood. It was a long time before his dream was realized. There are a lot of dark moments as Ferguson hits several lows but eventually the light dawns, he reaches out for help and begins a slow but successful climb to sobriety and success. Eventually, Ferguson decides that the U.S. of A. is a people he identifies with and has a Constitution he believes in. He truly is a patriot who thought carefully before becoming a U.S. citizen.

Ferguson is a captivating writer who is able to recount events in his life without boring his reader to death. And surprisingly he handles the darker moments of acid trips and wild brawls in such a way that made me neither disgusted nor overly sympathetic. He maintains an endearing honesty throughout and an uplifting message of hope for anyone who has ever experienced or known someone who is consumed by an addiction. I strongly suggest viewing a few of his shows before reading because a) Ferguson is hilarious and b) it was so much fun to hear his Scottish accent in my head while I read. I enjoyed this book. It’s nice to know some people truly love this country. I am reminded of a professor of mine from Uganda who received his citizenship while I was taking his class. We were all so excited for him and he was thrilled. Encountering stories such as these remind me how precious our freedoms are and that the U.S. is still the land of opportunity!
Publisher: Harper, 2009          Source: Purchased at a Local Bookstore
Rating: 4 Stars