The History Book Club discussion

Our Format:

JANUARY

1. Winston S. Churchill
Finish date: March 2008
Genre: (whatever genre the book happens to be)
Rating: A
Review: You can add text from a review you have written but no links to any review elsewhere even goodreads. And that is about it. Just make sure to number consecutively and just add the months.

JANUARY

1. by Robert A. Caro

Finish Date: January 2013
Genre: Biography
Rating: A+

Review: Caro is not only an historian's historian and scholarly researcher - but he is also a tremendous writer with great style and panache. Nobody that I have ever read has taken a dry and scholarly topic and turned it into such a page turner. That is a feat for any biography or non fiction book. And Caro did it all. Lyndon Johnson comes alive with all of his warts and faults and despite them all - we grow to admire him and understand his actions without any sugar coating; but with a growing respect for his ability to execute deliberately and get things done for the good of the country. Many before him had a lot more style and charisma but none could match this master of the senate in terms of execution or in presidential focus and single-mindedness of purpose. He kept his eye on the ball and got his legislative agenda over the goal line.

Synopsis on Goodreads:

WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD

NAMED BY THE NEW YORK TIMES ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR
"The fourth volume of Caro's prodigious masterwork . . . with the author's signature combination of sweeping drama, psychological insight and painstaking research."

NAMED ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE’S TEN BEST NONFICTION BOOKS OF THE YEAR

NAMED ONE OF NEWSDAY’S TWELVE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY
The Economist * Newsweek * Foreign Policy * Business Week * The Week * The Christian Science Monitor

SELECTED BY HISTORY NEWS NETWORK POLL OF HISTORIANS BEST HISTORY BOOK OF THE YEAR

Book Four of Robert A. Caro’s monumental The Years of Lyndon Johnson displays all the narrative energy and illuminating insight that led the Times of London to acclaim it as “one of the truly great political biographies of the modern age. A masterpiece.”

The Passage of Power follows Lyndon Johnson through both the most frustrating and the most triumphant periods of his career—1958 to1964. It is a time that would see him trade the extraordinary power he had created for himself as Senate Majority Leader for what became the wretched powerlessness of a Vice President in an administration that disdained and distrusted him. Yet it was, as well, the time in which the presidency, the goal he had always pursued, would be thrust upon him in the moment it took an assassin’s bullet to reach its mark.

By 1958, as Johnson began to maneuver for the presidency, he was known as one of the most brilliant politicians of his time, the greatest Senate Leader in our history. But the 1960 nomination would go to the young senator from Massachusetts, John F. Kennedy. Caro gives us an unparalleled account of the machinations behind both the nomination and Kennedy’s decision to offer Johnson the vice presidency, revealing the extent of Robert Kennedy’s efforts to force Johnson off the ticket. With the consummate skill of a master storyteller, he exposes the savage animosity between Johnson and Kennedy’s younger brother, portraying one of America’s great political feuds. Yet Robert Kennedy’s overt contempt for Johnson was only part of the burden of humiliation and isolation he bore as Vice President. With a singular understanding of Johnson’s heart and mind, Caro describes what it was like for this mighty politician to find himself altogether powerless in a world in which power is the crucial commodity.

For the first time, in Caro’s breathtakingly vivid narrative, we see the Kennedy assassination through Lyndon Johnson’s eyes. We watch Johnson step into the presidency, inheriting a staff fiercely loyal to his slain predecessor; a Congress determined to retain its power over the executive branch; and a nation in shock and mourning.

We see how within weeks—grasping the reins of the presidency with supreme mastery—he propels through Congress essential legislation that at the time of Kennedy’s death seemed hopelessly logjammed and seizes on a dormant Kennedy program to create the revolutionary War on Poverty. Caro makes clear how the political genius with which Johnson had ruled the Senate now enabled him to make the presidency wholly his own. This was without doubt Johnson’s finest hour, before his aspirations and accomplishments were overshadowed and eroded by the trap of Vietnam.

In its exploration of this pivotal period in Johnson’s life—and in the life of the nation—The Passage of Power is not only the story of how he surmounted unprecedented obstacles in order to fulfill the highest purpose of the presidency but is, as well, a revelation of both the pragmatic potential in the presidency and what can be accomplished when the chief executive has the vision and determination to move beyond the pragmatic and initiate programs designed to transform a nation.

It is an epic story told with a depth of detail possible only through the peerless research that forms the foundation of Robert Caro’s work, confirming Nicholas von Hoffman’s verdict that “Caro has changed the art of political biography.

FEBRUARY

2. by Edward M. Kennedy

Finish Date: 2013
Genre: Memoir
Rating: A-/B+

Review: I have to say that I laughed aloud a great deal through this memoir which I listened to as an audio book. You will not go wrong with this book and I will always remember the anecdotes of Skyrocket and the ski jump with a smile. There were also many other areas of the book with were sad but revealing about the man and the family.

The Kennedy family use to joke about Bobby Kennedy being called "ruthless" because from Teddy's perspective and the family's perspective - he was anything but that. TK did mention that Bobby and Lyndon did not like each other that much at the beginning but that TK grew to like Lyndon and felt that LBJ was very gracious to the family.

It was an interesting inside perspective on the family itself, TK's relationship with his brothers and their love for each other and their parents. I would highly recommend this book and enjoyed it thoroughly as an audiobook. Well worth my time.

Synopsis on Goodreads

In this landmark autobiography, five years in the making, Senator Edward M. Kennedy tells his extraordinary personal story--of his legendary family, politics, and fifty years at the center of national events.

TRUE COMPASS

The youngest of nine children born to Joseph P. Kennedy and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, he came of age among siblings from whom much was expected. As a young man, he played a key role in the presidential campaign of his brother John F. Kennedy, recounted here in loving detail. In 1962 he was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he began a fascinating political education and became a legislator.

In this historic memoir,Ted Kennedy takes us inside his family, re-creating life with his parents and brothers and explaining their profound impact on him. or the first time, he describes his heartbreak and years of struggle in the wake of their deaths. Through it all, he describes his work in the Senate on the major issues of our time--civil rights, Vietnam, Watergate, the quest for peace in Northern Ireland--and the cause of his life: improved health care for all Americans, a fight influenced by his own experiences in hospitals.

His life has been marked by tragedy and perseverance, a love of family, and an abiding faith. There have been controversies, too, and Kennedy addresses them with unprecedented candor. At midlife, embattled and uncertain if he would ever fall in love again, he met the woman who changed his life, Victoria Reggie Kennedy. Facing a tough reelection campaign against an aggressive challenger named Mitt Romney, Kennedy found a new voice and began one of the great third acts in American politics, sponsoring major legislation, standing up for liberal principles, and making the pivotal endorsement of Barack Obama for president.

Hundreds of books have been written about the Kennedys. TRUE COMPASS will endure as the definitive account from a member of America's most heralded family, an inspiring legacy to readers and to history, and a deeply moving story of a life like no other

3. by Anthony Shadid

Finish Date: 2013
Genre: Memoir
Rating: TBA

Review: TBA

Synopsis on Goodreads:

“Evocative and beautifully written, House of Stone . . . should be read by anyone who wishes to understand the agonies and hopes of the Middle East.” — Kai Bird, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian and author of Crossing Mandelbaum Gate

“In rebuilding his family home in southern Lebanon, Shadid commits an extraordinarily generous act of restoration for his wounded land, and for us all.” — Annia Ciezadlo, author of Day of Honey

In spring 2011, Anthony Shadid was one of four New York Times reporters captured in Libya, cuffed and beaten, as that country was seized by revolution. When he was freed, he went home. Not to Boston or Beirut—where he lives— or to Oklahoma City, where his Lebanese-American family had settled and where he was raised. Instead, he returned to his great-grandfather’s estate, a house that, over three years earlier, Shadid had begun to rebuild.

House of Stone is the story of a battle-scarred home and a war correspondent’s jostled spirit, and of how reconstructing the one came to fortify the other. In this poignant and resonant memoir, the author of the award-winning Night Draws Near creates a mosaic of past and present, tracing the house’s renewal alongside his family’s flight from Lebanon and resettlement in America. In the process, Shadid memorializes a lost world, documents the shifting Middle East, and provides profound insights into this volatile landscape. House of Stone is an unforgettable meditation on war, exile, rebirth, and the universal yearning for home.

by Kai Bird

by Annia Ciezadlo

MARCH

4. Jon Meacham

Finish Date: 2013
Genre: Non fiction
Rating: B+

Review: A book which discussed the role of religion in the history of the United States (both public, private, and with the government). I enjoyed this book very much and thought it was one of Meacham's finest efforts.

There is so much here that any of the topics discussed by Meacham could have spawned other ancillary books of their own. Lots of facts, references and research - it was well done and never got bogged down.

Synopsis on Goodreads:

The American Gospel–literally, the good news about America–is that religion shapes our public life without controlling it. In this vivid book, New York Times bestselling author Jon Meacham tells the human story of how the Founding Fathers viewed faith, and how they ultimately created a nation in which belief in God is a matter of choice.

At a time when our country seems divided by extremism, American Gospel draws on the past to offer a new perspective. Meacham re-creates the fascinating history of a nation grappling with religion and politics–from John Winthrop’s “city on a hill” sermon to Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence; from the Revolution to the Civil War; from a proposed nineteenth-century Christian Amendment to the Constitution to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s call for civil rights; from George Washington to Ronald Reagan.

Debates about religion and politics are often more divisive than illuminating. Secularists point to a “wall of separation between church and state,” while many conservatives act as though the Founding Fathers were apostles in knee britches. As Meacham shows in this brisk narrative, neither extreme has it right. At the heart of the American experiment lies the God of what Benjamin Franklin called “public religion,” a God who invests all human beings with inalienable rights while protecting private religion from government interference. It is a great American balancing act, and it has served us well.

Meacham has written and spoken extensively about religion and politics, and he brings historical authority and a sense of hope to the issue. American Gospel makes it compellingly clear that the nation’s best chance of summoning what Lincoln called “the better angels of our nature” lies in recovering the spirit and sense of the Founding. In looking back, we may find the light to lead us forward.

“In his American Gospel, Jon Meacham provides a refreshingly clear, balanced, and wise historical portrait of religion and American politics at exactly the moment when such fairness and understanding are much needed. Anyone who doubts the relevance of history to our own time has only to read this exceptional book.”–David McCullough, author of 1776

“Jon Meacham has given us an insightful and eloquent account of the spiritual foundation of the early days of the American republic. It is especially instructive reading at a time when the nation is at once engaged in and deeply divided on the question of religion and its place in public life.”–Tom Brokaw, author of The Greatest Generation

“An absorbing narrative full of vivid characters and fresh thinking, American Gospel tells how the Founding Fathers–and their successors–struggled with their own religious and political convictions to work out the basic structure for freedom of religion. For me this book was nonstop reading.”–Elaine Pagels, professor of religion, Princeton University, author of Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas

“Jon Meacham is one of our country’s most brilliant thinkers about religion’s impact on American society. In this scintillating and provocative book, Meacham reveals the often-hidden influence of religious belief on the Founding Fathers and on later generations of American citizens and leaders up to our own. Today, as we argue more strenuously than ever about the proper place of religion in our politics and the rest of American life, Meacham’s important book should serve as the touchstone of the debate.”
–Michael Beschloss, author of The Conquerors

“At a time when faith and freedom seem increasingly polarized, American Gospel recovers our vital center–the middle ground where, historically, religion and public life strike a delicate balance. Well researched, well written, inspiring, and persuasive, this is a welcome addition to the literature.”–Jonathan D. Sarna, Joseph H. & Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History, Brandeis University, author of American Judaism: A History

by Elaine Pagels

by Jonathan D. Sarna

by Allan W. Eckert

by Tom Brokaw

by David McCullough

Some worthy reading there Bentley. Good to see you off to such a rousing start!

I am so busy that my reading sometimes slides with everything going on but thanks for the "accolades" - it will help spur me on.

5. by Hank Haney


Finish Date: 2013
Genre: Sports History/Biography
Rating: B-

Review: Haney does not realize this, but he revealed more about himself when he wrote this book than he did about Tiger. He certainly sought some kind of retribution despite his protests to the contrary. And no wonder Tiger Woods is guarded after having alleged friends and coaches who go out and cash in by writing tell all gossip books. Despite the above, this is probably the closest you are going to get to understanding the enigmatic and private Tiger Woods. I do not approve of what Haney did but it does give you an up close documentary of what occurred during the time (six years) that Haney was coaching Woods. There is a huge amount of golfing and coaching philosophy and tips throughout and it is a worthy read for the golf enthusiast. I feel that it deserves a higher rating than some folks gave the book either because of their dislike of Woods (jealousy, mean spiritedness or some other reason) or because they dislike Haney and think he is a snitch; but overall not a bad history of those six years.

If I were Tiger, I would make every coach and trusted advisor sign a non disclosure with some teeth.

Synopsis on Goodreads:

The Big Miss is Hank Haney’s candid and surprisingly insightful account of his tumultuous six-year journey with Tiger Woods, during which the supremely gifted golfer collected six major championships and rewrote golf history. Hank was one of the very few people allowed behind the curtain. He was with Tiger 110 days a year, spoke to him over 200 days a year, and stayed at his home up to 30 days a year, observing him in nearly every circumstance: at tournaments, on the practice range, over meals, with his wife, Elin, and relaxing with friends.

The relationship between the two men began in March 2004 when Hank received a call from Tiger in which the golf champion asked him to be his coach. It was a call that would change both men’s lives.

Tiger—only 28 at the time—was by then already an icon, judged by the sporting press as not only one of the best golfers ever, but possibly the best athlete ever. Already he was among the world’s highest paid celebrities. There was an air of mystery surrounding him, an aura of invincibility. Unique among athletes, Tiger seemed to be able to shrug off any level of pressure and find a way to win.

But Tiger was always looking to improve, and he wanted Hank’s help.

What Hank soon came to appreciate was that Tiger was one of the most complicated individuals he’d ever met, let alone coached. Although Hank had worked with hundreds of elite golfers and was not easily impressed, there were days watching Tiger on the range when Hank couldn’t believe what he was witnessing. On those days, it was impossible to imagine another human playing golf so perfectly.

And yet Tiger is human—and Hank’s expert eye was adept at spotting where Tiger’s perfection ended and an opportunity for improvement existed. Always haunting Tiger was his fear of “the big miss”—the wildly inaccurate golf shot that can ruin an otherwise solid round—and it was because that type of blunder was sometimes part of Tiger’s game that Hank carefully redesigned his swing mechanics.

Hank’s most formidable coaching challenge, though, would be solving the riddle of Tiger’s personality. Wary of the emotional distractions that might diminish his game and put him further from his goals, Tiger had developed a variety of tactics to keep people from getting too close, and not even Hank—or Tiger’s family and friends, for that matter—was spared “the treatment.”

Toward the end of Tiger and Hank’s time together, the champion’s laser-like focus began to blur and he became less willing to put in punishing hours practicing—a disappointment to Hank, who saw in Tiger’s behavior signs that his pupil had developed a conflicted relationship with the game. Hints that Tiger hungered to reinvent himself were present in his bizarre infatuation with elite military training, and—in a development Hank didn’t see coming—in the scandal that would make headlines in late 2009. It all added up to a big miss that Hank, try as he might, couldn’t save Tiger from.

There’s never been a book about Tiger Woods that is as intimate and revealing—or one so wise about what it takes to coach a superstar athlete.

April

6. by Shirin Ebadi

Finish Date: 2013
Genre: Memoir
Rating: B

Review: Good book.

Synopsis:

First, what was revealed in this book is extraordinary and if you want to get a feel of what the true perceptions and realities are in Iran; I would recommend reading this book. The rating was due to the quality of writing which may have been lost in the translation but despite all of the above - you should read it.

Ebadi is a brave and courageous woman where being a woman in Iran takes courage enough. She lost a lot but has never given up on Iran. The Nobel Peace Prize was well deserved.

Bentley, sounds like a fascinating memoir. Thank you for bringing it to my attention again;I have had it on my shelves for too long. I am going to sample read it, since you didn't think the writing was that exceptional.

A B is a good rating from me and I am a hard rater. It was a book in translation I think but it is very powerful and should be read. The writing style was not Tolstoy or Caro.

7. by Christiane Bird

Finish Date: 2013
Genre: History
Rating: B+

Review: Good book.

Synopsis:

180,000 Kurds were wiped out by Saddam Hussein. This is as much their story as the story of the living Kurdish people who never gave up their dream of achieving autonomy. This is as much a story of their struggle as well as their vibrant history which is told beautifully by the author.

The title comes in part from a Kurdish poem. The poem describes the Kurds' unrelenting courage to be masters of their own lands, it is that dream and that perseverance that brings about "a thousand sighs, a thousand tears, a thousand revolts, a thousand hopes."

Oh my, your seventh book looks interesting. I discovered it is available even here in Belgium in the audioformat. I don't have good vision. This I must pick soon! Thank you.

You are welcome Chrissie - good history of the Kurds.

8. by Paul Torday

Finish Date: 2013
Genre: Fiction - although the NYT calls it an "absurdist political satire" which in a way it is.
Rating: B

Review:

This was a page turner and though not factually accurate weaved an excellent story about the region, its prejudices, its politics, its belief system and mores.

I enjoyed the book a great deal but thought that the ending was a bit of a let down.

Awards:

Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction
Exclusive Books Boeke Prize Nominee (2007)

Goodreads Synopsis:

British businessman and dedicated angler Paul Torday has found a way to combine a novel about fishing and all that it means with a satire involving politics, bureaucrats, the Middle East, the war in Iraq, and a sheikh who is really a mystic. Torday makes it all work in a most convincing way using memos, interviews, e-mails, and letters in clever juxtaposition.

Dr. Alfred Jones is a fisheries scientist in Great Britain who is called upon to find a way to introduce salmon into the desert in Yemen. The Yemeni sheikh will spare no expense to see this happen. He says:

"It would be a miracle of God if it happened. I know it... If God wills it, the summer rains will fill the wadis... and the salmon will run the river. And then my countrymen... all classes and manner of men--will stand side by side and fish for the salmon. And their natures, too, will be changed. They will feel the enchantment of this silver fish... and then when talk turns to what this tribe said or that tribe did... then someone will say, "Let us arise, and go fishing."

Such is the sheikh's vision. He tells Alfred: "Without faith, there is no hope. Without faith, there is no love." Alfred has no religious faith and has been mired in a loveless marriage for twenty years, so these words seem fantastic to him.

Alfred and Sheikh Muhammad connect immediately through their mutual love of fishing, despite Alfred's misgivings about the viability of the project. The Prime Minister's flack man tells Alfred that he must persevere and succeed because Great Britain needs some positive connection to the Middle East, something other than a failing, flailing war. These kinds of political alliances are always shaky at best, and when things start to go sideways, allies have a way of disappearing. Alfred soldiers on, with the help of the lovely Harriet, Sheikh Muhammad's land agent, and the project is readied for opening day, when the Sheikh and the Prime Minister will have a 20-minute photo op.

All of the faith and good will in the world cannot overcome the forces ranged against them, bringing tragedy to everyone involved. Despite all, Alfred's interior life is changed immeasurably. He says in the end: "I believe in it, because it is impossible." --Valerie Ryan

9. by Julie Otsuka

Finish Date: 2013
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: C

Review:
This is another widely acclaimed book which I did not fancy as much as the vast number of folks who loved it.

It is the story of Japanese mail order brides and their lives once they come to America - but more poignant was the account of the Japanese incarceration during World War II. To me it was like reading sections from the Bible where all your reading are "lists of begets". This seemed to be a "collective characterization" versus any individual in depth character development with a plot you could follow or a story you could retell. Some sections were extremely powerful - but I was delighted when the book was completed.

These are the awards and what others have said: (this is not how I felt about the book but I wanted to show the other point of view because so many others loved this book.)

Winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award For Fiction
National Book Award and Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist
A New York Times Notable Book

The Goodreads Synopsis - you can see that I did NOT AGREE with the following:
A gorgeous novel by the celebrated author of When the Emperor Was Divine that tells the story of a group of young women brought from Japan to San Francisco as “picture brides” nearly a century ago. In eight unforgettable sections, The Buddha in the Attic traces the extraordinary lives of these women, from their arduous journeys by boat, to their arrival in San Francisco and their tremulous first nights as new wives; from their experiences raising children who would later reject their culture and language, to the deracinating arrival of war. Once again, Julie Otsuka has written a spellbinding novel about identity and loyalty, and what it means to be an American in uncertain times.

10. by Nujood Ali

Finish Date: 2013
Genre: Autobiographical
Rating: B+/A- (due the sheer unbelievable situation that this young 9 year old had to go through - extremely brave girl)

Review:
Nujood oddly enough for a third grader was Glamour Magazine's Woman of the Year. You can read this in a single sitting - a quick unbelievable read which will leave you shaking your head.

I do hope she gets out of Yemen and can give her fullest attention to her studies. I worry that she will become mired in the troubles of the family.

------------------------

I just oddly enough came across this article and was quite upset for this young girl once again. And I cannot believe that what I felt might happen to Nujood after her winning of the court case with the father and family that she came from and within Yemen seems to have come to pass. I do hope the folks that helped her before can get her out of the country and into school elsewhere. Her father is beyond belief and it is only because of her younger sister that I believe Nujood is coming forward with what happened to the money from her book.

Yemen's youngest divorcee says father has squandered cash from her book

Nujood Ali clams father has used proceeds from her book deal to marry and has arranged wedding for her younger sister

Joe Sheffer in Sana'a
theguardian.com, Tuesday 12 March 2013 14.29 EDT


Nujood Ali, the author of I am Nujood, aged 10 and Divorced. Photograph: Joe Sheffer for the Guardian

It's been five years since Nujood Ali became known as the world's youngest divorcee after escaping the man who bought her as a child bride aged nine.

The story of Nujood's marriage and subsequent court victory was turned into a bestselling book, bringing hope to thousands of Yemeni brides forced into marriages they are too young to understand or consent to.

The royalties from I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced were supposed to pay for the girl's schooling and allow her to follow her ambition to become a lawyer. Instead, Nujood says, the money has been squandered by her father – who has now sold her younger sister to a man twice her age.

"My father has spent all the money on getting married twice again," she says, fidgeting nervously, her fingers stained with henna.

Now 15, she still finds it difficult to talk about her marriage and ex-husband. "He now has four wives, 14 children and learnt nothing from my experience. He gives me between $20 [£13] and $30 a month for pocket money."

Nujood's ordeal began when she was married off by her father at nine, for a dowry of a little more than $750, after her future husband, Faez Ali Thamer, promised not to have sex with her "before the year after she has her first period" – as required by law in Yemen.

But what followed was a cycle of sexual and physical abuse, starting on her wedding night.

Two months later, during a visit back to her family home, she took the unprecedented step of running away and asking a court for a divorce on grounds of abuse.

The case was the first of its kind in Yemen and attracted so much attention that the court's security described the hearing as a "mob scene". Both Nujood's father and husband were briefly imprisoned during proceedings, after colluding to lie to the court about the girl's age.

The book of Nujood's story was ghostwritten by Delphine Minoui and published in France. It was translated into 16 languages and sold in 35 countries.

Publishers Michel Lafon agreed to pay her father, Ali Mohammed al-Ahdel, $1,000 a month until she was 18 to support her upbringing. It also bought a large house for the family in Sana'a, and set up a fund paid directly to a school for her education.

But Nujood says she has been forced out of the home and has not received any of the money being paid to her father. She said her father had rented the first floor of the house to another family, and moved his new wife into the second. "I've been asked to leave and have to stay in my older brother's cramped house."

Listening carefully in the corner of the room is Haifa Ali, Nujood's younger sister, who recently became engaged to a man she does not know.

"I don't want to get married," Haifa says. "I'm very scared, because the [dowry] money has already been paid and I want to continue my education."

Haifa is cut short by Nujood, her anger overcoming her shyness. "I won't let it happen to her," she says. "I will speak to as many journalists and lawyers as possible about this. It is illegal."

The girls' father refused to speak to the Guardian, but the book's publishers say they are trying to rectify the situation. "We are unable to pay Nujood directly legally in Yemen due to the law and it is at times exceptionally difficult to know what is going on from France," said Margaux Mersie of Michel Lafon.

"The problem is that al-Ahdel's position is upheld in Yemeni law. There are plenty of judges who support him and are unsympathetic [to Nujood]."

Nujood's attitude is best summed up by her reaction to being granted a divorce. She still wishes to study in England and become a lawyer.

"Compared to dreams, reality can be cruel," she said. "But it can also come up with beautiful surprises."

11. by Jess Walter

Finish Date: 2013
Genre: Novel (weird - uses real people who have passed away and places them in a fictional setting which is not true about their lives whatsoever)
Rating: C

Review:
A bit like The Goon Squad - but I think it dragged in parts and though very philosophic and some good poetic lines - it fell short for me overall. It kept my interest but I would not give it above a C. I am sure that this has a lot to do with personal preferences; but I often do not like books that rewrite history about well known celebrities and attribute events to them that did not happen. I guess I am a purist about history - especially if you are writing a novel.