Currently Reading

Reading: My Two Polish Grandfathers, by Witold Rybczynski.
Listening to: Blasphemy, by Douglas Preston.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Review: When We Were Romans

When We Were Romans, by Matthew Kneale.
(Nan A. Talese, Doubleday, 2008. ISBN: 0385526253)

I love the title! Nine-year-old narrator Lawrence, his single mother, and his three-year-old sister Jemima become Romans to get away from their stalker dad who lives in Scotland, but who has been harassing them in their London home.

Lawrence has a very tight bond with his mother, and he works hard to keep things on an even keel. He constantly monitors her moods and tries to help her remain positive and happy. She, in turn, confides in him about the scary things his father is capable of, and the two of them grow even closer as they endeavor to keep their secrets from young Jemima.

As the story progresses, it becomes apparent that the family problem may be mom’s, not dad’s, but Lawrence is loyal to the mother he loves, and he believes her whenever she announces that they are in danger from his father.

Lawrence is a bright kid, interested in astronomy and history. He reads a series of “Horrid Histories” that feature “Calamitous Caesars” and “Petrifying Popes.” I can’t confirm that such a series actually exists, but I hope it does! Nine-year-olds everywhere would love it. (Update! A series called "Horrible Histories" does exist. It's published in England. Check out the series website.)

The author does an amazing job of maintaining the perspective of a young boy. The text is filled with misspellings that a child of that age might employ, working more from words he has heard than from words he has read. For example, his mother always refers to her children as “les enfants,” which, in Lawrence’s transcription, becomes “lesonfons.

When the family returns to Scotland to deal once and for all with Lawrence’s father, the reader becomes aware of just what a child is capable of doing to protect his mother and sister. The book takes us on a journey, not just to Rome, but to the edge of sanity. When We Were Romans is filled with issues, relationships, and personalities that will provide book clubs with plenty to discuss.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

White House Chef

White House Chef: Eleven Years, Two Presidents, One Kitchen, by Walter Scheib and Andrew Friedman. (John Wiley & Sons, c2007. ISBN: 0471798428)

Walter Scheib served as the White House Chef during both terms of the Clinton administration and the first term of the Bush administration. His book is filled with inside stories of dinners, both formal and family. It's an informative and interesting look at the White House from an unusual point of view.

With so much negative campaigning going on right now, it's a pleasure to hear from someone who is awed by his opportunity to work in the White House. His accounts of First Families, state dinners, and foreign leaders are always respectful. His passion for his mission -- serving restaurant quality meals that feature the best of American cuisine -- is always apparent.

The author and his staff regularly created dinners, buffets, and picnics for hundreds -- even thousands -- of people on a daily basis. It was almost exhausting just to read about the Millenial New Year's Eve events, in which he oversaw a formal dinner, a buffet dinner, a reception, and a breakfast buffet, feeding about 1,600 people over the course of less than 12 hours.

At-home chefs will be pleased to know that there are recipes throughout the book, taken from menus served during Scheib's tenure at the White House.

Lecture Alert! Chef Scheib speaks on Thursday, October 2, at 7 p.m. in the Scranton Cultural Center as part of the Lackawanna County Library Lecture Series. Tickets are free with a library card! Tickets are available at all Lackawanna County libraries and at the Scranton Cultural Center Box Office.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Awards: Man Booker Prize Nominees

The Man Booker Prize nominees for 2008 have been announced. Here's the list:

The White Tiger
, by Aravind Adiga
The Secret Scripture, by Sebastian Barry
Sea of Poppies, by Amitav Ghosh
The Clothes on Their Backs, by Linda Grant
The Northern Clemency, by Philip Hensher
A F
raction of the Whole, by Steve Toltz

Looks like I have a lot of reading to do; I haven't read any of these yet!

The Man Booker Prize is awarded to a book written in English by an author from Great Britain, the Commonwealth, or the Republic of Ireland. The Prize is celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year.