40 For 40

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“In The Shadow of the Banyan” by Vaddey Ratner

Narrated by a child as she and her family are split asunder by civil war, the book was simultaneously beautiful and horrific. Witnessing the devastation of a country through the eyes of someone too young to understand everything happening around them, while as the reader you wait with bated breath for the next tragedy to occur - it was an emotional journey right to the end.

“The Essential Rumi”, translated by Coleman Barks

I’ve been seeing quotes of Rumi’s work for decades, so when it was time to decide on what could represent Afghanistan, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to really dive in to his poetry.

Rumi’s work is far more elegant than I am, so trying to describe it feels pointless. What I felt while reading it, however, I’ll try to describe.

I’ve never been particularly drawn to poetry - I generally prefer a narrative I can immerse myself in, whereas poetry tends to be something I enjoy if the mood is just right. With this book, I found myself reading a poem or two at a time and then stepping away for a bit, like I needed time to digest before returning for more. It took me 43 days to finish this book - nearly four times longer to finish reading than my next completion time in this challenge (11 days for Romania). It felt very much like reading quickly was never going to be an option. I needed to take my time and give everything its proper consideration.

There were so many lines I highlighted in this book, but I think my favourite lines are these:

They made me think of my husband, and feeling seen and known and recognized completely.

“Kiribati, Aspects of History” by Various Authors

For most of the books for this challenge, I chose Fictional stories, but a handful of countries proved difficult to find books for. Whether the nation is relatively small and thus has a smaller pool to choose from, or language barriers in the form of accessible translations, sometimes the decision of what book would represent a country was made for me. Such is the case for my book for Kiribati.

Written at the time when Kiribati became an independent sovereign nation, this history book was a collaborative work of more than 20 I-Kiribati. Beginning with the myths and legends of creation and population of their islands, and journeying through time to the nation’s independence, the story of the country is told by its inhabitants, not foreign historians or colonizers.

It was a lovely introduction to a country I knew nothing about beforehand. I enjoyed Part 1 the most, because creation myths have always been interesting, but it was also lovely to see the history develop through time to where it was in the 1970s when this book was published.

Kazakhstan!!

Kenya!!

Cambodia!!

Afghanistan!!

Kiribati!!

“Life Begins on Friday” by Ioana Pârvulescu

Set during the last 13 days of 1897, the synopsis caught my attention with mention of a man who has somehow travelled back in time, a murder to be solved, and a varied cast of characters.

What won me over was the ease with which the characters wove through the story - they very much inhabited their world and we were able to enjoy the mundane details of their lives as the story progressed.

I enjoyed Niku and Iulia’s perspectives the most, but to be honest, each character was a solid part of the narrative. It took me some time to feel familiar with the whole cast of characters, and I feel like re-reading at a later date would be even more enjoyable - like time spent with old friends instead of new acquaintances.

Next up, we have:

Romania!!

“Suncranes and Other Stories”, translated by Simon Wickhamsmith

This collection of short stories was a lovely insight into a country I’ve had very little exposure to.

I found the writing to be stark and succinct, but at the same time lyrical and vivid. I was sometimes caught off-guard by how abruptly a story would end, wanting more when the author instead was saying “that’s all that needs to be said about that.”

The next country on our list is:

Mongolia!!

“The Question of Red” by Laksmi Pamuntjak

This story took me a while to get through, and while the holidays and other family events definitely contributed to the delay in my finishing this book, I can’t blame all of the trouble on external factors.

I struggled to get into the rhythm of the book - I enjoyed the characters, and I enjoyed spending time with them, but I never felt as if I could settle into the story.

When Book 2 began, every second paragraph was an update of the goings-on of this political faction or that one. Every conversation between characters referenced an unending list of political group acronyms that were impossible to keep up with. I felt that I just wanted to spend the time with the characters and have the political aspect further in the background. I felt like I was reading a history book, not a novel.

When I complained of this to my husband, he said “maybe this book just isn’t for you.”

When I talked to my kid, who puts a lot more thought into the construction of a book than I tend to do, I was challenged with “have you considered that was likely intentional?”

Clever kid had me reassess - maybe what I was thinking of as a litany of political factions and their conflicts getting in the way of the story, was instead people who had every aspect of their lives impacted and interrupted by the upheaval around them.

Indonesia is next!!

“Like Water for Chocolate” by Laura Esquivel

I enjoyed this book while I was reading it, and I enjoyed how the story flowed with food and magic. I rooted for Tita, adored Gertrudis, and loved the way the meals Tita cooked for the family were woven into the narrative.

I struggled with liking some of the characters, though. While Mama Elena was everything you want from a villain, I felt that Pedro was unlikeable and I couldn’t understand the attraction Tita felt for him. I assume it’s because for most of the story she’s an infatuated teenager without the benefit of experience with love and healthy relationships, but I don’t know that Pedro made a single good decision in the whole book, and I liked him less and less the more I read.

The randomizer wheel has landed on:

Mexico!!