I dare you to move

I enjoy a wide variety of novels, including historical fiction, action/thrillers, fantasy, chick lit, and humour. But every so often, I need to read a book that will stretch me and take me out of my comfort zone. I'm not talking about a different genre or style- I'm talking about those books that will move me and maybe even change me. Sarah's Key by Tatiana deRosnay is one of those books. Not only is it a great piece of historical fiction that will possibly teach you something new, but it will also break your heart and make you empathize and grieve for someone else. Sarah's Key is a powerful, gripping novel that just might change you.

The novel, like Kate Morton's The Forgotten Garden, takes place at different points in time. It alternates between ten-year old Sarah, living in Paris in 1942, and an American journalist living in Paris during the present day. Sarah awakens one morning to the French police pounding on her family's apartment door. She is taken away along with her Mother and Father, but not before she locks her little brother in a hidden cupboard, sure that she will return before long. In contemporary times, Julia is assigned a piece on the anniversary of the Vel d'Hiv roundup. As she investigates the historical events, she is shocked to learn that the culpability for the roundup extends to the French police force and government, and perhaps even to her husband's family. When she learns that young Sarah was arrested in the roundup, she is determined to discover what happened to the little girl.

If you are in the mood for that novel that will leave a lasting impact, give Sarah's Key a read. Though it is not a feel-good novel, it is deeply engrossing. I couldn't put it down.

Father knows best?

In a recent conversation with my parents, I mentioned that I wanted to start reading more classics. While I love many classics, including everything by Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters, I find that I need to be in the right mood to read them. Consequently, I have a long list of authors I would like to try but just haven't gotten around to, such as John Steinbeck and Ernest Hemmingway. My Dad, a big fan of John Steinbeck, recommended an author I had never heard of, a Mr. Nevil Shute. The late Nevil Shute has written several books, many taking place during World War II or on the subject of aviation (Shute was an aeronautical engineer as well as a popular novelist). While I have only read two of his novels at this point, I now consider myself a big fan of Nevil Shute. Here is a little taste of the novels I have read- I hope you'll give him a try too.

On the Beach is perhaps the most well known of Nevil Shute's novels. After a nuclear war has wiped out most of the earth's populations, the few survivors await for the radiation sickness to come. Shute introduces some unforgettable characters in this book who all cope in different ways- a young woman who copes with levity and plenty of alcohol, a young couple with a new baby who plan next year's garden and find respite in day-to-day tasks, and an American submarine captain who finds comfort by pretending that his wife and children are still alive and well, waiting for him to return home. Some characters deal with their coming deaths with grim finality, while others cling to hope. Shute writes in a very straightforward, simple manner. He makes every word count, and the pace carries on despite the sometimes mundane events in the novel. This novel is almost anti-climactic, yet somehow that makes it all the more compelling. I found myself clinging to hope at times, while at other times I was overwhelmed with despair. This is the kind of novel that doesn't let go of you once you have closed its pages- it clings to you and makes you think. Wonderful.

The Pied Piper is a more exciting, suspenseful narrative, yet it is written in the same straightforward, highly readable manner as On the Beach. In this novel, an elderly Briton travels to France for a fishing trip during the Second World War. His vacation is cut short, however, when he learns that the Germans are invading France. He agrees to take two young children back to Britain with him, and he soon finds himself in danger as the country becomes increasingly battle-stricken. As he makes the slow and arduous journey, Mr. Howard finds more children who are in danger, and before long he has quite the collection of children to take care of and bring to safety. The old man deals with declinining health, bombs, Nazis and intrigues. This is a wonderful novel - it is highly readable, and it has an engaging, suspenseful plot.

I'm glad I took my Dad's advice and gave this author a try. I'll be sure to take his advice more often in the future- at least on the subject of books!

Oh Merde!

Merde Happens is the third installment in the highly-addictive Merde series by Stephen Clarke (If you're not familiar with the term merde, you may want to look it up so you can appreciate the humourous titles). This clever and funny series narrates the adventures of Paul West, a Briton living in France. As Paul tries to adapt to the French way of life, he finds himself in many strange and hysterical situations.

In my opinion, Merde Happens is the best of the series thus far. In this novel, Paul finds himself in a financial tight spot and, in desperation, he takes on a dubious job. Wearing a kilt and driving a Mini (painted with a Union Jack of course), Paul travels across the United States in an attempt to persuade Americans to visit his homeland. Add a liberalist French girlfriend, sabotageurs and competitors, Britain-haters, outsourcing to India, and certain racy photos of Paul in a mini-kilt, and you've got a very funny book.

Stephen Clarke gives the French a (little) bit of a break in this novel, poking fun at Americans as only non-Americans can do. Fellow Canadians will enjoy the author's commentary as Paul encounters guns, silicone, super-sized meals, freeways, red necks and patriots. Americans who have the ability to laugh at themselves will enjoy this too. I found myself giggling aloud at several scenes in the book.

I am looking forward to reading the rest of this series, as well as Stephen Clarke's non-fiction title: Talk to the Snail: The Ten Commandments for Understanding the French.



 Merde Happens Talk to the Snail: Ten Commandments for Understanding the French