Below are the first lines of the three books I
finished reading in December.
I might have read more, but there was too much else to do, including the task of giving away nine boxes of theological and religious books from my father's shelves. I am deeply grateful to the pastors and seminary library folks who agreed to take the books. This is a miracle from heaven and means that my Mom feels one tiny bit better about her move to assisted living, and also means that I did not have to lie to her about what happened to Dad's books.
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| The trunk of my car was full of theology books. |
Book 1
Not for the first time, an argument had broken out over
breakfast at number four, Privet Drive.
Book 2
A tempestuous noise of
thunder and lightning heard.
Enter a Shipmaster and
a Boatswain
Book 3
Apart from life, a strong constitution, and an abiding
connection to the Thembu royal house, the only thing my father bestowed upon me
at birth was a name, Rolihlahla. In Xhosa, Rolihlahla literally means “pulling
the branch of a tree,” but its colloquial meaning more accurately would be
“troublemaker.”
The titles and authors revealed:
Book 1
Harry Potter and the
Chamber of Secrets, by J.K. Rowling.
Published in the UK on 2 July 1998 and
in the US on 2 June 1999.
Very much a
young adult book. I still love the
notion of a loyal yet battered flying car.
Book 2
The Tempest, by
William Shakespeare. ~1610.
(Read out
loud with Younger Daughter.) It seems
shorter than other Shakespeare plays. We
finished reading it in one afternoon. I am guessing that lots of special effects would be required to stage it. Burning questions remain after reading
it: Is Prospero an entitled jagoff or a
compassionate, forgiving nobleman? Are Iris, Ceres, and Juno in the play only to raise the number of female characters to an acceptable level? What
is freedom and which of the characters is free? Is the portrayal of the
character Caliban racist? (I read it for
book club for January.)
Book 3
Long Walk to Freedom:
The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela
by Nelson Mandela. ©
1994.
This memoir takes us from
Mandela’s early childhood, through his development into a freedom fighter, his
many years in an oppressive prison, his freedom from prison, and up to his
taking office in 1994 as president of South Africa, the first elected black
president. After so many
years in an oppressive political situation and in a brutal prison, how is it
that Mandela remained an optimist about humanity? This is a relatively lengthy book, but I was
captivated the whole time. I recommend
it.
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| The back seat of my car was full of theology books. The pressure was high to get them out of the house and out of the car. |
1 comment:
I am glad you found a satisfying home for that collection. I bet it did your heart and soul good. It would hurt to see a well-loved collection not go someplace where you knew it would be appreciated.
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