Reading Recommendations from the Northwoods

Between Two Kingdoms--Suleika Jaouad

 

Between Two Kingdoms is aptly subtitled "A Memoir of a Life Interrupted."     Suleika Jaouad is a twenty-three-year-old college graduate, in love and on her way to Paris for her dream first job, when annoying itches on her feet and legs develop.    She certainly could not have guessed that those innocuous symptoms could be the start of a fight with leukemia that would take four years of treatment to save her own life.

But, when she finally recovered, she realized she had no "real life" to get back to.   She says she knew how to be sick, but she didn't know how to live her life being well.    

And, that is the divider in the two sections of this very readable memoir.    The first half tells of the ups and downs of cancer treatment for Suleika and her family and boyfriend.   But, the second half tells of the 15,000 mile road trip she and her dog took, to meet people who had written to her in treatment, and to discover how she wanted to live again.

I thought both sections were compelling and memorable.   In each, Suleika was supported by others as she used her own courage and abilities to make the best life from each set of circumstances.   Her writing is easy to read, but carries you right along as she moves from one "kingdom" to another.  

(And if you watch Stephen Colbert on TV, watch for a famous person from his show toward the end.) 

 

"Between Two Kingdoms will resonate with anyone who is living a different life than they planned to live."   Tara Westover, author of Educated. 

“Memorable, lyrical, and ultimately hopeful: a book that speaks intently to anyone who suffers from illness and loss.”—Kirkus Reviews

 

The Five Wounds---Kirsten Valdez Quade

 

I read a lot of books----and then promptly forget many of them.   But, for The Five Wounds, I remember the characters vividly, even weeks after finishing the book.   

This struggling family in New Mexico is so believable and interesting that I thought about them when I was away from the book.   Amadeo is the 33-year-old unemployed son, living with his mother who supports the family.   His 15-year-old, pregnant daughter Angel shows up on their doorstep, after a big argument with her mother.   The plot follows those characters, in addition to Angel's baby son following his birth, her white teacher at her intervention GED program, Amadeo's uncle, and Angel's friends from school.

Book clubs will want to discuss if some of the plot sequences are funny (Amadeo's attempts to start his own windshield repair business, for example) or just plain sad.    And, I will be interested to discuss how the "five wounds" of Christ, referenced in the title, are reflected in the rest of the novel.   

The Five Wounds  is extremely well- written, but it's not difficult to read.  Let yourself get past the first few pages, which describe an old, traditional Good Friday procession, and I think you will find yourself drawn into the lives of this large American family.   It's one of the best books I have read for quite some time.

 

"With beautifully layered relationships and an honest yet profoundly empathetic picture of a rural community―where the families proudly trace their roots back to the Spanish conquistadors while struggling with poverty and a deadly drug epidemic―this novel is a brilliant meditation on love and redemption. Perfectly rendered characters anchor a novel built around a fierce, flawed, and loving family."
― Kirkus Reviews (starred review)