You Cannot Find Peace Until You Find All the Pieces
Marie Maiden, 2012
Lulu
64 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781105661266
Summary
You Cannot Find Peace Until You Find All The Pieces chronicles a search for my father, a man I desired to meet face-to-face. The searched lasted eighteen years. It led me to discover my ancestry, which provided the documentation that I needed to finally locate my father. I was able to find the plantation where my dead ancestors lived as slaves, brothers and a sister whom I didn't know existed before I found my living father.
This work also chronicles the role of God in my life and how my belief in Jesus Christ has transformed me and given me the strength to overcome a less than desirable childhood. The most consequential of these was a teenage pregnancy and my life as a teen mother. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth—May 24, 1964
• Where—Washington, D.C., USA
• Education—B.A., University of Maryland
• Currently—lives in Upper Marlboro, Maryland
Marie Maiden is the author of You Cannot Find Peace Until You Find All The Pieces (2012). The reviews for this great new book appear on many websites and blog sites. She has taught English comprehension at Princes George’s Community College in Largo, Maryland, and currently works as an Accountant with the Federal Government.
Ms. Marie Maiden is the youngest of five children. She was born in Washington, D.C., on May 24, 1964, and her parents separated when she was very young. She was raised by her mother and grandmother. During her teenage years, certain decisions were made for her life that created problems she never imagined or intended. Her memoir You Cannot Find Peace Until You Find All The Pieces is the story of what Marie did to save her life from complete ruin. (From the author.)
Book Reviews
This is a very amazing book I have just read. I am able to see crystal clear as to how the author was transformed despite having so many unpleasant and undesirable memories. This inspirational personal real story, filled with invaluable lessons, experience and insights really move me from the beginning till the end. I was very fascinated with how the author was being transformed and given the strength to overcome all the obstacles to become a joyful, fulfilled and wise person. This uplifting story also has a strong grounding on faith in God. I must say that this book is a wonderful story about hope, love and forgiveness. Her writing talents together with her well crafted skills brilliantly and creatively combined, really kept me turning the pages. Her braveness in sharing her ugly and shameful story is worthy of praises. I am deeply delighted to see how she can move so freely to convey Life’s message in such a powerful and insightful manner. Her story is full of expressions and emotion throughout her life - a real great insight as what truly make her better, stronger and wiser. That really drives her to beat herself to achieve greatness. Amazingly well done, I must say. This is a quick and easy read for anyone who loves light reading. Fortunately, Marie Maiden is not like many of us who have our own gifts and experience but never use them to share with others. She believes in simplicity and was focus through her writing. If the reviews she’s received thus-far are any indication, the world needed it. She uses her talents to reach and teach others.I received a review copy of the book for the purpose of writing a fair and honest review and no other compensation.
You Cannot Find Peace Until You Find All the Pieces though is a book which provides us with more than one dimension. It can help us view things not only in the physical sense, but also its related God wisdom. And more importantly, how we can apply God's wisdom and live with it. It serves wide and diverse needs especially for those who want to be exposed and learn the highest, positive and broader perspective on life. Don’t take my word for it, check it out yourself. This book also makes you gain more exposure in Christian values. It may give you a valid solid, profound and sound understanding of life given by the mighty Loving God. What I enjoyed most about this book is its fascinating way of conveying Christian values. It reflects the beauty of spreading the amazing little seed in readers' hearts, which is often underestimated. That’s what makes this book truly worth reading. As you read through the book, you’ll be able to visualise the hardship the author had to go through. This book is not meant to persuade or dissuade you – it’s meant to inform, ingrain and teach the readers in gaining the appropriate perspectives in our daily life. This book is highly recommended for reading. It is also suitable as a Christmas' and festive gifts. I thought the Title of the book is long, yet Simple, Precise and sum up the whole story. You Cannot Find Peace Until You find All the Pieces is definitely a noble goal, because it spreads the value of Christianity and prospers them to see things from the positive, profound and appropriate perspective, from God’s perspective through our daily Life. I must say that the reward of its wisdom is far more than your time, energy and money spent. Marvelous! In short, you will be empowered by its wisdom. Through consistent and persistent application by living it in your life is the surest way to ensure that you shine through your life. This book is also ideal for anyone who feels you had been living life without much meaning and is looking for inspiration to go off on your own, and dislike heavy reading. Last, but not least, this book would make a lovely valuable and meaningful Christmas present. All I can say is thank you!
James Oh - MaverickThinkerblogspot.com
I enjoyed Marie’s book on several levels. First was the historical level of her ancestry. I find that to be important in everyone’s life. The history of slavery is an abhorrent part of her history and our US history. Second is the importance of a father to a child’s life. When a father leaves and has no further input to a child’s life, it brings up many emotional issues for a child. I thought it was great that the author saw that importance and pursued finding her father, though the outcome was different from she anticipated. The third being the most important issue–a changed life in the hands of Father God through Jesus Christ. The author’s memoir chronicles her life before and after Christ. The differences are astonishing. Fourthly, I enjoyed the fact that Marie is dedicated to the transformation of her mind–a daily practice till the day we die. In addition, she recognizes obedience as a necessary part to growing spiritually. And finally, how important choices are and how they affect our lives. Some of Marie’s early choices caused problems she was not ready to deal with, but was helped tremendously by her grandmother and mother. I would like to have learned how her child dealt with her decision as he became an adult. For an uplifting story of a lost little girl to a woman of faith, this is a book to encourage you if you struggle with the emptiness of a missing father and the need for a heavenly Father. This book was provided by Marie Maiden in exchange for my honest review. No monetary compensation was exchanged I enjoyed Marie’s book on several levels. First was the historical level of her ancestry. I find that to be important in everyone’s life. The history of slavery is an abhorrent part of her history and our US history. Second is the importance of a father to a child’s life. When a father leaves and has no further input to a child’s life, it brings up many emotional issues for a child. I thought it was great that the author saw that importance and pursued finding her father, though the outcome was different from she anticipated.The third being the most important issue–a changed life in the hands of Father God through Jesus Christ. The author’s memoir chronicles her life before and after Christ. The differences are astonishing. Fourthly, I enjoyed the fact that Marie is dedicated to the transformation of her mind–a daily practice till the day we die. In addition, she recognizes obedience as a necessary part to growing spiritually. And finally, how important choices are and how they affect our lives. Some of Marie’s early choices caused problems she was not ready to deal with, but was helped tremendously by her grandmother and mother. I would like to have learned how her child dealt with her decision as he became an adult.For an uplifting story of a lost little girl to a woman of faith, this is a book to encourage you if you struggle with the emptiness of a missing father and the need for a heavenly Father.This book was provided by Marie Maiden in exchange for my honest review. No monetary compensation was exchanged.
Linda (4 of 5 stars)
This is a look at the author's life as she is looking for her father. I had a lot of apathy for her, and the people who entered her life. She searches on and off for over 18 years. She hit a lot of dead ends, and some were right, but led the wrong way. I did love the fact that she found her way to Christ, and then she found some success in finding her Dad, and some of her other family. Some parts are so very sad, but she has a sense of humor, and I found myself chuckling at some of the things she said and did! This is a quick read and the book is not very long...51 pages. Enjoy traveling with Marie in her journey.
Maureen Timerman (3 of 5 stars)
Terrific story of the struggles of a woman destined to be a mom although faced with many obstacles along the way. The story is well written and characters are well developed. Makes you care about them from the start...even those who think they are doing the right things because they are for the "right" reasons. I know there are more great novels in her future...I'm definitely a fan.
MaryAnn Koopmann (5 of 5 stars)
What a wonderful book!! Left me with goose bumps at the end. A wonderful story, fast read, you will not regret. I read this entire book in one setting, it really kept my attention. I enjoyed hearing about the authors family history. And if you are interested in your families genealogy or you are searching for a family member you need to read this book.
Melanie Lewis (4 of 5 stars)
This book is really one that has it all – history, autobiography, tale of redemption, and more and all in a very short, quick but fascinating read. I read it all in about one hour and it’s one hour that was well spent, some of Marie’s story was just overwhelming sad while others parts were filled with joy, such as finding her life in the Lord. This book will make it’s reader run the gamut of feelings and emotions. Since it’s short, I can’t give a long review of it, just know that it’s definitely worth your time if you chose to read Marie’s story. This book is really one that has it all – history, autobiography, tale of redemption, and more and all in a very short, quick but fascinating read. I read it all in about one hour and it’s one hour that was well spent, some of Marie’s story was just overwhelming sad while others parts were filled with joy, such as finding her life in the Lord. This book will make it’s reader run the gamut of feelings and emotions. Since it’s short, I can’t give a long review of it, just know that it’s definitely worth your time if you chose to read Marie’s story.
Sarah (5 of 5 stars)
Discussion Questions
1. This book is called You Cannot Find Peace Until You Find All The Pieces. Why would Marie Maiden have chosen it for the title of her book?
2. Talk about many of the broken pieces of the author's life that she writes about in her book?
3. The focus of the Marie's book centers around her desire to meet her long lost father. Discuss what it was it like for her as a child without a father?
4. The author explains in her book that she searched for her father, a search that lasted eighteen years. Why didn’t she give up? What made her keep searching for so many years?
5. What methods did the author use to find her father?
6. During her 18 year long search for her father, Marie ended up locating the plantation where her ancestors lived as slaves. What was it like for her to find the plantation home of her ancestors? What would it feel like for you?
7. Chapter three of the book is called “No One to Watch Over Me.” Did you ever feel, like Marie, that you had no one to watch over you as a child growing up?
8. Marie writes in her book that she had a less than desirable childhood. How would you describe her childhood years?
9. The author also writes about her life as a teenaged mother. What were those years like for her?
10. Chapter four is called “Trying to Find My Way on My Own.” Was the author able to find what she was searching for?
11. Marie recounts in her book that, her child was born with some health problems. Was she ever told how her child's condition occured? Talk about those problems and the hardships they brought for all involved?
12. The author wrote about being a teenaged mother of a handicapped child and the issues faced raising her child. How difficult would it be to be a child yourself and, at the same time, raise a child with special needs?
13. The focus of Marie's book is her father and her desire to meet him, a man whom she'd never met. Why was she so intent on meeting him?
(Questions provided courtesy of the author.)
The Time Between
Karen White, 2013
Penguin Group USA
352 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780451239860
Summary
Karen White delivers a novel of two generations of sisters and secrets set in the stunning South Carolina Lowcountry.
Eleanor Murray will always remember her childhood on Edisto Island, where her late father, a local shrimper, shared her passion for music. Now her memories of him are all that tempers the guilt she feels over the accident that put her sister in a wheelchair—and the feelings she harbors for her sister’s husband.
To help support her sister, Eleanor works at a Charleston investment firm during the day, but she escapes into her music, playing piano at a neighborhood bar. Until the night her enigmatic boss walks in and offers her a part-time job caring for his elderly aunt, Helena, back on Edisto. For Eleanor, it’s a chance to revisit the place where she was her happiest—and to share her love of music with grieving Helena, whose sister recently died under mysterious circumstances.
An island lush with sweetgrass and salt marshes, Edisto has been a peaceful refuge for Helena, who escaped with her sister from war-torn Hungary in 1944. The sisters were well-known on the island, where they volunteered in their church and community. But now Eleanor will finally learn the truth about their past: secrets that will help heal her relationship with her own sister—and set Eleanor free. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth—N/A
• Where—Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
• Education—B.S., Tulane University
• Currently—lives in Roswell, Georgia
Karen White is an American author of more than fifteen fiction novels. She was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma and during her childhood lived in numerous states and also in Venezula and London, England, where she graduated from The American School in London. White attended college at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, where she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Management.
Her first book, In the Shadow of the Moon was a double finalist for the Romance Writers of America RITA Award. The Girl on Legare Street hit the New York Times Best Seller list in November 2009, and On Folly Beach in May 2010, which was also a NYT bestseller.
Most of White's novels are based in the low-country of the southeastern United States. When her most recent book, The Time Between, was released in June 2013, it debuted on the NYT Bestseller list at number 25 for Hardcover fiction.
White is married with two children and lives in Roswell, Georgia. (From Wikipedia. Retrieved 7/2/2012.)
Book Reviews
Fourteen years after an accident left her sister Eve paralyzed and herself guilt-ridden, Eleanor Murray struggles to atone—not only for the accident, but also for falling in love with her brother-in-law, Glen. The accident fractured the family, dashing Eve's future as a beauty pageant contestant..... White once again crafts characters who transcend their romantic roles through their frailties and weaknesses. An appealing romance with intergenerational resonance.
Kirkus Reviews
Discussion Questions
1. “The relationships between sisters is a little piece of heaven and hell. But we share the same soul.” Do you agree with Helena’s sentiment? How does this idea unfold over the course of the novel for each pair of sisters? Why is this relationship so complicated, special? Are our siblings an extension of us?
2. From Eve’s difficult pregnancy and Glen and Ellie’s affections, to Helena and Bernadette’s wartime tragedies, every character in the story seems to carry a burden of secrets. How do these secrets shape the story? Does airing them set the characters free?
3. Why does Eve wish for a child? Do you think it is wise or fair knowing the risks? What trumps her own safety in her heart?
4. In the novel, we spend a lot of time moving in and out of Gigi’s, Helena’s, and Bernadette’s bedrooms-what do these rooms say about the characters? Do you think these rooms define or illustrate our lives?
5. What did you think was hidden in Bernadette’s bedroom?
6. Why are the Gullah sweetgrass baskets, like the “secret keeper,” so significant? What kind of magic do you think is woven into them at the time of their creation?
7. How do Helena and Ellie mirror each other in terms of the guilt they feel over the past? Is forgiveness possible for either one?
8. Why do you think the author chose the title “The Time Between”? What does it mean in the context of the story?
9. How does Ellie’s caretaking of Helena transform them, even heal, them both? Why does Ellie stick with the job as Helena works to sabotage any relationship? When do things start to change?
10. Did you suspect any of the twists in the book? Which ones? Where did you think the paintings originated from?
11. Were you shocked by the revelations about Ben and Samuel’s fates? Could you ever imagine having to make such a set of life or death choices-especially if as a mother? Does knowing this background help you make sense of Helena’s behaviors? Do you think she did the “right” thing?
12. What does the Gullah woman mean by “All goodbye ain’t gone”? What does it mean to Ellie? Gigi?
13. What does it mean for Ellie to finally play the Chopin piece?
(Questions from author's website.)
Children of the Jacaranda Tree
Sahar Delijani, 2013
Atria Books
282 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781476709093
Summary
Neda is born in Tehran’s Evin Prison, where her mother is allowed to nurse her for a few months before the arms of a guard appear at the cell door one day and, simply, take her away.
In another part of the city, three-year-old Omid witnesses the arrests of his political activist parents from his perch at their kitchen table, yogurt dripping from his fingertips. More than twenty years after the violent, bloody purge that took place inside Tehran’s prisons, Sheida learns that her father was one of those executed, that the silent void firmly planted between her and her mother all these years was not just the sad loss that comes with death, but the anguish and the horror of murder.
These are the Children of the Jacaranda Tree. Set in post-revolutionary Iran from 1983 to 2011, this stunning debut novel follows a group of mothers, fathers, children, and lovers, some related by blood, others brought together by the tide of history that washes over their lives. Finally, years later, it is the next generation that is left with the burden of the past and their country’s tenuous future as a new wave of protest and political strife begins.
Children of the Jacaranda Tree is an evocative portrait of three generations of men and women inspired by love and poetry, burning with idealism, chasing dreams of justice and freedom. Written in Sahar Delijani’s spellbinding prose, capturing the intimate side of revolution in a country where the weight of history is all around, it is a moving tribute to anyone who has ever answered its call. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth—1983
• Where—Tehren, Iran
• Raised—California, USA
• Education—B.A., University of California, Berkeley
• Currently—lives in Turin, Italy
Sahar Delijani was born in Tehran's Evin Prison in 1983 and grew up in California, where she graduated from the University of California, Berkeley. Her work has been published in a broad spectrum of literary journals and publications, including The Battered Suitcase, Tryst, Slice Magazine, Prick of the Spindle, Perigee, Border Hopping, Berkeley Poetry Review, and Sangam Review. She was nominated for the 2010 and 2011 Pushcart Prize and was for a time a regular contributor to Iran-Emrooz (Iran of Today) Political and Cultural Journal. She makes her home with her husband in Turin, Italy. Children of the Jacaranda Tree is her first novel.
Book Reviews
Born in 1983 in an Iranian prison, Delijani delivers a fictionalized account of her harrowing origins.... After this strong opening in Evin Prison, Delijani turns from the powerful immediacy of Azar’s fight to the struggle outside, touching on the bleak sadness of four prisoners’ families over three repetitious sections.... A contrivance connects her to the Arab Spring through the son of a Revolutionary Guard, leaving it unclear if she’ll be able to fully transcend her bloody history.
Publishers Weekly
Filled with compelling characters and poetic language, this beautiful and poignant novel highlights the unbreakable bond between parent and child, and a people’s passionate dedication to their homeland, despite its many flaws.
Booklist
Children of the Jacaranda Tree is a beautifully rendered tale that reads almost like a collection of connected short stories, with characters’ perspectives and histories being unveiled as they intersect with one another.
BookPage
Iran-born Delijani pens a horrifying picture of life in her home country in this sad yet compelling first novel.... Delijani is exceptionally talented as a writer, and the subject matter is both compelling and timely, however some of her imagery is jarring and seems out of place, and the relentlessly depressing storyline may make some readers uncomfortable. Delijani falls back on her family's personal experience to write this searing and somber slice-of-life novel, centered around children whose parents were singled out for persecution by the Iranian government, and scores a win with her grittiness and uncompromising realism.
Kirkus Reviews
Discussion Questions
1. Delijani’s gorgeous novel is based, at least partially, on the author’s own experiences—she was born in Iran in 1983—and the stories of her family and friends who lived through the Revolution. How are we to read her interpretation of the events that she describes? Can an author ever separate her own story from the fictional world she creates? Should she? How does our own history and upbringing affect how we as readers interpret what we read?
2. The capital city Tehran is the backdrop for much of the action in this story, and is in some ways almost a character on its own. And yet some characters are drawn to the city, against all odds and in the face of all logic, while others are lured away from it, for education, for safety, for reasons they can’t explain. How does proximity to the city affect the decisions different characters make? In what ways does landscape shape who we become?
3. The characters we meet throughout this book often don’t immediately seem to be connected, but it is slowly revealed how intricately intertwined their stories are and how each of their experiences brings them close to each other as if they were a family. In what ways is this like real life? How is it different? How do you think history plays a role in creating bonds between people that otherwise will not have existed?
4. The children born after the Revolution are affected by what happened to their parents, and to their country, in different ways. And yet each, in their own way, wants what Donya wants, to “finish everything their parents left undone.” (p. 223) How do you see each of the characters of the younger generation wrestling with this in different ways? Do you think this is a universal theme? Does every generation essentially fight the same fight? How do you see this in other cultures and other periods in history?
5. “Truth,” Sheida says, when she finds out her mother has lied to her about how her father died, “cannot have so many sides.” (p. 181) Do you agree?
6. “If it’s anything that can easily be articulated in an article, then it’s an insult to put the same thoughts and ideas into the language of poetry,” Omid says. “It sullies its essence, because poetry is there to say what cannot be said.” (p. 220) Do you agree with his sentiments? How does this affect the form this story takes? Why do you think the author chose to write a novel based on her family’s experiences instead of a nonfiction piece? Do you think poetry or a novel can ever communicate a message better than nonfiction?
7. “We all have a tree inside of us,” Ismael has told Azar. “Finding it is just a matter of time.” (p. 36) What do you think this means? How do the characters reflect this? What does the jacaranda tree represent?
8. For each character, in one way or another, there's some hope that accompanies them at the end of their stories. The only character who is left with nothing is Donya. Why do you think this is?
(Questions issued by publisher.)
The English Girl (Gabriel Allon #13)
Daniel Silva, 2013
HarperCollins
496 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780062270924
Summary
Seven days.... One girl.... No second chances.
Madeline Hart is a rising star in Britain's governing party: beautiful, intelligent, driven by an impoverished childhood to succeed. But she is also a woman with a dark secret: she is the lover of Prime Minister Jonathan Lancaster. Somehow, her kidnappers have learned of the affair, and they intend to make the British leader pay dearly for his sins. Fearful of a scandal that will destroy his career, Lancaster decides to handle the matter privately rather than involve the British police. It is a risky gambit, not only for the prime minister but also for the operative who will conduct the search.
You have seven days, or the girl dies.
Enter Gabriel Allon—master assassin, art restorer and spy—who is no stranger to dangerous assignments or political intrigue. With the clock ticking, Gabriel embarks on a desperate attempt to bring Madeline home safely. His mission takes him from the criminal underworld of Marseilles to an isolated valley in the mountains of Provence to the stately if faded corridors of power in London—and, finally, to a pulse-pounding climax in Moscow, a city of violence and spies where there is a long list of men who wish Gabriel dead.
From the novel's opening pages until the shocking ending when the true motives behind Madeline's disappearance are revealed, The English Girl will hold readers spellbound. It is a timely reminder that, in today's world, money often matters more than ideology. And it proves once again why Daniel Silva has been called his generation's finest writer of suspense and foreign intrigue. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth—November 30, 1959
• Where—Michigan, USA
• Raised—California
• Currently—lives in Washington, D.C.
Daniel Silva was attending graduate school in San Francisco when United Press International offered him a temporary job covering the 1984 Democratic National Convention. Later that year, the wire service offered him full-time employment; he quit grad school and went to work for UPI—first in San Francisco, then in Washington, D.C., and finally as a Middle East Correspondent posted in Cairo. While covering the Iran-Iraq War in 1987, he met NBC correspondent Jamie Gangel. They married, and Silva returned to Washington to take a job with CNN.
Silva was still at CNN when, with the encouragement of his wife, he began work on his first novel, a WWII espionage thriller. Published in 1997, The Unlikely Spy became a surprise bestseller and garnered critical acclaim. ("Evocative.... Memorable..." said the Washington Post; "Briskly suspenseful," raved the New York Times). On the heels of this somewhat unexpected success, Silva quit his job to concentrate on writing.
Other books followed, all earning respectable reviews; but it was Silva's fourth novel that proved to be his big breakthrough. Featuring a world-famous art restorer and sometime Israeli agent named Gabriel Allon, The Kill Artist (2000) fired public imagination and soared to the top of the bestseller charts. Gabriel Allon has gone on to star in several sequels, and his creator has become one of our foremost novelists of espionage intrigue, earning comparisons to such genre superstars as John le Carre, Frederick Forsythe, and Robert Ludlum. Silva's books have been translated into more than 25 languages and have been published around the world. (From Barnes & Noble.)
Book Reviews
[Silva’s] 13 Gabriel Allon novels have both entertained and informed tens of millions of readers about the realities of world in which we live more than any other writer over the past decade…. You will read the book in at most a couple of sittings.
National Examiner
Although Gabriel’s adventures are set in the real world of greedy politicians and grabs for control of a diminishing supply of natural resources, ‘Israel’s avenging angel’ has the superhuman abilities that make for a satisfying fantasy.
St. Louis Dispatch
This is thriller writing at the highest level, offering up a tight plot, believable characters, and an ending that even the most jaded of readers probably won’t see coming.
Denver Post
Fast-paced intrigue and provocative characters make this a fine addition to an outstanding series.
People Magazine
Allon is a great political operative, but Silva is an even greater writer. That is what makes The English Girl a must read.
Huffington Post
Someone once said that their favorite books are ones that entertain and inform at the same time. The English Girl is one of those novels….A top-notch, old-fashioned East-meets-West, cloak-and-dagger thriller.
Bookreporter.com
One of the more unusual literary spies is Gabriel Allon, an Israeli intelligence officer who wants to retire so he can continue as an artist restoring damaged master artworks. But life interferes, and thank goodness, because otherwise we wouldn’t have such great novels from Daniel Silva.
Lincoln Joural Star
Spectacular....This captivating new page-turner from the undisputed master of spy fiction is sure to thrill new and old fans alike.
D.C. Spotlight
To call The English Girl a page turner is an oversimplification. Smart, unpredictable, and packed with bits of history, art, heart, and imagination, this is a page turner to be savored.... And it’s been a while since I grabbed anyone by the lapels and said, “Read this now,” so let me strongly suggest that you take The English Girl to the beach, or wherever summer may take you.
Neal Thompson - Amazon Best Book of the Month
As usual, Silva takes the reader hostage from page one with his canny mix of spy craft and suspense…. Silva’s ongoing ability to combine le Carre-like texture with high energy plotting has produced a string of commercial and critical successes. Chalk up another one.
Booklist
Silva drops Israeli superspy Gabriel Allon into a fractious encounter with the KGB's ugly remnants. Ambivalent and angst-filled agent Allon prefers painting, along with his passion for restoring the artwork of the masters.... But duty calls.... Silva's...accomplished character sketches...are captivating. Nevertheless, Silva seems intent on...lacing the narrative with historical factoids and geographical minutia each time Allon sets foot in a new locale. Literate, top-notch action laced with geopolitical commentary.
Kirkus Reviews
Discussion Questions
1. Gabriel Allon has settled with Chiara in Jerusalem. Considering this location and the specific description of their home at the beginning of Chapter 3, how would you describe the state he's in at this point in his life?
2. Consider the fictional version of the painting of Susanna and the Elders believed to be by Jacopo Bassano. What do the details offered about her story add to how you think about Madeline Hart?
3. Gabriel, once a talented painter of original works, admits he began to study art restoration because his profound and brutal three-year experience at the center of operation Wrath of God changed him. What might he have lost that a creative artist needs?
4. Graham Seymour, Deputy Director of Britain's MI5, is close to Gabriel as fellow members of "a secret brotherhood who did the unpleasant chores no one else was willing to do" to keep their countries safe. What else accounts for Gabriel's willingness to trust and work with him?
5. Seymour responds to Gabriel's compliment about an esteemed career by saying that "it's difficult to measure success in the security business, isn't it? We're judged on things that don't happen—the secrets that aren't stolen, the buildings that don't explode. It can be...profoundly unsatisfying." What are other important careers or actions that prove difficult to measure regarding success?
6. After Madeline is kidnapped, she appears in a video "as if she were responding to questions posed by a television interview." What connotations does this simile, another journalistic reference, add to the scene?
7. In what various ways does the relationship between Gabriel and Chiara demonstrate real equality? In what ways are they valuably different?
8. What layers of meaning are added to the novel by the fictional discovery and museum exhibition of the "twenty-two pillars of Solomon's Temple"?
9. How does Chiara's tragic experience at the hands of Ivan Kharkov and that of Gabriel's first wife and only son Daniel affect Gabriel's decisions and actions regarding Madeline Hart?
10. What does the location of Corsica and what goes on there bring to the novel? What about the details of the macchia?
11. Examine the fascinating character of the signadora. What does her supernatural presence and behavior bring to the novel? How does this fit or contradict Gabriel's belief system, one quite important to how he goes about his job? What are the possible benefits or dangers of belief in such a medium?
12. Consider the character of Christopher Keller and his elaborate evolution from upper-middle-class Brit to rebellious soldier and top member of the SAS's Regiment to presumed dead rogue assassin-for-hire employed by Don Orsati. In what ways are he and Gabriel similar or different?
13. Explain the details and psychology that allows Gabriel to trust and work with Keller, someone who was at one point hired to kill him. What qualities are necessary to transform a work relationship into a friendship?
14. What does the banter between Gabriel and Christopher Keller add to the novel? What's the role of humor in a work of such weighty subject matter?
15. Consider the many artists and works of art mentioned throughout the novel (Bassano, Viktor Frankel, Bellini's San Zaccaria altarpiece, Cezanne, Matisse, Monet, Puccini, Wagner, Dumas, Dickens, Forster, etc.). What specific and overall effects do such references have?
16. A number of times Gabriel mentions the immense amount of waiting, often intense or stressful waiting, "always the waiting." What's challenging about such a seemingly simple activity?
17. Will Gabriel make a good director of Israel's secret intelligence service? Why or why not?
18. What profound effects would becoming a father again have on Gabriel?
(Questions issued by publisher.)
Space Pilot Conor Grant
Todd Templeman, 2012
Logic Factory
446 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780988297500
Summary
Space is lovely, dark, and deep, but he has promises to keep ....
In a future that embraces humanity's desire to explore and exploit the Solar System, raiding pirates have managed to hide their enormous strange base somewhere inside it. Space Pilot, Connor Grant, is about to learn just how immense it can be out there. Even in the age of metadrives, rescuing a friend lost in the Outer System is no easier than finding a coin tossed in the ocean.
And while pilots enjoy visiting the great cities of the Inner System, as engineers continue upgrading their ships with fantastic inventions, everybody will find out soon enough that someone tougher than pirates has been hunting in the Asteroid Belt. (From the book cover.)
Author Bio
• Birth—1970
• Where—Seattle, Washington, USA
• Education—B.A., University of California, Berkeley
• Awards—CODIE Award (computer games industry award)
• Currently—currently lives in California
Born in Seattle, WA in 1970, Templeman spent his childhood moving around the world as his parents chased one adventure after another. From his family's American-style pizza franchise—the first of its kind in Australia—to the oil business in Dallas, Texas, to owning Kentucky Derby co-favorite, Total Departure (1982), Templeman learned that the key ingredient to making any dream happen is belief.
Templeman has worked in the computer games industry, specializing in sci-fi games for seventeen years. He produced the game, "Ascendancy," first released in 1996, which won the CODIE Award for Best Strategy Software, and is now on the iTunes App Store, where it has been featured globally as a Staff Favorite. Before that he attended UC Berkeley, majoring in English. He lives with his family in California.
Templeman began work on SPCG with his seven year old son, as they told stories together about space. He finished the first book in the series when his son was fifteen, and readers will see the characters in the book mature throughout. No—the author having fully succumbed to the writing bug—Book Two in the "Space Pilot" series is in progress, and will be on the shelves soon. The first four chapters of Book Two, Sheyn's Retreat are included in the current edition of Space Pilot Connor Grant as an excerpt at the end. (From the author.)
Book Reviews
(See Amazon for additional customer reviews.)
The characters are well developed and the plot does keep you interested to the very end.
Robert
Waiting impatiently for the next book.
Steve Kile
Here is another excellent addition to the science fiction genre.
E. Duffield
Discussion Questions
1. If you could have the chance to live in a metropolis on Mars, what would most attract you to making the move?
2. If you found yourself living further out in the Solar System, where the law cannot yet reach, what things would you try to do to keep yourself reasonably secure?
3. In spite of the viciousness of Dav Sheyn, do you share any of his frustrations with what he claims is a ubiquitous injustice in modern civilization?
4. SPOILER ALERT: What would be your reaction if you suddenly discovered that humanity had created an entirely new species of terrifying creature, based on manipulating the human genome. Would these creatures, created by man, be born with natural rights?
5. If you could equip your own spaceship, can you think of any gadgets, gizmos, or features you wish you could have that you've never heard of before?
6. What do you think would happen to you if you went to the authorities with absolute proof in-hand that you had discovered a hostile alien species?
7. In an age where practically anything can be faked, whether audio, video, or written on the page, do you think something like the Notary Corps will be necessary in the near future?
8. If technology advanced to the point where individuals could reasonably protect themselves and their children against aggressors, do you think it would be possible—somewhere—for a human society to prosper in the total absence of rules?
(Questions provided by author.)