The Memory Keeper’s Daughter

Title: The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
Author: Kim Edwards

I got this book at the Kinokuniya store in town. I have to be honest, the thing that caught my eye was the cover jacket. Looking at the title, I thought it was a book by Amy Tan or something. I remember that she has a book of a similar title. I really enjoy reading Amy Tan so I was excited that she has another book out. When I read that this book is about a girl with Down syndrome, I just had to buy it; my niece has Down syndrome. That was way back in Feburary or so. No, it’s not that it took me so long to read the book. But it did take me this long to get down to writing a review. So here goes, retrospectively, that is.

About the book: it starts off with a nurse, Caroline, being infatuated with a doctor, Dr. David Henry, she was working with. However, the doctor has married another woman, Norah, and they were going to have twins. In the cold winter blizzard of 1964, Norah gave birth to twins – a boy, Paul, and a girl, Phoebe. But Phoebe has Down syndrome, and Dr David Henry, decides to institutionalise Phoebe without the knowledge of Norah. He tells her that Phoebe has died at birth. Meanwhile, Caroline, who was tasked with carrying baby Phoebe to an institution decides to bring up the baby herself. She leaves town with Phoebe without the knowledge of Dr Henry.

One must remember that this was back in the 1960s when people think that institutionalisation would be the best for such children. Of course, nowadays, early intervention and integration into society is more the norm. But Dr Henry’s own motivation for sending Phoebe away is more complex – he grew up with a sister plagued with a heart disease, whose death had devastated their mother. He did not want his wife to suffer the same fate as his mother. All in good intention it seems. But Norah is not his mother. He should not have made the assumption that he knows what is best for her. For all you know, she might be strong enough to live with it. But she never got the chance to know for herself. And this secret, that Dr Henry had sent his own daughter away, drove a wedge into the relationship of the couple, and affected the whole family as well. The couple grew apart and Paul, the son, grew up distant from Dr Henry. In the end, Norah had an affair while they were holidaying in Aruba, witnessed by both father and son. Dr Henry turned to photography, spending long hours in his darkroom, while Paul left home to pursue his music.

Meanwhile, Caroline has set up home in Pittsburgh, Dr Henry’s family home, with Phoebe and became close to truck driver Al whom she eventually weds. Al is the guy she had met that night she was driving away from Kentucky with Phoebe. In Pittsburgh, Caroline (and Phoebe)stayed Leo March whom she had been hired to take care of (since she is a certified nurse) by Leo’s daughter, Doro. Phoebe grows up strong and healthy, different from the sickly child that her father had predicted at her birth. Caroline keeps in contact with Dr Henry by sending him photos of Phoebe while he in turn sends her money. But he makes no attempt to track down their whereabouts.

Towards the end of the book, Dr Henry returns to Pittsburgh for a photography exhibition and returns to his old home. He finds a pregnant 16-year-old Rosemary squatting there and brings her home. Everyone talks about their relationship. All Dr Henry wanted to do was make up for abandoning his own daughter, something he couldn’t really tell his wife and son. It led to the final breakdown of his family. Eventually, he dies. And with his death, Phoebe finally reunites with her mother and brother Paul.

I thought the book was pretty well-written, at least in the beginning. The story shifts from Dr Henry to Caroline from chapter to chapter and you are drawn into their worlds as you read. Although it seems so wrong for him to send his own daughter away and lie to his wife about it, you kind of sympathise with Dr Henry and can empathise with him, given his childhood with his sickly sister. At the same time, you also wonder about this man who makes use of his subordinate’s love for him by getting her (Caroline) to do the “dirty” work of sending his daughter to the institution for him. He is in fact not just asking her to do the dirty deed, but also keeping it a secret from his wife. That, I think, is really dastardly. Isn’t this just as bad as adultery? He is sharing a very intimate secret with her without the knowledge of his wife. In that sense, the characterisation of Dr David Henry was pretty successful. You have an ambivalent feeling towards him and his actions.

My only complaint is the length of the book. Not that I don’t like long books. Just that towards the end, I don’t get the feeling that the bits at the end are really meaningful. Or should I say I don’t feel that things are resolved successfully. I really don’t understand the introduction of Rosemary to make the family more estranged then they already are. Somehow, the last few chapters just don’t sit well with me. I’m not asking for neat happy endings. In fact, the morbid me likes unhappy endings. I strongly detest happily-ever-after endings, especially in our local dramas, where there’s a mass wedding in the final episode. So fake. While there’s no mass wedding here, there is a wedding at the end, Norah’s wedding, which Paul and Phoebe attend. I just wish that the ending was less draggy. That would have make the pace of the book more consistent, in my opinion. But overall, the book was a good read. The cover jacket is definitely eye-catching.

A made-for-television movie premiered on April 12, 2008, on Lifetime. The cast included Dermot Mulroney as David, Gretchen Mol as Norah, and Emily Watson as Caroline. The adolescent and adult Phoebe is played by Krystal Hope Nausbaum, an actress with Down syndrome.

Persepolis

Title: Persepolis
Author: Marjane Satrapi

I bought this book when I was holidaying in Macau with some friends. Will post photos of that trip later. Anyway, we went with the intention of shopping and eating, at least I did. In the end, we did eat a lot, but the shopping wasn’t as great as I had expected. We did take the ferry to Hong Kong for more shopping and eating. That’s when my friend brought me to this bookshop, one of those second storey shops. Now bookshops in HK or Macau are really not my thing. My friends spent hours in this bookshop in Zhu Hai (China), near Macau. It was horrible for me mainly because I don’t read Chinese books. It’s not worth the trouble. By which I mean my Chinese is so bad it would take far too much time to read. I would say my Chinese is as bad as my Japanese. In any case, the books here are in the traditional script, which makes it even harder for me.

But back to the bookshop on the second storey in Hong Kong. It stocks English books! I was elated to say the least. Something for me to browse, yeah! In fact, the English book selection here is actually pretty good and the prices are really reasonable. So I had a mini shopping spree there. Since I couldn’t find clothes interesting enough for me to part with my money. One of the books I bought there was this one – Persepolis.

I heard about this graphic novel because of the movie that was coming out. Thought that it would be interesting to read the book. I’m that kind of person – I usually prefer to read the book first before watching the movie. Except for some books – like the Lord of the Rings which I didn’t get a chance to read before watching.

Back to the book, it’s actually really funny. I actually finished reading this quite some time ago (right after the trip), so I’m basically reviewing based on my memory.

I’ve never read a graphic novel before. In fact, before they were make into movies, I’ve never heard of the term “graphic novel”. I’ve heard of comics -I grew up on a heathly diet of Archie and Judgehead and Lao Fu Zi (Old Master Q). But I’ve never been into Marvel Comics, which probably explains my not being exposed to the term. In any case, Persepolis is an interesting read.

The frames are all done in black and white, unlike what I’m used to in Archie, but that’s okay. The story and themes seem to go well with the plain monochrome tone. Or is it the other way round? Anyway, I like the humourous way that Marjane Satrapi has brought out the serious issues concerning her hometown.

The Middle East, and Persia in particular, is a mysterious place to me. It’s intriguing and from some books I’ve seen, absolutely beautiful. But also forbidden. In the sense that it is not a safe place for a Christian woman to travel to. Alone, which is usually how I travel (with the exception being this Macau/HK/Zhu Hai trip). So books open the door for me to get into the culture and mores for the region. In fact, Persepolis is not the first book about Persia that I’ve read. Many years ago, when I was in a Middle-Eastern phase (I was really interested in Islam and considered reading the Qur’an), I read quite a number of books. If I remember correctly, one was about English girls forced into arranged marriages by their Muslim father. A couple were by this Saudi princess about her decandent life as a filthy rich in the Arabian desert. Two which stood out for me were Daughter of Persia and Not Without My Daughter.

Title: Daughter of Persia: A Woman’s Journey from Her Father’s Harem Through the Islamic Republic (1992)
Author: Sattareh Farman Farmaian

Title: Not Without My Daughter (1991)
Author: Betty Mahmoody

Oh yah, back to the book. It’s kind of a Bildungsroman where the author shows her growth psychological and socially from a young girl living in Iran to her days studying in Austria to her homecoming to Iran, her marriage and divorce and eventual move to France.

The POV for each stage of her life are related to that particular stage, so the innocence and naïvety of youth is felt during her recount of her childhood where the things she say are shocking for the adults, but so typical of children in the sense that they are true but so very un-PC (politically correct). In the later stages, you get the sense of cynicism from someone who has seen and done it all, having gone through so much. In between, there’s also the sense of lost she felt when she was studying in Austria. So the whole gamut of emotions is present.

I guess I am drawn to books that explore the sense of identity in individuals as they try to decipher their place in the world. In a way, it kind of reflects my own inner struggles and I feel this connection with such kindred souls, if I may call them that. That is why I like Asian American literature (I’m not saying this one is lah).

After reading the book (which is actually a collection of 2), I don’t feel the need to watch the movie anymore. Well, actually, I did try to watch it online, but I fell asleep halfway and gave up. Not that it’s boring or what, but I guess the book is great enough. I don’t need the frames to be animated and all that. So in the end, reading still beats passive watching, couch-potato-style.

Can’t find the book now. Must have lent it to someone. Need to keep track of my books…

for one more day

Title: for one more day
Author: Mitch Albom

Just finished reading this book. Started reading it over the weekend. I had actually bought this book some time ago at Kinokuniya where they were having the 20% discount for privilege card holders during specific times of the year. But as usual, I left it sitting on the shelf and kind of forgot about it. It was hiding behind other books that I was planning to read. So, this weekend, having nothing to read, I scanned my shelf for something to read. All the rest of the books were kind of thick, so I decided to read this one since it’s thinner.

The first book by Mitch Albom that I read was actually the five people you meet in heaven. I had chanced upon it at, guess where? Kinokuniya of course. But a different one. The Japanese one in the countryside which had a limited stock of English books (like 2 shelves’ worth). However, limited the stock may be, it does have a pretty updated one, ne. So, anyway, I really enjoyed that book and I went out and got another of Albom’s books, tuesday with Morrie,from the same said Kino@countryside, which is actually his first book. Anyway, I enjoyed that book (5 people, that is), so when I saw for one more day, I didn’t hesitate to buy it.

Coming back to for one more day, it’s about being given a second chance with people you love. In this case, the second chance has been given to Charles “Chick” Benetto, a former major league baseball-player turn salesman who was so down on his luck that he tried to kill himself. His mother had died 8 years ago, one day after her birthday. Chick had earlier lied to her to go to play at an old-timers’ baseball match after being abetted by his estranged father, thus missing the chance to see her for the last time. Filled with regret, his life spiralled out of control as he gave in to despair and drink and withdrew from his own family. The final straw came when he was not invited to his own daughter’s wedding. With the intention of ending his life, he travelled to his hometown and miraculously met his mother and spent a day with her. During that time, clues that this special moment with his mom probably happened in his mind, and the real situation is that he was being rescued by paramedics after crashing his car and attempting suicide by jumping off a water tank were littered all over. These were intertwined with stories of the past, showing the kind of childhood that Chick had – a missing dad that he was trying to gain approval of, a supportive mom whom he couldn’t appreciate until it was too late. That’s even a twist, maybe not a twist, but an unexpected turn of events at the end. I shan’t give it away here though.

Basically, this book is quite similar to the five people you meet in heaven. It’s about appreciating your family and not regretting not doing enough for them (oops, double negatives – not supposed to do that). While it gives you a warm fuzzy feeling, it also felt a little contrite at times. It’s kind of a tried-and-tested formula for the author. I think. I guess for me, of the 3 books I’ve read, I still prefer the first one I read, the five people you meet in heaven.

This book (as with the others) has been made into a movie with the endorsement of Oprah whose support for Tuesdays helped it to become the best-seller it is.

The entire film is available there, actually. But having read the book already, I don’t really feel that there is really much of a need to watch the movie. But that’s just me. I prefer the printed word.

Jia: A Novel of North Korea

Title: Jia: A Novel of North Korea
Author: Hyejin Kim

I chanced upon this book when I went to the local library the other day. I was just browsing, and this book was just sort of there. The title sounded really familiar and the cover art too. On the back cover, the blurb says that it is reminiscent of Red Azalea. I’ve read that book before, and although I didn’t like the writing style of Anchee Min, I like the insights to the historical background. So I borrowed the book.

The extended introduction reminds me of Yann Martel’s Life of Pi. It gives you a feeling like this is a non-fiction, biographical book. For a while, as I was reading it, I thought I was reading some Korean woman’s life story, her memoirs, when in fact, the subtitle already tells you that this is in fact a novel. Granted, the story of Jia is based on the people that author Kim has met due to her involvement with North Korean refugees as well as real events in North Korea’s history, but as Kim puts it in her biographical sketch, the novel “was inspired by her human rights work with North Korea refugees in northern China.”

I say this because the life that the protagonist Jia leads is too charmed to be real. Ah, but then that can also be said about Anchee Min’s life as told in Red Azalea. And as someone completely ignorant of the hermit kingdom, I guess I’m in no place to pass that kind of judgement. But still, as I was reading the book, which I must say I thoroughly enjoyed and had difficulty putting down, I couldn’t help but feel that the circumstances are kind of incredulous. Examples of Korean drama-type scenarios:

1. Jia’s parents are star-crossed lovers – her mother, a talented dancer is of good up-bringing (“core-class”, her father having a high position in the army and her mother a principal of a college); her father was a lowly school teacher with a difficult background (reactionary element) who had committed political treason which had landed the family (Jia’s paternal grandparents, her mother [who was pregnant with her when they first got there but subsequently died giving birth to her - how very very Korean drama], her sister and herself) in a political concentration camp.
2. Encounter with Uncle Shin leading to her escaping from the concentration camp and arriving at Pyongyang. I can really picture this escape scene on screen.
3. Ending up in an ophanage after being rejected by her mother’s parents in Pyongyang.
4. Coming under the tutelage of Teacher Song, who happens to be her mother’s teacher as well, for the World Festival of Youth.
5. Her relationship with Seunggyu whose contempt for people with her background and his suspicion of her led to her decision to cross the border into China.
6. Jia’s friendship with Sangwon, a little boy who helped her to cross over to China.
7. Sub-plots involving Sunyoung (a fellow dancer who prostituted herself to foreigners) and her neigbour Sun and her boyfriend Gun who was coerced into spying for the North in China.
8. Finally, getting help from Jin Xuezhen, a Korean-Chinese who had grown up in England, who had rescued her from the karaoke bar she had been sold to in China.

But it’s all these scenarios that make for a great dramatic read, although I felt like I had to take everything with a pinch of salt, as I wasn’t sure how much to believe.

I guess that’s my only complaint, if you can call it that. I really want to know more about the situation in North Korea and what life there is like. While the book has given me a glimpse of it, there are bits that are so dramatic that I find it hard to take seriously. In the end, although the inspiration for the story may be drawn from real people, the events and circumstances are too far-fetched to really touch me deeply. But as my first book on North Korea, I think it is a good introduction to this reclusive country. As much as I feel the circumstances are over dramatic (well, actually only Jia’s charmed life I find hard to swallow), I’m sure there are indeed North Koreans living that kind of living hell, and the saddest part is that they aren’t even aware of it. But maybe ignorance is not such a bad thing afterall in this case – what you don’t know can’t hurt you, something like that.

I’m looking forward to reading more books on the North. One of them is The Reluctant Communist: My Desertion, Court-Martial, and Forty-Year Imprisonment in North Korea by Charles Robert Jenkins. Jenkins is the US Army deserter who married Soga Hitomi, the Japanese who was kidnapped by the North. Soga is from Sado Island near where I was at. I think I’ve seen her daughters Belinda and Mika around town before. The other is Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea by French-Canadian cartoonist Guy Delisle. I reckon it will be like Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi which I have also read recently (which I intend to write a review of when I have the time).

Incidently, doing a search on the author, I found out that she might actually be based here in the same city as I am right now! And from her blog, it seems she probably lives pretty near me too… Well, I hope she doesn’t think that I’m cyber-staking her (I’m not, honestly) for digging up this piece of info.

Finally, came across an entry on Youth.Sg by Pek Yipeng on a trip to North Korea by the Singapore Students Association (SSA) in Beijing University. Interesting account and pictures.

The Kite Runner

Title: The Kite Runner
Author: Khaled Hosseini

I hope to be able to write good book reviews in Japanese, but for now, I’ll go back to using the language that I’m most comfortable with.

I’ve been watching a lot of movies and tv shows on the internet and haven’t been doing that much reading. I have to say, when I was in Japan, I read more. More time, and not internet connection at home. I remember going to the Kinokuniya shop downtown every week and looking for something good to read. Quite difficult considering the range of English books is rather limited. Then I discovered the local library with a pretty large selection of foreign books (including Chinese, Korean and Russian). I felt like a little kid let lose in a candy shop. Pure bliss.

Nowadays, I hardly go to the local library, eventhough the books here are mainly in English. How ironic. I think when I was in the foreign books corner, I was the only one (or maybe one of two?) borrowing those English books. The selection was pretty decent but the locals would go for the Japanese books. But here, most of the good books have been borrowed out. So I’m left with scraps. So, it’s back to Kinokuniya.

I got this book from a bookstore near my place, not Kino. It’s cheaper. To be honest, I have no idea what it was about and had not heard of the hype. I’d just got back from Japan and the local library had recommended this book. It wasn’t available for borrowing, so I went out the buy a copy. And it sat on my shelf for 2 years, unread. I was busy reading my textbooks and lecture notes. Other books called out to me. There were so many reasons and I soon forgot about it.

Then, recently, a film based on this book came out. That was when I became interested in the book again. So, after reading it, what do I think?

I think it is a pretty good book, especially for a first novel. I like storylines with twists, whether in books or films. And this book has somewhat of a twist at the end. Although I have to admit, I could kind of see it coming towards the end.

As an insight into the historical background of the story, I thought this book is adequate. I like books like that, get me interested enough to google about the people or places or period mentioned. I like to collect such trivial.

Although the story spans over several years, it’s not a very long book. The author has managed to squeeze in the relevant stuff into a compact and concise novel. There’s no attempt to be over emotional, to try to force out some kind of feelings from you for the characters.

My only complaint is that the ending is a bit artificial. While there is an attempt at a twist, the process of leading up to that twist was quite long-drawn out that when you arrive at it, you already expect it and it is kind of an anti-climax as well as tiring when you think back about the process.

But on the whole, it was an enjoyable book. I’m looking forward to reading the second book, which a friend is going to lend me. We had shopped for it together in Hong Kong where it is cheaper.