Is that true?

 

Just a little story about not giving up and questioning the stories we tell ourselves...

A few weeks ago while running, I spotted a dumpster on the path in the distance. My mind started making up stories... "There’s a dumpster blocking the path. That's rude. I should turn around or just end my run."

But I kept running. As I got closer, I realized the dumpster wasn’t ON the path at all. It was next to the path. It just appeared that way from a distance. An optical illusion. A trick of the mind.

Our minds often play tricks on us, don't they? They make up stories. Stories that often aren't true. We are NOT our thoughts.

I’ve developed a habit of asking myself - when I think something negative or discouraging about my situation or about myself - "Is that true?” Often, it’s not.

And as my experience with the dumpster shows, clarity may come if we keep going. If I had stopped running, turned around, or otherwise given up, I wouldn’t have gotten close enough to see that the dumpster wasn't actually on the path at all.

Where in our lives do we give up because we perceive obstacles that are surmountable or aren’t even there? Where in our lives do we give up before getting close enough to see what’s really happening? When do we allow false narratives or thoughts to dictate our actions? Stop and ask yourself, “Is that true?”

A frequent false narrative for me is that perfectionism is possible. It isn't of course. That means releasing or sharing my writing - whether here or on my blog or elsewhere - even when it's "good enough."

Investigate the stories you tell yourselves, my friends. Keep going toward your goals! You got this!

#amwriting
#writer
#keepgoing
#positivevibes
#goals

contrasts & coexistence

Walking and running time are thinking time for me. I usually skip headphones in favor of observing, pondering, savoring, reflecting, brainstorming, and even problem-solving. Not all at the same time, of course.

The reflections in this poem came to me during a recent run. I love the contrasts, starting with the deer. They're city deer who allow people to get close. You can see the truck parked at the apartment building in the distance.

I've written before about the place I live in the city but also along a forested river. See "Place Where You Live: Milwaukee, Wisconsin" in Orion Magazine.

#amwriting
#writer
#poetry
#naturetherapy
#milwaukeeriver
#milwaukee
#mke
#running
#runner

Stronger

As posted on IG @marysk.writer:

Last Monday I came home from a 3-mile run and felt exhilarated. I was inspired to write these words. Why not be amazed at what our bodies can do?!

There's societal pressure to consider ourselves "less than" if we don't meet the manufactured beauty ideals sold by mass media. Aging is also frowned upon. And yet I've never felt better as a whole. Sure, aging brings changes in our bodies. Maybe even some aches and pains. But middle age, as I experience it, also brings an increased level of confidence and freedom. I love it!

A week ago - @the.holistic.psychologist posted "Normalize talking highly about yourself and holding space for others to do the same." So, with that, I'm sharing these words. I celebrate myself. And I celebrate you!

 

Searching for a story

 

Recently, I was looking for an essay I wrote several years ago. I wanted to revise it for my writing group. I didn't find the essay, but - oh - I found so much more. So instead, I wrote about that for my writing group. This is a revised version of that piece. 

*****

There are countless documents in a folder titled "writing projects" on my PC desktop. A search for keywords in that folder doesn't yield the hoped-for result. There's another folder titled "OLD PC documents." A quick scan of that folder reveals a hodgepodge of documents, including a variety of resumes and cover letters and a range of my children's files from "Anna's fall party invites" to "Max's rap" to "zine template - about me." Those documents predate the essay I'm searching for, so I move on to paper files.

Several overstuffed manila file folders crowd the bookshelf near my desk. One holds multiple copies of an essay I wrote over 25 years ago for an in-person writer's roundtable at Red Bird Writing Studio in Milwaukee. We printed out copies for each person in the group, and they wrote comments by hand. Behind those is my senior honors thesis written sometime in the spring of 1991 before I graduated from the University of Minnesota. It's about telenovelas. It seems to analyze the economics of Latin American countries developing their own programs versus importing shows from the U.S. I'm not sure as I lost interest after reading the first few pages. Next are various other college papers and essays, including one on the "new technology" (written in 1986!) and another entitled "The Existence of God." I'm intrigued by that one but decide I'll read it later and keep searching instead.

Another couple of folders hold completely random pieces of writing with no particular order or organization. There's a Black History month skit I wrote with my fifth-grade students in 1999 filed with an essay about my kids' obsession with "arm farts" that was published in 2008. There's very personal writing, like the speech I delivered at my parents' 50th wedding anniversary in 2008 and the obituary I wrote for my dad's funeral in 2010. Drafts of blog posts are also in the mix; I published 130 posts from 2014-2020. Then there are printouts of pieces I wrote for various classes or groups along with the feedback from facilitators and cowriters. 

Besides my own writing, the folders also contain printouts of articles about the craft of writing, submissions guidelines for publications that no longer exist, and rules for outdated writing contests. I also found a printout of "The Seven Continents," a short rhyming poem to aid in memorizing the continents. That, along with a fraction problem on the back of an essay draft, are evidence of our homeschooling years woven in with my writing. 

I may not have found the story I was searching for, but I found so many others. And I'm not even talking about the writing. Whether for an audience of one or one hundred, my writings are artifacts filled with ideas and memories and love. I was so moved while rifling through those papers that I almost came to tears. And then, there's another story too. One that says I always come back to my writing, all through the years, no matter what. And I always will. 

dear white people

Dear white people:

Listen to Black people. We need to educate ourselves. We need to do the work. All of us. Even if we think we are "progressive" or "liberal" or whatever term we use, we have work to do. There's an abundance of resources. Here are some that I use. 

Image Source: Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence (2005). Adapted: Ellen Tuzzolo (2016); Mary Julia Cooksey Cordero (@jewelspewels) (2019); The Conscious Kid (2020)

*****

White supremacy is not primarily about the things we associate with extremists. The current moment is not about "bad people" versus "good people." It's about racism versus antiracism. Framing the problem (white supremacy, systemic racism, racist policies) as bad people versus good people prevents us from doing the hard work to identify our own complicity and to change the system. Read some of the books listed below to understand this better. 

It's not about us and whether or not we're "good people."

Cartoon by Victor Varnado

Before you even crack open a book, follow these Black women on Facebook, Instagram, and/or other social media platforms:

Austen Channing Brown

Rachel Cargyle 

Gloria Atanmo

Ally Henny 

Ijeoma Oluo

Layla Saad

Next, read or listen to a book about race by a Black author. Here are some that I have read. There are many others on my to-read list. 

Starting points:

So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

How to Be an Antiracist By Ibram X. Kendi

Digging deeper:

Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla Saad

Stamped from the Beginning: the Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi

The Warmth of Other Suns: the Epic Story of America's Great Migration Isabel Wilkerson

Note 1:
Read all kinds of books by Black authors - novels, poetry, memoirs, young adult and children's books, etc. One of the best and most compulsively readable novels I've read this year is Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid. Check it out!

Note 2: 
In addition to the books by Black authors listed above, I recommend White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo. 

Note 3: 
I know many people learn a lot from podcasts. I'm not a podcast person, but I'm sure there are good podcasts that center and elevate Black voices.

Milwaukee area people, follow & support these local organizations:

Alice's Garden Urban Farm
Black Leaders Organizing for Communities
Leader Igniting Transformation
Love on Black Women
MKE Black
Sherman Phoenix

If you haven't already, please read Letter from a Birmingham Jail.

The world is not ours

The world is not ours - April 6, 2020

On my first morning run,
thoughts crowd my mind
and I do not remember
that I was sure I would die.
that I was sure I could not
make it to the end of the block,
when I started this run.
It's been several months,
since I last ran,
since the summer,
since school started.

I keep running and
keep thinking about
groceries and gloves,
masks and mail,
Clorox and cancellations
toilet paper and testing,
antibodies and absentee ballots,
online school and
the latest news on CNN.
I make it two miles.
I'm done running.

I walk to the forest,
by the river, where
gray squirrels scatter,
unseen birds call,
ducks float downstream
on gentle currents.
Four deer stroll nearby,
hidden in early spring's
brown template.
They regard me briefly
and continue on.
These fellow travelers
are unaware of
quarantines and respirators,
of the tragedy of
mounting human deaths
on planet earth.

I stand and breathe in,
I breathe in the river,
and the trees, and the
blue scilla carpeting
on the forest floor.
I breathe in a world
that is bigger than
the thoughts
crowding my mind.
I breathe in...
hope.

how does your garden grow?

Mary, Mary, quite contrary
how does your garden grow?

this summer...

my garden is full
of pauses and silences,
breathing deep,
absorbing sunshine and warmth,
renewing.

my garden is full
of so many words,
read,
pondered,
savored.

my garden is full
of tired muscles
happily exerted in
walking,
biking,
running.

my garden is full
of cherished friends.
talking,
sharing,
laughing.

my interior garden
is beautiful,
renewed.

outside...

the garden was
left to fend
for itself;
completely untended
by human hands.

two tomato plants
thrive, sprouted
from the remains
of last year's tomatoes,
that sank into the ground,
wintered there,
and rose again.

morning glory
spreads its showy
pink and purple
flowers everywhere
intertwined with
overgrown oregano,
multitudes of milkweed,
clusters of clover.

my outside garden
was let go, and it too
is beautiful.

*****

I enjoy gardening and usually plant a vegetable garden in the area pictured below. After a stressful school year, I wanted to focus my energy elsewhere this summer.  I decided to let the garden go.  Left completely to itself, the garden produced two tomato plants and a sunflower, in addition to its usual summer residents - morning glory, milkweed, oregano, dill.  It's not only beautiful in its untended wildness, but also a haven for bees, butterflies, and other creatures too.

Sometimes we have to give ourselves permission to let things go.  When we let go, beautiful things can happen, in more ways than one.

Read diverse books.

i love this book, and isn't the cover beautiful?

I recently read the novel Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin, which is described on the book jacket as "a modern-day Muslim Pride and Prejudice for a new generation of love."  As mentioned in my latest reading notes post, I've read a few Pride and Prejudice "retellings" lately.  Ayesha at Last is my favorite of these by far.  The book has received a number of starred reviews (Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Library Journal and Kirkus) and has landed on many summer reading lists.  It's a well-written and engaging story with a fascinating cast of characters.  I couldn't put it down!  The book is set in a "close-knit Toronto Muslim community" and gives us insight into that community and its culture, customs and traditions while also exploring universal themes about family and love.  I highly recommend this novel to anyone interested in a fun "dramedy."   You don't have to be familiar with Jane Austen or P & P to enjoy Ayesha at Last.  Check it out!

*****

I've written previously about my commitment to read books by diverse authors.  When I talk about reading diverse books, I specifically mean books not only about but also written by people with different racial, ethnic and/or cultural backgrounds and perspectives than my own.  (Therefore a book like The Help by Kathryn Stockett, which I found on a diverse reading list on Goodreads, is NOT a diverse book.  That book makes me cringe, by the way.)  If you'd like to read more about my commitment to read diversely, you can check out these posts: A challenge for Black History Month and January reading notes - got privilege?  Reading notes here and here also reference diverse books.

When I google "read diverse books," most of the results are articles directed toward teachers and parents and are recommendations of diverse books for K-12 children.  I'm so glad to see that.  As an educator, I deeply appreciate We Need Diverse Books, a "non-profit and grassroots organization of children's book lovers that advocates essential changes in the publishing industry to produce and promote literature that reflects and honors the lives of all young people."  Representation is so important.

We adults need to "walk the walk" and not just "talk the talk" when it comes to reading diverse books.  No matter what genre you prefer, there are plenty of diverse books to chose from.  All three of my current reads are books by Black authors.  They fall into three different genres - nonfiction/history, science fiction, and autobiography.  I appreciate my reading friends and my book club, as well as my local library and the internet, for introducing me to a variety of diverse authors with whom I was not familiar, including but not limited to: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Imbolo Mbue, Roxane Gay, Celeste Ng, Tracy K. Smith, Linda Hogan, Lisa Ko, and more...

*****

Currently reading, nonfiction - The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson

Currently reading, fiction - Kindred by Octavia Butler

Currently listening, audiobook - Becoming by Michelle Obama

Solitude and muddy forest paths

I seek refuge in solitude,
to rediscover myself
on muddy forest paths.
breathing deep the damp air
standing firm and still
like the trees surrounding me.
a chipmunk skitters past
a mosquito lands on my phone
as I jot down these words.

My feet fall on
decomposing leaves
and exposed tree roots.
I walk through
unseen spider webs
that tickle me and
acknowledge me
as the first traveler
on this path today.

I seek solitude, but
I am not alone.
the persistent chatter of
bird voices that range
from adamant to meek.
a softball game from
a more civilized
area of this park
the crack of a bat
and the players calling
"you got this!"
"go deep!"
I gather those messages
for myself as well.

I approach a sign
the illustration of two figures
with backpacks and walking sticks
and a large arrow indicating a path.
not three feet beyond which
a large tree has fallen
and blocks the way.
I accept the invitation and
the challenge, climbing
over the tree trunk
and continuing on.

Intermittent wildflowers
dot the forest with bursts
of purple and yellow.
but today I revel in
the lifeblood of the forest -
the endless swaths
of green and brown.

Leaving the forested path
for park and pavement,
I spot someone's
backyard rooster ambling near
a parking space.  He has
flown the coop, perhaps
seeking solitude and refuge,
the same as me.

The drizzle begins just as
I arrive at my car.
my frizzy hair and
damp forehead are
evidence of the humidity
I have absorbed.
I have also absorbed
the abundance of the forest,
the strength of the trees
the songs of the birds,
the invigorating smells of
new life and fresh rain.
The refuge I sought,
I have found.

Refuge was sought and found at Kletzsch Park, one of many gems in the Milwaukee County Parks. 

*****

You might enjoy my other nature poems:

Transformation

found sound: noises natural & not

cell phone/nature poem for the first day of spring

I pretend I am someplace else.

in-between

Reading notes: catching up & planning for summer

My last blog post was three months ago (We're Different. We're the Same.)  I'm hoping to both write and read more now that I'm on summer break.  My last reading notes were posted on August 1, 2018.  That's almost a year's worth of reading to cover, so I'm just listing the books under categories with a few notes here and there.  Maybe you'll find something to add to your summer reading list:

the last four books I read

 Book obsessions and binge-reading

During my breaks from school, I tended toward old favorites and "comfort" reads.  I don't watch much television, so instead of "binge-watching," I binge-read.  Over winter break, I reread Jane Austen's novels.  Over spring break, during which I also happened to be very sick, I reread North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell.  (And watched the BBC miniseries adaptation of North and South twice on Netflix.)  Continuing my obsessions with Austen and Gaskell, I read a number of retellings or fan fiction throughout the spring   

Northager Abbey, Persuasion, Emma, Mansfield Park, Sense and Sensibility, and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (rereads)

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (reread)

Unmarriageable (Pride and Prejudice in Pakistan) by Soniah Kamal

Pride by Ibi Zoboi  (a modern day Pride and Prejudice remix set in Brooklyn)

No Such Thing As Luck: A North and South Variation by Nicole Clarkson (fan fiction)

Fiction (with a few notes on the books I read most recently)

Once Upon a River by Diana Setterfield:  This story - part historical fiction, part fairy tale, part mystery - develops slowly and meanders, like the titular river.  I was drawn in by the fascinating characters, the historical elements, the river, and the focus on stories and storytelling.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller:  I've always been a fan of Greek mythology.  This is a beautifully-written retelling that focuses on the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus. 

Solar Storms by Linda Hogan  (book club):  I appreciate book club for introducing me to books I may never otherwise read.  This is a lyrical coming-of-age story and a fascinating (and often heart-breaking) look at Native American culture and history

The Leavers by Lisa Ko  (book club):  Highly-recommended!  Identity, belonging, borders...topics at the forefront of current events.  This is a compelling and sometimes heartbreaking/sometimes hopeful story about an undocumented Chinese immigrant and her son.

Nothing to Lose: Stories by Kim Suhr:  Intriguing short stories with a local/regional flair.  Suhr is the Director of Red Oak Writing, a great resource for local writers.  You can read more about her and the book here.   

In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel  (book club; reread)

Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver  (book club; reread)

Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

Almost Maine by John Cariani

Youth & young adult literature

All of these are really good reads that deal with important topics.  I recommend them all, but my favorites from this list are the two novels by Sharon Draper. 

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds:  A novel in verse about gun violence; packs a powerful punch.

Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas:  The second novel from the author of The Hate U Give.

Copper Sun by Sharon Draper

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper

Nonfiction

Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport:  A good read from Newport.  I wrote about his book Deep Work in a previous post.

Lost Cat: A True Story of Love, Desperation, and GPS Technology by Caroline Paul:  A very fun story with great illustrations!

The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein:  I read this for a discussion group.  It's infuriating how entrenched racist government policies have been even in recent history.  A good companion to Evicted by Matthew Desmond.  See more about Evicted in this post.

Not Always Happy: An Unusual Parenting Journey by Kari Wagner-Peck:  A moving and inspiring memoir about adopting a child with Down syndrome and advocating for him within a frustrating education system.  Might be of particular interest to parents of children with special needs and educators.

*****

Member of my household:  "You can't just read all summer."
Me:  "Oh yes I can." (especially if I'm sitting outside in the sun)

current TBR pile with four more books on hold at the library

We're different. We're the same.

I saw this sign when I walked into the library yesterday.  I was bogged down with a couple dozen books in canvas bags, and I quickly headed to the return slot to unload them.  Then, after checking out another couple dozen books for my classroom, I made a beeline for door.  I was ready to get home and enjoy my Saturday.  Maybe read a (non-picture) book?  Maybe take a walk and enjoy the sunshine and (finally) milder temperatures? 

I stopped myself.  It’s the least I can do.  The very least.  I headed to the community room where the group sponsoring this event had set up information tables and displays about Islam.  They offered pamphlets, books, and food.  As I read the displays, a man approached and asked if I had any questions.  We conversed about some of the information on the signs, and then I continued on my own.  As I finished circling around the displays, he encouraged me to sample some food.  He helped me get a plate of falafel balls, hummus, and pita bread.  I sat down at a table and unloaded my bags on the floor.  We chatted a bit more about our families and jobs.  I told him I'm a teacher, and he mentioned that his wife was the administrator of a school.  He waved her over.  She sat down with me.  “You look familiar,” she said.  We soon discovered not only that we both homeschooled our children for many years, but also that we attended the same homeschool group for a time.  We marveled at the smallness of the world. 

Nobody had mentioned Christchurch yet, but it was there with us in the room.  I don’t know if this event was planned previously or was put together in response to the tragedy in New Zealand.  I didn’t ask.  But I felt the need to say something.  When the conversation lulled, I tried, “It’s terrible what happened.  Such a tragedy.  I’m so sorry for your community and for the world.  It’s so horrible.  There are no words.”  She nodded and said she still couldn’t believe it had happened, so many dead.  We sat silently for a while, filled with emotion.  Then she picked up the conversation again.  Both of us had returned to work full-time in the last couple of years, and we discussed the struggles of balancing family and work.  We talked about schools and education, about our kids in high school and college.  Finally we parted by sharing our names and a warm handshake. 

I returned to my car, thoughtful, reminded of how similar we are in so many ways.  There was a Sesame Street book called We’re Different, We’re the Same that I used to read to my children when they were little.  Yes, we’re different.  Yes, we’re the same.  It’s hard to know exactly what to do in the face of such hatred as manifested itself in the massacre in New Zealand.   Certainly we can advocate and rally and speak up to hatred.  We can vote and be politically active in other ways.  But I also think we can be more intentional about sitting with each other.  My experience yesterday definitely reminded me that I need to do more of this.  Let’s be more present to those who are different or who we think are different from us in some way.  Let's constantly remind ourselves of our common humanity.  Let's remember - we’re different, AND we’re the same.         

Transformation

This morning...
At my desk looking over to-do lists
whose contents overwhelm me
I notice movement
in the ice cream bucket at the corner.
A butterfly has emerged.

Weeks ago...
I collected two tiny caterpillars
from unruly dill plants.
Placed them in the bucket,
Fed them fresh dill or parsley,
And cleaned out their droppings most every day. 
They grew rapidly
Shedding their skin many times. 
And then a few days apart,
Each transformed into a chrysalis. 

As life intervened...
I thought little of those two chrysalises.
So many new starts, so many changes,
challenges, hard work,
and transformation too,
in my own life.
Can I do it all?
I wonder.

This morning...
The butterfly emerged.
Wings fluttering, hopeful,
Ready to fly.
I carried the bucket
to the garden,
Gently set the stick
Near a marigold plant
And the butterfly climbed aboard.
Wings dried in the summer sun
and gentle breeze,
My butterfly friend took flight.

I can do this too,
as difficult as it may be.
Grow and grow,
Struggle and struggle,
Shed some of the old and
welcome what's new.
Work.
Change.
Live.
Transform.

July reading notes: a reading marathon

In July, I read seven fascinating books.  It was a reading marathon!  Since I'm not working this summer, there's more reading time for me.  Without further ado, in the order I read them:

Wild Comfort: the Solace of Nature by Kathleen Dean Moore

This is a series of essays on life, loss and the comforts of nature.  The author wrote it in the aftermath of the deaths of several loved ones.  The writing is lyrical, philosophical, and often very beautiful.  I marked a number of  lovely passages, including this one:

"No measure of human grief can stop Earth in its tracks.  Earth rolls into sunlight and rolls away again, continents glowing green and gold under the clouds.  Trust this, and there will come a time when dogged, desperate trust in the world will break open into wonder.  Wonder leads to gratitude.  Gratitude opens onto peace."  

Reading about Moore's experiences in forests, rivers, deserts, islands, etc. makes me wish I spent more time in such places.  She even makes camping in the snow sound appealing.  My only caveat is that the writing feels at times pretentious.  Moore sometimes uses an obscure word or reference when a more common term would do and would make her writing clearer and more accessible.

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

As described on the author's website:  "Children of Blood and Bone is the first installment in a YA West African Fantasy about a girl who must fight against the monarchy to bring magic back to her people."

This book is getting a lot of attention.  It's a New York Times Best Seller, and a movie version is already in development.  I enjoyed immersing myself in this fantasy world, with the various clans and types of magic.  I appreciated the strong female characters.  The obligatory romantic entanglements seemed unnecessary, although not unexpected in a YA book.

Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover

I could not put this book down!  Westover's memoir is so compelling.  It's been compared to The Glass Castle, which I haven't read so I can't comment on that.

Westover grew up in Idaho, the youngest of seven children born to survivalist parents who focused on preparing for the end of the world and did not believe in hospitals or schools.  Due to the neglectful and/or abusive behavior of some family members, this story is difficult to read at times.  But Westover's story is also hopeful and inspiring.  Lacking any formal education, but encouraged by an older brother, she ends up at Brigham Young University.  Her journey from there to Cambridge, while trying to maintain relationships with her family, is fascinating.  I should say that while I truly could not put this book down and read it compulsively, I just spoke to a friend who couldn't get into it at all. 

You Think It, I'll Say It: Stories by Curtis Sittenfeld

I'm a huge fan of Sittenfeld's novels American Wife and Eligible, so I was eager to read her short story collection.  I devoured it and then went back and reread most of the stories.  Sittenfeld's definitely an acute observer of human nature. Some of the characters and situations are admittedly cringe-worthy.  This brings me to a point I've been pondering.  Do you have to like the characters in a book or story in order to appreciate it?  My own answer is no.  But, from talking to others about books, I think for some people the answer is yes.  I guess we all bring different ideas and expectations to reading, as we do to life.  Which takes me back to Sittenfeld's stories in which the characters often bring wildly different expectations to various situations.  From expectant mothers to old high school classmates to married couples or ex-lovers, they misunderstand, miscommunicate or misjudge.  I have to say, I tried to pick a favorite or two from among these ten stories, but I couldn't narrow it down.  Great collection!

A Place For Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza

I was so drawn into this character-driven family story.  On the back of the book, a blurb calls the novel "immersive."  I certainly felt immersed in the lives of this Indian Muslim-American family.  As the title references, the various family members are trying to find their place in the context of country, family, religion, culture, etc.  The writing is lovely with some particularly beautifully-rendered scenes.  I'm thinking of a passage about a family picnic, for example, that I went back to reread and savor.

The novel jumps around in time a lot with no rhyme or reason.  It might be a bit disorienting at first.  The story is told from the alternating viewpoints of Layla (the mother), Hadia (the older daughter) and Amar (the youngest and only son).  Huda (the middle child) is not a fully-developed character.  This struck me as odd as times, but the story still felt complete.  The very last section of the book is told from the father Rafiq's perspective and had me sobbing.  The story is very sad at times, but also joyful and hopeful.  A beautiful book!

Last, but not least, I read two books by Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie.

Americanah, which I first read about three years ago, is a reread for book club.  I'm glad I read it again, because it's such a great novel and because it has a lot going on it.  In light of various activities/groups I've been involved with more recently, Adichie's reflections on race and racism were interesting to revisit. This time around, I also found myself more curious about Nigerian culture and politics.  Again, there is so much in this novel - I highly recommend it!  You can find my original review here.

Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions is a quick and thought-provoking read.  The book is a letter that Adichie wrote to her friend who asked her how to raise her baby daughter feminist.  It's an engaging, intelligent and at times funny essay.  After reading both of these books, I again watched Adichie's TED Talk The Danger of a Single Story, which is excellent and also highly-recommended.  Bottom line - I want to read the rest of Adichie's books and watch more of her talks!

*****

That was a lot of reading for one month.  With back-to-school around the corner, my reading time will decrease.  But I'm sure I'll fit in a few more books before summer is over.  I'd love to hear what you've been reading too.