Books with sociological significance (2011 edition)
What I've read lately, of sociological significance (2011 edition)
- Blue Nights, by Joan Didion (2011): An homage to her deceased
daughter whom we learn about in The Year of Magical Thinking. She
writes poignantly about parenting (and exquisitely about blue nights in
her opening pages), but I wanted more details of what happened to
Quintana.
- Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi (2003, in English): I've read several
memoirs by Iranian women, but not one like this; Satrapi engages us by
telling her stories, of life in post-revolutionary Iran and as a young
expatriate in Europe, in comic strips.
- Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro (2005): An incredibly imaginative
story of a subculture of young people whose destinies are set before
they are born.
- A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary,
1785-1812, by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich: I read this sociological
exploration of women's lives in post-colonial America, based on unusual
data from a midwife's diary, several years ago. I am inspired to offer
it here after reading a novel about midwifery in Nova Scotia this week
(The Birth House, by Ami McKay, 2006).
- Cocktail Hour under the Tree of Forgetfulness, by Alexandra Fuller
(2011): I loved Don't Let's Go To the Dogs Tonight, for its recounting
of the mundane challenges of living in Africa (watch out for that snake
in your bed!). Those continue to amaze, as do the practical adjustments
made by Fuller's parents to war and then life in post-colonial Africa.
- Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, by Helen Simonson (2010): An
entertaining story, some sociological themes: ethnic/race relations and
generational clashes. What really earns it a spot here is that it is
the September book-of-the-month for the local English language
bookstore's book club. See what English-language readers are reading in
Aix-en-Provence!
- The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Wells (2005): This was sitting on the
shelf in our French flat. Wells' childhood was materially impoverished
but her parents were big, creative thinkers. Coincidentally, Allen's
aunt recommended Wells' book Half Broke Horses.
- State of Wonder, by Ann Patchett (2011): Patchett is a wonderful storyteller, as in her earlier Run, and Bel canto
- A Singular Woman, by Janny Scott (2011): Obama's mother was truly a
singular woman, and a single mother for much of his childhood.
No comments:
Post a Comment