Ode to Joy

I have a dear friend who has encouraged my reading like no other person on earth! Before I met her, some of the authors I loved were the Bronte sisters, Jane Austen and L. M. Montgomery. My friend has added fuel to the flame of my passion for these authors. But best of all, she has expanded my list of favorite authors to include Charles Dickens first of all, then Elizabeth Gaskell, George Eliot and others. Every book she has recommended has been a soul stirring fascinating read that I can’t put down!

The latest example of this is A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute. Although this book is fiction, it was inspired by a true story. The settings for this story take you to exotic places with unique characters. It begins during WWII, so at first I put off reading it, thinking it was “another war book”. But it is so much more than that! It goes on past the war to what happens to the characters long after the war is over. I was so moved by this story! It is so believably written, but amazing to imagine. This heroine endured more than Scarlett O’Hara, but is a lovable character you want to hug rather than slap (as I want to do to Scarlett). The hero is handsome and admirable, a REAL MAN! How can anyone not be inspired by this story of courage and self sacrifice in the face of injustice and war? Not to mention the undying faithfulness and love?

There is much pain and sadness in this book, but my life has been so enriched by reading it, that it can’t get me down at all. I so want to be like the woman in this book, almost more than any other fictional hero I love. She has an enduring optimism and vision for how to improve her and others' lives, and the courage, wisdom and means to carry it out. Therefore, she is an asset to every situation and relationship in which she is found.

If you can get a hold of this book and read it, you won’t be disappointed. I have not given away any of the plot because it is just so good – I would hate to “spoil” it for you. There was a movie made of this book years ago. It has never been put on DVD, but if you can get a copy of the video, it is excellent also.

This same dear friend also recommended I read Exodus by Leon Uris. Another fiction based on true events. Have you ever read a book that you never stop thinking about – even years after you finished reading it? This book is like that for me. So moving! So insightful into what Jews went through around the time of WWII and beyond to when Israel became a nation.

After reading it, I remember discussing this book with Pastor Dad (my father-in-law) because he had not only read it and loved it but he also recommended I read his copy of another book by Leon Uris, QB VII, which is about a court case involving a Polish doctor accused of performing ghastly medical experiments for the Nazis during the war. Pastor Dad went to heaven before I could borrow and read his book, but just last week, Mom has lent it to us and Jim and I are reading it together. So far, it is really good, but I will have to blog later about it after we finish. You can pray for me as I am having trouble waiting for Jim and not reading ahead.