Recent Books

Are you ever suddenly struck by the realization that there's an unconscious pattern to your reading?

For a person who used to read voraciously there's been a noticable lack of books in my life until recently. I've missed their companionship. Since the new year began some time has been devoted to reading.

This book caught my eye shortly before Christmas. I bought it rationalizing I'd give it to someone. I end up with it.

Dancing Under the Red Star: The Extraordinary Story of Margaret Werner, the Only American Woman to Survive Stalin's Gulag was written by Margaret's son, Karl Tobien, just a few years before her death in the late 1990's. It was a quick read, one I could hardly put down.

Persian Girls: A Memoir by Nashid Rachlin was a birthday gift from my daughter. I read it in February. It's a fascinating look into a young girl's life as she grew up in the 1950 - 60's in Iran; a strong willed girl who was expected to unquestioningly follow her parent's wishes.

This book on the New Book display shelf at the public library caught my eye.

Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculee Ilibagiza

Immaculee spent 90 days hidden inside the small bathroom while the holocaust was rampaging just beyond the wall.



Two of the books are autobiographies, the other a biography by the woman's son. These are the stories of women who lived through tragedy and hardship. But what struck me is the fact that all three women were optimists who tended to view others in the best light possible, inspite of some horrendous conditions. Nashid's strong determination and focus of breaking free from the stifling domination lead her towards freedom.

Margaret and Immaculee were thrust into circumstances where the only thing they had control over was how they reacted to their individual situations. Margaret, an American citizen, spent almost 10 years in a Siberian Gulag on trumped up charges. She refused to give up the hope of someday returning to her mother, and ultimately to America. (Margaret's story is a fast read with almost a Pollyanna feel.)

All the people in Immaculee's immediate family, except her eldest brother who was attending school in a different country, were brutally murdered within a few miles of where she hid.
Throughout their ordeals these two women maintained a strong faith that God would protect them. Both developed a great capacity for love and forgiveness, understanding that evilness is not overcome by fighting back in anger but by seeking to bring out the best in people. The Quakers call it, "Seeing the Christ Light in every person." Don't get me wrong, I know there are some people who have are ruled by evil.

Strong women living their lives the best they know how, always looking forward with hope, and expectation, maintaining their faith in God, reaching out in love and never giving up.

Sorry about the lousy picture; red is hard to take at night but I wanted to get it while the needles were still in the stitches.
The body of the Red Sweater is finished!!! Remember the sweater that started back in November? The bottom was ripped back when it suddenly dawned on me, after determinedly knitting away for a couple hours, that it was too long, and sloppy. Four inches were ripped out and I dropped a size to #8 circs found in my stash. These blue aluminum circs have a story of their own, but that's for another day. The bottom is knit in seed stitch to tie in with the seed stitch at the neck. There's about 3 inches left on the right sleeves then down the length of the left sleeve and the sweater will be done. Perhaps in time for summer? :-)