Partitions, by Amit Majmudar (lives in Columbus)

This is a very powerful book, contained in only 208 pages. Much of it reads like poetry, with words and phrases that can melt your heart. It is a story both horrible and beautiful about the days in 1947 when Pakistan broke away from India, against the fervent wishes of Gandhi, who very much wanted India to be a union of a variety of religions, living together in peace. Instead, partition occurs and the Muslims living in the east try to move to Pakistan in the west, while the Hindus and Sikhs who live in the west try to move to India in the east. This countercurrent of long-time enemies leads to numerous bloody clashes and unbelievable cruelty.

The story is told by the spirit of a physician, a Hindu who has died recently from a serious illness but who can still observe what is going on in the physical world. It is his telling of the story that makes it possible for the reader to feel that he/she is actually witnessing the events being described. He follows the fate of several different individuals and groups, including his own wife and twin sons who, early in the book, are separated as they try to board a train in the west heading for Delhi. Although the narrator's family are Hindus and are potential victims of Muslim vengeance, he details numerous instances in which it is the Hindus who are committing heinous crimes.

The hero of the book is an elderly Muslim pediatrician who provides medical assistance to whomever he meets, from whichever faith, as he limps toward Pakistan. As I was approaching the end of the book, my emotions were so powerful that I could barely continue reading ... love and compassion trumping cruelty and hatred.

This is just a wonderful piece of writing which I can recommend without any caveats.

Reviewed by Cal

Still Alice, by Lisa Genova

Reader: Gwyn

Alice was a linguistics professor at Harvard when her life turned upside down at the discovery of her early onset Alzheimer's Disease. This month by month account of the rapid progression of her disease was so disturbing, I was almost unable to read it. But this was an amazing book. It gave great insight into the thoughts of the person with the disease, as well as to the difficulties of those around her.

Although this was emotionally difficult for me to read, I would recommend it to all for a better understanding of Alzheimer's

An Equal Music by Vikram Seth

Book

Cal

This novel is written in the first person by the second violinist in a string quartet headquartered in London. It's beautifully written and includes both the pleasures and problems of playing in a quartet. Throughout the book is a love story that will keep you on edge, wondering how it will possibly turn out the way you'd like it to. The book is also a bit of a travelogue as the quartet travels to several cities in western Europe.

I've read the book three times and enjoyed it even more the third time than I did the first two.

Rule of Three

Book: Rule of Three

Reader: Eva

I recently read Rule of Three by Megan McDonald. Here's my (long) summary:

The book is about three sisters: Alex (the oldest), Stevie (the middle child), and Joey (the youngest). Stevie is tired of being stuck in the middle and never getting any attention. But when auditions for the school musical are announced, Stevie decides that maybe she's tired of being the "Sensible One". Maybe, for once, she'd like to be in the spotlight. While Joey encourages them, Alex and Stevie are soon engaged in a fierce competition to find out who will get the lead. The fight goes on for a while, and finally Alex gets the lead. Stevie gets even more mad at Alex. Eventually, Stevie is convinced she'll get the lead in some other play and peace is restored.

I love this book!

-Eva