Stumbled Upon: YA Novel, Kimchi & Calamari

Hello Meltingpot Readers,

So, all of my loyal readers know that I practically live at the library. In the summer it's no different, except I usually haul my kids with me on my visits. They love the library too. When we go, they immediately run off to read graphic novels and other things I usually won't buy for them. And they're perfectly cool with me picking out their books for the week. I don't know how long this is going to last but for now it works for me.

So, this summer I've been trying to get my sci-fi loving 11-year-old to read more realistic fiction. I still try to find stories that I think will speak to him as a 11-year-old boy who likes sci-fi and fantasy. So, for example, last week he read The Orphan of Ellis Island, about an orphaned Italian-American boy who falls through a time portal and goes back in time and meets his Italian ancestors. He loved it. Yes! Yesterday, I stumbled upon a book called Kimchi & Calamari. You know with just that title, I was intrigued.

Sure enough, the book is about a Korean boy adopted by an Italian-American family. The boy in the story is 14 years old and dealing with typical teen boy stuff, plus he's dealing with identity issues and a search for a birth parent. Here's a link to a review (cuz I haven't read it yet.) And here's how the author, Rose Kent sells, Kimchi & Calamari:

" Kimchi and calamari is a quirky food fusion — and exactly how fourteen-year-old Joseph Calderaro feels about himself. Why wouldn’t an adopted Korean drummer feel like a combo platter given

1. his face in the mirror and
2. his proud Italian family?

Now Joseph has to write an ancestry essay for school. But all he knows is that his birth family put his diapered butt on a plane to the USA.

What Joseph does leads to a catastrophe messier than a table of shattered dishes — and self-discovery that he never could have imagined."

Sounds good right? It'll be next on the list for my son. And I'll tell you how it goes.

Has anybody else read Kimchi and Calamari? Any thoughts? Any other realistic fiction suggestions for an 11-year old boy with Ms. Meltingpot for a mom? I'm listening.

Peace!

White People, Black History: Naomi Benaron Revisits Rwanda's Genocide

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

I hope you know that every person who makes my special White People Telling Black History List isn't automatically suspect. Making the list doesn't make you a bad guy in my book. In fact, today's author, Naomi Benaron, gets my full respect. So without further ado, meet Naomi Benaron.

Naomi Benaron's debut novel, Running the Rift was just released last month by Algonquin Books. The book tells the harrowing story of young Tutsi boy in Rwanda who comes of age just as the rising tensions leading up to the 1994 genocide are ripping his country apart. Jean Patrick is a gifted runner with dreams of making the Olympics. He is also smart, wants to go to college, hang out with his friends and fall in love, but the cruel politics of being a Tutsi in Rwanda keep getting in the way of his dreams of a peaceful life.

Admittedly, when I got my hands on this book, I didn't want to read it. I just wasn't in the mood for a story about genocide. I mean, when are we ever in the mood to read about the senseless, violent deaths of an entire people? Still, I picked it up and started to read and immediately found myself drawn in to the story of Jean Patrick and his quest to be an Olympic runner, while watching his country fall apart around him. And that's what makes this book so wonderful. Benaron is able to tell the story of Rwanda's genocide through the eyes of a genuine, relateable character who, like us, just cannot believe things could really descend into the madness that eventually takes over that country. So, instead of reading a story about genocide, you're reading a lyrically-written, entirely engrossing story about a young man with hopes and dreams and family and friends, who is in this impossible situation but somehow manages to survive. The ancillary characters that are part of the story -- Jean Patrick's politically minded love interest, his hardened track coach, the somewhat clueless White American professor --  are equally well-developed and add depth and interesting plot twists to the novel. I thoroughly enjoyed this powerful and nuanced debut and recommend it to anyone who, like me, wants to understand what's going on in the world but doesn't always want to hear it through the evening news cycle.

Benaron's Success: First off, Benaron's book was published because it won the Bellwether Prize for Fiction, which is an award created by Barbara Kingsolver for unpublished novels that address issues of social justice. The prize comes with a cash award and a book contract. It's too early to know sales figures for the book, but it did receive starred reviews from all of the major book industry publications.

On Being a White Woman Writing about Black Africa: Benaron didn't grow up in Africa. She grew up in Boston. She's not married to a Rwandan, nor is she now living in Africa. Her connection to Rwanda comes from meeting Rwandan refugees in the United States, then traveling to Rwanda a few times, including a trip just for research for the book. She is very much aware of the paradox of her telling this story. And she responded this way when asked about it by Publisher's Weekly:

" It takes audacity for a writer to assume the perspective of another culture. Were you concerned about your role as an outsider?

Every day. There’s a wonderful tongue-in-cheek piece, Binyavanga Wainaina’s “How to Write about Africa,” about white people writing about Africa. I’ve kept that in the back of my mind as pitfalls to avoid. What has been important to me has been to present the culture with as much understanding, respect, and love as I could. My sister spent a year in Malawi. I started with a love of the continent from her."

So there you have it. Do you think Benaron has the "right" to tell this story? Is there a Black and/or African writer who has told this story already? I'm listening.

Peace!

Black Women in Paris: A New Novel Takes You There

Hello Meltingpot Readers,

I've only been to Paris a couple of times for short, day-long visits. But I'd be a liar if I didn't admit that the city has fascinated and called me to her for years. Josephine Baker was my first inspiration, as well as many of the Black artists and writers who sought solace and inspiration in France when America's preoccupation with race became too much. Lately, I've been dreaming about taking my kids to Paris. It could happen.

Well, with Paris deeply on my mind, you can imagine my delight and surprise to stumble on author Jacqueline Luckett's new novel, Passing Love. It's a story about two Black American women at two different times in history, who chase their destiny in the City of Lights.

Here's a description of the book from Luckett's website:

"Nicole-Marie Handy has loved all things French since she was a child. After the death of her best friend, determined to get out of her rut, she goes to Paris, leaving behind a marriage proposal. While there, Nicole chances upon an old photo of her father-lovingly inscribed, in his hand, to a woman Nicole has never heard of. What starts as a vacation quickly becomes an investigation into his relationship to this mystery woman. Moving back and forth in time between the sparkling Paris of today and the jazz-fueled city filled with expatriates in the 1950s, Passing Love is the story of two women dealing with lost love, secrets, and betrayal...and how the City of Light may hold all of the answers. "


Sounds good, doesn't it? But there's more to the story than that. Check out the excellent review from Publisher's Weekly to find out more about what the story really deals with; race, the expat experience, family secrets. Also, check out the great Q&A with Luckett on the White Readers Meet Black Authors website. 


Oh, it sound like the perfect book to start off 2012. What about you dear readers? What book will start off your 2012? I'm listening.


Peace!

"Kissing Outside the Lines:" A Meltingpot Book Review

Hello Meltingpot Readers,

If you recall a while back, I mentioned I'd be reading and reviewing TV actress, Diane Farr's new book, Kissing Outside the Lines: A True Story of Love and Race and Happily Ever After. So, I read it. And it's taken me a moment to decide what I want to say about it. But now I know.

First, I want to say that Farr has penned a very readable and in some parts, quite hilarious book about her experience meeting and marrying her Korean-American husband. Farr has no problem laughing at herself and sharing some of her most embarrassing moments.  For that reason alone, one immediately becomes engaged in the story. In addition, I applaud her efforts at sharing her experience as a White woman marrying into a Korean family and sharing the stories of other interracial and/or intercultural couples. As a member of a mixie tribe myself, I love hearing how other people are living the life.

But here's the problem with the book. Farr's premise that she's shedding light on a topic that remains hidden in the 21st century -- that topic being that people don't want their kids to marry someone outside of their race -- is old news. In the clip below from the Today Show, Farr says about her reasons for writing the book, "[This] is the last prejudice we don't talk about." In other words, after being shunned by her Korean husband's family because she is White, Farr realized that people are secretly prejudiced and it was up to her to tell the world about it.

Watch.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Sorry to say, Ms. Farr, but it is only because you have pretty much lived your life without being judged by the color of your skin (except for an incident in elementary school where it seems Farr was beat up for being half Italian) that you are shocked by the racism that people all over the world still exhibit.

So, back to the book. It was hard for me to stay engaged in the story, despite Farr's gift for the gab, because I was kind of going 'duh' throughout the whole thing. And because after awhile, I wanted to shake Farr and say, "They (her Korean in-laws) don't dislike you because you're White, they dislike you because you're not Korean!" That's a whole different ball of wax. I think this book could have been saved if Farr had simply decided to write a cute little memoir about integrating her new Korean family, instead of trying to tell the rest of us what we already know about interracial relationships. They're complicated. Some people are mean. And despite the obstacles, sometimes people can live happily ever after.

The Meltingpot grade: Nice Try

Has anybody else read Kissing Outside the Lines? I'd love to hear your opinion.

Peace!

What I'm Reading Now: Stories in Living Color

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

You all know I regularly post book reviews here on the Meltingpot, but the truth of the matter is, I read far more than I have time to review. In fact, I read so much, I consider myself a book addict. When I finish one book, if I don't have a new book to dive into, I'm like a crackhead and start to get the shakes. Sometimes I can stave off withdrawal symptoms with a good magazine article, but that will only hold me for a short period of time.

Because I know many of you appreciate recommendations for good books, I thought I'd share with you what books I've gobbled up...I mean, read lately. And these aren't just good books, these are Meltingpot books. In other words, I'm not really interested in reading a book about White people and their lives in a White world. Not that I don't find White people fascinating, but it seems their stories are everywhere. I want to use my reading time to find out how other people live. Even if it's fiction, I want to immerse myself in another culture, or see my own culture reflected in some way. I want to see different cultures engaging with one another. I want to see cultures colliding and coming together. Don't get me wrong, I don't discriminate in my literary choices. I think of it more like affirmative action. If I can find a book with at least one colored character, I'm choosing that one over the book with just White folks. But at the end of the day, a good book is a good book. I'll read anything by Ann Patchett, for example, whether she adds people of color in her books or not (interestingly she usually does but not always.)

So, without further ado, here's what I've read in the last two months, in addition to Conquistadora and The Taste of Salt, which I reviewed here on the site.

1.  You Are Free: Stories by Danzy Senna. I generally shy away from short stories, but I'd read a grocery list if Danzy Senna wrote it. She is one of my favorite authors who always tackles mixed-race identity in all of her work. You Are Free is no exception. The stories aren't explicitly about race, but almost every story in the collection features a mixed-race character grappling with an issue that seems to stem from their racial blend. It's deep stuff and kind of depressing. By the end of the book, I desperately wanted to know if Senna was intentionally playing with the 'tragic mulatto' stereotype or if she truly 'knew' these characters she had invented. I'd love to hear other people's reactions to You Are Free.

2.  Shanghai Girls by Lisa See. Lisa See has been in my literary rear view mirror for awhile. My mother's book club was reading one of her books. One of her books is now showing at a theater near me. The local Barnes & Noble had a display of her books on the front table. But I just wasn't that interested. But when my local Borders went out of business, I scooped up Shanghai Girls because it was on deep discount and I decided to finally find out what Lisa See could deliver. This book is about two young sisters who are living the high life in Shanghai right before the Japanese invasion. Their privileged world falls apart however, when their father admits he's gambled away their fortune. To save himself, he essentially sells his daughters to get out of debt. The two sisters, May and Pearl, are now wives to two awkward brothers who live in the United States and they go from upper-class Chinese, to downtrodden immigrant workers in California.

I can't say I loved this book, but it was definitely a page-turner that kept me entertained. I also learned a lot about Chinese culture and the Chinese immigrant experience in America. For that reason, I would recommend the book to every American because you will never eat at a Chinese restaurant or stroll through your local Chinatown with the same innocent eyes.

Now I'm reading a new memoir by the award-winning author and poet, Jackie Kay. Kay was adopted as an infant in her native Scotland. Her birth mother was Scottish, her father an academic from Nigeria. The book, Red Dust Road, is her story of tracking down her birth parents and examining her life growing up with her communist parents. Despite the seriousness of her endeavor, this book is hilarious. Considering Kay finds out her birth mother became a Mormon and her birth father became a Christian zealot, if she couldn't find the humor in her origins, she probably wouldn't be in such a positive place in her life today. I had the pleasure of meeting Kay a few years ago at a literary festival and she is a beautiful human being and full of laughter. When I finish the book, I'll give you a complete review. But if you want to beat me to it, order if for yourselves. The only thing is, my friend sent it to me from England where it was published. I'm not sure if it's available through US book stores yet.

So, what are you reading these days? I'm going to need my next fix soon.

I'm listening.

Peace!

The Taste Of Salt: A (Colorful) Dysfunctional Family Story

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

You know there are some books you read that have very simple plots to explain. Like, Cinderella is a story about a girl whose mom dies and she has to live with her evil stepmother who treats her like a slave until her fairy godmother shows up and turns her life around. Well, Martha Southgate's haunting new novel, The Taste of Salt isn't like that. There's no clear beginning and happily ever afters are nowhere to be found and yet it is a story about a troubled family, about love and in some ways about believing that salvation can come in the arms of the right man. And yes, there are major daddy issues.

If I had to be more specific in my descriptions, I'd say The Taste of Salt is a story about a middle-class, African-American family destroyed by addiction. The father is an alcoholic as his son. The wife feels herself powerless to help either her husband or son and daughter, Josie just wants to get as far away from the whole clan as possible. And really The Taste of Salt is Josie's story. At the beginning of the novel, Josie is in her mid-thirties, a successful scientist living in Woods Hole, one of the only Black people on staff at the prestigious Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. She's married to a White man and happily has no children. Her life is neat and orderly and she hardly ever has to think about her painful childhood back in Cleveland. Until her mother calls to tell her that her brother, Tick has fallen off the wagon, again.

It is Tick's stint in rehab that truly sets of the life-altering chain of events that occur in the book. Josie goes back to Cleveland to help her mother deal with her brother and subsequently her well-ordered life starts to unravel as she trips through the memories and pain.

The reason I enjoyed this book so much, besides Southgate's masterful and mesmerizing storytelling, is that while one could consider this a book about addiction, it really is a story about an American family trying their best to capture the American dream. But the booze keeps thwarting everyone's efforts. Southgate goes all the way back to Josie's parents' meeting to explain how they got to today. She humanizes the plight of so many people struggling with substance abuse by giving us an individual story. The fact that the family is Black is inconsequential, yet refreshing to this reader as it is always validating to fall in love with characters that look like the people in your own life.

All told, The Taste of Salt is a compelling, thought-provoking, page-turning drama. I gobbled it up in two days. The characters are real, not romanticized and their reality will resonate with many people touched by addiction of all sorts. A perfect book-club read, The Taste of Salt gets two Meltingpot thumbs up.

P.S. If you haven't read Southgate's other novels, Third Girl From the Left and The Fall of Rome you are truly missing out. Seriously. Go read them and tell me what you think.

Peace!

Sympathizing with the Slave Owner? -- "Conquistadora" Made Me Do It

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

I think it is safe to say that if a novel can make a Black woman sympathetic to an unrepentant slave owner in 1845, then that's some good writing. Suffice it to say, Esmerelda Santiago's epic new novel, Conquistadora does just that.

According to all of the publicity material, Conquistadora is about a young Spanish woman, Ana, who feels stifled by her upper-class upbringing in colonial Spain and longs to live a life of adventure like her conquistador ancestors. So she marries and convinces her husband and his twin brother to move to Puerto Rico and stake their claim in the "new world." This is in 1845 and Puerto Rico is a growing but still untamed island colony belonging to Spain. It was where many Spaniards -- actually any White man from Europe -- from questionable backgrounds could reinvent themselves. It was part of the Spanish Wild West and Ana wanted in, no matter what the cost. Soon enough, Ana and her husband are running a sugar plantation in an isolated part of the island with the African slaves on the plantation the closest thing they have to neighbors.

Conquistadora follows Ana's travails from her marriage and arrival in Puerto Rico, through twenty years of drama. Births, deaths, slave revolts, cholera epidemics. You name it, it happened. But through it all she remains stoic in her determination to make a name for herself in this island nation. To create something from her own two hands instead of relying on her class and parents' wealth. Ana is a survivor and the reader wants her to achieve her goals. Or at least I did. But the problem is, Ana's dreams of making her sugar plantation a success requires the use and abuse of slave labor. There's no other way. Or at least there's no other way Ana and her sexy overseer, Severo Fuentes can think of to bring in the sugar cane and turn a profit. (By the way, Severo is one of those Spaniards from a "questionable background" who is in Puerto Rico seeking fame and fortune.) So, yes, I found myself sympathizing with the slave owner. I wanted Ana to be victorious. I cheered for her success.

So, we come back to Santiago's brilliant storytelling. In my mind, the main character of this tale isn't Ana, but rather, Puerto Rico itself. The island is a living breathing entity that enchants and mystifies. It causes men and women to renounce what they've known before and try to tame her. There are many characters in the book, Spaniards, Africans -- slaves and free --rich and poor, first generation native-born islanders, but it is the island that sits at center stage in this epic tale. After reading this book, one understands not just how Puerto Rico came to be, but why and at what cost. With lush descriptions and an eye for historical detail, Santiago has written a thrilling ode to her birthplace.

For anyone interested in historical fiction, you'll love this book. If you're like me and are fascinated by the intersection of African and Spanish lives and culture, you'll love this book. If you're eager to understand the truly diverse culture of Puerto Rico, you'll love this book. If you'd like an insight into slavery under a different colonial empire than the British (and then American), then you'll love this book. If you're interested in truly understanding the mindset of those who sought to tame new worlds, you'll love this book. As soon as I finished reading it, el esposo grabbed it and read it too. He loved it as much as I did. So, there you have it. Two Kinky Gazpacho thumbs up for Conquistadora.

Peace!

Meltingpot Reads-- Mixie Marriages and The "Puerto Rican Gone With the Wind"

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

I don't know if it's because it's hovering near 100 degrees or because I'm just too heavy to move regardless of the temperature, these days all I want to do is find a cool, comfortable space to read. Of course, for me, the question is always, what to read next. Here's what I have in the TBR pipeline.

1. In the realm of nonfiction, I'm about to crack open, Kissing Outside the Lines: A True Story of Love and Race and Happily Ever After by Diane Farr. In this book, Farr --who happens to be an actress -- tells her story of falling in love and marrying a Korean-American man. Farr is White. She also shares stories of other interracial couples she interviewed along the way for inspiration and guidance. Here's a clip of her being interviewed on The Today Show about the book.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I'll being posting my review of the book as soon as i finish it.


And on my fiction list, I just read about Esmerelda Santiago's latest novel, Conquistadora. It's about a 19th century Spanish woman who convinces her husband to move to Puerto Rico to seek their fortune. He dies and she becomes a powerful plantation owner and healer. I've heard it is supposed to be the first story in a trilogy that has been described as a "Puerto Rican Gone With the Wind." Yummy! I can't wait to get my hands on this one. To be honest, I've only been a fan of Santiago's non-fiction, mostly her first memoir, When I Was Puerto Rican, but this novel with it's Spanish/African/Slavery/Kinky Gazpacho history sounds right up my alley. Anybody else plan on reading this one?

Okay, that's what's next on my list. What about you? I'm listening.

Peace!

Black Woman in the Badlands -- A Book Review

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

I just finished an awesome novel called, The Personal History of Rachel DuPree by Ann Weisgarber. Once again I was drawn in by the arresting cover of a Black woman in a white dress, presumably somewhere out on some prairie. I quickly read the jacket cover and was struck by the final paragraph:

Reminiscent of The Color Purple as well as the frontier novels of Laura Ingalls Wilder and Willa Cather, The Personal History of Rachel DuPree opens a window on the little-known history of African American homesteaders and gives voice to an extraordinary heroine who embodies the spirit that built America.

Okay, so any book that is compared to both The Color Purple and Little House on the Prairie, immediately has me hooked. What a juxtaposition, right? And I wasn't disappointed. The book tells the story of Rachel DuPree, who at age 25 works as a cook in a Black-owned boarding house in Chicago. Originally from Louisiana, her father was a slave, but the family moved North for better prospects. Although she had to quit school in the eighth grade, Rachel has great expectations for herself and without giving too much away, ends up marrying the educated son of the boardinghouse owner. Together the two of them go stake their claim for 160 acres of land in South Dakota as part of the Homestead Act.

By the time we meet Rachel, many years have past since she left Chicago and she's become a frontier woman. Her earlier years are told in flashback, but the action that keeps the pages turning revolves around survival in the Badlands. Drought, harsh winters, hunger, sick cattle, and hungry children are all part of every day life. What's not a big issue, refreshingly, is racism. I mean it underlies the choices that Rachel and her husband make, but really it is the story of every American who wanted to use the land to make something of him or herself. I just loved it because these were Black people in a situation that we never see Black people in. We don't hear this part of the Black American experience. I read the book in chunks every night and then found myself imagining myself in Rachel's shoes the next day as I weeded my puny garden, fed my kids and wondered if the baby I'm carrying in my belly would be harmed when I had to go outside to close our garage in the middle of a wicked storm last week. You know, man against nature and all that. (Note: Rachel is very pregnant when the story opens. So I felt especially kindred).

The book is incredibly well written, the characters unique and the voices believable. The sensory descriptions of the drought will have you spitting grit as you read along. Even though I knew the author was White, by the end of the book I had to check again to make sure as she really captured, not only Rachel's voice but her inner-most thoughts as well. Which I guess goes to show how universal the human experience really is, despite the color of our skin.

Read this book! You won't be disappointed.

Peace.

"Secret Daughter" --An Adoption Story, A Family Story, An Indian Story

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

I just finished the book, Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda. Told from multiple perspectives, the story is about the life of a little girl named Asha. Asha was born in India to a peasant woman whose family did not place any value on females. Rather than have her daughter killed at birth, Asha's mom gives her to an orphanage where she prays a family will adopt her and love her. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, a young White American woman with a promising future as a doctor and a loving husband discovers she can't have children. Can you guess what happens? Yes, the young doctor and her husband, who happens to be Indian, adopt baby Asha and we discover through the pages of the book how everyone's lives are inextricably changed.

I heard about this book from a good friend and was immediately intrigued by the story idea. The author is Indian and I anticipated an 'authentic' perspective on an often debated topic. I was not disappointed in that the author gave voice to the adoptive mother, the birth mother, the adoptive father, the birth father and Asha herself. We got to be inside of the heads of all of the people involved in this complicated family structure. In many ways, I found it to be a very enlightening novel, especially in hearing the voices of the Indian birth parents and their struggle with the cultural norms that encourage female infanticide, selective sex abortion and the basic devaluing of female life. Gowda does an excellent job at giving each character a unique voice and she doesn't paint anyone as villain or angel.

That being said, I wish the author had given us more of Asha's childhood experience. The story begins on the day of Asha's birth and ends with her finishing college. In between we get glimpses and pieces of high and low points of her life, but I really wanted to hear more about those in-between parts. On the one hand, this is supposed to be Asha's story, but because we have to/get to hear from all of these other characters in alternating chapters, I felt like the reader has to do a lot of filling in the blanks.

Overall, I found the book to be a compelling read. I finished it in about three days. The writing is solid and the descriptions of the sights, sounds and smells of India had me yearning to book a trip to Mumbai as soon as possible. I would recommend Secret Daughter to anyone interested in Indian culture, adoption and/or women's fiction. Ultimately I think this is a story about motherhood and the sacrifices we make in the best interest of our children.

Has anyone else read this book? What did you think about it? Here are two reviews, one positive and one not so positive about Secret Daughter.

I'm listening.

Peace!

"Curse of the Tiger Other:" An Asian-American Mom Responds to the Tiger Mama Excitement

Hey Meltingpot Readers,

Over on the awesome website, My Brown Baby, blogger J. Lisa Oyama has taken on the Tiger Mama. That is, she's provided her opinion on how this Tiger Mama business has affected 'other' Asian-American moms who don't subscribe to Amy Chua's radical parenting style.

She writes, " We [have] been other-fied, once again, and by one of “us,” no less. Decades of civil rights activism fighting for Asian Americans to be recognized as Just Americans—poof! Decimated, like so many tiny fluttering cherry blossoms flying into a tsunami. One racially charged Wall Street Journal headline, and we were, once again, reduced to foreign freaks, something other than American. Other-fied."

I urge you to read the rest of the article to hear an opinion that up until now seems to have been largely absent regarding Chua's controversial book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother (which coincidentally has been on the NYT Best Seller's List for the last few weeks.).

One of the commenters on Oyama's piece pointed out that it was good to hear the "other side" of being the "model minority" and I think that is a really important point. Suffice it to say, nobody wants to live under the burden of a stereotype, but it helps to hear first hand what that burden really feels like.

Any other Asian-American readers want to comment on Amy Chua's book and/or its backlash? I'm curious to know if many others feel like Oyama. Or if there is a different perspective they'd like to share. We want to hear about it here on the Meltingpot.

I'm listening.

Peace.

Be Careful in this ROOM!

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

Remember not too long ago I posted here about my reading goals for 2011? Well, I'm burning through my list.

In the last week I've read two of my five proposed titles. I actually got my hands on a galley of Lorene Cary's new novel, If Sons, Then Heirs. I was actually asked to review the book for a certain women's publication, so I won't print my review here, but suffice it to say, when the book is released in May, I suggest you all run out and buy it. Fans of Cary's previous work will not be disappointed.

And then, people, I spent the entire day in bed yesterday, feeling a little under the weather, but entirely happy with the excuse to read Emma Donoghue's riveting novel, Room, from cover to cover. I can see why this book is sitting pretty on the New York Times best seller's list. Narrated by a five-year-old boy who has lived his entire life in captivity with his mother in an 11 x11 foot room, the story defines the meaning of a true 'page turner.' I don't want to say anything else about the plot because you want to read this book with the element of suspense in tact. But while some people may be attracted to the story because of the, let's say, criminal aspect of the story line, I was actually more enthralled by the clear underlying message about parenting. I'd wager a bet even that the author wanted to make a statement about 21st century parenting and thought this chilling 'horror story' might be the most effective way to get people to think about what children really need in this world to survive. After reading this essay penned by Donoghue, I think I'm right. What do you think? Who's read the book?

I found the book trailer to be very creepy, but it made me want to read the book even more. Decide for yourselves:



Up next for me? The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.

What are you reading today?

WTF? Friday: An Offensive Guide to Interracial Dating

Meltingpot Readers,

I had another post all ready to go today, but I got word of a new book -- I Got the Fever: Love: What's Race Got to Do With It? -- that purports to teach women the secrets of how to date outside of their race. Although, because it is written by a White American woman who refers to her own cultural background as Poor White Trash, it kind of slants towards teaching White women how to get with a man of color.

Here's how the copy reads on the authors' website:

"Are you sick of believing all the good men are either married or gay? Then it’s time to catch the fever—for intercultural dating, that is. The fact is, soulmates come in every color—and I Got the Fever can help you find yours. Injected with pants-wetting anecdotes, eyebrow-raising commentary, and plenty of juicy details, I Got the Fever offers a practical course of treatment for dating within five unique cultures: Latino, Asian, Black, Indian, and Jewish. Plus, author J.C. Davies delivers the low down on every question you ever had about dating men of other races but were too PC to ask:
• Do Asian men like their women submissive?
• Are Jewish men really cheap?
• Are all Indian men well versed in the Kama Sutra?
• Do Latin lovers live up to their reputation?
• Do Black men actually have big, er, uh, equipment?

Whether you’re already in an interracial relationship, contemplating one or just want to be entertained by JC’s conversational style and hilarious anecdotes, I Got the Fever is the perfect prescription for dating in a new and diverse world."

I'm still left scratching my head. Is this woman for real? (She obviously takes herself and her mission very seriously.) Does she really think because she has dated many men of many different cultural backgrounds she is qualified to dole out such advice? But even more importantly, should anybody be approaching their romantic life with such racially codified motivations? Somebody help me understand this woman. And then help me understand the people who are actually buying it. Should we be afraid? Very afraid? And last but not least, why are all the men on the front cover shiny and hairless?

I'm listening.

Happy Weekend!

Peace.

A New Book About 'Passing' -- The Invisible Line

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

About a month ago, I was contacted by TLC Book Tours to see if I'd like to review a new book about three American families who literally transformed themselves over the generations, from Black to White. Of course, I jumped at the chance. Introducing, The Invisible Line by Daniel J. Sharfstein.

Even though I promised myself I would only read fiction this year, I was not disappointed by this foray into nonfiction. The Invisible Line, while meticulously researched by Sharfstein -- an associate professor of law at Vanderbilt University -- reads like a great piece of historic fiction. The story begins like this:

"Gideon Gibson rode alone through the perpetual twilight of the woods on a Sunday. In the thick forests of the South Carolina backcountry, light hit the ground scattered and split, filtered through leaves and pine needles as through a cathedral's stained glass."

And it only gets better from there. Essentially, Sharfstein traces the paths of three families; the wealthy landowning Gibsons in South Carolina, the Spencers, farmers in Eastern Kentucky, and the Walls, a middle class Black family in pre-Civil War Washington DC who 'becomes White' by the dawn of the 20th century.

The stories of all three families are equally fascinating ( complete with pictures to help you imagine and understand the transformations) but even more compelling is the completely hypocritical and self-serving history of the concept of race and color in this country. Reading the stories of these three families and the context in which they chose to 'cross over' makes the injustices of race that much more infuriating as we come to understand just how fluid the color line really was/is. The author himself explains it this way, " ...the category of 'black' has always functioned as little more than a marker of discrimination. W.E.B. Du Bois said it best: black means the 'person who must ride Jim Crow' in Gerogia."

I think we all joke that every American has a Black branch somewhere in their family tree, but after reading The Invisible Line, it seems like we should be checking the roots and not just the branches of every "White" family in America.

Color Blind: A Memoir by Precious Williams

Imagine if finding a child to adopt/foster was as easy as looking in the back pages of a magazine called Nursery World and scrolling through descriptions that read like, "attractive baby girl of Nigerian origin' available.

That's how Nigerian-born, but British-based journalist Precious Williams came to live with her 57-year-old foster mother who went by the name of "Nanny" and who had a penchant for fostering 'colored' children. It sounds too unbelievable to be true, but Color Blind is very much the true story of how Williams grew up from an infant to a young woman -- being shuttled back and forth between her cold, distant Nigerian mother and her well-intentioned but ill-equipped (to be raising a little Black girl in 1970s England) 'Nanny.'

Color Blind initially attracted me because I wanted to read about the Black girl in a White world experience across the pond. But Williams' memoir isn't an every girl's story because her family circumstances were quite particular. Her mother never gave her up for adoption, and in fact, haphazardly swooped in and out of Precious' life, often bringing chaos and confusion to her daughter's already convoluted world. Meanwhile, her foster family doted on her, but they were never allowed to be her 'real' family, nor did they truly comprehend that raising a Black child required a different set of skills than they innately possessed.

Color Blind is a bittersweet coming of age story that will surely make your heart ache. I also found myself angry and intrigued by the seemingly lax system of oversight for foster parenting in the United Kingdom and I'm curious if that system is still in place today. The book is beautifully written and you can't help but hope for a happy ending for the author, which she seems to be having as her life continues to unfold. To catch up with Williams these days, check out her website. But first read the book.

Peace!

Adoption is Complicated, Even in Fiction

Meltingpot Readers,

For the last couple of years I've been obsessively reading anything and everything I could get my hands on that dealt with adoption. I have a gazillion adoption blogs bookmarked, I have a subscription to Adoptive Families magazine and I've read a lot of 'What to Expect When You're Adopting' books and memoirs by adoptees. I even read one really great novel, The English American which features an adult adoptee protagonist searching for her birth parents.

But I just finished reading a new book, Chosen by first-time novelist Chandra Hoffman that gave me completely new -- and often uncomfortable -- insights on the complicated world of adoption. From the adoption agencies to the adoptive parents, Chosen examines the perspectives of everyone involved in an adoption plan. Now a full-time writer and mother of three, Hoffman worked in an orphanage in Romania and as the director of a domestic adoption program in the United States, so the story she tells in Chosen feels very real.

The story is really about a young case worker named Chloe Pinter who takes a job at the Chosen Adoption Agency because she thinks bringing families together is a noble cause. In alternating chapters we hear from a set of birth parents who life has kicked around a few times too many, the adoptive parents who have an excess of money but lack a certain warmth, and another couple who struggled with infertility but eventually get pregnant, but they still maintain a connection with the Agency.

I'd label the book an adoption thriller because there is definitely a plot twist that will have you turning pages faster than you can read them. But also, just the very nature of domestic adoption where one never knows if birth mother will place, if adoptive parents will be picked, if the child will be happy... it all feels like a roller coaster of emotions anyway. I was tense while reading the whole book. But I'm glad I read it because I really feel like I learned a lot more about the business of adoption, how agencies work and some crucial insights into why a woman might choose adoption for her child. I cried a few times while reading.

The book comes out on the same day as Substitute Me, August 24, 2010.

Peace!

Gobbling Up Summer Fiction

People, can I just say I am gobbling up novels these days like nobody's business. I am averaging almost two books a week. It's crazy and I love it. It's summer time and even though I'm supposed to be revising my own YA novel right now, I am allowing myself to gorge on good fiction.

So far I've read, Neesha Meminger's, Shine Coconut Moon, which is a YA racial coming-of-age tale about a young Indian teen living in post 9/11 New Jersey. Very good. And I devoured Zetta Elliott's A Wish After Midnight, the book about a 15-year old African-American girl who gets transported from modern-day Brooklyn, to Civil-War era Brooklyn. That book was very well done and the characters were so real.

I can't lie though. Hands down my favorite summer read so far has been, Ernessa T. Carter's 32 Candles. That book had me reading into the wee hours of the night and playing hooky from work to finish. I ignored my kids and let them watch TV in the middle of the day, just so I could finish this wholly unique, funny and absolutely fabulous novel that "redefines girl gets boy." I will be writing more about this book in the coming days. In fact, I'm on my way to New York City today so I can meet the author at a book party in her honor. I can't wait because seriously, when I read a book like this, a book that is so quirky, fun, and well-written, I get totally star struck. I will probably ask Ms. Carter to sign my book and my chest! Hold me back!

While you're waiting for my report, I suggest you pick up a copy of 32 Candles and read it. I guarantee you won't be disappointed. And then watch this pro-library video that spoofs the Old Spice commercial and get your laugh on. Don't you love reading? What are you reading this summer?

Peace!

Read This Book! -- 'The Long Song' by Andrea Levy

Meltingpot Readers,

You know I went through my love affair with Jamaican writers, well that affair has been rekindled with Andrea Levy's triumphant new novel, The Long Song. Now technically Levy is British born, but her parents are Jamaican and it is her Jamaican heritage that she often writes about in her novels. The Long Song is no exception.

The biggest difference between, The Long Song and Levy's previous work is that The Long Song is a historical novel that takes place during the last years of slavery in Jamaica. But before you role your eyes and shudder at the thought of reading a dry historical novel, take note. The Long Song, much like Dolen Perkins-Valdez's Wench is a personal story, an intimate story, and a story that we really haven't heard until now. Specifically, The Long Song is Miss July's story. July is an immensely likeable, spirited young slave girl who is snatched from her mother ( a field slave) to become a maid in the big house on the sugar plantation.

July narrates her own story at the request of her adult son who is a printer and wants documentation of the life she lived. There's a reason he wants or rather needs this documentation, but I'm not going to spoil the story for you by telling you why.

Besides the fact that Miss July is a wonderful storyteller, filling her narrative with intimate details, plenty of mischief and much humor to sweeten the horror that she lived through, I learned so much about Jamaican history and came to a new understanding of what it meant to "survive" slavery and how that survival was achieved through intelligence and cunning more so than brute physical strength. Believe it or not there is plenty of humor in these pages, a hint of a love story, and a beautiful example of the strength of family ties. Oh and if I said there's an interracial adoption piece to, would you believe me? If I'm lying I'm dying.

To hear more about the research Levy did for the book and about Jamaica's history of slavery, listen to this interview Levy gave on the Leonard Lopate show on WNYC.

My book club will be reading The Long Song for their next meeting. Yes, I picked it. So I'm thinking of serving beef patties and ginger beer for the gathering. I know it's going to be a great discussion. So what are you reading this summer? Any books you're really excited about? Next on my list is Little Bee by Chris Cleve.

Have a great weekend!

Peace!

Food For Thought -- New American Table Book Review

Okay, so I've been a fan of chef Marcus Samuelsson since I wrote a profile about him back in the late 1990s for an assignment while I was in journalism school. For those of you who don't know his multi-culti history, Samuelsson was born in Ethiopia, adopted by a Swedish couple, raised in Sweden, moved to the United States to pursue his culinary career and has now established himself as one of the most celebrated and innovative chefs around. Basically, Marcus Samuelsson is a meltingpot of experiences, cultures and culinary ideas. And he's intent on sharing everything he's learned from his exciting life.

He's written a handful of gorgeous, lush cook books, but his most recent, New American Table is almost like a love letter to his new home, the United States. In the book, Samuelsson travels across this country to discover our national foodstuffs. But we're not talking Boston baked beans and Texas chili. No, Samuelsson spends most of his time talking to immigrants to this country who have heavily influenced our cuisine. So, expect recipes (and their backstories) for dishes like, avocado-banana smoothies, fish goulash with gnocchi, and jerk-spiced catfish with green papaya salad. Yum!

For the foodies among you, I think you'll love the variety of recipes with their exotic ingredient lists. For me, I admit I was intimidated by many of the recipes, but that's because any recipe with more than five ingredients scares me. But just reading through the recipes and drooling over the pictures is worth it for me. And I'm definitely going to try those avocado-banana smoothies and some of the salsas and spice rubs which seem doable. First up is chimichurri and sofrito which are two of my favorite sauces/flavorings for foods which previously I thought only Goya could help me produce. I'll let you know how it goes.

So, foodies. What are you most looking forward to cooking this summer? Or do you stop cooking when the heat goes up? I used to rely heavily on pasta in the summer, but since going wheat free--not so much, although corn pasta has been a pleasant surprise.

I'm listening.

Peace.

Wench -- A Heartbreaking Work of Historical Genius

I picked up the novel Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez at my neighborhood Borders' going-out-of-business sale. In honor of the discounted prices, I was actually allowing myself to peruse the new hardcovers, and Wench caught my eye because of its alluring cover. As you faithful Meltingpot readers know, I'm always on the lookout for books with people of color on the cover. Well, with Wench, you can barely tell that the woman in the fancy lace dress and hat is actually Black, but somehow I knew.

As soon as I picked up the book, I realized that I'd heard buzz around the blogosphere about this title. I couldn't remember exactly what I'd heard, but after reading the flap copy on the book, I knew I had to buy it. Wench is a story I've never heard told before. It is based on a true part of our American history that I am so glad Perkins-Valdez had the guts to explore in her debut novel.

Centered around Tawana House, a summer resort in pre-Civil War Ohio, Wench tells the story of four slave women who are brought to the resort by their White owners as their concubines. In what seems like a shocking act of disrespect to their wives, these wealthy White men leave their spouses back home on the plantation preferring to bring their Black mistresses on vacation with them instead. But make no mistake, Wench isn't about the secret loves between White men and Black women in antebellum America. The four women, Lizzie, Mawu, Reenie, and Sweet, are still slaves, made to clean, cook, and fuck their masters at all times of the day and night, and yet they have been elevated in status in some ways by being brought along on vacation. Yes, it's complicated.

The big irony of this whole distasteful situation is that Tawana House is in free country. Black people are free in Ohio, and in fact, free Blacks work at Tawana House and often turn their noses up at these "scarlet women" from the south. The story really begins as one of the four slave women, Mawu, decides that they should all try to make a run for freedom.

Perkins-Valdzez does a remarkable job exploring the mindset of these four different women. Each one has their own way of dealing with her circumstances. Each one has her own way of surviving this life. I cried throughout most of the book, knowing that although this is a work of fiction, the story is far from invented.( In fact, in an author's note there is a description of the real Tawana house. And on the author's website you can see actual drawings of the original structure.) Fictionalizing the story though, giving us characters to care about and a setting to place them in, brings the realitites of slavery that much closer and more painful.

That being said, Wench has moments of hope and inspiration. It is not an angry book nor one that demonizes all White people. Quite simply, it offers an intimate portrait of slavery, when we're so used to broad brushstrokes of horror. The stories that transpire in Wench make our history feel human. They are the stories of all of our ancestors, White and Black. What's more, Perkins-Valdez is an excellent storyteller. She created fascinating characters, kept the story going at a page-turning pace, and managed to pen period-appropriate dialogue without interrupting the flow of the story. That requires real talent.

I am so pleased that this book exists. I am hopeful that it inspires conversations across color lines about race, sex, and our nation's history. I can tell this will be a good book club read! More importantly, I hope the success of this book makes the publishing industry take note that people want to read books about Black people, because our stories are intricately connected to your stories.

As if you couldn't tell, I highly recommend Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez. Just make sure to have your tissues by your side.

Peace!