reviews

A Literary Physician Heals Himself... Author: Nina George  When someone in my book club mentioned reading about Nina George’s bestselling novel concerning a literary apothecary who can match soul sick people with the books they need, we all roundly voted it in as the August read. Ever since then, I’ve slowly been checking off the months, excited to finally get a sample of a book I already knew that I would love. From the cover to the description to the elegant, soul-searching reviews of all those lucky readers, everything guaranteed that George’s narrative firmly embodied that ethereal spiritual connection between [...]

A Classic Abolitionist Text Examining Racism, Greed, and Religious Hypocrisy Author: Harriet Beecher Stowe Selling over 3,000 copies on its first day of publication, Uncle Tom’s Cabin has since become a renowned classic of abolition and, in more recent years, an accused perpetrator of racial stereotypes. Pitted with a politically charged past, the novel has been credited with initiating the Civil War and supporting women's suffrage. Written in the sentimental style popular at the time, the novel sets its theme by introducing us to Arthur Shelby who, over wine, discusses his unfortunate debt with his stunned wife, Emily. Emily is averse to [...]

Journalism and Journey Author: Kira Salak Combining stoicism with shattering emotion, The White Mary is a unique study in understated, impactful art. Marika Vecera, a character haunted by a nebulous yet horrific past, is now a famed war journalist, traveling to places in open revolt and civil warfare (such as Congo) where even her male counterparts do not dare to go. Business-like and proficient, Marika records the horrors she sees and as she thrives on the chaos and the open flirtation with death, a post-traumatic stress like reaction overtakes her after every near fatal journey. After an abduction and near rape plus [...]