Asia

   __Bel Canto__ By Anne Patchett 2002/2005. 318pg. HarperCollins Publishers, $13.95 (0-06-0018873-1) After a lifetime love of opera, Mr. Hosokawa was presented with an opportunity to have Roxanne Coss, his favorite opera singer, sing at his birthday party. With the party being held at the Vice President’s house, everything seemed to be running smoothly until the lights went out. All of the sudden a group of terrorists appeared and ordered everyone to lie down. With everyone’s fear rising, minds racing, and spirits falling, escaping this predicament seemed nearly impossible. An entire room filled with people from different social classes and a variety of almost every language made communication difficult; however, fear was a common factor among all of them. With life seeming as though it was about to end, no one could have imagined what was to come. Friendships were formed, love was found and the differences between the hostages and their captures began to blur. The main theme in __Bel Canto__ is that friendship can be found even in the most unlikely places, and how when you’re stripped of your social stature and your language is different you are finally recognized as being just a regular person. The quality of Ann Patchett”s writing is very good. I enjoyed reading her novel in the details that she provided. It kept you on the edge, but told you just enough information to keep your mind going. The words were not too difficult and knowing a little Spanish helped with some of the words. The organization flowed beautifully and did not jump around which let me know what was going on the whole time. The book was truly a fantastic read. It was so much fun to read and at times it was hard to put the book down even though I knew I had to do other work. With all of the twists and turns of love the novel keeps you guessing about who could find happiness in this dire situation. The audience range for this novel would be for high school age and older. This is because the message that this book is trying to get across would be better explained and understood to a high school level student. Knowing that once we are stripped of our social stature, our language, and our possessions, we are all the same is a very valuable life lesson. This message was made very clear when hostages and captures became friends. Also, I believe that __Bel Canto__ would be enjoyed by both boys and girls for the romance, the adventure, and the meaning. ~Gabrielle N.

By Jhumpa Lahiri.** 2003. 291p. Houghton Mifflin Company, $24.00 (0-395-92721-8).    Ashima has grown up in Calcutta, India and followed her culture's traditions for as long as she can remember. She knows of nothing else, and follows her parents orders of marrying her off to a man who has quite different plans for the two of them then what she had bargained for. Ashoke, her husband, teaches engineering at MIT. She follows right behind him as he goes to achieve his dream in America while she sits, alone, in a country where everything is foreign: food, language, religion, dress. Life moves on though, time passes, minutes turn to months as if they were simply dust blown away in the heavy Massachusetts wind, and Ashima learns to adjust. Given time, she becomes pregnant. Ashima and Ashoke name their baby not a traditional Indian name, but rather one unheard of. They will call the baby boy Gogol they think, after Ashoke's favorite Russian author. Gogol grows up, takes his first steps, says his first words, and upon entering kindergarten, Ashima and Ashoke agree that they must pick a “good” name, a better name, for him to use. They decide on Nikhil. The remainder of this beautifully crafted novel follows Gogol's life at a glimpse in third person while he struggles, as any one person does, to find out what his name(s) really means to him and who he truly is. In her debut novel, __The Namesake__, Jhumpa Lahiri, creates a certain connection between the readers and protagonist, capturing the essence of growing up in a society where two cultures clash and blend. Her obvious expertise and indulgence in this culture makes the experience real to every walk of life. The novel contains detailed descriptions of Calcutta's bustling atmosphere and Ashima's estranged experience as an immigrant in a new land. Lahiri is deceivingly insightful inscribing the message that a name is not simply for show. It is part of your identity and sets the fine line between two completely different people. The themes introduced in the novel include the intermixing of two very different cultures and most importantly the effects of generational gaps. Throughout my whole experience, __The Namesake's__ writing never stopped short of flawless. The novel flows nicely and the level of reading isn't necessarily a challenge, but is dispersed with vocabulary words beyond the level of the average reader. She has the skill of a naturally talented writer; she is able to capture a moment or conversation, and make it come to life in every form, heaping with realistic emotion. I have absolutely no complaints toward this book, only endless, abundant praise. Because the novel has some mature content and ideals, it would be best appreciated by teens through adults. It is easily a book for both male and female, though, sharing the emotions that every person goes through at some point in life. __The Namesake__ is a jem and my praise for it will never cease. -Julianne V.
 * The Namesake.

By Arthur Golden** 1997. 428p. Vintage Books, $14.00 (0-679-78158-7) It's the dawn of World War II, Japan is busy fueling her growing industries to prepare for war. In the midst of this harrowed action, a young girl, Sayuri, as she will come to be known, is cruelly ripped away from her home and family and is brought to be raised in an //okiya// , a house for //Geisha.// Rising out of the ashes of this fractured and hurt past, Sayuri, determined to make the most of what she has, embarks on the long, arduous, but yet undeniably pristine journey to become one of the //Geisha//. Sayuri's quest to redeem herself, reunite with her lost family, and possibly find love herself, is one of great beauty and mystery that only those with the keenest insight can grasp. The book, spanning the course of her life training to be a //Geisha,// to when she leaves and experiences life as a true //Geisha//, is one that is wrought with love, desire, loss and quite occasionally humor! But like in every novel, Sayuri herself faces challenges, some from those of rival //Geisha//, but more than a few with herself. For throughout the book, Sayuri constantly has an internal battle, between her //Geisha// ways and her heart. This is truly a testament to determination, for Sayuri's "metamorphosis" from her humble past, to one of the most respected //Geisha//, is one that'll touch everyone. This memoir-in-a-novel is written from the memories of a real Geisha. It touches on such ideals as the mixing of traditions and that which is modern. And it explores the deepest emotion of an innocent but driven young girl. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The book ebbs and flows, as //Sayuri's life// ebbs and flows, following her as she walks the path between childhood and womanhood, maturing through her many experiances as a //Geisha//. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Golden does a brilliant job of recounting //Sayuri's// memories into a novel, and througout his novel and her memoir, they both seemingly always must come across the theme of //determination,// indeed the characters in the novel all seem to possess an air of determination, with which they drive themselves. The author, though writing in a complex form, creates such a story out of //Sayuri's// memories, that one can not help but appreciate this form of writing. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">//Sayuri's// tale is a heart-warming story, filled with all the lusts of life, added with the spice of being a //Geisha//, though designed for a mature audience, //Memoirs of a Geisha// will, no doubt, be a story that will live through the ages. ~Kevin L.
 * Memoirs of a Geisha

By Laura Joh Rowland** 1997. 307p. Random House, $24.00 (0-679-44900-0) The year is 1690, and the place is feudal Japan. After a successful chase in which Sano Ichiro, a detective working directly under the shogun, captures a gang of illegal sword testers, he heads back to Edo Castle to tell the shogun. When he returns to the castle, he finds out that the shogun is ill and Chamberlain Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu is in command. The Chamberlain dislikes Sano because he believes that he may undermine his influence with the shogun and increase his own power. To prevent this, Chamberlain decided to send him to Nagasaki which is an island on the far reaches of Japan. When he arrives, tension is high because one of the foreigners has escaped. To the Japanese they are dangerous barbarians who threaten their way of life and are therefore kept isolated. At the same time, another trading ship arrives with new cargo and a full complement of cannons. The search ends when the mutilated body of Jan Spaen is found washed up on the beach. Spaen is a Dutch trader and one of the few westerners even allowed in Japan. With few leads, too many enemies, and not enough time, Sano Ichiro finds himself in the midst of a dangerous search for an elusive killer. While many people have a strong motive for murder there is no way for Sano to prove who did it. People like the barbarians, the Chinese, and even their own countrymen are put under the microscope. With the samurai code of ethics blocking the real truth from Sano Ichiro, each and every clue is a constant battle to get. But with every clue, the investigation pulls him further into an entanglement of deception and samurai customs. Nothing is as it seems, and no one can be trusted. Racing against the clock, Sano must find the murderer, for at stake is not only his status as a detective, but his very life. This book is all about how someone's ideals can cloud their vision, making it hard to see what is really going on. This book also teaches about how greed can lead us into decisions we should never make. In this book, many cultures overlap and become misunderstood and overgeneralized. Some of the things the Japanese believed about the Dutch were they all had animal feet, golden hair, and sky blue eyes. They also believed that they were all brutes who only cared about money and not at all about their honor. Rowland also talks about class structure how they higher up you are on the ladder the more things you could do and still get away with. How even the shogun could do something illegal and how his second in command could basically do what he wanted. Rowland explains how this power could be abused to save oneself from being blamed and losing that power or because of their position they could make others take the blame or make them do something they would not normally do. Also Rowland’s story line pushed you to the conclusion that had there not been so many rules and the Dutch and the trading were handled differently, all these things wouldn’t have happened. How even though this might have had nothing to do with Japanese intolerance, the voice in your head still says if it weren’t for all these rules, none of this could or would have happened. ~//Chris C.//
 * The Way of the Samurai

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.** 2005. 258p. Random House, $14.00 (9780812968064). As a woman in 19th century China, Lily is forced to proceed through the agony of footbinding, an arranged marriage, and many other aspects of the old Chinese culture. At the age of seven she meets her //laotong//, or "old same," who is to be her friend for life. Snow Flower, the //laotong//, is a free and noble spirit, who finds it difficult to conform to the expected way of life. As children, Lily and Snow Flower spend much time together. They teach each other new things, they play as only little girls can, and they explore the culture they live in. Snow Flower, who is born into a much higher social standing, advises Lily how to act as a filial woman because Lily's "perfectly bound feet" promise her a marriage into prosperity. As girls, Lily and Snow Flower have only three reasons to live their lives: each other's love, obedience towards elders, and lessons on how to be pious wives. However, as life passes, more complicated matters come into play and strains in their relationship threaten to ruin their lifetime together. As the storyline proceeds, the author portrays two themes in great detail. These prevalent themes are friendship and cultural influence. The author describes the importance of friendship, the impact it has on others, and the ways it can go on. Lisa also explains much of how the Chinese culture influences families through footbinding, marriage, and how women must act. See does a fantastic job relating this unknown world to the reader. She dives into every question about the Chinese way of life, so one can fully understand the concept. The author's style of writing is easy to read and she obviously chose her wording carefully. The vocabulary is not extremely challenging, but the words that are advanced can be easily defined by their context in the book. In addition to her unique and beautiful style of writing, See allows the reader to easily follow Lily through her life. All in all, Lisa See does an outstanding job of choosing her words, helping one to understand the culture, and organizing her thoughts in this novel. The powerful story makes it impossible to forget and a must read on every book list. Readers will fully grasp the haunting concept of footbinding. One will adore the detail of the cultural wedding. Also, the knowledge See has of the culture of 19th century China is exquisite. __Snow Flower and the Secret Fan__ will be appreciated by girls in high school to early college, or women who are intrigued by the beginnings of Chinese culture. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> ~Shanna L
 * By Lisa See.**

2004. 272p. Simon & Schuster. $16.95 (0-689-86333-0)  __The Flame Tree__ describes the experience of the twelve year old son of American missionary doctors in Java, Indonesia and is set around the time of September 11, 2001. It starts as a happy tale with Isaac almost constantly playing with his best friend, a Muslim named Ismail. Their relationship is very strong and almost unbreakable. All is fine until the arrival of Islamic Fundamentalist leaders in the town. Hostility quickly grows between the two religious sides and slowly increases as chemical bombs are planted and lowly Muslim peasants demand infidel taxes. Tension spikes when the attack on the Twin Towers pushes it all over the edge. Suddenly, all is chaos as violent riots with deadly intentions quickly surround the missionary compound and attack any converts that could not make it to safety in time. As security guards fight off the angry Indonesians with chemicals from the hospital, American helicopters are ordered in. Isaac is forced to escape on his own as his parents try to be heroes and stay with the hospital and its helpless patients but just as every one thinks it is safe, there is a huge explosion beneath Isaac’s helicopter and fire envelops the chopper as it falls to the earth. Just as quickly, Isaac falls into the hands of the Fundamentalists as he learns and matures with a surprise around every corner in his own bildungsroman story and international crisis. Friendships are made, broken, and remade as this story travels where no other saga has gone before. The book teaches a lot about the truth behind Islamic Fundamentalism and all its different views. It also shows the similarities between Christianity and Islam as well as how we can and how we must live together peacefully. The quality of the writing is very good although the vocabulary is quite simple. The events flow smoothly and it is very easy to understand though some parts of the book can be slow at times. It is a good book and shows what the world is really like in different parts of the globe. It certainly teaches a lot although those looking for action will find little. It is more of a young adult book for eleven or twelve year olds and up and is perfect for schools or individuals studying Islamic Fundamentalism or just looking at cultures from all over the world. It also ties in very well with current events such as the wars in the Middle East and terrorism. I highly recommend this book to any teacher trying to tackle these tricky subjects as it opens eyes in a spectacular way and is a great learning experience. It addresses provocative questions extremely well and can lead to many discussions for group thought. One day, this book could very well be commonplace in classrooms studying world cultures and could educate tomorrow’s leaders about what really happens in these situations and how it must be treated. This is a truly powerful story of friendship and growing up and is a great tool for learning about Islamic Fundamentalism. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">// -Deri H //
 * The Flame Tree**
 * By Richard Lewis **

The White Tiger By Aravind Adiga 2008. 276p. Vogue, $14.00 (9781416562603) Balram is a witty, curious man, who over the course of seven nights tells his fascinating life story to the Premier of China-- his mysterious story about how he came to be a success in the complicated land of India. Balram feels as though this story must be told in order for people to truly understand India. He starts off a poor man, born to be a servant, and nothing else. He knows this and finds a job to be a driver for a rich man, Mr. Ashok, a man like no other. Different than all other masters. He quickly wins over the affection of Mr. Ashok and is invited to be his driver during his trip to Delhi. During this trip, Balram slowly breaks out of the rooster coop that is India. Throughout Balram’s journey he sees his master drink, take home girls, and do business. He also sees Mr. Ashok slowly crumble under his own pressure and lose his wife, Pinky Madam. But through all of this sorrow, he always seemed to listen in on the right conversations Because of this, he learns how to become a success and break out of the rooster coop of India to become one of the most successful business owners of his time. I strongly recommend this book to anyone that is willing to read a book that doesn’t necessarily have new excitement around every corner, but is an over all enjoyable book and has some educational value. It is not that complicated of a book and can surely be read as a simple pleasure book, while learning a little about India too. With all of this in mind, I would say that the book would be suitable for any teenager and anyone above that age because the story does have some sexual references and scenes. I also would only recommend it to teenagers and up because although all in all it is not a difficult plot to understand, it does require some ability to really get into the story. But beside from that, it is a strong riveting tale that can easily be enjoyed. It will make you laugh and cry and everything in between. Everyone should pick up this book and take a journey through the life of Balram Halwai. I may warn though, it is surely not a book where you can start it and be hooked after the first few pages. It starts of slow, but don’t put it down after the first 30 pages! Because I am sure that once you get into the heat of the story you won’t be able to put it down. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> -//Kyle L//

// <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">** Kingdom of the Golden Dragon ** 2005 437p. Harper Trophy, $7.99 (978-0-06-058944-8) Alexander Cold is off on another adventure with his crazy grandmother, Kate, who works for national geographic. ** Kingdom of the Golden Dragon ** is the sequel to ** City of the Beasts ** ; in that story Alexander meets his young friend Nadia, and her monkey Borobá, in the heart of the Amazon rain forest while looking for the legendary beasts or big foots. The two also discover their “spirit animals” which help them through their adventure. The two form a special bond in this book that carries to the next in their new adventure in the Himalayas. They go, hoping to get a picture of the Golden Dragon in the Forbidden Kingdom. Soon after their arrival, they attend a festival when Nadia and her new friend Pema go off to get a jacket and get kidnapped by the Sect of the Scorpion! While all of this is going on, the young prince, Dil Bahadur, has been training with his master Tensing. While the two are scaling the Himalayas they go to the tribe of yeti warriors and find that they are suffering greatly. The young prince has an idea to help them regain their heath, and in good time too they were needed because the kidnapping of the girls was only a distraction! Now the king and the Golden Dragon have also been taken! This book teaches you much about the culture of these people, they describe the way the king is chosen and since the people in the Forbidden City are Buddhist this book also gives you some background knowledge on Buddhism. In one chapter they explain the story of Buddha, and who he was, and why he’s so fat. The theme of this book is that friendship and sacrifice can get you through any situation. The four main characters in this book form, or had already formed, a great bond of friendship and they helped through their dangerous adventure. But friendship itself cannot get the whole way through, there is some sacrifice is needed to get through the more difficult times. Pema, and the other kidnapped girls, made a very large sacrifice; they had to cut their hair to make a rope to scale down a cliff to escape their kidnapers. In their culture the girls do not cut their hair, they keep very good care of it and are proud of its beauty, so having to cut it was a very large sacrifice. I would recommend this book to high school students as a light reading book because it isn’t hard to read and it has supernatural parts, but it also is very interesting and will hook you fast. The author's writing style is easy to read but her points and opinions are fascinating. This book was originally written in Spanish, so that might be one of the reasons it is so easy to read; the translation could have changed some of the words and phrases or some of the words and phrases could not have translated to English. This is one of my favorite books, it is interesting, vivid and very hard to stop reading, I guarantee that you will love this book, just read the first one first. ~Kim M.
 * By Isabel Allende **

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Taking place during the 1930s in Kyoto, Japan, __Memoirs of a Geisha__ is a powerful account of a young girl’s experience going from poor peasant to high-class geisha. After forcefully being taken from her home by a complete stranger, Sakamoto Chiyo, soon to be known as Nitta Sayuri, is thrust into the mystifying world of a Japanese geisha. There, she learns that the life of a geisha is far from easy, where drama, deception, and betrayal hide behind every corner, and where love is disregarded and looked upon as something foolish. Chiyo learns this lesson the hard way, after single-handedly sabotaging any hope of escaping her life of servitude. However, a seemingly random stranger appears as an angel, so to speak, and he changes Chiyo’s life forever. Due to this mysterious stranger’s kind attention, Chiyo resolves to become a geisha in the hopes of one day meeting this stranger again and returning his generous gesture. From this moment on, Sakamoto Chiyo goes on an incredible journey in order to turn her life around, eventually becoming Nitta Sayuri, one of the most renowned geishas in all of Japan. She battles through sabotage, rivalry, and World War II as she struggles to discover the true meaning of honor, duty, and love in her life. All throughout this novel, the theme of how life can still be changed despite being dictated by destiny is demonstrated. For example, Sayuri grew up in a small fishing village by the Sea of Japan. Events eventually built the path of her destiny of becoming a geisha, yet it was Sayuri who was the one who chose whether or not she wanted this type of lifestyle. Not only is there an important theme, but the way this novel is written is fantastic. Arthur Golden’s style of writing is absolutely phenomenal. Not only are there varying levels of vocabulary, but also the picture that is imagined by the reader is stunning. For example, when kimonos are described in __Memoirs of a Geisha__, the use of vivid imagery clearly paints the picture into the reader’s mind, therefore making the illustrated kimonos seem to actually exist in the reader’s hands. Besides having multiple detailed descriptions dispersed throughout the novel, the flow of the entire storyline is very smooth and connected. The chapters are separated into different sections as different events in the storyline unfold. Plus, there are very clear transitions, making it a very easy read, despite its length of 428 pages. Overall, I liked this book immensely. It’s a very personal depiction of someone’s life, someone whose culture and lifestyle is very different than what most people would expect. I definitely enjoyed reading about a culture so rich in tradition and history. I would absolutely recommend __Memoirs of a Geisha__, particularly to people in high school or older, as this novel deals with some more mature topics. Among these people, I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a marvelous story that blends romance, history, and exoticness all into a meaningful plot. This novel, not only is it an international bestseller, but has also been made into a movie with the same title. However, I suggest reading the book before watching the movie. I guarantee that you will be entranced by how captivating this novel can be. Go ahead and be amazed, as you delve further into the memoirs of a geisha.=====

~ Linda Z.~
The Bonesetter’s Daughter Amy Tan February 19, 2001,400 pages, Putman Adult, $14.95 (0345457374) **__The Bonesetter’s Daughter__** is about three generations of Chinese women: a daughter, Ruth Young; Ruth’s mother, LuLing; and Ruth’s grandmother, Precious Auntie. The lives of these three women are woven into one as the settings alternate between contemporary San Francisco, where Ruth lives, to an ancient village called Immortal Heart in China where the remains of “Peking Man” are found in the early 1900’s. Ruth is a professional ghost writer who has little to say for herself and, often, is unable to speak due to a strange form of laryngitis which she thinks is psychosomatic. Ruth has a strained relationship with Art, her boyfriend, and everyone around her. She feels as though it doesn’t matter what she says or thinks. LuLing believes in ghosts, curses, and other strange traditions, and often wants to commit suicide like her own mother did. Luling makes Ruth’s life difficult and Luling’s dementia is almost too much for Ruth to handle. The turning point is when Ruth finds and reads Luling’s autobiography, which Luling had written and left for Ruth to read. In Luling’s autobiography, her tragic early childhood is revealed. This is the heart of the book and the source of the mystery about who is the Bonesetter’s Daughter and what is her real name. At the end, Ruth learns the real name of her grandmother “Precious Auntie”. Through learning about her mother’s past, Ruth begins to understand a number of things that she had never known. The autobiography helps to solve some of the problems Ruth has in her own life, as well as help Ruth to cope with and forgive the way that her mother is. On this journey, Ruth gains insight into the tragic youth of her mother and learns forgiveness and strength in the process. This book is long and tedious to read. Although posed as a mystery, it is, in effect, a self help book for the author. It took quite awhile for the story to gain momentum and there is no real action. The jumping back and forth of time periods is confusing. Although the author attempts to make the story more interesting by talking about Peking Man, oracles, ghosts, and curses, it doesn’t really work. What is interesting about the book is the interpretation of China’s past and the influence of this past on the present day life of Chinese immigrant women. Another interesting fact is that the bones representing Peking Man were lost in shipment around 1941 and have never been recovered. The author is skilled at creative imagery. It was easy to mentally picture what everything looked like, and to grasp what the lives of these women were like in China in the past. This is one of Amy Tan’s least popular books, comparatively and certainly not of the caliber of **__The Joy Luck Club__**. **__The Bonesetter’s Daughter__** is for women, as Amy Tan’s books typically are, due to the exploration of the mother-daughter relationship throughout the story. The early part of the book is dull, perhaps because all Ruth does is complain about her mother and her life. After the reader gets past the grown up Ruth, and meets the child Ruth, it becomes more lively. Throughout the story of the child Ruth, the craziness of the mother and her obsession with curses and ghosts is engaging. The book was unnecessarily long for what it was attempting to achieve and ultimately fails in its objective of maintaining the reader’s interest. It could have been much more to the point. For those with an interest in resolving mother daughter conflicts, it may have a certain appeal. ~Laura M

2004. 336 p. Knopf, $23.00 (0375414738) // The Warlord’s Son // takes place in the war zone of modern-day Afghanistan, when the U.S. was bombing that country in retaliation for the 9/11 terror attacks. The main characters are two culturally different people; the first is Stan Kelly, who is known as Skelly. He is a burnt-out American war correspondent who has most recently been covering small mundane stories in the Kansas suburbs. Skelly’s editor tells him that his assignment is to “help us understand - why do they hate us?". The other main character is Najeeb Ajam, who is Skelly’s Afghani fixer. Fixers are local men who act as translators and local guides for the correspondents. They are also able to arrange political meetings and other types of contacts that a foreigner would not have. One of Najeeb’s first jobs is to get Skelly over the border from Pakistan, where the story begins, to Afghanistan. At first Skelly doesn’t realize that Najeeb is also interested in getting into Afghanistan, but for different reasons. His father is a warlord and his disowned Najeeb for betraying him. His father doesn’t realize that Najeeb was tortured into giving up his father’s secrets. Najeeb is also being pressured by the Pakistani secret police to inform on Skelly, who is quickly becoming his close friend. Najeeb is informing so that he can get U.S. visas for himself and girlfriend, Daliya. Daliya is being punished by her family for resisting an arranged marriage and she cannot tell anyone about her affair with Najeeb. She has to go underground to avoid being killed. The greatest thrill of the book is Skelly’s hunt for Osama bin Laden. At one point he actually gets a glimpse of the terrorist in public, which is written in such a way to make it very frightening. There is a lot of intrigue and betrayal built into to the plot and a number of scenes are tense and violent, such as a rope-bridge crossing and a public hanging. It is also interesting to see the more general cultural differences from life in America, for example when Daliya goes into a shop to buy a burqa. Despite all the adventure, the novel is really about the friendship between two very different men who have to be loyal to, and have absolute trust for, each other to survive and every day face danger and possible death. I would recommend //The Warlord’s Son// to anyone who wants to understand more about the conflict in Afghanistan, how war correspondents work, or even just about the realities of cultures that do not enjoy the freedoms that we do in the United States. However, I don’t think that the editor’s original question was answered. Even though the cultural gaps are explained, there is no real explanation given for why “they” hate “us”. - Ronney S.
 * The Warlord’s Son **
 * by Dan Fesperman **

Feb. 1991. 172 p. Coffee House Press, $13.95 (97800918273838) As the Chinese New Year quickly approaches, Donald Duk, an 11-year-old boy who lives in Chinatown in San Francisco, must put up with his own Chinese heritage that he cannot stand. He hates his name, anything Chinese, and being Chinese. He tries to be as American as possible. Donald’s best friend, Arnold, is invited over by Donald’s parents, also comically named Daisy Duk and King Duk, to stay at their home for two weeks before New Year’s Day. Although Arnold does not seem to mind being in a Chinese family setting while experiencing different traditional Chinese customs, Donald continues to despise much of it. One night, after his uncle, referred to as Uncle Donald Duk, tells him about the Chinese immigrants that worked on the transcontinental railroad five generations ago, Donald becomes interested in what it would feel like to be laboring over the railroad, laying mile after mile of tracks. These dreams of the workers on the railroad appear every night, and cause him to try to search deeper into the culture of the Chinese. One of the purposes of this novel is to show how one must find his/her true identity. Donald has to overcome his peers’ teasing, as well as his own tendency to mock his own culture, and try to be someone else. It takes time for him to realize how he must keep the memory of his ancestors, and embrace his own being and see that although he was born in America, he must still be Chinese. There is also the issue about racism, which is in class as well as in the history books that Donald reads in the library to try and find information about his ancestors. His teacher told the class that the Chinese were introverted, nonassertive, and helpless against the strong Americans. This ethnocentric idea that they are superior teaches everyone to be racist. Donald must learn to embrace aspects from both Chinese and American culture to conquer this racism. The story may seem choppy at some parts because of how the author, Frank Chin, describes the different events in Donald’s life in several short paragraphs each. Overall, though, the flow of the story is clear and the reader is able to see how each incident affects Donald’s journey to accepting himself. The vocabulary used is not difficult, although Chin makes references to various people, including musical artists like Fred Astaire, and events in history, like the building of the Union and Central Pacific Railroad. What I like most about this novel is that I can relate to how Donald is unsure of his own culture, and his heritage. I also liked how Chin added a bit of humor through Donald’s name, and his thoughts. Because he is still young and not very mature, his inner dialogue and ideas can be amusing to hear. I would recommend this coming-of-age story for young adults who would like to learn about the Chinese, or people who want to see American society from a different perspective. //-Yuki H.//
 * Donald Duk **
 * By Frank Chin **

****<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">By Natsuki Takaya **<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">1999, Hakusensha Inc. 205p. $9.99 <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">(978-1-59183-603-3) <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">After a girl’s tragic loss of her mother, she is forced to live alone when she cannot go live with her relatives. Living in a tent alone, Tohru Honda comes across a family of three men in a secluded section of town. The men are named Yuki, Shigure, and Kyo. They welcome her to their home and she soon finds out about their precious secret having to do with the Chinese Zodiac. Two of the boys go to school with Tohru. She watches as the boys struggle to fit in, because of their difference, and great disadvantage. Although Tohru finds them strange at first, she realizes that they are human beings just like she is and should be treated as such. The theme of __Fruits Basket__ is not to judge someone before you know him/her. Tohru leaves the men’s home because she can now live with her relatives again. Afterward, the men feel as though a part of them is missing. After a short period of time, they decide they cannot live without Tohru and fight to bring her back to them. This novel is an easy read with simple words. However, the plot makes the easy read just as enjoyable. The great flow and always exciting plot makes the reader unable to put __Fruits Basket__ down. This graphic novel is very interesting, because the pictures allow the reader to see the emotions the characters are feeling. __Fruits Basket__ is an anime novel which is a graphic novel usually made in Japan. This book is suitable for girls ages 12 and up. __Fruits Basket__ is an overall fun read with an invigorating plot. After reading volume 1 of the 21 books released in the United States, readers will be eager to read more. The loving main character, Tohru, makes the reader want to follow her through her interesting journey to become an independent young woman. The contrasting characters make this graphic novel humorous and always amusing. Shigure is older than Yuki and Kyo, and is expected to be responsible. However, his child-like nature makes him seem much younger. Yuki is very mature for his age, and is a mouse in the Chinese Zodiac. Lastly, Kyo is very aggressive, hotheaded, and is the cat in the Chinese Zodiac. Yuki and Kyo’s relationship is the most entertaining in the __Fruits Basket__ series. Kyo and Yuki rarely get along, and always fight with each other physically and verbally. Not only does __Fruits Basket__ teach the reader an important lesson about not judging a book by its cover, but it also educates one about the Chinese Zodiac and the story behind it. Generally, girls looking for a fun read that will keep one on one’s toes-- __Fruits Basket__ is a fantastic choice. <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">~Emma S.
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Fruits Basket