Life, the Universe, and Lani

The story centers around Dinah from the book of Genesis. She’s the daughter of Leah and Jacob, and sister to the famous Joseph (who was sold into slavery by his brothers but later rose to become the Egyptian king’s vizier due to his abilities to interpret dreams).

Dinah’s a minor character, only mentioned in passing as having been “defiled” by a prince of Shechem, but Diamant does so much more, over 300 pages more to bring the early days of Abraham’s tribe to life. As the title eludes to, the story is from the point of view of the women, their daily chores, childbirth, and the rituals that surround the menstrual tent.

I really liked it, as it does the remarkable job of taking a moment in history and spinning a yarn so believable that you feel like you’re there and everything that has transpired is true.

Sticking with historical fiction, my most favorite genre, I decided to try another sure-thing Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. The novel is about two young British women and their friendship, but one of them is captured by the Nazis, and this is where the story begins.

But after the gravitas of The Red Tent, the almost flippant tone of the protagonist made me lose interest. And this is a perfect example of a book that I should have enjoyed, but couldn’t because of timing.

I love falling in love with a good book, but the worst part is when it’s over, and you have to find jussst the right follow up. What do you think?

Linus Baker is a lonely man who works a desk job for the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth. For me, it starts off slow, but not without good reason, and since I had no real idea what was in store, I almost abandoned it.

But I’m glad I didn’t because it’s a sweet, magical, and touching story of how he came to change the lives in an orphanage and how they, in turn, changed him.

A quick scan through Goodreads comments though show how divided folks are because TJ Klune was inspired by the story of indigenous children taken from their families and placed in white adoptive homes during the 1950s to 1980s in Canada. Some readers take issue with this even though he told a completely different story.

This reminds me of how, as a society, we’ve become easily offended, raising pitchforks in the wrong direction. The novel actually has a lot of inspiring and positive messages, and for young readers offers many opportunities for robust and meaningful discussion.

// So I read two great books in May. And decided to pivot from the writing world, as I discussed in my newsletter here, and am working on a new (scary!) project.

// Also, Ted Lasso! Season 3 was treated by the media unfairly in my opinion, but I still read plenty of feedback that was inline with mine. There were some moments I could have done without, but overall, I loved spending time with these people.

In a time of cynical, violent, and disturbing television, Ted Lasso remains heartwarming, witty, and delightful. I will miss this series.

// My brother recommended the movie Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (we used to play when we were kids), and I must say it stayed true to the game, twas fun, and filled with great laughs.

How was your May? Any movie, series, or reading recommends?