IT HAS BEEN AWHILE...

As you likely have noticed, I have not been around lately. Or maybe you haven’t noticed and that would simply be sad for me. Either way, take my word for it, I’ve been absent and will likely be absent in the weeks to come. Consider this my note to the principal for skipping class…

For the most part Georgia’s Voice was a means of discovering and sharing good books. It was my quiet effort to initiate a literary dialogue and bolster my library choices. However, it was also an exercise in employment for me; my personal attempt to discover and develop my writing skills with the intent of writing professionally in the near future. Unfortunately, what I discovered instead was that while I can write fine enough, I really don’t have anything interesting to say; no story to share, no deviant political plot to unfold, no deep intriguing ideas to expand upon and certainly no frenzied channel of communication to initiate. Essentially, other than an opinion on what I am currently reading, I have absolutely nothing say. I am, effectively, a literary mute and now officially very unemployed. What a buzz kill.

So, who cares right? If I am still interested in writing about the books I read then so be it. I’ll simply continue with that. And, if these are your thoughts, you are almost right. I will continue this blog, but I will also be looking for a new job and considering some serious professional redirection.

Now for any of you who know me well, you will also know that I am a woman of many interests and thankfully am already pursuing a new business venture as I write this. So fear not, I will be employed very soon, I am sure. However, with every new pursuit, time must be given to development and implementation. So, I am allowing myself just that, time. Which means, in the coming weeks, my blogs will be infrequent and short, however, I am hoping that once I have my new business up and running I will return with equal enthusiasm as before and way more books for you to check out. Wish me luck.

Alrighty then! Letter to principal complete. Now let us get on with today’s official entry…

I am a list gal; Groceries, To Do’s, To Reads, To Watch, Thoughts, Ideas, anything. If I think it, I write it. Without my lists I am much like a hamster running in its exercise wheel, going fast but going nowhere. When I was younger, my lists were simply a past time, born of lofty ideas and extensive wishes. Now, well, now it is more of a necessity. If it needs to be done, then it needs to be written, or I simply won’t remember it. Old age (although I hardly consider 36 old), lazy brain, stress, hormones, flightiness, whatever the reason I simply have an incredibly unreliable memory. So, I have my lists.

And for the most part my lists are drawn up daily as short term goals with quick and immediate gain. Do laundry, have clean clothes. Get groceries, have food in cupboards. Shave leg…Ah, ya, not going there. Let us just say, my lists are for a purpose and every once in awhile I draw up a more extensive list, centered around long term goals that require more elaborate game plans to achieve and thus more effort in achieving them; which brings me to my current list

1. Read.
2. Read a book that is not a part of a series. I keep unintentionally choosing books that are a part of a series, a trilogy or have a sequel pending. You think I jest? I do not. Out of the last four books I have read, three are awaiting a sequel. Now if this had been a mistake of my own, if I had simply missed the headline clarifying the book was a part of a series, then I would say nothing and move on. But that is not what has been happening. Publishers have gotten sneaky. The last book I read – which really was quite good, by the way – simply noted its title and author, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. No where did it advertise that it was a part of an on-going tale. That is until the last page where the words End of Book One mocked me into a not-so-quiet fit of frustration on a VIA train bound for home. Trust me it was not pretty.
3. Read and complete all the series I have begun. Ha, this is a big one. In the last month alone, I now have added three new authors to this particular goal. Honestly, I would be better off not to choose any new books until I have actually completed this particular goal or, with my recent luck, I’ll be at this one a long, long time.
4. Read all of Jane Austen’s books without becoming annoyed. I like Jane Austen. I just do not love her and I find her books to be repetitive in theme. However, I like to choose one author each year, and then proceed to read through their entire collection and this year, its Miss Austen. I will admit to having read much of her work in the past but now that so much is being borrowed upon from her books in both modern movies and new literature, I am keen to familiarize myself with her work once again. I just have pace myself so that I read a few books in between so a not to become too annoyed with what I sometimes find to be annoying aspects of her books…wish me luck.
5. Read more.

Short as it may be, this is not going to be all that easy. On the surface it looks like simple reading goals requiring no long term game plan. But here you would be wrong. I always require a game plan.

Contrary to popular belief, I have a life. And like all of you, that life is busy, and about to get busier. So, reading time will be short and hard to come by. If I want to accomplish any of the list, then I am going to have to make use of any and all reading opportunities. For example, last month, while tackling what turned out to be a six hour commute from point A to point B, I saw an opportunity and read through it. Despite over heated cars (yes, I know we are in a deep freeze but I like it cool), loud-mouthed cell phone wielding VIP wannabe’s, shaky tracks and connection transitions, I managed to read several chapters of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Really, now that I have written it down, it does not feel like quite an accomplishment but given my surroundings and the fact that I was suppose to be working on two business plans (yup starting a new one) and weeding through a market analysis of local competition, I’d say it was a smashing achievement. And that, I believe is how this year is going to go. List in hand, goals in mind, and a book always by my side.

Hopefully, with these in place, this will be another great year of reading.

THE SCREAM
Author: Rohinton Mistry
Published by: McClelland & Stewart, 2008

Rohinton Mistry’s The Scream is not a large book, only 35 pages from beginning to end. However, it is one of the best books I have read in some time. Drawn by the title and further encouraged by my friend, I read this pint size binding in only one half hour and found myself reading it twice since with the intent of purchasing my own copy. It is that good.

Telling the story, or rather sharing the thoughts of an old man whose name we never learn, this book makes, at once, both beautiful and painful the progression of a life moving slowly towards death. While observing life around him and sharing his thoughts in a very definitely reproachful monologue, we are offered hard earned wisdom from a man too angry to see what he is truly sharing. Every page becomes an opportunity to learn. We learn how our parents and grandparents might feel and how we might feel should old age have us in the end. We are persuaded through sadness and laughter, that death is simply a black comedy of events and for those who are its unfortunate punch lines an entirely tortuous play.

Original, lyrical and beautifully poetic, The Scream offers us an inspiring glimpse, through both Rohinton Mistry’s words and Tony Urquhart’s artistry, into the aging senile mind of one facing impending death. Mistry tells us this man has lived, and he reminds us that this fact is ultimately the most important. His character demands to heard with the respect and understanding he is due and in the end, we give it.

Favourite line from the book…
For a book so short, you would think my favourite line would be equally brief, but then you would also be wrong. I honestly enjoyed every word and every line of this book. However, that would make for one long entry today and definite copywrite infringement, so instead, I have simply chosen a few from the many for you to enjoy.

The sound pierced the darkness like a needle. Behind it, it pulled an invisible thread of pain. Pg. 1

Horripilating. Caliginous. Hypogean. Inspissated. It pleases me that these words are not lost on you…Though I readily admit that if gems like these sit unused inside me for too long, they make me costive. A periodic purge is essential fo ran old man’s well-being…So I repeat, I am no exhibitionist, this is not a manifestation of logorrhea or sesquipedalianism. At my age, there is no future in showing off. Pg 6

To know the word – the spelling, the very bowels of its meaning, the womb which gave it birth – this is one of the few things in life worth pursuing. Pg. 13

The air is still dry, we wait for rain. The beggars have gone on strike. The fields are sere, the fishnets are empty. The black marketers have begun to hoard. People are filling the temples. The flies are dropping like men. Pg. 35

THE HUNGER GAMES
Author: Suzanne Collins
Published by: Scholastic Inc, 2008

Using the platform of CBS’s Jericho, take the World Olympic games mix it with Survivior (yes, the reality show) and William Golding’s Lord of the Flies and you may just come out with Suzanne Collin’s The Hunger Games. Published by Scholastic Books in 2008, The Hunger Games tells the story of Katniss (not to be confused with catnip) Everdeen, a not-so-ordinary teenager growing up during a feral and vicious futuristic era, when the United States has collapsed and become The Capital and where the lives of its children are entirely expendable.

At first glance, you might assume this book is a simple suspense-adventure-romance hybrid novel and nothing more. Yet as you read you will find so much more is being offered. While Katniss’s adventures take place in the future, the facts are eerily similar to the newspaper headlines and television shows of today. Collin’s telling of life in the Capital is disconcerting and lends itself towards somewhat of a warning. Truthfully, it is not a deeply philosophical novel, but it is a story full of possibility and told with definite thought and consideration into what that possibility might mean.

Given I picked up this book and read it in one go, enjoying every minute of the adventure, it is no surprise I am recommending it as a good read. However, I feel I should warn you, that this is the first book of at least two, with the second one to be released in September of 2009. So, be prepared to finish wanting more.

Least favourite line from the book…

End of book one. Page 384

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

The holiday season is finally here and I am now officially very tired of shopping and shoveling, and bustling in the festive spirit. Bring on the turkey I say! Find me a couch corner, a blazing fire and a damn good book. It is high time to relax.

And with that I bring you My Little List of Holiday Reads. Most, I fear, are unoriginal selections and have been suggested many times over by others with far more critical skill than I. A few have even found themselves adorning big screens across the country at one time or another. However, all are entirely worthy of your attention and will certainly lend a literary hand in bringing in the holiday spirit.

So take a peak. Whether for inspiration, laughter, deep thoughts or simply for a few quiet relaxing moments these books are guaranteed to give you pause and calm during this busy time of year.

Happy holidays!

MY LITTLE LIST OF HOLIDAY READS...
1. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
2. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
3. Something From Nothing by Phoebe Gilman
4. The Gift by Richard Paul Evans
5. Miracle on 34th Street by Valentine Davies
6. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr Seuss
7. The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clark Moore
8. The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Anderson
9. The Delaney Christmas Caro by Kay Hooper, Iris Johansen & Fayrene Preston
10. Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts

A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Author: Charles Dickens
Published by: Dalmatian Press, 2007
(not the same publication as cover shown)

When I was 14 I read Charles Dickens for the first time. Reluctant at first, likely intimidated by the classroom vibe of what high school titled classic literature, I hesitantly cracked the spine of A Tale of Two Cities and was immediately rewarded for my actions. The language and incredible beauty of Dickens’ work glittered across the page like bright sun on a smooth watery surface. Every word was gorgeous, every sentence creative and every scene magnetic. I fell instantly in love.

Funny thing, though, I never once read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. In fact, until this day, I actively avoided his most famous Christmas story. Like many children, I was introduced to it through television and films before I could even read and my experience as a viewer was always disappointing. Unfortunately, I learned only as an adult how poorly some books translate from page to screen and therefore missed out on the opportunity of discovering the true delight of the written classic at a young age. Now, with the encouragement of my book club’s Christmas pick, it was time to set right this mistake.

During these past few weeks, curled up with my daughter and my husband beside a fire in our living room – I am a big believer in atmosphere – we read this book aloud together. The experience was as captivating and enjoyable as my first with Mr. Dickens.

Written with definite care and full attention to each word on the page, A Christmas Carol was entirely animated, humorous, eerie and joyful all in the same moment. It had my family and I both laughing and squirming throughout its telling and made real to me, as a reader, just why it has captivated audiences for over a century and a half. Once we were finished, we all wished there was more to be heard.

So, while it may not be an original suggestion, and common enough across television screens throughout the country this month, I strongly recommend Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol to you during this Christmas season. Forget that remote. Set aside the DVD and pull out the real deal. You will certainly find yourself at once captivated by the adventure of such wonderfully written work and I promise you no disappointment will be found.

Favourite line from the book…

If I could work my will…every idiot who goes about with “Merry Christmas” on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. Page 8

Favourite scene from book…

“You will be haunted,” resumed the Ghost, “by Three Spirits.”
Scrooge’s countenance fell almost as low as the Ghost’s had done.
“Is that the chance and hope you mentioned, Jacob?” he demanded in a faltering voice.
“It is.”
“I – I think I’d rather not,” said Scrooge.
(Scene from page 22. )

SOMETHING FROM NOTHING
Author: Phoebe Gilman
Edition published by Scholastic Canada, 1994

Adopted from a Jewish folk tale, Something From Nothing, was written by the award winning author and artist, Phoebe Gilman. It is one of my favourite children’s books and, while not truly a Christmas story, the theme of the book most certainly falls under the spirit of what I feel Christmas is all about; love, family, friends and self-discovery.

Young Joseph’s most prized possession is a baby blanket his grandfather made him. As Joseph grows up he outgrows the blanket and his mother suggests it is time to retire the special gift. Joseph refuses, insisting his grandfather can fix it and each time, using what little he has, Joseph’s grandfather does. Finally, though, the remnants of what is Joseph’s prized possession is lost and as Joseph must accept that even his grandfather cannot make something from nothing he also discovers his own talent for re-invention.

In sharing the inspiring account of Joseph and his grandfather, Phoebe Gilman has captured not only a tender moment in a little boy’s world but has embellished her story with fabulous paintings of soft hues and revealing activity. In gentle cartoonish fashion, the pages of Something From Nothing, will captivate the young audiences with a story in and of itself. While the words on the page tell of Joseph, the pictures share with the reader all that surrounds this little boy; his home, his family, his neighbours, his community, even the family of mice who live beneath his home. All of this is captured in a smooth layering of well thought out illustrations.

Borrowing upon the old adage “If there is a will, there is a way” and centering her story on an entirely huggable child and his very busy Jewish community, Phoebe Gilman has created a wonderful children’s story that is sure to become a classic. Sometimes, even the most simplest of stories contain the most compelling truths. Pick up Something From Nothing and discover for yourself the truth about Joseph and his blanket.

Favourite line from the book…

Grandpa can fix it. Page 4

THE DELANEY CHRISTMAS CAROL
Author: Kay Hooper, Iris Johansen and Fayrene Preston
Published by Bantam Books, 2004

The Delaney Christmas Carol is a collaborative effort by three separate authors, Iris Johansen, Fayrene Preston and Kay Hooper. Following the past, present and future generations of the Delaney clan, we are presented with the possibilities and influence of a magical gypsy mirror that was given to the Delaney family in their homeland of Ireland. The mirror is considered both a gift and a curse as it has a nasty habit of prophesying events in the future and doing so with an alarming accuracy that tends to affect the love lives of the closest family members.

A great fire side read, The Delaney Christmas Carol takes us on a light and enjoyably romantic ride. Carefully avoiding complicated characters and demanding plot lines yet offering us a wonderfully woven and colourful family history, Johansen, Fayrene and Hooper have blended three tender short stories into the perfect holiday pick. During a time of year when quiet reading opportunities are rare and the chaos of family and travel far too easy to come by, The Delaney Christmas Carol offers you a fine escape and a delightful get away moment from it all. Easy to read, easy to set aside and even easier to return to, I recommend The Delaney Christmas Carol to all fans of the romance genre. May it offer you a quiet moment during a not-so-very-quiet time of year.

No favourite line this time.

Loud and Proud

This week’s reading efforts have been entirely frustrated by the fact that my life suddenly got very busy. Who knew? It’s not like I am formally employed, bustling through each day with a gaggle of kiddies or a pile of paperwork. Nope. I am currently very unemployed and have but one child in tow, albeit a brilliantly spirited one. Yet, somehow, my world became demanding, my time short and as a result my reading time almost non-existent.

Now, I’m not complaining, because honestly I live in a relatively relaxed world, so a little busy is a good thing, but I am giving you is a heads up. A warning, if you will. Today’s entry will be short. Just one book read, and a short one at that. However, this one comes with a headline! So, sit back and enjoy.

Gay author no longer welcome to address N.B. students.

A couple of weeks back I came across this headline while surfing my online paper. Posted on CBC News, the article told of how a presentation by the award winning author Alex Sanchez was being cancelled due to parental pressure. Why, you ask? Well, aside from being a successful author with several well received young adult books to his credit, Alex Sanchez is also gay – openly and proudly gay. His presentation was on the topic of tolerance with a mission to bring together the community in a movement towards acceptance thus helping gay youth feel less isolated. Apparently, a few parents objected to such a racy topic being discussed with their children in school. A morally challenged area by some, the topic of gay youth was too overwhelming for these adults and sent them into a frenzy of opposition. It was unfortunate and pitiful. Thankfully, however, Mr. Sanchez was allowed to give his presentation in a local church (oh, the irony!) where many of the students and residents of the school district were allowed to finally hear his message.

I came away from these articles (‘cause there was a second article in the following week’s paper – did I mention that?) having made two discoveries. First, we are a tolerant people after all because, despite the small amount of opposition, there was an overwhelming amount of support for Alex Sanchez and his message, not only from the local student body but from people all across Canada. What pride I have in both – tolerance and acceptance is apparently very much alive in our country.

Then another discover, not quite as pleasant and certainly embarrassing. I had absolutely no clue who Alex Sanchez was! I had never heard of him, never read anything by him and was now biting at the book covers to read anything he had published. So, with a ‘hats off’ to the old adage, “all publicity is good publicity”, I quickly ran out to get his first book, Rainbow Boys and was fully rewarded for my efforts.


Rainbow Boys
Author: Alex Sanchez
Edition published by Simon Pulse, 2003

Alex Sanchez has clearly embraced the Judy Blume way!

Written with sincere honesty and absolute devotion to all that is awkward about being a teenager, Rainbow Boys is a wonderfully sensitive account of what that life is like for a gay teen. While respecting audience naïveté, Alex Sanchez never avoids the possible discomfort of revealing truthful facts and in doing so he introduces his readers to the realities of adolescent self-discovery.

Rainbow Boys focuses on three high school seniors, Jason, Kyle and Nelson. Each boy has reached an individual point of sexual awareness. Jason, the highschool jock, has just begun to realize his true sexual orientation and is trying to acclimate to all that this knowledge brings forth. Kyle knows he is gay but is struggling to reveal his secret to those closest to him while is best friend Nelson is flamboyantly gay, hiding from no one but forced to face daily the ignorance and intolerance his openness provokes. Albeit dipped in cliché stereotypes, these characters inspire their audience towards courage, self-worth and acceptance. In reading the book, we learn with them how affecting their self-realizations are and Alex Sanchez does not stop there. Taking it further than his main characters, he extends the story telling to include the emotional and social impact on their friends and family thus giving us a glimpse of what challenges society presents to all.

Much like Judy Blume, Alex Sanchez maintains a light atmosphere in his story-telling way. With intent I am sure, he balances the seriousness of the topic with the not-always-so-serious adventures of a teenager’s life thus allowing his readers to naturally absorb all that he was sharing. With recognition that adolescence is an incredibly awkward stage for any, Alex Sanchez’s Rainbow Boys is anything but self-conscious. Instead, he has written a beautifully revealing book that eases his readers through the life and challenges of gay teens, parting with the secrets and shedding the shadow of ignorance as he moved his pen across the page. Very simply put, he tells the story of Jason, Kyle and Nelson; three young men trying to find out who they are and where they belong, ultimately a quest we all share.

Favourite line from the book…

Jason took a deep breath, opened the door and stepped inside. Page 233

REMEMBRANCE AND PERSPECTIVE

The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month has passed. Remembrance Day is over. The tributes complete, the audience dispersed, the plastic poppy pins set upon the grave of the Unknown Soldier and the commemorative wreaths left to fight alone against the wind and rain. Now the real challenge begins. We must not forget.

Entirely by accident, and perhaps with a purpose I have not fully come to appreciate as yet, I have found myself reading many books, both fiction and non-fiction, which center around events that took place during times of war. This experience has increased my awareness of all that has been sacrificed and has opened my eyes to aspects of war I had never been privy to before.

In keeping with my education, I received history classes. I learned about what it means to be Canadian and what our country has done to honour our principles and beliefs. I learned who are allies were during times of war and have often become overwhelmed by the bravado and excitement of it all. However, I was never introduced to the concept that those I was to consider enemies, may also feel that same righteousness and fervor. I cannot recall a time when I was ever given the opportunity to understand or learn of an enemy’s perspective. In fact, I will suggest here that perspective was entirely absent from most of my history classes. It was unfortunate and it was a mistake.

Last year a friend of mine was visiting from Austria and was taking in the sites around town. Newly built was a war museum which his tour group was going to visit that very day. My friend did not go. The impression he left me with was that he was aware of how we viewed his country’s involvement in World War II and he could not reconcile our perception with his own. While he agreed that what took place during the war was horrific and tragic, he could not agree with the idea that his fellow countrymen were entirely evil and was not interested in seeing them displayed as such in a war museum. I believe he felt the museum was presenting an unfairly biased exhibit on events and made little effort to include, well, perspective. I have never gone to see the war museum so I cannot say one way or another about what it portrays. However, what I never forgot about that conversation with my friend was the idea that maybe, just maybe, there was more to learn than what I had been told in school.

Today I am posting reviews on three books which helped to lend me a great deal of perspective these past few weeks. Specifically focusing on the events surrounding World War II, these books taught me that not all Germans were Nazis and nor were they all silent. I learned that everyday women and men gave voice to their passions and rejected the evil that was growing within their county, at great risk to themselves and those they loved. I learned that war is an entity which steals away hope while extinguishing life, rejecting all that defines humanity but that it is not exclusive in its exacting consequences. I learned that ultimately there are no winners in war, only witnesses and that most of those have survived through their courage, their humanity and their love. Finally, and most importantly, I learned how to never forget. By reading these books, by opening my eyes, by remaining conscious to all that is around me; this is how I will remember.

It must be said that there is very little to celebrate in any given war. In and of itself, it is a horrific political disease that permeates every generation. However, in discovering books such as these, in embracing their spirits and sharing their accounts, we are presented with the opportunity to remember exactly what we should never forget.

The House on the Sunderstrasse
Author: Frank Spiller
Edition published by Tidal Books, 1998

The House on the Sunderstrasse by Frank Spiller is a fictional but powerful love story surrounded by the tragic realities of war. Peter Gray, an English naval officer, and Helga Jansen, a German student, met and fell in love in 1938 just before the outbreak of World War II. Despite their rivaling cultures and familial disapproval, they embrace their passion as promises are made before returning to their respective homes intent on remaining faithful to their love. However, on Sunday September 3, 1939, their dream of a life together is shattered by the realities of a world war and it is here where we, the reader, begin to understand all that was suffered and sacrificed during those tormented years.

In telling this story, Frank Spiller does not propagate war nor did he taint his narrative with the arrogance of bravado. In fact, Frank Spiller went to great lengths to avoid exploiting the tragedy of World War II. While never censuring the horror of what took place, he does not indulge in a swamping of gory details. Instead he lays focus on the human aspect of war, sharing the personal philosophies and sentiments of his characters in great detail. Moving past his main characters, Spiller takes us on an emotionally charged journey through the thoughts of Peter and Helga and those closest to them, including Helga’s brother Günther, a deeply loyal and proud member of the Kriegsmarine (German Navy). In doing so, we are gifted with perspective. We are shown that war is a battle waged by countries and their government at the expense of the souls of its people and regardless of which side you may be on, despite how deeply entrenched your loyalty may be, the reality of war is exacting and cruel without boundary.

Perhaps the true magic of Spiller’s writing lies in the way in which he remained faithful to the spirit of The House on the Sunderstrasse, which is, despite its setting, a deeply moving tale of love and commitment. Throughout the 15 years this story takes place, we learn that deep love is not confined by the passion of immediacy and that life is a journey which sometimes separates the pairing of hearts, however, if we are true to ourselves and what it is that makes us human, then love will ultimately triumph.

Favourite line from the book…

May we never again be called upon to put aside our common humanity and succumb to the brutality and horror of war. Page 368

The White Rose: Munich 1942-1943
Author: Inge Scholl
Edition published by Wesleyan University Press, 1983

Every once in awhile you come across a book where you could care less about how well the author has chosen his words or how carefully the editor has cleaned it up. In fact, the author could have been written solely in consonants and still you would walk away remembering only about the story itself. It is almost separate from its creator. Separate from the individual who dared to write it all down. The White Rose is, quite simply, one of those books. Whether it is because it is tragically truthful or based on one of histories most horrific generational stains or very simply because it still rings of possibility, I am not sure. But this tale is one that I care more about the telling of, and the sharing of, than I ever will about the writing of.

In 1942 Germany was at war. Its government ruled by Nazi regime and its people embracing their Fürher’s doctrine. This is what I learned in school. This is what I know.

What I did not know, what I never heard of until I came across Inge Scholl’s The White Rose: Munich 1942-1943 was that resistance movements were alive within Germany itself. While small in number and scattered throughout the National Socialist country, these cells of resistance were initiated by the average citizen and held in action at the expense of their own lives. Specifically, in her telling, was a short lived but deeply impacting student movement led by her brother Hans Scholl which included her sister Sophie Scholl and several close friends. Inge Scholl shares their story focusing greatly on the thoughts and philosophies of her siblings.

Written in 1947 for the purposes of being used in schools for adolescents who grew up in the Hitler Youth, Scholl’s account of what took place in Munich introduced the world to the reality of a German resistance movement and educated the masses on what it meant to participate in such dissent. It should be noted that Inge Scholl’s book was most definitely restrained in content as in 1947 there was still a need for protecting the living members and family relations of those who participated in the student resistant movement. Outside of chronicling the story of her siblings, full disclosure was not yet an option and particulars such as other individual circumstances and the extent of their involvement were certainly limited in Scholl’s careful detailing. However, despite this, her book was securely published with a large number of verifiable facts to support her telling which included many texts and court transcripts to bear witness to the truth.

Inge Scholl wrote as a living witness to The White Rose movement within Nazi Germany. She provides the details of their story ensuring that the sacrifices its members made, both living and dead, were not in vain. In her own words, “What the circle of the White Rose strove for was increasing public consciousness of the real nature and actual situation of National Socialism.” After reading The White Rose: Munich 1942-1943 by Inge Scholl, I can promise you that you will become aware. While I strongly recommend you read more than one source for details surrounding The White Rose movement, Inge Scholl’s telling of this tragedy and heroism is an excellent place to start.

Favourite line from the book…

It is rare that a man is prepared to pay with his life for such a minimal achievement as causing cracks in the edifice of the existing order. Page 103.

Shattering The German Night: The Story of the White Rose
Author: Annette E. Dumbach and Jud Newborn
Edition published by Little, Brown and Company, 1986

After having read The White Rose: Munich 1942-1943 by Inge Scholl, I felt I was pretty well versed in the events and details surrounding the student resistance movement in Germany. However, there was still so much more to learn despite her very detailed account and for this I turned to Annette Dumbach and Jud Newborn’s Shattering The German Night: The Story of the White Rose. Where Inge Scholl focused on her siblings’ involvement in the White Rose movement, Dumbach and Newborn determinedly shed greater light on the lives and contribution of all of its members. Published in 1986, more than forty years had passed since World War II ended and the Nazi regime was defeated. New details became available and the individuals so closely tied to the heroic movement were now considered safe. With these facts in place and with the help of the surviving family members of the White Rose movement, Annette Dumbach and Jud Newborn were free to disclose information and documents that were not readily available during the early years after the war. Their account adds a deep emotional aspect and human quality to the tale of White Rose movement allowing us, the reader, to “get to know” the characters who made such dramatic sacrifices in the name of freedom. Keeping alive their edict, “we will not be silent”, Annette Dumbach and Jud Newborn pay tribute to the individuals of The White Rose movement in Shattering The German Night: The Story of the White Rose, sharing this moment of strength and courage in Germany’s history that often is lost or overshadowed by the horror of what the Nazi regime brought to its people.

Favourite lines from the book…

You can live without owning anything. But you can’t live without having something ahead of you in the sense of something inside of you. You can’t live without hope. Page 242.

…if people like those who formed the White Rose can exist…maybe it means that this weary, corrupted, and extremely endangered species we belong to has the right to survive, and to keep on trying. Page 242.