Some books are moving, some books are funny, some make your stomach turn. Today I bring to you a book that will do all that and more – Lucia Etxebarria’s Un Milagro En Equilibrio (A Miracle in Equilibrium).
First of all – a disclaimer – I am not a mother, only a daughter, so if any of you mothers out there disagree with me on anything – that’s OK. The book’s narrative is quite simple – Eva, a successful yet self-doubting writer, gives birth to a baby girl. She then sits down to write a memoir in which she describes her life before motherhood to her daughter, so as to someday let her know who her mother is, without embellishing the gory stuff.
This is a book that is so real and speaks so much to women of my generation, it sometimes hurts. The brutally frank discussion of the fight to become independent, of the difficulty of leaving your past (and childhood) behind, the ways in which we think of ourselves as feminist, liberated women but sometimes behave like we know nothing about it, and many many more issues are at the heart of what every young career woman out in the dating pool is going through.
The book also offers a poignant look into one of the most complex relationships in nature – the relationship between a mother and her daughter. As one of two sisters growing up with a single mother, this is one subject I can never get enough of, and Etxbarria jumps into it feet first.
All in all, a very refreshing and recommended book, sparing you nothing but still keeping it readable and not too scary. Have fun!
I am leaving you with a song about one of the most (if not the most) iconic mothers – The Beatles’ ” Lady Madonna”:
As you already know, I am an avid reader, and reading is not only one of my favorite things to do but is also something I feel really constitutes a big part of who I am.
When I was younger I had a habit of never leaving a book I started reading, even if I didn’t like it. As I grew older I became (a little) less strong-headed and also realized that if I don’t seem to “click” with a certain a book, there are two possibilities:
1. I really don’t like the book. In this case – why suffer? Better go on to something more enjoyable.
2. This is not the right timing for me to meet this book. I have let a few books “ripe” in my library, and to my surprise a book I could not get over page 20 in at one point was read in one continous read three years later.
That said, I sometimes go through periods in which I find it very difficult to read anything. These episodes are rare, but they do happen. They make me wonder – is there a “Reader’s Block” similar to a writer’s block?
Lately I find myself picking one book after another, reading a few dozen pages and leaving them for a later date, or moving very slowly through them. I started getting worried until I found this lovely book – The Oxford Murders (Crímenes imperceptibles) by Argentinian author GuillermoMartínez – an enjoyable, easy to read, intelligent little thriller that I finished in two days’ reading on the bus on my way to work.
Although I am still struggling with other books I started, this gave me hope that this phase shall and can pass.
One of the great things about establishing a blog is that whatever you write is OK – it is all a matter of opinion, and you are expressing yourself. That said, the next post might cause some aggravation to fellow readers who do not agree with my views. I apologize for any inconvenience, but I have to be heard on this matter.
Every now and then I come across a work of art – a book, a film, a play – that is considered to be very good or even a masterpiece, and sometimes really is very good, except for one flaw – the main character seems to be riding the fast lane for self destruction for no apparent reason.
You might argue that people don’t always act in a reasonable way, and being the emotional being that I am I would of course have to agree.
Nevertheless, to me, the character’s actions should be explainable in terms of the character’s inner world and motivations as reflected in the story. Random or unjustifiable acts of suicide disguised as acts of love/heroism/despair/folly just don’t do it for me. There has to be something more.
To demonstrate my point, here are several examples of such annoying acts in otherwise very good books:
This one really bugged me. After leading a life that’s mostly lead in his own mind, Oscar attempts to kill himself, which is reasonable within the scope of the story. He later goes on a suicidal mission of love, which thanks to the author’s great talent is compelling and even moving, but really uncalled for. It greatly annoyed me and made me dislike the main character immensely.
The mother of all annoying characters. That she is frustrated with her small suburban life is understandable. Even sleeping with the neighbor can somehow be within reason, but the final act April commits seemed to me to be the ultimate act of an aging drama queen. It really left me unmoved and cold – a rare state for me.
Tolstoy must have really had it for his leading lady. To be honest, she is quite an annoying character throughout the book, but when she commits suicide for no reason, with no explanation, be it external or internal, I felt betrayed. People don’t jump in front of trains just because. This is no light matter, and should have been treated in a more intelligent manner.
What are your feelings regarding these heroes and heroines?
As a Jewish Ashkenazi woman who was born in a Spanish speaking country and immigrated as a child, I consider myself as having a broad perspective on the issues of identity, Latin culture, Jewish culture and immigration. Although I am not Hispanic, I did grow up in a home steeped in Latin culture and Spanish is my mother tongue. The memories of immigration are also very fresh in my mind.
Therefore ,when I come across books that tell the stories of Latin immigrants, their family life and adjustment to their new surroundings, I am greatly moved. Here are two recommendations of books I recently read that tell such stories:
Let’s face it: I am a big sucker for historical sagas, especially ones that portray the legacy of generations of women.
This book is not as very complex one, but it has everythingyou can ask for in a book of its kind: exotic scenery, moving love stories, a little magic and Cuban music. All in all – a very nice read. What I liked about it in particular is how it relates the story of the three largest ethnic groups in Cuba – Spaniards, Blacks and Chinese, how they arrived in Cuba and how they later arrive to the United States.
I had no knowledge of the existence of a Chinese minority in Cuba, let alone of their involvement in the Cuban struggle for independence, and I enjoyed learning a little about the subject.
My second recommendation is still a fun book to read, but a little less lightweight:
This is a truly moving and at times breath-taking book telling the story of Oscar’s family, and specifically the women in his family. The author might be offended and he has my deepest apologies in advance, but I found the female characters to be far more interesting than the main character, Oscar (more about the reasons for that in my next post, Unaccounted for Weird Behaviors by Lead Characters).
For me, a book that has entire paragraphs in Spanish is irresistible, and so are the sharp-tongued, beautiful, tough women portrayed by the author. I recommend this book with all my heart.
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