The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood

Back Cover Blurb:

“Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leve the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now…

“Funny, unexpected, horrifying, and altogether convincing, The Handmaid’s Tale is at once scathihng satire, dire warning, and tour de force.”

Margret Atwood, author of this and many other wonderful books, is perhaps one of the most intelligent human beings alive today. The Handmaid’s Tale is an insightful, well-researched dystopian novel that exceeds expectations of modern fiction. It is deserving of the utmost praise. It is one of the most brilliant and political pieces of literature from the 20^th century.

That being said, this novel is dark. I cannot emphasize that warning enough. It is certainly written for a mature audience. The youngest age I would recommend it to would be high schoolers, and only if I knew that individual had the capability to handle “rated R” presentations of hot topics. That said, I believe every mature adult needs to read this book, and others within the dystopian fiction genre, as a reminder of just how frail society really is, and how quickly liberties can be slip from our grasps.

Works Cited:
Atwood, Margaret. Handmaid's Tale, The. New York: Anchor Books, 1986. Print.

Skellig, by David Almond

Back Cover Blurb:
“Man, bird, or angel? Who or what is Skellig?

“Ten-year old Michael was looking forward to moving into a new house. It was all going to be wonderful. But now his baby sister’s ill, his arents are frantic, and Dr. Death has come to call. Michael feels helpless. Then one day he steps into the crumbling garage.

“What is this thing beneath the spiderwebs and dead flies? A human being, or a strange kind of beast never seen before? The only person Michael can confide in is his new friend Mina. Together they carry the creature out into the light, and Michael’s world changes forever.

“Told in lyrical prose, Skellig is a mystery, an adventure, and a family story, in which Michael learns about nature, poetry, and the healing power of love.”

I am often driven crazy by this idea that is found surrounding Young Adult literature. This notion that – because an author is writing towards a younger audience – he needs to “dumb down” his words and writing style. This seems to be believes by YA authors, publishing companies, readers, and non-readers alike. Because of this, adolescent literature often gets a bad rep. Reading the work of authors like David Almond is refreshing, because they remind us that this stereotyped way of speaking to youth is unnecessary – kids are smart. If you give them something to read that is beautifully crafted, it won’t be too much for them to handle. Which is why I so enjoyed this book: it is beautiful; it is magical; it is poetical prose. It is certainly written towards a younger audience, yet it maintains an identity of being substantial literature containing beautiful language with merit.

Skellig reminds readers the importance of love, friendship, and miracles; and how one accompanies the others. And that is something people of all ages would do well to remember.

Works Cited:
Almond, David. Skellig. New York: Yearling, 1998. Print.

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

Back cover blurb:
“In 1993 a mountaineer named Greg Mortenson drifted into an impoverished Pakistan village in the Karakoram mountains after a failed attempt to climb K2. Moved by the inhabitants’ kindness, he promised to return and build a school. Three Cups of Tea is the story of that promise and its extraordinary outcome. Over the next decade Mortenson build not just one but fifty-five schools – especially for girls – in the forbidding terrain that gave birth to the Taliban. His story is at once a riveting adventure and a testament to the power of the humanitarian spirit.”

Three Cups of Tea, coauthored by humanitarian Greg Mortenson and author David Oliver Relin, is a beautiful, enticing, and inspiring story. Reading this book will change your outlook on life. It will inspire you to become proactive and perform good deeds. And in that way, it is a successful book. However, in recent years there have been many questions surrounding the actual events depicted, as well as the legitimacy of the mission of the Central Asia Institute (the non-profit organization started by Mortenson that is allegedly dedicated to building schools for girls in Middle Eastern countries). It is impossible to talk about this book without addressing those issues, so let me clarify my opinion: I would not call Mortenson and his organization a scam, per se… but I would not say he is running a group that is in touch with fully-ethical methods. However, I greatly encourage people to do some research and formulate opinions for themselves on the manner.

Now that I have addressed the “elephant in the room,” let me go back to this book: it is a phenomenal piece of literature. It is literature, by the way… the book advertises itself as non-fiction, but reading it gives the feeling more closely related to watching a movie that is “based on a true story” than watching an actual depiction of the true events. It is grossly apparent that Relin utilizes his poetic licensure, and does a beautiful job telling an exciting story. The validity of the story, while questionable, isn’t actually what matters here – what does matter is that the book is effective in inspiring social action.

And so, I urge everyone to read this book. I urge teachers to teach this book. And if it moves you to become proactive, do some research to find a reputable charity or organization with whom to work with or raise donations for.

Works Cited:

Mortenson, Greg, and David Oliver Relin. Three Cups of Tea. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.