Take a journey with your next read.
Whether you read for entertainment, knowledge, or escape, there are many fiction books that take us on journeys. Some are obvious journeys of self-discovery by foot, such as,"Wild" by Cheryl Strayed or "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson. In some you'll find journeys that are more spiritual: "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel and "The Shack" by William Young . Some will change your outlook "The Alchemist by Paul Coehlo and "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini. These type of books stick with you longer than most. They provoke discussion. They often change perspectives.
Recently I've enjoyed two books that were recommended by our Duxbury readers that have reminded me how wonderful it is to follow along on a journey with characters of a well written book. "Washington Black" by Esi Edugyan and "This Tender Land" by William Kent Krueger.
"Washington Black" takes you on a journey with an eleven year old field slave,Washington Black, who possesses extraordinary artistic abilities. Washington Black has been chosen by his master's brother, Christopher Wilde. as his man servant. Christopher involves Washington Black in his flying machine invention and ultimately steals him away from his slave master. Most of the book follows Washington Black as he explores foreign lands and cultures, and grows into young adulthood under the perceived "freedom", but in reality still a slave given the circumstances of his departure. I cheered Washington Black on has he approached new experiences and traveled around the world searching for his own identity and acceptance while running from a past that defines much of how he relates to others. This story is full of adventure, but deep in relationships and self-discovery.“I understood there were many ways of being in the world, that to privilege one rigid set of beliefs over another was to lose something. Everything is bizarre, and everything has value. Or if not value, at least merits investigation.”― Washington Black
"This Tender Land" is an all-American story that reminded me a little of Huckleberry Finn. Set during the Great Depression the story starts in a school in Minnesota where Native America children were forcibly separated from parents and loved ones and sent to be boarded and educated. Four orphans, two brothers, a native american, and a young girl find themselves forced to flee the school and we are taken on a journey down the Mississippi. The description on the author's website describes this journey the best. "Over the course of one unforgettable summer, these four orphans will journey into the unknown and cross paths with others who are adrift, from struggling farmers and traveling faith healers to displaced families and lost souls of all kinds. With the feel of a modern classic, This Tender Land is an enthralling, big-hearted epic that shows how the magnificent American landscape connects us all, haunts our dreams, and makes us whole."
We love to escape into a good book and its even better when your taken on a great adventure. Hoping your next read takes you on a great journey.
Interested in more reviews and recommendations?
Check out "My Book Reviews" located on this blog.
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