The Man With the Accordion Heart

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 In January I finished reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (brief disclaimer: I cannot recommend the book for everyone due to the amount of strong language used in the book) and have been floundering in my search to find a novel that can even compete a little bit with how well that one was written. It is a hard task and I am quite aware that it might take me a long while to find one that will come even close. I usually only find one book a year that blows me completely away. Admittedly, the year is yet young.

 One of the things in The Book Thief that really captured me were the characters. Hans, Liesel, Max, Rudy, Rosa, the Mayor’s Wife, and even the characters mentioned very briefly in a very few scenes, I could envision them all clearly. They were people with genuine flaws and strengths. They were real.

 As a writer, I want to present realistic and genuine characters to my audience. I write historical fiction with very few exceptions. It has always been my favorite genre to read and history was my favorite school subject growing up. I firmly believe you can learn many lessons applicable to the present day by knowing what happened in the past. But it is also very important that these characters not only feel real and genuine to my modern audience, but they need to be rooted in the time period in which they live. Zusak did an incredible job in making the varying characters in The Book Thief real people in Nazi Germany.

 Hans Hubermann, the main character Liesel’s foster father, disagrees with the Nazis, but he is afraid of them and what they might to do his family. Publicly he tries to appear complacent and passive; he does not want to anger the Nazis and bring them down about his head. That said, he has a difficult time standing by while the Jews are being degraded and persecuted. He paints over slurs graffitied onto Jewish homes and businesses even as their owners' urge him to go away for his own safety. This results in his application to join the Nazi party to be stalled; leaving him in a sometimes precarious position. The root of Hans’s intolerance for the persecution of the Jews stems from when a Jewish man saved his life during World War I. When, in the course of the story, that man’s son asks Hans to hide him Hans agrees. It is not only a debt he feels honor bound to repay somehow, but he knows it is the right thing to do. Even as he agrees to shelter Max, he is terrified of being caught. There are several more instances I would mention, but, for the sake of those who have not read the book or seen the film adaption, I will refrain. (As a quick side note, I would like to mention how much I loved Geoffrey Rush’s performance of Hans in the film. He was brilliant.)

 What about Hans, however, makes him so real? Is it his insistence on helping the Jews? How greatly he loves Liesel? The way he plays his beloved accordion? I think it is how very human Hans Hubermann is. He lives during Adolf Hitler’s Germany and the Nazi regime. He does not agree with the Nazis, but he is too scared to be vocal about it. But no matter how scared he is of being punished, he continually commits acts to assist the Jews. He’s scared and he won’t speak out loudly, but he still acts because he knows it is the right thing. Liesel is a lot like her foster father in this aspect. It is something that knits them closer together. If we lived in Nazi Germany, we would want to be someone like Hans or Liesel. We would want to be able to do the right thing, but we would be terrified of being punished and persecuted by the Nazis. Hans Hubermann, the outwardly unobtrusive and ordinary sign painter, is the sort of person we want to be. We identify with him and his fear. It is people like him that somehow bring us hope.

The Fifth Annual Literary Heroine Blog Party Tag Questions

 It is that time of the year again! Kellie of Accordion to Kellie is hosting the Fifth Annual Literary Heroine Blog Party and I am finally showing my face again to participate in the questionnaire. I do apologize for the lack of posts. Hopefully I can remedy this unseemly habit and reinstate my one post a week goal in March. But, without further ado, the questionnaire:

1. Introduce yourself! Divulge your life's vision, likes, dislikes, aspirations, or something completely random!
 I am a homeschool graduate, aspiring novelist, and Christian. I enjoy good films, excellent books, and fantastic food.

2. What, to you, forms the essence of a true heroine?
 Ultimately, a true heroine is a woman or girl willing to sacrifice her desires in order to put others before herself. She finds the courage to take a stand for her beliefs, even if it means making the uncomfortable choice. She is strong, yet vulnerable. 

3. Share (up to) four heroines of literature that you most admire and relate to.
 1) Anne Shirley Blythe of the Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery.
 2) Liesel Meminger of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
 3) Jo March of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women.
 4) Abileen of The Help by Kathryn Stockett. 

4. Five of your favorite historical novels?

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 1) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

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 2) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

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 3) The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare

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 4) Ben-Hur by Lew Wallace

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 5) The Help by Kathryn Stockett 

5. Out of those five books who is your favorite major character and why?
 Oh, that is a tough one! I am not exactly sure if I could name one as my ultimate favorite over the others, so I will select one of my favorites to showcase. Anyway, I will choose- drum roll please- Abileen from The Help. I really admire Abileen’s patience and courage. She makes a hard choice that endangers herself when she agrees to let Skeeter interview her about her life as a maid to white families in Jackson, Mississippi. 

6. Out of those five books who is your favorite secondary character and why?
 Hans Hubermann from The Book Thief. After watching the film adaption and reading the novel, I really came to admire and appreciate Hans’s sometimes foolish insistence on doing what he believes is right. I plan on doing a post dedicated to Hans Hubermann and some of the reasons why he is such a good character in the near future.

7. If you were to plan out your dream vacation, where would you travel to - and what would you plan to do there?
 I would travel to Europe. Bike through Ireland, explore London and the English countryside, and then visit the castles and historical landmarks of Scotland. I would like to explore Norway, and travel through the rest of continental Europe. I think I might top the whole trip off by visiting Kenya. :) What can I say, I have always wanted to visit the Serengeti. 

8. What is your favorite time period and culture to read about?
 It would the time period running from roughly about 1900 to the early 1960s.

9. You have been invited to perform at the local charity concert. Singing, comedy, recitation, tap dancing… what is your act comprised of?
 It will be a singing duet with my sister. We will perform our duet arrangements of several Judy Garland classics.

10. If you were to attend a party where each guest was to portray a heroine of literature, who would you select to represent?
 Hmmm, I think Jo March would come the most naturally because we are quite similar. But then again, it would be quite likely that someone else would choose to portray her since she is such a well known heroine. With that in mind, I think it might be rather fun to go as Callie Harper from Rachel Heffington’s Fly Away Home. :)

11. Favorite author(s)?
 Agatha Christie, Charles Dickens, Douglas Bond, G.A. Henty, Elisabeth Grace Foley, C.S. Lewis, and I have also greatly enjoyed the few works I have read by Rosemary Sutcliff.

12. In which century were most of the books you read written?
 Looking over the books I read last year, they were mainly from the 20th century. I have always read a large amount of books from the 19th century, and have more recently been exposing myself to more modern authors (e.g. The Book Thief, The Zion Covenant Series by Brock and Bodie Thoene, etc.).

13. In your opinion, the ultimate hero in all literature is…
 This is a complicated question. I would vote for Mr. Knightley (aka Alex Knightley from Emma Approved), but technically I haven’t even read Emma. That all said, I am going to vote for Atticus Finch of To Kill a Mockingbird. There are few fictional heroes who I admire as much as I do Atticus Finch. He is a man willing to do the hard thing because he knows it is the right thing to do.

14. In your opinion, the most dastardly villain of all literature is...
 Currently, I have to cast my vote for the Dragon Priests in The Peleg Chronicles series by Matthew Christian Harding. They really freaked me out.

15. Describe your ideal dwelling place.
 A nice flat or townhouse in Boston, MA or a house overlooking the ocean either on the west coast, Maine, or Charleston, SC.

16. Sum up your fashion style in a short sentence.
 Eclectic, a bit preppy, a bit bohemian, and always include a leather jacket, high heels, or combat boots.

17. Three favorite Non-fiction books?
 War and Grace by Don Stephens, City Notebook by McCandlish Phillips, and How Should We Then Live by Francis Schaeffer

18. Your duties met for the day, how would you choose to spend a carefree summer afternoon?
 Stretch out on a blanket in the back yard to read or go hiking and birdwatching at a park with trails.

19. Create a verbal sketch of your dream hat - in such a way as will best portray your true character.
 I mostly wear berets or a summery fedora-esque hat I own, but I have always wanted to own a cowgirl hat. In a lightish tan color, not to large in size or brim but something a bit like Dale Evans usually sported in her films with Roy Rogers. It would have a thin, dark leather strap knotted to hold it under the chin, but which always twinned itself as the hatband.

20. Share the most significant event(s) that have marked your life in the past year.
 My graduation from high school.

21. Share the Bible passage(s) that have been most inspiring to you recently.
 James 5:13-18: "13Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 17Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit." (ESV)

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Be sure to go check out other participants' answers to the questionnaire via the link up at Kellie's blog and enter her giveaway to win a custom made tulle skirt from Kellie Falconer Design!

Look Into My Eyes

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 Finally, I have written again for Rachel Heffington's Chatterbox. The theme this month is maple and I knew I could come up with something if I thought about it long enough. All last week I was kept on my toes attending and helping out at an art class, only to be able to put my pen to paper in my art journal and not on my beloved works in progress. Yesterday rolled around and I realized I only had a couple days left to come up with something. So, I wrote a little scene for my 1930s historical fiction Finding Home. It truly did blossom during the writing process and I know exactly where it needs to be placed in the story.

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“Good afternoon, Creighton.” Anna Grace’s voice behind me broke the late summer silence.

 I turned around quickly, startled that I hadn’t heard anyone approaching. “Hi,” I said, slowly easing my grip on the hammer. “What are you doing here?”

 Annie’s eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. “I’ve come to read like I usually do,” she said. “It’s a short novel that Molly gave me.” She smiled and I tried to return a like expression.

“Swell,” I said, glancing around. Ever since my in-town run in with Butch Smith and Dan Winters I’d been jumpier than a grasshopper. “Why don’t you sit under that big maple by the pond to read. It’s cooler there.” I continued repairing the fence.

“I thought I might read it aloud. I read the first chapter last night and its about a dear, old school master. I thought you might like it so I decided to wait and read it aloud to you.” Annie’s eyes brimmed over with excitement.

“I’m working right now,” I said sharply, turning away slightly. “Go sit under that maple and read.”

 Annie’s face was an open book and in the split second I turned away and went back to work, an expression of keen hurt and confusion clouded her face. She walked away silently and sat beneath the maple tree I had suggested, her back against the trunk. She watched me a moment before opening her book and beginning to read.

 I forced myself not to hurl a curse on my own head. Instead, I beat my clenched fist against the fencepost. Why couldn’t I just keep my dumb trap shut? Butch and Dan were miles away. Just because I’d seen them again once did not mean they were keeping tabs on me or watching how much I interacted with the people around me. This was Ralston, Texas, not Louis Cassetti’s Chicago.

 I finished my work on the post and stole a glance over at Annie. Her nose was stuck faithfully between the pages of her book, but something in her manner told me she wasn’t paying attention to the words she was reading.

 I walked over to the tree. She looked up when my shadow darkened the pages of her book. Her brown eyes were narrowed and a dark cloud clung to the backs of them. The hurt on her face drove a sharp pang of shame deep into my soul.

“I’m sorry,” I blurted out. Apologies never had been my thing.

 Annie shook her head slowly, lowering her eyes. “You have nothing to be sorry about,” she said. “You were right. You have work to do and I was interrupting you. I’m sorry. If I’m keeping you from your work, Creighton, just tell me to go. I know I am a nuisance.”

“No, Annie, you have never been a nuisance.” I squatted down and lifted her chin with my hand to look straight into her eyes. “You have been nothing but a God send. You were the one who kept trying to befriend me when I was being a lousy-tempered idiot. I was a dope back there and you were being the kindest, most selfless ...” I started backwards at my own vehemence. I let go of her chin and bolted back into an upright position. “You weren’t wrong back there,” I finished suddenly.

 Annie was staring at me. The hurt in her eyes was gone, replaced with amazement.

 I stuffed my free hand into my pocket and fiddled with the hammer with my other. “Go ahead and read that book aloud,” I said quietly. “I’d be glad to hear it.”

 Annie kept looking at me a couple moments longer and then reopened her book to the beginning.

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By the way, who knows what book Anna Grace is talking about in this scene? I am curious to know if anyone gets the reference.

Book Review: "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society"

  “I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.”

  “January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’d never met, a native of Guernsey, the British island once occupied by the Nazis. He’d come across her name on the flyleaf of a secondhand volume by Charles Lamb. Perhaps she could tell him where he might find more books by this author.

  “As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, she is drawn into the world of this man and his friends, all members of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, a unique book club formed in a unique, spur-of-the-moment way: as an alibi to keep its members from arrest by the Germans.

  “Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the Society’s charming, deeply human members, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all. Through their letters she learns about their island, their taste in books, and the powerful, transformative impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds there will change her forever.”

 Stepping inside the world of this epistolary novel was like returning to visit dear friends. Book lovers abound and the love of literature pours out of this book like a balm. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society was charming and delightful, although still retaining those sobering moments that make me adore books like this. The characters are drawn so well that you forget that they’re characters in a book and half expect to find out they really did exist as real, living and breathing people living on Guernsey Island and in-and-about London.

 The book also shines a light on a fact of World War II that I was previously unaware of: the occupation of the English Channel Islands by the Nazis. It was fascinating to discover this bit of history I had missed, and it has intrigued me into trying to find more information on the events.
 

 The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a delightful read sure to bring smiles to book aficionados and historical fiction lovers both.

Summer Snippets

 Here are a few bits and pieces from by writing projects. They weren't all written in September, but come from July and onwards.

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    "Not bad for half a day's work, is it?" She said, boiling a kettleful of water on the kitchen stove for tea. "Though, when Mum sends down the box with the last of my stuff, I am going to have to invest in a proper shelf."

  I ducked back out of the refrigerator. "More clothes?" The plausibility of more dresses fitting into Evelyn's already tiny closet was nil.

from The Letters of Lee Ames

  When I finally looked respectable again, I rushed back downstairs and made an undignified jump onto the tram towards Westminster.

from The Letters of Lee Ames

    "Londoner's might not take kindly to a Yank sticking her nose into their lives. What if I run into someone who resents the American War for Independence?"

from The Letters of Lee Ames

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~ Hanne-col

Back Again

'Desert Mountain Climbing' by Victor C. Anderson
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Since my last post in June, life has seen me traverse across the good ole' United States to California for a family vacation, fall ill, attend numerous weddings, read a good many books, and switch my main writing project. I am very sorry for falling off the face of the blogosphere and abandoning my renaissance so soon but life prevailed over blogging. Anyway, I'm back and determined to settle into some sort of organized blogging plan.

 Anyway, there are mainly two things I want to talk about today: books and writing. Books are the indispensable objects of my lifelong affection and this summer I have read some great ones. To Kill a Mockingbird, for example, is brilliant. That book has secured a place on my list of best books I've read this year and a place on my list of favorites. Though, I would recommend it for older readers because of some language and thematic elements. I read my first of Wodehouse with Mike and Psmith. It was delightful; I look forward to more and diving into Jeeves & Wooster. I read a great many others, including Elisabeth Grace Foley's Left-Hand Kelly and Rachel Heffington's debut Fly Away Home.

 Well, on to the writing front. I needed to set aside my 1930s historical fiction piece (let's call it Finding Home for brevity) and so, in the beginning of July, I began work on a historical fiction novel taking place in 1953 London. So far, I have been in a good place with this story and it has not been snagging anywhere nearly as bad as Finding Home. Unfortunately, my new work in progress does not have a very good title at present. To quote Marguerite Henry, "titles are slippery things." I have yet to find the one singularly suited to my story. The Letters of Lee Ames no longer works when it is not being written in the epistolary form.

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 Well, farewell for today. I plan on bringing you a post of snippets from my current work-in-progress later this week and a book review as soon as I gather my thoughts into a coherent pattern.