The Blue Notebook by Dr. James A. Levine – 224 pages
Book Blurb:
An unforgettable, deeply affecting debut novel, The Blue Notebook tells the story of Batuk, a precocious fifteen-year-old girl from rural India who is sold into sexual slavery by her father. As she navigates the grim realities of Mumbaiβs Common Street, Batuk manages to put pen to paper, recording her private thoughts and writing fantastic tales that help her transcend her daily existence. Beautifully crafted, surprisingly hopeful, and filled with both tragedy and humor, The Blue Notebook shows how even in the most difficult situations, people use storytelling to make sense of and give meaning to their lives.
My Review: 4.5 stars
A short, phenomenally well written book by a doctor who wrote this story after visiting Mumbai. It is extremely dark as we live in this young girl’s head, but her spirit and tenacity to find solace with pen and paper keeps us cheering her on. I really enjoyed this book as depressing as it was.
I highly recommend if you can handle the subject matter. All US proceeds of the book go to help exploited children.
Quotes I liked:
You can never fully straighten bent metal; you can only make it less bent.β
I could not put this book down! The subject matter was difficult but handled well. I was so glad to see that the proceeds of the book go to help exploited children – Thanks for the recommendation. Laurie d.
Review:Strangers in the Night by Heather Webb was an intimate introduction to Frank Sinatra and his lifelong love, Ava Gardner. Admittedly, I knew next to nothing about the man or the woman behind their star status. I for sure have heard Frankβs music as my parents were, and still are, fans of his songs.The good news is that by writing in the first person from Frankβs POV and Avaβs POV, the reader is introduced to them in an accessible way. It didnβt matter if youβve been a lifelong fan or not familiar with either of them, we all start the book as equals.I was shocked at the at how fast their relationship could go from cold to hot. The way they could both love and fight with such passion and acrimony was crazy. Yet they always, well almost always, came back to one another.Learning about how they were raised, the struggles they went through, and the allowances given to men (not women) were all addressed throughout the book. Depression, alcoholism, addiction, and infidelity were commonplace in star-studded Hollywood.Fans of movies and old Hollywood will adore this book and folks like me, who knew little to none about Frank and Ava will enjoy it too!Heather Webb, Author @msheatherwebb @williammorrowbooks π What's your favorite song? π#newreview#bookreader#bookreview#goodbookfairybookreview #tbr #AddtoTBR#goodbookfairy... See MoreSee Less
I could not put this book down! The subject matter was difficult but handled well. I was so glad to see that the proceeds of the book go to help exploited children – Thanks for the recommendation. Laurie d.