Sinners And The Sea Book Review

In the Bible, most of the women, with the exception of a minority, we know nothing of. They are simply the wife of ____ or the daughter of ______. Their names, their faces, the details of their lives, other than being someone’s wife or daughter are unknown to us. Thankfully, with the feminist movement, scholars and authors have started to go back to the Bible and gives names, faces and lives to these previously unknown women.

Rebecca Kanner’s new book, Sinners And The Sea: The Untold Story of Noah’s Wife, tells the story of Noah and the flood from her perspective. Her name is unknown to us. We only know that she was born with a birthmark that causes her neighbors to accuse her of being marked from the other world. To keep her safe, her father marries off to Noah, a man who talks to g-d more than he talks to her. Noah’s home is in Sorum, a town full of outcasts. She initially believes that raising her sons in a town like Sorum will be the ultimate challenge, but the coming flood will pose a greater challenge than even she can imagine.

I normally like books of this nature, but I am not sure why I didn’t like this story. Is it because unlike the Matriarchs or  Queen Esther, we know something about their lives and we know nothing about this woman, not even her name? Maybe.  Ms. Kanner, I think took certain creative license with this story, which I would expect any writer to do.  But for some reason, this book did not click with me.

Do I recommend this book? Maybe.

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A Needle In A Haystack

Those of you who have been following my blog recently know that I was laid off over the summer.

About a month ago, I was lucky enough to be hired temporarily. This job, even though it is temporary, has been one of the most emotionally and professionally satisfying jobs I’ve had. But like most temp jobs, there is a finite end date which is coming up quickly.

The issue I am coming across in my search for long term, more permanent employment is that despite the fact that the government and the press keep saying that the economy is getting better, I don’t where the jobs are. The jobs I do see advertised are usually hover around $1o/hr salary wise. While many of these jobs are entry level, some are not, but still pay an entry level salary.

I am not entry level, I have not been for quite a while.

Is it me or am I just being foolish? If I am being foolish, please tell me so.  All I want is a job that fits my background that will hopefully be long term, that pays a reasonable living wage and provides reasonable benefits. Is that too much to ask? Or is this elusive white professional rabbit as easy to find as a needle in a haystack?

A while ago, I met a friend for dinner. He told about a neighbor of his. This neighbor has had a successful career as a librarian for a number of years. When the economy went under in 2008, like many people, he lost his job. To make a long story short, a man who has had a successful high level, high paying job for years and should be slowly moving toward retirement, had to move back to his parent’s house because the only job he could find was a minimum wage retail job.

I know I am not the only one who is unemployed or under employed. There are millions of us who simply want to get back to work to take care of ourselves and our families. I don’t think it is too much to ask, but every night that I go online and apply, it feels like I am looking for a needle in a haystack.

Throwback Thursday- Kleenex Required Edition- Beaches (1988) And An Affair To Remember (1957)

The term chick flick is associated with a certain type of film. Sometimes these films may require it’s audience to have a Kleenex nearby. This, gentle readers, is the subject of this Throwback Thursday Post.

Beaches (1988)

CC Bloom (Bette Midler), an entertainer and Hilary Whitney Essex (Barbara Hershey), the daughter of a San Fransisco WASP family, meet as children in Atlantic City. Keeping in touch through letters, they reunite as adults when Hilary moves in with CC.  While they have ups and downs in their relationship, including falling for the same man, their relationship endures to the very end.

This movie requires a box of Kleenex. I love that the core of this movie is the enduring friendship between CC and Hilary.  It’s just one of those movies that is so life affirming and reminds it’s audience about the power of friendship.

An Affair To Remember (1957)

Fate sometimes works in strange ways. Nicky Ferrante (Cary Grant) and Terry McKay (Deborah Kerr) meet on a cruise ship and start to fall for each other. The only hitch is that they are engaged to other people. They agree to reunite in six months at the top of the Empire State Building. But when Terry does not appear at the agreed upon date, Nicky is concerned that she has either married or forgotten him.

Nicholas Sparks novels have nothing on this story. Whether it is Love Affair (1937), the 1994 reboot, or Sleepless In Seattle (1993), a box of Kleenex is always required.

I recommend both movies.