History Is In Our Hands

Ghandi once said the following:

A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.”

While any potential confirmation to the Supreme Court is potentially history making, the potential confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh will forever mark America for generations to come.

Will we be a country that recognizes the accomplishments and humanity of women, and finally put to bed once and for all the idea that women are somehow beneath men? Will we live up to the progressive ideals that is part and parcel of our image as a country that not only respects it’s citizens (regardless of sex), but also gives them opportunities to thrive?

Or, will be go back to the days when women were second class citizens, deprived of the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, especially if that goes against what is considered “proper” for a female?

History is in our hands. We have the opportunity (and the vote next month) to confirm if we are willing to do the hard work to move forward, or if we are content to live in the past?

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The Sisters of the Winter Wood Book Review

For many, fairy tales form the basis of our literary knowledge. The question is, can the fairy tale speak to us or is just magical rubbish?

The new book, The Sisters of the Winter Wood, by Rena Rossner is the story of two teenage sisters, Liba and Laya. The sisters live with their parents in an isolated village in Eastern Europe around the turn of the 20th century.

Like many a teenage girl, Laya gets involved with a mysterious group of men whom her mother has warned her against. In addition to these mysterious men, the woods beyond their home adds another level of danger. As the evil around them draws closer, Liba and Laya uncover a generations old family secret that could save not just their family, but their village.

I appreciate a fairy tale that goes beyond the basics of the narrative. I also appreciate when the writer is able to incorporate real life historical events and the everyday lives of the real people who lived in the period that the story is based in. In addition, I appreciated the relationship between the sisters, which was the love story in the book.  However, I did not like this book.

I struggled with it from the beginning and even when I got into it, I still had trouble with both the narrative and the characters. I was not able to get as hooked into the story as I hoped I would be.

Do I recommend  it? Not really.