Norman Ollestad grew up on the beaches of Topanga Beach in California.His father, also Norman, or Senior Ollestad, taught him how to surf and ski at a very young age and expected him to excel in both.Much to Norman’s horror, his father would take him off trail downhill skiing the were quite dangerous.No matter how many time he pleaded with his father not to take him on the treacherous hills and the largest waves, his father made him do it.Norman didn’t have much choice and he did like making his father proud.
The memoir is told in alternating chapters, one chapter about his life growing up in a broken family and his adventures with his dad and then a chapter about the horrific plane crash he was in with his father and his father’s girl friend Sandra.
Norman’s parents divorced when he was quite young and he lived with his mom and her boyfriend, Nick.Nick was an alcoholic and was physically and mentally abusive to both Norman and his mother.His mother usually chose Nick over the well being of her son, despite his abuse.
Norman really wanted to be a “normal” kid, with normal parents.He didn’t get to play with other kids very often because his father brought him all over to either practice or compete in sports.He was glad to be away from Nick during those times but also terrified of what hill or wave his father would make him concur next.
This book read very much like a novel.Norman Ollestad has a great talent for writing and I had trouble putting this book down.I do question how true some of his memories are.Many sounded exaggerated to me.I’m not convinced that Ollestad did this intentionally but maybe his memories of the events were bigger than the actual events.After all, he was only 11 years old when he was in the plane crash.
If you like memoirs or even adventure fiction, you are sure to enjoy this compelling book!
Copyright 2007-2010: All the posts within this blog were originally posted by Teddy Rose and should not be reproduced without express written permission.
Iris Rhodes is a successful writer in Chicago.She has been trying to heal old wounds between her father and herself, as he lies dying in a hospital.Her father is a Vietnam vet and has been trying to fight his demons by working on a very important project.He is opening up a center for street children in Vietnam. It is one way he feels he can contribute to Vietnam’s healing.Right before her father dies, Iris has made the decision to go to Vietnam to see her dad’s project through to completion.
Iris decides to enlist the help of her childhood friend, Noah.He is a wounded veteran of the Iraq war and his leg has been amputated.Noah is finding it difficult to come to terms with what has happened to him and others in Iraq.His stump causes him a lot of pain, especially when his artificial leg is attached.He has turned to alcohol and pain medication to numb the pain and memories.Iris is hoping that the trip will help him come to terms with himself.
Qui is grandmother and caregiver to Tam, a beautiful little girl who is dying of Leukemiabecause Qui couldn’t get the money to see a doctor.She finally does get the money but, the cancer has spread into the bones and there is no way to cure it.Qui carries Tam back and forth from their little shanty to the market everyday, where they sell books to scrounge up enough money to eat.Qui often goes without eating and gives Tam all the food, since there is so little.
The story also follows two street children.A little girl, Mai and her friend, a little boy, Minh.An opium addict, Loc cut off one of Minh hands to keep him “loyal”.Minh plays Connect Four with tourists for a dollar a game.Mai and him must pay Loc $5.00 per day or pay the consequences.Often that means that they don’t get to eat.They sleep together in a basket under a bridge.They want to escape the life that they are living.
Once Iris and Noah arrive at the Center, they meet a young woman, Thien.Thien has been helping Iris’s father with the Center.The three of them quickly make friends and get to work.Noah works on making a playground for the kids to play.He hauls around heavy dirt and boards, which cause his stump great pain.He drinks while he works.Both Iris and Noah find inspiration from the poor Vietnamese people, which has profound effect.
Eventually the center is near completion and the first people to live there are Qui and Tam.I’m not going to say anymore due to spoilers.My keyboard is locked on that.
I was so excited when I received an email from John Shors asking if I would review his new book!He has also written two other books, Beneath a Marble Sky and Beside a Burning Sea.Both are historical fiction. I haven’t read Beside a Burning Sea yet but I cannot recommend Beneath a Marble Sky highly enough!It is a must for historical fiction fans.I couldn’t wait to read his new book.
This book is a departure from his other two books, as it is not historical fiction.It is however, a present day story that packs a punch!John Shors does a excellent job tying all of the stories of the different characters together.He weaves the story together like a beautiful tapestry.He makes a point about what life is like for the millions of street children living in Vietnam.He pulls at your heart strings and is not very subtle.I even felt a bit manipulated but the story works.There is a little something for everyone in this book, a budding romance, drama, and suspense.I recommend this book.
4/5
Mr. Shors is donating part of the proceeds of this novel to Blue Dragon Children’s Fund. They work with street children in Vietnam and hope to open a center, like the one in the book.
Copyright 2007-2010: All the posts within this blog were originally posted by Teddy Rose and should not be reproduced without express written permission.
Historical fiction fans unite!This is the Historical Fiction Carnival .Come one and all to joining in celebrating historical fiction.Not a fan of this genre?Join us anyway.Read some of the articles and reviews.Maybe us fans will convince you to give it a try.
I received tons of submissions for the carnival and I want to thank you all!I tried to include something from everyone who contributed.
I organized the Carnival in two main sections:1. Historical Fiction Articles and Interviews 2. Historical Fiction Book Reviews.Since I am a arm chair traveler, I tried to organize the book reviews by country and sometimes subject.I hope it works for everyone.
I sure hope you all enjoy the carnival.Please let me know what you liked and didn’t like so I can try to improve on it if I host again.Also, leave comments on blogs that had reviews or articles that you really enjoyed.This is a great way to get to know other book bloggers and get suggestions for great books.
Here are the Carnivals that are coming up. If these topics of interest to you please submit something to these wonderful hosts.
Edition 37 hosted by: Narineh at The Novel WorldDeadline for submission: September 11, 2009Theme: Banned BooksTo submit a post, email: rantsandreads at gmail dot com
Edition 38 hosted by: Natasha at Maw BooksDeadline for submission: September 25, 2009Theme: Books about Africa or with an African Theme (fiction or non-fiction)To submit a post, email: natasha at mawbooks dot com
Copyright 2007-2010: All the posts within this blog were originally posted by Teddy Rose and should not be reproduced without express written permission.