This book is full of wonder and adventure. The story itself is absolutely wonderful, engaging, epic fantasy work that is enjoying to read. The more you read about these characters and creatures and their abilities and roles the more intriguing, fun, sad they are to read about. The concept of a world developing by naming things, emotions, actions, is so exciting. The power to naming something to existence. My favorite character was the courier who delivers words. And the diviners that came up with words. Some of the story reminds you of Harry Potter as the named travel through lands on a train to travel through different territories. Then other parts of the story is magical and with moral convictions. Delivering words can change or define the world or characters. Each time something is named, it transforms the characters into new beings or territories. There are committees that try to give order. I was determined and obsessed to read this story. One section was slow but provided necessary information and to continue the adventure. However, I couldn't wait to get to the next section. I was hoping for a better ending, but it leaves a person wanting more; to hope for a trilogy or a sequel. You know that there is more.

Above the Salt by Katherine Vaz started out quite interesting about Portuguese Protestants being persecuted regarding their beliefs and fleeing and adapting to life in United States. The most intriguing aspects of the book was about the Portuguese immigrant, John Alves and his family. They accomplished so much given their resources and embraced their new home. The other stories were tedious and i couldn't want them to end. I just wanted to skip over these sections. The author did great research on the Portuguese people during the 19th century and their amazing contributions to our culture and land. It started as a 4 but ended up as a 3.

The novel, “Innards “ is more than a collection stories of life in Soweto, South Africa. In each story the novel tells the character’s innards of their situation and surroundings.

The stories in the novel are so rich, dynamic, and diverse that they uniquely related to each other. Each situation and the characters, reveals the culture and their human dynamics while discussing their thoughts, dreams and living experiences within the injustices and challenges living in Apartheid Soweto and other areas in South Africa. The author, Makene, covers various topics about Apartheid’s inception in South-Western Townships to its present incorporation in Johannesburg.

Makene even shows the Apartheid’s linkage to racism and human right violations that was practiced in Soweto and South Africa similarly in US, South America, Canada, India, the Caribbean and other places through her various stories. She even discloses how the same violations or cruel treatment in the other countries was manifested in South Africa. Even how colorism impacted the characters.

Truthfully, I had to read some background about Apartheid; the institution and policies. I even wanted to understand the Afrikaan language of the characters to get a real appreciation of their expression of views about their living conditions and thoughts.

I definitely enjoyed this book and how the author masterly linked each story as a body of work.

"Hotel Cuba" by Aaron Hamburger reminded me of the book, "Remember Me: A Spanish's Civil War" by Mario Escobar. Here, is a time when Jews were diverted to Cuba due to US immigration quota laws. The book focuses more on the life and struggles of Pearl and her younger sister, Frieda as they adapt to Cuban life and as they plan to illegally immigrate to America through Florida and New Orleans from Cuba, to reach family in New York's Lower East Side in early 1900s.
There are some flash backs about their lives in the 'Old Country' that they were escaping for freedom, independence and financial security. But it was not as compelling to understand their risk and determination to leave. It had to be heart-rendering to end up in Cuba instead of the US.

Pearl, the older sister protecting Frieda, is definitely the heroine in this novel. The bond of love, and the sister's respect and honor for family is evident. There is interesting information in the acknowledgements that divulges the foundation and history that motivated the author to write this novel. Some of this information should have been incorporated in the fictional story to make the novel more alluring. The depiction of the Cubans or other refugee Jews was not compassionate or gracious, considering Cuba was a beautiful haven for those who were escaping some type of injustice or oppression. However, with the right opportunities and laws, US can be a place to begin anew.

All I knew about this this time of history, is that the Shah and his family left Iran, and were the last monarchy exiled from the country. The US government and allies had help keep him in power with resentment from those who were not benefiting from the wealth and opportunities that many affluent and educated Iranians enjoyed. It was also the time when President Jimmy Carter had to deal with the Iranian Crisis as he lost the presidential race to Ronald Regan. And the Iranian government invited the Ayatollah to return to Iran after he was exiled from Iran for making negative remarks about the Shah and his government policies.

I never thought much about the people who were exiled from Iran. The families, teachers, engineers, and their children. The only people I knew who left Iran were Persians, Parses who immigrated to India to escape religious persecution from Muslims. Another time in our history. Many migrated to the US as movie stars and entertainers. And it wasn't for many novels of Thrity Umbrigar, I would even know little about Parsi Indian culture and difference between Hindu and Islamic Indians. So this was delightful read.

Come and meet the Jehanni family, Iranian-Americans who were exiled from Iran and escaped back to the US. Read the facets of their lives, their experiences during this time in history of history. You will be pleasantly surprised and pleased. It is wonderful to expand your knowledge about people who live around you in the world, and even in your community that is different than your own. And you cannot learn about this in a text book or in the news. One must read good literature as Susanne Pari's novel.

Sometimes sad, sometimes amusing, Lea Ypi’s memoir brings both communist and post communist Albania vividly to life. The novel makes you think about how people live in a world where they thought they were free in communist Albania and what is true freedoms after post-communist, especially from a child's perspective. It’s a country I knew very little about, so it was both interesting and informative, and well worth the read.

Based on this premise - one part mystery, one part legal drama, one part coming of age story, and one part love story - I didn't think coming of age was realistic...the author focused on too much for my taste on entertaining.

Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd is a veteran of 2 wars, now he makes his living traveling the small towns of the North Texas Territory reading the news of the world from the nations leading newspapers. He charges a dime a head, and the people flock to hear anything about the world outside their small communities. But then he is given the task, for a 50 dollar gold piece, to deliver a young girl to her relatives in San Antonio. A white girl, Susana, captured by the Kiowa Indians after they massacred her parents; she was 6 years old. Now at age 10, after having been rescued by the Army, she has no memory of her previous life; not family, nor language, culture or childhood behavior.

The author gives us insight and a fair representation of how the Texas (US) was evolving between the conflict of white newcomers/immigrants into this territory, changes for the lifestyle and culture (survival) of the Kiowa Indians after several battles/attacks; displacement to reservations, impact on their culture and lifestyle. Even the arrival of ex-slaves or slaves already residing in the territory learning their new rights after the Civil War, and dealing with many whites not accepting the new laws; Black slaves (Negroes) new freedoms and rights. So many dynamics and changes of the people who now reside in Texas, including the after math and impact of people who lived in the region before/after the Spanish-American war.

Given the results of these changes in the Territory of Texas and the republic, what transpires in this beautifully written novel is the story of the journey of Kidd’s and Suzannas, to her relatives from Germany, The reader experiences the dangers and hardships that Kidd and the girl endures on their journey including the trust, respect, and friendship that they developed along the way. Two characters, so beautifully conceived and developed, and so likable, they make reading this book an absolute pleasure.

I was given this book to read and comment before from book browser but did not get a chance to read/comment on the book, due to illness (Covid/MS). I enjoyed this book greatly and others should read this book. From a child's/family's perspective of dealing with the Cold War, and so much more. What it means to be Free relative to our living surroundings; culture and political climates. And did the truth set them free. The truth change what they were accustom and comfortable relative to the past, present and future. They had become so accustomed to the lies. They didn't know how to embrace the freedoms they really wanted. Her parents didn't feel free living in a different world, despite they were suppressing the truth. But for their daughter, the truth set her free. Children, young adults adapt better to change than older adults who learned to live with restricting their true identities to survive. Wonderfully written and inspiring.

This a very sad and tragic story. Where everything and the people with power were wrong. The first time I read the book I was appalled how governments of other countries sale to the highest bidder their resources to Americans or other western “white” cultures. And as much as the family was grieving the death of their own son, the father, Frank, felt entitled to offer any non-white child a better quality of living (not life). The child’s parents gave life and can choose wisely the best opportunities for their child. And he eventually loss more than he has bargain for. The second time I read the book (was around time I loss my mom) their grief, the weight of it. I really didn’t catch how much the husband blamed his wife for his pain, that she could have done better in saving their own child. I wonder how much subconsciously he wanted his wife to feel the weight of his loss until she was gone herself. Their attitudes toward the Hindu and Muslim Indians was so patronizing that I disliked both Ellie and Frank where the first time I only disliked Frank. Especially for him to wanting something else which didn’t belong to him. Why do so many whites feel so privileged and assume their culture is more superior, right or good. That everyone wants what they have. It is sad and arrogant.