Best Reviews

You Will Not Have My Hate

Sad, beautiful and inspiring

Antoine Leiris’ memoir, YOU WILL NOT HAVE MY HATE, is a tribute to his wife, Hélène Muyal-Leiris, who was killed along with 88 other people in a terrorist attack at the Bataclan Theater in Paris, France. He remembers Hélène attentively, muses on his own well-being, and shows a love for his son, Melvil, surpassing the commonplace. This book will inspire you to feel how the penetrating power of love can conquer hate.

In the wake of the tragic events, scores have told Leiris to “Stay strong.” A life sentence of sorts, he knows no person can remain constantly strong. Although the phrase can be painful for him to hear, the thoughtfully human way he tells his story, and his very presence, has given strength to untold individuals around the globe. Three days after the attacks, when he addressed his wife’s killers on Facebook, he resolved that he would defy the terrorists’ wish to respond with animosity --- saying he would not be scared, view his fellow citizens suspiciously, or trade his freedom for security. “That is what you want, but to respond to your hate with anger would be to yield to the same ignorance that made you what you are,” Leiris said, “So, no, I will not give you the satisfaction of hating you.”

Unlike the terrorists, Hélène had a free-spirited, worldly nature and loved rock n’ roll. In writing this memoir, Leiris upholds the same liberalized way of thinking and living by which she existed --- carrying her legacy within him and continuing it on with his 17-month-old son. It hurts to read how much Melvil misses the touch of his mother, though it is abundantly clear how her love is carried over after death by memories of her passion and lifestyle. Leiris truly loved his wife very much, and shares reminiscences of how much she meant to him when she lived, and how much she still does.

One of the main takeaways from YOU WILL NOT HAVE MY HATE is the impact the attack had on young Melvil. It seems that Leiris is so absorbed into the experience of being a father that instead of telling the story of that terrible night through his own eyes, he dedicates a majority of the book to reliving the interactions with his son throughout the course of all the difficult times. He always wants to know what Melvil is thinking and feeling, and looks intensely into the needs of his son. Through all the tough and sometimes frivolous experiences dealing with the public, Leiris makes time to communicate with Melvil, play toys with him, or give him a bath, all of which are described at length and with care. He does not want the terrorists to steal the love of his son.

One may wonder if a family can recover from such a tragedy. YOU WILL NOT HAVE MY HATE reveals a long, rough road, but it also emits the healing influence of love between people. Leiris brings Melvil to the cemetery to visit Hélène, and on the way Melvil innocently jumps in a puddle. Sensing his son’s stirring spirit, he jumps in a puddle too, and they are able to rejoice at their companionship in that moment. With the two of them together, they surely will be able to get by.

Reviewed by John Bentlyewski

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The Sun Is Also a Star

There are important books, relevant books, thrilling and horrifying books, However, only rarely have I read a book for which the most appropriate adjective that occurs to me is LOVELY, or perhaps, to quote from a song in a musical, “loverly”. Both these descriptors perfectly fit “The Sun Is Also a Star” by Nicola Yoon.

Yoon has created an intricate interweaving of those seemingly random small events in life which are utterly pivotal, and it is fascinating to watch the pattern develop. The narrative is balanced between the poetic Daniel, who does not want to follow the life-plan envisioned by his Korean parents and become a doctor; and the scientific Natasha who is appalled at the circumstances which will force her undocumented family, herself included, to be deported back to Jamaica. The artistry with which the author dances these two diverse personalities together in their romantic encounter is alternately poignant, amusing and deeply touching. Interjected in the narrative are other little vignettes which are not only explanatory but also serve to support the basic premise that even apparently insignificant interactions and encounters may indeed shape destiny.

I am philosophically and spiritually deeply in tune with Yoon’s wonderful hypothesis, expressed by Daniel during one of his conversations with Natasha, that the “dark matter” which makes up 27% of the Universe and holds everything together is in fact love, and that the highest aspiration of humankind is to value, cherish and express that love in whatever way they can. The characterizations, as well as the descriptions of places and actions, are authentic and extremely moving. This book is real, and I found it extremely – well, lovely!

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Swing Time

Brilliantly written, this novel from Zadie Smith is a mishmash of modern culture and timeless themes. Ideas about female friendship, family, and identity are interwoven with music and dance from pop and musical to African and hip hop. What Smith gets very right in the book is the way relationships between characters are based upon their relative power; the way superstar Aimee is a vortex around which all other lives are determined; the power of language, what is said, or how and when speech is withheld; the removal of agency or belonging when all those around you are speaking another language, literal or metaphorical. Again and again, this leads to miscommunication, misunderstanding, or outright manipulation. Language and power is threaded into each person's identity and underlines their relative role to each other and within the book as a whole. The narrator may seem to hold the top spot, it is through her eyes that all others are visible, but she isn't even given a name. It's an imbalance that illuminates the overarching idea of the novel.

At times the novel meanders too far from its core themes, though perhaps it was a reflection of the main character getting lost in her life as much as the story being lost in itself. Overall I think my main issue was that she never seemed to learn anything, still as much a naive and somewhat self absorbed child at the end of the book as at the beginning, despite the passing time and enough life events that she should have changed something in herself. This is not a criticism of Smith, this nameless girl acts perfectly within the scope of her character, I just wished more for her. Like her mother, I felt that if she'd just.... My hopes for a character and their life story has, obviously, no effect on the actuality of the story, yet it didn't stop me from feeling disappointed by the end. If anything, it's this that likens the novel to real life, this feeling of wanting something better for a friend or acquaintance is something we all recognize. And how often does that bear fruit? Still, it shows how invested I was in a unnamed girl I didn't even really like.

By Emma from goodreads

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Moonglow: A Novel

Moonglow, by Michael Chabon, tells a fictionalized history of his immediate family centered on being with his grandfather during the last two weeks before he succumbed to a painful cancer. His grandfather was a man not given to personal revelation, but under the influence of powerful painkillers and his imminent demise, he reveals the story of his life with Michael’s grandmother and mother. None of these key figures in Michael’s life are ever named, nor is his father. The reminiscences are possibly incorrect or self-serving as is Michael’s reportage. “Whatever liberties have been taken … they have been taken with due abandon.”

This novel takes the form of a non-linear narrative delving into the history reported by the grandfather on his deathbed. The grandfather was an engineer and has a history wound up in dreams of space travel from starting some time before WW II to the the landing on the moon and beyond. During WW II he was seeking to capture as much as possible of the Nazi missile program directed by Werner Von Braun. The grandfather helped liberate the V-2 complex and attendant concentration camps. He was an engineer enthralled by the possibility of space flight, sharing this dream with Von Braun and others, but his experience in the war showed him that Von Braun was not an innocent scientist and that the U.S. government was amoral in whitewashing Von Braun’s name.

The emotionally broken grandmother is a French jew who comes to the U.S. with a young daughter, Michael’s mother. Grandfather and grandmother meet at an affair at a local synagogue where the local yentas are trying to connect grandmother to the new rabbi, She is tormented by insane visions and is deeply loved by the grandfather. One day she breaks from reality once again, tormented by the image of a flayed horse. The grandfather is subsequently fired from his job and takes out his rage by choking his boss with the cord from a telephone. He is sentenced to 20 months in jail. While in jail he builds model rockets for the warden’s son. The launch of one of these rockets is witnessed by the Michael’s great-uncle who sees a market for these devices. Upon the grandfather’s release he becomes a partner in the company making the rockets for sale.

There is much sadness in this story as well as many secrets and lies. The grandfather is a brilliant and very private man with deep passions and a fascinating history. We never know the grandmother’s real or complete history. The mother is also complex and difficult. The father is more or less absent.

The narrative held my interest as it kept bouncing around in time, revealing a complex and beautiful story. The writing is spellbinding. It has both the ring of truth and the consistent flow of fine literature.

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