Living in Afghanistan

In the Land of Blue Burqas 
by Kate McCord (a protective pseudonym)
Genre: Non-Fiction

"The gray-bearded and black-bearded man in the back of the rickshaw eyed me. The gray-bearded man asked me, 'Are you a Muslim?'

"For him, the word Muslim had a very clear definition. He did not just mean 'Are you submitted to God?' To which I could have said, 'Yes, of course.' He meant something much more precise: 'Do you submit to the laws of the Prophet Mohammed as recorded in the Holy Quran and Hadith and as taught by the mullahs?' Whatever true response I could give would not be welcome.

"Still, I could give a true response. I answered the gray-bearded man's question softly without arrogance or apology, 'No, I am not a Muslim. I am a follower of the Honorable Jesus Messiah.'

"The black-bearded man scowled, his brows furrowed. He leaned too close to my face and glared directly into my averted eyes. His words came out as a command, short and abrupt: 'You should become a Muslim. It would be better for you in this life and the next.'"

I cannot imagine living through many of the situations that this woman found herself in. For five years, this single American woman lived in a hostile country among people completely different to her, with beliefs on the other side of a chasm from hers. But thankfully, God can cross any chasm, no matter the length.

This book was exceptionally written. I felt close to the author, like I was sipping tea across from her as she told me about her adventures and conversations in this harsh, yet beautiful land. These conversations are very clear and poignant. I did not return from the land of this book the same; I have a greater sympathy for Afghans, understood a little more where their worldview originates from, and the world they live in. I liked how Kate (yes, we're even on a first-name basis, though that's not her real name), didn't just say that Afghans are really like us, and all people are the same. She recognized how different their livelihoods and beliefs are from ours, respected those differences, and tried to understand them; she didn't shy away from difference.

It was really amazing, and such a God-thing, that this woman was able to live for so long with her Afghan neighbors in relative safety. I respected how she tried to follow their rules and enter their culture. She was very cautious about everything, all the time, and always attempted to live in a way that respected their culture. Kate also talked about Jesus in a way they would understand, and often shared the stories he told with her Afghan friends to explain a difficult concept. It convicted me, because not often do I share Christ's teachings with those around me, nor am I so delighted to listen to them as the Afghans were.

At first, I was a bit confused/lost in the structure of this book, because it is built on different themes, not a plot. But it only took the first two chapters to get it. I also wished that Kate went into more detail about all that she did in Afghanistan and more about her personally, but I understand how careful she must be with these stories.

One more thing that I had a problem with this book was that I didn't like how Kate kind-of downplayed the gospel. Not Jesus, but the great story of how we need Him. She focused, at least in this novel, on people hearing Jesus's teachings and changing their mindsets based on that. I definitely think this can happen, but I believe only true, lasting peace and change can come from fully embracing Christ. I'm sure she shared the gospel, and she had to be careful if/when she did. I just wished she would have included these encounters more, if possible.

This novel gave me a love for the Afghans and also a greater appreciation for Christ as I saw him laid next to another culture's god. This woman's story is an awesome picture of Christ's love and humility, and I want to strive to be more like her.

I give this book a 4.5 out of 5 and recommend it for 16 year-olds and up because of the depth of the content.

What I learned: Where to begin? To many Muslims, the idea that God is love/loving is strange and new. Pausing before responding to someone is an excellent strategy. The sun, light, and warmth is an excellent picture of the Trinity. Why, you ask? You must read the book to find out!

A Review: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
Genre: YA Fantasy

"Harry wants to get away form the pernicious Dursleys and go to the International Quidditch Cup with Hermione, Ron, and the Weasleys. He wants to dream about Cho Chang, his crush (and maybe do more than dream). He wants to find out about the mysterious event that's supposed to take place at Hogwarts this year, an event involving tow other rival schools of magic, and a competition that hasn't happened for a hundred years. He wants to be a normal, fourteen-year-old wizard. Unfortunately for Harry Potter, he's not normal-even by wizarding standards.
        And, in his case, different can be deadly."

This is my favorite novel of the Harry Potter series, and I'm not quite sure why. It could be the exciting competition and danger inherent in each event, the nail-biting exciting game of Quidditch at the beginning, the mysteries woven into the novel, or that this novel is less depressing/dark than the later ones, and Harry is becoming a great wizard. Most likely it's all of the above.

I love how creative this novel is; I've read it probably three times before, but as I listened to it again, there was much I had forgotten. Rowling is the best author at world building that I have encountered thus far. She fills her novels (especially this one), with details that bring the reader right into the protagonist's life, as if the idea of a wizarding world is as natural as the dirt on the ground. All these tidbits, like the kinds of candies the wizards eat, the classes they take and what they learn, the games they play, etc. fascinates me and makes me feel as if I've stepped right into the wizarding school of Hogwarts and not want to leave.

I understand why people don't let their children read these books, but they are some of the cleanest novels I've ever read and full of fun. Yes, they get darker toward the end, but good always triumphs, and readers learn that life is not all peaches and cream, and love is worth fighting for. I give this novel a 4.5 and recommend it for middle-schoolers and up.

What I learned: Constant Vigilance! (gotta love Mad-Eye Moody.) Friendships are invaluable, and fretting over the future does no one any good.

A Review: Pirates!

                                          

Pirates! by Celia Rees

Genre: YA Historical Fiction, Adventure

 "Thrown together by chance, ambitious for adventure by nature, Minerva Sharpe and Nancy Kington defy the expectations of everyone around them and take to the high seas on the pirate ship Deliverance." 

This novel was interesting and a lot of fun to read. There's always something going on, and the characters are very likeable. Although, I liked Minerva better than Nancy, even though the story was told from Nancy's point of view. In my opinion, the main protagonist should be the 'strongest' character; the one who changes the most and directs the story. It would have been interesting to read some of this daring, pirate tale from Minerva's p.o.v, but I still enjoyed hearing from Nancy. 

This story has some great imagery, and seemed (as far as I could tell) fairly accurate about slave plantations and early life in England as a woman, which I found highly interesting. I wish the ending was a bit more specific, but it was still a satisfying ending. 

This was an excellently written novel and highly enjoyable to read, and my complaints about it aren't major. I give it a 3.5 out of 5 and recommend it for older middle-schoolers and up. 

What I learned: Men who go on the account (become pirates) were usually plain old sailors at first, and pirates have their own rules that can't be broken. I also learned the importance of a good, true friend who sticks to you no matter what. 

*By the way, I believe this novel is based on a true story. Thus, you must most definitely read it!

A Review: Extras

Extras by Scott Westerfeld
Genre: Dystopian Sci-Fi
#4 in the UGLIES series

"It's a few years after rebel Tally Youngblood took down the uglies/pretties/specials regime. Without those strict rules, the world is in a complete cultural renaissance. 'Tech-heads' flaunt their latest gadgets, 'kickers' spread gossip and trends, and 'surge monkeys' are hooked on extreme plastic surgery. And it's all monitored on a bazillion different cameras. The world is like a gigantic game of American Idol.Whoever is getting the most buzz gets the most votes. Popularity rules.

As if being fifteen doesn't suck enough, Aya Fuse's rank of 451,369 is so low, she's a total nobody. An extra. Her only chance to escape extra-land is to find a big story to kick-something wild and unexpected.

Then Aya meets a clique of girls who pull crazy tricks, yet are deeply secretive of it. But the Sly Girls are hiding something bigger-an explosive that may change the face of the brave new world forever. If Aya kicks this story, she'll be propelled into the world of fame, celebrity...and extreme danger. A world she's not prepared for."

Fame. Danger. Surge-Monkeys. How cool does that sound? And this is a great read. It took me a while to get into, possibly because the main character, Aya, was obnoxious at first. But she realized her flaws and tried to change, and once I was half-way, whoosh! I couldn't and didn't want to put the book down.

Extras has some great plot twists and excitement, and continues to address deep issues like the other novels in the series do. I didn't like this novel as well as Uglies, Pretties, Specials, but I still enjoyed this novel. I would give it a 3.5 out of 5 and recommend it for older middle-schoolers and up.

What I learned: Sometimes you have to lie to find out the truth. Fame isn't always (usually) as good as it sounds/looks.