Clare, Red Scarf Girl

#26 a book based on a true story

This book fits into sooooo many of the categorgies. If you are also participating in this challenge and need a #3, 6, 9, 10, 13, 16, 17, or 26, I highly recommend this amazing book. Ji Li Jiang writes about her experiences as a child during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. It's all told from her 12-14 year old perspective as things go from good to bad, from bad to worse, from worse to unbearable. It's the story of a girl who had to grow up too fast trying to help hold her family together and her head high.

I'd never read anything about the Chinese Cultural Revolution. I picked up this book because it reminded me of the girls I taught in China last year. But Ji Li lived in a very different China than I did. Ji Li lived in a scary China wear people disappeared and houses were ransacked looking for "evidence". It was a China where almost everyone was brainwashed by Chairman Mao's propaganda. I used Chinese currency for fifteen months. His face is forever burned into my memory, but I had no idea some of the evils that were done in his name. This book was fascinating, and it opened my eyes to things I never knew about China's history. I'm grateful to Ji Li for sharing her experiences, her life, and her strength.

Stats:

Angie: 4 books

Clare: 5 books

Total: 9 books

#26BOOKSwithBringingUpBurns

Clare- The Great Divorce

# 12, a book with a lion, a witch, or a wardrobe

I cheated on this one. I was going to be snarky and read Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (Gryffindors are lions, too many witches to name, and the Vanishing Cabinet... oh yeah!), but if I read one HP book, I'd end up re-reading them all, lol. I decided instead, that I'd keep to the spirit of #12 and read some C.S. Lewis, but not Narnia based C.S. Lewis.

The Great Divorce was in a word, weird. It took me a long time to get into it. Like eight chapters!!! But when it got good, it got GOOD!!!

My cover said, "A fantastic bus ride from Hell to Heaven- a round trip for some, but not for others." I thought that was a weird description, but it is very accurate. The book is about exactly that. My favorite thing about this book was about how Heaven is described as rock hard to the ghosts because it is constant and unchangeable. The ghosts must change to be able to live there. It was an interesting conceptual ride, but I expect no less from Jack.

Stats:

Angie: 4 books

Clare: 4 books

Total: 8 books

#26BOOKSwithBringingUpBurns