Sunday, April 10, 2011

Mailbox Monday


Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia at The Printed Page.

Thank you Amy from Passages to the Past for hosting this month's Mailbox Monday blog tour.

Check out the blog and post all the new books you acquired last week.

 Born Under a Million Shadows by Andrea Busfield (constest win from Stephanie D. at Misfit Salon)

From publisher's website:
A moving tale of the triumph of the human spirit amidst heartbreaking tragedy, told through the eyes of a charming, impish, and wickedly observant Afghan boy

Born Under a Million Shadows: A NovelThe Taliban have withdrawn from Kabul’s streets, but the long shadows of their regime remain. In his short life, eleven-year-old Fawad has known more grief than most: his father and brother have been killed, his sister has been abducted, and Fawad and his mother, Mariya, must rely on the charity of parsimonious relatives to eke out a hand-to-mouth existence.

Ever the optimist, Fawad hopes for a better life, and his dream is realized when Mariya finds a position as a housekeeper for a charismatic Western woman, Georgie, and her two foreign friends. The world of aid workers and journalists is a new one for Fawad, and living with the trio offers endless curiosities—including Georgie’s destructive relationship with the powerful Afghan warlord Haji Khan, whose exploits are legendary. Fawad grows resentful and worried, until he comes to learn that love can move a man to act in surprisingly good ways. But life, especially in Kabul, is never without peril, and the next calamity Fawad must face is so devastating that it threatens to destroy the one thing he thought he could never lose: his love for his country.

A big-hearted novel infused with crackling wit, Andrea Busfield’s brilliant debut captures the hope and humanity of the Afghan people and the foreigners who live among them.

Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks (contest win from Amy at Passages to the Past)

From author's website:
Once again, Geraldine Brooks takes a remarkable shard of history and brings it to vivid life. In 1665, a young man from Martha’s Vineyard became the first Native American to graduate from Harvard College. Upon this slender factual scaffold, Brooks has created a luminous tale of love and faith, magic and adventure.
Caleb's Crossing: A Novel

The narrator of Caleb’s Crossing is Bethia Mayfield, growing up in the tiny settlement of Great Harbor amid a small band of pioneers and Puritans. Restless and curious, she yearns after an education that is closed to her by her sex. As often as she can, she slips away to explore the island’s glistening beaches and observe its native Wampanoag inhabitants. At twelve, she encounters Caleb, the young son of a chieftain, and the two forge a tentative, secret friendship that draws each into the alien world of the other. Bethia’s minister father tries to convert the Wampanoag, awakening the wrath of the island’s strongest pawaaw, against whose ritual magic he must test his own beliefs.

One of his projects becomes the education of Caleb, and a year later, Caleb is in Cambridge, studying Latin and Greek among the colonial elite. Bethia, also in Cambridge at the behest of her imperious elder brother, finds herself enmeshed in Caleb’s fate as he crosses between cultures.

Like Brooks’s beloved narrator Anna in Year of Wonders, Bethia proves an emotionally irresistible guide to the wilds of Martha’s Vineyard and the intimate spaces of the human heart. Evocative and utterly absorbing, Caleb’s Crossing further establishes Brooks’s place as one of our most acclaimed novelists.

15 comments:

Mystica said...

Two good books here. I won Caleb's Crossing and am waiting for it to arrive! enjoy your books.

(Diane) Bibliophile By the Sea said...

the 1st on is on my wish list. enjoy them both Jesse.

bermudaonion said...

Oh wow, they both look fantastic! I think you're in for some good reading!

Playing Librarian said...

Great books you have there.
Am your new follower =)

Mary (Bookfan) said...

I think they both sound good - hope you enjoy them!

Jules said...

These do sound good and they are both books I haven't heard of before.

Happy reading!

By the way I LOVE your blog name, I'm a book hoarder too :)

Jules

Kaye said...

Caleb's Crossing should be interesting. I'll look forward to your thoughts on that one. Have a great week and happy reading. My MM is here .

Anonymous said...

I'm so excited about a new Geraldine Brooks novel. My book group has read 3 of her books now. Looks like we might need to be ready for another one! Enjoy!

Beth(bookaholicmom) said...

Congrats on both of your wins. Caleb's Crossing has caught my eye. Enjoy your books.

Kate {The Parchment Girl} said...

These both look like great books! Enjoy!

Anonymous said...

Looks good. Hope you enjoy them!

Anonymous said...

They look like great reads, enjoy them.

stop and see mine and my giveaways.

Alyce said...

Those both look fantastic! I've had mixed experiences with Geraldine Brooks' books, but I do want to try Caleb's Crossing.

Anonymous said...

Oh, I'm glad Born Under a Million Shadows arrived! I hope you enjoy it.

Playing Librarian said...

I'm really interested in Born Under a Million Shadows. Love the cover too.

Thanks for commenting on my MM and happy reading!