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Wildflower Finder Switzerland – flower field guide
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*** Wildflower Finder Switzerland- THE Swiss app to easily identify the most beautiful wild flowers...
Handel
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Handel is one of the most remarkable figures in the history of western music. His compositions form...
ClareR (5890 KP) rated Dominicana in Books
Sep 8, 2020
Dominicana is the story of 15 year old Ana. Her parents forcibly (well, they don’t give her the option NOT to) marry her off to a much older man, Juan, and they move to New York where she knows no-one else and doesn’t speak any English. I can’t imagine how isolated this child must feel. Ana grows up during this coming of age story. She must learn how to ‘manage’ her husband, who hits her on more than one occasion. She is completely at his mercy, living in a run down flat, told not to let anyone in unless they have an appointment to buy knock-off suits (I tried to think of a better phrase for these suits, but this is all I’ve got!), not to go anywhere except the supermarket by herself, and she’s given no opportunity to learn English - isolating her further.
Probably the best thing that happens to her is when Juan returns to the Dominican Republic to see his brother and sort out family money and properties. Juan’s younger brother, Cesar, stays to look after her and encourages her independence. I wish this part could have been longer. She starts to learn English, makes her own money, and probably unwisely forms an attachment to Cesar. She finds out she’s pregnant just before Juan goes to the Dominican Republic, and seems reluctant to tell him. And I can’t blame her. He really has no place marrying a 15 year old child, least of all making her pregnant.
I liked the way that this story was set against real historical events: Malcolm Xs assassination, the US troops going into Vietnam, the immigration bill where Hispanic people began to migrate to the US in greater numbers, and even more pop-culture events like The Beatles playing for the first time in New York and Dominican players in baseball. These events really helped to paint a fuller picture of Ana’s life. It’s easy for me to sit at home reading a book in 2020, saying that a 14/15 year old should never be able to marry a man much older than she is and be taken to a foreign country, but this book is set in 1965-66. It was a different world then (although I should say that this does still happen in some countries). This is what makes Dominicana such an enthralling read.
Many thanks to the publisher, Flatiron Books, and NetGalley for my copy of this book.
Probably the best thing that happens to her is when Juan returns to the Dominican Republic to see his brother and sort out family money and properties. Juan’s younger brother, Cesar, stays to look after her and encourages her independence. I wish this part could have been longer. She starts to learn English, makes her own money, and probably unwisely forms an attachment to Cesar. She finds out she’s pregnant just before Juan goes to the Dominican Republic, and seems reluctant to tell him. And I can’t blame her. He really has no place marrying a 15 year old child, least of all making her pregnant.
I liked the way that this story was set against real historical events: Malcolm Xs assassination, the US troops going into Vietnam, the immigration bill where Hispanic people began to migrate to the US in greater numbers, and even more pop-culture events like The Beatles playing for the first time in New York and Dominican players in baseball. These events really helped to paint a fuller picture of Ana’s life. It’s easy for me to sit at home reading a book in 2020, saying that a 14/15 year old should never be able to marry a man much older than she is and be taken to a foreign country, but this book is set in 1965-66. It was a different world then (although I should say that this does still happen in some countries). This is what makes Dominicana such an enthralling read.
Many thanks to the publisher, Flatiron Books, and NetGalley for my copy of this book.
MM
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This application is also for kids around the world, and will be distributed around the world. It...
Cyn Armistead (14 KP) rated A Free Man of Color (Benjamin January, #1) in Books
Mar 1, 2018
Historical fiction isn't my favorite genre, but I'm much more willing to read it when it's mixed with mystery. I've read some of Hambly's work before and know her to be a fine writer, and I'd read good reviews of this series by people I respect, so I decided to give it a whirl.
I suppose all the descriptions of people's clothing would have mattered much more to someone who cared about such things, but I do realize that they were important in the context of the story. Personally, I was relieved when the main character went on a journey! I would have been happier had his medical skills been utilized more frequently than they were, but I suppose his experiences were fairly true to life for a "colored" man of his time.
I did learn quite a lot—things that I intend to verify in non-fiction sources shortly. The information about the black code, for instance, and the explanation of the distinction between "black" and "colored" people seemed too precise to be fabricated.
I knew, too, that Louisiana is the only U.S. state whose laws are based on French rather than English common law, which seemed silly to me. Why wouldn't they go with the standard everyone else used? After reading this novel, I'm starting to realize that there may have been rights given to citizens under French law that were lost under English law.
I'm not sure as to whether or not I'll go forward in the series, as I'm not sure that I can handle the unhappiness I can see foreshadowed even in some of the titles. However, I will say that this volume is well-written and well-plotted. I certainly didn't guess who the killer was or why the murder was committed before the big reveal, and that was a pleasant change!
I suppose all the descriptions of people's clothing would have mattered much more to someone who cared about such things, but I do realize that they were important in the context of the story. Personally, I was relieved when the main character went on a journey! I would have been happier had his medical skills been utilized more frequently than they were, but I suppose his experiences were fairly true to life for a "colored" man of his time.
I did learn quite a lot—things that I intend to verify in non-fiction sources shortly. The information about the black code, for instance, and the explanation of the distinction between "black" and "colored" people seemed too precise to be fabricated.
I knew, too, that Louisiana is the only U.S. state whose laws are based on French rather than English common law, which seemed silly to me. Why wouldn't they go with the standard everyone else used? After reading this novel, I'm starting to realize that there may have been rights given to citizens under French law that were lost under English law.
I'm not sure as to whether or not I'll go forward in the series, as I'm not sure that I can handle the unhappiness I can see foreshadowed even in some of the titles. However, I will say that this volume is well-written and well-plotted. I certainly didn't guess who the killer was or why the murder was committed before the big reveal, and that was a pleasant change!
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Johnny English Strikes Again (2018) in Movies
Jul 3, 2019 (Updated Sep 25, 2019)
Our favourite budget Bond is back in the third installment of Johnny English, and it basically "does what it says on the tin." It's amusing and it's exactly what you expect it to be. Nothing groundbreaking.
They've thankfully updated some of the aspects where needed. We've got a tech genius, cyber threats, VR, and we've got health and safety regulations like you wouldn't believe!
Boff is back too and he's the brains behind the outfit managing to make English's buffonary work, as always. To be fair, English does have some pretty good ideas but they seem to either be accidental or poorly executed!
All of the characters are entertaining and their reactions to Johnny's behaviour are entirely inkeeping with what you'd expect. Ophelia getting exacerbated by his evading/dance technique is quite amusing.
My general feeling about this type of humour though is that you can have too much, or to be more accurate, it can go on too long. Some of the skits feel like they tip just slightly over the line between "that's funny" to "is this still going on?"
The audience in Bristol did appreciate one of the particular cyber attacks... "all the trains are trying to stop at Bristol Temple Meads"... yep, that seems about right to us!
What should you do?
You could probably hold out and watch this when it streams, it's quite a short film so it's probably not going to feel like you're getting your monies worth from a cinema ticket.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Oh so many options, but I think I'll pass on the spy gadgets and go straight for some of Johnny English's dumb luck!
They've thankfully updated some of the aspects where needed. We've got a tech genius, cyber threats, VR, and we've got health and safety regulations like you wouldn't believe!
Boff is back too and he's the brains behind the outfit managing to make English's buffonary work, as always. To be fair, English does have some pretty good ideas but they seem to either be accidental or poorly executed!
All of the characters are entertaining and their reactions to Johnny's behaviour are entirely inkeeping with what you'd expect. Ophelia getting exacerbated by his evading/dance technique is quite amusing.
My general feeling about this type of humour though is that you can have too much, or to be more accurate, it can go on too long. Some of the skits feel like they tip just slightly over the line between "that's funny" to "is this still going on?"
The audience in Bristol did appreciate one of the particular cyber attacks... "all the trains are trying to stop at Bristol Temple Meads"... yep, that seems about right to us!
What should you do?
You could probably hold out and watch this when it streams, it's quite a short film so it's probably not going to feel like you're getting your monies worth from a cinema ticket.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Oh so many options, but I think I'll pass on the spy gadgets and go straight for some of Johnny English's dumb luck!