New Books (April 2005)

Book musings from Lucy

Each time I finish a catalog, I immediately hear about 5-10 items that really should have been included. I've learned not to get too distressed about this - I just begin my list of new titles for the next catalog right away. This year was no exception.  Within three weeks my list of "Books that should have gone in the 2005 catalog" was 27 items long. Rather than waiting for the next catalog, I thought I'd let you all know about the best of this list in this issue of 'Book Musings.' There are some new books that are real gems and some reprints that I've been wanting for a long time.

After the catalog went to the printer I found the proofs for a book that is timely, inspiring, and deeply grounded in the Spirit on my desk. FWCC has just published Friends' Peace Witness in a Time of Crisis , a collection of essays/talks which grew out of the 2003 conference of that same name.  FWCC brought 250 Friends "to gather in the spirit of prayer and openness to Divine Guidance, as a family of God spanning all traditions of Friends' meetings and churchs, to assist Friends to carry forth the peace witness in its many forms in the face of increasing danger of wars and terrorism." The voices and messages in this book are powerful and varied. The central theme is the importance of keeping focused on the question 'what does God require of us?' The book is divided into five sections: 'Spirit Led Peacemaking: A Sharing of Experience and Conviction,' 'Friends' Biblical and HIstorical Experience with the Peace Testimony,' 'Wrestling with the Peace Testimony,' 'Going to the Well/Taking up the Cross,' and 'Visioning and Empowering Peace Witness among Friends.'   The long list of well-respected contributors includes Max Carter, Emma Lapsansky, Mary Lord, Jane Orion Smith, Ruby Braye, Larry Ingle, John Calvi, Deborah Fisch, Ben Richmond and Jan Wood. This book is not only an incredibly valuable contribution to the current ongoing dialogue about the Peace Testimony, but also a wonderful description of grappling with living one's faith in a challenging world.

The next resource also spans all branches of Friends. Coleman Watts and Betsy Blake decided to explore the question of the similarities and differences among Friends in their DVD Can We All Be Friends: A Boundary-Crossing Conversation. They  interviewed Friends across the spectrum in Greensboro, North Carolina, home of one of the largest Quaker populations in North America. The questions asked included differences of worship, differences of theology, approaches to the testimonies, and how daily life reflects the conviction of faith.  The result is a fascinating and thoughtful cross-congregation dialogue, which "gives voice to the current state of [our] rich religious tradition." This would be an excellent resource for First Day School or for any Friend trying to understand the divisions and common ground in the Religious Society of Friends. Sale of this DVD helps support the 2005 World Gathering of Young Friends.

I consider reading Anne Lamott a guilty pleasure. Maybe it's because she's so irreverent or because she's so funny or maybe because she is so unabashedly human in her writing. Her most recent book, a collection of essays which originally appeared on Salon.com called Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith, is just as scatterbrained and heartwarming as her earler Traveling Mercies. In this book, though, a constant theme is waking up each day with Bush in the White House and how she deals with that, how she maintains faith in this dark politcal time. She tells stories of her daily waking time - going to protest rallies, celebrating Thanksgiving with her son and his recently re-united dad, winning a ham at a supermarket on her birthday, dealing with the death of her mother, all the while struggling to hear God in midst of the craziness. "I try to listen for God's voice inside me, but my sense of discernment tends to be ever so slightly muddled. When God wants my attention, She clears her throat a number of times, trying to get me to look up, or inward - and then if I don't pay attention, She rolls Her eyes, makes a low growling sound, and starts kicking me under the table with Her foot."

A few weeks after I wrote the 'Book Musings' about literature that supports children's spiritual formation, I received a bibliography of children's and young adult books about Quakers from Kit Newman of Sacramento Friends Meeting. It's a good list, she's clearly read all the books and taken time to gather them together. If we could, we would carry each and every item listed, but they aren't all in print. To make sure that I hadn't missed anything, I went looking on the web for several of the books she included and, lo and behold, a few have recently been reprinted. 

I've been hoping for years that more of Brinton Turkle's Obadiah picture books would come back into print and I found that two have recently been re-printed by a small homeschooling publisher. Both Rachel and Obadiah and Obadiah the Bold are available again.  All of the Obadiah books depict a Quaker family in colonial Nantucket. In Rachel and Obadiah two siblings race one another to see who is able to carry an important message. The surprise ending contains gentle lessons on humility and generosity. In Obadiah the Bold Obadiah has a leading about what work he'd like to do while in meeting for worship that his siblings help him to discern may not be the right thing.  He has a very gentle, reassuring talk with his father that helps him know there may be other alternatives.

The third book I found from Kit's list was Downright Dencey, another book set in Nantucket, this time in the 19th century for 9 year olds and up. She starred this book on her list and I'll just quote her description, "An excellent novel with depth and much dramatic tension. Dencey befriends the town's outcast boy against her mother's orders, using her understanding of divine love. [The] resolution is long and difficult.  [The book presents] a vivid view of Quaker life and thought in early 19th century Nantucket." Thanks Kit!

The Librarian of Basra: a True Story from Iraq written and illustrated by Jeannette Winter is a moving story about a courageous Iraqi woman who tries to save the books in her library. She succeeded by hiding them in a restaurant and her house before the library burns in the war. Once the books are safe and "the beast of war moves on, ... Alia waits. She waits for the war to end. She waits, and dreams of peace. She waits... and dreams of a new library." Marianne Saccardi of School Library Journal said, "Although the invading country is never mentioned, this is an important story that puts a human face on the victims of war and demonstrates that a love of books and learning is a value that unites people everywhere." I would recommend this book for children ages 8 and up.

While riding my bike to the station this morning, a cardinal crossed my path.  That and the fresh breeze lifted my Spirit.  I hope that each of you is surrounded by the warmth and sweet re-creation of Spring.

In Friendship, Lucy

Posted by QuakerBooks on April 1, 2005 12:00 AM | Permalink