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Maureen O'Connell has me glued to the book. This isn't light reading, and I'm progressing steadily. A cradle Catholic myself and a colored person, I'm not too happy with how the Irish Catholics, mocked and marginalized because of their faith, conveniently forgot the fight for equality when it suited them after their move to America. They realized how their whiteness could work benefits for them in this new country.

When I first skimmed the book mailed to me by Beacon Press I was unsure . A white author trying to empathize with people outside her race, was my initial thought . I changed my mind by page 18 . This was a genuine attempt to understand the racial divides that exist especially within Maureen O'Connell's Irish Philadelphian Catholic roots and a desire to heal those wounds, and undo the knots of white supremacy.

The next time you go to the store to buy cheese and see the array of cheeses before you, consider yourself blessed to live in America. Page 154, How an Albanian spends all day traveling and risking imprisonment for a small piece of feta cheese, which will then be sliced thinly to feed an entire family! The horrors of Communism are brought to light and makes one appreciate the abundance and freedoms we are born into.

Page 142
The horrors  of Communism as described by Nosh Mernacaj brought tears to my eyes. The eighties, during which most of the world took their luxuries and abundance  for granted , Albanians considered a piece of  wheat bread and a second hand tv, luxuries that were hard to acquire. Communism is built to defeat the human spirit, yet we have Albanians like Nosh and his family who push against the evil system.

Page 90
The story of Nosh's uncle, Gjergj was heart rending and brought me to tears. A perilous escape from Albania across the freezing waters of river Buna and losing two friends, leaving behind a pregnant wife, children and disabled , old father. He would never see them again. All this unnecessary sorrow can only be attributed to the plague of Communism and could have been fully avoided in normal society.

Reading chapters 8 and 9 were an eye opener about the brutality of the Communist regime in Albania. The unjust laws targeted toward the common man, the attempts to silence and terrify, and ultimately exterminate the educated classes  gave me an insight on the ruthless manner of communism. Human rights and dignity are non existent,  families are torn apart, and family land is snatched  by the Government with impunity.

This is a work of non fiction that sounds fictional. Truth is certainly stranger than fiction. I just read the stories of Nosh's persecuted uncles, Kole and Gjeke fighting against a merciless Communist regime. I won't add any spoilers, but the accounts are heart rending.
Nosh Mernacaj is a decent writer, but the book could do with some more editing . Worth the read though.

I'm about halfway in and enjoying the book thoroughly. Sarah Pinborough is a master writer and reading this book is almost the equivalent of watching a spine chilling, suspenseful movie, but better. I have a few guesses about the reasons Emma Averell imagines she's going insane, but too early to say. I wish her husband and family were more understanding and supportive of her, especially after learning of her past

This is a true account of the author Nosh Mernacaj's life as a young boy in Communist Albania.
Nosh is affected by the news of the North Korean dictator's death on television.  He has obviously been traumatized by his own childhood experiences in Communist Albania, which I'll learn more about as I progress. He describes living in a democracy as a blessing, as enjoying freedoms that an average man takes for granted.

Chp 6 I am enjoying reading about the Easter hat parade. Moriarty's astute observation of human behavior comes into play. I couldn't help snickering at the ladies banter when the teachers come by in their Easter outfits and hats, leading their students or at Isabel and her friends on year 6 balcony.  It's an uncanny interaction one would naturally experience in everyday life, and Moriarty brings it alive in her work.

Great reading so far. This is the first book by the author that I'm reading and Sarah Pinborough has managed to keep me glued to the story. Emma Averell is fast approaching her fortieth birthday and her fear of turning into her mother is heightened with every passing day.

Beautifully written book, contemplative and introspective, as Kyle Wu takes you through the motions of a young biracial girl's life. It may be a little slow for those who would like more action in the plot. There are a few moments in the book where there is heightened tension, but those are quickly resolved, like pages 199 and 209 .
Curious to see if there will be a change in the slow, almost poetic pace of the book.

Enjoying Kyle Wu's writing style so far. The imagery bring the book to life and stirs the imagination It is an introspective book and one empathizes with Wila Chen growing in a biracial family, mostly absent father , living in America and dealing with how society reacts to her being part Chinese. Wila and her employers' lives are getting more intertwined at this juncture. Does this bode well for Wila's future?

So far it's been a spellbinding read. This is my first Liane Moriarty book and her unique writing style is right up my alley. I like the way she introduces various aspects of her character's personality coupled with other characters' opinions and observations , as the paths of various main characters cross. So the reader sees each character in a different light through different eyes. Humorous and entertaining.