Ru by Kim Thuy

For a novella of only 140+ pages, I should have zipped through this read. But I didn't. Once again, I struggled. Perhaps I'm just too tired when I read at bed time now because I would get 5 pages in and have to hold my eyelids open. Don't get me wrong. I liked the book, but it just didn't captivate me.

Ru by Kim Thuy is the 2015 Canada Reads, a Giller Prize, and a Governor General award winner. And it deserves these awards. It's such a powerful and beautiful story about a Vietnamese Canadian woman recounting her life, beginning in Vietnam with her wealthy, aristocratic family, then to her family's journey out of war-torn Vietnam to Malaysia in a horrendous refugee camp, and then on to Quebec, Canada. I suspect that much of this story is based on Thuy's own life as she also hails from Vietnam.

This story is written poetically and each chapter is incredibly short. The trouble is that it's difficult to finish reading at the end of one chapter because each chapter flows into the next. I think the reason it took me so long to read the book is that I often had to re-read chapters in order to remember what happened. It's an episodic book, meaning that each chapter is a short story or anecdote about an event or person. But then that episode connects to the next chapter is an oddly compelling way.

I highly recommend this book because it's just so unique. I don't think I've ever read a book so poetic, creative, and interesting. I learned a lot about the war in Vietnam, refugee camp life, and immigration to a new country. I was fascinated at the ease with which the main character recounts her life struggles. At times, I was often shocked at how cavalier she was. She describes some pretty horrific events, including child molestation, with such deep, clarity, and detachment. I suppose the only way to overcome the traumas she did is by detaching oneself from its harshness.

Ru will challenge you intellectually. You will learn a lot, question humanity, and appreciate your comparatively easy life. Read it! It's a must!

The Wind Wielder by Leona Hass

I finished The Wind Wielder by Leona Hass this weekend. I've put it down a few times so it's taken me longer to read than it should have. It's a short book of less than 200 pages and it's a young adult fiction reading level so I should have zipped through it.  But it was a strange book and I just couldn't seem to connect to it. Mind you, science fiction and fantasy aren't really my favourites.

This book is about a 16 year old girl named Selene who possesses wind powers. She is one of many humans who has these "elemental" powers. Her mother and uncle also possess wind powers. Her uncle Jarod is a leader in the council for elementals who helps elementals control and utilize their powers properly. However, Selene hasn't learned how to do so yet and, as a result, gets into serious trouble. Selene also meets Lillian, a fire elemental, and Jeremy, an earth elemental. Both of them are trapped in some kind of barrier and Selene is determined to save them. To do so, she must unlock her repressed memories. What she unlocks is both freeing and frightening. Selene soon learns that she is a serious danger to herself and her loved ones and must, therefore, learn to control her powers.

I chose this book because one of my Grade 10 students from last semester discussed it in her oral exam. She raved about this book because her mother wrote it. When I learn about local authors, I do my best to read their works because I feel it's important to support our community. Writing a book is no easy task, especially when Hass has a full-time teaching career, children to raise, and a life to lead. So, kudos to her for following her dream and writing her first book.

Now, here's my dilemma: I've been contemplating whether or not I should actually write a blog about this book because I hate to negatively critique a local author, someone I may actually meet. I also worry about whether Hass or her daughter, my former student, will read this. I don't want to offend anyone. But, in keeping with the requirements of my Grade 11 students' assignment for blogging, I must be honest and forthright. I have to model the behaviours I expect from my students, right?

This book is good and worth the read. However, as an English teacher, I struggled with it because there are several errors. For example, on many occasions, Hass uses the incorrect word such as "founding" instead of "finding". In some cases, those errors can be confusing because the incorrect word completely changes the context of the sentence. I also found that the plot moves too quickly without enough explanation. Suddenly Selene is dreaming something and then she is quickly saved by her uncle or by Jeremy, without any real explanation of how she is saved or what danger she is in. I had a difficult time following the timeline since Selene flashed back often, but then would wake up in real time. The book needs another 100 pages at least to fully explain each event. It's too short making it choppy and confusing. The book needs much more revision and editing. It appears to be a first draft.

The conflicts resolve too easily and quickly. At one point, Selene appears to be dying and, by all rights, should die, and yet she miraculously survives because of Jeremy. I just couldn't buy it all.

Nonetheless, I think this book has great potential and I do recommend it. Give it a try. Maybe someone who isn't a picky English teacher will be able to see past the many errors more easily than I can!