I began but did not finish. Currently I am reading "A Passage to Egypt: The Life of Lucie
Duff Gordon" by Katherine Frank (1994). True story, an upper middle class English woman, an
intelligent and unconventional woman, in the 19th Century moves to Egypt where for 7 years
she chronicles her life (and published a book from this correspondence). I gravitate to
biographies and armchair traveling so this book is a win win for me! The other nonfiction book-
"Genghis Khan & the Making of the Modern World" by Jack Weatherford (2005). You think you
know Genghis Khan but do you? Misconceptions abound, and a uncivilized barbarian may be
an inaccurate description. Khan opened up the trade routes - Europe wasn't aware of
China, China wasn't aware of Europe; Khan was an advocate for human rights, he also
exempted doctors, teachers and priests from paying taxes. In 25 years Khan conquered more lands and people than the Romans did in 400 years! What else is being read and recommended?
Two author highlights from the online article "Summer Reading Recommendations, From
6 Novelists Who Own Bookstores" (New York Times, May 2017):
Ann Patchett, owner of Parnassus Books in Nashville.
RECOMMENDS: "Chemistry" by Weike Wang and "The Leavers" by Lisa Ko.
"These debut novels couldn't be more different, but they each tell the story of a first generation
Chinese-American whose life turns in directions I never saw coming. "Chemistry" appears
to be a romantic comedy (it's funny, it's romantic), but it just gets deeper and darker and
richer by the page. "The Leavers" is a gritty and painful story of immigration in which the
American dream is constantly re-examined alongside the Chinese dream. Here's another thing
Wang and Ko have in common: They are both wonderful writers who have written two of this
summer's best novels."
And, Louise Erdrich (Author of "LaRose"), owner of Birchbark Books in Minneapolis.
RECOMMENDS: "Al Franken: Giant of the Senate" by Al Franken. "Flips the classic born
in a shack rise to political office tale on its head. I skipped meals to read this book - also
unusual- because every page was funny. It made me deliriously happy to learn that Franken
has outlawed the word "robust" in his office."
"Standard Deviation" by Katherine Heiny. "About a perfectly mismatched New York
City couple whose son with autistic tendencies, is an origami prodigy. Both heart- piercing
and crucially, very funny."
"The Futilitarians" by Anne Gisleson. "About an Existential Crisis Readig Group with a secret
handshake."
"The Song Poet" by Kao Kalia Yang. "The exquisite story of Kao Kalia Yang's father, village life,
war life, refugee life, then a St. Paul housing project; America's secret war in Laos; and a
people's history as sung by Bee Yang and remembered in fascinating and poetic detail by
his daughter."
Perhaps if Louise Erdrich were here, she would ask:
What are you reading?