Why Not Today, Matthew Cork

For most of us living in the U.S., it's easy to imagine that slavery ended with the Civil War, racism is waning, and equality is on the rise.  That's true in most of the West.  We don't have slaves plowing the fields, apartheid is in the history books, and our president has brown skin.  But in one of the world's most populous countries, a sizable minority still faces racism, slavery, and inequality, with the imprimatur of the culture, government, and religion.  Matthew Cork, pastor of a large church in Southern California, paid a visit to the Dalit people of India and became convicted and convinced that the American church can have a role in freeing them from systemic cultural discrimination and oppression.

In Cork's new book, Why Not Today: Trafficking, Slavery, the Global Church . . . and You, which he co-authored with Kenneth Kemp, Cork tells the story of his involvement with the Dalits, with Indian activist Dr. Joseph D'Souza, and his church's commitment to build 200 schools for Dalit children.  More generally, he recounts the history of the Dalit people and the burgeoning movement in India to bring equality and civil rights to this huge minority group.  To an American, post-Civil-Rights-era reader, the status and conditions of the Dalits, or untouchables, in India make any stories of racism in the U.S. pale in comparison.  The caste system, reflecting centuries of tradition and supported by the Hindu religion, is used to condone persistent poverty, slavery, the sale of children for labor and the sex trade, sexual slavery, and any other human rights abuses you can think of.

There is hope, as Dalits leave Hinduism and groups like Dr. D'Souza's are focusing on education to free Dalit children from the cultural shackles of their caste.  Cork's story will sweep you up in his passion for freedom for the Dalits, as he demonstrates the huge impact that one church can have.  Granted, his church is large and wealthy, but still, what a difference they have made in India!  And they will continue to raise awareness, as the church has produced a movie telling the story of a Dalit girl whose father sells her and the American man who tries to rescue her.  (Not Today, hopefully coming to a theater near you!)

Why Not Today is a great introduction to the Dalit people and their plight.  The narrative is a bit disjointed, as Cork's passion for telling the Dalit story and his church's story runs spills out onto the page, but I was willing to look past that and embrace his vision.  I can see why he was able to rally his church so effectively to the Dalit cause. Why Not Today will have you longing and hoping for the day when India's casteism is relegated to the dust bin of history and the Dalits have true cultural and economic freedom.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

Mars and Houston, by James Crowley

Here's a sweet story about the power of friendship.  Joey has a bad habit of climbing out onto the roof of his house.  As much as his mom forbids him to do so, he loves to crawl out there and dream about being an astronaut.  Not only does his mother not want him to get hurt, she discourages his obsession with becoming an astronaut.  Joey has autism, and his mother wants him to face the reality that he would be unsuitable for a career as an astronaut.

To Joey's delight, Ben moves in across the street, with whom he strikes an unlikely friendship.  Ben, academically well ahead of other kids in his grade, and Joey find a common bond, in that they are both bullied and find themselves on the fringes of their class.  At first Ben is a bit annoyed by Joey, whose social skills are typical of boys with autism, but they do become good friends, and Joey's passion for space inspires Ben.

Joey's mother is overprotective, but not enough to keep Joey out of trouble.  Ben gets the blame for a tragic accident, and later Ben moves away.  In the end, the power of their bond of friendship saves the day.  Mars and Houston is a simple but sweet book, nicely written with a great message about stepping outside your comfort zone (for), faithful friendship (definitely for), bullying (against), and pursuing your dreams (for).  It's just the thing for an older elementary or middle school reader, and would be a great After School Special type of movie.



Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

Great Pacific Volume 1: Trashed!, by Joe Harris, illustrated by Martin Morazzo

Chas Worthington is the heir to a powerful Texas oil fortune.  Although he fits the bill as the young, spoiled playboy, he has ambitions beyond simply continuing the family's energy company.  He has his eyes on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which he claims and renames New Texas.  In the meantime, he has sabotaged the family business and ticked off a bunch of people.  Then he discovers that the island is well-known to some Pacific Islanders, as well as a band of pirates and a giant squid.

Great Pacific, nicely illustrated by Martin Morazzo, has just enough reality to make Joe Harris's story really engaging.  I love the libertarian/environmentalist mashup that informs Chas's actions.  He's representative of a generation that is sick of intrusive government, corporate welfare, and environmental neglect, and he's uniquely positioned to do something about all three.

Nation building on a floating garbage heap: I know, it's far-fetched, maybe even a little silly, but I enjoyed Great Pacific Volume 1 and will be eager to read Volume 2.

Interestingly enough, the idea of creating living space out of the floating garbage heap has been explored in real life.  Check out this web site: http://www.recycledisland.com/.  Maybe Harris's story isn't so far-fetched after all. . . .

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

Wonder, by R. J. Palacio

 A couple years ago, I read Sharon Draper's Out of My Mind, a novel told from the perspective of an 11-year-old girl living with cerebral palsy.  In the same vein, R. J. Palacio's book Wonder tells the story of August, a 5th grader with a cranio-facial condition.  He has been homeschooled all his life, and now is entering 5th grade at a prep school in his neighborhood.  Wonder takes us through his fifth grade year, telling his story through first-person narratives of August, his sister, and some of their friends and classmates.

I don't know anyone with a condition like August's.  If I have ever met or seen someone with it, I don't remember.  But I'm sure I would be one who might take a double take, or try to sneak a look.  August  is on the receiving end of those looks and stares every day of his life.  Worse, he gets bullied and mocked in his new school.  It's bad enough being the new kid.  It's bad enough being a kid, period, when so many kids are mean.  But August endures the worst of it.

The story of Wonder shows that awful side of kids, but, more importantly, Palacio paints a picture of how it ought to be.  August has a loving, supportive family (I've read of children with such conditions whose parents give them up for adoption shortly after birth).  At his new school he quickly makes friends with kids who are willing to see past his appearance.  He's a smart, gifted child.  I'm sure August's experiences are much better than those of many people with facial anomalies, and some might criticize Wonder as being too idealistic, but I think Palacio wants to model more than report.

August reflects on how other people see him: "It's like people you see sometimes, and you can't imagine what it would be like to be that person, whether it's somebody in a wheelchair or somebody who can't talk. . . . I know that I'm that person to other people. . . ."  Wonder reminds us, as the middle school director reminds his charges, "always to try to be a little kinder than is necessary," especially when we see "those people," whoever they are for us.

Too Hurt to Stay, by Casey Watson

Casey Watson and her husband are specialist foster carers in Great Britain, meaning that they get the most difficult to handle, hard to place children in the foster system.  Sounds like fun, doesn't it?  In Too Hurt to Stay, Watson tells the story of Spencer, an 8-year-old boy who, reportedly, came on his own to the social services office, seeking care.  Other caregivers warned the Watsons about Spencer's behavior, but he seemed so cute and sweet, they were reluctant to believe the reports.

At first Spencer did seem sweet and polite, but it didn't take long for his behaviors to show.  He began a pattern of serial theft from the Watsons, neighbors, and local businesses, bullying kids and animals, running away, and destructive vandalism.  I'm sure the Watsons are wonderful people, and their patience with Spencer may qualify them for sainthood.  But I cringed at their continual habit of shrugging off his behaviors, covering over the consequences, and too quickly reestablishing his freedoms so he could return to his offensive ways.

Watson's writing is entertaining and heartfelt.  I couldn't help but admire her and be taken in, to a certain extent, by her endearment to Spencer.  For a memoir of one family's experiences with a very difficult kid, Too Hurt to Stay is a decent read.  But I was disappointed that she didn't offer more insight into the foster care system and the root causes of Spencer's awful behaviors.



Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the complimentary electronic copy!

Unconditional, by Eva Marie Everson

Earlier this year, my friend Brent McCorkle wrote and directed Unconditional.  If you haven't seen it, you should.  It's a beautifully filmed, well-acted, inspiring tear jerker.  Eva Marie Everson's novelization of the screenplay captures the spirit and essence of the film.

Sam Crawford, a children's book author, is still grieving her husband's murder three years after the fact and decides to take her own life.  Her suicide is interrupted when she comes to the aid of a little girl who was the victim of a hit and run.  Through the little girl and the girl's brother, she runs into her childhood friend Joe Bradford.  As they rekindle their friendship, and as Sam sees Joe give his life away for the children in his neighborhood, Sam is inspired to go on living, resume her writing, and live for others.

Sam learns the lesson that even though the skies are cloudy, the sun is still there shining, and when we walk on the clouds we can enjoy the sun.  In the same way, clouds will come in life, but that doesn't mean God has forgotten us or ignores us.  We can change our perspective and reset our vision to him, above the clouds.  A secondary, but related message is that when we live our life for others, our own problems and pains tend to pale.  I am sure I am not the only one who needs to be reminded not to focus on myself!

Unconditional, both the movie and the book, has a great message which inspires the reader/viewer without being preachy and without the easy answers of so many Christian movies.  I am intrigued by Joe Bradford, the real-life inspiration for Unconditional.  I'd like to know how much of the story is based on true events.  I loved the movie and would recommend it to anyone.  The book does a nice job of fleshing out the great story of the movie.  Pick it up.



Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary review copy!

Run or Die, by Kilian Jornet

If you follow ultrarunning at all, you're familiar with Kilian Jornet.  He's only 25, but he has already won the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc 3 times, won Western States, and set the record for the ascent/descent of Mt. Kilimanjaro.  He's a phenomenal runner and an inspiration to those who see him run.

Unfortunately, the inspiration has a hard time coming through in his new book, Run or Die.  Reading Run or Die is certainly an interesting experience, essentially a stream-of-consciousness race report on some of Kilian's big runs: his trans-Pyrennes run, UTMB, WS (his first race there, when he came in third), and his Mt. Kilimanjaro run.  We read the blow-by-blow of the runs, as well as his reflections on life and running.

For me, Run or Die misses the most important element of a running book: inspiring me to get up and run.  Rather than feeling like, "Wow! That's a lot of running! I want to go run now!" I felt like "Hmm. That guy runs a lot. I don't think I can run like that. What's for dinner?"  I realize this is more a reflection on me than on Kilian, but I have read plenty of running memoirs that inspire me to lace them up and head out the door.

Kilian will be fun to watch as his career continues.  It seems like he has what it takes to dominate the sport of trail running for many years to come.  I will be interested to read his next book, maybe 5-10 years down the road, when, I think, he'll have more to share.



Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!