King’s Cage

Aveyard, Victoria. King’s Cage. Book 3 of the Red Queen series. 2017. 507p. ISBN 9780062310699. Available at FIC AVE on the library shelves.

Captured by King Maven at the end of Glass Sword, Mare Barrow is now a prisoner under his complete control, with silent stones handcuffs that prevent her from accessing her control over electricity. As the Scarlet Guard relentlessly keeps attacking outposts of Norta, the pressure on Maven to maintain his kingdom keeps increasing. Powerless, her thoughts turn to her friends, and she wonders whether they even managed to escape Maven’s clutches.

Desperate to free Mare, Cal sends agents in Archeon to help her escape, but they are captured by Maven’s men. With continuous assaults by the Reds and the New Bloods, Maven launches a campaign, using Mare to recruit his own army of New Bloods. He also engineers an unlikely alliance between Norta and Lakeland, and secures the Lakeland princess’ hand in marriage, much to the chagrin of Evangeline Samos, who expected to be the next Queen of Norta.

Guided by Farley, the rebels’ Central Command launches a daring operation against Corvium, and manages to seize the city from Maven’s forces, capturing a large number of Silvers. Maven’s court becomes a hotbed of conspiracies, and he suffers an assassination attempt. On Maven’s wedding day, the Scarlet Guard attacks Archeon, and Maven barely escapes. House Samos withdraws to the Rift, and declares its own Kingdom. Mare is reunited with Cal, while more and more Reds and New Bloods join the Scarlet Guard.

With Maven on the run, and with his grandmother plotting to install Cal as the rightful heir to the throne, Mare once again finds herself in between the two brothers, with two different social vision. But while Silvers fight Silvers, the entire world is about to burn.

Unbelievable

Shepard, Sara. Unbelievable. Book 4 of the Pretty Little Liars series. 2008. 335p. ISBN 978-0-06-088741-4. Available at FIC SHE on the library shelves.

At the end of Perfect, Hanna was hit by a large black SUV driven by A, and was rushed to the hospital. Thankfully, the damage was minimal but Hanna’s pretty face is marred by the trauma she suffered, and she has no recollection of A’s identity. She reconciles with Mona, and they begin planning Hanna’s recovery with a party.

Caught in Maya’s company despite her parents’ warning, Emma is sent to live with her very religious aunt and uncle in rural Iowa, but she is immediately betrayed by her cousins who take her to a barn party only to rat her out as the instigator the very next morning. Emma runs away, but upon seeing her parents in tears on television begging her to return, she heads back home. A, however is still after her.

Aria is kicked out of Sean’s house for pursuing a relationship with her English teacher. Not welcomed at her mother’s house, she reluctantly moves with her father and his girlfriend, soon to be wife, Meredith, who is now pregnant with her father’s child. Wishing to escape her life, Aria takes an art class at the college where her father and Meredith work. She runs into Jenny, who was blinded by Alison, and whom Aria suspects is A.

Spencer’s entry into the golden orchid competition is really her sister Melissa. Spencer knows she has forgotten crucial details of Alison’s last night before her disappearance, and she suspects she might be responsible for her death.

With A now out for blood and getting more bold, the four friends have to watch out for each other as their lives increasingly spiral out of control.

The Holy Roman Empire

DeCarlo, Carolyn. The Holy Roman Empire. Part of the Empires in the Middle Ages series. 2018. 48p. ISBN 978-1-68048-782-4. Available at 943.02 HOL on the library shelves.

An idea more than anything else, the Holy Roman Empire was neither Holy, nor Roman, nor an Empire, yet it exerted a significant influence Europe for more than a thousand years. Born from the desire of Charlemagne to restore the Roman Empire and claim its trappings and authority, the Holy Roman Empire evolved into a coalition of German states with an elected Emperor nominally in charge of a decentralized multi-ethnic state stretching from France to Poland and from the North Sea to the Mediterranean. The Empire never evolved an overarching system of law or governance, but instead remained dependant on the goodwill of those entities which were supposedly vassals of the Empire.

As a structure, the Holy Roman Empire supported the Pope and acted as a bulkward against both the Orthodoxy of the Byzantium Empire, and the subsequent expansion of the Ottoman Empire and of Islam. Eventually, the rise of Napoleon and his wars of conquests rang the death knell of the Holy Roman Empire, which was finally dissolved in 1806 and replaced by a loose coalition of German states. Never fully implemented, the Holy Roman Empire continues to intrigue and spark conversations of whether the Roman Empire could have been resurrected in the West under more favorable circumstances.

Titles in the Empires in the Middle Ages series include:

• The Byzantine Empire
• The Crusades
• The Islamic Caliphate
• The Mongol Empire
• The Ottoman Empire

Ray vs. the Meaning of Life

Stewart, Michael F. Ray Vs. the Meaning of Life. The Publishing House, 2018. 275p. 978-1-989-13300-2. Available at FIC STE on the library shelves.

When seventeen-year-old Ray’s grandmother is killed by a grizzly, Ray has one month to discover the meaning of life so he can inherit a million dollars and Sunny Day, the campground where he’s lived his entire life. If he can’t, both his mother and his uncle Jamie will get everything. His mother wants him gone. His twenty-five-year-old sister, Crystal, an avid hunter, wants him dead. Tina, the girl he likes and the daughter of Salminder, the one person who acts like a father, has bigger issues to contend with than helping Ray in his quest. The summer guests have begun to arrive, and there’s still an iceberg floating in the pool. Fortunately Grandmother left some help for Ray through a paid contract with Dalen, a celebrity motivational speaker. Armed with platitudes and an infectious positivity, Dalen sets to assist Ray in not only finding what the meaning of life is, but also truly discover who the real Ray is, and in the process help the entire campground community. But will one month be enough?

Filled with an unforgettable cast of characters, Ray’s struggles are realistic and are told with humor. Containing much of the “wise” sayings from countless Internet memes, the wisdom disgorged by Dalen still represents the fundamental building blocks of philosophy, and through them Ray eventually figures out that one person’s meaning of life is not necessarily another person’s. Every reader will empathize with Ray’s heartfelt struggles to discover the meaning of life, and by extension himself. A brief attempt at awkward sexual activity makes this better read for older students searching for themselves as well as those looking for a humorous book.

LeBron James: Basketball’s King

Nagelhout, Ryan. LeBron James: Basketball’s King. Part of the People in the News series. 2017. 104p. ISBN 978-1-5345-6029-1. Available at B JAM on the library shelves shelves.

Every generation has its greatest basketball player. In the 1990s, it was Michael Jordan, who drove the Chicago Bulls to six championships. In the 2000s, a prodigy arose straight out of high school to join the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA. LeBron James, son of a single mother, showed signs of being a great basketball player earlier on, but really began to shine in high school where he was quickly noticed by local and national media. LeBron’s mastery of basketball and his growing following forced his high school to move games from the gym to the local university. LeBron was also the first player on a high school team to be broadcasted live on ESPN 2.

After graduating high school, LeBron immediately entered the NBA with the Cavaliers, and turned the team around. Unfortunately, despite breaking records and making the playoffs, LeBron and the Cavs were unable to win a title. Reaching free agency in 2007, LeBron elected to move to Miami and join the Heat. He won two championships with the Heat, before returning to Cleveland to win one more with the Cavs. Still a dominant player on the court, with multiple awards and nominations, LeBron is also a strong marketing presence with contracts with Nike and other companies, and donates time and money to favorite causes such as the Boys and Girls of America.

Sports fan, especially basketball players, will enjoy reading this excellent biography about LeBron James, demonstrating that effort and hard work pays off.

Archie, Vol. 2

Waid, Mike & Fiona Staples. Archie, Vol. 2. 2016. 176p. ISBN 978-1-62738-799-6. Available as an eBook from Overdrive.

Following Archie, Vol. 1, Veronica and Archie are now dating, and each has to get used to the other person’s world. While Archie has difficulty dealing with Mr. Lodge, who is doing everything he can to exile Archie away from his daughter, Veronica has trouble adjusting to the Andrews’ middle class lifestyle and attempts to change it by providing a butler, a maid, and a super-large screen television. Betty, meanwhile, is still upset at Archie about the lipstick incident, but she hates to see him ruin his life for a rich brat. With a political campaign between Betty’s uncle and Mr. Lodge for Mayor of Riverdale, and with a battle of bands brewing, Archie finds himself in the middle of a maelstrom of explosive situations, with Reggie hovering in the background, ready to ground his archrival in the dust. Can Riverdale survive their adventures?

Genuine Fraud

Lockart, E. Genuine Fraud. 2017. 264p. 406 mins. ISBN 978-0-385-74477-5. Available as an audiobook on Overdrive.

Why is it always men that are portrayed as the muscled saviors in movies, while women stand to the side as eye-candy or love interests? Jule enjoys being an action movie star. She has created her own origin story, with her parents being murdered by villains, and her being rescued by her aunt, who works for a secret special ops outfit. The fact that none of that happened to her doesn’t matter. That’s she story she likes. Working out every day has bulked Jules up, and she sports serious muscles, something two kids harassing her at the arcade violently find out. Jules very much enjoys using her strength.

Moving from a small southern town to Florida then to New York, she is mistaken for the classmate of a rich and spoiled girl who has just run off to Puerto Rico and cut all contacts with her parents. Imogen’s parents hire Jule to go to Puerto Rico and report on what their daughter, Imogen, is doing. Instead, however, Jule and Imogen become fast friends, and begin spending a lot of time together. As a multimillionaire, Imogen can afford to support Jule. Her cotlery of friends are also rich and shallow. But as time progresses, Jule, who has passed for one of Imogen’s old classmates, realizes she could very well also pass for Imogen ...

Told in reverse chronological order, this book starts with Jule being tracked down by law enforcement in Mexico, and each subsequent event, which happened in the past, explains how she ended up in the previous chapter. A thoroughly unsympathetic character, readers will nonetheless appreciate how Jule manages to keep ahead of her lies and secrets to keep her freedom.

100 Sideways Miles

Smith, Andrew. 100 Sideways Miles. 2014. 277p. 420 mins. ISBN 9781442444959. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

When he was a young boy, Finn Easton and his mother were walking below a bridge when a dead horse, poorly strapped to a flatbed truck and destined for the glue factory, fell off and crushed both of them, killing her and severely injuring Finn. Finn has no recollections of the time before the accident, and he feels no physical sequels except for the epilepsy attacks he frequently suffers from. When he’s about to pass out, Finn first begins experiencing different smells, then he loses control of his body before forgetting even words and thoughts. When he invariably comes back to, he’s usually hurt (an unprotected fall will do that), has been gone for hours, and is in an angry mood. Finn does not measure time, but rather distance, with the Earth traveling about 20 miles in space every second, the fall of the horse lasted 5 seconds, or 100 sideway miles.

Now a junior in high school and living in the San Francisquito Canyon, below the site of the collapse of St. Francis Dam, California’s biggest engineering disaster, Finn spends most of his time with his best friend, Cade Hernandez. Born to Argentinian immigrants, Cade and Finn look very similar, but Cade is everything Finn is not: popular with girls, charismatic, a leader of his class, the captain of the baseball team, an inveterate tobacco chewer and beer drinker. Cade keeps an eye on Finn for his crises, even though Finn’s dad hates him. Finn’s father, Mike Easton, is a writer and he wrote a famous book about aliens looking like angels coming to Earth through small doors and killing and eating humans. One of the main characters was inspired by Finn.

With the school year only weeks away, Finn is asked to introduce new junior student Julia Bishop to the school. No one moves school this close to the end of the year, and Finn is immediately smitten with Julia. She seems interested as well, but finds him laying unconscious in a pool of his own urine by the open door of his house one evening, wearing only boxers. That’s when she notices the mark on his back, the same mark left when angels’ wings are cut in his father’s book. Julia instantly make the connection. Finn has never wanted to be a character in a book, and has sought to escape his fate. With Julia in town, however, and with Cade as his wing man, Finn attempts to rewrite his ending so that he can finally become his own man.

A raunchy and hilarious tale which combines actual history with a coming-of-age story, readers who enjoy Finn’s trials and tribulations should take a look at Grasshopper Jungle by the same author.

The Aztec Empire

Roxburgh, Ellis. The Aztec Empire. Part of the Great Empires series. 2016. 48p. ISBN 978-1-50260638-9. Available at 972.01 ROX on the library shelves.

One of the fiercest empire in human history, the Aztec Empire was swiftly defeated by a small group of Spanish Conquistadors with guns and horses. Its defeat, however, belied the underlying strength that allowed a small tribe of people in Mexico to grow into the largest and most powerful military force in Central America prior to the arrival of the Spanish. Remembered today both for their fall and for their use of human sacrifices, the Aztecs possessed a rich and diversified culture, as their Empire was in fact made of countless cities either allied with or paying tribute to the ruler of Tenochtitlán, each with their own mores and styles.

Effective warfare and alliance building allowed the Aztecs to expand the boundaries of their influence to eventually cover much of Central Mexico. Religious and civilian life were highly regimented. Corn was a staple, and wealthy folks could also partake of chocolate. Sacrifices were performed to appease the gods, who guided the Emperor and the priests through interpreted signs. At the height of its power, Tenochititlán was conquered by a handful of Spanish soldiers through a mixture of treachery, advanced weaponry, and religious beliefs that these men from across the Eastern Sea were sent by their gods.

Despite the Spanish colonists’ best efforts, however, descendents of the Aztecs preserved many of their traditions and their language. Even today, more than 15 million Mexicans still speak Nahuatl, the language of their Aztecs’ ancestors.

Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World

Bagieu, Pénélope. Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World. 2018. 291p. ISBN 978-1-62672-868-4. Available at 920 BAG on the library shelves.

Flipping the pages of a history book, the less discerning reader would get the impression that women have played a very limited role in how the world around us is shaped. Although this is far from the truth, the fact remains that most histories were written by men, and therefore highlights the prowess of military leaders, politicians, and rebels. Women, however, have as much claims as these usual subjects of history books, and Brazen seeks to remediate this lack of recorded women’s participation in a graphic novel format.

In no particular order, twenty nine women are showcased, each having accomplished something significant for themselves and their communities. From Giorgina Reid, who saves a lighthouse in New Jersey to Lozen, who was a great Apache warrior and leader, these women changed the world around us for the better. Their engagement and desire to push boundaries not because they wanted to blaze a trail but because they felt stifled by the society that surrounded them clearly demonstrate that anyone is capable of effecting change through effort and dedication.

Beautifully illustrated, the biography of each woman is reviewed, with highlights of what made her such as brazen rebel who upended convention and social more on her way to becoming her own self. Feminists and fans of history will appreciate the strength that each of these women displayed and will thank them for making the world a better place.

Gargoyles: A Tale of Two Miracles

Pattison, Darcy. Gargoyles: A Tale of Two Miracles. 2018. 200p. ISBN 9781629441078. Available at FIC PAT on the library shelves.

The Cathedral of St. Stephens stands proudly in the middle of the town of Montague. Begun 48 years ago, the building itself is almost done, with only the west tower remaining to be built. Laurel’s father is the architect that currently supervises the completion of the other parts of the building, and he has drawn beautiful plans for a west tower that will complement the structure. Laurel has lived her whole life in the shadow of the Cathedral, and she knows every nook and cranny. She’s intimately familiar with every gargoyle that adorns the roof line, and she’s even begun carving her own.

With winter now over and the building season upon them, Laurel’s father is summoned to see the Cathedral’s priest. Father Goosens informs them that there will not be any money to build the western tower, neither this year nor in future years, and he considers the Cathedral done. This means that Laurel and her father will have to move at the end of the year to find another project to work on. Laurel is crushed. Only a miracle can provide enough money to save the tower.

Jassy works with his uncle. He is a Rover, a group of people who are on the move all year long, offering entertainment to cities and towns. When a gargoyle falls from the roof of the Cathedral, he saves Laurel’s father. Laurel returns the favor when she administers medicine to his uncle after his trained bear attacks and mauls his leg. Unfortunately, the infection has set in and only a miracle can save his life.

Master Gimpel has just been hired to complete the gargoyles that still need to be installed on the roof of the Cathedral. He shows Laurel a Troll’s Eye, a jewel that opens a door to another world and a secret cache of jewels guarded by a strange monster, the Hallvard. This world also contains a plant, a rare flower that can heal the wounds on Jassy’s uncle.

Needing two miracles, the teens decide to use the Troll’s Eye. There are rules, however, and the cost for using the Eye could in the end outweigh the benefits of recovering a part of the treasure. Faced with impossible odds, what choices will Laurel and Jassy make?     

Rewilding: Giving Nature a Second Chance

Drake, Jane and Ann Love. Rewilding: Giving Nature a Second Chance. 2017. 88p. ISBN 978-1-55451-961-3. Available at 639.9 DRA on the library shelves.

Humans have not been a boon to the environment. During our history we have caused mass extinction and wrought hectic climate changes. Animals that used to roam freely in expansive plains or dwell in forests larger than many countries now find themselves concentrated in small preserves, stuck in zoos, or endangered due to the lost of habitat. Plants that used to dot the landscape are plowed under or destroyed by human activity. Belatedly, we realized that along with causing this destruction, we could attempt to engineer our way out by rewilding both areas and animals.

The concept of rewilding is simple. It involves recreating habitats to their optimum natural state so that the animals and plants that live there have a fighting chance at remaining wild and live their lives. Throughout the world, there are several important efforts at rewilding areas, not only out in the wilderness, but even in cities. Success stories, such as the resurgent eagle population and the growing wolf presence in Yellowstone suggest that more could be done to help endangered species. Rewilding can help humans prevent more animals and plants going extinct and preserve the biodiversity that ultimately keep us and our planet alive.

Gemina

Kaufman, Amie and Jay Kristoff. Gemina. Book 2 of the Illuminae Files. 2016. 659p. ISBN 978-0-553-49915-5. Available at FIC KAU on the library shelves.

Heimdall Station is in the middle of space, floating near nowhere. It does, however, provide access to a controlled jump gate which allows ships to travel tremendous distances. Civilization is but one jump away from the station, but for Hanna Donnelly, that’s not close enough. As the daughter of the station’s captain, Hanna misses the contacts and comradery that come from hanging out with other teens. Her only solace while on the station? Working out at the dojo. Her dad is big into strategy games, so she has had plenty of time to master these. In love with Jackson, a security officer on board the station, Hanna is not above scoring some dust, her drug of choice, from Niklas Malikov, a lowlife member of the notorious House of Knives, a criminal cartel. Unknown to them, their lives are about to change dramatically.

From the Kerenza system, a ship called Hypatia is on its way, with Kady Grant and several hundred colonists, who survived and escaped the BeiTech assault on their illegal settlement and the ensuing pursuit by several warships. As it neared Heimdall Station, Hypatia began transmitting news of their ordeal. Unfortunately, a BeiTech agent infiltrated deep in the station’s command structure has intercepted all of Hypatia’s messages, and contacted BeiTech for backup. A fleet of drone ships is heading straight for the station and the wormhole, to destroy Hypatia and the remaining witnesses to BeiTech’s crimes. At the same time, twenty-four Beitech agents with orders to kill everyone aboard Heimdall and destroy the station, are boarding Heimdall.

Confronted by hostile and deadly agents, alien predators (Niklas’ family has to manufacture the drug somewhere!), and a rip in the space-time continuum, Hanna and Niklas are Kady and the Kerenza survivors’ only hope. Can they work together long enough to make it off the station?

Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen

Jennings, Jazz. Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen. 2016. 272p. 240 mins. ISBN 9780399554643. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

Born a boy, Jazz always knew that she really was a girl. She loved dressing up as a girl, even as a baby, and eventually convinced her parents it was not a phase. Jazz begin the transitioning process to become a girl at age five, at a time when there was no one to guide them through the process. Jazz and her family had to fight to access her favored bathroom, to overcome a misguided school dress code, and to fully be allowed to participate in organized sports like soccer.

As an advocate for transgendered youths, Jazz blazed the trail with interviews with Barbara Walters on the television show 20/20, and participated in several conferences as a panelist. Named as one of the youngest persons ever on Time’s top 100 people list, she met with President Obama, and was named as a youth ambassador by Human Rights Campaign. Active on Youtube and in several causes that fight to LGBTQ rights, Jazz is an inspiration for, as she says herself, just living her life.

A great tale of perseverance and acceptance, Jazz continues today to stand up for those who need it most and help teach what tolerance and true love really mean.

Wires and Nerves, Volume 2: Gone Rogue

Meyer, Marissa. Wires and Nerves, Volume 2: Gone Rogue. Part of the Lunar Chronicles series. 2018. 324p. ISBN 978-1-250-07828-5. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

At the end of Wires and Nerve, Volume 1, Alpha Lysander Steele and his rogue army of bioengineered Lunars managed to evade Iko’s skillful chase. They remain on the loose on Earth, nursing hopes of vengeance against the Lunars who transformed them and the humans who are now helping the Lunars. Steele has devised a plan to bring Cinder to him so he can rip her heart out and avenge himself. He will capture Princess Winter, the Lunar ambassador to Earth, and use her to bring Cinder into a trap.

Cinder publicly announces her desire to renounce the Lunar crown, and focuses on cementing the peace with the countries of Earth. With Iko still on Steele’s heels, she has a plan of her own to finally defeat what remains of Queen Levana’s mutant army. Iko, meanwhile, continues to struggle with her quest for humanity, but finds it hard to deal with Sir Liam Kinney, who never fails to remind her she’s but an android. When she comes across information about her creation and programming, she discovers that, like humans, it’s what you do that makes you unique, now what you are.

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles will enjoy this latest installment. All of the main characters of the Lunar Chronicles appear in this book and the overarching plot is moved forward, but the story remain focused on Iko and her growing relationship with Liam.

A Time to Run: Stuart & Sam

Nicholson, Lorna Schultz. A Time to Run: Stuart & Sam. Part of the One 2 One series. 2018. 203p. ISBN 978-1-9883-4709-7. Available at FIC NIC on the library shelves.

Stuart was born with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), and in order to cope with his issues he has learned to run away. A member of the Best Buddy program at his school, Stuart was paired with Sam, who is the captain of the basketball team and one of the best player. Stuart was convinced to be the team manager, but he doesn’t really want to be there. When Sam’s heart stops during a tense basketball game, Stuart is besides himself.

Sam is thankfully revived, but with a new cardiac monitor in his chest he can’t play sports anymore. Goodbye athletic scholarship. Dejected, Sam really doesn’t want to deal with Stuart, but realizes that his commitment to his Best Buddy is important. When he hears that Stuart is getting in trouble, Sam decides to get involved again.

Meanwhile, Stuart is approached by Donnie a local thug and drug dealer who drives a fast car. Unable to see danger, Stuart begins to ride with Donnie and make drug runs for him. Sam notices Stuart getting in Donnie’s car when Stuart is pretending to be participating in track and field at school, he tells Stuart’s mother. With dangerous Donnie still hovering in the background, Sam convinces Stuart to actually join the track and field team, so he can put his running to good use. Stuart turns out to be really good at running, but there are times in life when you can’t run away from your problems.

Told in alternating perspectives, Sam and Stuart’s story provides a glimpse in the life of someone affected by FASD. If you like this book, you will enjoy Bent Not Broken: Madeline and Justin.

Gunslinger Girl

Ely, Lindsay. Gunslinger Girl. 2018. 422p. ISBN 9780316555104. Available as an audiobook on Overdrive.

Following the Second Civil War and the “Pacific Incident,” the Confederation of North America emerged triumphant. Those who called themselves Patriots ended up on the losing side, and fled West into the deserts and badlands. Serendipity Jones’ mother was one of these. She eventually settled in a small border town commune controlled by CONA and had three kids, two boys and Pity. A sharpshooter, alcohol eventually did her in.

Now seventeen, Pity’s cruel and unforgiving father plans to sell her to another community since she is fertile. Pity had been planning to leave with her mechanic friend, but events cascade out of control. She retrieves the one thing her mother left behind, a pair of unique guns, from her father’s chest, and she flees. Originally planning to head to Columbia, CONA’s capital, they are ambushed and her best friend is killed. Pity ends up in Cessation, the cesspool of the world, but, more importantly, outside CONA’s control.

There she is accepted by Miss Celine, who controls Cessation and owns Halcyon Singh's Theatre Vespertine. Max, who rescued her from the desert, also works at the theatre. Pity’s sensational shooting act quickly becomes part of the performance, but when she’s asked to participate in a finale, where she will be responsible to end a man’s life, Pity is not sure she can do it. It doesn’t help that forces larger than Cessation are gearing up for a fight over the lawless city. With all the cards in the air, will Pity have enough bullets to survive a showdown between CONA and its rebellious neighbor?

The Sound of Freedom

Kacer, Kathy. The Sound of Freedom. 2017. 249p. ISBN 978-1-55451-969-9. Available at FIC KAC on the library shelves.

Ever since Hitler came to power in neighboring Germany, the Jews of Poland have lived uneasily. Over the last three years incidents of antisemitism have been on the rise, and violence against Jews is tolerated and even encouraged by local authorities. In Krakow, Anna’s father works for the Krakow Philharmonic Orchestra and teaches students. Anna herself is a talented clarinet player, and she hopes to follow in her father’s footsteps. When Anna witnesses the old butcher’s assault by a gang of thugs while the police observes but does not interfere, she knows it is time to leave the country. Yet Jews are not welcomed anywhere, so obtaining transit papers to live somewhere else is almost impossible. Her father does not want to leave anyway.

An announcement in the local newspaper declares that Bronislaw Huberman, the world-renowned violinist, seeks to create the Palestine Philharmonic Orchestra and is hiring Jewish musicians from all over Europe. Anna sees this as her father’s chance at an exit ticket, and encourages him to apply. He demures, saying that things are not as bad. Anna and her grandmother, who lives with them, conspire and write a letter to Herr Huberman anyway, asking him to allow her father to audition. When Anna and her father are attacked by thugs at the Philharmonic Orchestra, he is forced to agree that the situation for Jews is worsening, and that he must find a way out of Poland.

As Jewish persecution intensifies throughout Europe, and as the seeds of the Holocaust are being sowed, the family’s future rests on the success or failure of this audition. But even if it is successful, they will have to adapt to a new country, where the return of Jews is not welcomed by the local Arab population.

Inspired by true events, The Sound of Freedom discusses a little-known aspect of Jewish immigration in the tense years leading to the Second World War and the Holocaust. Fans of historical fiction will appreciate Anna’s efforts to save her family from a doom she cannot identify but that she can feel is about to strike.