Book Review: The Weka-Feather Cloak

Imagine finding a fantasy book on my bookshelf. Very unlikely (except for the Hobbit, the Lord of the Rings, and the Chronicles of Narnia). However, I just finished a fantasy book called the Weka-Feather Cloak: A New Zealand Fantasy by Leo Madigan. Thanks to my older brother for recommending it! This is one of those books that starts right in with the story, without an explanation. I wasn't sure if I'd like it, but boy was it a GREAT read! 

"Small, quiet, artistic Danny Mago, used to an uneventful, if not always pleasant existence, suddenly finds himself catapulted into a series of inexplicable happenings. After he gets the new job at St. Martin de Porres Convent with Mother Madeleine, the famous Maori painter, and he approaches the ancient, unused elevator on the Convent grounds, the uneventful tenor of his life takes a decided turn...upwards! The resulting wild sometimes hair-raising adventures next become strangely entangled with the mysterious quest that has brought beautiful Zelia Mazloum all the way from Turkey to New Zealand. In the midst of all this, Danny accepts a call to make a unique contribution to his home, the land that rests  

the land that rests upon the seas, Aetearoa. Demonic creatures, angelic beings, sly villains, an old and beautiful weka-feather cloak, a blank wall in a new Cathedral and an unforgettable Maori nun come together in this amazing tale of spirit and laughter." (Photo and text credit)

This fantasy was not like any other that I have read. There was no Narnia and no Middle Earth, no wizards, no fauns, no goblins, and no hobbits. Madigan writes about New Zealand throughout the story, but includes the fantasy of an elevator that can bring Danny Mago to many different places in time. Additionally, the story includes angels and demons to guide Danny in making the right choices. 

Things I Liked:

• I really liked how the Catholic faith was incorporated throughout the whole fantasy. Danny was challenged in many ways, but turned to his Rosary, the Crucifix, and Holy Water for protection. 

• I also liked how descriptive the scenery is! God's Creation of New Zealand is found throughout this book. Often, each chapter starts with a description of the nature around Danny and the other characters (see my favorite quotes below for examples). 

• Although Danny is the focus of this book, there really are three plots throughout that end up combining at the end. The plots are focused on Danny and his elevator, his special needs sister, Angela, and solving a mystery with a school girl, Zelia. 

• Finally, I loved how even though this was a fantasy, there was a lot of history intertwined among the chapters. Danny learned about Lady Juliana of Norwich, the Sylvestrine monks and Fra Angelico, and about the Eucharist. 

Things I Didn't Like:

• I mentioned above how I liked the three plots that eventually turn into one. However, it gets a bit confusing during the last few chapters, which I didn't like. The last chapter makes sense, but the few before that kind of mix everything together, so it really didn't make any sense until the end. 

Favorite Quotes:

    "Danny stood in the center of the room for a long time. It was good to be there. It had the comfort and security of a womb. A peace rose up from the stone floor and a peace seeped out through the walls. There was a distinctive smell to the place, fresh like apples and spring water, and the air tasted like that too" (51). 

    "They found themselves on a hillside looking down on a town of great visual charm. It was built on the confluence of two rivers and, criss-crossed as it was with canals and pools, it gave the illusion of floating on water. Fruit trees, palms and weeping willows grew on the banks of the rivers and the courtyards, and even the flat roofs of houses were dancing with color in the heat" (121).  

Content: 

There is a bit of bullying between Danny and his classmates during the school scenes. Additionally, during the fantasy scenes there is some descriptive violence. However, it is handled well between the characters. 

Age:

I recommend this book for ages 12 and up.

Rating:

★★★★

What is your favorite fantasy book?  

-Miss K

Book Review: Left to Tell

Abracadabra... poof... I'm back! 

Hello! I'm finally back for another post. I guess something called summer appeared a few months after my first post, and I didn't get around to posting again. I also finished my college English class a few weeks ago, which was "Writing for the Web", so I'm supposed to be an expert at this now. (I had to create a blog for that class which can be found here).

Anyway, today I'm excited to be doing a book review on Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculee Ilibagiza. Trust me: It's an amazing book!

"Immaculee Ilibagiza grew up in a country she loved, surrounded by a family she cherished. But in 1994 her idyllic world was ripped apart as Rwanda descended into a bloody genocide. Immaculee's family was brutally murdered during a killing spree that lasted three months and claimed the lives of nearly a million Rwandans.

                                                                                   Incredibly, Immaculee survived the slaughter. For 91 days, she and seven other women huddled silently together in the cramped bathroom of a local pastor while hundreds of machete-wielding killers hunted for them. 

It was during those endless hours of unspeakable terror that Immaculee discovered the power of prayer, eventually shedding her fear of death and forging a profound and lasting relationship with God. She emerged from her bathroom hideout having discovered the meaning of truly unconditional love- a love so strong she was able to seek out and forgive her family's killers. 

The triumphant story of this remarkable young woman's journey through the darkness of genocide will inspire anyone whose life has been touched by fear, suffering, and loss." (Photo and text credit)

It's worth restating the fact that Ilibagiza survived in a bathroom for 91 days with seven other women, while hundreds of killers hunted for her. This fact is what sparked my interest in this book, yet I learned about much more than the Rwandan Genocide. The details were plentiful so I took my time to soak it all in, spending ten days reading it. At some points, I wanted to put it down and never read it again because it was saddening, but at the same time, it was  inspirational. 

Many others that were impacted by the genocide could have written about their experiences, but there is one thing that makes Ilibagiza's experience different: she deepened her faith while living through the genocide. 

Things I Liked:

• I liked the fact that this book was not just a history of the Rwandan Genocide, but the personal experience of Ilibagiza. However, the details are vivid and accurate so you can learn about some specific events that took place during the genocide. 

• I loved how Illibagiza's faith is very inspirational throughout the whole book, not just in the harsh chapters. It is truly a story of determination, survival, and faith, but most importantly, forgiveness. 

• I also liked how often Illibagiza brings up the fact that she survived because of her faith in God and because of her parents Catholic teachings. Additionally, she often mentions the use of the Rosary. 

Things I Didn't Like:

• The one thing I didn't like was how detailed some of the violent scenes were (more below under content), but that was part of the true story. 

Favorite Quotes:

    "All I could do was pray, so that's what I did...I was certain that God had a greater purpose for me, and I prayed every day for Him to reveal it to me" (114). 

    "But I came to learn that God never shows us something we aren't ready to understand. Instead, He lets us see what we need to see, when we need to see it. He'll wait until our eyes and hearts are open to Him, and then when we're ready, He will plant our feet on the path that's best for us... but it's up to us to do the walking" (114). 

    "What was that all about, Immaculee? That was the main who murdered your family.. I brought him to you to question... to spit on if you wanted to. But you forgave him! How could you do that? Why did you forgive him?"' (204). 

Content: 

Because this book takes place during a genocide, there is quite a bit of graphic themes and content, but it is needed to fully understand Illibagiza's situation. This includes murder, brutality, violence, and ethnic discrimination.  

Age:

I recommend this book for everyone ages 16 and up, depending on their level of maturity for the content themes mentioned above. 

Rating:

★★★★★

Have you ever read "Left to Tell"? If so, what did you like about it? If you haven't read it yet, I suggest you do that soon. 

-Miss K