The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

While I was more impressed with Lahiri's collection of short stories, Interpreter of Maladies, I would highly recommend this novel. The story of the Ganguli family spans over 33 years detailing Ashoke and Ashima's arranged marriage in Calcutta and their journey to America, starting their life together in Boston and raising their son, Gogol (who later changes his name). It is interesting to follow Gogol's thought process as he makes a life for himself as an Indian-American, his education, and a series of romances that really press upon the reader's heart. The plot ebbs and flows. What I really enjoy is Lahiri's characterization, namely her ability to bring the reader into the intimate thoughts of her hero in a way that is poignant and disarming. Favorite Quote: "For being a foreigner, Ashima is beginning to realize, is a sort of lifelong pregnancy - a perpetual wait, a constant burden, a continuous feeling out of sorts. It is an ongoing responsibility, a parenthesis in what had once been an ordinary life, only to discover that that previous life has vanished, replaced by something more complicated and demanding. Like pregnancy, being a foreigner, Ashima belives, is something that elicits the same curiosity from strangers, the same combination of pity and respect."

With Their Eyes edited by Annie Thoms

(Young Adult) Stuyvesant High School is four blocks from ground zero. On the day of the World Trade Center Attacks, the students had just been in school for a couple of weeks before witnessing one of the most horrifying events of their lifetimes. Once they were able to return to their school, a group of theater students interviewed members of their community about their perceptions of the events of Sept. 11th. They compiled their interviews into monologues and performed them. This is a quick and compelling read that gives a great deal of insight into the minds of adolescents and educators during this trying time. Favorite Quote: "I remember being in my room around nine o'clock, and I was like, 'You know, today was a bad day.' And my mom was like, 'Don't worry, tomorrow will be a better day.' And that was September 10th."

Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah

(Young Adult) This is a touching memoir about growing up in China during the Cultural Revolution. When her mother dies giving birth to her, Yen Mah and her siblings are cast aside after their father remarries a French woman - but no one is hated more than Adeline. Her strength of spirit, love of learning, and support of one caring aunt are all that carry her through this tale of loneliness and despair. The author now works as both a doctor and a writer. There were many sections that moved me deeply and I would highly recommend this book. Favorite Quote: (her grandfather) "'She won't disappoint you. When you've reached my age, you know which children are weak and which are strong.'"