March by Geraldine Brooks

Hope I didn't scare y'all with my "hippie girl" stuff (as Rene put it *g*).

On to other things now, such as my review of March by Geraldine Brooks. It won the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and after reading it, I understand why it was accorded such an honour.

Readers of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women will remember that throughout the classic tale of four young girls growing up during the Civil War, the father is absent. In her book, Ms. Brooks imagines what his life was like while he was away from his family, serving as an army chaplain. We meet him following a major battle, during which he tried, but failed, to save the life of a young soldier. Wracked by guilt, he goes in search of those who survived, only to discover his unit has taken shelter in a house he first visited as a young, and very different, man.

This revelation precipitates the first of many flashbacks, in which we learn about how he made and lost a fortune, met and fell in love with Marmee and the work they did in support of the Abolitionist cause. The flashbacks are interspersed with his narrative about his work on a Union protected plantation being run by a Northerner employing freed slaves, where he teaches the workers to read.

We also watch as he struggles to write letters home without revealing the horrors of his situation and how he tries to comes to terms with certain actions he committed in his past. The story intersects with the events in Little Women from time to time. Seeing Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy from another point of view is fascinating, as are the glimpses of a very different Marmee from the one created by LMA.

March himself is loosely based on Louisa's own father, Bronson Alcott (Little Women was semi-autobiographical), though his occupation as a chaplain is purely fictional. Having read bios of LMA and some of her non-fiction, I recognized those elements while reading the novel.

Her descriptive prose and natural dialogue ring true to the period while the balance of past and present is superb. Flashbacks can dominate a book, yet hers only serve their intended purpose, adding depth to an already complex and tormented protagonist.

Nor does she stint on historical detail - especially in the battle and hospital scenes. Readers with a weak stomach have thus been warned, but I urge to you forge ahead with this book regardless. The violence and gore are never gratuitous and are in fact necessary to experience the full power of the story.

If you're looking for an absorbing read, full of history and human emotion, pick up this book and lose yourself in it.

Teresa

Currently Reading: The Scarlet Lion by Elizabeth Chadwick
Link of the Day: Cindy Vallar's Researching and Writing Historical Fiction Resources

The importance of Nia...

Long time readers of this blog have probably heard me mention Nia before. The Nia site explains it way better than I can.

This morning I went to my first class in four weeks. To many people, this may not seem significant, but to me it definitely was. For the first time in almost two years I went a month without Nia. And only over these last few weeks have I discovered how important it is to my physical and mental well-being. No wonder my hubby insisted I sign back up for the next session.

Nia is more than physical exercise - it's a total mind/body workout that helps you reconnect with yourself. Yeah, I know - some of you are rolling your eyes right now, but unless you've tried it, you won't understand.

It's about losing yourself in the movement and the music, freeing your inner child and playing with space and rhythm. The music is a blend of new age, contemporary and yes, even some Celine Dion (honestly - her French stuff works really well in this context!)

One of my favourite pieces, from the album Opal (the routine itself focusses on Stability and Mobility), is Exploration by Karminsky Experience



Admittedly, the instructor whose classes I attend here on the Sunshine Coast is also part of the reason - I've no idea if other sessions are as fun.

Since coming home this morning, my mood has definitely been lighter and now I know that at least some of my grouchiness over the last few weeks has been due to the lack of Nia.

Interestingly enough, the feeling I was experiencing was similar to that when I don't write for a while. I guess Nia appeals to the same inner force that creating characters and worlds does.

Is there some exercise you enjoy without which you feel less than yourself? I'd love to hear about it :)


Teresa

Currently Reading: The Scarlet Lion by Elizabeth Chadwick (I'm going to finish it now I know I should soon have my hot little hands on A Place Beyond Courage)
Links of the Day: Nia Canada and Nia USA

Quick post with a great link...

I was going to post a review of Geraldine Brooks March today, but time is getting away from me. I'll try to get it up over the next couple of days. I'm also going to post something about Grace Elliott's Journal of my Life During the French Revolution - another great read.

Instead, I'm sending you over to Elizabeth Chadwick's blog, Living the History and her post A Novel Experience, in which she outlines her writing process in detail, complete with sample pages from her mss at various stages.

Writers will be especially interested in this post, but I recommend it for anyone curious about how authors work.

Enjoy!

Teresa

Currently Reading: Nothing - I finished two books on the weekend and have to dig into the TBR pile later today

Link of the Day: Author Cindy Procter-King's blog, Muse Interrupted