Once again it is time for Ruby Tuesday! Post any photo with red in it, and then view the other photos from around the world.

My captures are of trains that I saw along the way to California. I love trains, love the serene look to them, even if the sky is dark, especially when they are in the middle of nowhere.

Stop by Mary’s Ruby Tuesday blog, and leave some comments on the photos there.

Not Me: A Novel, by Michael Lavigne is a completely engrossing book in my opinion. It is compelling on many levels for its underlying themes.

From forgiveness and redemption to survival and the desire to go on, to identity and reinventing one’s self, Not Me is a book filled with many thought-provoking questions and constant analyzing, and infused with many lessons that the reader can take away with them.

The story line is about a man named Heshel Rosenheim who is seemingly a Holocaust survivor, and his divorced son, Michael, a comedian and also a father of a son, himself. The relationship between Michael (the narrator) and Heshel is strewn within the pages of Not Me, in an interesting and intriguing manner from the minute Heshel, who has Alzheimer’s Disease, hands Michael a box of weathered and moldy old journals. How the journals appeared in the hospital is beyond Michael, and Heshel doesn’t seem to have the answers as he transitions back and forth from being cognizant one minute, and lapsing into his lack of memory the next.

The journey of Michael’s trying to understand the past and present begins when he starts reading the musty journals. Disturbing secrets begin to unravel with each page. Mystery and elusiveness loom forward, as events are unfolded, events that Michael finds incredible and difficult to believe. From the complexities to the perplexities, life as Michael knows it dissipates.

It is not only his father’s past that comes into play, as he tries to find a thread or a sense of understanding, but also his mother’s, and his own. He begins to question who he actually is, both logically and emotionally. He flashes back in time to his childhood wondering if he had an inkling about his father’s true identity, as his (Michael’s) own identity is in question.

It appears that Heshel was an SS Nazi Officer named Heinrich Muller, a man who was in essence a conspirator to genocide. I use the word “appears” because the journals are written in a story-like format, and it is difficult for Michael to figure out if the content in them is factual or fictional. Not Me is almost a story-within-a-story. As the pages are turned, we see Heshel just weeks before liberation deliberately starving himself in order to lose weight. He also tattooed a number to his arm, changed his name from Heinrich Muller to Heshel Rosenheim (Heshel Rosenheim was the name of a corpse, a Holocaust victim who was killed), and pretended to be a Jew in order to avoid his own arrest for the crimes he committed.

He becomes involved in the displaced persons program, ends up in Israel, fighting in the War of Independence, much to his own dismay. His hatred for Jews is boldly written in the journal pages, expressed through angry euphemisms and statements. Yet, he continues his pretense. Somewhere along the line there is a change in behavior, as he transforms himself into a practicing Jew. He literally had a “moment” a revelation of sorts. And, from that point forward, the journals trace the behavioral changes in his character and mindset.

To continue with the story line further would be to reveal too much of the novel. Suffice it to say that once this reader began the book, she read it straight through overnight.

Not Me is compelling on so many levels. For me it was a metaphor for self identity, sin and change, and the superficial roles that one plays in order to move on with their life and flee from the consequences of their actions. Heshel learned that fleeing only negates the truth, which followed him everywhere he went. Within the context of the self identity are the themes of love, loss, forgiveness and redemption. The blur between forgiveness and redemption is obvious in the way Lavigne writes. Michael is torn between his new found knowledge and his love for his father. He is a man who is floundering. He is torn between the truth and the superficiality of his childhood. He is torn between who he truly is and what he is.

There is no clear cut answer to most of the questions that Not Me formulates in the reader’s mind. Michael Lavigne writes vividly, and illuminating images jump from the pages, evoking our emotions into play, almost like an elevator ride, one minute positive, the next negative, up, down, up, down. Not Me is a psychological study in behavior. It is also a study in the father-son relationship, and is a unique Holocaust story. It is a book that is fascinating, compelling, insightful, poignant and comical, and one that I highly recommend.
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I personally own and have read this book.
© Copyright 2007 – All Rights Reserved – No permission is given or allowed to reuse my photography, book reviews, writings, or my poetry in any form/format without my express written consent/permission.

Tuesday December 1, 2009 – 14th of Kislev, 5770

If you are looking to read a family saga, one that chronicles life through several generations of a Jewish family, then Jacob’s Cane is the book for you. From the moment I began reading it, I couldn’t put it down.

Jacob’s Cane is a memoir told through five generations. The inspiration for the memoir was a cane found in a closet of the author’s aunt. The ornately carved cane fascinated her, and she felt the need to know more about it and more about her family history.

Thus begins a journey for New, throughout Europe and back to America in order to document and trace her family’s Jewish roots. The cane held much familial historical significance, as it was marked in various spots, denoting who had the cane at a particular period in time, and where that person resided. New was completely intrigued by the cane and its place in the realm of her family genealogy.

After speaking with relatives in order to gain insight into her ancestry, and doing some research on her own, New embarked on her own physical journey to Europe. Her fascination could not be diminished, and she had to see for herself where her family emigrated from. She wasn’t totally satisfied with the information garnered from her aunts and other relatives. She needed to find answers to the questions that constantly swelled in her mind.

The constant urge for knowledge would not let go. Documents, records, etc., only motivated her to try to find out more information. Answers from relatives were not enough, she needed more than those verbalized statements. That New is an avid genealogist and researcher is an understatement. Her endeavors took her, literally, from one end of Europe to another, and back to the United States.

Throughout New’s journey, she transcends periods of history, from the Enlightenment period up through World War I, to the Holocaust period of time and through to the present. Jacob’s Cane is a sweeping saga, not only of familial roots, but also of world history. The research involved was extensive, filled with extreme dedication, and was fruitful in the end results.

The family tobacco business is explored in depth. The reader is given a blueprint to the social, political, economic, industrial and cultural aspects of the eras transcended within the pages.

New’s strength and perseverance was her guiding force throughout her quest for family identity. New not only learned about her ancestral roots and foundations, but also gained insight into herself. What began as a search for family history also encompassed a search for Self, often with a surprising outcome.

Jacob’s Cane is remarkable in its historical depth and intensity. Elisa New grasps the moments with brilliant writing and story telling. Her ability to infuse not only her Jewish family roots and history, with specific cultural, financial, and social aspects is incredibly brilliant, and a remarkable feat. Her writing is fluid, filled with vivid imagery, taking the reader through the ages with pages of beautiful and poignant prose.

I highly recommend Jacob’s Cane, by Elisa New to everyone.
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Jew Wishes…Peace to you All.

© Copyright 2007 – All Rights Reserved – No permission is given or allowed to reuse my photography, book reviews, writings, or my poetry in any form/format without my expresss written consent/permission.

November 30, 2009 – 13th of Kislev, 5770

Once again it is Ruby Tuesday time!

The above photos were taken on my journey back to California, as we entered Arizona…taken through the car window. I loved the second one for its sentiment, and have never seen a sign like that on the interstate/freeway.

To see more photos with red in them, visit Ruby Tuesday.

I’ve been reading (in between errands and unpacking and organizing) like mad trying to catch up on my favorite form of relaxation.

Have a nice day, everyone.

The above photo was taken on my drive to California, through the car window…when I was not driving. Most of my photos on this journey were taken through the window of the car. When I saw “Los Angeles” on the sign, it was quite thrilling.

I have been unpacking and running a lot of errands. It feels so wonderful to be “home” again!

I browsed in some book stores and bought a few new books recently:

Chains Around the Grass by Naomi Ragen (her new release)

Far From Zion, by Charles London

Invisible, by Paul Auster (his new release)

They Dared Return, by Patrick K. O’Donnell

The Coffee Trader, by David Liss

I will be writing some reviews in the next few days, so please stay tuned.

Have a nice rest of your Monday.

Somewhere before Albuquerque, New Mexico, taken through the car window.
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Jew Wishes…Peace to you All.

© Copyright 2007 – All Rights Reserved – No permission is given or allowed to reuse my photography, book reviews, writings, or my poetry in any form/format without my expresss written consent/permission.

Once again it is Skywatch Friday. I have chosen a photo that I took on my trip back to California. It is a stretch of highway near Flagstaff, Arizona. It was a bright sunny day, and the clouds in the sky were magnificent. I have posted this one a few days ago, but want to use it for Sky Watch Friday. I refined it a bit, taking out the date, and resizing it.

The photo above was taken before arriving in Flagstaff.

Visit Sky Watch Friday to see more sky photos.
I am still unpacking, still taking care of business, and extremely content and happy about my move. All is going smoothly.

Shabbat Shalom, everyone!