Archive for July 2017
My brother was born 11 years before me; my sister 8 years before me. I was the baby. (And believe me, I often did let my resentment be known. Who wants to be “the baby?”)
Then they grew up and went off to college — even eventually getting married. And I became the “only.” Not a bad place to be, the youngest and the only. Just ask an Adlerian.
Now I’m the “only” again. My brother, Carl Harvey Gustafson, ended his life journey in 1998. And yesterday, after a long hard struggle between the forces of staying and those of leaving, my sister, Thelma Gustafson Wyland, crossed the border into whatever there is beyond this life. She did fight it. For four weeks she could take no food or water and still persisted. Thanks be to God, her struggle is over.
Please don’t cry for her or for me. We are both in a good place.
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What a joy to check amazon.com and find this thoughtful review of figs & Pomegranates & special cheeses. Many thanks to the author.
Figs & Pomegranates & Special Cheeses
The novel is a rendition of the Job and his biblical trials as told from Dara’s (Mrs. Job’s) viewpoint, namely, that of a woman living in a patriarchal world. Story embarks when and Dara goes down the memory lane, enriched with the hues of love, friendship and faith.
The mystic and extramundane world of nomads created by the author is an interesting backdrop.
Dara grows up with her childhood friend Adah, living like nomads, going through all feelings different and new. Adah is constant in her life.
While Dara’s betrothal and marriage evokes plethora of emotions like, sadness, trust, joy, eagerness and pain, all developing into her love for Job; Dara’s faith for goddess Astarte becomes her Ariadne’s string. She finds her solace in hugging the firm body of Astarte.
The third-fourth of the book focuses on the Dara’s growth into a woman who confesses fully to her personality and owns it all with the faults and strengths; it’s later that it transposes to the terror of trials, anxiety of choices and consequences of decisions.
The author Mona G Affinito writes the story in a unique first person narrative, which binds you from the get go. The writing style is simple, idiomatic yet calls on something deep. Detailed, descriptive yet never monotonous monologue and immortalised biblical characters set in a olde worlde are the tools which have spun this beautiful tapestry.
Reader connects with Dara as she strives for happiness through all her travails and blights. The protagonist is raised with values and some she assimilates from her experience of being a daughter, a wife, a best friend and a mother.
The friendship and faith are her beacon and they leads her back to the light of clarity whenever she finds herself in the darkness of incertitude.
A working principle of a machine makes it easy for us to understand and marvel at it more, this is how the Addendum section at the end of the book felt. It’s just like behind the scenes of a great play, and instead of actors’ work you get a kick at the can to understand the working of Mona’s mind and the extensive research done during the writing of this book.
The first read would feel like the figs & pomegranates & special cheeses love and you would keep coming back for it’s potage love.
This bracing read is largely recommended to one but all.
“Nothing looked or felt quite the same. No one seemed to notice that I was no longer Dara. I was someone else. Yes, I knew this would happen, but now it was real, making me feel like stranger.”
*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for a fair review.
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You’d better believe I check amazon.com every day for any new reviews of “Figs & Pomegranates & Special Cheeses. Today I discovered two that I hadn’t seen before. My daughter tells me she always looks first at the less-than-five-star reviews for a book she’s interested in — claims they give her more information. Maybe these will serve the same purpose.
4.0 out of 5 stars A love story including trials and integrity
ByBecky Zaleson July 16, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition
An interesting story by Mona Gustafson Affinito. Definitely enjoyed reading a story about Job but from the fictional perspective of his wife Dara. After seeing Job’s affliction, Dara may have been confused to see her husband continue to worship God. She tells Job to “curse your god and die” which seems to make her a bad person, for possibly believing they have been abandoned by God. This poignant story helps one to reflect on what it must have been like to be Mrs. Job.
The story presents the challenges and struggles of Dara’s life and the turmoil of having to serve a different God from the one she served in childhood. After years of blessings from her new god it must have been even more difficult to lose all of her children, servants and livestock. The most challenging trial for Dara is seeing her husband sick with boils all over his body. She also had to witness the long debate among Job and his companions. His comforters imply Job is wicked and should admit his wrongdoing and accept his punishment from God. Yet, Job insists on maintaining his integrity.
A great read, for those that enjoy a nice love story and characters that suffer hardships yet persevere, forgive and maintain integrity.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
4.0 out of 5 starsAn interesting take on Job’s story
ByRebekah Gon April 26, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition
Figs & Pomegranates & Special Cheeses tells a story about Job’s wife, following her life as a child through to Job’s death. It was interesting to read this take on Job and his suffering from Dara’s perspective and I found it a worthwhile read. Unfortunately, I found that the story perhaps went too far back (as a child) and took a long time to actually get to Dara and Job’s life together. Mona’s descriptions are vivid and enthralling, but I felt like there was a real shortage of dialogue.
Overall an interesting story and a great effort by Mona.
*I received a copy of this book through the author and Booktasters in exchange for my honest review.
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