Eman Yasser Yasser itibaren 9822 Stappitz, Avusturya itibaren 9822 Stappitz, Avusturya

this book is an amazingly heartbreaking account of what happens to an american jewish family when charles lindbergh is elected president instead of fdr having a third term. it is told from the point of view of roth as a child, a particularly insightful and heart-rendering narrator. written as an obvious commentary on the state of our world today, this is a really terrifying book that i highly recommend to anyone who likes to challenge her/himself with difficult thoughts.

Very inspiring, a book about getting back to the root of what it means to be a Christian, i.e. living with "the least of these" and fighting for peace and justice. However, the book is marred by its youth-pastor-esque voice of excitement and by Zondervan's over-marketing (just look at the fake duct tape on the cover). Also, as a former resident in an intentional Christian community in a poor neighborhood, his stories of his own life are rosy and idealistic. Claiborne never mentions the difficulty in overcoming racial boundaries (they seem to just disappear when one tries) or getting involved in neighbors' family disputes. Still, I recommend this book to anyone interested in an authentic picture of Christianity outside of the fundamentalist caricatures found in pulpits nationwide, and even the Oval Office.

Not bad for a first mystery and an interesting setting. I found the limited characterization to be a problem however. There were only a few characters whose names I recognized (4-5?) by the end of the book. That is not a great record for how memorable they were! But I didn't solve it before the reveal. Points for that.