The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Find a quote from page 56.
Check out the links for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Participants don't select their favorite, coolest, or most intellectual books, they just use the one they are currently reading. This is the book I'm reading right now:
Book Title: Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, and Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo
Book Beginnings:
Prologue- Midnight was closing in, the one-legged woman was grievously burned, and the Mumbai police were coming for Abdul and his father.Friday 56:
The most advanced student in Annawadi, a twenty-one-year-old named Prakash, lived four doors down from the temple. He sat at home with an economics book on his lap and his head in his hands. Two teardrops rolled between his fingers. His all-important exams before college graduation, sabotaged by a spinning eunuch.
Comments: The author, Katherine Boo, was interested in the question of poverty and why the poorest people of the world are often right next to the richest. From 2008 to 2011 she visited the Annawadi slum on Mumbai, India. She recorded the stories of the residents there. What she found is horrifying and distressing. This award-winning book is all the pieces of her findings put together in one coherent story. It has been a tough read, I won't lie, but I am nearly done and can see a little light in the distance. Perhaps there is room for hope even the direst of situations.
Probably not something I would have noticed but I like to try something new now and then. That simple excerpt makes me feel for him.
ReplyDeleteHere's my 56 - http://fuonlyknew.com/2015/10/30/the-friday-56-84-soul-screamers/
Sounds fascinating to me. Happy weekend!
ReplyDeleteI was relieved to finally be finished with it and I saw no light in it, to be honest.
ReplyDeleteWhen I made the comment about hope and light I was 24 pages from the end and I thought it seemed like things were just on the point of changing for the families...nope. What I do wonder is if things have changed at all since this book was published. It is such an indictment on the corruption in India. If I was an agency like World Vision I would say "No" if asked to come in and help take care of the poor in the country. I would spend my money in countries where the relief actually gets to the people who need it, not lining the pockets of the middle-man.
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