Simbi, China & A Little Princess: #BooksoftheWeek August 26, 2013
Looking for a good book to read? Every week, ZODML spotlights three great books from our extensive collection to inspire readers to try out books they might not have previously heard of. The selections fall under three major categories – fiction, non-fiction and children and young adult literature – so there’s a book to suit every taste. All of the books selected are available to borrow at our Community Library. Also check out our archives to see which books have been selected in the past.
Fiction: Simbi & the Satyr of the Dark Jungle by Amos Tutuola The heroine of Simbi & the Satyr of the Dark Jungle is the only daughter of a wealthy woman, the most beautiful girl in her village and a wonderful singer. Disenchanted with her privileged existence and her mother's wealth, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery, determined to know and experience Poverty and Punishment. She got just what she asked for - and more - as the story tells, in bewildering detail and with terrifying imagination and comic invention, how she got it and how in the end she escaped from it. Non-Fiction: Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang This is a family history that spans a century, recounting the lives of three female generations in China. First published in 1991, Wild Swans contains the biographies of Chang's grandmother and her mother, then finally her own autobiography in twentieth-century China. It is an engrossing record of Mao's impact on China, an unusual window on the female experience in the modern world, and an inspiring tale of courage and love. Children & Young Adults: A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett Engrossing tale of young Sara Crewe, whose pleasant days at an English boarding school end abruptly when her father dies, leaving her penniless and at the mercy of a vindictive headmistress. A delightful fairy-tale ending makes this riches-to-rags-to-riches tale one that will captivate romantics of all ages. Share the books you’re reading with us in the comments or by tweeting @ZODML!
