Chris McCandless was a 24-year-old college grad from an affluent family when he cut ties with everyone he knew and spent two years roaming the country. He gave away his trust fund, burned the rest of his cash, and lived as a self-described tramp before trekking into the wilderness of Alaska. About 100 days later, in the fall of 1992, he was found starved to death in an abandoned bus. Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer, is the fascinating story of Chris' fatal quest to find the simple beauty in life. As he did with his nonfiction books Into Thin Air (about climbing and dying on Mount Everest) and Under the Banner of Heaven (about the deadly extremes of Mormon fundamentalism), the author crafts a factual, yet engaging, narrative. His work often reads more like a story than a nonfiction book. For Into the Wild, Krakauer dove into research and tracked down sources across the country to create a multi-layered portrait of his subject. He brought in historical context of other people who have communed with or disappeared in nature while trying to "find themselves." He also described his own experiences as an outdoor adventurer to try to understand why Chris would abandon his family and a potentially secure future. He explored whether Chris was an arrogant idiot who was unprepared for the wilderness, a noble soul looking for a pure life, or a troubled escapee running from a dysfunctional family. When I first finished the book, published in 1996, I wasn't sure which I thought Chris was. Krakauer hinted at some troubles in Chris' childhood, the worst being the two wives and families that his father kept simultaneously, and his parents' obsession with materialism. But I wasn't sure that was reason enough to justify the break that Chris made from his family and friends. I wasn't sure until I read The Wild Truth, the 2014 book written by Chris' sister, which gives more insight into their terrible childhood. Now I have a better understanding of what Chris was trying to leave behind. In The Wild Truth, Carine McCandless describes the physical and emotional abuse that she and her older brother, Chris, endured growing up: the brutal fights, the endless manipulations, parents who seemed to care more about appearances than reality, confusion over their father's two families. In some ways, this memoir of survival and recovery reminded me of A Child Called It or The Glass Castle. It helped Carine deal with a lot of her own issues and also explained in more detail why her brother took off. It was his journey of healing, a way to shake off the scars of his upbringing and find peace and truth. What I found most fascinating about Carine's book, however, was the glimpse that it gave us into how journalists tell stories. Krakauer wrote Into the Wild twenty years earlier with a lot of help from Carine. But though she shared her family's dark secrets with Jon at that time, she asked him not to put them in his book. She said she was trying to protect her parents in the hope of salvaging their relationship. Perhaps it is the former journalist in me, but the whole time I read Carine's book, I wondered how Jon could write nonfiction about Chris but not include it. I understand he was respecting a source's wishes, and that happens a lot. But what a challenge he must have faced, only being able to hint at the troubled family life that likely drove Chris on his journey. Carine said she wrote this book to set the record straight - many people thought Chris an arrogant fool for dying in the wild. This book did that for me, but also left me wanting a memoir from Krakauer about his life as an adventurer and writer.
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High school senior Ashley may be in the minority, but she hates the idea of prom. The thought of spending all that money and getting all decked out is - to her - not only a waste, but ridiculously fake. But to her best friend Nat and a bunch of other girls, the prom is an event they've been dreaming of, the one good thing in a life of crummy minimum wage jobs, dysfunctional families, and uncertain hopes for the future. When a teacher is arrested for stealing all the money raised to pay for the prom just days before the big event, Nat and her planning committee are distraught. That's when Ashley steps up to help. Tough, no-nonsense Ashley throws herself into planning a new, cheaper prom for her class. With honesty, humor and some well-placed pastry bribes, Ashley works to save the dance. In the process, she changes her mind about the prom, her family and her future. Written by Laurie Halse Anderson, Prom is a fun, quick read. It's not as serious as her most well-known book, Speak, about a student who is raped at a high school party. But the characters are likeable, "normal" kids -- ones who may not get straight As or want to go to college, but ones who may have a reserved seat in detention or are saving pennies from working at McDonald's to buy a car. The plot is simple and moves fast, and the ending is a happy one (unusual for books that I read!). I recommend this book for anyone who doesn't like to read. I think it may change your mind. The Kite Runner, written by Khaled Hosseini in 2003, is not a new book, but it's one that I'm embarrassed to say I hadn't gotten around to reading until now. Once I started it, though, I couldn't put it down. The book follows Amir, who grew up the privileged son of a successful businessman in the relatively peaceful time before the monarchy was overthrown in 1973. The ethnic and religious discrimination that tears apart the country today was strong even then, but Amir was spared. The servant boy who worked in his home, Hassan, was not. While Hassan and his father were treated like family in Amir's home, they were mistreated in the wider community. This was a challenge for Amir, who grew up with and played daily with Hassan; their friendship was hindered by society's expectations. When the boys are 12, a tragic incident drives a wedge in their relationship and forces Hassan and his father to leave Amir's home. Amir is wracked with guilt for the rest of his life, through his family's escape when the Soviets invade Afghanistan in 1979 and his adulthood in America. Many years later, a family friend still in Afghanistan contacts Amir, now a married man and published author. That phone call forces Amir to return to modern day, war-torn Afghanistan. He must face the devastation of his childhood homeland and, if he has the courage, right the wrong he committed against Hassan. The glimpse into the culture and history of Aghanistan was eye-opening, revealing the history and consequences of deeply rooted differences that still divide the country. The book widened my understanding of and empathy for the generation that grew up after Amir, the children who never knew life without gunfire, bombs and war. It helped me understand that no matter how long are soldiers are in the country trying to rebuild it and keep peace, the fighting and intolerance have been around longer. Those differences are not easily overcome. But even without that historical element, the story of friendship, betrayal, courage and redemption was riveting. Amir is the main character and tells the story, and while he is not always likeable, he is very realistic. He deals with the petty jealousies of a child, the yearning for his father's approval, and the cowardice of not speaking up for himself and his friend Hassan. He struggles with the transition to America and with coming to terms with his past. The story gets its name, The Kite Runner, from the person who outruns all of his competitors to retrieve the last and most valued kite knocked out of the annual kite fighting competition. With strings coated in glass, the contest is painful but the winners granted highest honors. Hassan was Amir's kite runner, willing to do anything for the person he considered more his friend than master. As a child, Amir could not return that loyalty. While the book is often heartbreaking, it ends on a hopeful note. I recommend this to anyone interested in historical fiction and global issues. I also think anyone who likes a good story about friendship, betrayal and redemption will also enjoy it. It's 371 pages and can be a little slow at the beginning, but it's worth sticking with it. |
AuthorMrs. McHugh is a librarian and instructional technology specialist. She loves talking books and pop culture with her students at Hanover High School. Archives
February 2024
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