Call of the Raven
by
Wilbur Smith and Corban Addison
Genre: Fiction
"And what use is freedom, if it is only the freedom to live
in a slum until you are worked to death? What use is a
wage if it does not buy you enough to eat?" - Call of the Raven
The book opens with Cambridge Union debate between Fairchild and St. John arguing for and against slavery. But what exactly is freedom? This thread runs through the entire book, what exactly is freedom?
Mungo St. John returns from Britain to America only to find his father murdered and the love of his life, Camilla, a slave on his father's estate murdered by the militia of his father's trusted banker, Chester Marion. He has is penniless as his entire fortune has been pledged. While young St. John vows revenge on Chester Marion, he discovers his own family is not entirely innocent and finds himself on a ship to Africa to earn his fortune. He loses his innocence about all that he considers decent and is ready to do anything for revenge but then he discovers that Camilla is alive. He changes again and now all he wants is to rescue his love while destroying his enemy in the process. Will he?
Reading the book was a revelation. I always thought I knew what freedom was and then began to wonder if I really knew while reading this book. It is amazing how we are all slaves and free at the same time when we think about it. Is the world really free from slavery now? Are we truly free or is our freedom just an illusion while we remain slaves in the hands of the system that controls us? Is selling and buying humans really off the table in this century when you compare it to the years of slave trade? Sure, most of us are not bound physically and dragged out to work in return for three meals a day and a roof over our head but has the system truly changes ?
The writing is like picturesque and adventurous like any Wilbur Smith novel with heroes. I would recommend everyone to read this.
To buy the book Click here.
Showing posts with label America. Show all posts
Showing posts with label America. Show all posts
Wednesday, 20 January 2021
Call of the Raven - book review
Saturday, 19 March 2016
Rumi's forty rules of love
Many have heard Elif Shafak speak on TED and become inspired but not many read this book
The Forty Rules of Love
by Elif Shafak
229 Pages, Penguin Group
Genre: Fiction
Ella
Rubinstein, a loving mother of three and wife for forty years files for divorce
suddenly after she reads a manuscript called "Sweet Blasphemy" by
A.A. Zahara sent to the literary agency where she works. Is it possible to fall
in love via email, so much so that you are willing to risk it all? What
triggers Ella who leaves her husband and grown up children and her comfortable
home, family and friends – to leave everything and everyone and move out of her
comfort zone though she still loves them? What are the forty rules of love?
Elif Shafak asks and answers these questions and much more in her beautifully
written novel, "The Forty Rules of Love."
From Baghdad of
the 13th century to Massachusetts of the 21st century, the author flits in and
out narrating a wonderful tale that holds true for today. As readers, we are
made to realize not much has changed in 800 years in the mental makeup of the
people of the world. In fact, we need the forty rules of love now more than
ever as religiosity and spirituality are assumed to be the same when it is not.
Elif Shafak is
a Turkish American author. Her writing style is smart as the story is narrated
with a varying pace – it slows down when you need to reflect and picks up speed
when you wish to learn what happened next! It is almost like the author is
there helping you as you read her book. The multiple points of view of the
characters doesn’t confuse the reader and works to advance the story providing
insights that are unique.
This is an
inspiring book for all people from any part of the world as it breaks down
barriers and brings in better understanding. I cannot think of a better way to
start the New Year except by reading this book.
© 2014 by Deepa
Kandaswamy
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