Author- Walter Dean Myers
Chapters 6-end
Summary
The book begins with the team having a very hard practice session in which everyone is exhausted by the time its over. Lonnie decides that he might talk to Cal about the whole Paul situation. However while talking to Cal he is interrupted by kids wanting his autograph. When he asks why the want his autograph the tell him that one day he will be famous. This changes the subject between Cal and Lonnie. Lonnie asks Cal why he never had a child. Cal tells him he has one. At first Lonnie thinks its a girl that Cal does not want Lonnie to take advantage of. It turns out to be a boy who apparently has died. Lonnie feels bad for Cal and they go out to have a soda and talk more. Cal talks about how he was charged with shaving points, got finned and was left with nothing. His ex-wife Aggie had to work a long amount of hours. Cal could not find a job because he needed to take care of there son Jeffery. Eventually Cal found someone to take care of Jeffery for one dollar. Cal did not tell Aggie about this. Cal went to his new job. When he came home however there were firetrucks all over his house. Jeffery and the sitter were killed in the fire. After the funeral Cal told Aggie it was all his fault. Aggie just left.
Lonnie arrives back at the hotel which he works at. Mary-Ann is waiting there for him. Lonnie asks her if Tyrone said anything about the robbery. She says that Tyrone was mad but not furious. Also she said that his bodyguard said he thinks he knows who did it. Mary-Ann also said she was considering quitting the job but does not want to because then Tyrone might think it was here. Lonnie leaves slightly confused.
The section starts out when Cal and Lonnie go see Mr. O'Donnell who is the head of the basketball competition. O'Donnell is concerned, he believes that the tournament is more of a coaches fight. He thinks that its a coaches tournament and that the kids are fighting over it. Cal disagrees with him ans asks what does this have to do with his team. O'Donnell explains that there team has been called the best team and he does not want someone with a troubled past to coach the team. Cal asks him where he got this information and O'Donnell says Rashid called him. Cal asks who Rashid was but O'Donnell says he will need to find out himself. Cal argues and O'Donnell explains that he is not forced to withdraw but things could happen. Lonnie and Cal leave angry and irritated. Lonnie calls up all his teammates and tells them they are having a meeting at the center. When they enter the center everyone is shocked. Everything is smashed everywhere, everything is broken. Ox also finds his pet parakeet dead. Lonnie realizes someone must have done this to really hurt their team. He thinks this because absolutely everything was trashed. Lonnie tried to explain what happened with Cal but everyone was too depressed to talk.
The team plays five games in three days. They win all of them and start playing better and better. Mary-Ann also begins coming to the games. Lonnie feels happier when she is around him. Lonnie tells Mary-Ann of how he went to see the tournament directors and how they did not want anyone to coach a team with troubled past. Lonnie tells Mary-Ann that Cal shaved points. Lonnie also says something about Rashid. Mary-Ann reconizes that name as a man named Juno. Lonnie attempts to call Cal but he is not answering.
The next day at practice Lonnie tells Cal about Juno. Cal asks him to give him all the details after practice. When it is over Cal makes an announcement that the first game of the tournament will be tomorrow. He also tells them it will be a round robin tournament so that it is okay if they lose a game. Cal also tells them to be on their best because scouts will be there. While Cal and Lonnie are talking Lonnie tells him the whole story of how Paul was selling checks to Ugly and how Tyrone the club boss was getting into trouble with Paul. He also tells Cal that he found out Juno works for Tyrone. He also explains how he and Mary-Ann went into Tyrone office and took the checks. Cal mentions that someone named Tyrone called him earlier and said he wanted to help the team financially. Cal leaves sayings he is going to find out what these people were hiding.
On the day of the game the team wins by one point. Some players including Lonnie notice that Cal is standing by a curb. They ask him what he is waiting for he responds that its just his ride. Lonnie walks a little and a car comes by to pick up Cal. Two men come out and it seems they are arguing. They put their hands on call and put him in the back seat of the car. Lonnie can not tell if they are using force but Cal gives a hand as if everything is alright. Lonnie is unsure. The team starts to worry when Cal doesn't show up for practices or a game. The game in which Cal does not show up the team loses. Lonnie calls everywhere looking for Cal including Aggie Cal's ex. However there is no luck in finding him. Lonnie decides to head over to Aggie's house. Aggie tells him that Cal has been in trouble a lot in the past. He tells Lonnie of a man named Jack that lived in Chicago. She told him that Jack asked Cal to shave points for money. Aggie says that Jack is somewhere in New York which makes Lonnie very curious. Lonnie has suspicious that Jack could be Tyrone. The next game Cal does not show again. The team decides who should be coach. They agree that Lonnie should coach the team. Halfway through the game Sweet Man Johnson appears. He helps out the team almost acting like a new coach. The team eventually loses after Lonnie is thrown out of the game by two questionable fouls. After the game Lonnie calls looking for Cal again. He calls Aggie and Aggie tells him that Cal is in jail. Aggie tells him that Cal got into a fight and the bail will cost three hundred dollars. Lonnie is determined to save up enough money to get Cal out of jail. Mary-Ann shows up and tells Lonnie that he heard about what happened to Cal. She then says that she will give Lonnie money if he wants. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out three hundred dollars. Lonnie asks her where she got this money. She says she wanted to help out Cal so badly she went into Tyrone's office. Lonnie thanks Mary-Ann and goes with Aggie to bail out Cal. When the first see Cal he looks like a zombie. He does not react to any talking. After coming out from jail Cal is a different person. He has a lot of anger in him. Aggie calls Cal's father in attempt to help Cal. Lonnie realizes that Cal was unnoticed as a child. His father did not take care of him as much as he should have. After Cal's father leaves Cal starts acting slightly crazy. He explains how he does not care about anything anymore. Lonnie tells him he is not coaching anymore. He does not want Cal messing up his team.
The next two games Lonnie and his team play without a coach. They won the first game however they lost the second. The next day Lonnie is cleaning up the center when one of the teammates Jo-Jo tells him someone wants to see Cal by ten o'clock Thursday or else. Both the boys are confused on what the or else could mean but they both know it will be something bad. At first they have a hard time finding Cal but eventually with the help of Aggie they locate him half asleep and drunk. They get him some coffee and tell him about the man that called. While talking they realize that the man was O'Donnell. At first Cal does not want to talk, however after some convincing from Aggie he decides he will go.
The next morning Cal and Lonnie head over to O'Donnell's office. Cal goes into O'Donnell's office while Lonnie waits. After what seems like a long time Cal comes out of the office looking angry and depressed. Lonnie asks hims if he can not coach but Cal responds saying he can coach but Lonnie can not play. When Lonnie asks why Cal says there no time. He asks Lonnie to meet him at the center with the team and be ready to play at five. Cal says he has some phone calls to make. Apparently word got out that they were playing and a television station decided they wanted some footage. Therefore the game would be broadcasting on TV. The team gets to the center and Cal explains that there were supposed to be two more games to decide the two best teams to play the championship. However a network station dropped a movie they were showing and decided they wanted the championship game broadcasting on TV right now. So they picked the two best teams you guys and Manhattan. Cal explains that Lonnie could not play because he was thrown out of too many games. Lonnie becomes very depressed about what he did. Cal then gets on the phone and Lonnie is curious about who he is calling. Apparently Cal is making bets that his team will lose and is saying that Lonnie has a bad ankle and can not play. Lonnie can not believe this and becomes furious at Cal. He starts yelling at him and wishes he never met him. Paul then comes in with Mary-Ann who is seriously hurt. She said that Tyrone found out about her stealing the money. At this point Cal changes instantly he quickly says they need to get to a hospital. Cal carries Mary-Ann to a cab. Paul and Mary-Ann go to the hospital. Cal then tells Lonnie that it is all part of a plan he wants Lonnie to follow. Cal tells Lonnie to go to the gym. This leaves Lonnie angry. Lonnie calls the hospital and the doctor says Mary-Ann will be okay. Cal tells Lonnie to act like he has a bad ankle. Lonnie becomes more furious. Cal tells the team their starters and many are confused about why Lonnie is not playing. Cal just says this is the plan. Cal also tells them to foul as much as they can.
Lonnie looks over in the stands where he sees Tyrone and Juno. Cal tells him to watch them if they make any strange moves. Lonnie notices someone with Tyrone was standing up. Cal explains that the score is close enough and he will make the bet. After more of the game is played they are losing by thriteen points. Tyrone gives Cal a little signal and Cal gets a smile on his face. Cal then says he wants Lonnie to play the best game of his life. He expalins that he is trying to expose Tyrone. Lonnie understands now. As Lonnie goes into the game O'Donnell who is also in the stands gets a curious look on his face. Lonnie plays an increadble game and at the last second is just able to win. Everyone is happy including Lonnie and Cal. However Lonnie tells his teammates to get the police when he sees Tyrone and Juno following Cal into the locker room. At the locker Lonnie finds Cal being held by Juno while Tyrone is punching him. Lonnie punches Juno while he is unaware and he lets go of Cal. Cal punches Juno knocking him out but he lands on Lonnie. Juno is heavy so Lonnie has a hard time getting him off him. While he is getting up Cal is being slammed into the lockers by Tyrone. Juno gets up again and distracts Lonnie. Lonnie knocks him down again but sees Cal get stabbed by Tyrone. Tyrone and Juno run out of the locker room. When the run out Lonnie hears screams and a gunshot. Lonnie is able to speak to Cal one last time. Cal then falls to the floor dead. The police come and they have caught Tyrone and Juno. O'Donnell hands Lonnie a trophy and a congrats. Lonnie does not care anymore about the tournament however. A few days later Cal is buried and Lonnie feels bad he is leaving his best friend. Lonnie and Mary-Ann go out to Coney Island together. They talk about scholarships and how Lonnie was named MVP of the tournament. The book ends with Lonnie teaching Mary-Ann how to play basketball.
Who would like this section
I think that anyone that enjoys realistic fiction would enjoy this section and book. I also think that anyone who is interested in sports as well as scandal involving sports would be interested in this book as well. People that enjoy a little violence as well as bad language would enjoy this book. Finally anyone that likes surprise endings that can end a little sad but still happy would enjoy this.
Why would the like this
Overall the book is a great realistic fiction novel that ties a lot of problems in the world today. There is a lot of basketball in this book. Basketball also revolves around the plot of the book therefore anyone interested in sports would enjoy this book. There is scandal involving basketball that people would like. This happens quite a bit in the modern world so people can relate to this book. There is violence for example when Cal gets beat in the book. However some people enjoy this. Finally the ending is very surprising however its sad but happy at the same time. Some people enjoy these kind of endings.
Did I like this section
Overall I really enjoyed this section and book. I really like realistic fiction because it is easy to relate to the book. I also enjoyed the basketball sections of the book as well as the scandal involved with it. This book relates to a lot of problems in the real world including which made it enjoyable to read. I actually like the violence in the book because it made the book more exciting to read. I was confused at the ending at first but I like how they made Cal seem like a bad person when in fact he was trying to expose the bad person. However the ending shocked me when Cal dies. I did not expect that to happen. However the book ends in a happy mood. Overall I really enjoyed this section and book.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Hoops Part 1
Author- Walter Dean Myers
Chapters 1-5
Summary
The book starts of with a character named Lonnie Jackson. He lives with his mother, his father left them when Lonnie was young. Lonnie has an okay relationship with him mother. They get into fights often however. Lonnie works at a small hotel known as the Grant. He usually sleeps here. The next day Lonnie goes over to one of his friends house Paul. Paul has a sister Mary-Ann who Lonnie likes. Mary-Ann works at a club. Paul is not home however Lonnie has a discussion with Mary-Ann about how Paul has been acting kind of weird. Eventually Lonnie finds out about a basketball tournament that is happening. He learns that there are college scouts there looking for people to draft. Lonnie finds this as a perfect opportunity to play pro ball. He gets his team together at a gym and they wait for their new coach. There new coach arrives and it turns out to be a much older man named Cal. Lonnie reconizes Cal, he found him drunk on a basketball court when he was playing one day. Lonnie tells the team he does not want to play for a drinker. Cal says that if Lonnie can beat him one on one he will not coach. If he wins he will coach. At first Lonnie thinks this is a joke because he is the best player on the team. The play and it ends in Cal winning after Lonnie does not try that hard.
After this happens Lonnie constantly refuses to play or show up to practices. However Cal tells him that he must play. Cal decides to tell Lonnie that a famous basketball player will show up. The practice starts and Cal teaches everyone somewhat basic moves. Lonnie decides that he was not going to practice by not bringing any sneakers to play in. Instead he just watches. Everyone is waiting for someone to arrive but it looks as though Cal lied to them. Cal tells everyone to gather around. He tells everyone they must bring in fourteen dollars for uniforms. As he is telling them this a man comes in. Ox one of Lonnie's team members instantly reconizes the man as Sweet Man Johnson, a famous pro player. Lonnie feels embarrassed and stupid that he did not wear sneakers or listen to Cal.
After the practice ends Sweet Man Johnson asks everyone if they want to go out to eat. Everyone agrees including Lonnie. Johnson, Lonnie and Cal have a discussion about they way Lonnie plays and bad things that could happen to him if he makes a wrong decision. The next week and a half the team practiced hard. Cal said that he believed they were ready for their first game. Cal also mentioned that the uniforms would come in time for their first game. The day of the game it turns out that Cal does not show up for the beginning of the game. The team does not play well and loses. The team wonders where Cal was.
While at a hangout place known as the center Lonnie gets a call from Mary-Ann. She is worried because her boss has been giving and getting letters from Paul her brother. She is concerned because Paul does not work there and she thinks they could be doing something illegal. She has aksed her boss about it but he just gets mad. The same thing with Paul. Lonnie tells her not not worry about it too much and that it is not that big of a deal. She gets mad and hangs up.
Eventually Cal arrives at the center with uniforms and Lonnie is furious. He attempts to attack Cal but his team holds him back. He even takes out a gun but after wrestling around with it with his other teammates he shoots himself in the hand. Cal takes care of it but Lonnie is still furious. Cal tells him nothing about where he was and just tells him to get his team together and meet at the Lincoln Center. Cal then leaves.
For the first time the team practices at a very nice school. Everyone is surprised at how Cal got the place. Cal decides everyone worked hard that day at practice so he cancels it the next day. However he goes over to have a talk to Lonnie and says that he still has practice. The two play a game, this time Lonnie gives it is all. Lonnie is impressed by the way Cal plays. He ends up losing to him again. Cal says that Lonnie has a lot of game but he needs to work on it.
Lonnie catches up with Paul again. Paul has some new friends from out of town named Lenny and Leora. Paul tells him that Lenny is going to play for the team. Lonnie thinks that Lenny is too soft to play basketball. It seems that Paul and Lonnie's friendship is drifting away.
The team then plays another game against an okay team. The team does terriable the first half. Lonnie gets angry and Cal says he is leaving. However after a pep talk the team does great the next half and Lonnie can see Cal in the bleachers. The team still losses though.
Lonnie apologizes about what he says to Cal. Cal tells him that the wants to show Lonnie something. When they get to Cal's place Cal takes out a scrapbook. Inside the scrapbook are tons of photos of Cal playing basketball. Lonnie is surprised at the fact that Cal played professional basketball. However when Lonnie gets to the end of the scrapbook there are news articles of how Cal was shaving points or blowing games to make money off gamblers. Cal tells Lonnie that he wasn't thinking right. He doesn't want Lonnie to make the same mistake because he knows it will cost him his career. Cal also asks Lonnie to see his ex-wife.
Lonnie meets Cal's ex-wife. He has dinner as well as a good discussion with the two. However he feels kind of left out because Cal and his ex-wife are having a very enjoyable conversation.
After they leave the house Lonnie can see that Cal is very lonely without his wife. Lonnie feels bad.
Days pass and Lonnie one day gets a call from Mary-Ann. Mary-Ann says she saw her boss get into a fight with someone on the phone. After a while he asked her to get Paul. She is curious about what they are doing. Lonnie tells her that they will steal the letter and find out what is in it. Lonnie and Mary-Ann go into the club and into the boss's room. The find a locked drawer which Mary-Ann is able to pick. They find all the letters with Pauls name and take them. They also take more things so it seems like a robbery. They leave successfully. They decide to open up the letters and it turns out to be checks. However the checks are not made out to Paul or her boss. Instead it is made out to Marry-Ann's neighbor. Lonnie take all the checks and money and through it in the garbage. Lonnie says he will find out more later.
Lonnie wakes up late forgetting he needs to see his mother. When he gets to his moms house she is angry saying that she will not be living forever. She also says that she had to pay a young boy to help with her groceries because Lonnie was not around. They have a small conversation. Lonnie then needs to go and says goodbye. Lonnie decides that it is time to start finding out what Paul was doing. He decides to go to Highbridge which is the place where the checks were cashed. He finds a man nicknamed Ugly. Lonnie has known Ugly for a long time. He ran a black market selling illegal things such as marijuana. Lonnie tells Ugly about what has happend. Ugly confesses that Paul has been selling him the checks for fifteen dollars apiece. Lonnie thanks him for the information but Ugly asks him to say we never had any conversation. Lonnie then heads over to the center. At the center Lonnie finds Paul. He tells him that he wants a private talk in a different room. Lonnie asks Paul what is up. He says that ever since Paul started hanging out with Lenny and his other friends he has been different. Lonnie also asks him about the checks and his relations to Marry-Ann's boss who is known as Tyrone. Paul starts to get mad and tells Lonnie to stay out of his business. Paul then hits Lonnie with a lamp and the two fight. Lonnie tries not to hurt Paul to much because he knows they are still friends. Lonnie is then knocked out. When he wakes up he sees Paul sitting in the corner crying. He gets the two of them sodas and he talks to Paul. Paul apologizes for what he has done and tells Lonnie everything that has happened. He explains how after hanging out with is new friends he wanted to be like them in terms of money. They were wealthy and he was poor. Ugly told him that he would give him money if he could get stolen checks. He found out that if you hit locked mailboxes hard enough they would open. Eventually he tells Lonnie that Tyrone found out and he said he knew someone from the postal service that would get Paul arrested. Paul said he gave Tyrone the mail and Tyrone burned it. Lonnie thanks Tyrone for his story and leaves. Lonnie is very suspicious because he saw the checks unburned. Later Lonnie forgets he was suppose to meet up with Mary-Ann. He figures he will call her in the morning.
Who would like this book
I think that anyone that likes realistic fiction in somewhat modern times would enjoy this book. I also think that anyone that likes competiton or sports would enjoy reading this as well. Anyone that likes a bit of violence and bad language would like this book as well. Finally anyone that has lived in a troubled city and dangerous people could relate to this book and might enjoy reading it.
Why would the like this
This was a great book for anyone that likes realistic fiction. This book makes you want to keep reading more to find out what happens. This book's plot has a lot to do with competition and scandal in sports. The book also has a lot of basketball game sections that people who like basketball would enjoy. There is some violence in this book and some language however some people like that in the story and it will make them want to read more. Finally this book takes place in a dangerous neighborhood which will help relate to some people.
Did I enjoy this section
Overall I really enjoyed this section of the book. First of all it was realistic fiction which is my favorite genre of book. This book had me interested almost the entire time. The book is also slightly difficult to understand because there is some slang terms that people mostly in the city use. I was still able to understand the book though. I also like the plot of the story and it makes me want to keep reading the book. The violence in the book made it more interesting and the language did not really bother me. I also like the scandal they add in this book. It relates to real sports problems. Overall I really liked this section of the book.
Chapters 1-5
Summary
The book starts of with a character named Lonnie Jackson. He lives with his mother, his father left them when Lonnie was young. Lonnie has an okay relationship with him mother. They get into fights often however. Lonnie works at a small hotel known as the Grant. He usually sleeps here. The next day Lonnie goes over to one of his friends house Paul. Paul has a sister Mary-Ann who Lonnie likes. Mary-Ann works at a club. Paul is not home however Lonnie has a discussion with Mary-Ann about how Paul has been acting kind of weird. Eventually Lonnie finds out about a basketball tournament that is happening. He learns that there are college scouts there looking for people to draft. Lonnie finds this as a perfect opportunity to play pro ball. He gets his team together at a gym and they wait for their new coach. There new coach arrives and it turns out to be a much older man named Cal. Lonnie reconizes Cal, he found him drunk on a basketball court when he was playing one day. Lonnie tells the team he does not want to play for a drinker. Cal says that if Lonnie can beat him one on one he will not coach. If he wins he will coach. At first Lonnie thinks this is a joke because he is the best player on the team. The play and it ends in Cal winning after Lonnie does not try that hard.
After this happens Lonnie constantly refuses to play or show up to practices. However Cal tells him that he must play. Cal decides to tell Lonnie that a famous basketball player will show up. The practice starts and Cal teaches everyone somewhat basic moves. Lonnie decides that he was not going to practice by not bringing any sneakers to play in. Instead he just watches. Everyone is waiting for someone to arrive but it looks as though Cal lied to them. Cal tells everyone to gather around. He tells everyone they must bring in fourteen dollars for uniforms. As he is telling them this a man comes in. Ox one of Lonnie's team members instantly reconizes the man as Sweet Man Johnson, a famous pro player. Lonnie feels embarrassed and stupid that he did not wear sneakers or listen to Cal.
After the practice ends Sweet Man Johnson asks everyone if they want to go out to eat. Everyone agrees including Lonnie. Johnson, Lonnie and Cal have a discussion about they way Lonnie plays and bad things that could happen to him if he makes a wrong decision. The next week and a half the team practiced hard. Cal said that he believed they were ready for their first game. Cal also mentioned that the uniforms would come in time for their first game. The day of the game it turns out that Cal does not show up for the beginning of the game. The team does not play well and loses. The team wonders where Cal was.
While at a hangout place known as the center Lonnie gets a call from Mary-Ann. She is worried because her boss has been giving and getting letters from Paul her brother. She is concerned because Paul does not work there and she thinks they could be doing something illegal. She has aksed her boss about it but he just gets mad. The same thing with Paul. Lonnie tells her not not worry about it too much and that it is not that big of a deal. She gets mad and hangs up.
Eventually Cal arrives at the center with uniforms and Lonnie is furious. He attempts to attack Cal but his team holds him back. He even takes out a gun but after wrestling around with it with his other teammates he shoots himself in the hand. Cal takes care of it but Lonnie is still furious. Cal tells him nothing about where he was and just tells him to get his team together and meet at the Lincoln Center. Cal then leaves.
For the first time the team practices at a very nice school. Everyone is surprised at how Cal got the place. Cal decides everyone worked hard that day at practice so he cancels it the next day. However he goes over to have a talk to Lonnie and says that he still has practice. The two play a game, this time Lonnie gives it is all. Lonnie is impressed by the way Cal plays. He ends up losing to him again. Cal says that Lonnie has a lot of game but he needs to work on it.
Lonnie catches up with Paul again. Paul has some new friends from out of town named Lenny and Leora. Paul tells him that Lenny is going to play for the team. Lonnie thinks that Lenny is too soft to play basketball. It seems that Paul and Lonnie's friendship is drifting away.
The team then plays another game against an okay team. The team does terriable the first half. Lonnie gets angry and Cal says he is leaving. However after a pep talk the team does great the next half and Lonnie can see Cal in the bleachers. The team still losses though.
Lonnie apologizes about what he says to Cal. Cal tells him that the wants to show Lonnie something. When they get to Cal's place Cal takes out a scrapbook. Inside the scrapbook are tons of photos of Cal playing basketball. Lonnie is surprised at the fact that Cal played professional basketball. However when Lonnie gets to the end of the scrapbook there are news articles of how Cal was shaving points or blowing games to make money off gamblers. Cal tells Lonnie that he wasn't thinking right. He doesn't want Lonnie to make the same mistake because he knows it will cost him his career. Cal also asks Lonnie to see his ex-wife.
Lonnie meets Cal's ex-wife. He has dinner as well as a good discussion with the two. However he feels kind of left out because Cal and his ex-wife are having a very enjoyable conversation.
After they leave the house Lonnie can see that Cal is very lonely without his wife. Lonnie feels bad.
Days pass and Lonnie one day gets a call from Mary-Ann. Mary-Ann says she saw her boss get into a fight with someone on the phone. After a while he asked her to get Paul. She is curious about what they are doing. Lonnie tells her that they will steal the letter and find out what is in it. Lonnie and Mary-Ann go into the club and into the boss's room. The find a locked drawer which Mary-Ann is able to pick. They find all the letters with Pauls name and take them. They also take more things so it seems like a robbery. They leave successfully. They decide to open up the letters and it turns out to be checks. However the checks are not made out to Paul or her boss. Instead it is made out to Marry-Ann's neighbor. Lonnie take all the checks and money and through it in the garbage. Lonnie says he will find out more later.
Lonnie wakes up late forgetting he needs to see his mother. When he gets to his moms house she is angry saying that she will not be living forever. She also says that she had to pay a young boy to help with her groceries because Lonnie was not around. They have a small conversation. Lonnie then needs to go and says goodbye. Lonnie decides that it is time to start finding out what Paul was doing. He decides to go to Highbridge which is the place where the checks were cashed. He finds a man nicknamed Ugly. Lonnie has known Ugly for a long time. He ran a black market selling illegal things such as marijuana. Lonnie tells Ugly about what has happend. Ugly confesses that Paul has been selling him the checks for fifteen dollars apiece. Lonnie thanks him for the information but Ugly asks him to say we never had any conversation. Lonnie then heads over to the center. At the center Lonnie finds Paul. He tells him that he wants a private talk in a different room. Lonnie asks Paul what is up. He says that ever since Paul started hanging out with Lenny and his other friends he has been different. Lonnie also asks him about the checks and his relations to Marry-Ann's boss who is known as Tyrone. Paul starts to get mad and tells Lonnie to stay out of his business. Paul then hits Lonnie with a lamp and the two fight. Lonnie tries not to hurt Paul to much because he knows they are still friends. Lonnie is then knocked out. When he wakes up he sees Paul sitting in the corner crying. He gets the two of them sodas and he talks to Paul. Paul apologizes for what he has done and tells Lonnie everything that has happened. He explains how after hanging out with is new friends he wanted to be like them in terms of money. They were wealthy and he was poor. Ugly told him that he would give him money if he could get stolen checks. He found out that if you hit locked mailboxes hard enough they would open. Eventually he tells Lonnie that Tyrone found out and he said he knew someone from the postal service that would get Paul arrested. Paul said he gave Tyrone the mail and Tyrone burned it. Lonnie thanks Tyrone for his story and leaves. Lonnie is very suspicious because he saw the checks unburned. Later Lonnie forgets he was suppose to meet up with Mary-Ann. He figures he will call her in the morning.
Who would like this book
I think that anyone that likes realistic fiction in somewhat modern times would enjoy this book. I also think that anyone that likes competiton or sports would enjoy reading this as well. Anyone that likes a bit of violence and bad language would like this book as well. Finally anyone that has lived in a troubled city and dangerous people could relate to this book and might enjoy reading it.
Why would the like this
This was a great book for anyone that likes realistic fiction. This book makes you want to keep reading more to find out what happens. This book's plot has a lot to do with competition and scandal in sports. The book also has a lot of basketball game sections that people who like basketball would enjoy. There is some violence in this book and some language however some people like that in the story and it will make them want to read more. Finally this book takes place in a dangerous neighborhood which will help relate to some people.
Did I enjoy this section
Overall I really enjoyed this section of the book. First of all it was realistic fiction which is my favorite genre of book. This book had me interested almost the entire time. The book is also slightly difficult to understand because there is some slang terms that people mostly in the city use. I was still able to understand the book though. I also like the plot of the story and it makes me want to keep reading the book. The violence in the book made it more interesting and the language did not really bother me. I also like the scandal they add in this book. It relates to real sports problems. Overall I really liked this section of the book.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
A Thousand Splendid Part 3
Author-Khaled Hosseini
Chapter 41-End
Summary
Years pass and Aziza and Zalmai are older. Rasheed focuses most of his attention towards Zalmai buying him new clothes and toys. He pays little to no attention on any of the women. Aziza however is very mature for her age and constantly helps her younger brother. After excessive spending including a tv for Zalmai which is forbidden for citizens to own by Taliban rule the family becomes very poor. Rasheed tells Aziza to go beg. Laila refuses to let her daughter do this and Rasheed becomes more violent. At one point he sticks a gun in her mouth. The chapter ends with Mariam and Laila burying Zalmai's tv.
Years later the family becomes more and more poor. Rasheed's store burns down and is fired from two jobs he had. Mariam believes it is best to make up with her father and ask him for financial support. After many calls trying to find her father she learns he died years ago. The family decides that it is best to leave Kabul and go to Karteh-Seh. They are only able to support one child so they must drop Aziza at an orphanage. The orphanage has very poor living conditions but a nice man named Zaman runs it. Rasheed eventually finds work at a hotel and Laila visits Aziza often.
One day The family comes home and Laila finds Tariq next to the house. Mariam noticed that the doorman at the hotel Rasheed works at is the same person that gave a notice about Tariq's death. She knows Rasheed payed him to say Tariq died. Laila and Tariq connect instantly but keep their relationship a secret. Tariq and Laila tell stories to each other and eventually meet Aziza together. However Zalmai notices this behavior and tells Rasheed. Zalmai also tells him that Laila lets Tariq see her face. Rasheed is furious and beats Mariam and Laila when they return. He attempts to kill Laila but is hit by Mariam. Laila then cuts Rasheeds neck with a broken glass piece and Mariam hits him hard with a shovel knocking him out.
Mariam just realizes what she has done. Rasheed is stone cold and completely knocked out. We find out that Mariam has just killed Rasheed. They decide its best not to let Zalmai see Rasheeds dead body. They hide it behind a working bench. When Zalmai comes they tell him that Rasheed has gone away but will return. They also tell him that they will need to leave. Laila asks Mariam to come with her but Mariam believes it is best that Laila goes with Tariq and the children. She knows that the Taliban will come after the whole family if they find a man dead and no woman. She also can not look at Zalmai without crying after killing his father. Laila and Zalmai leave the house very depressed. Eventually Mariam is captured by the Taliban and put into a woman's prison. She tells her story to others in her cell. They all praise her for what she did and say it was the right thing. Eventually Mariam is put on trial. She claims that Rasheed would have killed her if she did not do anything. The Taliban do not believe her and sentence her to death. Mariam begins to have dreams of people in her past such as Nana and Jalil. Eventually Mariam is executed. Laila and Tariq are married in Murree, an area in Pakistan. Laila eventually tells Aziza that Tariq is her real father. Zalmai continues to have a hard time getting over the fact that Rasheed is not home.
Eventually 9/11 happens and there is war in Afghanistan. Laila feels scared and misses Kabul. She tells Tariq that she wants to go back to Kabul but stop at Herat which was Mariam's home town. He agrees and they leave. Laila is surprised at how Herat looks. She finds Mullah Faizullah's house who was Mariam's teacher and tutor. There they visit his son Hamza. He reveals that Mullah has died and they reveal that Mariam has died. Hamza decides to give them a box that Jalil had give to them. He was supposed to give it to Mariam. In the box is a video of Pinocchio as well as a letter explaining how he regrets sending Mariam away. It also says how he wants Mariam to visit him because he is dying. Also in the box is money which Mariam was suppose in inherit. Laila cries and thanks Hamza. Laila and Tariq return to Kabul and they find the orphanage Aziza stayed at. They decide to help out the place and rebuild. Laila ends up teaching at the orphanage. The book ends with everyone thinking of Mariam. Laila finds out she is pregnant again. They discuss boy names however she knows that if it is a girl she will be named Mariam.
Who should read this section
I think that anyone that likes a good story should read this section. I also think that anyone who likes slightly sad but happy endings should read this as well as people interested in Afghanistan and daily life as well as anyone who read the previous book by this author "The Kite Runner".
Why should they read this
I think that people that like good endings would like this because the ending was kind of sad at first, however you realize the significance of Mariam's death. This makes the ending happier. The book does a great job describing daily life in Afghanistan. It does this every section and chapter of the book. Also this book kind of relates to the kite runner in terms of the ending. One friend dies and the other lives with something to remember the other friend by. In the kite runner it was the friends child. In this book its the name that Mariam gives to her newborn. So I think anyone that enjoyed the Kite runner would like this book.
Did I like this book
Overall I thought this section was great. I really enjoyed the ending. The significance of Mariam's death was to save Laila and her family. I also thought this book had a good theme. The theme was to always hope and believe that your life will be better. I like how the author ended this story with Laila and her family working at the orphanage. I also like how they show the inheritance box. This shows what Jalil thought after Mariam left. Overall I really liked this section and the book.
Chapter 41-End
Summary
Years pass and Aziza and Zalmai are older. Rasheed focuses most of his attention towards Zalmai buying him new clothes and toys. He pays little to no attention on any of the women. Aziza however is very mature for her age and constantly helps her younger brother. After excessive spending including a tv for Zalmai which is forbidden for citizens to own by Taliban rule the family becomes very poor. Rasheed tells Aziza to go beg. Laila refuses to let her daughter do this and Rasheed becomes more violent. At one point he sticks a gun in her mouth. The chapter ends with Mariam and Laila burying Zalmai's tv.
Years later the family becomes more and more poor. Rasheed's store burns down and is fired from two jobs he had. Mariam believes it is best to make up with her father and ask him for financial support. After many calls trying to find her father she learns he died years ago. The family decides that it is best to leave Kabul and go to Karteh-Seh. They are only able to support one child so they must drop Aziza at an orphanage. The orphanage has very poor living conditions but a nice man named Zaman runs it. Rasheed eventually finds work at a hotel and Laila visits Aziza often.
One day The family comes home and Laila finds Tariq next to the house. Mariam noticed that the doorman at the hotel Rasheed works at is the same person that gave a notice about Tariq's death. She knows Rasheed payed him to say Tariq died. Laila and Tariq connect instantly but keep their relationship a secret. Tariq and Laila tell stories to each other and eventually meet Aziza together. However Zalmai notices this behavior and tells Rasheed. Zalmai also tells him that Laila lets Tariq see her face. Rasheed is furious and beats Mariam and Laila when they return. He attempts to kill Laila but is hit by Mariam. Laila then cuts Rasheeds neck with a broken glass piece and Mariam hits him hard with a shovel knocking him out.
Mariam just realizes what she has done. Rasheed is stone cold and completely knocked out. We find out that Mariam has just killed Rasheed. They decide its best not to let Zalmai see Rasheeds dead body. They hide it behind a working bench. When Zalmai comes they tell him that Rasheed has gone away but will return. They also tell him that they will need to leave. Laila asks Mariam to come with her but Mariam believes it is best that Laila goes with Tariq and the children. She knows that the Taliban will come after the whole family if they find a man dead and no woman. She also can not look at Zalmai without crying after killing his father. Laila and Zalmai leave the house very depressed. Eventually Mariam is captured by the Taliban and put into a woman's prison. She tells her story to others in her cell. They all praise her for what she did and say it was the right thing. Eventually Mariam is put on trial. She claims that Rasheed would have killed her if she did not do anything. The Taliban do not believe her and sentence her to death. Mariam begins to have dreams of people in her past such as Nana and Jalil. Eventually Mariam is executed. Laila and Tariq are married in Murree, an area in Pakistan. Laila eventually tells Aziza that Tariq is her real father. Zalmai continues to have a hard time getting over the fact that Rasheed is not home.
Eventually 9/11 happens and there is war in Afghanistan. Laila feels scared and misses Kabul. She tells Tariq that she wants to go back to Kabul but stop at Herat which was Mariam's home town. He agrees and they leave. Laila is surprised at how Herat looks. She finds Mullah Faizullah's house who was Mariam's teacher and tutor. There they visit his son Hamza. He reveals that Mullah has died and they reveal that Mariam has died. Hamza decides to give them a box that Jalil had give to them. He was supposed to give it to Mariam. In the box is a video of Pinocchio as well as a letter explaining how he regrets sending Mariam away. It also says how he wants Mariam to visit him because he is dying. Also in the box is money which Mariam was suppose in inherit. Laila cries and thanks Hamza. Laila and Tariq return to Kabul and they find the orphanage Aziza stayed at. They decide to help out the place and rebuild. Laila ends up teaching at the orphanage. The book ends with everyone thinking of Mariam. Laila finds out she is pregnant again. They discuss boy names however she knows that if it is a girl she will be named Mariam.
Who should read this section
I think that anyone that likes a good story should read this section. I also think that anyone who likes slightly sad but happy endings should read this as well as people interested in Afghanistan and daily life as well as anyone who read the previous book by this author "The Kite Runner".
Why should they read this
I think that people that like good endings would like this because the ending was kind of sad at first, however you realize the significance of Mariam's death. This makes the ending happier. The book does a great job describing daily life in Afghanistan. It does this every section and chapter of the book. Also this book kind of relates to the kite runner in terms of the ending. One friend dies and the other lives with something to remember the other friend by. In the kite runner it was the friends child. In this book its the name that Mariam gives to her newborn. So I think anyone that enjoyed the Kite runner would like this book.
Did I like this book
Overall I thought this section was great. I really enjoyed the ending. The significance of Mariam's death was to save Laila and her family. I also thought this book had a good theme. The theme was to always hope and believe that your life will be better. I like how the author ended this story with Laila and her family working at the orphanage. I also like how they show the inheritance box. This shows what Jalil thought after Mariam left. Overall I really liked this section and the book.
Friday, March 12, 2010
A Thousand Splendid Suns Part 2
Author-Khaled Hosseini
Chapters 16-40
The main character of the book switches to a new person known as Laila. The events in this section of the book takes place around 9 years from where it left of with Mariam. The new main character Laila is around 9 years old and lives in the Kabul, the same city as Mariam. Her brothers Ahmad and Noor have joined with the jihad against the soviet union. Her parents Hakim and Fariba are constantly arguing. This is kind of new becuase her parents used to never argue. Laila also has a best friend and love interest named Tariq who recently left Kabul to visit family.
Laila has a hard time in life. She goes to school however has a very abusive teacher who talks about communism as well as saying males are superior to women. While walking home from school one day a boy named Khadim proposes marriage to her. She refuses and Khadim squirts her with a water gun that was filled with urine.
Events happen which lead up to a stranger coming to the door and stating that Laila's brothers have died. This causes Laila's mother to go into a state of depression in which see needs hospitality. Fariaba beings to have more suicidal thoughts. Laila is scared she could possibly kill herself.
After multiple bombings on the city of Kabul. Laila is almost hit by a bomb. After this incident Laila and her family decides that it is best for them to leave for Pakistan. The family decides to move to Pakistan. Upon exiting their house a bomb hits the family where everyone except Laila dies. However Laila was hit brutally and becomes unconscious. When Laila wakes up she finds herself in Mariam and Rasheed's house. They have taken care of her as well as tell her that her father and mother are dead. After hearing this Laila goes into a state of depression. However this worsens when a visitor comes to tell Laila that Tariq has died. One day Laila and Rasheed are talking while hearing their discussion Mariam believes that Rasheed is trying to set Laila up for marriage. Later in the day Mariam talks to Rahseed of how she does not think it is right for him to marry Laila. Rasheed threatens Mariam saying that he will kick Laila out of his house if he does not get the chance to marry her. Laila however discovers that she is pregnant with Tariq's child. She knows she must marry Rasheed if she wants to provide for the baby. Laila tells Rasheed that she wants to marry as soon as possible this way Rasheed will suspect that the child Laila is pregnant with is his.
Rasheed tells Laila to never leave the house unless he is with her as well as wear a burqa when out in public. Laila begins hearing stories from Mariam of how Rasheed mistreated his own son and begins getting worried that her child might not be safe. She decides to tell Rasheed that she is pregnant. Doing so Rasheed puts Laila on a higher living standard then Mariam.
Months later Laila has a child but Rasheed is very disappointed when it turns out to be a girl. He constantly complains about the maintenance for the child. Laila decides to name the baby Aziza. Laila continues to take care of the baby and becomes very close to her. Rasheed continues to get angry and Laila and the baby.
Sometimes Rasheed overhears Laila talk about Tariq to the baby. Rasheed begins to question Laila about what she did with Tariq. Laila believes it is best to lie and say nothing. Rasheed is still unsure. Aziza is forced to wear boys close because that is all Laila had. Rasheed bought boys clothes while Laila was pregnant. Mariam decides to let Laila have the girls dresses she made while she was pregnant. The girls begin to become more like friends. Eventually Laila believes its best she runs away. She begins to secretly steal money from Rasheed everyday in hopes she will have enough to run away towards the Spring.
It is the day that Laila and Mariam decide to leave. The take a taxi to the bus station. However in order to ride the bus they must find male to pose as their relative. This is due to women being forbidden to ride a bus without a male relative. They find someone to ride with them but the man decides to turn on them and tell the guards. Laila, Mariam and Aziza are taken to the police station and then back to their home. When they return Rasheed beats them and threatens to kill them if they ever do that again.
About two years later the Taliban invade Kabul. Many people are happy about this because most of the fighting has stopped. The Taliban mention to the people that there will be new rules. Some include men will be forced to have beards and wear turbans. Women on the other hand are forced to wear burqa's and unable to leave their house unaccompanied by a male. Rasheed is happy about the new rules of the Taliban. However Mariam and Laila are not.
Rasheed notices that Aziza's eye color does not match his or Laila's. He threatens to send Laila to the Taliban if he is not Aziza's father. Days pass and Laila finds out that she is pregnant again, this time with Rasheed's baby. She is considering aborting the baby but realizes that is murder. Months pass and she is going into labor. The Taliban have seperated hospitals male and female so women hospitals are not as nice. When they are at the hospital Laila is told she will need to have a c-section. The doctor also tells her that they have no anesthesia. Mariam offers to go find some but Laila says she can take it. Mariam is impressed how long Laila is able to go without screaming. Eventually after the operation they find out it is a boy. Rasheed is very happy to here this. They name the baby Zalmai.
Who should read this
I think that anyone that likes a good story should read this section. I also that anyone that can be distracted in a book should read this. Anyone interested in Afghanistan and daily life as well as anyone that likes suspense in books. Also anyone that read the previous book by this author The Kite Runner.
Why should they read this?
Overall it is a very good section of the book. It gives a lot of detail about what Laila and Mariam are going through. This is good for people that get distracted easily because it switches main characters almost like it is starting a different story. This should keep your mind on the book. I also think this section gives a good sense of what daily life is like in Afghanistan. There is also a good amount of suspense in this chapter.
Did I like this
I really enjoyed this section because I like how they through in another main character that is connected to Mariam in some way. I also like how there were many decisions for the main character to make. I enjoyed reading this section because I get a good sense of what life in Afghanistan is like. I also like how they added a new character Zalmai. Overall I thought this was a good section of the book.
Chapters 16-40
The main character of the book switches to a new person known as Laila. The events in this section of the book takes place around 9 years from where it left of with Mariam. The new main character Laila is around 9 years old and lives in the Kabul, the same city as Mariam. Her brothers Ahmad and Noor have joined with the jihad against the soviet union. Her parents Hakim and Fariba are constantly arguing. This is kind of new becuase her parents used to never argue. Laila also has a best friend and love interest named Tariq who recently left Kabul to visit family.
Laila has a hard time in life. She goes to school however has a very abusive teacher who talks about communism as well as saying males are superior to women. While walking home from school one day a boy named Khadim proposes marriage to her. She refuses and Khadim squirts her with a water gun that was filled with urine.
Events happen which lead up to a stranger coming to the door and stating that Laila's brothers have died. This causes Laila's mother to go into a state of depression in which see needs hospitality. Fariaba beings to have more suicidal thoughts. Laila is scared she could possibly kill herself.
After multiple bombings on the city of Kabul. Laila is almost hit by a bomb. After this incident Laila and her family decides that it is best for them to leave for Pakistan. The family decides to move to Pakistan. Upon exiting their house a bomb hits the family where everyone except Laila dies. However Laila was hit brutally and becomes unconscious. When Laila wakes up she finds herself in Mariam and Rasheed's house. They have taken care of her as well as tell her that her father and mother are dead. After hearing this Laila goes into a state of depression. However this worsens when a visitor comes to tell Laila that Tariq has died. One day Laila and Rasheed are talking while hearing their discussion Mariam believes that Rasheed is trying to set Laila up for marriage. Later in the day Mariam talks to Rahseed of how she does not think it is right for him to marry Laila. Rasheed threatens Mariam saying that he will kick Laila out of his house if he does not get the chance to marry her. Laila however discovers that she is pregnant with Tariq's child. She knows she must marry Rasheed if she wants to provide for the baby. Laila tells Rasheed that she wants to marry as soon as possible this way Rasheed will suspect that the child Laila is pregnant with is his.
Rasheed tells Laila to never leave the house unless he is with her as well as wear a burqa when out in public. Laila begins hearing stories from Mariam of how Rasheed mistreated his own son and begins getting worried that her child might not be safe. She decides to tell Rasheed that she is pregnant. Doing so Rasheed puts Laila on a higher living standard then Mariam.
Months later Laila has a child but Rasheed is very disappointed when it turns out to be a girl. He constantly complains about the maintenance for the child. Laila decides to name the baby Aziza. Laila continues to take care of the baby and becomes very close to her. Rasheed continues to get angry and Laila and the baby.
Sometimes Rasheed overhears Laila talk about Tariq to the baby. Rasheed begins to question Laila about what she did with Tariq. Laila believes it is best to lie and say nothing. Rasheed is still unsure. Aziza is forced to wear boys close because that is all Laila had. Rasheed bought boys clothes while Laila was pregnant. Mariam decides to let Laila have the girls dresses she made while she was pregnant. The girls begin to become more like friends. Eventually Laila believes its best she runs away. She begins to secretly steal money from Rasheed everyday in hopes she will have enough to run away towards the Spring.
It is the day that Laila and Mariam decide to leave. The take a taxi to the bus station. However in order to ride the bus they must find male to pose as their relative. This is due to women being forbidden to ride a bus without a male relative. They find someone to ride with them but the man decides to turn on them and tell the guards. Laila, Mariam and Aziza are taken to the police station and then back to their home. When they return Rasheed beats them and threatens to kill them if they ever do that again.
About two years later the Taliban invade Kabul. Many people are happy about this because most of the fighting has stopped. The Taliban mention to the people that there will be new rules. Some include men will be forced to have beards and wear turbans. Women on the other hand are forced to wear burqa's and unable to leave their house unaccompanied by a male. Rasheed is happy about the new rules of the Taliban. However Mariam and Laila are not.
Rasheed notices that Aziza's eye color does not match his or Laila's. He threatens to send Laila to the Taliban if he is not Aziza's father. Days pass and Laila finds out that she is pregnant again, this time with Rasheed's baby. She is considering aborting the baby but realizes that is murder. Months pass and she is going into labor. The Taliban have seperated hospitals male and female so women hospitals are not as nice. When they are at the hospital Laila is told she will need to have a c-section. The doctor also tells her that they have no anesthesia. Mariam offers to go find some but Laila says she can take it. Mariam is impressed how long Laila is able to go without screaming. Eventually after the operation they find out it is a boy. Rasheed is very happy to here this. They name the baby Zalmai.
Who should read this
I think that anyone that likes a good story should read this section. I also that anyone that can be distracted in a book should read this. Anyone interested in Afghanistan and daily life as well as anyone that likes suspense in books. Also anyone that read the previous book by this author The Kite Runner.
Why should they read this?
Overall it is a very good section of the book. It gives a lot of detail about what Laila and Mariam are going through. This is good for people that get distracted easily because it switches main characters almost like it is starting a different story. This should keep your mind on the book. I also think this section gives a good sense of what daily life is like in Afghanistan. There is also a good amount of suspense in this chapter.
Did I like this
I really enjoyed this section because I like how they through in another main character that is connected to Mariam in some way. I also like how there were many decisions for the main character to make. I enjoyed reading this section because I get a good sense of what life in Afghanistan is like. I also like how they added a new character Zalmai. Overall I thought this was a good section of the book.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
A Thousand Splendid Suns part 1
Author-Khaled Hosseini
Chapters 1-15
Chapters 1-15
Summary-
The book begins with a 15 year old girl named Mariam who lives right outside Herat, Afghanistan. She has always been referred to as harami or bastard child. She has been called that name ever since she was 5 and has always hated it. Mariam has always lived with her mother who she calls Nana. Mariam's biological father also known as Jalil runs a movie theater however does not live with Mariam and only sees her about once a week. The reason why she is known as harami or bastard child is because her mother used to be Jalil's servant rather than wife when she was born. At the time Jalil had many wives and to support Nana and Mariam he built them a house. Jalil constantly promises that he will fully claim Mariam as his own child. Nana always told Mariam that Jalil was a lier. Nana has always hated Jalil for refusing to marry her thus causing Nana and Mariam to live on their own. Mariam however always loved her father and did not feel like a "harami" when she was with him. Nana said Jalil kicked her out of his house. However there was a Jalil side of the story as well. Jalil claims that Nana gave birth in a hospital while he was away. We are unsure whos side of the story is true.
One day Mariam is meeting up with Jalil. Mariam asks to go the Jalils cinema to see Pinocchio however Nana says it is not a good idea. Later however when Nana and Mariam is home alone with Jalil is not there she tells Jalil that she wants to see Pinocchio and meet her brothers and sisters. On the day Mariam was supposed to go to the cinema, Jalil never comes to pick her up. She decides to walk to Jalils house. When she is there she is told that Jalil was away on business. She ends up staying the night in outside of Jalils house because she refuses to leave until she sees Jalil. Jalil ends up getting forced into the back of Jalils car by his chauffeur and driven home. As soon as Mariam is home she sees that Nana has hanged herself because she believed that she was abandoned by Mariam.
After Nana is burred Mariam goes into a state of deep depression. She is offered a room in Jalils house. She goes but never leaves that room. Many people try to tell Mariam that her mothers death was not her fault and that she had a troubled childhood. Mariam is still in depression. Jalil tells Mariam that she will be married to a man named Rasheed. Mariam believes that her getting married is the only way to get rid of her. Jalil does not seem to be excited about the idea however his wives agree that she must be married. Mariam is disgusted by this. The next day Mariam gets married to Rasheed and is told that she will move to Kabul. Before boarding the bus to Kabul Mariam tells her father Jalil that their relationship is over and never wants to see him again. Jalil feels guilty about this and tries to get Mariam's attention from outside the bus. Mariam decides to pay no attention and the bus leaves.
When Mariam is at Rasheed's house she is very depressed and homesick. Rasheed is angry at this and tells her she needs to start acting like a wife. Mariam goes out to shop and meets new people. However she eventually gets lost and goes into a deeper state of depression. She eventually finds her way home and Rasheed compliments on her deeds. However Mariam becomes terrified when Rasheed pulls out a burqa for her to wear saying that a womans face is their husbands business only.
For the first time Mariam goes out in public with the burqa on. She finds it very annoying as well a frustrating to wear. Being in a new city Mariam sees different culutre such as people wearing makeup, smoking ect. She feels different which depresses her. Mariam celebrates her first Ramadan with Rasheed. Rasheed is very angry and impatient with the way Mariam serves a cooks food. You also see that Rasheed is becoming overprotective of Mariam not letting her out of her room when Rasheed has visitors. Mariam feels that she no longer has any freedom.
One day Mariam finds out that she is pregnant. Rasheed is very excited and hope for it to be a boy. Mariam prays that the baby will be healthy and perfect. However Mariam ends up having a miscarriage as well as many more. After these miscarriages Rasheed becomes more forceful to Mariam constantly getting angry at her and giving her physical abuse. This shows that Rasheed wants a son badly. Mariam wishes she never left home.
Who should read this.
I think that anyone that is interested in life outside of their own country should read this section and book. I also think that anyone that read one of the authors other books The Kite Runner should read this. Also anyone that can relate to the main character such as someone with family issues or living without their parents. Finally anyone that overall likes a good story with many shocking moments should read this.
Why should the read this.
I think these people would like this book because it really shows you what people in other countries have to live through every day. It also shows you how some people for example Nana lived in a bad childhood full of war and how it can affect you in the future. This also shows how abusive some people are to their wives when they do not get what they want. I think that anyone that relates them self with the story will see how much worse it can be. I also believe this section was good because of all the shocking moments such as when Nana hangs herself or when Mariam is married and abused.
Did I like this?
I thought this was a very shocking section in the book. I overall enjoyed this book because of the suspense of what Mariam would do next and what Nana would do. The part where Nana hanged herself shocked me the most because I never expected that to happen. I thought Nana would be a big part of the plot. I also read The Kite Runner which I really enjoyed. I like the way the author writes. This section also shows you what Mariam must do everyday being married to Rasheed. It makes you feel bad for her and become more thankful for the life I live. Overall I thought this was a good section of the book.
One day Mariam is meeting up with Jalil. Mariam asks to go the Jalils cinema to see Pinocchio however Nana says it is not a good idea. Later however when Nana and Mariam is home alone with Jalil is not there she tells Jalil that she wants to see Pinocchio and meet her brothers and sisters. On the day Mariam was supposed to go to the cinema, Jalil never comes to pick her up. She decides to walk to Jalils house. When she is there she is told that Jalil was away on business. She ends up staying the night in outside of Jalils house because she refuses to leave until she sees Jalil. Jalil ends up getting forced into the back of Jalils car by his chauffeur and driven home. As soon as Mariam is home she sees that Nana has hanged herself because she believed that she was abandoned by Mariam.
After Nana is burred Mariam goes into a state of deep depression. She is offered a room in Jalils house. She goes but never leaves that room. Many people try to tell Mariam that her mothers death was not her fault and that she had a troubled childhood. Mariam is still in depression. Jalil tells Mariam that she will be married to a man named Rasheed. Mariam believes that her getting married is the only way to get rid of her. Jalil does not seem to be excited about the idea however his wives agree that she must be married. Mariam is disgusted by this. The next day Mariam gets married to Rasheed and is told that she will move to Kabul. Before boarding the bus to Kabul Mariam tells her father Jalil that their relationship is over and never wants to see him again. Jalil feels guilty about this and tries to get Mariam's attention from outside the bus. Mariam decides to pay no attention and the bus leaves.
When Mariam is at Rasheed's house she is very depressed and homesick. Rasheed is angry at this and tells her she needs to start acting like a wife. Mariam goes out to shop and meets new people. However she eventually gets lost and goes into a deeper state of depression. She eventually finds her way home and Rasheed compliments on her deeds. However Mariam becomes terrified when Rasheed pulls out a burqa for her to wear saying that a womans face is their husbands business only.
For the first time Mariam goes out in public with the burqa on. She finds it very annoying as well a frustrating to wear. Being in a new city Mariam sees different culutre such as people wearing makeup, smoking ect. She feels different which depresses her. Mariam celebrates her first Ramadan with Rasheed. Rasheed is very angry and impatient with the way Mariam serves a cooks food. You also see that Rasheed is becoming overprotective of Mariam not letting her out of her room when Rasheed has visitors. Mariam feels that she no longer has any freedom.
One day Mariam finds out that she is pregnant. Rasheed is very excited and hope for it to be a boy. Mariam prays that the baby will be healthy and perfect. However Mariam ends up having a miscarriage as well as many more. After these miscarriages Rasheed becomes more forceful to Mariam constantly getting angry at her and giving her physical abuse. This shows that Rasheed wants a son badly. Mariam wishes she never left home.
Who should read this.
I think that anyone that is interested in life outside of their own country should read this section and book. I also think that anyone that read one of the authors other books The Kite Runner should read this. Also anyone that can relate to the main character such as someone with family issues or living without their parents. Finally anyone that overall likes a good story with many shocking moments should read this.
Why should the read this.
I think these people would like this book because it really shows you what people in other countries have to live through every day. It also shows you how some people for example Nana lived in a bad childhood full of war and how it can affect you in the future. This also shows how abusive some people are to their wives when they do not get what they want. I think that anyone that relates them self with the story will see how much worse it can be. I also believe this section was good because of all the shocking moments such as when Nana hangs herself or when Mariam is married and abused.
Did I like this?
I thought this was a very shocking section in the book. I overall enjoyed this book because of the suspense of what Mariam would do next and what Nana would do. The part where Nana hanged herself shocked me the most because I never expected that to happen. I thought Nana would be a big part of the plot. I also read The Kite Runner which I really enjoyed. I like the way the author writes. This section also shows you what Mariam must do everyday being married to Rasheed. It makes you feel bad for her and become more thankful for the life I live. Overall I thought this was a good section of the book.
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