For starters, relax, no mention of politics in America in today’s post.
Second, where did October go? Or September, for that matter?
I only read two books in October, but they were both wonderful reads that gave me much to think about. It was great to get back in the groove and read some excellent historical fiction!
The Weight of Snow and Regret, by Elizabeth Gauffreau
Two weeks ago, on October 20th, I blogged about The Weight of Snow and Regret, an historical novel by Elizabeth Gauffreau. If you missed reading that post, please go back and read it now: The Weight of Snow and Regret.
I don’t want you to miss it! Ms. Gauffreau’s novel will take you back to a time in our country when poor houses were available for people who did not have anywhere else to go. The book is populated by distinct characters who will tug at your heart.
After not finding any novels that held my attention for months, October was a much-needed dive back into reading for pleasure for me.
15,000 Kilometers, by Laleh Chini
In addition to reading Elizabeth Gauffreau’s new novel, I read Laleh Chini’s new book, 15,000 Kilometers. In case you are an American and kilometers don’t mean anything to you, 15,000 kilometers is more than 9,300 miles. The book is Laleh Chini’s husband’s memoir.
Hassan was a teenager when he risked his life to escape Iran after the Shah of Iran was overthrown in 1979. Life under the Shah’s rule was not perfect, but things deteriorated rapidly during and after the revolution.
This book will take you along with Hassan every excruciating step of the way as he was determined to get to Canada and have a free life.
Hassan’s decision was gut-wrenching for himself and his parents, but he faced a bleak future if he stayed in his home country. He already had his eye on the lovely Laleh, who was from his hometown. He never gave up on his dream of reaching Canada and reuniting with Laleh.
He joined others who sought to escape Iran, and they bonded as they walked and ran to the border with Afghanistan, then braved the desert with very little food and water, always at the mercy of smugglers they had placed their lives in the hands of.
Then came two more countries! Hassan continued to do everything he needed to do to blend in and not draw attention to himself in one strange land after another.
Did Hassan make it to Canada? How did he and Laleh find one another again after so much terror and sacrifice? I don’t want to give that away. You must read the book to appreciate Hassan’s bravery and sacrifice and to see if he realized his dream.
The exquisite hand-drawn illustrations are a bonus in 15,000 Kilometers. There are wonderful detailed images of Hasson, the guards and other men he encountered, and some of the sights he saw along the way.
The words and the images in 15,000 Kilometers, by Laleh Chini, are a real treasure that reminded me how fortunate I was to be born in the United States. Even with all of America’s flaws and current challenges, I was blessed to be born and grow up in a free country.
Hurricane Helene Update
As of Friday, October 31, 31 roads in North Carolina were still closed due to Hurricane Helene’s wind, flooding, and landslides on September 26, 2024. That’s two fewer roads than were closed when I gave my last update two weeks ago. Friday’s count included five US highways, two state highways, and 24 state roads.
Future progress will probably be slow, as winter weather is already setting in in the mountains. I will give updates periodically as there is something new to report.
Sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina will remain closed for at least another year, and I-40 at the Tennessee line will continue to be just two lanes at 35 miles-per-hour for a couple more years while five miles of the highway are being rebuilt in the Pigeon River Gorge.
But western North Carolina is open for business and tourists this fall, although the elevations above 3,000 feet are well past their peak of fall color. Be aware that you might run into a detour, and you can’t drive the full length of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
If you visit western North Carolina, please drop by Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville and Highland Books in Brevard. Tell them I sent you. They sell my books!
Janet
Janet's Writing Blog 
You made up in quality what you didn’t read in quantity, Janet;
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Pat. I think you’re right. I hadn’t looked at it that way. Thanks!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for the shout-out for The Weight of Snow and Regret, Janet! 15,000 Kilometers sounds like a compelling read. I remember the Iranian revolution very well. I was in college, and my husband was in the Navy.
LikeLike
You’re welcome! I think you would like 15,000 Kilometers. Laleh Chini is a dear fellow-blogger and writer. If you don’t follow her blog, A Voice from Iran, I highly recommend it. She is an incredible storyteller. She often blogs folk tales from Iran. They are all parables, and I thoroughly enjoy them. You would also like her book, Climbing Over Grit. It is autobiographical.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for the recommendation!
LikeLike
Certainly.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Two great reviews, Janet 15,000 km piqued my interest my sister married an Iraqi who managed to escape..long story but she met him in the UK and he was obligated to return as his family would suffer if he did not he told her he would return but she didn’t think he would or could and one day he knocked on her door..the rest is history x
LikeLike
Wow, Carol! What a story! That’s amazing!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Great update, Janet. It’s terrible that the state is still recovering from that hurricane. I’m sure the current political environment isn’t making it any easier.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Right. Thank goodness we have a Democrat Governor! Several weeks after the hurricane hit and before the 2024 election, Trump went to Swannanoa, NC, near Asheville, for a photo op. Promised the people there he would take care of them. He would not forget them. Yadadadada. It turned out he set up a Go-Fund-Me for other people to contribute to. It raised $7 million which he eventually divided between three religious charities…. giving more than $5 million of the $7 million to Franklin Graham’s Samaritan Purse. A local TV reporter has tried with very limited success to find out what the three charities did with the money. I don’t trust Franklin Graham. He’s no Billy Graham! I can’t tell from the weekly online reports the State puts out whether the parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway are included in the US highways’ count. Unless there are bridges involved, I can’t imagine a US highway being closed this long. I’m 100+ miles from the damage. I’ve driven I-40 from NC to TN a number of times, and it doesn’t surprise me a bit that it will take several years to rebuild that highway in the Pigeon River Gorge. I’ve always driven that stretch white-knuckled and holding my breath because it is prone to rockslides. Perhaps it never should have been built there. There were so many rockslides and mudslides during the hurricane that many of the roads and all the dirt beneath them disappeared down the mountainsides. That’s the main hold up on getting all of the Blue Ridge Parkway reconstructed. They’re having to rebuild the sides of mountains. I can’t get my mind around that kind of engineering work.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow, incredible. I still remember when he went to Puerto Rico and started throwing rolls of paper towels to the people. He doesn’t know how to behave in a moment of crisis. I lost faith in Franklin Graham a long time ago. He is way too political and blindly supports the president, so I stopped donating to the organization. I’m focusing on local charities in Illinois, where I can actually see where the money is going.
LikeLike
I agree with you about Franklin Graham. I used to think Samaritan’s Purse was a really good charity. I’ve done lots of shoeboxes and volunteered several Christmas seasons helping to check boxes and add items to half-empty shoeboxes at distribution centers they used to have in the Charlotte area. I became disillusioned with him when he got so political. I always thought Billy Graham was able to stay non-political even though he became acquainted with several Presidents of both parties, but Franklin makes no bones about supporting Trump. That’s when I broke off my support for Samaritan’s Purse completely.
LikeLiked by 1 person
His father was in another class. He is still a very respected leader, and I admire him very much. He founded Christianity Today, a website that I check from time to time. Many respectable Christians who were pushed out of Trump’s circle ended up there.
LikeLike
Yes. Billy and Ruth were cut from a different cloth than Franklin.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Absolutely!
LikeLike