A Bumpy Birthday

Well, we had a bit of excitement this morning as we experienced a 5.4 earthquake. All is well here in Arcadia, with nothing broken or falling off the walls. We wouldn't want Jess to have a boring birthday, would we? Here are some recent photos of the family as Gavin visits with Andrea, sports his Batman onesie, visits with his grandparents, and tours the mall. This kid gets around.

What I'm Reading: In the Time of the Butterflies

Changing things up a bit, I'm starting a new mini-series for the blog, which cannot possibly compete with gorgeous pictures of Gavin, but may still be of some interest to a few of you. I am going to be teaching a new class this fall, AP English Literature and Composition. I'm trying to read threw a large selection of modern fiction to pick a few "winners" for my class. As a Victorianist, I will humbly admit that I rarely venture into the shelves of newly published novels. Well, except to preorder and stand vigil for the Harry Potter books, of course. Still, I'm already enjoying how fast these modern books read! So conversational, so unlike the eight hundred page Eliot or Dickens novel that I'm usually perusing, and so much easier to read in the quick moments I steal during Gavin's naps or in the morning before I pick him up from Bethany. So, anyhow, I thought I'd share with you a bit about the books I'm reading, especially because the two I've plowed through so far have been so excellent.





Julia Alvarez, In the Time of the Butterflies

I read about this book on a discussion board through Bread Loaf (that silly-named school where I'm working on my MA in English). The book is written in a beautifully engaging manner, told through the first person narration of four sisters who lived in the Dominican Republic in the 1960's. It's based on a true story, but is a fictionalized account of their struggle against the dictator who ran their country, suppressed all discontent, and eventually had three of the four sisters murdered (I know that sounds like a spoiler, but it's established in the very first pages). Beyond the outstanding craft of the author, which left me feeling as though I had truly known and dialogued with these four women, what struck me most in reading the novel was how little I knew about the events it relates. Did you know that the United Nations declared November 25 (the day of their death) the International Elimination of Violence Against Women Day in honor of these sisters? In reading the novel, I kept feeling that there's a sense that here in White America, I've spent a good amount of my life insulated from the struggle going on all over the world for a freedom that I take for granted every day. One more note about the book - I especially appreciated the role that the Catholic church came to play in the Dominican Republic at the close of Trujillo's regime - fighting on the side of the oppressed, realizing that Christ brings a radical message of freedom and equality, a song of liberation to those without voices.

An excellent book, and well worth reading. Tomorrow: Ella Minnow Pea

Gavin James

Here are some recent photos of our little Gavin. At his 6 month checkup he weighed in at nearly 17 pounds and measures 27 inches. We're just amazed at how quickly he's growing up!