Category: Joyce Carol Oates

A Book of American Martyrs, by Joyce Carol Oates

5/14/2017

A Book of American Martyrs, by Joyce Carol Oates
     How can I recommend this 700+ page book that delves into the tragedy of murder and abortion? And yet I encourage everyone to read this riveting, page turner.
     From start to finish I felt compassion for both evangelical murderer, Luther Dunphy and for his victim, abortion doctor, Augustus Voorhees—compassion for both men and their families.
     How easy it is to take sides. After all, we all have political and moral opinions on this hot button issue. But Joyce Carol Oates weaves a story that shows no partiality. Murder is a tragedy for everyone.

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    Compassionate Reading may sound strange, but that’s my purpose in joining the Goodreads 2017 Reading Challenge. A book a week seems like a reasonable goal. Maybe I’ll read 52, maybe I won’t. Maybe I’ll read 32, but probably not 520.
     Number goals appeal to me, especially ones connected with the calendar. As a teacher, I loved the definitive school year. There is nothing like a Monday morning every seven days to give me another jump start. The first of every month I take delight in turning the page of my wall calendar. I like numbers.
     However, this reading goal isn’t about adding books to a list. My goal is understand lives different from mine. Up until now I have read through the lens of my own life, one of ease, privilege, freedom and advantage; they never promised a rose garden, but I was given one. Now I want to wear the lens of the authors and their characters. I want to step into their feelings and experiences without comparing them to mine. I want to observe without judging. I want to appreciate the nuances rather than put everything into categories. I want to I want to read with my heart more than my head.
     My plan is to post how each book opened my heart to compassion.

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A Book of American Martyrs, by Joyce Carol Oates

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