Non dirmi che hai paura (Don't tell me you are afraid) by Giuseppe Catozzella

I just finished to read this book and I feel the need to share it with you. It has not been translated in English but I read it will soon, so keep an eye on it.

This is the true story of Samia Yusuf Omar born in a poor family in Mogadishu (Somalia) during the war and the Islamic regime. Since very young, 6-8 years old, she had just one dream and a great talent: running. She trained her self together with her best friend Ali in the street of  Mogadishu, or at night in the stadium to not be discovered by the regime. With lots of determination and sacrifice she partecipated to the Olympics game of Beijing 2008. Even if she arrived last, the all stadium started to cheer and support for her (as you can see here).

She wished to participate to London games in 2012 and to fulfil this dream she decided to start the "Trip", through Ethiopia and Libia to reach finally Italy and her sister in Helsinki.
She died, very close to her dream, near the Italian coast in a rescue operation.

Her story of courage and determination is so touching, I found myself crying many times during the reading.

She became  an icon of freedom and female liberation.

Here you can find the book description in English
Here a tribute to her

"We know that we are different from the other athletes. But we don’t want to show it. We try our best to look like the rest. We understand we are not anywhere near the level of the other competitors here. We understand that very, very well. But more than anything else, we would like to show the dignity of ourselves and our country."- Samia Yusuf Omar (2008)

The Story of My Experiments With Truth-An Autobiography by Mahatma Gandhi

I have recently been to India, a wonderful country, and I was wondering which book to bring back that would somehow represent the country. Then I saw this book and I thought that nothing better could come home with me.

I feel kind of guilty in reviewing this book and that's why this post is coming after actually a week I had finished it.

What to say? And most of all where to start!

Being in India I had to face a weird truth that I was completely ignoring: not everybody likes Gandhi! As simple as that. This news kind of shocked me, how can you not love a person that freed your country from repression? I was told "read the book and you will understand!". So as soon as I came back I started it mostly for a principle of contradiction.
I was expecting to find the reasons behind the great peaceful battle, the principle of it, the portrait of a "holy man" that somehow was destined to become the Mahatma (big soul).
I disappointingly didn't find any of this in the book. From the first pages you find a troubled man that is looking for his way in life. A man in the constant look of the satya (truth) through tries and fails. I was shocked to realize Gandhi was very "human" and full of mistakes. He did not respect his wife, didn't find any God for many years, had prejudices and faults as any of us.
But what I really didn't like in the book was the "story" itself, I think it is wrong to call it an autobiography, 'cause it really isn't. And maybe the main title was suggesting it. I wanted to know more about his battle, his struggle but the book is more about his trials with food and medicine, his fight against civilization and western culture.

The writing was a bit (if it was not Gandhi, I would probably say, quite) boring and I really didn't like the way in all the book he was trying to preach his truth as a teacher.

Well, it was just not the book for me. And I am sorry.

Said that I still bring with me the emotions of when I visited the place where Gandhi was imprisoned in Pune, the Aga Khan Palace where I could see a bit of his daily life till finding the garden where his remains are kept. It was very touching...

Manual of Painting and Calligraphy: A Novel by José Saramago

Here we are with my other favorite writer: Saramago.
The love for him grew really in the last couple of years and I wonder how I could have ignored him for so long!

The way he can enter the human brain is fascinating, and at times, quite scary.

This book came with me on holiday, and I am sorry for it 'cause I couldn't give the right concentration and time that Saramago always deserves!

This is the story of a so-called-painter, Mister H, specialised in portrait of rich families. Mister H is perfectly aware of his poor skills and his poor ability so he decides to try another form of art, writing.
In the way from a white canvas to a white page he slowly discover himself in a personal and artistic growth.

Must say, not the best reading of Saramago I did. The first few pages I barely recognised his style; but I discover this was one of his first book, so clearly he had still not found his unique style. Said that, the book get very interesting after the first part and toward the end I couldn't stop reading it, as it happen always with Saramago's book.

Therefore, it wouldn't be the first book I'd recommend for this writer, but if you already love him, like me, you would still enjoy the reading quite much.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Charlie is a little kid born in a very poor  and simple family. Despite his poor destiny he has the eyes full of dreams and hope for the future.
One day he wins the Golden Tickets that opens for one day for him and his Granpa the gate for a great adventure inside the marvelous Willy Wonka's Factory

This is the classic children book of all times. I always wanted to read it and I finally did in a long wait to the dentist.

It is almost impossible to read the book without thinking of Johnny Depp and the great interpretation he did in the movie adapted from the book. It is also quite hard to read the songs of the Oompa-Loompas without trying to give them a singing tone.

A nice, magic reading! I am gonna watch the movie soon again!

The little hero by Crofts Andrew

This is the true story of  Iqbal Masih. We are in Pakistan where Iqbal is forced into slavery in a carpet factory in order to pay a never-ending family debt. With courage and determination Iqbal free himself from this situation and join the Bonded Labor Liberation Front, with the intent of studying to liberate the other thousands kids in slavery situations in his country.

Iqbal became an internationally renowned opponent of child and slave labor and, with his charisma and determination, he helped to save many children from slavery.

The story and the reality don't have a happy end for Iqbal but his life opened the eyes to a big problem of our society.

Here you can find more info about him and here you can find a very well done comic strips about his life.

The book is intense and very touching and makes you think a lot.
How many of the things we buy on a daily basis are done by kids forced to labor? How much are we contribuiting to the kid's slavery? Those are questions that should be addressed more carefully from each of us and we should demand a more clear labeling of the product we buy.
No more Iqbal should be forced to work!!!!

The Sigh by Marjane Satrapi

"Whether this tale be true or false, none can tell, for none were there to witness it themselves".

A little book for kids and adults or for the kid inside every adult, with the unique touch of Marjane Satrapi.
The drawings are just simple but intense. I like the cover, the type, the smell.
I feel like I always repeat myself when I talk of Marjane Satrapi, but her graphics novels are all so constantly nice that there is nothing more to add. I think that it is the third time I read this little book and it is still able to touch the right strings.

The girl who saved the king of Sweden by Jonas Jonasson

Nombeko is born in a shanty of Soweto with a very low life expectation. One day she is hit by a not-very-clever engineer driving his car and her life changes, we still don't know if it is for the better.

She will become the cleaner of the engineer who is in charge of a vital project for South Africa’s security. With three Chinese girls, two twin brothers-half-existing and other very absurd characters she will be responsible for saving the king of Sweden and the peace among countries.

It is impossible to not link this book to the previous one, as the structure and the atmosphere are very well kept here, but the story itself stands on his own. The leitmotifis of course is the presence, I actually would call it more obsession of the author for explosives, which are always the true protagonists of his books.
I found an improvement in this second book in the flow of the story; the jumping from one situation to another in every other chapter is easier to catch and the flow is not stopped as in the previous book.

I loved it, it is hilarious, sarcastic...so CLEVER. There are some parts that make you laugh out loud. The historical background of apartheid in South Africa with Mandela and the freedom fighter is seen from such a different and absurd point of view, that it becomes almost funny. 

I think Jonasson is a genius!!!