Journal Entry 1 by Erishkigal from Salt Lake City, Utah USA on Saturday, July 16, 2005

Absolutely AWESOME!! An exquisite melding of the personal and political--

a beautiful, wonderfully written book, ultimately a story of growth and forgiveness. Not only did this book touch my heart, but it also taught me--opened my eyes to life in modern-day Pakistan.

From the back cover:
In 1986 Pakistan's greatest poet was found brutally murdered. beaten to death by government thugs. Two years later his lover, fearless activist Samina Akram disappeared. Her daughter, Aasmani, has always assumed her mother simply abandoned her--since she had left so many times following the poet into exile.
But now.........
 

Journal Entry 2 by Erishkigal from Salt Lake City, Utah USA on Thursday, December 08, 2005

setting this wonderful book up as a ring with the usual rules, cobbled together from more experienced Bookcrossers

the ring order is: there have been some changes--please note

Aberpeter----- North Dakota
Thursday5----- Ohio
tania-in-nc ---N Carolina
booklady331 ---Florida,
Tuff517 -------Texas
quico ---------Portugal
Nell-lu -------Scotland
Stubee --------England
Hawkette ------Australia
More traveling!
stubee--------UK
franaloe------Netherlands
okyrhoe-------Greece
buffra--------West Virginia <----here since summer 2008
msjoanna------New York

back-to-me ----Utah




1. Journal the book as soon as you receive it.

2. Take a month or less to read. *

3. PM the next person in the list early on, so you have their address and
are ready to send broken verses on it’s merry way when you are finished. Order of the ring will be in the journal entry so check there before mailing on. (in the event there has been a change).

4. Make a JE when you finish , adding your opinions to everyone else’s.

5. PM the next person after you have actually mailed the book, so they
will know to be expecting it. **

6. Enjoy!!!and if there are any problems, let me know.


* life happens. if you get the address request and you’re already swamped
(with rings/work/whatever) please asked to be skipped, then let me know and
we’ll put you back in later. if you have the book and realize you’re not
going to be done in that time, please PM and let us know. If you’re going
to go over 6 weeks, please send it on and let me know if you want to be
added back on at the end.

** I have just discovered that by doing an online confirmation at usps.gov,
it costs only 14 cents!! I think this is great--leaves no doubt about who
did or did not receive the book in the mail. Don‘t know if there‘s
anything similar overseas. The media rate address for this is
http://www.usps.com/send/waystosendmail/senditwithintheus/mediamail.htm

I wasn't going to actually make this a rule....but it's so inexpensive and
has such potential to allieviate difficulties, that it seems silly not too!
Applies US only, as (to my understanding) there's nothing comparable elsewhere, without it costing an arm and a leg. 

Journal Entry 3 by Erishkigal from Salt Lake City, Utah USA on Friday, May 19, 2006

mailed to Aberpeter today 

Journal Entry 4 by Aberpeter from Kirkland, Washington USA on Friday, May 26, 2006

I received the book in the mail yesterday. I read the first two chapters this morning and I can already tell this promises to be an enjoyable book. 

Journal Entry 5 by Aberpeter from Kirkland, Washington USA on Wednesday, May 31, 2006

What a wonderful journey this book took me on.

I admired the author's ability to tell the story in a manner which was intelligent, humorous and believable. I most identified with Aasmani through the trials which made her question everything she has believed in for so long and in the end stayed the same person, yet with a deeper understanding of who she is.

Erishkigal - thanks for sharing the book with me.

Thursday5 - the book will be in the mail tomorrow. 

Journal Entry 6 by Thursday5 from Columbus, Ohio USA on Monday, June 05, 2006

Broken Verses arrived in the mail today. I am looking forward to reading it. I have another bookring book ahead of it in my TBR queue but should be able to start within the week. 

Journal Entry 7 by Thursday5 from Columbus, Ohio USA on Thursday, June 22, 2006

An excellent book. This book speaks to the universal themes of the complexity of hurt and love and possibilities. Thank you Erishkigal for sharing this book. I will PM "tania-in-nc" for a mailing address. 

Journal Entry 8 by tania-in-nc from Mooresville, North Carolina USA on Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Ahhh, another yellow package in the mail. There is nothing in the world that produces such joy. Thanks so much for sharing. Will get to it very soon.

Next after House of Dreams by Leigh Michaels, c. 1994

I collect quotes as I read. These ones are fun, poetical, or even philosophical. Take what you like, and leave the rest. Note that these aren't necessarily the "best" in the book. These happen to be close to the spot where I stopped reading each night.

There we stood, my sister and I, looking at each other from opposite shores of perspective. I was no longer in my skin, but hovering above, watching both of us with a curious detachment. We could spend all night out there, I knew, plunging our hands into the ice-cold river and pulling out squirming facts, entirely distinct from one another, which would wriggle out of our grasp almost as soon as we hoisted them above the fast-moving surface. p181

I waited for him to say, "And if you believe that one I've got a cloud to sell you." p314 

Journal Entry 9 by booklady331 from Cape Coral, Florida USA on Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Arrived today. I am excited. It came at the right time. I finished one book this morning and have 20 pages left in another book. So, I will start this on the stationary bike tonight. Thanks for sharing and passing along. 

Journal Entry 10 by booklady331 from Cape Coral, Florida USA on Thursday, February 08, 2007

Finished this morning. There were parts I enjoyed and at other times I wanted to hurry up and finish. There were two quotes I wrote down, then I didn't have paper or pencil for any others.

"... educationally disinclined children of the elite..." As an educator, I see educationally disinclined children of all backgrounds. I just liked that phrase.

One that hit me was, "watching someone die gives you a new way of learning to love them." My sister-in-law died yesterday and we have been watching her die for 2 months now and this is so true.

sending on to tuff517 after work today. 

Journal Entry 11 by tuff517 from Elk Grove Village, Illinois USA on Friday, February 16, 2007

Received today! 

Journal Entry 12 by tuff517 from Elk Grove Village, Illinois USA on Saturday, March 17, 2007

Excellent writing, very fluid, visual. It was a sad story, but I vividly felt the longing, the sadness, the frustration. And I was surprised by the ending! Thanks for sharing! This will go to quico on Monday. 

Journal Entry 13 by quico from Coimbra (cidade), Coimbra Portugal on Monday, May 07, 2007

Here it is! 

Journal Entry 14 by quico from Coimbra (cidade), Coimbra Portugal on Saturday, May 26, 2007

A beautiful book. 

Journal Entry 15 by quico from Coimbra (cidade), Coimbra Portugal on Monday, May 28, 2007

Katyan asked to be skipped. 

Journal Entry 16 by quico from Coimbra (cidade), Coimbra Portugal on Friday, July 20, 2007

Posted today (at last!) to Nell-lu. Sorry for the delay. 

Journal Entry 17 by Nell-Lu from Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom on Monday, July 23, 2007

Thanks quico, this arrived this morning with a lovely bookmark. And, thanks also Erishkigal for sharing (what a coincidence: this arrived just as I got back from the Post Office having mailed Children of God to you!). I've been looking forward to Broken Verses. I'll start it when I finish my current book and should have it travelling again by the end of the week. 

Journal Entry 18 by Nell-Lu from Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom on Thursday, August 02, 2007

Wow!

What a brilliant book! I hadn't known what to expect of this, and deliberately didn't read the back cover blurb, so I jumped in without any preconceptions. The atmosphere was amazing. At the beginning, it felt very dystopian and claustrophobic; the narrator's mental state was captured perfectly. As the story and characters developed, and the reader found out more about the past, the sense of the unknown changed and it became clearer that the mysteries within characters were more unsettling than the dangers outside.

I was pleased that the ending didn't disappoint, and that I was left thinking about the complexities of people and relationships.

I will certainly look out for Shamsie's other novels. Thanks, Erishkigal, for a great read and for introducing me to a new author. This book will be sent to Stubee this afternoon. My attempts at glueing it back together were a complete failure, so the cover is still detached. 

Journal Entry 19 by stubee from Bury, Lancashire United Kingdom on Monday, August 13, 2007

Thanks Erishkigal for staring the ring and to Nell-lu for passing this on. I''ll get onto it shortly, hopefully - I''ve recieved a few bookrings all at once but I''m planning a mad reading blitz this month so I should get through it without too much of a delay. 

Journal Entry 20 by stubee from Bury, Lancashire United Kingdom on Monday, September 24, 2007

I'm afraid I'm not going to have time to read this book as I've got a myself in a bit of a bookring/ray nightmare!!!!!!

Therefore I think it's best for everyone if I send this on - I've PM'd Hawkette and await their address - once I've got this I'll pop this into the mail; hopefully I’ll get to read this sometime in the future.

Thanks Erishkigal for starting this ring I’m, sorry I couldn’t participate fully.
 

Journal Entry 21 by stubee from Bury, Lancashire United Kingdom on Friday, September 28, 2007

Hawkette has provide me with an address this morning so I went to the post office at lunchtime and sent this on it's way. 

Journal Entry 22 by Hawkette from Ballarat, Victoria Australia on Saturday, October 06, 2007

Arrived with me in Melbourne, Australia. Thank you! 

Journal Entry 23 by Hawkette from Ballarat, Victoria Australia on Sunday, November 25, 2007

A story about love, loss, and the grieving process - working towards acceptance of family truths, myths and mysteries.

I really enjoyed reading about Pakistan, and getting a glimpse of the political history - in quite a topical time for this knowledge. 

Journal Entry 24 by Hawkette from Ballarat, Victoria Australia on Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Have posted in the mail today - hopefully the Xmas madness will have it rushed across the world with all the other mail! 

Journal Entry 25 by stubee from Bury, Lancashire United Kingdom on Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Erishkigal thank you for adding me back on the ring after my failure to read it last year, I've got a few ahead of this but I'll make sure I give it the time it deserves this time and try not to keep it too long.

Thanks Hawkette for sending this back to me.

EDIT: 17/02/08 - started reading :-)




 

Journal Entry 26 by stubee from Bury, Lancashire United Kingdom on Sunday, March 16, 2008

I really enjoyed this novel, it's a beautifully written piece, very emotional with characters that are mysterious and lovable. I can not recommend this book highly enough.

I've got franaloe address but will be unable to send on until a few weeks time as I'm getting on a flight to Italy tomorrow, I'll post this as soon as I get back.

Thanks Erishkigal for staring the ring and sharing this wonderful book. 

Journal Entry 27 by franaloe from Zürich, Zürich Switzerland on Monday, April 07, 2008

Wow, nice to see all these positive reactions from (most of) the ones who read this book before me. I've got 2 ringbooks waiting before this one, however, can't wait to get started!

Stubee, thanks for sending the book, and thanks for sharing Erishkigal! 

Journal Entry 28 by franaloe from Zürich, Zürich Switzerland on Monday, April 28, 2008

Nice but sad story...While reading I realized I know very little about that part of the world...spoiled western mind.

I've PMed okyrhoe for his/her address, and will send the book on as soon as I get it. 

Journal Entry 29 by franaloe from Zürich, Zürich Switzerland on Wednesday, May 07, 2008

The book is on its way to Athens! Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 30 by okyrhoe from Athens, Attica Greece on Thursday, May 22, 2008

Arrived here today. Thanks Erishkigal for adding me to the ring, and franaloe for posting it to me! Can't wait to start (but I've got 3 TBRs first). 

Journal Entry 31 by okyrhoe from Athens, Attica Greece on Sunday, June 01, 2008

A well-written, balanced book. I enjoyed reading it, not so much for the political-thriller suspense, as for the way that Shamsie masterfully writes her protagonist's first person narrative. Coming after the disappointing read of Alice Sebold's The Almost Moon, broken verses was a delight to read. I was pulled into Aasmani's story, her complex character, her authentic voice, and the credibility of her emotional conflicts.

Another aspect that I liked is that Shamsie is unashamedly depicting the Pakistani educated/sophisticated/privileged class she is familiar with, rather than pandering to Anglo readers' expectations for something folkloric or epically historical. The story is set in the present day, and the extensive references to the politico-historical background of the country in which it is set is merely that, a referential background to the characters' personal & familial conflicts, which are ultimately the driving force of the story.

(And for my own personal reasons I was *charmed* by the Wizard of Oz references....)