6 Books to Read during the Quarantine

According to epidemiological model projections cited by President Trump’s coronavirus task force, between 100,000 to 240,000 Americans could die from COVID-19. Here’s the estimated mortality rate for each age group:

            0-50 about .2%

            50-59 about .6%

            60-69 about 1.9%

            70-79 about 4.3%

            80 + about 7.8%

It appears that the older you are, the more susceptible your immune system is to this novel virus. So, no matter what the governors or president say about opening the economy again, senior citizens should stay home until a vaccine is developed and available. 

What are you going to do with all of this free time? I suggest reading. A good book takes you to exciting adventures, new ideas, different cultures and lifestyles. Below you’ll find six  books I enjoyed and anticipate you’ll like, too. 

Song of a Whale, a New York Public Library Best Book of the Year, is a 309-page novel written with middle school children in mind, but is appropriate at any age. Twelve-year-old Iris was born deaf to hearing parents. Her mom and brother sign, but her father can’t seem to grasp his daughter’s language. And, instead of enrolling Iris in a school for the deaf, they have her mainstreamed in the public schools with a hired ASL interpreter. 

One day in Science class, Iris learns about Blue-55, a hybrid blue/fin whale unable to communicate with other whales. He swims around by himself and not in a pod like most whales; and his song is at 55 hertz, much higher than other members of his species. Iris feels this whale’s pain, for her life of miscommunications and understanding feels like Blue-55’s. 

Iris has a talent with electronics. Her favorite hobby is collecting broken antique radios and repairing them. Unfortunately, the kids in her middle school classroom think she’s stupid because of her deafness. Little do they know she’s a tech genius. 

Moved by Blue-55’s story, Iris is determined to compose a song for the whale at his frequency. Song of a Whale is a beautifully written tale about longing for a connection and finding it in a magical and unexpected place. 

Little Girl Blue: The Life of Karen Carpenter is a 392-page biography of Karen Carpenter by Randy L. Schmidt. Schmidt conducted hundreds of interviews to report Karen’s life from her early childhood in New Haven, Connecticut to her high school days in Downey, California where she became an outstanding drummer for her high school band. Not until 1966 did Karen come into full voice. Prior to that “Her voice had lacked vibrato and any real depth or presence.”

Schmidt does an excellent job peeking into the Carpenter family’s skeletons coming up with reveling information that could explain Karen’s psychological problems that led to her anorexia nervosa condition and eventual death. 

I was surprised to learn that Richard Carpenter, Karen’s brother, had an addiction to Quaaludes that sidelined the duo for over a year. Karen took advantage of this time off by working on a solo album that wasn’t released until after her death. 

Little Blue Girl: The Life of Karen Carpenter provides an intimate profile of one of the most popular singers of the 20^th Century. Schmidt provides insight into the Carpenter’s string of top-20 hits including “Close to you,” “We’ve Only Just Begun,” and “Superstar.” The final chapters chronicles Karen’s struggle with anorexia nervosa, providing autopsy details that made me think, Karen died from stupid.

The Merry-Go-Round Man is a coming of age novel about three boys growing up during the “innocent” Eisenhower Era. Lee Esner, Jimmy Wiggins, and Johnny Roth create a game: “Whoever gets there [top of the merry-go-round] first is the real King of the Mountain. Whoever wins is Champ for life. For the rest of his life he’s on Easy Street!”

Through Lee’s eyes we see an entitled boy getting into the best college on a football scholarship and the myriad of women he attracts. Jimmy, who is from the ghetto, also attends Lee’s elite white school. Through him we see the ugly racism of his society. Finally, there’s Johnny Roth, the central character of the novel, who clashes with his father about his future. Johnny wants to be an artist, but his orthodox Jewish father has other things in mind for his son. Johnny, who comes across as a mild-mannered boy, can wallop a punch that knocks out the worst bully in his school. When Jimmy’s dad learns about Johnny’s talent, he tries to lead the boy into a boxing career. 

Author John B. Rosenman writes a well-written book with life lessons everyone can relate to. The dialogue flows naturally, the plot moves quickly, and the settings are beautifully described. 

Warriors Don’t Cry takes readers to May 17, 1954 when the Supreme Court of the United States unanimously stated in the case of Brown vs the Board of Education, Topeka, that facilities segregating white and black children were unequal and therefore violated the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The justices also ordered the states to desegregate. 

How did Brown vs the Board of Education affect the children? In her searing memoir, Warriors Don’t Cry, Melba Pattilo Beals shows graphically the impact of integration on her, her family, and the Little Rock community where she lived. When integration came to Central High School in 1957, most teenage girls were gyrating to Elvis or dancing to Buddy Holly’s “Peggy Sue”. Melba was too distracted by lighted sticks of dynamite and escaping the hang rope of a lynch mob to enjoy the bliss of her contemporaries.

Nine African-American teens volunteered to integrate Central High School starting the worse year of their lives. Segregationist adults tutored their children in the act of harrassment while intergrantionists taught non-violence. When the Little Rock Nine entered their high school, they were spat at, pushed, beaten, stepped on, and called every name in the book. They turned the other cheek. However, with the help of family, the NAACP, and inspiration from Thurgood Marshall, the black teens prevailed. 

Beals’ memoir is superbly written. She has a way of describing settings and characters to make readers feel as if they are right there in the action. When some thug throws fireballs at Melba, we duck. When acid is tossed into her eyes, we flinch and our eyes sting. Through the power of the pen, Beals shows readers the horrors of prejudice and its effects on the people living on both sides of the track. 

Warriors Don’t Cry will provide readers an education about the end of the Jim Crow era, early integration efforts, and the citizens of a Southern city. Though Warriors is a book you must read, beware that you won’t be able to put it down until the final page.

Aniko: The Stranger Who Loved Me tells the story of Aniko Stern, an extraordinary biography about a remarkable woman who lived an exceptional life. 

Aniko’s son, Dr. Bob Rich, takes his readers to 1936 Hungary prior to the Holocaust, as young Aniko falls in love with her future husband, Tibor, and trains to become a bookbinder. 

The author does an amazing job showing the strengths and weaknesses of his mother and the sacrifices she made to ensure the survival of her family during the darkest period in Jewish history. As Hitler’s army overran Hungary and herded millions of Jews into ghettos, Aniko conspired ways to find food and a safe haven for her family to wait out the war.

When allied forces liberated Hungary in 1945, Aniko had to confront Soviet occupation and the stifling demands of Communism. She figured out ways around the system to ensure her box business remained afloat and thrived. 

As in most families, there is strife, which Rich shows masterfully as he remains objective with the ability to show all sides of the dispute, even though he sat center stage. We eventually understand the subtitle—The Stranger Who Loved Me—as Aniko placed her son behind the needs of a second husband and an inspiring job.

Though Aniko’s maternal instinct seems to be lacking and her second husband’s performance as a father is less than stellar, you’ll still love Aniko for her strength of character and mourn her passing with tears. Aniko: The Stranger Who Loved Me is a book for anyone searching for insight into family dynamics with a backdrop of historical references throughout 20^th Century European History. Highly recommended. 

Goodbye Tchaikovsky is about David Rothman, a twelve-year-old violin virtuoso. David is plunged into a deaf world, necessitating him to adapt to a new culture and language in order to survive. (Now in its second printing.)

DAVID ROTHMAN is an overnight success. He performs Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in New York’s Symphony Hall with rave reviews attracting the attention of the Queen of England. His future is laid out for him like a well-lit freeway. Then, on his twelfth birthday, David suffers from a sudden and irreparable hearing loss, plunging him into a silent world.

The novel shows how an adolescent boy copes with deafness. How will he communicate with his friends? What can he do about school? Where does his future lie?

At the age of fifty-one I had a severe hearing loss taking me away from my job as a sixth grade teacher. From that experience, I was inspired to write this story. It shows by example how middle school children can cope with adversity. If a person has a willingness to learn and an open mind to explore all possibilities, he can find a way to succeed. 

Audiologist Dr. Shahrzad Cohen AuD, FAAA says, “Goodbye Tchaikovsky is a fascinating novel about hearing loss with an emotional component that does not get taught in schools.”

Instead of sitting around bored and feeling sorry for yourself, pick a book and click on its link. If you have a Kindle, the book will be in your e-reader in no time. Then kick back and enjoy. Most importantly, listen to your health care professionals and stay safe and healthy.