The CIA Book Club by Charlie English

THE CIA BOOK CLUB by Charlie English was a LibraryReads selection for July and received a starred review from Booklist. Its subtitle is “The Secret Mission to Win the Cold War with Forbidden Literature,” but a fellow book group member and I agreed that it focuses more (sometimes graphically) on the resistance in Poland. This sentiment was echoed in The Wall Street Journal review which, while praising the book, noted: “The title of Mr. English’s book is somewhat misleading” due to its sole focus on Poland and on its book smugglers, noting that the CIA’s main role was financial support and smuggling equipment. The tales of dissidents and courage seem especially poignant as the world awaits the outcome of meetings on the war in Ukraine. Interesting, too, to note the books which were smuggled and circulated (Camus, Orwell, Vonnegut) in light of recent commentary like David Brooks’ opinion piece “When Novels Mattered.” Ironically, reading the entire text of THE CIA BOOK CLUB would likely be too much for most book group participants, but an excerpt could prompt discussion on international policy and funding cuts, on the role of truth in light of social media, and on domestic book banning efforts. “Literature, together with language, protects the soul of the nation.” ~Solzhenitsyn

An additional reviews is available from The Washington Post (“This true story of CIA book smuggling reads like an Ian Fleming novel”) and a portion of THE CIA BOOK CLUB was published recently in The New York Times (“‘1984’ Hasn’t Changed, but America Has”). 

Lessons from My Teachers by Sarah Ruhl

LESSONS FROM MY TEACHERS by Sarah Ruhl contains numerous essays which provide a memoir of sorts covering the period “From Preschool to the Present.” Ruhl, a prolific, talented writer and playwright, has been honored as a MacArthur genius, as a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, and with nominations for Tony Awards. Here, she reflects on the importance of teachers, citing those who impacted her, but also on the “teachable moments” that exist in all our lives. For example, Ruhl describes a conversation with theater students who stressed that “theater class was when they could feel and practice presence, that elixir of life; That well of possibility.” Ruhl goes on to comment on the use of phones, saying, “the more technological tools we have, the more presence seems just out of reach.” This insightful collection will prompt much discussion, especially amongst educators & those who value learning and the arts.  

The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn

THE DOOR-TO-DOOR BOOKSTORE by Carsten Henn was published internationally in 2020 and has been a best-seller which, as Booklist says, is a “charming story about the power of books and reading.” In this shorter novel, readers meet Carl Kollhoff who works delivering books in a small German town. The bookstore itself is in transition as the next generation is taking over and fails to appreciate the value that Carl brings. Throughout the story, readers meet a variety of customers and watch them evolve slowly. A favorite character is a nine-year-old little girl named Schascha who acts as a catalyst for much action, including Carl’s own growth and willingness to be more open. Overall, though, I felt little empathy for other characters and would recommend “curmudgeonly old man” stories like A Man Called Ove or the more recent The Lonely Hearts Book Club first.

Knowing What We Know by Simon Winchester

KNOWING WHAT WE KNOW offers perspective on knowledge and its acquisition from a well-known, best-selling author, Simon Winchester (The Professor and the Madman). Winchester begins with a discussion of what is knowledge (“justified true belief”) and looks at how it has been created, organized, stored, and disseminated over time. In his exploration, he ranges from ancient times (referencing Plato, Socrates, and others) to “Modern Magic” and asks some rather profound questions for today: “If all knowledge, if the sum of all thought, is to be made available at the touch on a plate of glass, then what does that portend?” or “If machines will acquire all our knowledge for us and do our thinking for us, then what, pray, is the need for us to be?” Throughout the text numerous anecdotes are shared and an entire chapter is devoted to teaching children while other sections deal with topics such as libraries, culture, the printed word, journalism, and engineering. In addition, there is a several page Bibliography, listing books which Winchester consulted and/or recommends for further reading. The tone throughout is somewhat dry and scholarly, although KNOWING WHAT WE KNOW received a starred review from Booklist. For those who are interested, here are links to reviews in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

Shakespeare in a Divided America by James Shapiro

James Shapiro’s SHAKESPEARE IN A DIVIDED AMERICA focuses on eight moments in American history between 1833 and 2017 to explain “What His Plays Tell Us About Our Past and Future.” Shapiro, currently the Larry Miller Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University, says that “Shakespeare took root in the United States because he spoke to what Americans cared about.” Shapiro is a noted authority, having written other books about Shakespeare’s works and having served on the board of directors of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Here, he combines history and literature while looking at divisive issues like immigration, same-sex love, and Manifest Destiny. Shapiro’s analysis has recently been published in paperback and I can see where this text might have some interest for our American Studies classes, but it would be helpful to have more of a curriculum guide. In 2020, SHAKESPEARE IN A DIVIDED AMERICA received a starred review from Publishers Weekly as well as being named one of the New York Times Ten Best Books of the Year and a National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist.