2019-02-27 19:35:19

So in English class we have to read a book of our choice, and the theme has to be overcoming or something to do with that. Examples were books about the holocaust. I really have no ideas, any suggestions?
P.S. It has to be fiction, nonfiction, or historical fiction.

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“Yes, sir. I am attempting to fill a silent moment with non-relevant conversation.”
“You don’t tell me how to behave; you’re not my mother!”
“Could you please continue the petty bickering? I find it most intriguing.” – Data (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

2019-02-27 21:11:15 (edited by flackers 2019-02-27 21:23:24)

You probably don't want to read books set in Britain, but I would vote for We Didn't Mean to go to Sea by Arthur Ransome. Four youngsters drift out to sea in a sailing boat off the coast of England, and end up crossing the channel. Of all the books I've read about mishaps at sea, this demonstrated more than any other just what trouble you'd be in if you set to sea and didn't know what you were doing. Luckily, these four kids' father is a Captain in the Navy, and they knew all about sailing. What they overcome is the perils of the sea. It's a terrific book, but might be a little dated and dull for some. Another book I'd recommend is Kingdom by the Sea by Robert Westall. Again set in England, this time during the second World War, where a ten-year-old boy survives a direct hit on his house, and believing his parents to be dead, sets off to survive alone. A fantastic book. Again, might possibly be a bit dated and boring to a young person today. Sorry they're both UK based, but those would be my picks anyway.

2019-02-28 05:01:30

I don't personally love it, but the old man and the sea is well writen and is about overcoming obstacles. It is quite dull at points, but is a short book and if you do it you will score mager points with your English techer personally

Is this the real life?
Or is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide,
No escape from reality

2019-02-28 13:36:07 (edited by Dark 2019-02-28 13:39:03)

@Red fox, interesting question, I talked it over with my lady since she's read more memoirs and such that I had.

She suggested two Until tuesday by Luis Carlos Montalvan, , the memoir of an Iraq war veteran who comes back to the states missing a leg and with PTSD, then recovers thanks to Tuesday, a therapy dog.

She also suggested Catching an angel by Robert Russel, the story of a blind theology professor, which is apparently neither too heavy going nor overly preachy in terms of theology.

Most of what I tend to read myself tends to have fantasy or sf overtones even when touching on real subjects or historical periods, though the healer's war by Elizabeth Anne Scarborough is extremely good yet only very minimally fantasy and does a great job of showing conditions during the Vietnam war for both the Americans and Vietnamese, find My review of it here

I'd also suggest Taken on Trust by Terry Weight the memoir of a man who was held by Iranian terrorists in the early nineties for five years.
Its pretty grim for obvious reasons, and a slightly strange book given he wrote most of it in his head whilst he was chained to a wall, but if your up to something a little darker and not fictional it might be one to try.

Lastly, there's A child called It by Dave Pelzer, the story of a man  went through really horrific child abuse from his mother. Its a pretty short book, and is also of course bloody depressing (really his mother was  a psychopath), however it is very well known so likely a lot of people will have already written on it.

Also, I confess I wasn't as much a fan of  Pelzer himself, since aside from what he went through which was horrendous, I did find him a little too self congratulatory for my liking, but maybe that's just me.
Hth.

With our dreaming and singing, Ceaseless and sorrowless we! The glory about us clinging Of the glorious futures we see,
Our souls with high music ringing; O men! It must ever be
That we dwell in our dreaming and singing, A little apart from ye. (Arthur O'Shaughnessy 1873.)

2019-02-28 14:06:00

Hi,
My Dad highly recommends a book titled "A Dog Called Hope". I don't remember the exact story behind this except that its' a true story about an officer who woke from a coma unable to walk, and my Dad has purposefully not told me much because he'd like me to read this one as well and hasn't spoiled it, accept he said it was amazing and was definitely about overcoming.

2019-02-28 14:24:35

Ok, so it looks like these are mostly about physical or mental things, it's more of a overcoming cultrural things, like the people who survived the Holocaust.

----------
“Yes, sir. I am attempting to fill a silent moment with non-relevant conversation.”
“You don’t tell me how to behave; you’re not my mother!”
“Could you please continue the petty bickering? I find it most intriguing.” – Data (Star Trek: The Next Generation)