Publication date: 2010 Pages: 362 Word count: 104491 Ages: YA “Be good, Gaia,” Capt. Grey told her, his voice grave. She still refused to look at him, but she could feel the heated flush of anger again in her cheeks. “Cooperate with the guards. For your own sake,” he continued. “Be good yourself, Captain,” she said […]
This is just a quick post about something that’s been on my mind for a while. It’s sad that there are so many preconceived ideas about YA novels, ideas that show those who speak about them, very often haven’t read any. I’m writing for adults, children and Young Adults and in one of my writer’s […]
Publication date: 2015 Pages: 350 Word count: ? Ages: YA They are all innocent until proven guilty. But not me. I am a liar until I am proven honest. What a book! I finished it a while ago but I’m still stunned. Sometimes you read a book and the topic shocks you. Then you read a book […]
Publication date: 2014 Pages: 198 Word count: ? Ages: YA Last year I read my first Dana Reinhardt novel (The Summer I Learned to Fly) and liked it a great deal. The story was cute, the characters lovable but what I liked the most was the tone and the voice. I knew I would read another […]
Publication date: 1993 Pages: 180 Word count: 43,617 Ages: MG 4 – 8 I wanted to read Lois Lowry’s The Giver for ages. Not only because it was a Newbery Medal winner but because it has become one of the great MG classics and has even been made into a movie. The Giver was written at a […]
Beauty is a Sleeping Cat 
so very sad!
And abominable.
Thinking of you, Caroline.
Thank you, Jolene. It’s awful.
Hi, Caroline. When I think of how Hollande should respond, it comes to me from a play I’ve always admired, by Jean Anouilh (“Becket, ou l’Honneur du Dieu”): “La seule chose qui soit immorale, mon prince, c’est de ne pas faire ce qu-il faut quand il le faut.” I may have fractured the French a little, but I think that expresses it perfectly. I hope you are well and safe. The French people have often led the world, and I expect they will show no less than their customary abilities now.
Thanks, Victoria.
I feel like Cassandra. I’ve been predicting this for months and now this. Everybody always tells me I’m too pessimistic. I find it very scary. And what a predicament. If he does what he should do . . . There will be retribution. If he doesn’t there will be retribution as well. And with all the open borders and everyone just flooding the continent.
I hate to use a cliché but we also pay for the sins of our fathers.
Yes, I imagine the French influence in Northern Africa didn’t help political matters. But at some point, one must draw a line and stop getting even. I’m waiting for someone to issue a t-shirt or something, kind of like the last time, only perhaps saying “Je suis Charlie encore”. We can’t solve the world’s problems, but we can stand up for an end to hostilities and a play of humanity. It just seems like every time someone tries to stop, someone else goes ahead and takes another potshot, and no one wants to be perceived as weak or unprotective of their people. How are the innocent all over the world then protected, if not by the strong who are well-intentioned? I’m often glad I’m not in office.
I was just on the phone with my friend. Tried to reach him for a while. He lives 100 meters from where it all happened. Listening to him, he feels he’s in a war zone. He can’t sleep. Totally horrified. And kept on asking “Why France?”. The past is one reason but I don’t think that’s what it is. Not only. France is an easy target if you aim for a civil war. Which is what the IS would like. Destabilize the country. A civil war in France and the whole of Europe starts exploding. Yes, I’m glad I don’t have to decide whether to g to war or not and how to protect people. It’s scary.
Hi Caroline, I guess I’m lost for words, at the denial stage, this can’t have happened! I heard about an hour after getting back to Orly, I remember the ’95 bombings on my RER line, obviously this January and now this, Major cities are just too tempting! I think the consequences and years to come may be very difficult, but we will pull through, best wishes to you
Pat
Hi Pat. Best wishes to you as well. So you live in France? I was studying in Paris in the 90s and remember ’95. I was in the mÖtro waiting for the RER when I felt anxious suddenly. I left, took a bus and ten minutes later a bomb exploded on that RER. I too, think we will see difficult times, but hopefully get through it all stronger and still with kindness in our hearts.
Glad that you are safe.
Thanks for your thoughts, yes I live in the south of Paris (not an original blog site name)
Pat
At least you’re not too close to it all. Still, very close. Some of my friends and family live in the 10th where I lived some years as well. My aunt lives in Saint Denis but she’s often in Brittany. So she’s OK.
I just saw the news, Caroline, and it was so shocking. Can’t believe it. The French people have always been strong and I hope they come out stronger out of this crisis. I still can’t believe that this happened…
I know. In a way I can’t believe it and at the same time I knew it would happen.
Pingback: La Violence Est Injuste | Watson's Blog
I cannot express how sad and horrified I am by all of this. We all need to work for a less violent future.
I’m thinking of you, Caroline. *hug* I hope the world doesn’t go entirely crazy now.
Thanks, Violet. It’s also scary because I’m fraid this was only just the beginning. And because of the whole immigrant situation. I’m not saying it’s wrong to help but it’s wrong to let chaos reign and have no plan and give murderers an opportunity to enter unhindered.
Hi Caroline: First of course bizou. I have seen tanks in the streets of my hometown, Bratislava. I have a particular affection for France, have lived in Paris and in Tours. My son would move to France in a wink, is totally fluent. So my heart bleeds. I am speechless. There are tugs in odd, unexpected directions. I have lost, years ago, a most close friend over the issue of Dresden. I have always been an extreme pacifist and have argued, a little too stridently for my friend, that the bombing of Dresden was a war crime no different from the Nazi crimes. He disagreed and we parted ways. I miss him. BUT. One does react emotionally to horrors such as what we just experienced. This morning I read an article in which Alain Bauer says it is now time to “erase Raqqa”. What does he mean? He tells us “it is war.” We must ignore the fact most of Raqqa is a civilian population, with ISIS terrorists intermingling. “Erase” In Dresden that was firebomb. And reading Bauer this morning I agreed. And I am horrified at myself, at thinking that even for a millisecond. Highly conflicted. So I return to “bizou”.
Thank you for your support, Andrew. I know you’ve seen horrible things too. I know how you feel and funny you should mention Dresden. I too find it’s a war crime. Maybe it served a purpose but it was an atrocious thing to do. And that’s precisely what’s so shocking, that IsIs is in the middle of innocent people. If that wasn’t the case, I think my feelings would not be that pacifist. Paris means a lot. France and it’s culture. Maybe one reason why they hit Paris. I don’t know. People are very scared. I hope it won’t turn into something even worse. The Arabic population is scared as well. Thanks and bisou as well.
“later that night
I held an atlas in my lap
ran my fingers across the whole world
and whispered
where does it hurt? it answered
everywhere
everywhere
everywhere.” — Warsan Shire
I’ve read this recently on Facebook and thought it shows perfectly the world we live in today. We had a horrendous tragedy in Bucharest but two weeks ago and now this…
It does capture it so well. So sad. I hadn’t heard of the fire in Bucarets. I’m so sorry. Those poor people.
This is all very sad and depressing and of course my thoughts are with the people in Paris. We all need to stand firm against this frontal assault against humanity and the foundations of our way of life. But I believe that the military fight against these barbarians is just part of a much bigger crisis; as long as we cry only for the victims in Paris and simply don’t mention those people in the Middle East who fall victim to similar attacks on an almost daily basis, we apply the usual double standards which are for me the core of the whole problem of this region which was since the breakdown of the Ottoman Empire always a playground for foreign powers and their struggle for political influence, natural resources and geo-strategic control. I was in Beirut just briefly before the suicide bombings there and it makes me sad and angry to compare the media reaction to both events. It seems that as long as the people that are getting killed in such bombings are not European Christians, we are much much less inclined to react. Look at how many people put the tricolore as FB profile photo – but I guess none of your contacts has done the same with the Lebanese flag. Double standards, the plague of our times.
There are double standards, of course. And that’s the reason why Paris was hit as it’s a city dear to many people’s heart whereas some place not so many have been to will not get the same reaction. It’s natural for me to react in this case, as I’m French and still consider Paris to be my hometown. my family is from there or is still there, so are many friends but, yes, it’s true, it didn’t occur to me how many people who are not French feel the same. I suppose Paris is just so iconic.
But certainly double standards in may cases. I’m, of course very glad for the moral support. I hope we don’t have to see how many other flags will go up, should other places be hit in the near future.
Terrible times, especially when you have so many direct links with the attacked city Caroline. Some of the debate and grandstanding after the event has been pretty depressing, but it’s good to be able to just offer some simple sympathy and support.
I’m very grateful for the sympathy. Yes, unfortunatwly some of the things that are being said are upsetting too.
God, such an appalling thing to happen. The only good that’s come out of it is the rapid and heartfelt response of sympathy and horror across the world. We will need all the sense of community we can get as we move forward, to comfort anyone who is victim to such crimes, no matter where they are in the world, and to prevent a military response from making things worse for innocent civilians. I’m sure it would suit the plans of ISIS for us all to start pointing fingers and sending missiles, so it would be good to avoid such a strategy.
Appalling indeed. And I was astonished about the waves of sympathy.
Usually I would agree with you. Violence shouldn’t be a response to vilnece but what, if there’s no other way? Clearly you cannot discuss with these people. I have no solution. I wish no civilians will be harmed.
My thoughts are with you, Caroline. I saw the Twin Towers burning, so I know how much this hurts. And like you, I am scared of what will come. How do you deal with fanatics? I see no end, and I have no answer.
Thanks you, TJ. I remember how shocked I was about the twin towers too.
Yes, me either. I see no end and have no answer. I feel like our pacificism is being abused. Like were being bullied into violence. Such sad times.
I’m shocked and horrified like everyone else. So glad to hear your friends and relatives are OK, Caroline. I will never understand the people who do this.
I don’t underatdn them either. For me they are not a religion but an religious totalitarian sect.
My friend is even thinking of moving away from Paris.