The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng

The Gift of Rain is set in Malaysia with most of the events taking place before and during World War II. Phillip Hutton is the youngest of four children in a wealthy British family living on the island of Penang. He feels somewhat estranged from his family as the only child born of his father’s second wife, who was Chinese. His father and the three oldest children head to England for their every fifth year trip while Phillip stays in Malaysia. It is during this time in 1939 that he meets Hayato Endo, a Japanese man who is renting a small island from the Hutton family.

Phillip’s friendship with Endo-san sets in motion a number of events that impact his family, Penang, and, according to this story, the Japanese occupation of Malaysia. The author does a remarkable job at getting across the complexity of Phillip’s being an heir to a British company, his connections to the Chinese community through his mother’s family, and his friendship with a man whose country is attacking his. Here Phillip begins to think about how Endo-san has impacted his life on the morning after Japanese troops land on Malaysian soil: “He had linked me to the war, to Japan’s ambitions, and this realization weighed me down as though I had been burdened with another identity, taken deep down to the floor of the ocean.”

The story does have a mystical part to it. Phillip shows Endo-san around Penang and they interact with a fortune-teller who tells them, “‘You and your friend have a past together, in a different time. And you have a greater journey to make. After this life.’” This and some other scenes add a somewhat surreal element at times, but also make some of both Phillip’s and Endo-san’s actions more believable. And, I wonder if it works better with a reader that believes in past lives.

The book reminded me of A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute, primarily as that was set partially in Malaysia and involved a death march under the Japanese army across the country. I’d like to read more stories set in Malaysia at this time (or any other), but told from a Malaysia person’s point-of-view. The Gift of Rain gets across the Chinese and British views of the Japanese occupation, but not the Malaysian. However, it is a remarkable book that examines complex interactions during a difficult time.

Cowboys are My Weakness by Pam Houston

Pam Houston is one of the authors invited to this year’s The Nature of Words. She writes fiction, although on her website she is quoted as saying that 82% of what she writes is true. That means that her stories are somewhat, but not quite, autobiographical. Cowboys are My Weakness, published in 1992, is filled with stories of tough women in relationships where communication just doesn’t quite happen.

Her stories are mostly set in the west, in places like Montana or Utah. My favorite story in this collection is called “Selway”. The narrator of the story and Jack, her boyfriend, set off to raft a river that is impossibly high with treacherous rapids. Houston does a remarkable job of portraying both the adventure junkie and the girl who won’t back down. “Jack was untamable, but he had some sense and a lot of respect for the river. He relied on me to speak with the voice of reason, to be life-protecting because I’m a woman and that’s how he thinks women are, but I’ve never been protective enough of anything, least of all myself.” This story reminds me of the adrenaline rush of rafting and leaves me wondering why, once I left college, I never went again.

In the title story the protagonist wants to find a cowboy of her own and ends up on a ranch in Montana. I thought the following was pretty interesting to think about: “The west isn’t a place that gives itself up easily. Newcomers have to sink into it slowly, to descend through its layers, and I’m still descending. Like most easterners, I started out in the transitional zones, the big cities and the ski towns that outsiders have set up for their own comfort, the places so often referred to as ‘the best of both worlds.’” Bend, the town Houston is coming to for the The Nature of Words, is a ski town, but has really only been transforming itself into a resort town for outsiders for the last 10 years. Or, at least that is my impression. I wonder where it falls on the scale of being western. It seems the west as an idea doesn’t really encompass the coastal areas where I grew up, but more the big sky open areas from the Cascades to slightly east of the Rockies.

Many of the stories in this collection have dogs or horses in them and her debut novel, and most recent work, is called Sighthound. I am interested to read her next set of short stories called Waltzing the Cat to find out if her heroines have learned how to communicate.

The Nature of Words

The Nature of Words is a literary event taking place in Bend, OR in early November. It brings a number of writers to Bend to discuss their books and offer workshops. It also gets the local papers writing more about books. Each year I try to read a few of the authors coming to town. Last year I enjoyed books by Craig Johnson and Debra Magpie Earling. The previous year I was able to attend a workshop by Alexandra Fuller, author of the memoir Don’t Lets Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood, among other books. I was impressed with her dedication as she spoke of getting up at an insane hour to write before going to her job as a waitress. Her tale of growing up in Africa during a civil war is quite compelling as well as disturbing.

This year the event has author Ursula Le Guin taking part. I highly recommend her Earthsea Trilogy starting with A Wizard of Earthsea. A Wizard of Earthsea was written in 1968, and is the story of a young man becoming a wizard. It has a wizard going to school long before the Harry Potter series. Le Guin’s ability to bring a completely new world into being is remarkable. This series is one I would like to have on my shelf for my kids as they get older, and I should have included it here.

Celebrate Green! by Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson

I recently had the chance to talk with the authors of Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations & Traditions for the Whole Family. Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson, a mother-daughter team, are the co-authors of the book. I focused on asking about green giving and have tried to accurately portray their enthusiasm and expertise.

How do you define green giving succinctly?
Lynn Colwell: The most important aspect is to emphasize the meaning behind the gift, think consciously about the reason for giving it, and the impact on the recipient.
Corey Colwell-Lipson: It is important to consider the impact on people who grew, made or manufactured the gift and on the environment.

You have a lot of suggestions in your book. What would be one good first step towards green giving?
LC: We want people to start small with something doable. For example, you can give an experience. A gift doesn’t need to be wrapped. When you are giving of yourself, the memory will last longer than any gift will. An overnight camping trip with a child is a great gift for a grandparent to give. Look at what people enjoy doing and create a special memorable event.
CCL: Give gifts of yourself. This might be something like making an organic local meal, setting up composting or a garden, or cleaning out your dad’s gutter.
LC: I collect seeds and package them in recycled paper envelopes to give as gifts. It costs almost nothing, and is something I enjoy giving.

Can you explain a little bit about the 3Gs and how they apply to green giving? The 3Gs are that the gift is good for the person, good for the community, and good for the environment.
CCL: The 3Gs are suggestions and we encourage you to consider them in making your holiday and special occasion choices. It is unlikely you can do all three; we call that the green gold ideal. Starting with one G is good.
LC: Having a gift be good for people starts with the people who make it and ends with the consumer.
CCL: So it’s important that workers are treated fairly and not exposed to dangerous chemicals. There is often an opportunity to buy Fair Trade products. A certified Fair Trade item has gone through a process to become certified. However, not all items can be certified. Some that can be are coffee, tea, flowers and wine. For a complete list go to transfairusa.org. Products made by a co-op that states they use fair trade practices are usually a good choice as well. In our book we list many of these places.
LC: These items are appearing more and more in every place imaginable. In a gift shop why not ask, “Have you thought about carrying fair trade items?”
CCL: I like holiday fairs where you can support local artisans. I also enjoy Etsy.com, a site where people sell handmade crafts. If a product says artisan made, it is unlikely it was made in slave labor like conditions. You can always call a company and let them know you like a particular product but are uncomfortable about buying it if you suspect it may have been made by someone who was not making a living wage or was otherwise treated unfairly.
LC: It is amazing how many items are out there in every category that are made in a more people and/or earth-friendly way than even a year ago.

Can you give an example of a gift you’re planning to give this holiday season?
LC: I make as many of my gifts as possible. I like to make useful gifts like books and journals. If I purchase toys, I prefer gifts from Magic Cabin or A Toy Garden online as they have wonderful wooden toys and instruments.
CCL: I like to give etsy gifts made of recycled materials to adults and teens. For kids Dana makes cute toy bugs at dreamalittle7.com.

How do you get people to give you green gifts?
LC: I would never tell someone to give me a green gift; it can be a turnoff and shuts down the conversation. Instead, have a discussion about gifts in general, not couching it in terms of eco-friendly, but these are things I’d love to receive. You can give them a copy of our book, however, it depends on the person. You need to meet people where they are. You don’t want to get in an argument around this subject. I had an interesting incident one time. I made a donation in his name, to an organization that a relative supported and he got really mad at me. He wanted something that I had picked out. It was a complete shock to me.
CCL: Sometimes people will ask you what you would like. Be honest and tell them, “I’m trying to go green and I really love the store Gaiam. Or, I love Save Your World. For every product purchased, they lease one acre of rainforest so that it will remain standing.” Give a direct and enthusiastic response. Share your enthusiasm with family and co-workers throughout the year. When you are giving green gifts, the hope is that they will enjoy them and know that this is something you cherish. One thing we’ve done with our daughters is to put on invitations that “the gift is your presence.” The meaning of a birthday party is to be together and create good memories.

Do you think green ideas are easier to implement or more accepted because you are in the Seattle area?
CCL: Certain pockets of the country are more receptive. I organize Green Halloween around the country. Communities in Los Angeles and San Francisco have been very receptive. Our representative in Daytona, Florida has had more difficulty. There is a feeling that it going to cost more money or it is going to be more difficult to do things in a green way, but it really can be very simple, inexpensive and very rewarding.
LC: We want to awaken people to the alternatives. Oftentimes, major online stores (and some brick and mortar ones as well), give back a percentage of a purchase to a charity. The gift itself is not particularly eco-friendly, but at least you are giving back in some way.

How can interested people purchase a copy of your book?
LC: The best place is from our website: http://www.celebrategreen.net/. Coming up we’ll have some opportunities to get a something free when you purchase the book. Celebrate Green! is also available through Amazon and other online shops. If anyone is interested in using the book for a fundraiser, we have a program set up so that the organization can purchase the book at 40% off and resell it for the cover price. Contact us through our website.
CCL: There is also an option to plant a tree for $1 to offset the impact of making the book, which by the way, is printed on 100% recycled FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified paper.

I enjoyed talking with Corey and Lynn and their enthusiasm is very catching. I have only had time to read the section of Celebrate Green! associated with giving green gifts, but I found a lot of neat ideas that I plan to implement in my holiday giving this year.