Rebecca Hazell

Historical fiction is a wonderful genre. The reader learns so much about historical times, people, and places that they might not have otherwise learned, especially if the book is well-researched. This book is exactly that. I honestly cannot remember learning of Kievan Rus, even in my many college history classes. In The Grip of God, we are introduced to Sofia, a princess of Kievan Rus. And so the education begins.

The book is set smack dab in the midst of the Mongolian invasion. The Mongols are poised to invade and conquer Kievan Rus and Sofia's father, fearing for her safety, sends her ahead to Constantinople with an army of guards and many peasants in tow. The guards are vigilant in their protection of Sofia, but they prove no match for the mite of the Mongols and their raiding parties. Sofia is captured and taken to a Mongolian ordu where she is made to serve an up and coming Mongolian warrior, Argamon, and become his slave...in more ways than one.

Sofia is very naive and, I must say, uppity in the beginning, but as the book progresses, she grows as a person, both in intelligence and compassion. I really liked Sofia and enjoyed reading of her trials and triumphs, although the latter were few and far between. At the heart of Sofia's transformation is a struggle with her spirituality. Raised as an Orthodox Christian, she finds it difficult to embrace the religious tolerance of the Mongols. Her friendship with Dorje, a translator and Buddhist monk, helps her to somewhat reconcile her conflict. Dorje's words of wisdom and conversations with Sofia really guided her transformation. Sofia also becomes close with Q'ing-ling, Argamon's mother, and receives spiritual guidance from her as well. Below are two passages, the first from Sofia that evidences her spiritual conflict and the second from Q'ing-ling which shows her guidance and compassion.

"The heart must find ways to shield itself, if it is not to turn to rock or be crushed by the woes of this world, but I did not know that yet, and mine found none. I was crushed in another way, by shame that my petty dramas and the pleasures of the flesh had chased away the grief I should be feeling. I must be damned!" (Sofia)

"As to your fear of damnation, I leave it to someone more learned than I am to decide about reward and punishment. But this I know for certain: we cannot act in hope for heaven or fear of hell. Some people choose to live in love and some do not, and some who call themselves Christian do not choose to love." (Q'ing-ling)

The Grip of God is a masterful historical novel. The author has created characters who are real and who invite us to live along with them. The story is engaging, touching and exciting, backed up by rich historical detail. Sofia's story carries on and I can't wait to join her again in Solomon's Bride.
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A beautifully illustrated picture book that tells the classic Buddhist tale of a young servant girl's profound and life-changing encounter with the Buddha--for children ages 5-10.

In this retelling of a famous Buddhist anecdote, Padme, a young servant girl, meets the Buddha as she is sweeping her master's house. When she laments to him that she is so busy that she would never have time to meditate, he gives her the instruction to "sweep and clean." This simple mindfulness practice transforms Padme's life, and when she encounters the Buddha many years later, he sees how powerful this practice has been in her life. Rebecca Hazell, an artist, author, and longtime Buddhist, tells the story in a simple but compelling way, and has created lush, color-saturated illustrations to accompany the text.The Sweeperis an appealing read-aloud book, but it will also engage older children who are comfortable reading on their own.… (more)

As I read “The Barefoot Book of Heroic Children”. I was struck by a few things: First, I was impressed by the fact that the stories of heroic children were from all over the world. The book features tales about children from Holland, Germany, West Africa, France, Tibet, North America, Israel (“Biblical”), Scotland, Japan, and Pakistan. The children featured are all different races and come from different backgrounds. I appreciate that this book doesn’t just focus on white or mainstream characters. This book seems like a fantastic way to incorporate multicultural teaching practices into the classroom. Additionally the narrative structure of writing (as though the heroic children are talking directly to you) hooks readers by making them feel as though they are part of the story. I also loved the books’ beautiful watercolor illustrations; I felt that they added to the story’s imaginative feel.… (more)