Thoughtful Summer Reads

I am an avid reader. I usually have at least a couple of books going at a time. Reading offers me a broader perspective on the world and its people as well as access to new ideas and information. When I read, I'm never sure how what I read will fit in my life, but more often than not, my reading proves useful. I just finished reading two really different books, Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman, and the latest Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows by J. K. Rowling.

Life and Fate is written by a Russian combat war correspondent during World War II. It covers the defense of Stalingrad for sure, but also the Nazi death camps, and challenges the climate in the Soviet Union during Stalin’s rule. It is a book of monumental proportions that has been compared to Tolstoy's War and Peace. For me, I was struck by how Grossman addressed the consequences of fascism on the human soul and how one is led to stand against a state whose absolute power can be crushing in its impact. This novel was judged to be so dangerous in the Soviet Union that the manuscript and the ribbons on which it was typed were confiscated by the state in 1960. The book was arrested, not the author. A secret copy was smuggled out of the USSR ten years later and was published in Europe and North America in the mid 80s.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows was released to world wide acclaim and a bit of controversy over its early appearance on the Internet. Without spoiling the story for those still reading, what struck me about it was one person's struggle against powerful forces not simply of evil, but also of organized government who feared how citizens would react if they understood the truth of their current situation.

In both cases, the characters struggle to do good in the face of a fearful and oppressive structure that is as much afraid of the power of the individual's idea. Both speak to me of the importance of standing on principle, pursuing dreams, while being aware that such pursuits have consequences.

At Avila, we try to help our students become aware of justice related issues, concerns for the poor, and to form them so that they might act on conscience, be driven by their faith and values, and make a difference in their world. Both of these books served to remind me of the importance of this mission.