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SOUVENIRS by Julia Lauer-Cheenne
is well developed and elegantly written
SOUVENIRS (ISBN:
0979757274
) by Julia Lauer-Cheenne
takes place in the Ivory Coast (Africa) in the 1970’s. The story is told through
the eyes of Ruth, a young Peace Corps Volunteer who finds herself caught between
those who need help and progress and those holding onto old customs. Ruth meets
an African school teacher Kwassi and soon finds herself romantically involved.
“Ruth
met him in the rainy season when the jungle was claustrophobic
with green and mildew. “
SOUVENIRS is well developed and elegantly
written. Memorable characters, setting, culture and history make this book one
of the most unique of the year. In a recent interview the author says,
“The word “souvenirs” means memories in French, and “souvenir” is the verb “to
remember”. From the book’s first inception Souvenirs was the title. I chose it
because as I mentioned earlier the book began as a recollection of different
people, incidents, and dreams from my Peace Corps service in the Ivory Coast.
The structure of the book was originally fragmented similar to an album of
snapshot memories...Souvenirs is about traveling to unknown territory and I hope
readers will experience an unforgettable journey of discovery. I hope this
adventure is outward as represented by the Ivorian environment and inward, as
the story invites readers to explore how it feels to be a stranger, break
taboos, and take risks when nothing is predictable."
SOUVENIRS explores several themes but
none are as strong as the love affair between Ruth and Kwassi. It’s a love that
can’t overcome the cultural differences. Ruth learns the social etiquette but
remains an outsider. The obstacles and differences in culture are just too much
for love to survive.
The word 'souvenir' can be defined as
“something
kept as a reminder of a place, event, friendship…” and this book is all of these
and more. A very good read.
Souvenirs by
Julia Lauer-Cheenne
Publisher: Community Press
ISBN-10: 0979757274
About
the Author: Julia Lauer-Chéenne was born in Kansas and
grew up in Iowa. In 1974 she graduated from the University of Iowa with
a B.A. in French, joined the Peace Corps and headed off to the Ivory
Coast, Africa for two years. Her life was never the same. One journey
led to another and before she knew it that "worthless" degree in foreign
language had opened many magical doors including a job in France and a
French husband to go with it. Her life has taken many twists and turns
but the main threads may be summarized as a series of degrees and work
experience: a paralegal degree in l976, a Masters followed by a Ph.D. in
Modern Languages and Literature from the University of Nebraska in 1991,
over thirty years of teaching English as a second language in colleges
in Chicago and Lincoln, Nebraska as well as over 20 years of artistic
endeavors as a professional photographer and mixed media artist. She
loves language, literature, reading, and writing; "I love traveling,
adventure, and exploration. Art pulls these passions together, allowing
my imagination to reinvent, revisit, and reestablish my role and my
vision as teacher and artist." Visit her online at
http://jlauer-cheenne.com and
http://www.communitypresshome.com/julia_lauer_cheenne.html
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