Reviews: Mumma Shana

Mumma Shana is a novel that explores what it is to be trapped by tradition.  Dorie a Jewish woman finds love caught between the cracks of two faiths: Judaism, and Christianity.   She looks for an answer to fill the gaps in her life. At first she thinks this is with guys.  She looks for her knight in shinning armor, only to find men whose shine has lost its luster.  She  finds herself in relationships that abuse her as a woman.  However, she holds onto a hope that she will find the glue to connect the pieces.  The mosaic will make her whole in a shattered world.

I do not believe that reading from the point of view of a female, makes me a better guy.  I find this viewpoint to be a good gateway to understanding my wife and friends. at    Mumma Shana by Dana Wolf is my romance for the year.  The author asked me to read this book, and I was given a review copy. As it was a bit girly the book took a little prodding from the author to finish it. 

I am glad I got prodded.    

I am  in love with the main character Dorrie, I want to save her and build a place for her, that is if I was not married.  The book is a pleasure and shows one woman's thoughts towards the men she loves. I came away with a fuller sense of the magnitude of love in my marriage. A great book for any man that asks, "Why does she feel this way?" Why do women stay with creeps?  Why did my wife stay with me when I was an asshole?  This book is a piece of beauty although tragic.

Mumma Shana has great insight.  I also love the description of her struggles with fitting into a Goy and Jewish world.  This has been a struggle for me and my family for ever.  My mother had an orthodox conversion from Christianity (Lutheranism) to Judaism.  Then I found Christ in my life and could not let go.   The whole emotional playground is profound, and I am thankful that a writer  has attempted to write of the struggle in a way that is real, authentic, and enriching.     *

The over use of colloquial words, drew me away from the narrative.   (eg.  Last Straw used in 83% read))  I already knew that Dorrie was at her last straw with Peter;  because of all of the description used before-hand.  Danna do a great job of developing the plot, she needs to trust her readers ability to understand her words.  This is her first novel, so I believe this will develop more in her writing career. **

* **This note was written to the author on  9.13.2012

Reading Response

Some of Your Blood by Theodore Sturgeon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 Disturbing psychology of what makes a vampire a vampire. The novel presents as a case file of Dr. Philip Outerbridge. Dr Philip is terrified by the case of George and hopes to present his findings to the colonel who wants to know what made George so angry that he hit his commanding officer. The possibilities explored are tremendous.Some of your blood is a vampire psychological novel that examines the matriculation of evil from birth to the age of twenty three.
Theodore Sturgeon does a great job looking at developmental physiologically and especially keen observation o the Havelock Ellis Principal. The Havelock Ellis principle states:"That any mutual act - any one, providing only that it was not forced by one upon the other, and was an expression of love is moral." Sturgeon yields a command of psychology as a tool.
From the tool he asks the following terrorizing questions: Is it possible to create a vampire by defining social norms which would reward the blood sucking event? What would happen if love was connected to the harm of the giver? George learns to seek the comfort of blood because his mother sacrifices herself.
Sturgeon further examines: What if the social conditioning and the pain from punishment came with crimes or no crime committed, would this create a psychopath? What is role of punishment? What should punishment's role be in society? How do the first two years socially construct an individual? Is an individual beyond the ability to be reconditioned from a traumatic childhood? How much are we products of our parents and the environment we are born into?
The book was terrifying . The middle section, George's story, might get a reader bogged down, but blast through that part and you will find a blood red orange.
This was my first book by Theodore Sturgeon I have read, and am interested in reading more by the author.


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