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The Beduins' Gazelle
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From: Ginny Kruse <gmkruse>
Date: Thu, 27 Jun 1996 14:35:00 -600
The Beduins' Gazelle by Frances Temple (Orchard, 1996) was discussed the May book discussion at the CCBC here on campus. This 150-page companion to The Ramsay Scallop (Orchard, 1994) links the stories of desert-born Halima, "a girl slim and strong as a date palm, fleet-footed as a gazelle...", and Etienne - the young French Pilgrim whom readers might remember from The Ramsay Scallop. Etienne is now studying Arabic in Fez, North Morocco. The time is the year 680 of the Hegira according to the Muslim calendar; according to the Christian calendar, the year is 1302. During our discussion, we were struck by how this fast-paced story unfolds in short chapters full of the details of life, personality, place, and culture. We noticed that The Beduins' Gazelle is filled with pairs of opposites: two stories: a young woman's story and a young man's story (both are
"foreigners" or outsiders at one point or another during the story); rural (desert) life and urban (university) life; two family or tribal groups (warring) - and more, I imagine. The final resolution of the conflict occurs in what would be opposite of what most Westerners would expect. We were amazed at how easily readers can sense another's practice of Islam, how quickly readers are transported inside some of the life and work of Beduin people centuries ago. Once again Temple suggests the cultural, geographic and political dimensions of her character's lives without losing track of her story. One does not need to read The Ramsay Scallop in order to enjoy The Beduins' Gazelle. Just because they are linked does not make one a sequel to the other, even though Frances Temple had planned to complete this story cycle as a trilogy. Let's go back to one version of Katy Horning's question: do readers of either or both of these two books see other ways in which they can be compared to Frances Temple's novels set in contemporary Haiti and Central America? Sincerely, Ginny Moore Kruse
(gmkruse at ccbc.soemadison.wisc.edu)
Received on Thu 27 Jun 1996 03:35:00 PM CDT
Date: Thu, 27 Jun 1996 14:35:00 -600
The Beduins' Gazelle by Frances Temple (Orchard, 1996) was discussed the May book discussion at the CCBC here on campus. This 150-page companion to The Ramsay Scallop (Orchard, 1994) links the stories of desert-born Halima, "a girl slim and strong as a date palm, fleet-footed as a gazelle...", and Etienne - the young French Pilgrim whom readers might remember from The Ramsay Scallop. Etienne is now studying Arabic in Fez, North Morocco. The time is the year 680 of the Hegira according to the Muslim calendar; according to the Christian calendar, the year is 1302. During our discussion, we were struck by how this fast-paced story unfolds in short chapters full of the details of life, personality, place, and culture. We noticed that The Beduins' Gazelle is filled with pairs of opposites: two stories: a young woman's story and a young man's story (both are
"foreigners" or outsiders at one point or another during the story); rural (desert) life and urban (university) life; two family or tribal groups (warring) - and more, I imagine. The final resolution of the conflict occurs in what would be opposite of what most Westerners would expect. We were amazed at how easily readers can sense another's practice of Islam, how quickly readers are transported inside some of the life and work of Beduin people centuries ago. Once again Temple suggests the cultural, geographic and political dimensions of her character's lives without losing track of her story. One does not need to read The Ramsay Scallop in order to enjoy The Beduins' Gazelle. Just because they are linked does not make one a sequel to the other, even though Frances Temple had planned to complete this story cycle as a trilogy. Let's go back to one version of Katy Horning's question: do readers of either or both of these two books see other ways in which they can be compared to Frances Temple's novels set in contemporary Haiti and Central America? Sincerely, Ginny Moore Kruse
(gmkruse at ccbc.soemadison.wisc.edu)
Received on Thu 27 Jun 1996 03:35:00 PM CDT
