When I picked up The Panopticon, by Jenni Fagan, the cover and the description on the inside flap of the book made it sound like a psychological thriller: a teenaged Scottish orphan “is an anonymous part of an experiment, and she always was. Now it seems that the experiment is closing in.” It made me think of Firestarter by Stephen King or, to go old school, 1977’s I Am the Cheese by Robert Cormier. Unfortunately, the book was not what I thought it would be. The “experiment” is just what Anais calls the hands of fate, or the powers that be, that seem to be conspiring to make her life in and out of foster care and group homes a living hell. Her struggles with drugs, crime and a lack of a sense of identity have plagued her from a young age, and the novel details how she survives, bruised and scarred, and eventually tries to reinvent herself. It is a fine book, compelling as a story of realistic fiction, but when I was expecting one genre and got a totally different one, I was disappointed. It’s like when you gulp from a glass expecting water and instead it’s milk . . . neither drink tastes bad, but you’re surprised and a little put off.

I’d recommend this book for anyone who likes to read about survivors of dysfunctional families, foster care, or drug abuse. The cast of characters is moving and heartbreaking, starting with the narrator, Anais, and her now-dead adoptive mother Theresa, a prostitute with a big heart. The friends that Anais makes at Panopticon, the group home she’s placed in while under investigation for assault on a police officer, are diverse and interesting. There are several wildly imaginative trippy scenes, some literal as a result of drug use and others more profound as Anais tries to understand her place in the world.

One challenge to reading the book is the Scottish slang, which you can usually figure out from the context. The bigger issue is the Scottish dialect, words like “cannae” for cannot, “tae” for “to” and “dinnae” for don’t. Scotland is one of those countries that speaks English, but a version that sounds very different from what we speak in the U.S. It took some getting used to. One last thing, there is generous use of the f— word so if that offends, then this book is not for you. There is also one brutal assault scene that could disturb some readers.

Over the summer I picked up The Red Tent by Anita Diamant for some poolside reading, with the expectation that most of the writing would go straight over my head. In reality, this piece of historical fiction was one of the best books I have read all year. I felt like I was transported back to another time and place.

The Red Tent is set in Biblical times in the Middle East and Egypt. The story is told from the point of view of Dinah, the only daughter of the Jacob made famous in the Book of Genesis. Jacob was known for having four wives: Leah, Rachel, Billah, and Zilpah. Though Dinah was a child of Leah, she grew up surrounded by three other mothering figures, whom she referred to as aunts. Dinah’s narrative begins before she was even born and has an omniscient quality. The book starts with the day Jacob arrives near Laban’s camp in the desert. Laban is the father of Rachel and Leah and the father figure of Billah and Zilpah. On the very same day of his arrival, Jacob, who we soon learn is actually a cousin of the girls, proposes marriage to the beautiful Rachel. This offer is refused on account o her young age, but Jacob stays and becomes a valued family member and honored guest, working hard in the fields and managing Laban’s herd of sheep until the family is wealthier than they had ever been before. Thanks to a prank played by Zilpah, Jacob ends up marrying Leah first, but is soon followed by Rachel. Billah and Zilpah are given to Jacob as part of the dowry and, though they never actually marry, those women too become his wives. Dinah is born amidst 12 boys by a combination of the wives, and is treated by her mothers as one of the women. She spends time in the red tent, the women’s tent, and listens to their stories, advice, and complaints. Dinah learns of her mothers’ different relationships with her unusually kind father: Leah’s intellectual one, Rachel’s passionate one, Billah’s caring one, and Zilpah’s distant one. When Jacob’s family packs up and leaves Laban, who had become greedy and abusive, Dinah recounts life on the road for months until the clan finally settles in modern day Israel. Life for Dinah changes with her new location, and visits to Egypt introduce her to her true love and future husband, a young king. They live in happiness for only a brief reprieve before a tragic event provides a catalyst for the greatest adventure of Dinah’s life.

I enjoyed reading this book for many reasons, but primarily because I found it fascinating to see what life was like for a woman in Biblical times. Dinah had very little interaction with her fathers and brothers, but came to know her mothers better than she knew herself. Dinah portrays Leah as strong and wise Rachel as more beautiful, loving, and sensitive; Zilpah as mysterious and constantly making predictions of the future; and Billah as lovable and quiet. I also liked the way the story was told. The author matches the narration to Dinah’s age, for example, she observes different things at age 10 than at age 20, and responds to her surroundings differently. The Red Tent is not hard to read at all and written in modern English, making it quick and enjoyable.

I would recommend this book for anyone who likes history class at school, but without all of the small details and memorization. This book transports you, and while you are in the desert with Jacob’s family, you cannot help but learn about their beliefs, culture, and way of life. I would also suggest this book as a read for girls, because it focuses mainly on a woman’s role and issues only a female would have faced. Finally, I think it is important to have a general knowledge of Jacob’s story in the Bible because it provides a foundation Anita Diamant builds on. Overall, I would give this book a solid five stars because once I cracked the spine I could not bear to put it down until I had finished!

If you didn’t already know, this is Mrs. Christine Fay, one of the greatest English teachers here at Hanover High School. Mrs. Fay has been teaching English at Hanover High since September of 2003. This year, Fay is teaching sophomores, juniors and two sections of Advanced Placement Language and Composition. In the past, she has also taught freshman and seniors, but she truly enjoys teaching juniors because “they start to get serious about making some major decisions regarding their futures.” She likes to help guide them through that whole process.

Mrs. Fay’s favorite book is Angle of Repose by  her favorite author, Wallace Stegner. In this 1971 novel, you read about a man’s family living in the Midwest during the gold rush. Lyman Ward, fictional narrator of the book, also includes details about the disappointments of his life, including his divorce. “It really starts to feel as if you are living with the characters,” says Fay.

Interestingly enough, Fay found her love for reading at a very young age. At just the age of 7, Fay had started reading chapter books. Little House on the Prairie, one of the children’s books from the series by Laura Ingalls Wilder, was what opened Fay’s eyes into reading and she hasn’t stopped reading since. Not only was she reading at age 7, but she wrote a few books herself! “I used to write little picture books,” says Fay. More recently, Fay edited and published Walled-In: Anthology of the Apes! I guess you could say she’s definitely stepped it up since her picture book phase. This is not a novel, but a compilation of original writings, written by her AP students. A copy is available in the library or you can purchase this on Lulu.com!

Although Mrs. Fay could recommend countless books to countless students, one book she would recommend to all HHS students is Please Stop Laughing at Me by Jodee Blanco. This tells of the author’s experiences being bullied in school. “It makes you think twice before you say something” says Fay. ” And it gives you hope that it gets better.” It teaches you that “sometimes great adversity can lead to great success.”