Did you ever think that a white author like Orson Scott Card could nail writing a compelling black character in a story set in the 2000’s in America – a tale about a magical child and race and belonging in the suburbs. Black cops, white victims, black kids not quite rich, not quite poor.
It was interesting to say the least. Not like The Hate U Give but still very interesting.
The Call of Earth continues the story of Nafai, his family, and the few other people selected by the Oversoul to leave the city of Basilica, and their former lives.
When the human refugees from a ruined Earth founded a colony on the planet Harmony, they determined that this world would not be devastated by the endless cycle of vicious warfare that had characterised human life from the beginning.
They didn’t try to change human nature. Instead they installed a powerful computer, called the Oversoul, and gave it the task of governing human affairs by subtly influencing human minds. That was millions of years ago. Now the Oversoul is growing weak, breaking down. It must be returned to Earth, to the master computer called the Keeper of Earth, to be repaired. The Oversoul must have human help to make that journey.
Title: The Memory of Earth
Series: Homecoming
Number in Series: 1 (one)
Author: Orson Scott Card
Original Publisher: Tor Books
Originally Published: March 1992
If you’ve read The Alvin Maker series by Orson Scott Card, you’ll probably enjoy this interlude in the travels of Arthur Stuart and Alvin. They meet another great American character called “Davy Crockett” or “The Grinning Man” due to the fact that his knack is “grinning” at things until they do what he wants them to do.
I was encouraged by both the title and the cover art for this novel that Alvin was finally going to take that golden plough out of his poke and finally lay the ground for his city, and in that regard I am not disappointed. However, this is still not the climax of the tale.
Using the lore and the folk-magic of the men and women who settled North America, Orson Scott Card has created an alternate world where magic works, and where that magic has colored the entire history of the colonies. Charms and beseechings, hexes and potions, all have a place in the lives of the people of this world. Dowsers find water, the second sight warns of dangers to come, and a torch can read a person’s future—or their heart.
In 448 pages, one of my favourite authors, Orson Scott Card, explores the life of Moses, life in Egypt, the Israelites slavery accounts and his adoption into one of the most powerful families – the one of the pharaoh.
This was quite an interesting read. Did you know that Moses stuttered? Did you know that his real mother breastfed him and taught him the language of the slaves? Did you know that the princess adopted the boy she found in the river to consolidate her power and said that the River God gifted her an heir? Did you know that instead of killing off the offspring of the Israelites as a form of population control, the Egyptians asked them to put them in a boat in a river and if they topped over and died it was the will of the Gods?
What about the fact that the priests had such a great power and were involved in politics and that the only way that Pharaohs could escape them was to declare themselves Gods?
It was a good book. Initially created as a play for Broadway, the script was taken and converted into a book to be read alongside other biblical stories like Sarah (Women of Genesis, Book 1) By Orson Scott Card and Rebekah (Women of Genesis) (Book 2) – Orson Scott Card
I have finally found a book from Orson Scott Card that I could not finish. He has written some amazing stories so far. I loved each and every one of them – either the fairytales or the space exploration. Even the biblical stories and I don’t do religion. Here are some of my favourites to date:
But this book did not sing well in my ears.
Having read Enchantment, I figured another fairy tale book from Orson Scott Card would prove a good and entertaining read. I am quite happy to tell you that yes, yes it was. Built in the style of German fairy tales, the story line contains some PG13 content and sometimes some PG15 content. It’s not for the squeamish as it contains one rape scene of an underage child, one feeding of a child to a snake pit and some gruesome tales of conjoined twins. Not going to mention torture and incest. If you liked “A song of ice and fire”, you’re in the right spot.
If you can get over these scenes, you will definitely enjoy this book – a coming of age story and a good vs evil fairytale. Card himself calls this his best writing ever and I completely agree. It is a very “dark” fantasy so don’t go into this looking for a “feel good” book.
“With delicacy and insight, incorporating folk tales and folk magic with mountain lore and other authentic details, Orson Scott Card has evoked a vision of America as it might have been.” –Greensboro Tribune-Review
I love the Alvin Maker books. Even though how I imagine Alvin and how he currently looks on all covers are two distinct concepts. This is not one of those books were the guys are hulky and offer a once-in-a-lifetime romance to a swoony lady. This is a book about the hard truths of slavery in America – before the civil war that wrecked the country and took countless lives. This is the story of Peggy Smith as she tries to convince the king in exile, living in the appropriately named city of Camelot, to free the slaves.
This is the story about witch trials and the post-Salem mentality of priests and people. This is about law making and law breaking.
While it serves as an interlude to the Crystal City, this book can stand on its own and offer quite an accurate description of witchers, trials, torture methods and on the other end – life of a slave- without rage, without a name, without a heartfire.
