It’s Week Two of Nonfiction November and it’s Doing Dewey’s week – see the main post here.
Week 2: (November 8-12) – Book Pairing with Katie at Doing Dewey: This week, pair up a nonfiction book with a fiction title. It can be a “If you loved this book, read this!” or just two titles that you think would go well together. Maybe it’s a historical novel and you’d like to get the real history by reading a nonfiction version of the story.
I usually find this week quite tricky, because it’s difficult if you don’t read much historical fiction, I think. Well, both novels I’m choosing this time are historical novels, so that bears my theory out!
The Sagas keep everyone going
In my first pairing, I put Sally Magnusson’s novel “The Sealwoman’s Gift” and the memoir/travelogue “Saga Land” together. Full disclosure: I haven’t finished reading “Saga Land” yet. But in both, the Icelandic sagas are woven through the narrative, being retold in fuller form in “Saga Land” but with Guðrun from Laxdaela Saga appearing in both. In “The Sealwoman’s Gift”, the sagas anchor the central character in her old world when she’s confronted with a new one, and in “Saga Land” they act as a link from Australia to Iceland and as something to return to when Kari confronts his past and patrimony.
In addition, both book covers feature a lovely depiction of the sea, in almost the same colour!
The Gambia then and now
For my second pairing, I’m taking Alex Haley’s “Roots” as a historical novel rather than a work of straight nonfiction: like “The Sealwoman’s Gift”, it uses real people’s lives and historical events / ways of living in the world, but Haley invents the details and discussions within that (no less powerfully, of course). The first third of the book is set in The Gambia, and even after Kunta Kinte has left his home continent, he thinks back to it, and Haley returns there at the end, and Toufah Jallow’s memoir, “Toufah” is also set in The Gambia. I found the contrast of the sophisticated rural village system in the 19th century and the sophisticated yet corrupted urban system in the 21st century interesting, and the fact that women’s lives in both seemed to be controlled and made smaller by the men, but certain women stand out and stand apart.
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Do you think these pairings work?
Lory
Nov 08, 2021 @ 09:12:38
Great pairings! I’ve been meaning to read Roots (I think it should definitely be considered a novel, from what I understand) and the memoir you pair it with sounds amazing. I also would love to learn more about the world of the Norse Sagas and your pairing looks terrific for that. Thanks for the inspiration.
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Liz Dexter
Nov 08, 2021 @ 09:39:42
Ooh brilliant, glad I could provide some inspiration there. Roots is amazing to read, and not too challenging either despite its length (I mean, the content is challenging but it’s as hard to read as its size implies!).
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Deb Nance at Readerbuzz
Nov 08, 2021 @ 14:24:48
The Icelandic books sound fascinating. I’m not sure I’ve ever read much set in Iceland.
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Liz Dexter
Nov 08, 2021 @ 14:45:22
They are! I did my first Be the Expert on Iceland books in 2019 https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2019/11/12/non-fiction-november-week-three-be-the-expert-become-the-expert/ and read quite a lot of them as I’m fairly obsessed with Iceland, I’ve been there four times and run the Reykjavik Marathon!
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kaggsysbookishramblings
Nov 08, 2021 @ 15:58:17
Excellent pairings Liz! 😀
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Liz Dexter
Nov 08, 2021 @ 16:14:26
Thank you – I’m so chuffed I managed two!
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whatsnonfiction
Nov 08, 2021 @ 19:28:59
I hadn’t heard of Toufah and I don’t think I’ve read anything from Gambia, so I may have to check that one out! And I also didn’t notice – at least not overtly – but you’re completely right, this is definitely a topic that skews towards historical fiction!
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Liz Dexter
Nov 08, 2021 @ 20:55:43
Yes, it’s why I struggle each year with this week! It was odd when I don’t read many books set in Africa to have two set in The Gambia, but useful for this!
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heavenali
Nov 08, 2021 @ 20:25:46
Great pairings. I was definitely interested in Toufah after reading your review recently. I’m not surprised at all to see you pairing the Icelandic books.
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Liz Dexter
Nov 08, 2021 @ 20:56:10
Got to work Iceland in somewhere! It’s Africa all the way for next week …
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kookyrunner
Nov 08, 2021 @ 21:23:03
I have seen the movie for roots but never read the book. That’s something I would like to do eventually.
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Liz Dexter
Nov 09, 2021 @ 09:35:21
I imagine it would be pretty traumatic reading, but if you’ve seen the movie, you would know to steel yourself, and the last parts are fairly hopeful – also the stuff about him tracing his roots is fascinating. Obviously I came at it from a White British angle, so a couple of steps removed from the events in it, though there is some British chicken-fighting involved!
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Katie | Doing Dewey ❤️ (@DoingDewey)
Nov 09, 2021 @ 02:45:59
In general, something I’d like to get out of my reading is learning more about the world, so I love both of these pairings. It’s pretty neat that you found both fiction and nonfiction that use the device of retelling Icelandic sagas in sections throughout the book. A fun reminder that fiction and nonfiction aren’t so different in a lot of ways 🙂
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Liz Dexter
Nov 09, 2021 @ 09:36:37
Thank you for popping over to my blog (and hosting this Week on the challenge!). Yes, this is how I think too, and I probably cheated slightly in that unless I’m just seeking pure escapism, I use my fiction reading to learn about the world in a similar way! So not too separate in these pairings at all!
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shelleyrae @ Book'd Out
Nov 09, 2021 @ 11:19:49
I think it is somewhat easier to pair historical & nonfiction. I appreciate you sharing your recommendations
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Liz Dexter
Nov 09, 2021 @ 16:32:37
Yes, it does seem to be. Lucky me, having some recent ones I could use!
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thecontentreader
Nov 09, 2021 @ 15:38:30
Great pairing. I always have a soft spot for the Icelandic sagas.
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Liz Dexter
Nov 09, 2021 @ 16:33:06
Thank you, and yes, indeed, and in Saga Land I’m finding some new ones I’d never encountered before!
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whisperinggums
Nov 11, 2021 @ 05:51:45
I think your second one showed you that historical fiction is only one way to go. Memoirs can also point to novels. Science writing could point to, depending on the science, a dystopia or science fiction! I love this pairing week… such good fun and your pairs are great!
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whisperinggums
Nov 11, 2021 @ 05:52:21
Is NOT the only way to go, I meant!
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Liz Dexter
Nov 11, 2021 @ 10:23:06
Yes, I take your point, I just always find it hard to manage this week so was pleased to get two, and glad you and others have liked them. I have WAY more than the “Three or more” for next week, however!
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whisperinggums
Nov 11, 2021 @ 11:58:01
Ha ha, yes … I’m trying to work how to narrow it!
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Liz Dexter
Nov 11, 2021 @ 12:32:04
I’m just going for it! People have been asking me for reccs in the category I’ve chosen so I’ve put the lot down.
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whisperinggums
Nov 11, 2021 @ 21:40:35
Why not! Look forward to seeing it.
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WordsAndPeace
Nov 12, 2021 @ 03:18:13
Great pairings indeed!
Here are mine: https://wordsandpeace.com/2021/11/08/nonfiction-november-2021-book-pairings/
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Liz Dexter
Nov 12, 2021 @ 10:31:53
Thank you! I’d looked at yours already but forgot to comment after I’d Liked them! Good work there, too!
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Christopher | Plucked from the Stacks
Nov 18, 2021 @ 16:53:05
Saga Land sounds fantastic. Definitely adding it to my TBR pile.
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Liz Dexter
Nov 18, 2021 @ 18:34:08
It’s brilliant, highly recommended. I hope you manage to get hold of a copy!
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buriedinprint
Nov 22, 2021 @ 00:19:26
These are great pairings! And my copy of Roots from the library was definitely classified as non-fiction, so no need to explain that one.
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Liz Dexter
Nov 22, 2021 @ 07:34:13
Well it has to be fiction to work in this pairing, but it’s not a problem for me to see it as historical fiction.
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