As the West and the Islamic Republic of Iran tentatively reach out to one another, Laura Secor’s book, Children of Paradise: the Struggle for the Soul of Iran, is a timely reminder of the birth and development of the Iranian Revolution.  In this book Secor traces the philosophical roots of the overthrow of the Shah in 1979, and the subsequent struggle between hardliners, moderates and reformers within the country.  Secor’s book is a story of the ever-escalating brutality of the hardline leadership against moderate and reform elements, culminating in the fraudulent presidential election of 2009 and the crackdown on the so-called Green Movement.

This book is hard to read, because you continue to hope that moderate elements will prevail within the country when you know that they won’t.  The one thing that I took away from this book is that the Nation of Iran and its people are far greater than any of the unworthies that have led it over the last 60 years.

Daniel Ellsberg was born during the Great Depression and is a hero to aging progressive baby boomers.  He is best known to them as a highly placed analyst in the RAND Corporation, a policy think tank closely associated with the United States Department of Defense.  In 1971, Ellsberg, moved by his conscience, leaked a top secret history of American involvement in Vietnam, commonly known as The Pentagon Papers.  This document revealed that the US Government was lying to its citizens about the nature of its involvement in Vietnam, and had done so consistently under four presidents from Harry Truman to Lyndon Johnson.  Ellsberg saw that the lies were continuing under a fifth president, Richard Nixon, and felt something had to be done.

Edward Snowden can best be described by those fond of labeling the generations, as a Millennial, one who came of age at or around the turn of the new millennium.  Snowden is a computer professional who had been employed by Dell and the CIA before being hired by Booz Allen Hamilton, a contractor to the National Security Agency (NSA).  In 2013, alarmed by the reach of the domestic and global surveillance apparatus, Snowden leaked classified information to the media regarding the extent to which the movements of Americans as well as foreign citizens were being tracked by the NSA.

Following these brave acts their lives took very different paths.  Both were charged under the Espionage Act of 1917, against which it is virtually impossible to mount a defense.  Through government incompetence and bad behavior, all charges against Ellsberg were dismissed.  He is a free man and a high-profile anti-war activist.  There is little prospect of this for Snowden.  While Ellsberg is revered as a hero whose actions helped to bring down the hated Richard Nixon, Snowden, in the post-9/11 surveillance state, is widely reviled by lawmakers as a traitor and a spy and is living in exile in Russia.  President Barack Obama, who so disappointed Snowden, can barely be distinguished from Nixon in his words and actions regarding this revelation.

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

Set in 17th century Amsterdam, Nella Oortman goes from living a country life to marrying into a wealthy but mysterious household.  Her husband, kind but aloof, provides her with a miniature replica of their house to keep her busy.  The miniaturist assisting her in furnishing the house knows too much about their lives.  Will she be able to unravel the mysteries?

Etta and Otto and Russell and James by Emma Hooper

Living in the rolling farmland of Saskatchewan, Etta’s greatest wish is to see the sea.  And so, at the age of 82 , she gets up very early one morning, takes a rifle, some chocolate, and her best boots, and begins walking the 2000 miles to water.

Under Magnolia: a Southern Memoir by Frances Mayes

Frances Mayes, author of Under the Tuscan Sun, recounts her early years growing up in the South and her move to California to forge a new life for herself.  Stories of her very complicated, chaotic and at the same time loving family are embedded in the fabric of this memoir.

One Step Too Far by Tina Seskis

What could motivate a woman to leave her seemingly perfect family for a new life?  Can she really leave her past behind?  What secret could she be hiding?

The Storied Life of A.J. Firky by Gabrielle Zevin

With the death of his wife, tough economic times for his rare book store and the loss of a very rare book from his collection, A.J. Firky found life very challenging.  When Maya, a two year old girl, was left on a his door step with a note from from her mother, his life changed dramatically once again.