A Book That Stole My Heart by Cara Haley

      For me, I will always admire a good book with a strong storyline, dynamic characters that has a meaningful relationship amongst each other, and of course, a logical adventure that thrives towards significance. So when I read The Book Thief  by Markus Zusak, I was easily able to grasp unto the storyline with attentiveness. It starts off in the gloomy time period of World War II in Germany where the Nazis reigned in terror and the end was everywhere. Hope was robbed and many starved for some actual salvation. Life was hard, but not nearly as hard as some had to endure. Death itself was the narrator during this colorless rubble. So many predictions, so many dead, and yet, somehow everything was good for a moment, but was hindered in awfulness for the next. However, one young girl after her miserable loss, found a new beginning.
   She was innocent, yet was slaved in suffering, growing Liesel Meminger was fostered in the home of the Hubermann's after she witnessed her brother's death and mother's carelessness. Her foster father, who served more like a true father, Hans Hubermann, was a man of guidance and morals. He appreciated fairness and that was what separated him from the others who followed heedlessly around him. His reminder of a savior stayed with him and influenced his foster daughter's future forever. Actions can lead stronger than flat empty words could ever. But wise words are as powerful as war itself. With that influential, but deadly material, a learning mind sought out for more expertise. This was the beginning of a leading story.
    Liesel Meminger was a girl with a mountain to climb. When she discovered, actually more like resurrected, her love for books, she sought out to learn these confusing unknown words. With her desire for meaning and escape, she allowed some simple penned letters to fulfill her world. And that world grew in wonder with the tremendous help of her father. Never greedy when she was seeking this knowledge that books gave her, Liesel shared her stolen words with others when only crowded isolation blinded everyone together. But oh, she did steal several things from the destructive flames of deception. Passionately driven, her zest could not simply be tamed. Her love for books is what brought even more understanding between her and the earnest reader. She held unto the world that saved her from drowning in those nightmarish memories and she was unable to let it go. Why abandon your salvation that not only holds you, but your memories as well? With bravery, she fought for what she loved and what she loved was more than she was herself.
    This story captures a youthful desirous heart that is led throughout heaps of difficulties. And while everything was bound to fall, she held on. She learns to love what she loses and was left behind with only the memories of unsaid faded goodbyes. This tale is an enjoyment and will bring a questioning fate upon you. The demand for the "lovely ugly words" gave power to those  who knew how to speak persuasively. It showed the historical swelling of the world in selfishness and the blame it brought on the rest of us. And how it all ended with rumbles where even death was overwhelmed with the scattered emptiness. Left alone, death didn't do the only stealing...We weren't born with the immediate desire to take, but we do have a deep intimate passion that burns inside of us. And that can and will drive a person to extent. What are we willing to give up to keep a secret? What will we leave behind in order to obtain that little piece of happiness? "Can a person steal happiness? Or is it just another internal, infernal human trick?" But it is wonderful truly when you open a book and a new adventure sprouts out all around you. It takes a certain degree of sacrifice to leave behind those things that you preciously love. The whole world saw the realization of an innocent child with a passion  and that left wondering in many of our hearts. What would you do to help another? Would you listen to those deception of lies raised above you or will you risk everything for a burning ending?

Remembrance of "Gone with the Wind" by Cara Haley

          Gone with the Wind is a classical historical novel written by Margaret Mitchell. Published in 1936, this novel earned a National Book Award by American Bestsellers Association less than a year later. No sooner than two years following in 1939, Gone with the Wind was marvelously filmed into a two part movie. This film was awarded with ten Academy Awards, which included praise for its golden staring cast, featuring leading actress Vivien Leigh, who elegantly portrayed Scarlet O'Hara, and awarding Best Director, the honorable Victor Fleming. This film was masterly pieced and neatly illustrated most of the emotions that were in the book. Unlike the majority of movies made, this film kept many of the details that were in the book and didn't slaughter its grand potential. In my own opinion, I think that is what made it contain such excellence.
         Reading the book was much of an enjoyment. Its almost a thousand pages filled with an admirable story that begun during the time of the American Civil War. It opened up in Tara, Georgia, where southern star belle, Scarlet O'Hara, lived with wealth on a splendorous plantation, gaining anything she pleased. Always with everything at leisure, Scarlet O'Hara comes to a grave displeasure when Ashley Wilkes (who is played by Leslie Howard), her one true love, marries Melanie Hamilton (who is played by Olivia de Havilland). Out of jealousy and seeking favor in Ashley's eyes, Scarlet marries another and flounders in riches. But all is short lived, for the men went off to war, including Scarlet's newly wedded husband, Charles Hamilton (played by Rand Brooks) who happens to be Melanie's brother. Left behind in the company of Melanie Hamilton Wilkes, Scarlet is apathetic, wearing black to mourn for her hardly loved dead husband. Scarlet though finds herself in a situation with devious Rhett Butler (played by Clark Gable), who happened to overhear her love declaration to Ashley Wilkes earlier and is now taunting for her love. Without a realization of the feelings felt towards her, Scarlet only seeks for herself.
         Scarlet's life continues with a diverting plot, one which shows a full insight on the selfishness left crowded inside her heart, one that in fact, blinds any awareness towards life's integrity. With only the determination to gain wealth once more, Scarlet pretentiously deceives and uses anyone  with a heavy purse in her sight, including Rhett Butler and Frank Kennedy, who was her elder sister's beau. Heartlessly detached, Scarlet marries Frank Kennedy after a failure plea with Rhett Butler. Only with the lust for money, Scarlet pursues a business in milling, hoping to gain endless wealth. Going on like she once did before, Scarlet is obstinate and will not heed to others. Thereafter, she endures another dreadful incident which ends with her second husband, who went out seeking justice, killed.  Thoughtlessly driven, Scarlet immediately accepts Rhett Butler's offer of marriage and off they go living an effulgent lifestyle. In that marriage, Scarlet only loves money and her feelings for Ashley Wilkes are still the same, leaving Rhett dancing around those emotions. Their lives precedes with more difficulties and arguments, leaving Scarlet behind in actual misery.
        Later on, heartbreak returns after their beloved daughter falls in an accident on her horse and dies at an early age. Only by the comfort of Melanie Wilkes, the couple's souls resist crumbling, especially Rhett's. But short lived, Melanie's life ends when she is unable to carry another child. Scarlet then finally realizes with those last moments with Melanie that she doesn't truly despise her and will instead, miss her dearly. With one of her last breathes, Mrs Wilkes encourages Scarlet to fight for her marriage with Rhett for he does love her deeply. Pondering those words, Scarlet realizes that Rhett does care for her. Leaving that scene, Scarlet has a discussion with Ashley Wilkes, finally seeing that he loves Melanie, not her. It was never really her that he loved. Never with an affirmation did Mr. Wilkes tell Scarlet that he loved her more than a sister. Realizing that she only created those fake affections form Ashley to feel loved, Scarlet rushes off to her home where she confronts Rhett about his love for her. But soon understands that love can fade and that Rhett's, whose endured years of neglect, was buried with their daughter. No more heartaches needed, Rhett departs, not regarding Scarlet's last pleas. It was finally time for that broken individual to say no to anymore breaking of the soul. Ending with the hopes of tomorrow, Scarlet  is alone with only her forlorn self, seeing wholly now that she cares for something other than riches.
         This left the audience with wonder and knowledge about how things in life do fade into the fog. Both the movie and the book successfully captured the enthralling story. However, a few minor details didn't go unnoticed without them drifting apart from one another. The idea of Scarlet donating her wedding band at the charity bazaar first for the war like it was in the book changed in the movie, making Melanie give up her ring generously and Scarlet following for audible praise.  Another thing was that Scarlet bore only one child, which was with Mr. Rhett Butler, unlike in the book, she had two children with her previous husbands. I thought that those two children's existences really indicated Rhett's adoration and toleration for children. Also the fact that Rhett Butler had a son living in New Orleans was unknown to most people and was only mentioned once in the book. The book did have more detail about Rhett's previous life in Charleston that couldn't fit in the movie. Although the slight difference in detail between the movie and the book, I admire both works. The film itself was golden. Vivien Leigh, who played Scarlet O'Hara, matched the haughty attitude with her facial expressions, especially her famous eyebrow raise, flawlessly capturing the contemptuous look of her character. Both of these works of fiction are magnificent and are highly advice to both watch and read in order to grasp fully the rare art piece created in this era.