THE CRYING TREE By Naseem Rakha

Firstly, please let me tell you what a beautiful book this is. It is a stunning work of literary fiction.

When Nate Stanley came home from work one day to announce the family was moving to Oregon, no one in the family really knew why. When he explained he had a job promotion, they assumed that was all there was to it. They never imagined the secrets that he was hiding from his family. However moving doesn't solve their problems and Irene and Nate's son is shot dead in their own home.

We join the family nineteen years on, just a month before the scheduled execution of their son's killer. However, secrets come to light that no one dared speak of till now, and they could change everything.

I am so glad that I decided to read this book. Ever since it arrived in the post as part of a winter reading selection I found on line, it seemed to be calling me. It caught my eye first out of all those other books and it did not disappoint in any way shape or for. In fact, it exceeded ALL expectations I had for it.

When I started reading this book, I never for one moment thought that its main message would be forgiveness. I imagined it to focus on pain and loss, depression and separation, and a number of other miserable emotions we expect from a novel where a parent loses a child. This was not the case!

A while back I wrote an article about the difference between literature and 'good reads', and the conclusion I came to was that good literature was something that would leave a lasting impression and would, above all, teach you something about yourself and/or the world around you. This book certainly does that and I would definitely class it as literature.

Normally I try to write about my favourite character(s) in the book but on this one I'm stumped. there never seemed to be one character that stood out more than the other all of the time. At one point Shep was my favourite, at another point Bliss, and even Robbin at some parts of the book. Everyone took their turn in the emotional lime light and everyone had a story to tell. I was really impressed and mesmerized by the way that Rakha wove so many stories into one narrative plot stream. I really is genius.

This is a hard hitting book in places and one to make you think, but I would certainly recommend this to everyone. It is a brilliant read and delivers an important message in a friendly and non-intrusive way. A five star rating really doesn't seem quite good enough for this one. Not nearly good enough at all.

FOR SYDNEY BECHET (Poem) By Philip Larkin

For Sydney Bechet is a poem written by Larkin in tribute to one of his favourite jazz musicians; Sydney Bechet. Not only was Larkin a poet and a librarian, but he was also a jazz critic, writing numerous reviews for The Telegraph. Many of Larkin's poems suggest that his love of music was far greater than his love for women, in essence this is one of the most emotive love poems Larkin ever wrote, only this one wasn't for the ladies.

This love and adoration for music is played out beautifully at the end of stanza three/beginning of stanza four where he describes mainly the performing women and the atmosphere of the jazz clubs as 'priced far above rubies'. Here Larkin shows a hint at some biblical knowledge, as this is a quote from the Bible: Proverbs 31:10 says this - 'Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies' (KJV). Only here, in the context of Larkin's poem, he has personified the music and believes that the music is the one with the value greater than rubies. Also by using the scripture reference, the poet suggests that the relationship he has with music may not just be earthly. It could suggest that the love goes beyond that into dedication to and worshipping music. Music is the thing that keeps him going and keeps him alive.

'On me your voice falls as they say love should'. It is clear that here, the persona/Larkin is getting from music, the same thing that everyone else is getting from love. His security, his energy, his reason to live does not come from the love of a woman, or a wife or partner like everyone else. Music is the lover who keeps making sure he gets out of bed in the morning, keeps him working and enjoying the life that he has been given. In fact, not only does the music give him these things, but it also scatters 'long-haired grief and scored pity'. It takes away the pain and fills the hole with something good and whole. Throughout the entire poem, Larkin's lexicon is that of love and adoration, with the use of words such as 'natural', 'legendary', 'reflected'. Not only do most of these words suggest the complete and utter all embracing passion he has for music, but many of them are words which have strong connotations of the natural world, which would suggest that the Persona's relationship with music is not forced like some child who was strapped to the piano stool and forced to play from as soon as he has enough strength to hit the keys. This love is natural and organic, it grows and changes with the music. Just as jazz musicians are encouraged to improvise, so is there nothing rigid or definite about the relationship. There are no right or wrongs. It flows in a way that only real love can do.

It amuses me slightly that Jazz music allows him to be himself, but at the same time allows him to be whoever he wants to be. He talks about people who 'pretend their fads' and 'scholars manques'. People who are not in fact scholars but in the presence of the music, they can be whoever they dream of being. The example used in the poem is of regular workers being able to imagine and believe they are rich, intelligent scholar for just a sweet, short while.

This is the first poem I have studied where Larkin is not clearly set on being alone and in solitude. It is the exact opposite of silence and loneliness which is what you will usually find Larkin's other works flooded with. In this poem, Larkin writes multiple times in the second person, directly addressing the music as if it were a person 'that note you hold', 'you're voice'. He speaks kindly to the music and welcomes it into his personal space. A complete and utter reversal of Larkin's attitude in his other work.