Lovecraft Country

 

Interesting that I started this Audible version during March which is Black History Month. Yes the story does have Lovecraftian themes. In fact the tales start off with Atticus Turner driving up to Illinois to see his father and uncle. Atticus is using a travel book that lets him know which businesses with do business with African Americas. This was set in the 50’s when discrimination was rampant. African American could get stopped for no reason and even shot by the police for no reason. Hotels and restaurants would not accept African American patronage. Atticus has his road troubles and difficulty finding roadside assistance due to the prejudice. The first story has him track his father down who is being held in a house owned by Braithwaite who is the leader of the Order of the Ancient Dawn. At first it seems almost resort like until they find out they are supposed to be sacrificed. What ensues is a a daring escape attempt with the assistance of Caleb Braithwaite the cult leaders son.

After the first episode the family of Atticus Turner has constant contact with Braithwaite and the Order of the Ancient Dawn. In one instance one of Aticus’s sisters somehow gets up the money for a house . The house is haunted with a statue of Hekate. The spirit that lives there is Hiram Winthrop. In another instance Hypolita opens up a cosmic doorway that takes her to the far end of the universe. On this far end are servants of Caleb Braithwaite and they have been there for some time. Another female is chosen to take a potion that makes her look like someone named Hilary. She is able to spy on other members of the Order of the Ancient Dawn and report back to Caleb Braithwaite.

Through there adventures the Turner family finds out that a female ancestor of theirs was connected to the Braithwaite. Her name was Hannah and was owned by the Braithwaite family. They seem to be forever connected and it is a connection they want to break.

Braithwaite has the Turners break into a museum to steal a magical book. Caleb is fighting a magical war within the confines of his order. He sends to the Turner family into the realms of the dead to retrieve more magical books of Hiram Winthrop. This of course will be used to the Turner family advantage as they fight for freedom against the magical tyrants.

The Arab Kingdom of Hira

 After the damn of Marib burst in Yemen several Arab tribes migrated away from that area and settled elsewhere. One of those tribes was the tribe of Lakhm. They migrated to an area in the Persian gulf near Oman ,Persia and in modern day Iraq. Arabs had been arriving to live in that area since Babylonian times and the Arabs that settled there were called the Nabat.

Among their neighbors were Arab tribes, the Persians and the Romans. The Persians always looked down on the Arab tribes and the Arab tribes looked down on the Persians. Persia wanted control of that area but were constantly harassed by raids. The Persians permitted for a truly independent Arab kingdom to dwell there as they would fend off the border attacks. It was a symbiotic relationship.

Later the Romans  would help set up the Ghassanids. They were Jacobite and Syrian Orthodox connected to Byzantine. They would wage wares against the Lakhmids. The Lakhmids were Pagan Arabs but many of their number adopted Nestorian Christianity.

The Persians had their own faith issues with Mazdeanism and Zoroastrianism competing for favor. The Persians were wary of Christianity as that was the Roman religions. Many wives and mothers were Christian in the Lakhmids court, bu not the men. That would have caused friction with Persia. The Lakhmids by an large were pagan Arabs who worshipped Allah, Al LAt, Uzzah and the other daughter. Their court was famous for opulent living, wine drinking and poetry.

The Lakhmids kingdom fell after three hundred years. Their last king was Nuuman. He was assassinated by Kisa Parviz. THe Lakhmids kingdom was a jewel of the Arab world. Later when the Abbasid conquered Persia the capital city Hira would be their base.

Great book.

The Mystery of Aleph

 A nice work of historical fiction set against the backdrop of extremely tumultuous times in London. The inquisition against the Jewish people was in full force. Many Jews fled to England. Many Sephardic Jews fled Amsterdam to Britain to escape the inquisition. The years are 1665 to 1666. Two controversies are raging through the Jewish community. The first is the expulsion of Baruch D Espinoza from the Jewish community for saying that G-d equals nature. The other conspiracy is the spread of the heresy of Shabbtai Tzvi the false messiah.

Flash to London , 2001 where a newly wed couple purchase a house and when they fix it up they find a cache of documents , Jewish documents. Written in Hebrew, Ladino and Spanish. Helen Watt and Aaron Levy from the university are sent to examine them before Sothebies comes by to purchase them. Aaron is American and Helen a stuffy Brit. Their relationship at the beginning is a clash of cultures . Everyone has their story.

The writing are from Rabbi Mendez Ha Cohen. A blind Rabbi and former teacher of Baruch Espinoza. He is also an opponent of the heretical Sabbatians movement. Living with him are Rivka and older house keeper and Ester Melendez, a refugee from Amsterdam. Ester is a free spirit who has a heart that is too free to be bound by tradition. Her reputation is marred by her mothers behavior .

The Rabbi had a scribe who left only the initial Aleph. Helen and Aaron come across this and devour the letters day and night in the effort to find who aleph is . The letters and writing give a window into what life was like for the Jewish community. The politics and intrigue along with threat of antisemitism. The narrative center around thee household of Ha Cohen. Ester has limited funds and prospects. Her parents having died in a fire accidentally caused by her brother. A wealthy Jewish family enlists Ester to chaperone for their wayward daughter Mary. Mary a bit rebellious herself takes Ester to the theater where they meet two non Jewish men. They have trysts and good times. Drinking wine and immersing themselves in philosophy.

Aaron has romantic issues with a girl named Marisa who moves to Israel after a one night stand. Aaron still has feelings for her but Marisa is intent on not reciprocal things. Helen who is ill in health has memories of an Israeli she fell in love with , Dror. The memory of how they broke it off can never leave her.

THe plague comes and changes everything. Fortunes are overturned , people die . Everything is topsy Turkey. The ending is ironic. Sad to say. If you want to know the identity of aleph you will have to read the book yourself.