During the weekend in which freedom is central, Inge de Boer from Boekhandel Burgum recommends three books on this theme. But while this weekend is about our freedom, the books are about my freedom.
It is Inge’s debut in this section. The twenty-year-old bookstore employee takes over from her employer Anneke Jager, who has recommended good books to us for many years.
A worthy successor, because Inge loves reading. While she works among the books and reads a lot of books at home, she can regularly be found at the Silent Book Club Fryslân in Tresoar in Leeuwarden. The Silent Book Club is a global community of readers and book lovers, with more than five hundred locations in fifty countries. People of all ages and backgrounds also come together in Tresoar every month to read (silently) for an hour. “You bring your own book and read for an hour,” says Inge. But of course it doesn’t stop at just reading. Before and after there is time for meeting, fun and meaningful conversations. About books, but also about other things in life. “I come there for the fun, for the social contacts,” Inge explains. Laughing: “And of course you get a lot of good book tips.”
So three books about personal freedom that Inge recommends to us. The first is Demon Copperhead (Meulenhoff, 25.00 euros) by Barbara Kingsolver. The main character, Damon Fields, faces adversity from day one, as the son of an addicted teenage mother; he ends up in foster homes where neglect, child labor and abuse are commonplace. While the outsider cries out about such a life, for Damon it is actually very normal. “He doesn’t know any better. When your house is on fire, you think the whole world is burning,” says Inge. “But despite all the ups and downs, Damon shows his zest for life and vitality.”
Damon has the freedom to fight through the bad situation and choose a different path. He will really need that strength later. He is a talented American Football player, but gets injured and then becomes addicted to painkillers. Does he have enough zest for life to break out of that family pattern?
The title, by the way, refers to his nickname. He and his friends give each other the craziest nicknames and as a redhead he is called Demon Copperhead; loosely translated: red devil. “A beautiful book, full of humor,” concludes Inge. “Even though it’s sad, you keep smiling.”
The second book is Own each other (Atlas Contact, 25.00 euros) by the Dutch writer Philip Snijder. It is a collection of three previously released family novels: The gift (2012), You will never get the blood out again (2016) and The smart-lap quarter (2020), about a sick father, a deceased sister and a disappeared mother. Snijder gives an unromanticized version of life, rough, as life is, but also humorous. “It’s about ‘normal’ families, but you see the ugly sides of life. It is so detailed that it is almost a play. Every time I pick up the book, I seem to disappear into the chaos and love of these families.”
Own each other show that you have the freedom to confront your guilt and shame with your family; find your own place together. “Snijder is a great writing talent,” says Inge.
The third and final book is an autobiography by Ken Smith, The path of the hermit (Ten Have, 22.99 euros). In this book, Smith takes you on his quest for freedom. Smith feels trapped in a materialistic world where everything revolves around money. He also sees the terrible sides of humanity around him. How can man be so rough and dangerous? He decides to take a different path. He leaves everything behind and leaves for the wilderness, where he lives life in all its simplicity: chopping wood, catching fish, brewing beer. In the book he writes: ‘I love people, but I like to be alone in nature.’ This book is about the freedom to follow your heart and intuition.
Smith has lived in the wilderness for forty years when he decides to write his book. He currently lives in the Scottish Highlands. “This is absolutely not a survival guide, but it is a beautiful book that makes us realize that we have forgotten being human,” says Inge. “You read or buy this book not so much because you are curious about the man Ken Smith, but because something deep inside you is crying out for this freedom.”
What is a surprising new arrival? Which story really resonates or which writing promise presents itself? Every month, a Frisian bookseller recommends current books that stand out in the large flow of books that are published. Today: Inge de Boer (20) from Burgum bookstore.
