Senor Parrot's Perch

A couple days ago I finished The Black Book of Secrets by F.E. Higgins. This book, her first published effort, was

The Black Book of Secrets

outstanding. Go get it and read it. I admit that the first page was so bleak that when I first picked it up, I put it back down immediately, thinking that it would be just a garish, overblown, sensationalist experiment in dismal pain. The second time, though, I read a bit further and found I was unable to put the book down.

The author, F.E. Higgins, writes the book as though she were relating the pages of a journal that she had found, the mysterious story of Ludlow Fitch and his apprenticeship to a Secret Pawnbroker as it unfolds.� The pawnbroker, named Joe Zabbidou, does ordinary pawnbrokering during the day, except that he pays outrageous amounts for the meager junk that the poor villagers bring him.

But at night he pays the villagers for their secrets. One by one the oppressed villagers come at midnight and tell their dark secrets which they cannot bear but also cannot openly share.

Here is a great little video of the author telling us about her book and its paraquel – she’ll explain what that means – The Bone Magician , which I picked up just today, and I’ll be reading it as soon as I finish the Wilderking Trilogy. Barnes and Noble has another video, covering much of the same, but she adds a bit as well.

There are some really fantastic similarities to the Christian doctrine of confession and forgiveness in this book. I don’t know if this was any intention for the author, especially considering how she develops the conclusion of the book. Nevertheless the power of confession is there. Like the scriptures say, if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And, confessing your sins one to another, you will be healed.

I haven’t written anything in a very long time. Just too busy. But I stumbled on this blog entry written by Chelsey at Only Help my Unbelief about homeschooling and socialization and I thought she hit the nail on the head.

Not only are Chelsey’s experiences common (in both public and private schools) , but often in public schools you find intimidation is unrestrained and violence, threatened or real, is unchecked – too much like Lord of the Flies. I prefer Chelsey’s brand of non-socialization, if the alternative is what she and too many others in schools everywhere experience.

I don’t homeschool my kids, but some of my very best friends homeschool theirs. I’ve never noticed a problem with their social skills. In fact, I’d say they’re excellent. Some of my neighbors homeschool their kids. They seem ok and they play well with others. Just the sort of socialization kids need.