Origin **1/2

by Diana Abu-Jaber
First Edition 2007
W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.
pages 364

This is a story about a forensic scientist who solves a mystery. And that's about it. OK ,there's more. She believes that she was raised by apes until she was "rescued" and brought to her foster parents. And her memories are fond memories of matted fur and loving long arms. She daydreams of birds and foliage constantly. This "questionable" origin is closely tied to the case she is trying to solve.

She seems to be a tightly wound woman, and she blames her past partly for that. This neurosis affects her relationships with men and she blames on her "past".

The story takes place in Syracuse New York, where it seems to constantly snow. She, Lena, is so out of it that she tends to wander in the snow and several traumatic events happen in the snow.

As mysteries go, it wasn't that hard to figure out. I figured it out about midway through the book, once it became clear exactly what was happening. All that was left was to find the culprit. Sure there were a couple of Red Herrings thrown my way, but not enough to stop me from figuring it out. perhaps more mysterious was the question of her origin.

And the story of her origin was probably the better story in the book. It was interesting the affect it had on her when she learned who she was and who she wasn't. I like the pshyodrama aspect of the book. The pain and confusion that she suffered through.

Lena became tiresome to me. If she was functioning in a forensic science lab, why did she have so much trouble functioning elsewhere? I suppose there are instances when people feel best when they are working and feel at a loss when left on their own. I just didn't buy it here completely.

Overall, this was an interesting, fun read with some interesting things to say about identity and sanity, but not enough meat to really go deep into the book.

Goodbye Solo ***

Directed and written by Ramin Bahrani,

with Souleymane Sy Savane, Red West, Carmen Leyva

2008

A story about a charming Sengalese immigrant who befriends an old man who seemingly has suicide on his mind. He knows this because he is the cab driver who is hired to take him to his rendezvous with fate on the planned day. The cab driver worries and tries to make him part of his own family, though his family life is not picture perfect either. But family is important to our cab driver (Solo) and he states that early in the film. For the rest of the film he practices what he preaches. For the most part. the old man seems to be weakening from his his hard position. But the drop off for that fateful day is still planned and needs to be carried through.

The photography is beautiful. There are many portraits of characters' faces. Silhouettes and closeups of some faces with a lot of charcter. Also some beautiful shots of the Appalachians in North Carolina.

And the character Solo is very charming. Sometimes it was hard to understand how someone could be so upbeat. But he kept fighting, even when things were not going his way. Quite admirable. His litle stepdaughter is quite adorable. She's the one that the old man seems to be attached to. This give hope to Solo seeing that the old man's attachment might forstall his suicide.