I owe this post to a student of mine who lent me this novel. The style is more poetry than prose, which makes the story all the more poignant and visual. These are two snippets which got me thinking:
Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, that turned my life into one long night seven times sealed.
Never shall I forget that smoke
Never shall I forget the small faces of the children whose bodies I saw transformed into smoke under a silent sky.
Never shall I forget those flames that consumed my faith forever.
Never shall I forget the nocturnal silence that deprived me for all eternity of the desire to live.
Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to ashes.
Never shall I forget those things, even were I condemned to live as long as God Himself.
Never
Man comes closer to God through the questions he asks Him. Therein lies true dialogue. Man asks and God replies. But we don’t understand His replies. We cannot understand them. Because they dwell in the depths of our souls and remain there until we die. The real answers, you will find only within yourself.
“And why do you pray?” I asked him.
I pray to the God within me for the strength to ask Him the real questions.
Giovanni... on record 