3513 February 2021 THE WEEKThe ListANewWorldOrderby
CarylPhillips, 2001(Secker
&Warburg£17.99).Inthese
essays,Phillips asks whatit
meanstofeel athomein
anincreasingly globalised
world.His writingspoketo
mein mymid-20swhile
workingandstudyinginthe
US,tryingtofindmytrue
selfbetween Boston,London
andSiliconValley.
TheGod ofSmallThings
byArundhatiRoy,199 7
(4thEstate£8.99). Stories
of discriminationarealmost
exhaustively articulated in
terms ofwealth,opportunities
andrights. Inthis novel,
exposingthepainand suffering
of India’ssystemof caste,Roy
speaksof itinanew language:
itsregulation, extractionand
destruction oflove.Jacob’sGiftbyJonathan
Freedland, 2005 (Hamish
Hamilton,outofprint).Part
memoir,parthistoriography,
Freedland’s book navigatesthe
tensionsthatcomprisemodern
Anglo-Jewishidentity.Thegift
to his son, Jacob, isthatvery
identity, aninheritance that
Freedlandnarrateswith
intimacyandcandour.TheBond: Three Young Men
Learnto Forgiveand
Reconnect with Their
FathersbySampson Davis,
George JenkinsandRameck
Hunt, 200 7(Riverhead
£12.40).Assomebodywho
last sawhis fatheraged 12,readingaboutthreedoctors’
journey fromfatherlessness to
successfulphysicianwasdeeply
raw.Every page spoke tomy
ownbackground,fromabsent
fathers toincarceration,polic-
ingtouniversity, lonelinessto
middle-classgirlfriends.IWill NeverSeetheWorld
AgainbyAhmetAltan, 2019
(Granta£9.99).Written behind
barsand smuggledout,this
memoirisapoignant reflection
on lifeinsidethepunitive
underbellyof President
Erdogan’soppressiveregime
inTurkey.Receivingalife
sentencewithoutparole,Altan
reconciles himselfwith the
heartbreakingchallengeof
findingbelongingwithinthe
fourwallsofaprisoncell.Bestbooks... David Lammy
TheLabourMPandshadowlordchancellorchooseshisfavouritebookson
thethemeofbelonging.HisbookTribes:ASearchforBelonginginaDivided
Society(Constable£9.99)comesoutinpaperbackthisweekTitles in print are available from The Week Bookshop on 020-3176 3835. For out-of-print books visit biblio.co.ukProgrammes
ATaste of ItalyWitharmchairtravelstanding
in forforeign holidays, chefand restaurateur
NishaKatonatakesviewers onatourofItaly
in searchof authentic local dishes.Firstup, the
Umbrian city of Orvieto. Sun14Feb,More4
19:25(35mins).
Whirlybird:Live AboveLAStoryville
documentary abouttheLAhusband-and-wife
team whopioneeredreporting from the air in
theirhelicopter in the1980sand’90s. Their
footage captured, among other things, the LA
riotsof 1992,andthepursuitof O.J.Simpson.
Mon15Feb,BBC421:00 (90mins).
Raiders ofthe Lost Past withJanina
RamirezThecultural historian explores the
history of threemajor archaeological sites.
Series twostarts in Crete, where Dr Ramirezis
onthetrailofthe millionairewhodiscovered the
mythicalpalace of the Minotaur. Fri19Feb,
BBC221:00(60mins).
Films
TheLittle Stranger(2018)Supernatural
thriller basedonSarah Waters’ 2009 novel.
Ayoung doctor returns to his home village in
postwar Warwickshire, wherehe is drawn into
the darklyoppressive atmosphereofthe nearby
“bighouse”.Sat 13Feb, C421:00(135mins).
TheDeerHunter(1978)Epicwar drama
about three friends fromaPennsylvaniasteel
town wholeavetogether to fightin Vietnam.
With Robert De Niro andChristopher Walken.
Sat 13Feb, BBC222:00(175mins).
ARoomwith aView(1985) MerchantIvory’s
adaptationofthe E.M. Forster novelfeatures
afresh-faced HelenaBonham Carter as Lucy
Honeychurch,whose passions areawakened on
atrip to Florence. Julian Sands, MaggieSmith
andDanielDay-Lewis are among her co-stars.
Sun14Feb,Film 41 7:00 (140mins).Britt-MarieWas Here(2019) Gentle Swedish
comedy-dramaaboutastrait-lacedhousewife
wholeavesherhusband of 40 years to start a
new life, and endsupasachildren’s football
coach. Sun14Feb,BBC422:00 (95mins).Gentlemen PreferBlondes(1953)Marilyn
Monroe and Jane Russellstar as two showgirls
onaluxuryliner, each lookingfortheir own
idealofloveinHoward Hawks’ classicmusical.
It features Monroe’sperformanceofDiamonds
AreaGirl’s BestFriend.Fri 19Feb, Film4
14:25(115mins).New to Sky
DevilsSlicknewdramasetinthe world ofhigh
finance.Anambitious bankergets drawn into a
webof suspicion and politicalintrigue, following
thesuddendeathofhis rival.Patrick Dempsey
stars. From Wed 17 Feb,SkyAtlantic.The Week’s guide to what’s worth watchingTheArchers:what
happenedlastweek
OliverconfidesinTracythat
GreyGablesisintroubleand
hemaysoonbeforcedtosell
thebusiness.Tracygiveshim
apep-talk,ignoringtextsfrom
Jazzerwho’sexpectingher
foranotherdate.Whenshe
eventuallytakeshiscall,they
argueagain.Later,amiffed
Jazzertextshisoldflame,
Jade.LiliandragsTonyout
shoppingforhis70thbirthday
present;sheenvieshislaid-
backattitudetoageing.
TempersflarewhenNatasha
tellsTomshe’sventuringout
againwithKirsty,andhetries
tostopher.Tomlatertells
Harrison,whowarnsNatasha
thatsheandKirstycouldbe
accusedofwitnesstampering.
TracyapologisestoJazzer
andlearnsabouthisdatewith
Jade;slightlytakenaback,she
wisheshimwell.Meanwhile
she’sspottedwaysOliver
couldsavemoneyatGrey
Gables.Alocaljournalist,
Rebecca,comestointerview
Lyndaforasupposedprofile.
Whenshekeepsaskingabout
theexplosionandPhilipMoss,
Lyndaguessesshe’saftera
differentstoryandordersher
toleave.TomandNatasha
makeup,althoughKirstyis
continuinghersearchonline.
Compilingvideomessages
forTony’s70th,Natasha
andHelenareworriedabout
Peggy’sbluntcontribution- Tonywillbehurt,butthey
can’tleaveitout.Rebecca
findsawillingintervieweein
Susan,whoendsuptalking
overabottleofwine.Initially
cautious,Neiljoinsin.They
hopeithelps–afterall,they’re
victimstoo.
Book now
Ticketsarenow onsale for
the 46 events atthis year’s
Jewish Book Week,which
is onlinefrom 27February to
7March.Highlightsinclude
Hermione Leediscussing her
biographyof TomStoppard;
Tom BoweronBorisJohnson;
andDavid Baddiel on his
latestbook,apart-polemic,
part-personal takeonanti-
Semitism,Jews Don’tCount.
Other talkscover topics
as diverseasMahler’s
relationship with faith to
theperennial appealof
Francis FordCoppola’sThe
Godfather.Tickets available
for individual events,or a
Festival Passfor £1 25
(jewishbookweek.com).Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes