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The Canadian Champion, Friday, March 23, 2007 - Bi A RTS Horrific experiences inspire critically-acclaimed novel By Stephanie Thiessen CANADIAN CHAMPION STAFF Miltonian Stacey, Newman has sat face to face with women who've experienced first- hand the horrors of such war-torn coun- tnies as Bosnia and A[ghanistan. She's researched world confliets that have caused unhelievable suffernng to humanity And the one thing shes learned - besîdes the tragedy of war - is that there are no easy answers. But that doesn't mean we can leave the problems to others to solve, Newman said. Its up to us to learn as much as we can, a message conveyed in her recently released book, The Beauty of the World. "My objective is only to make people think, flot t0 bit them over the head with a message," New.man said, adding, l1 wanted 10 show that any type of black and white thinking is dangerous." Although Newman said the book isn't political, it does aim to get readers think- ing about politîcal issues. "The reason 1 wrote the book is My own ideas about what I feel we've allowed to bappen in the world post 9/11," said the first-time novelist. Tbe Beauty of the World is fiction inspired by the reality of situations in several areas - Afghanistan, Iraq, Sudan, Rwanda, Columbia and Venezuela. "Some of the p)eople are inspired by real war survivors," Newman said. She chose fiction because she feît it would allow for the element of drama and offer the broadest audience. Fiction would also alîow ber to incor- porate the heart-wrenching experiences of the people she interviewed without exploiting them. "I didn't wanî to put their grief on dis- play," Newman explained. "I just wanted to use them to create characters that reflected en masse what these people experiencedt." The book has received critical accîaim, including a review in the Globe and Mail, wbich described ît as "a politi- cal novel with a clear stance on global power struggîes." It folîows six characters tbrough a sto- ryline Newman said arose from a dream she had. Among tbemn is Sophie, a North American journaîist who finds herseîf trying to, get beîp for the people of the fie- îitious country Perda, who find them- selves in tbe midst of civil war. There's also Bellona, the most power- fui polîtician in Perda, and ber daugbter, Talia, wbo Ieads a rebellion againsi ber mother's govemment and goes missing. It doesn't take much in-depth exami- nation to recognize real-life scenarios in Perda. For example, one ebaracter denounces the confliet by comparing it - without naming names - to the situ- ations in Iraq and Afghanistan. She also speaks of Perda moving outside the sanc- tions of the U.N., echoing the U.S. Wben Bellona sets up interoment camps for dissenters, they become rape camps - no doubt based on Newmans interviews with Bosnîan women. Although she started out with an almost arrogant sense of wanting t0 get a point across, Newman said, by the end of this wniting journey she reaîtzed just how littie she really knows. "Taîking witb people (who've been through war), I'm almost ashamed. I don't know haîf of what l'm talking about,'" she said. Despite the horrors of war, Newman still believes beauty does exist in the world. And she retains ber self-described idealistie view that one person cao make a difference. "I think it takes someone brave to stand up and say, 'Yes, I think (one per- son) can make the world better'." One way shes making a difference is by donating a portion of the proceeds to, Doctors Without Borders. The Beauty of the World, pubîished by Wingate Press, cao be purchased in bookstores across the country Stephanie Thiessen can be reached ai sthiessenCamiltoncanadianchampion.com. UKAHAM 'AINE / LANAVIAN LHAMM'UN A REAL PAGE-TURNER: Stacey Newman looks over a copy of her recently-released novel The Beauty of the World. MfrOS MAYTAG MITCHELL'S MAYTAG MICHELUS MAYTG MMoe MUMuCE Tif MAYTG STOR CLEARANCE CENTRE TDE MAYTAG STOnR APMMu ShWROM &CIARAN CENRE 400 Dryno Or, MitnC osod al Hwy 401 & Hwy 24 CLEARANC CENTR 544 BayOoI St., Barrie, ON MitnCoaod al Cambridge, ON 520 nMiai <SODEY'S PLAZA) Barrie, ON (705) 720-1000 James 800wu Parkway IL 401 (519) 650-9797 Oranov@il, ON <705> 702-0009 (005> 804-12038 (518) 940-3977