September 2020 Zoom Meeting

submitted by JOY The foliage outside is just beautiful, and we are all so surprised as we were led to believe we might not have our usual beautiful foliage because of the drought now affecting our state. We also have a bumper crop of acorns, as some will attest to, having been hit on the head during hikes in the woods and sitting on their decks. All that aside, we settled down to discuss The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson. Ten of us attended the Zoom meeting, thanks once more to Lori's ability to lead us into "advanced technology". We all admired the character of Cussy Mary and saw the cruelty and heartbreak of prejudice and racism due to the color of her blue skin. The result of a medical condition called methemoglobinemia, due to a congenital lack of an enzyme, causing a blue tinge to her skin. In spite of this, Cussy becomes an unforgettable character, in both her kindness and intelligence as she performs her duties as a Pack Horse Librarian under Roosevelt's WPA project, by bringing books and encouragement to the mountain hill folk of Eastern Kentucky. Cussy Mary is loved by her patrons and she tries very hard to find the books that will make their lives more interesting and easier. She also makes books for them by putting together scrap books with recipes, articles of interest, and patterns for clothing, sewing, gardening and fishing tips. In many instances, this book is difficult to read as we are shown the hardship of coal mining, and poverty so acute that children die from the lack of food and proper nutrition. Cussy experiences domestic violence and abuse as she is forced to marry one of the horrible Frazier's who is really after a parcel of her father's land. Luckily for Cussy, he dies and she is able to resume her job as a Librarian. One of Cussy's favorite patron; 16 year old Angelina dies in childbirth, and Cussy agrees to take her orphaned blue skinned baby (Honey) and raise her as she would her own child. Cussy and Jackson Lovett after a period with the" courtin candle", and mutual admiration, they wed only to be stopped by the Sheriff who arrests Jackson, charging him in violation of the miscegenation laws which prohibit a white from marrying a "colored". However, we are left with the feeling that the three of them:Cussy, Honey and Jackson will eventually live together happily ever after. Most of us had not heard of the Pack Horse Librarian Program and shared our personal childhood library experiences, as well as our favorable feelings about the importance of libraries in our communities and in our schools today. We all agreed that Libraries have expanded their services to the community and are no longer simply a place to borrow books. Lori updated us on Covid vaccine progress, Judy & Steve sent us photos of their new home, just as lovely as ever!!! Some are worried about the upcoming ski season and if snow making will be allowed due to the lack of water? And we all send our love to Carol and her family. October book (Cathy) Inside the O'Briens by Lisa Genove November/December book (Kathy) The Long Flight Home Alan Hlad

August 2020 Zoom Meeting

The Riverrun Book Club Meeting Review

 

For the August meeting we discussed The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende.  Marilyn led the lengthy discussion.  We’re sorry you missed this meeting Diane as it was your book suggestion and we would love to have heard your opinion.  This book tops the list for wide-ranging views.  Some felt it had humor, others felt it was spiritual, others considered it depressing, some felt it was not cohesive, some enjoyed it, many did not.  Some members read the book, some read part of the book, some chose not to even start the book, some watched the movie, and there were some who read the book and also watched the movie. 

 

OK, I didn’t read the book.  As I understand it the main characters were Esteban who rapes a local woman (Pancha Garcia) who has his illegitimate son.  Esteban marries Clara who gives birth to Blanca and twin boys.  Blanca falls in love with Pedro (son of the farm foreman).  She is forced to marry a count but gives birth to Pedro’s daughter who she names Alba.  Alba is tortured and raped by Esteban’s illegitimate son during the revolution thereby completing the circle.  There were many more intriguing characters and situations discussed but sorry I got lost.

 

Joy gave us some background noting that the book is based on fact and some of the characters are based on actual people.  And also that all the female names had significance to the characters (i.e. Alba is Spanish for dawn).  

 

The movie differed greatly from the book totally eliminating some characters (like the twin boys) and moving the action to two generations instead of three.  

 

BUSINESS:

 

Book Chosen for October (Cathy):

      Inside the O’Briens by Lisa Genova

 

Book for September Meeting (Joy):  

      The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Richardson

 

     

                

                        Submit............. Discuss

Joy                   July................. Sept.

Judy (Cathy)     Aug................ Oct.

Kathy               Sept................ Dec.

Cathy (Judy)     Oct.................. Jan ‘21

No mtg. Nov.

Lori                  Dec................. Feb. ‘21

 

Thanks as always to Lori for adding us to her busy schedule 👍.

 

July 2020 Zoom Meeting

Thanks to our organizer Lori and thanks to Claire for her suggestion of this month’s choice:  Run by Ann Patchett.  Ann and Celia it was a good meeting and we missed you both.  This was another book that everyone enjoyed. 

 

Because it was set in Boston there was an added connection to this story.  The book emphasized how privilege and poverty exist so close to each other. Lori noted that in Boston today you can see the neighborhoods change from block to block and each subway stop can offer a differing group of users. 

 

So many questions in this active discussion. Tip is adopted by well-to-do white parents.  Could this happen in today’s society?  Would Tennessee have given up Tip if Teddy had been adopted by a black family?   Did the fact that Doyle was once mayor give him and Bernadette special privileges for adoption?  Should Kenya be told about her real mother and that these are not her brothers?  Would Tennessee have risked her life to save a stranger? 

 

Many felt the book ending was too abrupt.  What about Sullivan?  Would Teddy join the priesthood?

 

Once again it was good to see each other and catch up.  Stay well. 

 

BUSINESS:

 

Book chosen for September Discussion (Joy): 

      The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson

 

Book for July 26 discussion (Diane):

     The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende

    

                

                        Submit............. Discuss

Diane               June................ Aug

Joy                   July................ Sept.

Judy (Cathy)     Aug................ Oct.

Kathy               Sept................ Dec.

Cathy (Judy)     Oct.................. Jan ‘21

No mtg. Nov.

Lori                  Dec................. Feb. ‘21

Joy's suggestions of books for our September discussion

Every Note Played Lisa Genova 321 pages published March 2018

An accomplished concert pianist, Richard received standing ovations from audiences all over the world in awe of his rare combination of emotional resonance and flawless technique. Every finger of his hands was a finely calibrated instrument, dancing across the keys and striking each note with exacting precision. That was eight months ago.

Richard now has ALS, and his entire right arm is paralyzed. His fingers are impotent, still, devoid of possibility. The loss of his hand feels like a death, a loss of true love, a divorce—his divorce.

He knows his left arm will go next.

Three years ago, Karina removed their framed wedding picture from the living room wall and hung a mirror there instead. But she still hasn’t moved on. Karina is paralyzed by excuses and fear, stuck in an unfulfilling life as a piano teacher, afraid to pursue the path she abandoned as a young woman, blaming Richard and their failed marriage for all of it.

When Richard becomes increasingly paralyzed and is no longer able to live on his own, Karina becomes his reluctant caretaker. As Richard’s muscles, voice, and breath fade, both he and Karina try to reconcile their past before it’s too late.

Poignant and powerful, Every Note Played is a masterful exploration of redemption and what it means to find peace inside of forgiveness.

The Great Alone Kristin Hannah 450 pages Published February 2018

Alaska, 1974. Ernt Allbright came home from the Vietnam War a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes the impulsive decision to move his wife and daughter north where they will live off the grid in America’s last true frontier.

Cora will do anything for the man she loves, even if means following him into the unknown. Thirteen-year-old Leni, caught in the riptide of her parents’ passionate, stormy relationship, has little choice but to go along, daring to hope this new land promises her family a better future.

In a wild, remote corner of Alaska, the Allbrights find a fiercely independent community of strong men and even stronger women. The long, sunlit days and the generosity of the locals make up for the newcomers’ lack of preparation and dwindling resources.

But as winter approaches and darkness descends, Ernt’s fragile mental state deteriorates. Soon the perils outside pale in comparison to threats from within. In their small cabin, covered in snow, blanketed in eighteen hours of night, Leni and her mother learn the terrible truth: they are on their own.

An American Marriage Tayari Jones 321 pages Published February 2018

Newlyweds Celestial and Roy are the embodiment of both the American Dream and the New South. He is a young executive, and she is an artist on the brink of an exciting career. But as they settle into the routine of their life together, they are ripped apart by circumstances neither could have imagined. Roy is arrested and sentenced to twelve years for a crime Celestial knows he didn’t commit. Though fiercely independent, Celestial finds herself bereft and unmoored, taking comfort in Andre, her childhood friend, and best man at their wedding. As Roy’s time in prison passes, she is unable to hold on to the love that has been her center. After five years, Roy’s conviction is suddenly overturned, and he returns to Atlanta ready to resume their life together.

This stirring love story is a profoundly insightful look into the hearts and minds of three people who are at once bound and separated by forces beyond their control. An American Marriage is a masterpiece of storytelling, an intimate look deep into the souls of people who must reckon with the past while moving forward—with hope and pain—into the future.

Olive Again, Elizabeth Strout 293 pages, Oct 2019

Book 2 of Olive Kitteridge

Prickly, wry, resistant to change yet ruthlessly honest and deeply empathetic, Olive Kitteridge is “a compelling life force” (San Francisco Chronicle). The New Yorker has said that Elizabeth Strout “animates the ordinary with an astonishing force,” and she has never done so more clearly than in these pages, where the iconic Olive struggles to understand not only herself and her own life but the lives of those around her in the town of Crosby, Maine. Whether with a teenager coming to terms with the loss of her father, a young woman about to give birth during a hilariously inopportune moment, a nurse who confesses a secret high school crush, or a lawyer who struggles with an inheritance she does not want to accept, the unforgettable Olive will continue to startle us, to move us, and to inspire us—in Strout’s words—“to bear the burden of the mystery with as much grace as we can.”

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek Kim Michele Richardson 322 pages Published May 2019

The hardscrabble folks of Troublesome Creek have to scrap for everything—everything except books, that is. Thanks to Roosevelt's Kentucky Pack Horse Library Project, Troublesome's got its very own traveling librarian, Cussy Mary Carter.

Cussy's not only a book woman, however, she's also the last of her kind, her skin a shade of blue unlike most anyone else. Not everyone is keen on Cussy's family or the Library Project, and a Blue is often blamed for any whiff of trouble. If Cussy wants to bring the joy of books to the hill folks, she's going to have to confront prejudice as old as the Appalachias and suspicion as deep as the holler

Inspired by the true blue-skinned people of Kentucky and the brave and dedicated Kentucky Pack Horse library service of the 1930s, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is a story of raw courage, fierce strength, and one woman's belief that books can carry us anywhere—even back home.

June 28, 2020 Zoom Meeting

Minutes submitted by Ann

Thanks to Lori our book group continues our monthly meetings on schedule.

Happily Celia was able to join us on Zoom and lead the meeting to discuss The Engineers Wife.  There were of course diverse opinions regarding the story of Emily Roebling.  Many of us had not heard of Emily.  She educated herself on bridge building by reading her husbands’ text books and has been referred to as “the first female field engineer”.  Her knowledge of engineering is said to have been essential to completion of the bridge. 

One thought expressed was that the author’s depiction of Emily was an insult to her true intelligence.  The author in her “afterword notes” clearly states that the insinuated romantic liaison with BT Barnum was entirely imagined (I wish I had read that part first).  Others noted that this was not intended as a biography of Emily but was to be enjoyed as a novel set around the building of the Brooklyn Bridge.  They also felt the inclusion of other historical figures of that era added interest to the story. 

Once Wash became debilitated with Caissons disease Emily gave up her work in women’s suffrage.  An interesting question arose as to whether we would have chosen to continue that work, or if we would prefer the work on the bridge.

Book discussion over, it was pleasant to take a few minutes to check in with everyone.  Thank goodness all are well and many projects are getting completed.

BUSINESS:

Book chosen for August (Diane): 

      The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende

Book for July 26 discussion (Claire):

   Run by Ann Patchett

    

               

                        Submit............. Discuss

Claire               May................. July

Diane               June................ Aug

Joy                   July................. Sept.

Judy (Cathy)     Aug................. Oct.

Kathy               Sept................ Dec.

Cathy (Judy)     Oct.................. Jan ‘21

No mtg. Nov.

Lori                  Dec................. Feb. ‘21

Diane's suggestions for our August book

This House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
published 1982
Description
The House of the Spirits is the debut novel of Isabel Allende. The novel was rejected by several Spanish-language publishers before being published in Buenos Aires in 1982. It became an instant best seller, was critically acclaimed, and catapulted Allende to literary stardom.

The book was first conceived by Allende when she received news that her 100-year-old grandfather was dying. She began to write him a letter that ultimately became the manuscript of The House of the Spirits.[5]
The story details the life of the Trueba family, spanning four generations, and tracing the post-colonial social and political upheavals of Chile – though the country's name, and the names of figures closely paralleling historical ones, such as "the President" or "the Poet", are never explicitly given. The story is told mainly from the perspective of two protagonists (Esteban and Alba) and incorporates elements of magical realism.

We Were The Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter
published 2017
Inspired by the incredible true story of one Jewish family separated at the start of World War II, determined to survive—and to reunite—We Were the Lucky Ones is a tribute to the triumph of hope and love against all odds.

“Love in the face of global adversity? It couldn't be more timely.” —Glamour

It is the spring of 1939 and three generations of the Kurc family are doing their best to live normal lives, even as the shadow of war grows closer. The talk around the family Seder table is of new babies and budding romance, not of the increasing hardships threatening Jews in their hometown of Radom, Poland. But soon the horrors overtaking Europe will become inescapable and the Kurcs will be flung to the far corners of the world, each desperately trying to navigate his or her own path to safety.

As one sibling is forced into exile, another attempts to flee the continent, while others struggle to escape certain death, either by working grueling hours on empty stomachs in the factories of the ghetto or by hiding as gentiles in plain sight. Driven by an unwavering will to survive and by the fear that they may never see one another again, the Kurcs must rely on hope, ingenuity, and inner strength to persevere.

An extraordinary, propulsive novel, We Were the Lucky Ones demonstrates how in the face of the twentieth century’s darkest moment, the human spirit can endure and even thrive.



Abundance a novel of Marie Antoinette by Sena Jeter Naslund
published 2006
Marie Antoinette was a child of fourteen when her mother, the Empress of Austria, arranged for her to leave her family and her country to become the wife of the fifteen-year-old Dauphin, the future King of France. Coming of age in the most public of arenas—eager to be a good wife and strong queen—she warmly embraces her adopted nation and its citizens. She shows her new husband nothing but love and encouragement, though he repeatedly fails to consummate their marriage and in so doing is unable to give what she and the people of France desire most: a child and an heir to the throne. Deeply disappointed and isolated in her own intimate circle, and apart from the social life of the court, she allows herself to remain ignorant of the country's growing economic and political crises, even as poor harvests, bitter winters, war debts, and poverty precipitate rebellion and revenge. The young queen, once beloved by the common folk, becomes a target of scorn, cruelty, and hatred as she, the court's nobles, and the rest of the royal family are caught up in the nightmarish violence of a murderous time called "the Terror."
With penetrating insight and with wondrous narrative skill, Sena Jeter Naslund offers an intimate, fresh, heartbreaking, and dramatic reimagining of this truly compelling woman that goes far beyond popular myth—and she makes a bygone time of tumultuous change as real to us as the one we are living in now.

This Will Be My Undoing: Living at the Intersection of Black, Female, and Feminist in (White) America
published 2018

In Morgan Jerkins’s remarkable debut essay collection, This Will Be My Undoing, she is a deft cartographer of black girlhood and womanhood. From one essay to the next, Jerkins weaves the personal with the public and political in compelling, challenging ways. Her prodigious intellect and curiosity are on full display throughout this outstanding collection. The last line of the book reads, ‘You should’ve known I was coming,’ and indeed, in this, too, Jerkins is prescient. With this collection, she shows us that she is unforgettably here, a writer to be reckoned with.” (Roxane Gay)

Morgan Jerkins is a star, a force, a blessing, a scholar and a critic, and now can add great American essayist to that list! I found myself sighing, nodding, gasping, laughing, and crying while reading this collection–but mostly cheering!  We can all sleep well at night knowing this country will inherit heart, mind, and soul like this. It’s safe to say I’ve never read anyone this young–barely at quarter life!–who can understand herself, those around her, past and present, with such dignity and clarity and generosity. Intersectionality in America is dissected, investigated, celebrated and challenged all without being pedantic or preachy or pretentious. And Jerkins is the sort of benevolent intellectual you want to spend time with–who will never lie to you, but also will never let you lie to her. I’ve long known that feminism and arts and media owe so much to the excellent work of black women and This Will be My Undoing is yet another testament to that. (Porochista Khakpour, author of Sons & Other Flammable Objects, The Last Illusion, and Sick)

May 31, 2020.....Zoom Meeting, Carol's Book.....Pompeii

submitted by Ann

 Our meeting Sunday was coordinated by Lori who continues to be our contact for zoom and virus information.  We’ve all said it before but will say it again – THANKS LORI, it’s really helpful to have these discussions.  

Carol did a great job leading the review of this month’s selection – Pompeii.  Our group deemed the romance between Attilius and Corelia as not worthy of much discussion.  There was, however, much to be said about volcanoes, aqueducts and history.   Before the A.D. 79 eruption, the aqueduct system supplied the city of Rome with more water than was supplied to NY City in 1985.  

Pliney (the elder) wrote volumes on diverse subjects which exist to this day.  Pliney (the younger, who survived the eruption) vividly described the event in his letters which were discovered about 1495.  Harris’s descriptions of the eruption were accurate as described by Pliney.  Some of our group have been to Pompeii (not surprising) and were happy to share their experience.  We also got to view photos from Roz’s 2011 trip.  

The meeting continued with discussion regarding Covid 19.  Thankfully we are all well! Hopefully Lori we didn’t overdo with our questions.  Your knowledge and views are important to those of us who are at home getting mixed information from various media. 

One last thing:  While looking up additional information on Pompeii, I found a 2016 article stating that 1,800 ancient papyri scrolls found in a private library in Herculaneum (that Pliney tried to save?) were not totally destroyed and may eventually be read using high energy x-rays.

BUSINESS:

The book chosen for July discussion: 

     Run by Ann Patchett

The book for June 28 discussion (Zoom Mtg):

     The Engineer’s Wife

     by Tracey Emerson Wood

Diane has submitted her list for voting on at June meeting.

Please let Diane know if you did not receive it.

Cathy and Judy have exchanged dates – noted below:

                          Submit             Discuss

Ann S.............. Jan.................. Apr.

Carol............... Feb................. May

No mtg. March

Celia............... Apr.................. June

Claire.............. May................. July

Diane.............. June................ Aug

Joy.................. July................. Sept.

Judy (Cathy).... Aug................. Oct.

Kathy.............. Sept................ Dec.

Cathy (Judy).... Oct.................. Jan ‘21

No mtg. Nov.

Lori................. Dec................. Feb. ‘21

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