Book Selections for March 2011, Meeting

Diane presented these choices for our March Bookclub meeting. Vote will take place at the January 30, 2011, meeting.

Bridge of Sighs
Richard Russo, 2007
480 pp.

In Brief
Six years after the bestselling, Pulitzer Prize—winning Empire Falls, Richard Russo returns with a novel that expands even further his widely heralded achievement.
Louis Charles (“Lucy”) Lynch has spent all his sixty years in upstate Thomaston, New York, married to the same woman, Sarah, for forty of them, their son now a grown man. Like his late, beloved father, Lucy is an optimist, though he’s had plenty of reasons not to be–chief among them his mother, still indomitably alive. Yet it was her shrewdness, combined with that Lynch optimism, that had propelled them years ago to the right side of the tracks and created an “empire” of convenience stores about to be passed on to the next generation.
Lucy and Sarah are also preparing for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Italy, where his oldest friend, a renowned painter, has exiled himself far from anything they’d known in childhood. In fact, the exact nature of their friendship is one of the many mysteries Lucy hopes to untangle in the “history” he’s writing of his hometown and family. And with his story interspersed with that of Noonan, the native son who’d fled so long ago, the destinies building up around both of them (and Sarah, too) are relentless, constantly surprising, and utterly revealing. (From the publisher.)
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Strength in What Remains: A Journey of Remembrance and Forgiveness
Tracy Kidder, 2009
Random House
304 pp.

In Brief
Tracy Kidder, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and author of the bestsellers The Soul of a New Machine, House, and the enduring classic Mountains Beyond Mountains, has been described by the Baltimore Sun as the “master of the non-fiction narrative.” In this new book, Kidder gives us the superb story of a hero for our time. Strength in What Remains is a wonderfully written, inspiring account of one man’s remarkable American journey and of the ordinary people who helped him–a brilliant testament to the power of will and of second chances.

Deo arrives in America from Burundi in search of a new life. Having survived a civil war and genocide, plagued by horrific dreams, he lands at JFK airport with two hundred dollars, no English, and no contacts. He ekes out a precarious existence delivering groceries, living in Central Park, and learning English by reading dictionaries in bookstores. Then Deo begins to meet the strangers who will change his life, pointing him eventually in the direction of Columbia University, medical school, and a life devoted to healing. Kidder breaks new ground in telling this unforgettable story as he travels with Deo back over a turbulent life in search of meaning and forgiveness.

Cleopatra the Life
For those who think they know enough about Cleopatra or have the enigmatic Egyptian queen all figured out, think again. Schiff, demonstrating the same narrative flair that captivated readers of her Pulitzer Prize–winning Véra (Mrs. Vladimir Nabokov) (1999), provides a new interpretation of the life of one of history’s most enduringly intriguing women. Rather than a devastatingly beautiful femme fatale, Cleopatra, according to Schiff, was a shrewd power broker who knew how to use her manifold gifts—wealth, power, and intelligence—to negotiate advantageous political deals and military alliances. Though long on facts and short on myth, this stellar biography is still a page-turner; in fact, because this portrait is grounded so thoroughly in historical context, it is even more extraordinary than the more fanciful legend. Cleopatra emerges as a groundbreaking female leader, relying on her wits, determination, and political acumen rather than sex appeal to astutely wield her power in order to get the job done. Ancient Egypt never goes out of style, and Cleopatra continues to captivate successive generations. --Margaret Flanagan n shows us what it means to be fully human by telling a story about the heroism inherent in ordinary people, a story about a life based on hope. (From the publisher.)

Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived

About the Author
• Birth—November 12, 1945
• Where—New York, New York, USA
• Education—B.A., Harvard; M.A., University of Iowa, Writers' Workshop
• Awards—Pulitizer Prize and American Book Award, 1992
• Currently The simply astonishing, exhilarating story--complete with high adventure, betrayal, and resurrection--of Modoc, elephant extraordinaire, told by Helfer (The Beauty of the Beasts, 1990). They were born on the same day, a hundred years back, in a Black Forest village: Bram Gunterstein, son of a circus animal trainer, and Modoc, an Indian elephant headed for big-top life with the Wunderzircus, a provincial troupe. Their love for each other develops early, when Bram is just a toddler and Modoc a youthful one-ton package, and Bram's father on his deathbed councils Bram to watch after Modoc. That he does, and the tribulations and pleasures they share defy the imagination: The circus is sold out from under Bram to the sinister Mr. North; Bram stows away on the vessel transporting Modoc, leaving behind the girl of his dreams; discovered, Bram wins over the captain, but the ship sinks during a hurricane; Modoc and Bram float to the shores of India, where Bram learns further tools of the trade at the maharaja's elephantarium; there he lives in a teak-built compound, tends to Modoc, and is honored to have an audience with the sacred white elephant; he woos and wins a woman from the village but is warned that North is on his trail. He strikes out with Modoc to the teak plantations of Burma, is captured by rebels, loses his wife, confronts North, journeys to the US and fashions a spectacular show for Modoc, wins back his earlier love, only to have the elephant sold out from under him again. Helfer (an animal trainer by trade) happens across Modoc and buys him in the 1970s, then Bram appears yet again. The story is told with a heart-tugging warmth that, granted, at times slips into Disney mode, but that feels credible: There is, amazingly enough, a truthful tang to the picaresque proceedings. One glorious pachyderm and one cracking story.

"Day After Night" by Anita Diamant

In her compulsively readable latest, Diamant sketches the intertwined fates of several young women refugees at Atlit, a British-run internment camp set up in Palestine after WWII. There's Tedi, a Dutch girl who hid in a barn for years before being turned in and narrowly escaping Bergen-Belsen; Leonie, a beautiful French girl whose wartime years in Paris are cloaked with shame; Shayndel, a heroine of the Polish partisan movement whose cheerful facade hides a tortured soul; and Zorah, a concentration camp survivor who is filled with an understandable nihilism. The dynamic of suffering and renewed hope through friendship is the book's primary draw, but an eventual escape attempt adds a dash of suspense to the astutely imagined story of life at the camp: the wary relationship between the Palestinian Jews and the survivors, the intense flirtation between the young people that marks a return to life. Diamant opens a window into a time of sadness, confusion and optimism that has resonance for so much that's both triumphant and troubling in modern Jewish history.

Christmas Meeting and Celebration

We had excellent attendance for our December 5, 2011, meeting at Pembrook. All members were present except for Celia who is spending the winter in FL and Bette who has returned to CA.

Book discussed was "Power of One" by Bryce Courtenay. Bev led our stimulating discussion. The book follows the life of a young boy from the age of five through about eighteen. We all had different thoughts which were shared. Wonder of wonders......we all liked the book. It was recommended that we read other books by Courtenay. There is a sequel to "Power of One". It is "Tandia".

Our Christmas Yankee Swap followed. Our tradition is to give "new" books. There were some interesting ones and I am sure that eventually, they will be shared.

Discussion and vote on our February read. Of the books presented by Claire, the majority voted for "The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" by Jamie Ford.

Our January 30, meeting will be held at Stephanie's house at 1:00 pm. The February 27, meeting will be hosted by Jane at Lincoln Green.

We had snacked and wined through our two plus hour discussion....and, then adjourned to the Big House dining room for soups, salad, and home baked bread. On a cold day in late fall, this was perfect.

All were grateful that there was no snow and clear roads provided safe travel.

Happy Holidays to all.

Book Suggestions for February Meeting

Claire offered the following fine books for our consideration:

OUT STEALING HORSES by PER PETTERSON

Trond’s friend John often appeared at his doorstep with an adventure in mind for the two of them. But this morning was different. What began as a joy ride on “borrowed” horses ends with Jon falling into a strange trance of grief. Trond soon learns what befell Jon earlier that day- an incident that marks the beginning of a series of vital losses for both boys.

Set in the easternmost region of Norway, Out Stealing Horses begins with an ending. 67 year old Trond has settled into a rustic cabin in an isolated area to live the rest of his life with a quiet deliberation. A meeting with his only neighbor, however, forces him to reflect on that fateful summer

HOTEL AT THE CORNER OF BETTER AND SWEET by JAMIE FORD

An incredible discovery has been found by a new owner of a hotel that has been boarded up for decades. It is the Panama Hotel once the gateway to Seattle’s Japantown. The belongings of Japanese families left when they were rounded up and sent to internment camps during World War II have been found in the hotel. The owner opens up a Japanese parasol that Henry Lee sees and believes it belongs to a young Japanese American student he meet back in 1940s , at the height of the war,. His father is obsessed with the war in China and wants his son to grow up American. While at the exclusive Rainier Elementary where white kids ignore him he meets Keiko Okabe. Amid the chaos of blackouts, curfews, and FBI raids, Henry and Keifo forge a bond of friendship-and innocent love that transcends the long-standing prejudices of their Old World ancestors. After Keiko and her family are swept up in the evacuations to the internment camps, she and Henry are left only with the hope that the war sill end, and that their promise to each other will be kept.

In the basement of the hotel he begins to look for signs of her family’s belongings and a long-lost-object whose value he cannot begin to measure. Now a widower, he is still trying to find his voice-words that might bridge the gap between him and his modern Chinese American son, words that might help him confound the choices he made many year ago.

LITTLE BEE by CHRIS CLEAVE

This novel is told from two distinct perspectives: Little Bee, an illegal refugee, and Sarah, a British journalist. While Sarah and her now deceased husband, Andrew, take a second honeymoon to Nigeria to save their marriage, they become involved in a tense situation with Little Bee, her sister, and a group of armed terrorists on a beach in Nigeria. One of these people makes a great sacrifice to save Little Bee, but not her sister, from being murdered; however, the guilt and consequences of these choices play out in the rest of the story.

After her sister’s murder, Little Bee is found and taken to prison where she meets many other refugees with heart-wrenching stories of torture and murder. When she is mistakenly released from prison, Little Bee travels to England to find Sarah and Andrew.

Sarah story is also complex. Trying to deal with her husband’s suicide, her lingering affair, her young son, and her high-powered executive position Sarah’s own feelings begin to overtake her life, slowly crumbling her “together” exterior. When Little Bee appears in her garden the day of her husband’s funeral, Sarah is able to find the answers to what happened after that fateful day on the beach and how and why Little Bee comes to England. Little Bee’s presence gives Sarah the strength to make hard choices in her life. Finally the friendship these two share is ultimately tested in the closing chapters of the novel.

STONES INTO SCHOOLS by GREG MORTENSON

This is story of how Greg Mortenson after being taken care of by the people of a small village in the mountains of Pakistan vowed to someday return and build a school for their children. The book details how he build not just one but fifty-five schools in that area. It details the challenges he faced and how he overcame them. His heart is really for schools for girls. He is approached to build a school in some unbelievably remote location and with the unlikely cast of characters, he makes it happen, time after time. Reviewers have liked this book better then Three Cups of Tea. Though Mortenson, in the absence of Christian convictions, may place too great a hope in education, it is easy to see how education may be a least one key to a transformation of areas marked by extreme poverty and the influence of a faith that sees little reason to educate its girls

ZEITOUN by Dave Eggers

When Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, Abdulrahman Zeitoun, a prosperous Syrian American and father of four, chose to stay through the storm to protect his house and contracting business while he sent his family north. In the day after the storm, he traveled the flooded streets in a secondhand canoe, passing on supplies and helping those he could. A week later, on September 6, 2005, Zeitoun abruptly disappeared.

Mr. Zietoun’s good deeds were not rewarded as he is arrested and falsely charged with looting. He is sent to a makeshift prison where he is denied his rights to a phone call time and time again. As he attempts to escape this nightmare his family loses touch with him and fears the worst. All signs points to him being unfairly targeted due to his Muslim faith.

Book Club Meeting - October 31, 2011

Meeting was held at Joy's house in Concord, NH. Book discussed was: "A Tale of Two Valleys" by Alan Deutschman. I (Kathy) missed this meeting and have not had a report of opinions on this book.

Group voted for books suggested by Carol, for the January read. Book chosen was " Reservation Blues" by Sherman Alexie.

There will be no meeting at the end of November. Instead, we will meet at Pembrook on December 5, at 1:00pm. We will continue of tradition of having a "Yankee Book Swap". Please bring a new (un-read) book. Book to be discussed at the December meeting is "Power of One" By Bryce Courtenay.

Book Suggestions for January, 2011 Meeting

Carol make the following suggestions:



1. " Green Grass, Running Water by Thomas King ,494 pages,1994

...a brilliant, if slightly confusing, satire on the way white-christian-capitalist culture in North America has mistreated the aboriginal people. Blending reality and legend, this story pokes fun at the Canadian and American governments, Hollywood, and Christianity, through the lives of several Blackfoot people, both on and off the reserve, and the meddling of four ancient Indians and the trickster-god Coyote. This is a story that makes you think, while tears of laughter are rolling down your cheeks.

. I discovered it in my Native American Fiction class during my senior year at Yale, and in my four years as a literature major, I'd never read anything better. Thomas King is a genius

King's auspicious debut novel, Medicine River ( LJ 8/90), garnered critical acclaim and popular success (including being transformed into a TV movie). This encore, a genially wild tale with a serious heart, confirms the author's prowess. It involves the creation of a creation story, the mission of four ancient Indians, and the comparatively realistic doings of 40-year-old-adolescent Lionel Red Dog, unfazable cleaning woman Babo, and various memorable Blackfoot and others in scenic Alberta. Clever verbal motifs not only connect the stories but add fun visual themes, including missing cars and a ubiquitous Western movie. In the end, everyone is thrown together by an earthquake at white human-made Parliament Lake, compliments of the four old Indians and the loopy trickster Coyote. Smart and entertaining,

2."Ghost in Love, by Johnathen Carroll 2009, 370 pages

From Publishers Weekly

Death is not the end but rather the start of a series of madcap and sometimes moving adventures for characters in this spry novel about the un-afterlife. Events begin on a wintry day in Connecticut when Ben Gould slips and hits his head on a curb. He should have died, but owing to a virus in heaven's computer system, Ben's body lives on. Soon, Ben and others in his life—including his talking dog, Pilot, and his own ghost (named Ling)—find themselves endowed with extraordinary and unpredictable talents, including time traveling, the ability to hobnob with multiple incarnations of their younger selves, and a capacity to see otherwise invisible forces of fate manifested in bizarre physical forms. Carroll (Glass Soup) tethers the series of loopy incidents that ensues and their shaggy-dog explanation to incisive and poignant observations about the wondrous possibilities of everyday life that are the hallmark of his flippant style of fantasy. Carroll fans will best appreciate this jeu d'esprit. (Oct.)

3. " Nine- Inside the secret world of the Superior Court" by Jeffrey Toobin app 480 pages, 2008

Over the years any number of best selling books have been written about the U.S. Supreme Court. If you are an avid reader like myself then you have probably read a few of them. Of all of the books I have read on this subject I found Jeffrey Toobin's new offering "The Nine: Inside The Secret World of the Supreme Court" to be among the very best. As senior legal analyst for CNN and a staff writer for "The New Yorker" Jeffrey Toobin is uniquely qualified to tackle a topic that most Americans know precious little about and frankly find a bit mysterious. Like peeling the skin from an onion Toobin succeeds in revealing just who these justices are and how they have evolved over time. It is a fascinating study.

4. " Reservation Blues" by Sherman Alexie, 1995, 320 pages

Through the entertaining story of the rise and fall of a Spokane garage band, Sherman Alexie manages to pack the complexities and frustrations of contemporary Native American Indian life on and off the Reservation. Though his narrative is full of droll wit, his themes are profound. He speaks of the poverty, alcoholism and broken family structure that haunt reservations, of the meanness of HUD housing, surplus food and the local police. As for co-existence with whites: any white left after reading this who thinks white culture understands and treats Indians better these days is as dense as they come. The author explores how outside culture bids for the Indian soul. There is an identity crisis for sure, a rattling sense of purposelessness. Infusing the story with mythic components that extend beyond specific ethnic borders, the author expresses the anger without hate and searches for purpose and redemption. His sentence structure is deceptively straightforward. It drips with allusion and music. In a few strokes, each character becomes a fully developed individual. I hadn't read this talented writer's work before and am in awe of his voice

5. Dancing at the Rascal Fair, by Ivan Doig, 1996, 405 pages

The settlement of Montana between 1890 and 1919 is recounted through the quiet but compelling life of Angus McCaskill, a young Scotsman who travels with his friend Rob Barclay to Montana's Two Medicine Country to homestead. Doig writes fervently of the voyage from Scotland and the lean first years, as the two share the work and hardship of establishing claims and building up flocks of sheep. He tells of their separate marriages, the severing of their friendship, and the final resolution of their conflict through death. Doig successfully recaptures the violence of the Montana elements and the staunch heritage of the Scottish settlers which served so well in his earlier novel English Creek and faithfully represents the struggle for survival on the frontier as he continues the McCaskills' story. Highly recommended. Thomas L.

September 26, Meeting at The Colonel Spencer Inn

Lori submitted the following summary of September 26, 2010, meeting:

On Sept 26, our meeting was hosted by Mary Jo and Ann F. at the lovely Colonel Spencer Inn, we discussed "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. Most people thought that the book was one of the best we've read, and almost everyone enjoyed the book immensely. Ann had prepared a list of discussion topics, but almost all topics were discussed by the group before she had the chance to ask them formally. Much of the discussion centered on how people's actions in the book were dictated by the time and place they lived, how race relations have changed since then (and how they were different in New England during that time), and which characters we liked and identified with. Unfortunately, the one person in our group critical of the book was absent from the meeting, it would have been nice to have that added dimension to the conversation.

The food was a light and wonderful array of appetizers and desserts, and we all felt that the amount of food was just right (not too much). It works well when some bring wine, some bring food, and some bring nothing.

Bev presented a list of possible books to read for our Dec 5th meeting, and we voted on "Power of One" by Bryce Courtenay.

Here is the upcoming schedule for future book club meetings:

Sun, Oct 31: "A Tale of Two Valleys" by Alan Deutschman, hosted by Joy

Because of the holidays, the Nov and Dec meetings are combined, and will be held Dec 5th in conjunction with Kathy's "Be an elf" weekend. The book discussed will be "Power of One" by Bryce Courtenay.

After that, our next meeting will be at the end of January, place and book to be determined.

August 29, 2010 Meeting - Six Burner Bistro

Submitted by Lori:

As always, we had a lively book club meeting, this time at Six Burner Bistro in Plymouth. Thanks to Marlena for organizing it. The book was Ines of my Soul by Isabel Allende. There was a range of likes and dislikes, from complaints that to book was too much of a "bodice ripping romantic novel" to those that really enjoyed the read and enjoyed learning about the history. Most of us felt the book had too much brutality in it, but we all realize that unfortunately that is the nature of war, in general. Stephanie brought up a great array of discussion topics. For those of you on Facebook, Mary Jo has posted some great pictures from the meeting.


Here's the schedule for upcoming book club meetings:


Sun, Sept 26: "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett, hosted by Mary Jo and Ann F. at The Colonel Spencer Inn


Sun, Oct 31: "A Tale of Two Valleys" by Alan Deutschman, hosted by Joy


Because of the holidays, the Nov and Dec meetings are combined, and will be held Dec 5th in conjunction with Kathy's "Be an elf" weekend. After that, our next meeting will be at the end of January.


Bev is responsible for submitting the next list of book choices (Submitted before the next meeting, then to be discussed Dec 5).

October Book Club Selections

Ann Sevigny submitted the following book selections for your consideration. A vote will be taken at the August 29, 2010, Meeting

A Tale of Two Valleys (non fiction)

Alan Deutschman (Journalist)

When acclaimed journalist Alan Deutschman came to the California wine country as the lucky house guest of very rich friends, he was surprised to discover a raging controversy. A civil war was being fought between the Napa Valley, which epitomized elitism, prestige and wealthy excess, and the neighboring Sonoma Valley, a rag-tag bohemian enclave so stubbornly backward that rambunctious chickens wandered freely through town. But the antics really began when new-money invaders began pushing out Sonoma's poets and painters to make way for luxury resorts and trophy houses that seemed a parody of opulence.

A Tale of Two Valleys captures these stranger-than-fiction locales with the wit of a Tom Wolfe novel and uncorks the hilarious absurdities of life among the wine world's glitterati. Deutschman's cast of characters brims with eccentrics, egomaniacs, and a mysterious man in black who crashed the elegant Napa Valley Wine Auction before proceeding to pay a half-million dollars for a single bottle. What develops is nothing less than a battle for the good life, a clash between old and new, the struggle for the soul of one of America's last bits of paradise. Deutschman plays this out against the background of the Fall 2000 election.

The Corrections

Jonathan Franzen (2001)

The Corrections is a grandly entertaining novel for the new century -- a comic, tragic masterpiece about a family breaking down in an age of easy fixes.

After almost fifty years as a wife and mother, Enid Lambert is ready to have some fun. Unfortunately, her husband, Alfred, is losing his sanity to Parkinson's disease, and their children have long since flown the family nest to the catastrophes of their own lives. The oldest, Gary, a once-stable portfolio manager and family man, is trying to convince his wife and himself, despite clear signs to the contrary, that he is not clinically depressed. The middle child, Chip, has lost his seemingly secure academic job and is failing spectacularly at his new line of work. And Denise, the youngest, has escaped a disastrous marriage only to pour her youth and beauty down the drain of an affair with a married man -- or so her mother fears. Desperate for some pleasure to look forward to, Enid has set her heart on an elusive goal: bringing her family together for one last Christmas at home.

Stretching from the Midwest at midcentury to the Wall Street and Eastern Europe of today, The Corrections brings an old-fashioned world of civic virtue and sexual inhibitions into violent collision with the era of home surveillance, hands-off parenting, do-it-yourself mental health care, and globalized greed. Richly realistic, darkly hilarious, deeply humane, it confirms Jonathan Franzen as one of our most brilliant interpreters of American society and the American soul.

That Fateful Lightening

Author: Richard Parry

In a village outside Saratoga Springs, New York, a weakened man sits with pen in hand, looking back at a life dominated by failure: as a farmer, a businessman, a politician--everything but as a soldier. Racked by cancer, Ulysses S. Grant is entering his final months, facing the prospect of leaving his beloved wife penniless. Now he begins one last campaign--to bring to life the only thing of value he still commands: his memoirs. In the weeks and days that follow, Grant tells a story of war and peace, of friends and enemies, and of a man born for one singular purpose--to lead an army into battle, and to lead it to victory.

In this extraordinary novel, Richard Parry takes us on a powerful journey through the Civil War as seen through the shrewd, unwavering eyes of its most enigmatic and least understood protagonist. For as Grant wages a duel against death itself, and his friends and family gather around him, he reveals with stunning clarity his vision of the war: at once a tragedy and a challenge, a nightmare and a puzzle, an epic of carefully laid strategies and counter-strategies as well as a strokes of inexplicable, decisive chance.

Within these pages we meet such powerful historical figures as Mark Twain, the book publisher trying desperately to rescue Grant from poverty in the last year of his life; William Tecumseh Sherman, brilliant and dynamic, but also unsure and sorely in need of Grant's nurturing in war and life; and General Robert E. Lee, whose differences from Grant vividly illustrate the cultural and social divide at the core of the Civil War.

A rich, vivid, and action-packed addition to our nation's literature of the Civil War, That Fateful Lightning is a powerful portrait of a uniquely American hero, a simple but misunderstood man who felt truly at peace only amid the horror and chaos of war.

The Bonfire of the Vanities

Tom Wolfe

The Bonfire of the Vanities traces the descent of Sherman McCoy from the heights of financial success on Wall Street and Park Avenue through his arrest and arraignment in the bowels of the Bronx County Building. At the beginning of the novel, Sherman fancies himself "A Master of the Universe," a titan, a mover and shaker of world finance. He is so wrapped up in himself that he sees his wealth and status as license for his various indulgences.

Sherman McCoy is a young investment banker with a fourteen-room apartment in Manhattan. When he is involved in a freak accident in the Bronx, prosecutors, politicians, the press, the police, the clergy, and assorted hustlers high and low close in on him, giving us a gargantuan helping of the human comedy of New York in the last years of the twentieth century, a city boiling over with racial and ethnic hostilities and burning with the itch to Grab It Now. We see this feverish landscape through the eyes of McCoy's wife and his mistress; the young prosecutor for whom the McCoy case would be he answer to a prayer; the ne'er-do-well British journalist who needs such a case to save his career in America; the street-wise Irish lawyer who becomes McCoy's only ally; and Reverend Bacon of Harlem, a master manipulator of public opinion.

Location of August 29, Meeting

Marlena made arrangements at the Six Burner Bistro in Plymouth for Sunday, 8/29 at 1:00. Book to be discussed is "Ines of my Soul" by Isabel Allende.

It used to be BYOB but now they have a liquor license, so now we will have to purchase our wine by the glass :-)

Please respond to Marlena as she needs a head count. Thanks.

July 25, 2010 - Meeting at Celia's

Our July book was "We Took to the Woods" by Louise Dickinson Rich. Memoir set on the Rapid River in Maine's backwoods was written in 1942. It described day to day life of the Rich family and their friends. Book group was divided on rating this book. Those who did not like the book felt that the author was too repetitive. Those who liked the book could picture themselves living in this setting.

Future Meetings:


August 29 - local restaurant - Marlena will check first with the Six Burner Bistro and then make reservations for 1:00 brunch. Book - Isabel Allende's "Ines of My Soul". Since the Thornton Library is closed for the summer, try other libraries or purchase the book. Available on Amazon.com (used book for one cent plus postage).

It is Ann Sevigny's turn to suggest books for our October meeting.

September 26 - Meeting at Mary Jo's Inn. Book - "The Help"

October 31 - Halloween Meeting at Joy's house. Book TBA

Photos - June 27, 2010

Below the photos you will find news of our June 27, meeting.

 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

June 27, 2010 - Meeting at Judy's

Judy's home was the perfect setting for an early summer meeting. In spite of storms around us, we were able to sit on the deck looking out at the gardens, waterfalls, and river as we discussed our book.

The June selection was "Mists of Avalon" a 912 page book. It is a 1982 novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley, in which she relates the Arthurian legends from the perspective of the female characters. Only a handful of diligent book club members actually made it all the way through the book. The majority were not interested in the subject matter, but would have completed the book if it had not been so long.

Amazon ratings are high for this book. It is classified as Science Fiction and Fantasy. Perhaps the book was more popular back in 1982 when Women's Liberation was more a topic of interest??

Marilyn printed out a time line that put King Arthur in the late fifth to early sixth century.

Dates of future meetings:

Last Sunday of the Month - July 25 at Celia's - Book - "We Took to the Woods" by Louise Dickinson Rich

August 29 - "Ines of My Soul: A Novel" by Isabel Allende - location TBA

September 26 - "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett - location TBA

October 31 - Ann Sevigny will provide list of selections at our August meeting. location TBA

Then a change. Instead of meeting on November 28 (Thanksgiving Weekend), we will meet on Sunday, December 5, for our Holiday Meeting. Those interested in being an elf for the Polar Express, we will participate in this activity on Saturday, December 4.

Book to be read for our August 29, meeting. Majority voted for "Ines of My Soul: A Novel" by Isabel Allende.

It will be Ann Fitzherbert's turn to recommend books for our September meeting. Ann suggested that since "The Help" has been postponed in the past because it was new and unavailable through the library, that we consider this book for September. The group agreed unanimously. We will not consider other books. "The Help" will be September's selection.

In addition to our appetizers of cheese, crackers, veggies, dips and shrimp, we had a buffet of salads and salmon. Desert of hermits and a rich flourless chocolate cake with raspberry sauce.

Wonderful afternoon....and evening spent with good friends. We really are blessed to have each other's company.

Book Recommendations for August Meeting

Stephanie presented the following books for our consideration:

Below are four books to consider for our August book choice. If you are not going to attend June's book club meeting at Judy's but would like to vote for your choice, please let me know by the 27th.

Thanks.
Stephanie


Are You Somebody?: The Accidental Memoir of a Dublin Woman by Nuala O'Faolain Paperback: 224 pages , Publisher: Holt Paperbacks (1998)

From Library Journal

Irish Times columnist O'Faolain seeks to understand the events of her life by baring her soul to the world in a memoir of her experiences with love and loneliness and her journey of self-discovery. This autobiography is unlike most others in that O'Faolain's frank and open examination speaks to both American and European audiences. Transcending her rural Irish childhood (one of nine children, an alcoholic mother, and a philandering father), she tries to find purpose through reading, education, and a career rather than the traditional life of wife and mother. Despite winning scholarships to University College, Dublin; the University of Hull; and, finally, Oxford University, she drifts in and out of relationships, believing that her salvation will come with marriage and motherhood. We travel with her through the intellectual scene in Dublin during the 1950s and the yet traditional Oxford of the 1960s, against the backdrop of the rising feminist movement. O'Faolain is simply swept along, asserting herself but not really knowing why or to what end. Alcoholism and depression take their toll, but she fights her way back. The author speaks of events and predicaments that are universal: the need for purpose in life; the search for satisfaction; and the desire we all have to be somebody. Donada Peters's Irish brogue adds just the right air of authenticity to make this a rich and wonderful listening experience. Poignantly honest and profundly memorable, this program is highly recommended for all public and academic libraries.

http://www.amazon.com/Are-You-Somebody-Accidental-Memoir/dp/080508987X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276368928&sr=1-1



The Songcatcher by Sharyn McCrumb

Paperback: 404 pages, Publisher: Signet (2002)

From Publishers Weekly

Skipping back and forth in time from the 18th to the late 20th century, and drawing on her own family history, McCrumb tells two stories in her appealing new novel, one heading toward, the other returning to, the Appalachians. In the present-day sections, 83-year-old John Walker is slowly dying in the eastern Tennessee town where he has lived most of his life, while his estranged daughter, Linda Walker better known as the country singer Lark McCourry is trying to make it home before he dies. She is also trying to recollect an old song she heard once at a family gathering, a song she hopes will round out her forthcoming album. But heading home, Lark is downed in the mountains in a small plane and trapped inside it. Meanwhile, Malcolm McCourry, one of Lark's maternal ancestors, narrates the story of his life, from the day in 1751 when English seamen kidnapped him at the age of nine from the Scottish isle Islay to the close of his life in the mountains of western North Carolina. Always he carries with him a song he learned aboard ship, which is then passed down to his descendants, each one remembering it at a crucial moment. McCrumb, an award-winning crime and mystery writer, has mixed historic and contemporary plots with success in the past (notably in She Walks These Hills and other novels in her Ballad series; some characters from the Ballad series reappear here), and she does so again, letting the past inform the present and generating a good deal of suspense in a novel that is not properly a mystery. Readers may come to feel that Lark McCourry, unlike the tune-miners looking to stake a copyright claim to every mountain song they hear, is the real songcatcher, the rightful inheritor of her family's music.

http://www.amazon.com/Songcatcher-Ballad-Novel-Sharyn-McCrumb/dp/1587240475/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276370060&sr=1-1



Ines of My Soul: A Novel by Isabel Allende

Paperback: 352 pages, Publisher: Harper Perennial (2007)

From Publishers Weekly

Only months after the inauguration of Chile's first female president, Allende recounts in her usual sweeping style the grand tale of Doña Inés Suárez (1507– 1580), arguably the country's founding mother. Writing in the year of her death, Inés tells of her modest girlhood in Spain and traveling to the New World as a young wife to find her missing husband, Juan. Upon learning of Juan's humiliating death in battle, Inés determines to stay in the fledgling colony of Peru, where she falls fervently in love with Don Pedro de Valdivia, loyal field marshal of Francisco Pizarro. The two lovers aim to found a new society based on Christian and egalitarian principles that Valdivia later finds hard to reconcile with his personal desire for glory. Inés proves herself not only a capable helpmate and a worthy cofounder of a nation, but also a ferocious fighter who both captivates and frightens her fellow settlers. Inés narrates with a clear eye and a sensitivity to native peoples that rarely lapses into anachronistic political correctness. Basing the tale on documented events of her heroine's life, Allende crafts a swift, thrilling epic, packed with fierce battles and passionate romance.

http://www.amazon.com/Ines-My-Soul-Isabel-Allende/dp/0061161543/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276370492&sr=1-1



Forever: A Novel by Pete Hamill

Paperback: 640 pages, Publisher: Back Bay Books (2003)

From Publishers Weekly

This novel demands that the reader immediately suspend disbelief, but if this summons is heeded the reward will be a superior tale told by Hamill (Snow in August; A Drinking Life) in the cadence of the master storyteller. The year is 1741 and this is the story of Cormac O'Connor-"Irish, and a Jew"-who grows up in Ireland under English Protestant rule and is secretly schooled in Gaelic religion, myth and language. Seeking to avenge the murder of his father by the Earl of Warren, he follows the trail of the earl to New York City. On board ship, Cormac befriends African slave Kongo, and once in New York, the two join a rebellion against the British. After the rising is quelled, mobs take to the streets and Kongo is seized. Cormac saves Kongo from death, but is shot in the process. His recovery takes a miraculous turn when Kongo's dead priestess, Tomora, appears and grants Cormac eternal life and youth-so long as he never leaves the island of Manhattan, thus the "Forever" of the title. What follows is a portrait of the "city of memory of which Cormac was the only citizen." Cormac fights in the American Revolution, sups with Boss Tweed (in a very sympathetic portrait) and lives into the New York of 2001. In that year he warily falls in love with Delfina, a streetwise Dominican ("That was the curse attached to the gift: You buried everyone you loved"), and comes into contact with a descendant of the Earl of Warren, the newspaper publisher Willie Warren. His love, his drive for revenge and his very desire to exist are fatefully challenged on the eve and the day of September 11. This rousing, ambitious work is beautifully woven around historical events and characters, but it is Hamill's passionate pursuit of justice and compassion-Celtic in foundation-that distinguishes this tale of New York City and its myriad peoples.

http://www.amazon.com/Forever-Novel-Pete-Hamill/dp/0316735698/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276394846&sr=1-2

May 30, 2010 - Meeting at Claire's - Bretton Woods

Report by Mary Jo Stephens
Hello All:

We had a wonderful time at Claire's condo today (THANK YOU SO MUCH CLAIRE)!!!! Another spectacular, clear view of Mt. Washington along with great friends, wonderful food and plenty of wine!!! Book discussion was on The Cellist of Sarajevo (Marlena's pick) which everyone seemed to agree was a compelling book that we all wanted and couldn't wait to finish. The general consensus was that all 3 people in the book came to live a somewhat normal life and didn't give in to hopelessness and wouldn't allow the snipers to kill their spirit. Many yummy appetizers (veggies & dip, scoops & salsa dip, blue cheese & crackers, blue corn chips & salsa) & wine was consumed while the discussion was going on. We then chose our next book for July (Patricia's pick) which will be "We Took to the Woods" by Louise Dickinson Rich. Patricia will check with Selena for future books since the library is closing in 2 weeks and will update us on what she finds out.

Schedule for the next two months is as follows: June 27th-Mists of Avalon at Judy's house (time to be determined)
July 25th-We Took to the Woods at Diane's house (time to be determined)
August picks are for Stephanie

We were then treated to a fabulous dinner (Chicken & Veggie Kabobs-made by Claire & Joy with the help of Carol at the grill), grilled asparagus, a large tossed salad, sticky rice & bread. Followed by numerous fabulous desserts (Strawberry Cake (made with 5 lbs. of butter), Rubarb Pie, Lemon/Blueberry Cheesecake and a Creamy Mocha Frozen Dessert. WAY TOO MUCH FOOD! Actually the discussion at dinner and after was the highlight of the day, talking about HOT MEN IN UNIFORM (Diane & Joy were specifically referring to a cop in Campton & NY respectively) and we then thought how much fun it would be if we had a man in our book group but he would have to wear a different uniform each month and it couldn't be a postman! There was also some talk about a squeaky bed that Joy was referring to. LOTS and LOTS of good laughs and fun was had by all. For those of you that couldn't be there, we missed you terribly (especially you Kathy, who we are all hoping and praying that you get well soon so we can see your smiling face again!)

I've attached a few pics for you to see and will also post more on FB for those of you on there. If anyone would like more information on what we discussed today, just ask one of us and we'd be happy to elaborate......I would have put this on the blog, but for some strange reason I'm unable to do it, so sorry.

Hope you all have a wonderful June and enjoy Mists and see you on the 27th at Judy's.
Mj

Select a book for July meeting

BOOK SELECTIONS FOR JULY WERE SUBMITTED BY PATRICIA:

THE SECRET RIVER by Kate Greenville

In 1806 William Thornbill, an illiterate English bargeman and a man of quick temper but deep compassion, steals a
load of wood and, as a part of his lenient sentence, is deported along with his beloved wife, Sal, to the New South
Wales colony in what would become Australia. THE SECRET RIVER is the tale of William and Sal's deep love for their
small, exotic corner of the new world, and William's gradual realization that if he wants to make a home for his family,
he must forcibly take the land from he people who came before him. THE SECRET RIVER has been internationally
praised as a magnificent, transporting work of historical fiction.

WE TOOK TO THE WOODS by Louise Dickinson Rich

In her early thirties, Louise Dickinson Rich took to the woods of Maine with her husband. They found their livelihood
and raised a family in the remote backcountry settlement of Middle Dam, in the Rangeley area. Louise made time after
morning chores to write about their lives. First published in 1942, WE TOOK TO THE WOODS became an instant
bestseller. But WE TOOK TO THE WOODS is more than an adventure story, more than a simple nature study; it
portrays a cherished dream awakened into full life. Written with warmth, enthusiasm, and humor, it is a book to stir
the imagination.

THE CROWNING GLORY OF CALLA LILY PONDER by Rebecca Wells

Remember those books of the YA YA SISTERHOOD? Same author - this book is a light read - but, a fun & meaningful
read! Takes place in the south and it is about Calla Lily Ponder - Yes, she was named after the Calla Lily flower!
Enjoyable read!

Vote by e-mail only if you are not going to be at the meeting.

April 18, Meeting at Marilyn's

Diane Devine sent the following summary of the April 18, meeting.

Well, the discussion on Main Street by Sinclair Lewis was quite lively. "Carol" was not liked by all.The book although written with some pose, the generally concision was that it is a tedious read.

The next book is "The Cellist of Sarajevo". To be held at on May 16th. Do not know as to where yet.

Votes were counted and the book choice for June 27 is "The Mists of Avalon".

It was also decided to keep the meeting dates to the end of the month; unless, it falls on a holiday. At that time we will make the decision to either hold it or move to another date.

As always we had much fun and wonderful food and wine. We missed all that weren't there.

Book Suggestions for June 27, Meeting

Mary Jo has made the following suggestions for book to be discussed on June 27, 2010. Group will vote at the April 18, meeting.

1) Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

Amazon.com Review
Even readers who don't normally enjoy Arthurian legends will love this version, a retelling from the point of view of the women behind the throne. Morgaine (more commonly known as Morgan Le Fay) and Gwenhwyfar (a Welsh spelling of Guinevere) struggle for power, using Arthur as a way to score points and promote their respective worldviews. The Mists of Avalon's Camelot politics and intrigue take place at a time when Christianity is taking over the island-nation of Britain; Christianity vs. Faery, and God vs. Goddess are dominant themes. Young and old alike will enjoy this magical Arthurian reinvention by science fiction and fantasy veteran Marion Zimmer Bradley.

2) The Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Amazon.com Review
Yann Martel's imaginative and unforgettable Life of Pi is a magical reading experience, an endless blue expanse of storytelling about adventure, survival, and ultimately, faith. The precocious son of a zookeeper, 16-year-old Pi Patel is raised in Pondicherry, India, where he tries on various faiths for size, attracting "religions the way a dog attracts fleas." Planning a move to Canada, his father packs up the family and their menagerie and they hitch a ride on an enormous freighter. After a harrowing shipwreck, Pi finds himself adrift in the Pacific Ocean, trapped on a 26-foot lifeboat with a wounded zebra, a spotted hyena, a seasick orangutan, and a 450-pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker ("His head was the size and color of the lifebuoy, with teeth"). It sounds like a colorful setup, but these wild beasts don't burst into song as if co-starring in an anthropomorphized Disney feature. After much gore and infighting, Pi and Richard Parker remain the boat's sole passengers, drifting for 227 days through shark-infested waters while fighting hunger, the elements, and an overactive imagination. In rich, hallucinatory passages, Pi recounts the harrowing journey as the days blur together, elegantly cataloging the endless passage of time and his struggles to survive: "It is pointless to say that this or that night was the worst of my life. I have so many bad nights to choose from that I've made none the champion." An award winner in Canada, Life of Pi, Yann Martel's second novel, should prove to be a breakout book in the U.S. At one point in his journey, Pi recounts, "My greatest wish--other than salvation--was to have a book. A long book with a never-ending story. One that I could read again and again, with new eyes and fresh understanding each time." It's safe to say that the fabulous, fablelike Life of Pi is such a book.

3) The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe

From Publishers Weekly
Set in Cambridge and Marblehead, Mass., Howe's propulsive if derivative novel alternates between the 1991 story of college student Connie Goodwin and a group of 17th-century outcasts. After moving into her grandmother's crumbling house to get it in shape for sale, Connie comes across a small key and piece of paper reading only Deliverance Dane.� The Salem witch trials, contemporary Wicca and women's roles in early American history figure prominently as Connie does her academic detective work. What follows is a breezy read in which Connie must uncover the mystery of a shadowy book written by the enigmatic Deliverance Dane. During Connie's investigation, she relies on a handsome steeplejack for romance and her mother and an expert on American colonial history for clues and support. While the twisty plot and Howe's habit of ending chapters with cliffhangers are straight out of the thriller playbook, the writing is solid overall, and Howe's depiction of early American life and the witch trials should appeal to readers who enjoyed The Heretic's Daughter. The witchcraft angle and frenetic pacing beg for a screen adaptation.

March 28, 2010 Meeting at Claire's

Claire's condo is set at the base of snow covered, Mount Washington. It is still winter in Crawford Notch. We warmed our selves with cups of tea when we arrived at 11:00 am. This was one of our earlier meetings.....and we enjoyed each other's company until past 5:00pm. Perfect day for homemade chili, corn bread, salad, cheese and crackers, and a variety of desserts. Carol's contribution of a maple syrup pie from a truck stop in Vermont was a special treat. Most of us had never tasted this before. Enough about food....on with the meeting.

There were ten of us present for a lengthy discussion of Carson McCullers' "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter". We agreed that this novel was beautifully written. You can close your eyes....listen to the words....and imagine the scene and the characters. How did twenty-three year old McCullers have such depth and knowledge of life to create these characters? We understood that most of it was autobiographical. This was not an easy book to read as the characters were lonely people with little hope of change. You can feel their sadness on every page.

Marlena had provided a list of books for our May book club meeting. Majority vote went to "Cellist of Sarajevo" by Steven Galloway.

Dates, locations, and books for future meetings:

April 18 - Marilyn's - "Main Street" by Sinclair Lewis
May 16 - Joy's - "Cellist of Sarajevo" by Steven Galloway
June 27 - Judy's - Book TBA
July 25 - Diane's - Book TBA

The next part of our meeting had a different format and was our reason for an early arrival. A couple of months ago, we were contacted by Director/Producer Gary Weimberg to see if our book group would be interested in viewing one of his documentary films "The Story of Mothers & Daughters". I take the following words from the jacket of the DVD to describe the film......"This became our central theme, how the mother-daughter relationship changes over the course of our lives; from birth to growing up and leaving home, and on the passing of one generation and the beginning of the next. Through this understanding, the stories of individual women and girls come together to reveal the universal truth of all our lives. The Story of Mothers & Daughters aired as a one hour television program, first on ABC and then on PBS. But this is the full-length version, as we originally intended it to be seen. "

We viewed this 72 minute film with smiles and tears. Being daughters...and many of us mothers of daughters, we could relate to the story. For some, the memories were positive.....for others more painful. Afterwards, some shared their feelings and we discussed the film. I believe that we went home with many thoughts that will stay with us, as we examine our own relationships.

How did we feel about viewing/sharing a documentary? Most felt that they would not want a film to replace a book discussion. When we read a book, the characters are with us for a longer period of time. It is a richer experience.

I personally would enjoy viewing and discussing documentary films with others. Would I want it to replace a book discussion? No. I would like to see it as a separate type of program. I do believe that women....and men who attend book groups would be interested. I also think that this would be an asset to programs planned by public libraries.

Thank you to Gary Weiman for sharing "The Story of Mothers & Daughters". For copies of "Mothers & Daughters" or the companion film "The Story of Fathers & Sons", contact Luna Productions (510)526-4888, or at http://www.lunaproductions.com/

Book Selections for May, 2010, Meeting

Marlena has offered us the following selections. We will select one of them at our March 28, meeting.

"The Cellist of Sarajevo" by Stephen Galloway

"Black Like Me" by John Howard

"Homer and Langley" by Doctorow

"Weight of Water" by Anita Shreve

February 28, 2011 - "Sin in the Second City"

I missed this meeting held at Stephanie's house, but, I understand that the majority of the group who attended did not care for "Sin in the Second City". Several disliked it enough to not finish the book. I understand that it stimulated some interesting discussions. Ann and I discussed the book while in Mexico. We both enjoyed the book.....thinking of it as a piece of American History. It was an eye opener in many ways. Our Thornton Librarian, Selena, loved the book and could not put it down. So, it looks as if there were many diverse opinions on "Sin in the Second City".

Our next meeting is on Sunday, March 28, at Claire's condo in Bretton Woods. We will meet early - 10am to discuss our book - "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers. We will break for lunch and then watch the video "The Story of Mothers and Daughters" followed by a discussion of this documentary.

April Book Selection - It was Marilyn's turn to suggest books. Her choices were:

"Main Street" by Sinclair Lewis
"Mists of Avalon" by Marian Zimmer Bradley
"Gilead" by Marilynne Robinson
"The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay" by Michael Chabon

All were excellent choices. And the winner was (by one vote) "Main Street" by Sinclair Lewis.

Patricia has ordered this book for us.

January 31, 2010 - Meeting

Our January meeting was held at Pembrook. Book discussed was "Olive Kitteridge" by Ellizabeth Strout. This is a book of short stories about people living in a coastal town in Maine. The stories are linked by the presense and many facets of Olive Kitteridge. We discussed the different sides of Olive's personality and how she related to others. It was my impression that we all liked this book and would recommend it to others. Did we all like the character Olive Kitteridge??? There were mixed feelings.

Our February 28, meeting will be held at Stephanie's home. Book to be discussed is "Sin in the Second City" by Karen Abbott. Stephanine will send out an email regarding the time of meeting.

We voted to read "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers at our March 28, meeting.

Prior to our last meeting, I was contacted by Gary Weimberg of Luna Productions. Gary would like to market DVDs of hightly successful documentaries that he has made. How can he keep films that he cares about in the public eye? His thought was that Book Discussion Groups might also be interested in viewing and discussing documentaries. He suggested that our book club view his production of "The Story of Mothers and Daughters". It was a primetime ABC Special in 1997 and 1999. The subject is timeless....and fits into the twenty-first century as well.
We all may not have daughters.....but, we once had a mother....and we ourselves were daughters.
We discussed the prospect of viewing and discussing the film at a future meeting. The idea was well received.

Links to Gary Weimberg's sites are:
http://www.thestoryofmothersanddaughters.com/
http://www.lunaproductions.com/ourfilms/mothersanddaughters.html
http://www.lunaproductions.com/

Our March 28, 2010, meeting will be held at Claire's home in Bretton Woods. We will arrive at 11am, discuss "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter", eat lunch, view "The Story of Mothers and Daughters, and then discuss the film. Thank you to Gary for the suggestion and for lending us a copy of the DVD. Another film that may be of interest for a future group discussion is Luna Productions "Soldiers of Conscience".

Lori's suggestions for March Book Selection

Book club choices for March 2010
Submitted by Lori Maxfield

The Women by TC Boyle

Synopsis by the author from the official TC Boyle web site:

The Women is my twelfth novel and twentieth book of fiction overall. It hearkens back to The Inner Circle (2004) and The Road to Wellville (1993), in that it centers around the life of a historical figure, Frank Lloyd Wright, who, like Dr. Alfred C. Kinsey and John Harvey Kellogg, protagonists of the aformentioned books, was one of the great twentieth century forgers of our culture. The book is narrated by Tadashi Sato, an invented character who was a member of the Taliesin Apprenticeship in the 1930s. He provides three long introductions to each of the major sections of the book, and these move his own story forward even as the three sections take us backward in time. Each section is devoted to one of Frank Lloyd Wright's inamorata: Olgivanna, Miriam and Mamah. The text, purportedly written by Tadashi in collaboration with his Irish-American grandson-in-law, goes deeply into the points of view of these women (as well as that of Frank Lloyd Wright's first wife, Kitty, whom he abandoned when he ran off to Europe in 1909 with Mamah Borthwick Cheney, wife of one of his clients), and provides footnotes as a running commentary on the action and on the architect's ouevre. It is my hope that the reader will not only enjoy the ride--there is humor.

The Amazon.com Link:
http://www.amazon.com/Women-Novel-T-C -Boyle/dp/0143116479/ref=tmm_pap_title_0

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A Mercy by Toni Morrison

Synopsis from Wikipedia:

A Mercy is Toni Morrison's 9th novel. It was first published in 2008. A Mercy reveals what lies beneath the surface of slavery in early America. It is both the story of mothers and daughters and the story of a primitive America. It made the New York Times Book Review list of "10 Best Books of 2008" as chosen by the paper's editors.

Florens, a slave, lives and works on Jacob Vaark's rural New York farm. Lina, a Native American and fellow laborer on the Vaark farm, relates in a parallel narrative how she became one of a handful of survivors of a smallpox plague that destroyed her tribe. Vaark's wife Rebekkah describes leaving England on a ship for the new world to be married to a man she has never seen. The deaths of their subsequent children are devastating, and Vaark accepts a young Florens from a debtor in the hopes that this new addition to the farm will help alleviate Rebekkah's loneliness. Vaark, himself an orphan and poorhouse survivor, describes his journeys from New York to Maryland and Virginia, commenting on the role of religion in the culture of the different colonies, along with their attitudes toward slavery.

All these characters are bereft of their roots, struggling to survive in a new and alien environment filled with danger and disease. When smallpox threatens Rebekkah's life in 1692, Florens, now sixteen, is sent to find a black freedman who has some knowledge of herbal medicines. Her journey is dangerous, ultimately proving to be the turning point in her life.

Morrison examines the roots of racism going back to slavery's earliest days, providing glimpses of the various religious practices of the time, and showing the relationship between men and women in early America that often ended in female victimization. They are "of and for men," people who "never shape the world, The world shapes us." As the women journey toward self-enlightenment, Morrison often describes their progress in Biblical cadences, and by the end of this novel, the reader understands the significance of the title, "a mercy."

Amazon.com Link:
http://www.amazon.com/Mercy-Vintage-International-Toni-Morrison/dp/0307276767/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264343522&sr=1-1

You Tube link of Toni Morrison discussing the book:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IZvMhQ2LIU

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The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

Synopsis from Wikipedia:

The Elegance of the Hedgehog (French: L'élégance du hérisson) is a novel by the French novelist and professor of philosophy Muriel Barbery. The book follows events in the life of a concierge, Renée Michel, whose deliberately concealed intelligence is uncovered by an unstable but intellectually precocious girl named Paloma Josse. Paloma is the daughter of an upper-class family living in the upscale Parisian apartment building where Renée works.

Featuring a number of erudite characters, The Elegance of the Hedgehog is full of allusions to literary works, music, films, and paintings. It incorporates themes relating to philosophy, class consciousness, and personal conflict. The events and ideas of the novel are presented through the thoughts and reactions, interleaved throughout the novel, of two narrators, Renée and Paloma. The changes of narrator are marked by switches of typeface. In the case of Paloma, the narration takes the form of her written journal entries and other philosophical reflections; Renée's story is also told in the first person but more novelistically and in the present tense.

First released in August 2006 by Gallimard, the novel became a publishing success in France the following year, selling over a million copies. It has been translated into several languages, and published in a number of countries outside France, including the United Kingdom and the United States, attracting critical praise for both the work and its author.

Amazon.com link:
http://www.amazon.com/Elegance-Hedgehog-Muriel-Barbery/dp/1933372605

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The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Summary from browsebooks.com:
Winner of the 2007 BookBrowse Ruby Award.

Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist – books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau. This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.

Amazon.com link:
http://www.amazon.com/Book-Thief-Markus-Zusak/dp/0375842209/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264344072&sr=1-1

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The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers

Summary from enotes.com:
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter was Carson McCullers’ first novel, published in 1940, when the author was just twenty-three years old. The book introduced themes that stayed with McCullers throughout her lifetime and appeared in all of her works, such as “spiritual isolation” and her notion of “the grotesque,” which she used to define characters who found themselves excluded from society because of one outstanding feature, physical or mental. The story takes place in a small town in the South in the late 1930s. The five central characters cross paths continually throughout the course of about a year, but due to the imbalances in their personalities they are not able to connect with one another, and are doomed to carry on the loneliness indicated in the title. An indication of their lack of coping mechanisms is that the one character that the other four confide their hopes and aspirations and theories to is a deaf mute, who cannot fully understand them nor communicate back to them anything more than his nodding acceptance of what they tell him. Throughout her short career, McCullers’ novels continued to present characters who were cut off from mankind, although, many critics believe, never as successfully as in this first, brilliant stroke.

Amazon.com link:

http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Lonely-Hunter-Oprahs-Book/dp/0618526412/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264344949&sr=1-1