An Evening Along the Columbia

Reminiscent of the holiday meal book character Susan prepared for Ada, Jamie and the pilots, Judy prepared a delicious ham dinner!  And she had a lovely centerpiece: a ceramic horse and actual rationing coupon books from WWII!  It was nice to have Joe join us as we were a small group.  Plenty of time to chat and share before our book discussion. 

(sorry for positioning of the pictures, but I could not rotate these images!)

Although a shorter young readers book, 'The War That Saved My Life' was a good history lesson describing life and hardships people endured during the war.  It also spoke to the resilience of people, especially Ada, the main character, who was born with a physical handicap and whose mother left her with many emotional handicaps.  I found it interesting to try to put myself in Ada's shoes as she learned so much when she was relocated, an effort to protect the children in the event of a bombing on London.  Not only could she not read or write, but she had never seen indoor plumbing, sheets and blankets, tablecloths and so many other common things we all take for granted.  Imagine her amazement when she first saw grass and a sky that went on forever.  Her determination to learn and overcome her set-backs was remarkable.  The book also spoke to what really makes a family.  It is a great book for youngsters to read and learn from.

The events described in the book directly impacted Judy S as she relayed information about her mother's family during WWII.  The story was very moving to her and she says "For me, it was a walk into my mother's shortened childhood."

Our next meeting will be Thursday, December 5th at Maureen's home.

A Musical Evening

Delicious food and great conversation were shared at Claudia's home.  Our read was "The Music Shop" by Rachel Joyce.  Since this story was about all varieties of music, it prompted nice musical memories from each of us - favorite songs, favorite performers, favorite concerts.  Esther supplied the soundtrack for our evening thanks to Spotify.

The story revolved around a small neighborhood in London with a diverse mix of people who helped each other.  Frank owns the music shop which sells only records, no CDs.  Frank is a good listener and has the gift of knowing the perfect music for every person.  The book was reminiscent of other books we have read - Eleanor Oliphant, Ove, Rosie - some of which involved a main character with "a dysfunctional parent and childhood that deeply affected (their) adult life." (thank you Judy B!) 

The book gave you a different insight into music:
"Jazz was about the spaces between notes.  It was about what happens when you listen to the thing inside you.  The gaps and the cracks.  Because that was where life really happened when you were brave enough to free fall."  "Music said things that words couldn't."  "There were pictures in all kinds of music, once you stopped to listen."  "...music was like a garden - it sowed seeds in in far-flung places."  "Music is about silence....Music comes out of silence and at the end goes back to it.  It's a journey." 

We Give Thanks

We had such a lovely time at Judy Schmidt's home!  Very relaxing and comforting.  And a VERY BIG THANKS to Caitlin for preparing our delicious dinner featuring home-grown fried green tomatoes! 

Our read this month was "Beneath the Scarlet Sky" by Mark Sullivan.  Quite similar to "Boys in the Boat" and also "Unbroken", it is a historical fiction based on one man's life during WWII in Italy.  The story is about growing up during a war and learning much about life: friendship, love, courage, deceit, choices.  What does it take to survive a war?  Milanese took the train to the countryside each evening and slept in the orchards and fields so they could be safe from the bombing and get some sleep.  What does Pino do to survive the war?  He has amazing experiences as he fights for justice the best way he can. 

"Life is change, constant change, and unless we are lucky enough to find comedy in it, change is nearly always a drama, if not a tragedy....if we are lucky enough to believe, we must give thanks for the miracle of every moment of every day, no matter how flawed."

Scientifically Speaking

Thanks to Debbie for hosting our meeting in her lovely home.  Delicious food, as always, and it was quite apparent that tomatoes were doing well in everybody's gardens.  The sharing of a good meal with friends always stimulates interesting conversation.

Science is hard and takes great imagination (thank you Chris M).  Our book, Lab Girl by Hope Jahren, was not only about insights on the growth of trees - roots, stems, branches, leaves, flowers - but also about the difficulties pursuing a scientific life of learning and investigating, especially when you are a woman.  Experiments planned that go wrong and have to be reconsidered and approached from a different direction: "...if there had been a way to success with out traveling through disaster someone would have already done it and thus rendered the experiments unnecessary..."  "Science has taught me that everything is more complicated than we first assume..."  Hope chose this path for her life and, through her own manic way, has made it a success with great benefits for all.

We all have a greater appreciation for trees and the author suggests that everyone should plant trees but cautions that "You must choose with a clear head and open eyes.  You are marrying this tree: choose a partner, not an ornament."  She also leaves us with this epilogue: "Every day, you can look at your tree, watch what it does, and try to see the world from its perspective.  Stretch your imagination until it hurts." 

Summer Schedule

Because the first Thursday in July is the 4th, we have decided to skip our July meeting, and resume meeting in August.  Therefore, our next meeting will be Thursday August 1st and it will be at Debbie Gregory's home.  See you there!

"This is How We Make a Life"

Welcome home Chris P and thank you SO much for hosting our gathering!  It is always gratifying to share good food in the company of good friends.

This month our discussion was about "As Bright As Heaven" by Susan Meissner.  The author researched the Spanish flu pandemic and presented her information via story based in Philadelphia, a city which had thousands of flu victims.  The Spanish flu killed more people worldwide than had died in WWI.  An interesting twist was that this story was set in a mortuary, a location greatly affected by the deaths as bodies were stacking up in many rooms and people would leave bodies on the porch as there was nowhere else to take them.  I would have liked it if Sandy were still in our group as her father was a mortician and she would have interesting insights to share with us.

Although the information about the pandemic was staggering, many felt the author didn't get to the core of each character.  They commented that in other books written in this format of each characters' voice, you knew who "spoke" in each chapter without their name being identified.  In this novel, you had to pay attention to the name on each chapter to know who was speaking.  Also, the ending seemed somewhat unbelievable as each characters' outcome was wrapped up with too many neat bows. 

The book did present several good points to ponder:
Time changes everything - sometimes fast and sometimes slow.
Death is not a cruel phantom but more like a quiet friend.
The gap between heaven and earth may seem vast but in reality is very small.

There were also several good quotes:
"It's as if the body is a candle and the soul its flame.  When the flame is snuffed out, all that is left to prove that there had been a flame is the candle."
"Different doesn't have to mean things can't be good again..."
"...our eyes don't change much from when we were young.  Perhaps it's just how we see things that change."

In the Author's Acknowledgements the author asks "How does this knowledge that we are mortal affect our choices?"  "Each of our stories will end, in time, but meanwhile, we will fill the pages of our existence with all the love we can, for as long as we can.  This is how we make a life."

The Lilac Girls

While somewhat still fresh in my mind, but thinking about the resonance of The Lilac Girls and Cudjo , there is much to consider. How can we become kinder to each other and to all life? Can one eliminate, prevent, and/or control the spirit of cruelty?   Questions about the soul arise,
 

As I place myself in the lives of Cujo, Caroline, Kasia , or Herta , I feel such polar and diverse  pain or ease, opportunity or prejudice.  It is just -  be damned or be lucky, from birth on.

 Our dinner at Chris's ranch was evidence of the strength, character, wisdom, kindness and patience you women possess . It heartens me to see those character traits. 

My lilacs were barely in bloom then, but enough for a bouquet.  The reference to lilacs was found by Judy Bell - page 440.

" He loved these. It's a lovely reminder of him, but terribly sad too, to see his favorite Abraham Lincoln lilacs blossom without him ... But it's fitting in a way - Father loved the fact that a lilac only blossoms after a harsh winter. "

"Happiness can exist in a moment"

A most eloquent forward to Barracoon,  by Zora Neale Hurston written by Alice Walker includes this beautiful quote " That though the heart is breaking, happiness can exist in a moment, also. And because the moment in which we live is all the time there really is, we can keep going. Life, inexhaustible, goes on. And we do too. Carrying our wounds and our medicines as we go. Perhaps our planet is for learning to appreciate the extraordinary wonder of life that surrounds even our suffering, and to say Yes, if through the thickest of tears. "


The reading of Ms. Hurston's series of interviews with Cudjo was challenging, because of the reality presented of our inhumanity to man over the course of all generations and cultures, and specifically in the case of  the slave trade. How lonely, desperate and traumatic was the experience of the men, women and children who were taken by force to a land far from home and all that they knew to be sold and treated worse than animals. We must not let that past be forgotten.  We need to continue to be reminded and to tell our young people of this past  to avoid it's recurrence. And yet, our discussion led us to consider how today in our country and communities, we seem to have not evolved beyond a self centered and uncivilized culture.  No, we won't solve the world's problems by talking about them, but perhaps we will be encouraged to act when we have the opportunity to stand up for what is right,  when we can give of our time, resources, and talents in small and large ways. 

It seemed that working in his garden was nourishing and healing after such a hard life,  and  Ms. Hurston's gifts of food and conversation were welcomed. He needed to tell his story and she needed to hear it . We are the fortunate readers to learn of it. 

All the lonely people

Eleanot Oliphant is completely fine, by Gail Honeyman is an quirky and  heart wrenching story of a woman traumatized by a parental  disfunction and lack of love.  Whether Eleanor became so alienated from everyday life due to the tragic fire that killed her little sister caused by her mother or whether she may have had tendencies toward autism that were exacerbated by that event could be speculative. What could have helped her ? A more compassionate foster family? A more resilient nature?  After  having just read Educated, by Tara Westover , a strong sense of oneself and persistence to survive can overcome a horrible childhood, but certainly there is much needed in broken early lives to heal and persevere.  Eleanor had so little recognizable help.  The author expressed her dilemma and mindset  in many interesting ways.  From page 5, "There are days when I feel so lightly connected to the earth that the threads that tether me to the planet are gossamer thin, spun sugar.  A strong gust of wind could dislodge me completely, and I'd lift off and blow away, like one of the seeds in a dandelion clock."  Her honest, and quirky nature must have been exactly what drew Raymond to her. As well described by Claudia, in her review ,  " Eleanor was so lonely; she would observe other people's social interactions and try to analyze them and learn by example ("Oh, this is what friends do.") Raymond's own awkward social skills were minimal in comparison, and his dedication to her was what finally brought her to accept herself and realize that she could face the reality of her past, and learn to be comfortable with who she was and could become.  He was not the only kind person she encountered in the space of time the book takes place, and perhaps there were others earlier, but she may have not let them into her realm of existence.  We do need each other, and we need to recognize that as Maureen stated in our discussion ( I am paraphrasing )  - It only takes a few good people to make a difference in a person's life.

We enjoyed a dinner I intended to be comfort food  - homemade bread, tomato soup, and chicken pot pie, along with cheese and crackers, kale and greens salad, homemade sugar cookies, and a wonderful white wine .  It was a small gathering, but very congenial.  I look forward to next month's read, Barracoon, by Zora Neale Hurston.  We will be sharing at Chris Mallon's home on the first Thursday of April.

Book Ideas for Next Round

On a site for "recommended reads," this book sounded interesting. Thought it might be handy to have posts here to record ideas for our next round of requests to NCRL Book Clubs.
The Current by Tim Johnston   from The Real Deal (Retail Me Not post).
Just log in and add a comment to this post with your suggestions.

A Gentleman's Life

I certainly enjoyed hosting our gathering to review "A Gentleman in Moscow" by Amor Towles.  It was fun to plan what to serve as there were so many options to choose from.  And I really appreciate that all our potluck selections were so connected to the story as well.  Bravo everyone!  It was fun to be a bit fancy - even when it was 12 degrees outside.  I'm pleased that Judy B used this as an opportunity to wear her grandmother's jewelry so we could all enjoy it!

I found this book to be a pleasure and an indulgence to read.  Its characters became friends.  The author wrote with insight, humor and reflection on many themes, culminating in the ability to change our life as necessitated by life's uncertainties.  It also provided some basic insight on Russian history without being boring.  This book was well received by everyone and most of us shared quotes from the book that were meaningful to us.  While reflecting on this story, I found I had a better understanding of Ron's father's life in Hungary before the war.  I had always viewed things through my American-upbringing eyes and never fully realized other possibilities.

I spent some time reading Amor Towles' website after our meeting to see what motivated him to write this novel.  He stated that he loved Russian literature and used this knowledge to anchor the story over years of extensive research.  His great-great-grandfather died when he was a teenager, and Amor selected a piece of luggage - a traveler's hat box - as a memento from the estate.  It was covered with labels from hotels his great-great-grandfather had stayed while traveling for his work and Amor imagined the elegant journeys he had taken.  When Amor began traveling for his work for an investment firm, he realized his trips were nothing like what he thought his great-great grandfather's were.  While at a hotel in Geneva, Amor surveyed the other travelers around him and, instead of feeling transported by his ornate location, he felt trapped.  He began to wonder what it would be like to live in a hotel like this for the rest of his life, what it would take to live in such constrained circumstances.  That was his inspiration for this story.

About his writing, Amor says he views writing in musical terms.  "I think the closest cousin to the novel in the art realm is the symphony.  A novel has movements and leitmotifs.  It has moments of crescendo and diminuendo.  You feel a growing emotional force and then it backs off for reflection.  A work must feel cohesive and organic and the beginning and end inform each other in a way we can hold in our head."

We are looking forward to our next meeting which will be held Tuesday, March 5th, at Esther's home.  See you there!

A Note About Our Meeting

Thank you Maureen for being our January hostess.  It was a pleasure to spend time with friends in your lovely home.  Thanks too for your delicious lentil soup and everyone else for their yummy contributions to our evening.  It was so nice to start our new year sharing with friends.

Our book for this month was written by Lisa Genova, who also wrote "Still Alice", a story about alzhimer's disease.  Our book, "Every Note Played", is a story about ALS  - Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis disease, also called Lou Gerhig's disease.  Although the characters in this book were fictional, the facts of the disease and its progression were well researched.  It is very hard to imagine receiving the news that you have ALS as it is almost without hope, leaving you like "an animal in a cage...shut down, shut in, turned off."  The progression of this disease can be very rapid, making "each week, a new normal."  The book was somewhat difficult to rate as the basic story of the family - husband, wife and daughter - could have been better written, but the description of the stages of ALS and the treatments was extremely well presented.  Also well handled was the importance of having a good caregiver and how hard this job is.  "On a road leading to any great achievement are a thousand missteps, a thousand more dead ends.  Success cannot be born without the life and death of failure."

Esther shared with us information she found on the author's blog about theories on preventing this disease:  Get plenty of sleep
               Get plenty of aerobic exercise
               Challenge yourself by doing things outside your comfort zone

Our next meeting will be Thursday February 7th, 5pm at Claudia's home.  Looking forward to seeing you then!  Happy New Year!