A Classic Evening

 We enjoyed each other's company relaxing at the fire station.  Wonderful pot luck - delicious beans and several salad dishes which were great on a hot evening, along with a yummy dessert!  Thank you Chris for organizing and hosting our gathering.

This month's book was "Demon Copperhead" by Barbara Kingsolver.  The author totally took the structure of the book from Charles Dickens' "David Copperfield".  Many of the character's names were similar and their situations also matched in the two books, with Kingsolver's book being updated to present times and situations.  She set her version in the Appalachian mountains.  Although utilizing Dickens' classic, Kingsolver did a great job bringing this story into the 21st century.

As in the classic novel, Kingsolver explored the life of a person "who has been exposed to the harsh realities of life".  The powerful take advantage of the weak with noticeable distance between social classes in education and at work.  Through perserverance, Demon is educated and improves his life.  "I've had friends in places high and low since then, and some of the best were people that taught school.  The ones that showed up for me.  Outside of school hours they were delivery drivers or moonlighting at a gas station or, this is a true example, playing in a band and driving the ice cream truck in summer.  They need the extra job.  Honestly need it, just to get by."

All trails lead to.........

 Thanks to Maureen for hosting us in June, and for the delicious grilled chicken.  We welcomed our new member Denise at this gathering.  As always, the shared foods were delicious and the conversation with friends was tonic for the soul.

Our book this month was "Trail of the Lost" by Andrea Lankford.  It tracked the efforts to search for three different hikers who disappeared on the PCT.  A former National Parks ranger, Lankford was able to bring a unique perspective on search and rescue procedures.  Jurisdiction is always in question which at times results in complacency from law enforcement and land management agencies.  With more than 2600 miles, hikers must be prepared for all emergencies and situations.  You cannot rely on receiving timely help; you need to take care of yourself.  The idea of through-hiking has gained popularity in recent years and many who undertake this challenge are not qualified to handle the conditions they will have to face.  This is no Disneyland ride - rather a physical and mental test.  The natural world is beautiful, vast and treacherous.  We all shared stories of our own hiking adventures.

We may never know what happened to these hikers.  Many generous hours were spent contacting people via social media, physically searching and also utilizing drones so "squinters" could inspect hundreds of photos.  Lankford was disappointed that she was not able to keep a promise to find a missing son.  This disappointment is countered with the knowledge that, if these hikers had been found, search methods would not have been developed which will help with future searches.

Local History

 We enjoyed a lovely evening at Judy Bell's home complete with Chinese Chicken Stir Fry.  We were pleased that Joe joined us for our meal.  I'm glad he got the fortune cookie with the Robert Louis Stevenson quote as he told us "Treasure Island" is his favorite book.

We read a local history book written by Stehekin resident Ana Maria Spagna, "Pushed, Miners, a Merchant and (Maybe) a Massacre".  The author investigated a tale of Chinese miners, maybe 300 of them, who might have been pushed off the cliffs at Chelan Falls in 1875, supposedly by Indians.  Spagna made a personal journey, contacting many different people who each had a different version of this tale.  At times rambling, inconsistent and contradicting, no definite conclusion came of her investigation.  She did provide insightful descriptions of Chinese immigrant life in the late 1800's, from the Tri-Cities area, Wenatchee, Entiat, Chelan, Chelan Falls and north to the Canadian border.

Of interest were many local historic facts, such as the streets of Chelan being named for the (maybe) murderers.  It reminded me of all the famous names in California who were all the biggest of crooks.  The first wall between the US and Mexico was called for by the first territorial governor, Kearney, to keep the Chinese out.  White folks were glad to have them do all the hard work - farm laborers, builders of railroads, gold miners - but didn't want them around once the work was accomplished.  "They worked hard...They were quiet, honest, dependable, and therefore were treated most abominably, worse than Indians."  I'm always amazed when any one group is singled out as we all, except for Native Americans, are immigrants ourselves.

Our Hearts

 We enjoyed a great evening at Mary's home and she treated us by preparing her "Green Pizza".  Delicious!   

We had a lively conversation around our book for this month, "Our Missing Hearts" by Celeste Ng.  We enjoyed this book and the author's ability to craft words and phrases.  From the author's website: "Our Missing Hearts is an old story made new, of the ways supposedly civilized communities can pretend to ignore the most searing injustice. It’s a story about the power—and limitations—of art to create change, the lessons and legacies we pass on to our children, and how any of us can survive a broken world with our hearts intact.  

On trees: "They carry their histories inside them.  Peel back enough layers and they explain everything."  

On librarians: "Information.  Passing it on.  Helping people find what they need...Librarians, of all people, understood the value of knowing, even if that information could not yet be used."

On words: (father) "...words carried secrets, the stories of how they came to be...mysterious ways they connected... despite the chaos around them, there was logic and order to the world; there was a system, and that system could be deciphered..."  (mother) "...the magic was not what words had been, but what they were capable of; their ability to sketch, with one sweeping brushstroke, the contours of an experience, the form of a feeling."

On what living is: "...an infinite list of transgressions that did not weigh against the joys but that simply overlaid them...all the small moments that made up the mosaic of a person, a relationship, a life."

 On love: "...when are you ever done with the story of someone you love?  you turn the most precious of your memories over and over, wearing their edges smooth, warming them again with your heat.  You touch the curves and hollows of every detail you have, memorizing them, reciting them once more though you already know them in your bones."

Chris Peek is supposed to be our next host but she has not yet returned from AZ.  Chris Mallon is after Chris P but will be away and is not able to host us at this time.  So Judy Bell will be selecting our next book and we will set up our next meeting - maybe later in April (?) via email.  

Written In the Stars

 Thank you Judy Schmidt for selecting "Pull of the Stars" by Emma Donoghue and for hosting our Irish event!  We learned and shared as we discussed this book which was set in Dublin, Ireland and dealt with the 1918 Pandemic.  The main character was a nurse/midwife who's patients had the influenza as they went into labor.  The information was well researched and we all learned more than we ever knew about complications during childbirth.  Life began and life ended.  Although one might think this subject would be off-putting, it seemed to draw us all in and we appreciated the story.  It seems so timely having been written during the Covid Pandemic.  "The human race settles on terms with every plague in the end, or a stalemate at the least.  We somehow muddle along, sharing the earth with each new form of life."  The plague is a form of life, "a creature with no malign intentions, only a craving to reproduce itself much like our own."

CH3 COOH (A.K.A. Vinegar)

 We started this year off with a light and witty read - "Lessons in Chemistry" by Bonnie Garmus.  This is a story about women's expectations of life in the 50's, the challenges of choosing a career and the lack of recognition for your accomplishments.   While enjoying the book, we also learned about chemical bonds and other long forgotten school lessons.  Chemistry is change.  The underlying lesson of this book: Take a moment for yourself to reconnect with your own needs, to identify your true direction and to recommit your life.  Happy New Year everyone!