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Sunday, December 11, 2016

DECEMBER 2016 BOOKERS MINUTES & MUSINGS, 7 Women by Eric Metaxas

             “Be the light that flies not from darkness, but ever towards it.”

27 Bookers and one guest, Chuck Turner’s daughter, Amy Anderssen, enjoyed a special evening at the Club in celebration of our commitment to books, friends, and the joy of the holidays. Many thanks to Courtney Dickens for loaning us her centerpieces from the Christmas party, to Tim for his generosity in allowing us a private event, and to the staff of Pinnacle for a delicious meal. This may become an annual Bookers event as lots of positive vibes swirled around the room!
We are pleased to report that Jane Freer has undergone one round of chemotherapy without any symptoms other than feeling tired. She will begin another round on Monday and as always, our thoughts and prayers continue to swell for her continued progress. She appreciates the outpouring of love from the community! Also, we will be thinking of Kay Robinson and Chuck as he undergoes bladder surgery this week.

MN and I continue to search for Bookers’ books and so far, after many disappointments, we are still reading, eliminating, and hoping for a diamond in the rough discovery to fill out our calendar. As always, your suggestions are encouraged and welcomed. We only ask that you’ve read the selection before recommending it.

Eric Metaxas is a bestselling author, the host of a nationally syndicated radio program, and a senior fellow and lecturer at large at King’s College in New York where he lives with his wife and daughter. It is a rare talent when a male voice can capture the essence of women, but he was able to bypass the Venus/Mars benchmark and tell us the story of these seven remarkable females. This book is not about feminism…but an exploration of the common thread present in each of them, detailing how they were able to accomplish great things because they were women, not in spite of being a woman. Each one changed the world. Each story championed how education lifts people out of hopelessness and criminality because education removes the gulf between the rich and poor.

Many thanks and appreciation to first-time reviewer, Rebecca Brisendine, for her analysis of 7 Women. Our purpose in selecting this book was to enlighten, and to learn and appreciate the sacrifices these women endured in the name of benevolent goodwill toward humanity. Granted faith played a significant role in their resolve, and discussion of religion is uncomfortable for some, however, Rebecca guided us through the stories with temperance and insight into the secrets of what 
made these great women greater. Well done Rebecca!

Joan of Arc: Frances Bacon said of her, “God hangs the greatest weights upon the smallest wires.”

Susanna Wesley: Home-schooled before home schooling was cool. She persevered and believed she had an obligation to the community to raise responsible children.

Hannah More: Her words swayed public opinion. She set out to make goodness fashionable.

Saint Maria of Paris: Her life, a welter of contradiction, a mother to everyone, who saw past conventional thinking that faith can only be demonstrated inside the walls of a church.

Corrie Ten Boom: She trusted in a time when the smart thing to do was to trust no one. She never believed she was as spiritual as her sister was, as patient as her father was, or as smart as her brother, but because she was chosen to spread their message, she was all of that and more. Her belief that healing was linked to forgiveness allowed her to forgive her tormentors.

Rosa Parks: She was a simple woman who believed the Bible had a social mandate in its teachings – stand up for your rights. Educated by all white teachers, she learned she was a person of dignity and should not set her sights lower because she was black. She did not give up her seat on the bus that day because she was tired…she was tired of giving up. She’s a treasure to everyone who fights for equality of the human race.

Mother Teresa: Small in stature, a giant in faith, leading people to ask, “How does such moral authority and holiness come out of such a small person?” Pope Francis at her canonization ceremony answered that, “Let us carry her smile in our hearts and give it to those whom we meet along the journey, especially those who suffer.”
                                    COLOR CODING SYSTEM
                                    WHITE:         LIGHT READ
                                     PINK:             MODERATELY CHALLENGING
                                     RED:              CHALLENGING
January 10th:                          The Water is Wide, a memoir by Pat Conroy set in the 1960’s on an island off the coast of South Carolina. He was a teacher before he became a world-renowned author and this, his first book, narrates his experience as the only teacher on the island – his students, 18 black uneducated middle schoolers, some who can’t read or write or tell you what country they live in.
                                                PINK
                                                Reviewer: Beverly Dossett
                                                Home of Donna Walter
February 14th:                        Miss Jane by Brad Watson, set in rural Mississippi early 20th century and inspired by his aunt’s true story.
                                                DEEP PINK
                                                Reviewer: Jean Alexander
                                                Home of Pat Faherty
March 14th:                             Book TBD
Reviewer: Patty Evans
                                                Home of Jean Alexander
April 11th:                               The Girl Who Wrote In Silk, by Kelli Estes, debut
                                                PINK
                                                The protagonist discovers an elaborately stitched piece of fabric hidden in her deceased aunt’s island estate revealing a connection with a young Chinese girl mysteriously driven from her home a century before.
Reviewer: Pat Faherty
                                                Home of Rokhshie Malone
May 2nd                                  Earlier date due to travel conflict
                                                Book- TBD
                                                Reviewer: Barbara Creach
                                               Wine & Cheese evening meeting at the home of Melanie Prebis.

 Who do we know today capable of changing the world?
 Merry Christmas and happy reading,
JoDee