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Sunday, September 13, 2020

SEPTEMBER 2020 BOOKERS MINUTES & MUSINGS, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, Kim Michele Richardson & The Giver of Stars, JoJo Moyes

 Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are…allowing us to lose ourselves and find ourselves.

22 of us made it! Welcome to Season 17 of Bookers under extraordinarily unusual circumstances but here we are ready to resume our adoration of the written word in the company of our fellow book lovers – although we resemble a meeting of bandits ready to storm the nearest bank lobby. We met in the outdoor Pavilion with chairs socially distanced and without the expertise of honorary Booker, John Magee, who graciously not only checked out our newly found PWC sound system, but set it up for us, yours truly would be suffering from strained vocal chords.

We have some new faces – or eyes – in the crowd. Debbie Yarger, Marcie Allen & Amy Hoff. So happy you joined us! And we have the woman who as President of the PWC put a bug in the ear of Jean Alexander that one thing missing in our community was a book club…and voila. Melba Holt, thanks for driving in from Dallas to be with us today…it’s always a treat to see you! I imagine you didn’t expect to run into a former student at the meeting! Small world indeed. Welcome also to Pam Davis who visits on occasion.

Bookers sunshine has unfortunately been very busy and the recipients of our warm wishes, Jean Alexander, Daryl Daniels, Rosemary Farmer, Bonnie Magee, and Mary Wensel have all expressed their gratitude for the deluge of thoughts and prayers by our members. The good news is Jean, Rosemary, and Bonnie are on the mend, but Daryl and Mary could use some more cheerleading. Our newly created “slush fund” will be used to defray any out-of-pocket expenses incurred. Your generosity is much appreciated.

As you know we’ve been participating in the free book program sponsored by BookTrib and many of you have volunteered to read and offer your thoughts on the selections and we thank you for that. Most of the books are Advanced Readers Copies so the authors and publishers are looking for feedback to rectify any issues before the books are mass produced. Below are the September offerings for anyone including spouses who would like to read one.

            A Palm Beach Scandal, novel by Susannah Marren: Two fiercely loyal sisters but polar opposites are put to the ultimate test when one sacrifices for the other. A tale of discovery, sisterhood, and love for others when you least expect it.

            Somersett, Phillip Goodrich, for history buffs this is a little-known narrative history of the secret plan of Benjamin Franklin working with friends in London to incite the American Revolution through political motivation of the colonies.

            The Inside Ride, Donald & Max Cohen, both psychotherapists, explore the meaning of manhood in contemporary Western culture. The book is an exchange of letters from father to son showing the complexity of growing up in America’s fast-changing culture.

            Fractus Europa, edited by Eric Anderson & Adam Dunn – a collection of short stories, fictionalized accounts of day after tomorrow through a Europe fractured by seismic change in post-Brexit England.

            Witches Protection Program, Michael Okon, a disgraced law-enforcement agent gets one last chance to prove himself and save his career when he’s reassigned to a 232-year-old secret government organization.

            The Devil and Dayna Dalton, Brit Lunden, a Bulwark anthology, Book 9 set in Bulwark Georgia where strange things happen. Dayna Dalton’s reputation has been ruined since birth…as the daughter of a wild child.

Many thanks to our Bookers Selection Committee, Jean McSpadden, Janet Noblitt, and Beverly Dossett who have been so dedicated to their job that eye and hearing exams might be necessary. Jean announced the monthly selections (see the end of the minutes for details.)

We began the discussion of our two summer selections with Rohkshie Malone donning a tiara and introducing fellow Brit, Alice Wright Van Cleve, the protagonist in The Giver of Stars. Next, I donned a straw hat assuming the identity of Cussy Mary Carter, the librarian at the center of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. (Scripts attached to the email)

The timeline, the similarities, the differences…and my thoughts:

Most read both, most liked both…their opinions generally hinged on which one they read first.

First the timeline:  

Book Woman published May 2019 by Sourcebooks Landmark. Giver published October 2019 by Pamela Dorman Books, a division of Penguin, Random House who owns a 45% stake in Sourcebooks. Richardson started her book in 2015, floating her idea to her agent in 2016. She spent a year researching in a cabin in the Appalachian Mountains. In July 2017 she sent her manuscript to her agent who presented it to Kensington Books who had published her other two works but they couldn’t agree on a deal so the manuscript was put up for auction to a number of publishers including Penguin, but not Dorman specifically. Sourcebooks bought it in October 2017 announcing the acquisition with a brief plot summary published in widely read trade publications and in 2018 electronic galleys were available on Netgalley and Edelweiss and advanced readers copies were circulated to librarians, book bloggers, and galley giveaways through Goodreads. In March 2019, Publishers Marketplace announced the forthcoming novel about the Pack Horse Librarians of Kentucky, by Jojo Moyes.

Prior to its acquisition, Richardson’s manuscript was reviewed for some time by editors at Random House. Richardson on learning of Moyes book expressed hope that there was more than enough room for more than one novel on the topic until a book blogger who had received an advance copy of Giver notified her of alarming similarities. Buzzfeed News has verified the referenced passages are included in the finished copies of both books. Richardson’s publicity director informed her their legal team reviewed her concerns and determined no legal action was necessary. They did give Richardson the option to pursue it through her own legal counsel, but she said she couldn’t afford to do so. Copyright infringement in fiction is very hard to prove.

Then the similarities:

In Book Woman, Hillman Vester Frazier lies in wait in the woods for female librarian Cussy, accosts her and accuses her of “Doing the devil’s work by carrying sinful books to good and Godly folks. You’re a devil, girl.” There’s a scuffle and the librarian’s mule lurches toward Frazier and tramples him. Hillman Frazier goes missing after the attack. He is dead.

In Giver, Hillman Clem McCullough lies in wait in the woods for female librarian Margery, accosts her and says, “You think we don’t know what you all have been doing? You think we don’t know what you’ve been spreading among decent God-fearing women? We know what you’re up to. You got the devil in you Margery O’Hare…” Then there’s a scuffle and the librarian’s mule lurches…the hillman is knocked to the ground and trampled by the mule. Hillman McCullough goes missing after the attack. He’s found dead later.

In Book Woman: Queenie is introduced. She’s smart, strong, black librarian who works for the Pack Horse project. She later accepts a job in a library in a city where she’ll be more accepted and sends letters back home to Cussy. Her handwriting is described as “elegant.” In the history of the Pack Horse library a black librarian was never hired.

In Giver: Sophie (Sophia) is introduced. She’s smart, strong, black woman who becomes part of the project. She previously worked at a colored city library and she returns to that library and sends letters home to the girls. Her handwriting is “elegant.”

In Book Woman: Pearl S. Buck’s book, The Good Earth is mentioned.

In Giver: With thousands of books to choose from, The Good Earth is also mentioned.

In Book Woman: Cussy is gifted a book of poetry by her love interest Jackson with an inscription marking his favorite poem for her to read.

In Giver: Alice is gifted a book of poetry by her love interest Fred with a paper marking his favorite poem for her to read. (The Giver of Stars by Amy Lowell)

In Book Woman: Cussy and Jackson are married on a glorious October day in town with patrons and librarian co-workers attending. Cussy is taken aback by the number of well-wishers. She and Jackson had adopted her three-month-old child prior to the marriage.

In Giver: Librarian Margery and her love interest Sven are married on a clear crisp October day in town with patrons and librarian co-workers attending. Margery is taken aback at the many well-wishers. Margery and Sven already have a child who is three months old at the time they marry.

In Book Woman: Cussy and Jackson are given a wedding gift of a home-made quilt.

In Giver: Margery and Sven are given a wedding quilt embroidered by her quilting circle.

In Book Woman: Cussy was asked if she had any “Women’s Home Companions” magazines. A friend had mentioned she rubbed groundhog brains on her baby’s sore teeth.

In Giver: Alice is asked if she had any “Woman’s Home Companions” magazines as this baby is just the devil to settle right now and was wondering if it might have something to help.

Both set in exactly the same time frame, setting, and feature the Pack Horse Librarians, the characters, and the events surrounding them. They both tackle prejudice, racism, domestic abuse, poverty, and abuse of power.

Both main characters, Cussy and Alice, are in bad marriages and find a way out by becoming a mule-riding traveling librarian and in this process find the love of their lives…universally resulting in happy endings.

Cussy suffered physical abuse at the hands of her husband. Alice suffered physical abuse at the hands of her father-in-law and mental abuse by her husband.

Both novels have a hidden stash of “excitement reads” for women in need. And, in both volunteers make scrapbooks from old newspapers, damaged books, etc…

Both highlight unsafe coal mines run by companies who care only about the bottom line rather than worker safety and address the secret organization of unions.

Both touched on romances brewing between Cussy and Jackson Lovett in Book Woman and Alice and Fred in Giver.

The differences:

Book Woman focuses on one librarian. It spotlights the racial discrimination the blue-skinned mountain folk suffered. Richardson’s novel is rich in local detail. You could see the hollers, feel the breezes, marvel at the open spaces, picture and even smell the animals. It dug deeper into the history of time and the day-to-day struggle of the librarians. It’s a story of raw courage, confronting prejudice and suspicions as old as the Appalachians and as deep as the hollers. It’s a story of fierce strength and one woman’s belief that books can carry us anywhere – even back home.

Giver focuses on five. It spotlights the sexual discrimination that all women in Kentucky faced. Ms. Moyes is richest in characterizations making it easy for the reader to be totally invested in the trials and tribulations of the librarians. It’s funny, heartbreaking, enthralling – a rewarding novel of women’s friendships and their various romances, of banding together, and women’s rights, of true love, and what happens when we reach beyond our grasp for the great beyond.

The conclusion: IMHO

The books are similar enough for me to pause. I really enjoyed both of them, although I preferred Moyes’ writing style with the exception of the frequent use of parenthesis to offer more explanation and some of the dialogue seemed a bit more modern for the time period. As an example, in one passage, Alice “couldn’t get her head around the idea.” I found that phrase a bit odd as in the U.S. we first heard this expression in 1970’s but after checking, it appeared in a British boy’s magazine in the 1920’s. Who knew?

Richardson’s vernacular reflected how the mountain folk spoke which seemed truer to the story and I felt more of an emotional connection with her characters. I think both are worth reading for their differences rather than their similarities…it’s hard to root against a Kentuckian writing about Kentucky.

My Favorite characters:

Book Woman:

Cussy – strong minded, compassionate, sacrificed for others, knew her place but was not bitter about anything or anyone. Lost it when she awarded the honorary librarian badge to a dying young boy (starvation) who dreamed of being a librarian

            Jackson Lovett: his devotion to Cussy endearing

            Pa Carter: desperate to make sure his only daughter was in good hands when he died.

Queenie: had her back all the time. Was encouraging – hired at colored library in Philadelphia

Giver:

Margery O’Hare – scared physically and mentally from all the beatings as a child from her father. He was a moonshiner who made enemies easily and everyone in town hated him. She was fearless, proud, afraid to let herself feel, afraid of commitment to any one person.

Fred and Sven – their patience and loyalty to the one they loved endearing. “a rare glow that comes from knowing your very being has been understood by somebody else, and that there might just be someone out there who will only ever see the best in you.”

 Least favorite characters:

Book Woman:

            Anyone with the last name Frazier…both ended up dead – not a loss to the community.

Harriett Hardin: bookbinder and assistant librarian supervisor could preach a sinner’s funeral – opinionated, fancied herself with Jackson.

Eula, head librarian known to pinch her mouth in dismay

Doc – a complicated character – started out with a motivation to help Cussy to add to his own prominence in the medical community. Then he humanized her and her plight.

Giver:

Bennett, spineless but in the end, he provided the information that would free Margery from prison…setting up that happy ending.

Geoffrey Van Cleve – money hungry, unscrupulous, domineering, ruthless – suggested his son hit Alice to “sort her out.”

Pastor McIntosh who told Alice it was her duty to return home…it’s through domestic life you will achieve true contentment. A woman’s place is in the home. She challenged who was the godliest – a man who slammed her head into the table or a woman who ministers to the poor and sick and needy.

Clem McCullough – scum of the earth

Both books were filled with interesting characters ones to love and ones to hate – that combination makes for an interesting read…these two did not disappoint. We talked about how Giver read just like a novel, while Book Woman was more of a historical fiction read; we learned from our expert horsewoman why they preferred mules to another other “mode” of transportation…who knew a mule was so brilliant! We talked about the number of books that have been written about the Holocaust but although they had a similar setting, each had a unique story to tell; our teachers commented on the importance of reading.

On an added note, sometimes we get so excited to see each other, it’s difficult to reign in our enthusiasm…and that’s what makes this group so special and I wouldn’t change the dynamics for anything. However, when it’s time to sit…it’s time to sit. Bonnie Magee is my “husher-in-chief” as I’ve asked her to use her booming voice to help me get everyone settled and into Bookers mode. She’s just doing her job and a well-paid one I might add…LOL!  

COLOR CODING SYSTEM

WHITE:         LIGHT READ

PINK:             MODERATELY CHALLENGING

RED:              CHALLENGING

(Please note Beloved by Toni Morrison has been scratched from the selections)

October 13:                When the Moon is Low, Nadia Hashimi

                                    RED

An exquisitely written story of a loving, middle-class family’s once idyllic life in Kabul, Afghanistan collapsing beneath Soviet rockets and later crumbling under despotism by the Taliban.

November 17:            *(date moved due to scheduled PWC garage sale)

                                    One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow, Olivia Hawken

                                    PINK

A powerful, poetic novel of survival and sacrifice on the American frontier set in Wyoming, 1876. Two families relied on each other exclusively as no other settlers lived within miles of them. When tragedy comes calling, the two women left behind are divided by rage and remorse.

December 8:              The One-in-a-Million Boy by Monica Wood

One-hundred and four-year old Ona tells the eleven-year-old unnamed boy who has been helping her out every Saturday morning, “The story of your life never starts at the beginning.” A heartwarming tale of love, loss, and friendship.

PALE PINK

Discussion Leader: Jean Alexander

(Annual Christmas party & location TBD)

January 12, 2021       American Dirt, Jeanine Cummins

                                    RED

Literary novel that reads with the intensity of a suspense tale. Stephen King guarantees you cannot put it down with a perfect balance of terror on one side and love on the other.

February 9:               Olive Kitteridge & Olive Again, Elizabeth Strout

The author, described as a master at animating the ordinary, won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction for Olive Kitteridge featuring an indomitable, compassionate, unpredictable retired schoolteacher in a small coastal town in Maine. Strout weaves a tale in thirteen linked stories, a vibrant exploration of the human soul that will make you laugh, nod in recognition, wince in pain, and shed a tear or two. This is a revisit for Bookers as thirteen reviewers offered their opinions of each story in November 2009. Ms. Strout thought she had put Olive to bed, but the eternal cantankerous character kept begging for more press so Olive, Again was born.

March 9:                    The Dutch House, Ann Patchett

                                    PINK

A story about the interminable bond between siblings – a brother and a sister who grow up in a fairy tale – huge house, loving father, and caring staff. The only thing missing is their mother who fled the pressure of managing the household when they were young.

 April 13:                    To Be Determined

 May 11:                     People of the Book, Geraldine Brooks

                                    DEEP PINK

An Australia rare-book expert is offered a job of a lifetime – analysis and conservation of a priceless book, one of the earliest Jewish volumes ever to be illuminated with images. As she begins to unlock the book’s mysteries, the reader is ushered into an exquisitely detailed and atmospheric past tracing the book’s journey from its salvation back to its creation.

Summer Read:          Clementine, The Life of Mrs. Winston Churchill, Sonia Purnell

                                    PINK

A long overdue tribute to the extraordinary woman who was Winston Churchill’s closest confidante, fiercest critic and shrewdest advisor. Later in life he claimed that victory in World War II would have been impossible without the woman who stood by his side for fifty-seven turbulent years.

“Doesn’t matter how smart you are, how clever, how self-reliant-you can always be bettered by a stupid man with a gun.”

Happy Reading,

JoDee

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