APRIL 2026 BOOKERS MINUTES & MUSINGS, When Crickets Cry, Charles Martin

 

                        “Every heart has two parts, the part that pumps and the part that loves.”

15 Bookers met at the home of Kathleen Mackey to discuss this moving story of a man with a painful past, a little girl with a doubtful future, and a shared journey toward healing for both their hearts.

Business:

Many thanks to Jane and Bookers for the shoutout for my latest novel, Wings Against The Wind, winning the Literary Titan Book Award. It’s like validating the effort spent in finding the right word to create the emotion of a scene or developing unique characters that readers would like to share a meal with…or put behind bars! Speaking of “hearts” … mine is full.

About the Author:

Charles Martin, born November 1969 in the South, grew up in Jacksonville, Florida where he developed a love for fishing and canoeing on the St. John’s River, and currently resides with his wife and three sons close to the river where he spent his childhood. After switching in college from accounting to English, he earned a B.A. from Florida State, followed by a M.A. in Journalism, and a Ph.D. in Communications from Regent University. He began writing at 15 using it as a means to express his thoughts and feelings, receiving 86 rejections before his first novel, The Dead Don’t Dance, was published when he was 27 and The Mountain Between Us was adapted into a film in 2017. He is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author whose works explore themes of faith, love, and redemption touting a catalogue of over twenty fiction and non-fiction books. In a Q&A session he emphasized the importance of storytelling and its power to impact lives, believing success is not just about personal achievements, but also about relationships and the influence one has on others. He became a writer as a teenager because he didn’t have the skills to articulate out loud what he was experiencing…from girls, to sports, to grades. When asked what advice he would give to aspiring writers, he said 90% of success is showing up every day, sitting in a chair and writing…he starts his day with a blank page no matter how great or terrible the day before was. He speaks of receiving an email from a mom whose son was in federal prison and although he was doing okay, he told her after reading What If It’s True, for the first time in his life, he didn’t feel like a number, surrendering his life to Christ after reading it…Charles says he would give up every accolade to receive a message like this…to him this is what defines success.

Synopsis:

When Crickets Cry is less about a doctor performing life-saving heart transplants and more about the complicated relationship between his own heart and his profession. The narrative begins on a tranquil town square in the north Georgia mountains where a vivacious seven-year-old girl named Annie with a congenital heart defect operates a lemonade stand to raise money for her medical treatments. Her spirit is infectious, yet a visible scar on her chest is evidence of her physical and emotional struggles. One day a mysterious bearded stranger stops by her stand and is immediately drawn to the little girl. His name is Reese, a former heart surgeon who has retreated from his career after a personal tragedy involving the death of his wife, Emma, who also suffered from a heart ailment. He lives in seclusion, haunted by guilt over her death, spending his days rowing and restoring old boats with his brother-in-law, Charlie. As the story unfolds, Reese and Annie’s lives become intertwined when a bread truck careens around the corner as Annie was chasing the paper money that blew off her lemonade stand and into the intersection. Reese got to her first…her eyes were closed; her tongue had collapsed into her airway and was choking her. He immediately resumed Doctor mode stabilizing the little girl until the ambulance arrived. Their heartwarming connection continued to grow throughout the novel creating a tale of two individuals burdened by past and present challenges…the story conveying that even in moments of despair, hope, healing, and profound human bonds are possible.

The title:

It’s explained in chapter 25 when Annie and Reese walk by a box of chirping crickets on the dock that suddenly grows silent. Annie explained they were crying and you could only hear them if you listen closely…but you don’t hear them with your ears…you hear them with your heart. Reese asks why they are crying…Annie says because they know if she can’t find a heart, and her aunt can’t find someone to put it in, and she doesn’t stay healthy until that time, and they don’t find the money to pay for the transplant…she won’t be there next year to talk to them and they know it’s their life for mine.” Reese asks how they know all that…” because I tell them… dummy.” The title serves as a metaphor for grief and vulnerability reminding readers that pain exists universally but offers a poignant message that miracles can emerge from life’s most challenging circumstances.

Rating System:

0 – aka The Susan – wouldn’t recommend to my worst enemy. (Susan is special – no one else has a rating named after them!!)

1 – put your money back in the piggy bank

2 – borrow, don’t buy

3 – good beach read

4 – borders on your favorite read ever

5 – order now, include in your will

Bookers had mixed reviews on this selection, but no one (thankfully) rated it a zero, although one wished she had put her money back in the piggy bank as it wasn’t her cup of tea and didn’t have any con men in the plot. (LOL) One rated it as 2 as she had not had a chance to read the book and literally borrowed it at the meeting and our lone 3 thought it dragged a bit. One Booker called in her assessment as she couldn’t be at the meeting saying she would rate it 4.5 as she loved it. The other 4 rating was because of its predictability. Our five fives have contacted their attorneys to add it to their assets…emotional depth, relatable and well-developed characters, the story both heartbreaking and heartwarming – one Booker even saying she and her husband were reading it at the same time and although outside of his preferred genre, he also loved it…so we can officially count him as number six in the five category.

Discussion:

Character Profiles:

Simple moments turned profound amidst tragedy as the author wrote each character with a degree of pain and healing experienced through love and loss but with miracles threaded through each of their lives. His goal was for readers to walk away with a renewed appreciation for the fragility of life.

Jonathan “Reese” Mitchell is one of the most talented heart surgeons in the world – his desire beginning with his love for Emma, his childhood best friend and eventual wife but because he couldn’t save her life, he disappeared from the medical world, living like a recluse, with only his blind brother-in-law, Charlie, knowing his real identity and he was never bitter about Reese’s inability to save his sister. Young Annie displays wisdom and optimism beyond her years and despite her dire medical condition, she’s a beacon of light for those around her. Jane Shaw was impressed with the child’s attitude citing a personal knowledge of another young girl who underwent several heart transplants, and she was always upbeat and hopeful much like Annie’s character. Aunt Cindy has sole responsibility for her niece’s welfare, struggling both emotionally and financially as she faces the severity of Annie’s medical condition. Minor characters, Davis, “the Monk” who owns the local bar and Termite, the young drifter both add another layer of faith, companionship, and redemption to the plot. We talked about how odd and humorous it was that a cardiologist ate greasy cheeseburgers every day…couldn’t you just sense his arteries clogging…and by the way if you are up for that type of experience daily there is a food truck in the back parking lot of Grooms that will help you on your artery journey!

As we know, a Kirkus Review is seen as the gold standard. “Deep schmaltz in the Bible Belt” To a few it was overly emotional in certain scenes, as the Kirkus reviewer commented.

We talked about the moments in the book that moved us and/or provoked a strong reaction. “Time of death 11:11 p.m.” won in many of our hearts and I thought I might need the paddles to restart my own heart. Reese’s agonizing reaction looking at Annie “laying still, her chest a cold, open wound holding a lifeless heart.” All his pent-up emotion, his guilt, and the “muffled pain” surrounding Emma’s death resurfaced realizing there “were some sins which he would never quit paying.”

Then three pages later – six weeks passed and we can all breathe again with a happy-ever-after ending that we were rooting for!

Reese always wore Emma’s engraved medallion around his neck and in the end, he put it around Annie’s neck, resting just above her scar. The message, “Above all else, guard your heart…for it is the wellspring of life” was the underlying theme and message of the book.

Crickets take center stage in the novel often seen as symbols of good luck and prosperity, their chirping seen as a positive omen in many cultures. In literary contexts, they can represent a moral compass or an inner voice. As in Disney’s adaptation of Pinocchio, Jiminy Cricket is appointed to guide the wooden puppet on his journey to becoming a real boy. Crickets and their persistent chirping in nighttime settings can evoke serenity, reflections or nostalgia but they can also foreshadow mystery or suspense…but their quiet presence draws attention to small details, inner reflections, or external forces beyond the character’s control as witnessed in Chapter 25 when Annie explains why crickets cry.

Last month we shared “horse stories” and this month I’ve also got a cricket story. For some unknown reason I have a fear of any kind of hopping bug….grasshoppers and crickets terrify me. We were at a high school football game when a black cloud of swarming crickets hovered overhead. I nearly had a heart attack until we could get home. Later in the week we arrived at the parking lot of our Tom Thumb and the entire building looked like it was painted black. The noise was deafening. Did I get out of the car. Absolutely not!  

We talked about the significance of the lemonade stand in the story, and what might it symbolize regarding Annie’s character or her situation, and she also wore a yellow dress and bow in her hair? In literature, lemonade and lemons symbolize resilience, transformation, and the duality of life, representing both sweetness and bitterness. The phrase when life gives you lemons, make lemonade illustrates transforming challenges into opportunities. The inclusion of the yellow dress and Annie’s lemonade stand served a dual purpose and was a deliberate touch by an astute author.

The heart, both physically and metaphorically plays a central role. Reese tells Termite that without the heart, nothing else matters. Love is not a tool, neither is a woman’s heart…without that she’ll mean little more to you than the remote control for the television.” “The heart derives no benefit from the blood it pumps making it the most unselfish of organs…it is also the most courageous and faithful.”

The ending:

It centers on healing, redemption, and the transformative power of love and forgiveness. Reese reveals his true identity to Annie performing a successful heart transplant – both literal and emotional healing…reconciling with his guilt and opening the door for a relationship with Cindy. Charlie forgives him; Annie’s survival serves as a metaphor for renewal, showing even in the face of tragedy, love and compassion can restore broken lives. Readers are left with a sense of closure and optimism – the overall message, hope, forgiveness, and love are capable of healing even the deepest wounds as Reese and Annie are facing a future with courage and an unbreakable bond.

Happy Reading,

JoDee

MARCH 2026 BOOKERS MINUTES & MUSINGS, The Weight of Lies, Emily Carpenter

18 Bookers met at the home of Virginia Gandy to discuss this month’s selection, a gripping psychological thriller and family drama featuring a young woman who investigates the forty-year-old murder that inspired her mother’s bestselling novel, discovering devastating truths and dangerous lies.

Bookers showed once again why these ladies are special in so many ways. A celebration of the publication of my novel, Wings Against The Wind, included champagne, a yummy cake, and a beautiful orchid framed in a heart-shape. I managed not to cry…until I got home. The only words I have is thank you…from the bottom of my heart!

Business

Patsy Dehn announced on behalf of Pinnacle Bible Study a six-week course featuring Max Lucado’s latest, In the Footsteps of the Savior, “a guided tour of the Holy Land.” 

The PWC overnight trip this year is slated for April 22-24^th and conflicts with the annual Books in Bloom luncheon scheduled for noon on Friday April 24^th at Athens Country Club. The luncheon benefits the Henderson County Clint W. Murchison Memorial Library. Bookers has always supported this event and this year the speaker will be Dallas author, Sarah Damhoff, who wrote The Bright Years, which is our summer read. Tables of 8 are available for $500.00 and require the hosts to furnish a floral centerpiece for the table. Cost would be $62.50 each, or $65.00 for individuals sitting at no-host tables. Checks payable to Public Library Fund and mailed to Beth Faulk, P. O. Box 1171, Athens, Texas 75751. Beth can be reached at 903-286-6862 or PLFBooksinBloom@gmail.com. If anyone is interested in spearheading this event, please let me know and I’ll be glad to assist in the process. I got a notice today that the tables were selling fast.

Our April 14^th meeting has been moved from Carla Russo’s home to Kathleen Mackey’s  We will be discussing When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin, the moving story of a man with a painful past, a little girl with a doubtful future, and a shared journey toward healing for both their hearts.

Tanya Holstead has been our volunteer Pinnacle library organizer, which involves tidying up and rotating books out at least once a quarter and donating the overflow books to Bookish. She has asked us to find someone else to take over this responsibility. Since the lower level of the clubhouse will soon be undergoing a construction project, Patty Evans will check to see what the status of our library will be during this time and going forward.

Sunshine

Please keep Ann Ireland’s husband, Charles, in your prayers as he has been readmitted to the hospital. 

About the Author

Emily has been writing since she was a little girl growing up in Birmingham, Alabama. Her debut was a highly plagiarized version of The Pokey Little Puppy; the narrative following word for word and came with detailed Crayola illustrations and bound with staples by her ever-patient mother. When not copying other authors’ books, she was walking, sitting, or lying down with her nose in a library book. After graduating from Auburn with a B.A. in Communications and minors in Journalism and Theater, she moved to New York City with her husband landing a job at CBS in the Daytime Drama division where she oversaw production of soaps, “As the World Turns” and “Guiding Light.” One of her responsibilities was creating summary paragraphs of the show’s daily script for the local newspapers with copy that read like…Roger freaks out when he realizes Holly’s been faking amnesia, and Billy’s back from rehab only to find Mindy in bed with Frank – typical soap’s plots. Moving back to Atlanta she wrote a few spec soap scrips to no avail and tried her hand at screenplays which were rejected by the best companies – Steven Spielberg, Mel Gibson, and Rob Reiner.

With her three boys in school full-time she decided the time was right to take the leap and pen a book, joining the Atlanta Writers Club and a local critique group. Having never had a formal creating writing class, she devoured several how to books and in 2011 began working on her first manuscript, a romantic comedy, receiving some encouraging comments from agents, but no one took a chance on her. Changing genres, she wanted to write something really creepy, atmospheric and southern gothic, the result, Burying the Honeysuckle Girls, landed her first agent and a two-book deal. What’s she’s learned so far – have unending patience, be relentlessly diligent, and stay stupidly optimistic.

Synopsis

Emily Carpenter spins a compelling tale grounded in family drama and mystery. Meg Ashley, a reformed party girl, lives under the shadow of her mother, Frances, a successful horror novelist whose cult classic, Kitten, was inspired by a long-ago murder catapulting the author into fame and success while painting a vibrant picture of a life most would envy. However, for Meg, this fame comes with a darker undertone. The mother-daughter relationship is fraught, with Meg feeling neglected and resentful towards her mother’s relentless pursuit of celebrity. Desperate to escape Frances’ grasp, Meg agrees to write a scandalous tell-all memoir, the decision propelling her into a quest for truth and validation. The memoir is not just a way to expose her mother’s past; it allows Meg to reclaim her own narrative. As she begins researching Kitten, Meg travels to Bonny Island, Georgia, the setting of her mother’s notorious novel hoping to unravel the secrets buried deep within their family history and confront the lies that have dictated her life. The novel draws heavily from Meg’s evolving identity as she discovers the truths behind her childhood trauma and as the weight of lies surrounding her mother’s legacy escalates, choices that are made not only threaten her life, but those around her as well. The novel is not simply a murder mystery or tale of family betrayal; it’s an exploration of the intricacies of human relationships and the legacies we inherit asking readers to reflect on the darker elements of love and ambition highlighting the quest for truth can both liberate and ensnare.

Rating System:

0 – aka The Susan – wouldn’t recommend to my worst enemy. (Susan is special – no one else has a rating named after them!!)

1 – put your money back in the piggy bank

2 – borrow, don’t buy

3 – good beach read

4 – borders on your favorite read ever

5 – order now, include in your will

Discussion:

Several Bookers rated the read between a 2 and 2-1/2…the murder of a child fueling the low rating. The majority agreed it was a 3 fitting into the good “beach” read category – a page-turner, the plot nothing too terribly complex…putdownable. The 4’s and 4+’s agreed it was fast-paced, kept readers interested with great character development, with a series of twists and turns at unexpected times. Our lone 5 listened to the audio version and has the heir designated in her will.

Many thanks to Jane Shaw for taking the lead by providing her in-depth character analysis and discussion points. We explored the many flaws of Meg – whiney, spoiled, an entitled trust fund baby…and wondered what drove her to detest her mother so much…she was at times difficult to feel sorry for her plight in life – the “daughter” of a highly successful author. Asa, the agent, was a whiney, slimy snake capable of convincing Meg she had to write a tell-all about her mother, promising all she had to do was give the details and a ghostwriter would make it into a bestseller, basically throwing it in the face of Frances’ celebration of the 40^th anniversary of her novel, Kitten. We mused that maybe Asa knew by approaching Meg to write the memoir, he may have suspected the truth would surface and he would play both ends against the middle and see if Frances or Meg had the upper hand and go with the winner…we can add manipulative to his character profile. The comatose Edgar was somewhat confusing as his role might have been simply to facilitate Meg’s torrid story between her and her mother and maybe be cast as the only father-figure Meg knew. What role would he play if he survived? What can we say about Frances Ashley’s character? She certainly was not going to be awarded ‘mother-of-the-year’ but she was a dynamic character as her narrative was more developed than to supplement the role of the male characters. Was she likeable…did we feel sorry for her…she created a life for herself and provided in a financial way to ensure her daughter was taken care of…was that all she could give…maybe in her world…yes. Meg was immediately drawn to Doro…she was a bohemian…one with nature and seemed genuinely engaged with Meg and her journey…she was the glue that bound all the characters together on the Island…but as the truths unfolded, we saw the fierce, cynical, savage side of the woman who turned out to be Meg’s biological mother. We find out Billy Kitchens is very much alive and his interaction with Meg was pretty bizarre. Koa was the obligatory love interest and at the end, Meg’s birth father, Peter Darnell, resurfaces and all the loose ends are wrapped together in a tidy bundle…a sequel or a movie might be the next time we hear of these characters. One of our favorite scenes was ‘pie night’…we talked about mother-daughter relationship dynamics – nature versus nurture; how the isolated setting was a character in itself; and how memories can be manipulated. We also shared our own humorous horse tales, and it became clear that none of us are destined to be equestrians, but more inclined to giddy-up on a stick horse.

Happy Reading,

JoDee  

FEBRUARY 2026 BOOKERS MINUTES & MUSINGS, Speak to Me of Home, Jeanine Cummins

                         “This is my way back; you are the lighthouse. Speak to me of home,” Daisy.

15 met at the home of Kittie Minick to discuss this multigenerational saga told through the voices of three women navigating the complex terrain between Puerto Rico and the American Midwest, exploring what it means to call a place home.

Business:

We’ll meet on March 10^th, 10:00 a.m. at the home of Virginia Gandy, 261 St. Andrews Drive, Pinnacle Golf Club to discuss The Weight of Lies by Emily Carpenter, a gripping psychological thriller and family drama featuring a young woman who investigates the forty-year-old murder that inspired her mother’s bestselling novel, uncovering devastating truths and dangerous lies.

As a reminder, if you have not purchased your tickets for PWC’s major fundraiser, Casino Night, to be held on February 28^th at the CR Legacy Event Center in Gun Barrel City, the deadline of February 16^th is fast approaching. Tickets are $125.00 per person, and all proceeds benefit the local charities who depend on our generosity to support their missions. It’s in our hands to make this an event to remember and show our support for these worthwhile causes.

About the Author:

Jeanine Cummins was born in 1974 in Rota, Spain where her U.S. Navy father was stationed and her mother was a nurse. She’s of Irish and Puerto Rican heritage and spent her childhood in Gaithersburg, Maryland and attended Towson University majoring in English and communications. After graduating she spent two years working as a bartender in Belfast, Northern Ireland before moving back to the United States in 1997 beginning work at Penguin in New York City spending ten years in the publishing industry.

Her 2004 memoir, A Rip in Heaven, is a story of a tragic night in April 1991 on the Old Chain of Rocks bridge which spans the Mississippi River just outside of St. Louis, Missouri when her two cousins, Julie and Robin Kerry were murdered and her brother, Tom barely escaped. Her cousin Julie’s death inspired her to become a writer as she was Jeanine’s role model and a very gifted writer in her own right. Cummins felt a sense of responsibility to carry on her legacy. Her next book, The Outside Boy, published in 2010 is a poignant coming-of-age novel about an Irish gypsy boy’s childhood in the 1950s. The Crooked Branch followed in 2013 centered around the Great Famine of Ireland. January 2021, Bookers chose American Dirt, published in 2020. Our reviewer, Rebecca Brisendine, admitted she almost put it down after the first chapter which begins with the massacre of 16 people at a family barbeque in a pleasant neighborhood in Acapulco, Mexico…but she was glad she didn’t. The novel sold over three million copies in thirty-seven languages but also gained controversy within the American literary community for perceived cultural exploitation and inaccuracy in her portrayals of both the Mexican and migrant experiences. Her book tour was cancelled in 2020 as specific threats to booksellers and to the author surfaced causing the organizers to believe a real peril to their safety existed.

She and her husband, who is an Irish immigrant who lived illegally in the U.S. for ten years, have two daughters and she is currently researching another novel.

Synopsis:

Speak to Me of Home is a sweeping, multigenerational novel that explores the complexities of family, migration, and the search for belonging. Through its interwoven timelines and richly drawn characters, the book examines how trauma, exile, and assimilation shape identity—not just for individuals, but for entire families and communities. The novel is unflinching in its portrayal of racism, classism, and the quiet violence of exclusion, yet it is also deeply hopeful, celebrating the resilience of women and the power of storytelling to heal and connect. The DNA test, hurricane, and vintage shop are not just plot devices but metaphors for the ways in which the past is always present, and the future is always being rewritten. Ultimately, the novel argues that home is not a fixed place or a pure inheritance, but something we build together—through honesty, forgiveness, and the courage to claim our own stories. In a world marked by displacement and uncertainty, Speak to Me of Home offers a vision of family as both sanctuary and adventure, and of identity as a living, evolving tapestry.

Mixed bag of Reviews:

Kirkus Reviews are considered in the industry as the gold standard and this novel was described as having “flat characters and full of cultural cliches making for a disappointing read. She indulged in tired tropes such as Rafaela’s mother who is a black-haired beauty from the countryside who shimmies her hips and claps back at the aristocratic women who snub her. Although Daisy does almost die in a hurricane, a natural disaster is not character development. Indeed, none of the characters here emerge as real people. Even the dramatic revelation that animates the novel’s final act fails to provoke much in the way of conflict or change.” Ouch.  

On the flipside, The Bookish Elf, says the author has “crafted a novel that is at once intimate and expansive, tackling big ideas through the lens of one family’s deeply personal story.” The novel is “a testament to the power of roots, the complexity of identity, and the enduring strength of family bonds. With its lyrical prose, richly drawn characters, and thoughtful exploration of what it means to belong, this novel is sure to resonate with readers long after they turn the final page. It is a journey worth taking, one that invites us to reflect on our own sense of home and the stories that shape who we are. Jeanine Cummins has once again proven herself to be a master storyteller, capable of illuminating the universal through the deeply personal.”

Rating System:

0 – aka The Susan – wouldn’t recommend to my worst enemy. (You are special – no one else has a rating named after them!!)

1 – put your money back in the piggy bank

2 – borrow, don’t buy

3 – good beach read

4 – borders on your favorite read ever

5 – order now, include in your will.

Our discussion:

We talked about the credibility of today’s resources such as Wikipedia versus the “old school” Encyclopedia Britannica and The World Book. Wikipedia provides quick information and is a “good starting point” as it’s a collaborative online encyclopedia that allows anyone to edit its articles – all editors are volunteers.  The New York Times calls it “a factual netting that holds the digital world together.” This open model has led to both strengths and weaknesses in its credibility. The accuracy of AI models depends on the quality of their training data, but these models are also fundamentally unable to cite their original source for their knowledge, thus AI users use Wikipedia knowledge without knowing that Wikipedia is its source. Be careful what you quote!

Speak to Me of Home was well received as the majority of our ratings fell between 3 and 4. Our discussion covered the relatability and development of the characters. Rafaela Acuña’s life spanned privilege, loss, and reinvention with her marriage to white American, Peter Brennan, while still agonizing about giving up the love of her life, Candido. She navigated through scandals, exile, widowhood, and the slow erosion of memory to finely find contentment. Peter was both loving and limited, unable to fully understand his wife’s identity or the racism she endured…his intentions were good, his love for his daughter, Ruth, genuine, and his eventual acceptance of the family’s truth, an act of grace. Ruth is forced to reinvent herself after her husband’s death eventually embracing the messy business of family. Daisy, fiercely independent and determined to reclaim her Puerto Rican heritage, suffered a life-threatening accident, her recovery forcing her to confront her own fragility and the depth of her family’s love. When she opened her vintage shop, The Double Down, it became a living archive of family history – a place where the past was honored and the future imagined. Benny’s character was transformative and a favorite as he became a pillar of strength for his family – he was practical, loyal, and quietly wise. Carlos, Ruth’s youngest son, became Daisy’s confidant acting as the bridge between generations.

The novel is steeped in symbolism such as the banyan tree with its ability to turn branches into roots mirroring the family’s journey of loss, adaptation, and return. The hurricane serves as a metaphor for the family’s upheaval as it disrupts, destroys, and exposes vulnerabilities but also brings a family together in crisis…old wounds are exposed and the possibility of renewal emerges. Family secrets collide with fate as the past shapes the present and the role prejudice plays in the story is on full display in the American Midwest, but we learn how a home is both a place and a choice. Storytelling across generations, languages, and mediums is a central theme as it becomes a way to survive trauma and to claim identity, underscoring the idea that we are made by the stories we inherit and the ones we choose to tell.

 Happy Reading,

JoDee

JANUARY 2026 BOOKERS MINUTES & MUSINGS, Sugar Birds, Cheryl Grey Bostrom

                                        “The word sorry erupted from her like a train, its horn blaring.”

17 Homo sapiens and Bookers’ very well-behaved strawberry loving mascot, five-month-old micro teacup Schnauzer named Beretta Russo, met at the home of Debbie Yarger to discuss this coming-of-age novel set in the 1980s in Northwest Washington State.

Food for Thought:

There is a metaphor about recognizing the people who have ‘packed your parachute’ meaning those who have offered guidance and encouragement needed to overcome challenges and succeed. Take a moment to reflect on those who enabled you to get to where you are today and thank them for believing in your potential. Many of my parachute packers are sitting in this room today and all the others near and far hold a special place in my heart.

Business:

Our next meeting will be February 10^th 10:00 a.m. at the home of Kittie Minick, 372 St. Andrews Drive, Pinnacle Golf Club. We will be discussing Speak To Me of Home by Jeanine Cummins, a multigenerational saga told through the voices of three women navigating the complex terrain between Puerto Rico and the American Midwest, exploring what it means to call a place home.

Tickets for PWC’s major fundraiser, Casino Night on February 28, 2026, are selling fast with a maximum limit of 200. Help our organization to benefit over 20 local nonprofit organizations in Henderson and Kaufman counties by supporting this event. Tickets are available at https://pwccf.ejoinme.org/2026event until February 16th. $125.00 per person.

Susan Cunyus has volunteered to take care of wrapping the baskets for the Casino Night’s auctions. She needs baskets of all sizes or decorative boxes; ribbon…any color or amount, and filler paper like you would add to a clear gift bag. If you can help, feel free to leave your donations on her front porch, 395 St. Andrews Drive.

Suzy and Kurt Penner have filled a need in our community by coordinating recycling efforts at their home at 119 St. Andrews Drive. Every Tuesday we can drop off aluminum cans which they in turn take to their church which helps support eighteen local charities. On the first Wednesday of every month, they accept all types of glass, rinsed out and without lids and are adding ONLY plastic drinking bottles, also rinsed and without lids on that same date.

Patsy Dehn extended an invitation to their Pinnacle Church Women’s Luncheon to be held at the Pinnacle Club on Saturday, January 31, 2026, 12;00-2:30 featuring keynote speaker, Kylie Jean Tannehill. Please contact Patsy at 214-478-5135 or patsydehn@gmail.com for more information on this very special event.

About the Author:

A keen student of the workings of the human heart and the natural world, Pacific Northwest author Cheryl Grey Bostrom captures the mystery and wonder of both in her lyrical fiction. Sugar Birds and Leaning on Air, which is set twelve years later as ornithologist, Celia Burke, and veterinary surgeon, Burnaby Hayes plunge into a romance, have received critical acclaim and more than two dozen fiction awards. What the River Keeps, which features a reclusive biologist who returns to her childhood home where she must untangle her mysterious past or lose her mind, was awarded a prized Kirkus Star and named to their Best Indies Book of June 2025. She is also working on a sequel to Sugar Birds…working title, Because of Burnaby. She lives in rural Washington State with her husband and a pack of half-trained Gordon setters.

I reached out to Cheryl to let her know we had selected Sugar Birds for our January meeting, and she emailed me a “book club kit” with some inside information and discussion questions. She also is offering a giveaway for just our book club of either a paperback or audiobook of any one of her novels, Sugar Birds, Leaning on Air, or What the River Keeps. Anyone interested? If so, let me know and I’ll forward your email to her, and she’ll notify me of the winner. She’ll also add your name to her once-a-month letter and will include her nature photography and musings.

Sugar Birds evolved from a sketch she submitted to a critique group about a young, rural girl who hid in the woods after she accidentally lit a horrific fire. Afterwards that girl began awakening Cheryl at night, seeing her in trees as she went through her days and before long, memories from her own childhood resurfaced…hours climbing to perilous heights in Pacific Northwest fir trees, seeking solace from a tough home life in the rugged forest she knew so well, and the story unfolded from there. She thinks everyone should do at least once in their lives – something hard, brave…and alone. Her hope is that readers will recognize the story of human resilience written in a suspenseful narrative that highlights both tender and broken relationships, and a tale filled with awe, forgiveness, and redemption and where each of us runs and hides from heartbreak and how we deal with tragedy.

Synopsis:

For years, Harris Hayes taught his daughter, Agate, nicknamed, Aggie, the ways of the northern woods. So, when her mother’s depression worsens, he shows the ten-year-old how to find and sketch the nests of wild birds as an antidote to sadness. Aggie loves nothing more than climbing the massive fir trees that stand near her family home and is perched in a tree far overhead when her unpredictable mother spots her demanding she stay on the ground, forbidding her to climb. Angry and sulking over the recent punishment, Aggie lights a small campfire that unintentionally torches the woods by her family’s cabin burning it to the ground. Believing her parents are dead and afraid of what might happen if she’s blamed for the crime, she flees downriver, landing her boat near the untamed forest where she hides among the trees and creatures, whom she considers her only friends, determined to remain undiscovered.

Meanwhile, sixteen-year-old, Celia Burke, upset at her parent’s breakup, is dropped off by her father at her grandmother’s house for an undetermined amount of time…far away from her life and friends in Houston. She also plans to flee the scene, but when she learns of the fire and that Aggie is missing, she joins the hunt and meets two irresistible young men – one autistic and the other dangerous – and she’s compelled to stay and can’t help but get involved in the search for Aggie.

As Aggie tries to stay alive and Celia attempts to find her, their stories become increasingly intertwined. Aggie’s character is scrappy and she knows how to survive off the land while Celia is full of suburban angst and sarcasm…but both are equally strong characters whose strengths and weaknesses feed off each other.

Tidbits of Interest:

Anyone familiar with fuzz sticks also known as feather sticks? Maybe if you were a Girl Scout or a Campfire Girl you might have been introduced to these. They’re short sticks of dead wood prepared to create a cluster of thin curls used as a fire starter when dry tinder is scarce. Aggie used this to start the fire that burned down their home.

It wasn’t until late in the story – page 248 – in the paperback edition that we learned what the title, Sugar Birds, meant. I spent too much time Googling and came up only with a South African songbird which didn’t make much sense for this novel. It’s a term used by Celia’s grandfather to describe someone desperate, scratching, pecking, and clawing for a sweet seed that will soothe an aching heart. Celia says, “we’re all sugar birds.”  Something to ponder.

“Consider the birds” appears in the books’ front matter – Matthew 6:26 which is a powerful message illustrating birds do not worry about their needs, yet God provides for them – a reminder that if He cares for the smallest creatures, He will certainly take care of us like a loving parent. And birds symbolize freedom – the ability to soar high and break from limitations- physically, emotionally, and spiritually representing hope and change in the novel.

Forgiveness is the gift we give ourselves. It’s a journey to let go of anger and resentment towards those we feel have wronged us. Aggie’s path to forgive her Mama and herself was necessary for healing her trauma. She did this by acknowledging her feelings toward her Mama and why she felt that way and examined how she viewed herself and why. Aggie made a conscious decision to let go of the negative thoughts and preconceived notions she had unfairly formed and absorbed the reality that her Mama’s illness caused her actions and were not directed at Aggie as a form of punishment, tough love, or lack of love.  

Most loved and most loathed characters? Burnaby’s autistic character was developed with authenticity…brutally honest, loyal, and reliable.  Cabot of course was the character everyone loved to hate, however, his caustic personality was well developed with the contrast between his sugar-coated nature and conniving personality was convincing. If he had any redeeming qualities besides his good looks, they were well hidden.

Rating System Discussion:

0 – our new category – I wouldn’t recommend to my worse enemy.

1 – put your money back in the piggy bank

2 – borrow, don’t buy

3 – good beach read

4 – borders on your favorite book ever

5 – order now, include in you will.

It’s a well-known assumption that if you pick a book that most everyone loves, the discussion suffers. The book selection committee tested that theory with Sugar Birds and as it turns out we were successful…we had a lively conversation with the majority of the comments centered around too much attention to the details of the story and the setting and not enough character development; the plot didn’t move until the end and then it felt rushed; too much about trees, bones, birds, and dissecting animals rather than more about Aggie’s mother’s mental illness issues. Several ranked it as a “good beach read” with some concern that a ten-year-old child could be resourceful enough to survive the elements on her own; and two went out on a limb (catch the tree analogy – LOL) with strong 4s touting outstanding characters – 3 courageous, resilient, spunky kids – a lyrical novel filled with life lessons; and the other one loved being transported to the Pacific Northwest, the interactions between the characters, the symbolism of birds, the themes of forgiveness and how that journey resulted in the healing process and applauded how the author tied up all the ends. I personally love the fact we can as a group freely and without judgment share our thoughts as it has always been the mission of Bookers to foster conversation. Thank you for making the second Tuesday, September through May enjoyable and memorable!

On a positive note, next month’s read is receiving good feedback from several Bookers so if we all sit around on our hands in February, we’ll test our theory once again!

Happy Reading,

JoDee