Within the prism of understanding, the
truth guides us along the path.
20 Bookers emerged from the long dark
night braving the cold Russian winds coming off the frozen water as snowflakes
dropped out of the sun onto cars buried in ice mantles. Humor me. We’re stationed
in Leningrad for Jean Alexander’s review of this month’s selection, Winter
Garden, instead of April in Texas at the home of Kay Robinson.
We would like to offer our continued
prayers and healing to those struggling with health issues and thank Kay
Robinson for her uplifting report on Winston Welch thriving in his new
environment. We appreciate Kay Hazelbaker sending photos of an early Bookers
meeting for us to see what we looked like in our “infancy.”
Jean Alexander in her usual flair for
capturing the essence of a book began with Kristin Hannah’s inspiration….how
can any woman know her own story until she knows her mother’s past. Winter
Garden encompasses two tales, the contemporary one set in Washington State
detailing the lives of two sisters, Meredith and Nina, their adoring relationship
with their father, Evan, and growing up with a mother, Anya, as frosty as a
Russian winter, and the other set during the siege of Leningrad during World
II. Jean donning a wool coat, snow boots, and head scarf, narrated life in a
city cut off from the world, filled with women and children freezing and
starving and the lengths they went to in order to survive. Within the details
of Anya’s struggles and choices in Russia, she saw herself as an unfit mother
because of some of the agonizing decisions she made, fostering an innate fear
that she would damage her own daughters if she showed them love. Her
vulnerability only surfaced when in the dark she recited fairytales so
melodious, the sound of her voice made her daughters believe for at least a
little while, love seeped from her words into their hearts. What they didn’t
know was the fairytale of the prince and the peasant was a detail accounting of
their mother’s life, emphasizing in order for children to survive extreme hardship,
they needed strength and courage, not comforting.
Winter Garden proves it is
never too late to discover, to understand, and replace the unspoken grief with
unconditional love. The author writes “about women that rise above victimhood,
not succumb to it, believing in the human spirit and their amazing resilience…never
quit on family, friends, or yourself.” Ms. Hannah accomplished this magically
within the pages of her historical fiction. Thanks to Jean Alexander for taking
us on this journey!
Our discussion centered on the differences
between the sisters, Meredith, the organizer, burying grief and her personal
relationship with her husband inside busy work. Nina saw death through the lens
of a camera, always running as fast as she could from her own life on the
pretense of saving someone else’s life. Their father’s death forced them to
look at their own lives with an uncomfortable rawness, the sisters facing the
fact they both were like their mother by not trusting another person with their
emotions. Meredith, Nina, and Anya sharing a family meal complete with shots of
vodka and conversation began the melting stage…their lives always defined by
things said and things unsaid suddenly evolved…now, words mattered. Some
expressed there was too much detail in the beginning, others seeing this as
necessary to set up the relationships; one member said she was angry with the
husband for letting their daughters feel unloved for so many years. We spoke of
not knowing the details of our grandparents and/or parent’s childhoods and the
need to explore this before it was too late. And whether or not Anya’s
inability to see color was psychological – “sometimes a thing was its truest
self when the colors were stripped away”…Anya saw her life in its reality – its
starkness…color would soften her view. And, then the talk livened up as we dissected
the ending. The author said she toyed with several ways to tie it all up, but
it all came down to not wanting Anya to lose anyone else…to come to the end of
her life as a happy woman. 6 Bookers agreed, the rest, felt it was contrived,
hokey, unbelievable, and convenient…attesting to how we all read
differently…and that’s a good thing!
On
the business side:
Our special gathering, Lunch with Lucy, on Friday, April 8th
was attended by Bonnie, Rokhshie, Melanie, Rebecca Robinson, Linda Thompson, Jane,
Pat, Barbara, Beverly, MN and me. We had a great meal and discussion of
Elizabeth Strout’s latest My Name Is Lucy Barton, written with
“distilled emotion” on the human condition, asking the question is it possible
to fix an imperfect love. We would highly recommend you devour this one!
9 Bookers attended the Books in Bloom
luncheon on April 1st at the Cain Center in Athens enjoying a
fascinating presentation by author Jan Jarboe Russell of her new book, The
Train to Crystal City. We discussed picking this as our summer read, as
it is as relevant today as it was during World War II, we voted it might be too
politically charged and is a very tedious read, but we recommend you dive into
this fascinating piece of little-known American history.
We’ll select our summer read at the May
meeting, (MOVED TO THE 24TH)
and ask that you each bring a recommendation to vote on…one lengthy book, three
short ones, a classic, a contemporary fiction, something from a list of the 100
books you must read before you die….your choice, but please help us by offering
a suggestion. Our May meeting is a BYOB evening meeting, and we are requesting
a heartier fare to soak up some of the B.
Bonnie Magee will be again coordinating this. Watch for an email soon and
please respond to her directly.
COLOR CODING SYSTEM
WHITE: LIGHT READ
PINK: MODERATELY
CHALLENGING
RED: CHALLENGING
May
24th: Wine & Cheese
evening meeting, 6:00 P.M.
Note later date
Bonnie Magee, Food Czar
A Man
Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
PINK
Home
of: Beverly Dossett
Reviewer:
Jean McSpadden
Summer
Break: June, July, & August
Summer
Read, TBD
September
13th: Beginning of Bookers’ 12th
year
“You would be amazed at what the human
heart can endure.”
Happy Reading,
JoDee
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