“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
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