“Maybe it’s not the view that’s beautiful or ugly. Maybe what counts is the way you look at it.”
13 Bookers
arrived at the home of our birthday girl, Patty Evans, on this beautiful
October day to discuss this month’s selection. Patty’s horoscope today suggests
realigning autumn routines for health and vitality…I think you know what that
means Ms. Evans!
We
welcomed new member, Kay Weatherford and enjoyed seeing Linda Hoff again after
a long absence. Additional “slush funds” were collected and I’ll write another
check in honor of Rosemary Farmer, a cherished member of Bookers who passed on
September 11, 2024. Her family requested contributions to be made to the PWC
2025 Scholarship Program to add to her legacy and help enrich the life of a
deserving student. Thank you for your generosity!
On the business side:
You shined
your light and opened your hearts with generosity in support of Jen White
Sherman and Bookish with your book orders, totaling over $1,500.00 to date. Please
remember those that ordered The Berry Pickers (Carla, Penny,
Susan, Kat, MN, Kay, Virginia, Joanne & Kim) the price of the paperback has
not yet been billed or collected. I’ll let you know when they arrive and how
much they cost.
Our November
12th meeting will be at Kittie Minick’s home, 372 St. Andrews Drive
and we will be discussing The Roaring Days of Zora Lily, by Noelle
Salazar. A costume conservator preparing an exhibition featuring movie costumes
from the 1920s discovers another name hidden beneath the designer’s label. The
story evolved from learning about the author’s great-great grandmother who like
many women fought for a place in the world, to be heard and seen.
About the author and the evolution
of October in the Earth
She lives in
Victoria, British Columbia with her husband and several naughty cats. She
writes under three pen names including Libbie Grant and Libbie Hawker. She’s
hit the Washington Post and Amazon top 100 bestseller lists and has accumulated
numerous awards for her books.
Her
publisher, Lake Union, an Amazon imprint, brought her an idea about two women riding
the rails during the Great Depression – one a doctor bent on reaching
California by a certain date, the other the privileged young heiress fleeing an
arranged marriage. She started over six times before finding the right
characters, premise and voice for this novel resulting in a whopping 250,000-word
tome (equal to 1,000 pages double-spaced format) before it was trimmed to a
doable 100,000 words or about 400 pages.
More
information on how October in the Earth evolved is attached.
Recap and Discussion:
We all
read, finished, and liked the selection, except one as it was not her cup of tea,
which is what makes book clubs special!
After
reading this book, there is one thing for certain, I would not have made a good
hobo and who knew there was a difference between them and ordinary riffraff.
Here’s a short recap of this gritty historical fiction set in the grips of the
Great Depression where jobs were nearly non-existent, farmers didn’t have
enough money to produce a crop to pay their mortgages, and people were drawn to
any person or any sign of hope for the future. Adella (Del) Wensley’s job was
to be the perfect companion to the most popular snake-handling preacher husband
in Harlan County. Irving had never met a snake he wouldn’t take hold of and
raise it above his head before casting out everyone’s devils and sending around
the collection plate. But as it turned out he was the snake using his charm and
power to seduce innocent girls and Del was most likely the only one who didn’t
know about his ability to charm the pants off the unsuspecting. His behavior
was certain to make most readers root for the reptile. Pushed to the limit Del
dresses as a man and hops a freight train to remake her life where she partners
with the ultimate hobo, Louisa, who reluctantly takes her under her wing and
their journey begins from Kentucky’s coal country across the Rockies to
Washington State in search of freedom and work as the narrative reveals the
desperation driving each of the characters. Hawker captures the portrait of an
era as well as a relationship between two vulnerable yet tough women where no
male heroes appear to save anyone. Del and Louisa do that themselves.
Our discussion:
We were
curious about the title of the book and its meaning and the slash mark in the
second “O” of October in the title on the cover. There has not been an official
statement from the author, so the speculation is the slash mark is a stylistic
choice with no specific meaning, which is often used to create visual interest
and/or in this case, to emphasize the month of October – mission accomplished
as we’re talking about it! Several members were miffed by the title beyond this
quote “…the day she met Louisa Trout, it was June in the sky, but October in
the earth…it was farm country, brown and bare fields dry as the heart of
autumn.” Here’s my guess…autumn is a season of change and transformation – temperatures
cool (maybe someday here!) crops are harvested, and the land is dormant, ready
for winter. Louisa changed from independent to a reluctant caretaker while Del
fled the “good life” in search of transforming herself from the needy abused
wife to a strong woman – both awaiting “Spring” a season of growth and new
life.
Our
discussion focused more on the bonds of female friendships as many of us
remember at least one life-long gal pal who are like sisters with no-judgment
zones…deep bonds built on trust, compassion and mutual respect. We talked about
how Del and Louisa were alike, although with different backgrounds as they both
had lost part of their identities – self-esteem, families, and homes – but for
different reasons. They held opposite views of life and religion but always
listened and respected the views of the other, although constantly argued about
Del refusing to return to her old life and Louisa refusing to claim the bounty
put on Del’s head for her safe return. The similarity of the Del & Irving’s
last name, Wensley, and George Hensley who was an American Pentecostal minister
best known for popularizing snake handling and founder of the Church of God
with Signs Following in Tennessee ad Kentucky was not lost on the author. We
learned there was a “hobo code” – never steal, don’t drink booze, don’t break
any laws, cause no trouble, never take advantage of anyone, and never interfere
with any worker on the trains or tracks. It was a surprise to most of us that
the hobos were a special “class” of citizen, with their own standards and if
broken, they were not welcome in the “community.” An emotional moment arrived
when Del and Louisa stumbled on a woman sitting on the steps of her shack to
find she had lost her young son and couldn’t bring herself to bury him with
something to wrap his body in. It was a four-tissue event for me. Along with
our resident “pharmacist” we talked about the early development of sodas laced
with everything from cocaine to lithium citrate which was in 7-UP until the
1950s promising mood enhancers, boosting brain function, and a cure all for
just about everything else. The subtle “love story” that began with a slight
kiss between Del and Louisa hinted at a possible connection on a deeper level
between the two might be in the cards. The Granny Woman that Del visited to
help with her infertility issues led to Del’s decision to flee finding out the
pregnancies she had ended caused by Irving throughout the years. The reference
to Del’s “tennis bracelet” by the pawn shop jeweler had to have been an editing
error – the term tennis bracelet was first mentioned when Chris Evert wore one
in the 1987 U.S. Open when it came unclasped during a rally and was referred to
with this acronym from that point on.
The ending
– a point of discussion between the group with some wanting Del to stop riding
the rails, settle down with a nice man and raise a family. The author did not
only leave us without that happy-ever-after scenario, but she also left some
feeling short-changed. Having said that in my humble opinion, it was a perfect
ending, leaving readers the opportunity to be a bestselling author and write
their own version. Del’s life was complete seeing with her own eyes how Louisa
had everything she ever dreamed of. Home is where the heart is – beyond four
walls – but where families are full of dreams and possibilities. This was not
Del’s home, and she was content to call her “boxcar” home – one she had chosen,
not one chosen for her. And keep in mind she was still legally married and not
“free” to find her happy-ever-after with anyone.
We
marveled at the research and the author’s capability of placing readers inside
the pages of the book with her vivid descriptions and attention to detail. Our
one member who was less than enamored with this selection shared when she first
started reading it, she was excited that this woman was going on an
adventure…but soon found out, Del was not organized enough to go on a keen
adventure…who doesn’t at least pack snacks for the road? OMG, I love Bookers!!
“But
every lonesome traveler knows…if he wants to go home, he can…if only in a
dream, yes he can.” Lyrics
by Hoots & Hellmouth, “Home in a Boxcar.”
Happy
Reading,
JoDee
No comments:
Post a Comment