MARCH 2014 BOOKERS MINUTES & MUSINGS, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

If we measure friendships on how many steps we take forward or backward, how many would you take to show your love?

Jean McSpadden revered “Harold” so much she shared some of her spring break to review it for us – she and the author making their simultaneous debuts – outstanding insight to this special book Jean!

The breakfast table was set, literally, for sixty-five year old recently retired Harold Fry to embark on a mission of friendship and soul-searching. He was ‘freshly shaven, in a clean shirt and tie, with a slice of toast that he wasn’t eating when his wife, Maureen, “called above the vacuum cleaner. Post!”  A “Turkish pink” envelope addressed to him from a former co-worker, Queenie Hennessy, whom he hadn’t seen in twenty years, was saying goodbye. She was dying of cancer. He donned his waterproof jacket and yachting shoes for a walk to the corner post office to mail his letter to Queenie. By putting one foot in front of the other, he began a march toward his own salvation, believing every step he took would keep his friend alive. What started at 13 Fossebridge Road in Kingsbridge on the English Channel ended 87 days and 627 miles later when he reached Berwick-upon-Tweed on the North Sea.

What spurred his mission was a casual encounter with a young “petrol girl” wearing a button saying “Happy to Help.” She spoke of her Aunt who had cancer and told Harold “if you have faith you can do anything”…not the religious kind but “trusting what you don’t know and going for it…believing you can make a difference.” Harold’s life and his choices became clearer as he walked towards Queenie and away from his past. He harbored pain from his childhood, his mother walked out the door, and his father showed him the door at 16. Harold spent his life with his head down, avoiding confrontation and showering his family with love – from the sidelines. Twenty years ago, he lost his son David to suicide exposing the inequities of parenthood and losing Maureen to despair at the same time.

Harold walked to atone for his failures but also to “accept the strangeness of others,” that being tested by the throngs of individuals who joined his “campaign” along the road. His journey accidentally inspired others to walk away their pain and he suddenly became a motivator to others…something he had never experienced before. The weight of each step became heavier with the welfare of others overtaking his quest and with only 16 miles left, he became depressed recognizing that no matter what he did “the moon and wind would go on rising and falling” with or without him. Somehow, he completed his journey and arrived at St. Bernadine’s Hospice wearing blue duct-taped yachting shoes, fulfilling a promise to himself and to his dying friend.

During Harold’s absence, Maureen rediscovered why she fell in love with him in the first place. She realized for the last twenty years, they were lost in the complacency of their individual lives giving up on the little things of everyday that made it work for most of their marriage. While Harold strode along the outdoor route, Maureen took internal steps to evaluate her life and her marriage, discovering her pain of losing David had skewed her perspective of Harold’s role in David’s life. She couldn’t blame herself for failing so Harold was her receptacle.

Harold’s walk didn’t cure Queenie’s cancer. She died shortly after Harold arrived, but the silver lining, was Maureen and Harold found each other again. Their love was renewed as it began…holding hands and laughing about something – what, it didn’t matter because they were happy.

Our discussion focused on the different themes of the book…love, faith, honesty, and redemption. For the logical mind, it seemed impossible for a man Harold’s age and physical ability to embark on a walking journey of 600 miles, but his quest became believable with the author’s expertise to layer the story with reasons making it feasible. We walked each step with Harold through Ms. Joyce’s imagery, and turn-of-phrase, and enjoyed some laugh-out-loud moments. Our feet hurt; we had imaginary blisters needing plastering, as we rooted for Harold to find a way to complete his journey. Some read the book as a fairy tale, like Alice In Wonderland, others, viewed it as a healing of a marriage, another as Harold finding out how to relate to people…how to be a friend and have a friend. Some were disappointed that Maureen never told Harold about Queenie’s visit…we have to hope that conversation came later. Many of us were reminded of Forrest Gump while reading Harold’s story. Special thanks to Cherry for giving us a visual of Harold’s journey with a map and photos from her trips (and to Jane Freer for adding to them.)

                                            On the business side:

Our own thespian, Bernie Crudden, is performing her role as Mrs. Graves in “Enchanted April” at the Henderson County Performing Arts Center on March 20^th, 21^st, 22^nd and 27^th, 28^th, 29^th at 7:30 PM with a Sunday matinee on March 23^rd at 2:00 PM. Reservations 903-675-3908. Tickets are $17.00.  She pointed out she is not involved in the Pinnacle Club’s dinner theater evening featuring “Love Letters” but hopes everyone will enjoy this HCPAC production (just not on the 29^th. )

As a recap, the following is the rating system MN and I have assigned to OUR opinions of books we’ve read. Again, this is meant to be a guideline only.

5 Stars:                  Order Now. Expedited shipping worthy. Include in your will.

4 Stars:                  Borders on Little Bee

3 Stars:                  Beach Read

2 Stars:                  Borrow don’t buy

1 Star:                   Put your money back in the piggy bank

Donna Walter has suggested Sue Monk Kidd’s latest, The Invention of Wings, might be a Bookers’ book. It’s inspired by a true story set in the early 19^th century in South Carolina about two women linked by the horrors of slavery. The only comments that I’ve heard is that one version of the book has Oprah’s notes and comments all throughout the novel. It’s very distracting and interrupts the story. We’ll keep you posted.

Jean and I have both read Ms. Joyce’s sophomore novel, Perfect. Compared to “Harold” we both wanted it to be wondrous, but we’re disappointed. The redeeming qualities would again be in the language, imagery, and turns of phrase. It alternates between 1972 and the present, 40 years later, and focuses on what happened when two seconds of time is added to our clocks. It’s confusing and a bit dark and neither one of us bonded with the characters. (3.) An excerpt is in the back of “Harold” if you want to check it out. The Good Luck of Right Now by Matthew Quick author of The Silver Linings Playbook received solid 4 stars from Amazon. It’s full of quirky characters, written in epistolary form. Bartholomew’s mother dies and in her underwear drawer there is a signed letter written in 2008 from Richard Gere in which he was advocating boycotting the Olympics in Beijing China because of the atrocities the Chinese government committed against Tibet. I think I have a good sense of humor and the book’s premise intrigued me. I’m sorry, I just don’t get it…I can only muster a (1.)  I’d love for someone else to read it and prove me wrong! Barbara Delinsky’s Sweet Salt Air is set on the fictional Maine Island and centers on two childhood friends who reunite to co-author a cookbook about the local cuisine. Her novels are generally a good read and this one doesn’t disappoint. (3.) London author, Virginia Ironside, wrote a humorous look at turning sixty in No! I Don’t Want to Join a Book Club. It’s written in diary form and is described as a Bridget Jones for the 60-somethings. Marie is a somewhat cranky retired art teacher who lives alone, is about to turn sixty, an age that she embraces eagerly, and detests being told all the clichés about aging.  It’s an easy read and certain to tickle your funny bone. (3.) Marlene has loaned me Philipp Meyer’s The Son, a historical fiction set in 1849 in the newly established Republic of Texas and spanning two hundred years.

MN has read Under Your Skin by Sabine Durrant. If you liked Gone Girl it is a must. A television personality stumbles upon a corpse while jogging and she becomes the center of a murder investigation. (3+.) Also, Cracks In the Sidewalk by Bette Lee Crosby. The story centers around a gravely ill mother of three in the care of her parents and her resentful angry husband who refuses to allow their children to see their dying mother. (3.) Jonathan Trooper’s, This Is Where I Leave You is about a family forced back together after their father dies of cancer. His final request was his entire family sits seven days of Shiva at the home where the siblings grew up. If you’re looking for something very different and at times laugh-out-loud funny, this is for you. Rated (3.)

Kay Robinson enjoyed the non-fiction book, The Secret Rooms, A True Story of a Haunted Castle, a Plotting Duchess, and Family Secrets, by Catherine Bailey. Fans of Downton Abbey will enjoy this work set in the days before World War I.

Beverly Dossett recommended a young adult trilogy with a similar reading experience to The Hunger Games as it’s fast-paced, and set in another world with a strong female character. The series begins with Divergent, followed by Insurgent, then Allegiant. It begins in dystopian Chicago and is filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayal, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

                            COLOR CODING SYSTEM

                            WHITE:         LIGHT READ

                            PINK:             MODERATELY CHALLENGING

                            RED:              CHALLENGING

April 8^th:                      Don’t Let Me Go by Katherine Ryan Hyde

                                    PINK

                                    Home of Sandy Molander

                                    Reviewers: MN Stanky & JoDee Neathery

May 13^th:                     Wonder by R.J. Palacio regular meeting 10:00 AM

                                    PINK

                                    Home of Bonnie Magee

                                    Reviewer: Jean Alexander

Laughter is a medicine without side effects. It infiltrates your eyes and makes them twinkly and leaky; it turns up the corners of your mouth and crinkles your nose; it requires no equipment, effort, or latex. Treat yourself to a daily dose.

Happy Reading

JoDee

FEBRUARY 2014 BOOKERS MINUTES & MUSINGS, The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

“The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars but in ourselves, that we are underlings.”

                                  William Shakespeare

17 Bookers braved East Texas’ version of Siberia to the home of Patty Evans, our one-woman show as she recommended the book, hosted the meeting, and reviewed the selection. Thanks for being “all-inclusive” and walking us through the tears with doses of humor and quotes from the characters and author. We welcomed back Marsha Smith and Sandy Molander and hope they will become regulars again. And, we’re very happy to report that Lois is feeling a little better each week and in her words, “At first I was afraid to hope, but now I believe my kidney has rallied a bit and I’m convinced the crisis is over.” She also credits the improvement to the love, prayers, and support from dear friends…and all the sweetness under her angel umbrella. She has rejoined the bridge group and maybe she will feel strong enough to put Bookers back on her schedule. Great news!!

As a warm-up we gave the group the first half of a well-known proverb and asked they use their imaginations to add the remainder of the quote. We then compared their answers to those of a group of six-year olds to see how we stacked up. Some of us were as creative as the children…Better late than – pregnant. A bird in the hand…is going to poop on you.

On the surface, John Green’s The Fault In Our Stars is a familiar story. Two teenagers meet; discover raging hormones, and the magic of first love. She’s smart and shy, certainly not “the hand raising type,” who views herself as “a normally proportioned person with a balloon for a head.” He’s “long and leanly muscular”...with straight short Mahogany hair and eyes so blue you could see through them…not to mention being “hot.” But, sixteen-year old girl Hazel Grace Lancaster and seventeen-year old Augustus Waters are living with cancer…each no more than a breath or heartbeat away from death. We rated this selection RED as it is a tough read on an emotional level although written for young adults.

The author wrote in the first person age-appropriate voice of Hazel skillfully examining the “largest possible considerations – life, love, and death – with sensitivity, intelligence, honesty, and integrity.” His inspiration came from a chance meeting at a Harry Potter convention where thirty-one year old John Green developed a friendship with Esther Grace Earl, a child living with cancer whose dream it was to be a writer, but of course, cancer’s specialty was “murdering dreams.” Hem was consumed by the need to give a voice to the small victims of life-threatening diseases, their parents, and caregivers, and by writing The Fault In Our Stars, he honored the life of his friend, Esther, by dedicating the book to her memory. Her parents, Lori and Wayne Earl gathered their daughter’s journals and photos and compiled them in a book titled, This Star Won’t Go Out. John Green wrote the forward. The Earls also founded a nonprofit organization under the same name (www.tswgo.org) providing financial assistance for families struggling through the journey of a child living with cancer. So far, they have given away more than $130,000 to families in need.

Hazel Grace is a three-year survivor of Stage IV thyroid cancer who hasn’t attended regular school during this remission. She looks at herself as the “alpha and omega” of her parent’s suffering, but also describes them as two of her best friends. She’s obsessed with her “third” bestie, Peter Van Houten the reclusive author of An Imperial Affliction. The book is the closest thing she had to a Bible because he seemed to “understand dying without having died.” Anna, the narrator, suffers from a rare blood cancer, but the book abruptly ends in mid-sentence, leaving Hazel in a neurotic limbo as to what happened to the characters. She, according to her doctor, is clinically depressed, which he says is a side effect of cancer, and recommends she attend a weekly support group. Hazel says, “Depression is a side effect of dying,” but in order to keep peace in her family, she reluctantly agrees to give it a try. This simple act launches her into an uncontrolled world laced with possibilities, where she finds Augustus, who suffered a “touch of osteosarcoma” which cost him his right leg. Their relationship began and ended in the basement of the Episcopal Church – a fragile rare thing which gave each a “forever within  the numbered days.” Their lives together were side effects of the other. Hazel Grace “walked lightly upon the earth” and Augustus walked beside her in infinity… an infinity bigger than some.

No stone was left unturned when it came to symbolism, metaphors, and foreshadowing abundant throughout the novel. The swing set in Hazel’s backyard reminded her of childhood and represented the ups-and-downs of human life, as “no matter how hard you kick, no matter how high you get, you can’t go all the way around.” Augustus Waters’ unlit cigarette and Holden Caulfield’s red hat in Catcher In The Rye both signified a fly-in-the-face to the adult world. Augustus was the first emperor of the Roman Empire, a name associated with confidence and bravado. His nickname, Gus, might appears in children’s picture books as an endangered little boy rather than a strong Augustus. And, then there’s WATER. Not only Augustus’ last name, but for Hazel it meant both a creator and destroyer of life. Water makes her life possible but the fluid in her lungs is killing her. Amsterdam would not be a great City if not surrounded by water, but is also drowning and at a constant risk of disaster from flooding. Perhaps the most poignant was ending Van Houton’s novel in mid-sentence…you might die in the middle of life, in the middle of a sentence.

Green achieved his goal to write a novel about “the things that make life possible and valuable and how many of those things are also what makes life painful and temporary.” His message is clear though, it’s still attainable “to live and make decisions despite the fault in our stars.” The movie version is set to release June 6^th.

The majority of our group who read this book favored the selection. We are glad so many of you were able to digest this difficult read, empathize with the characters and their story, and recognize the importance of Mr. Green’s message to his target audience. Once again, many of us had personal stories to share offering some insight into real-life tragedies and the inspiration of others in dealing with the painful side effects of loss. Cherry’s seventeen-year old granddaughter, Katherine, recommended the book to her (before we picked it.) She’s waiting “until she has time to cry” before reading it. The resiliency of youth.

                            On the business side

We have twelve Bookers attending Books n’ Bloom at the Cain Center on April 4^th. Thanks to everyone for supporting this fundraiser for the Henderson County Public Library.

As a recap, the following is the rating system MN and I have assigned to OUR opinions of books we’ve read. Again, this is meant to be a guideline only.

5 Stars:                  Order Now. Expedited shipping worthy. Include in your will

4 Stars:                  Borders on Little Bee

3 Stars:                  Beach Read

2 Stars:                  Borrow don’t buy

1 Star:                   Put your money back in the piggy bank

We’ve both read The Rosie Project, a debut novel by Graeme Simsion, currently on the NY Times bestseller list. MN rates it a (3). I give it a (3+). It’s quirky and entertaining about Professor Don Tillman, a socially inept scientist with Asperger’s (although he doesn’t know it) who is tone deaf to irony. Rosie is an edgy young woman whose fallback mode is sarcasm. Put them together and you have a comedy about a brilliant, emotionally challenged geneticist who’s determined to find a suitable wife with the help of a carefully designed questionnaire, and a patently unsuitable woman who keeps distracting him from his search.

Emma Donoghue, author of ROOM, will release her first literary crime novel, Frog Music on April 1^st. It’s about an unsolved murder set in San Francisco in 1876. Keep your fingers crossed for another 5 star book!

Apologies to Daryl as she brought a copy of the children’s book, The Snow Child, which she knew she had seen in her “children’s literary” stash and we forgot to give her the floor.

                         COLOR CODING SYSTEM

                         WHITE:         LIGHT READ

                          PINK:             MODERATELY CHALLENGING

                          RED:              CHALLENGING

March 11^th:                  The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

                                    PINK

                                    Home of Marlene Ungarean

                                    Reviewer: Jean McSpadden

April 8^th:                      Don’t Let Me Go by Katherine Ryan Hyde

                                    PINK

                                    Home of Sandy Molander

                                    Reviewers: MN Stanky & JoDee Neathery

May 13^th:                     Wonder by R.J. Palacio regular meeting 10:00 AM

                                    PINK

                                    Home of Bonnie Magee

                                    Reviewer: Jean Alexander

Children always seem to be running toward life instead of away from it….especially true of those with cancer. They seem to have an inner strength to be able to replace fear with courage creating an aura of inspiration for those around them.

OKAY,

JoDee

JANUARY 2014 BOOKERS MINUTES & MUSINGS, The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

          

 “A child born of ice, snow, and longing. You don’t have to understand miracles to believe them.”

19 Bookers descended on the home of Beverly Dossett to discuss this lyrical, magical story based on a Russian fairy tale addressing the “raw emotion of unharnessed grief,” loss, desperation, mortal and immortal love… where a fantasy of a child is used to melt heartache into rapture. Joining us again were Lee McFarland, Ann Hays, Judy Lee, and Patricia Mosley. We’ve missed you and hope this will start a trend. We appreciate everyone putting up with the date changes for this meeting and we’ll try very hard not to alter our schedule from the second Tuesday of the month in the future.

You know we are fanatical about being true to the book selection and unfortunately, the weather decided to be balmy instead of arctic. So, to simulate the Alaskan frontier of 1920 each Booker held an ice cube during the review. Frozen within were red, blue, and silver bugle beads – each color representing a red scarf and mittens, blue coat, and snowflakes, and in the center, a crystal gem. When the ice melted, only the jewels remained along with the memory of what was there – like the snow child.

Melanie, also in character, wore a red scarf and fur vest, bringing her offering in a basket of berries, an animal pelt, and a fish. She masterfully led us through a fabulous review of this book weaving the poetic narrative of the story into the synopsis of the novel. I wish I could recreate her in-depth review for those who were not fortunate to witness it in person, but what I can tell you is that you missed a treat. I’m sure the author would agree that the best of the novel was given proper attention and we all are grateful for such a thorough and passionate accounting of this special book. WELL DONE!

The author, Eowyn Ivey, shelved her work in progress novel in favor of writing The Snow Child drawn to exploring tragedy within her native Alaskan landscape – the wild forests, mountains, and frozen rivers providing the backdrop. The setting served as a character in itself as the dark winters spoke of “lonely isolation, the fresh and sparkling snow, of hope and magic.” The story revolves around the barren life of a childless couple, Mabel and Jack, who seek isolation in the unfertile landscape of Alaska – both desperate to find peace with each other and with the stillborn death of their son. At first snowfall, they built a snow child with a “bundle of yellow grass for hair.” Jack sculpting “such delicate” facial “features formed by his calloused hands” provided “a glimpse of his longing,” with Mabel squeezing wild cranberry juice on her lips. They fashioned the child they couldn’t produce. Wasn’t it impossible for a child built of snow to become real? Logical thinking says yes, but they found a way to believe – small human footprints led away from the “broken heap of snow” – and they caught glimpses of her at the edge of the forest guarded by a red fox. Over time, the snow child began to trust the couple and would visit Mabel and Jack frequently. Her name was Faina. “You must see it to know what it means – it’s the color of the snow when the sun turns.” It’s called alpenglow, an optical phenomenon, occurring when the Sun is just below the horizon. It’s easiest to see when mountains are illuminated as light reflects off airborne snow, water, or ice particles low in the atmosphere. An enchanted name for a lifelike dream.

Touching every one of the five senses in her descriptions of the characters and the setting, Ms. Ivey said of Mabel:  “All her life she had believed in something more, in the mystery that shape-shifted at the edge of her senses. It was the flutter of moth wings on glass and the promise of river nymphs in dappled creek beds. It was the smell of oak trees on the summer evening she fell in love.” As to the snow child’s eyes, they were “the broken blue of river ice.” And, the wails of a distraught husband desperately searching the land for his wife – you could hear his voice, “sometimes a shout, other times it was a deep, mournful cry…crying into the starless night sky…Faina, Faina, Faina.” You shivered, felt the warmth of the fire on your hands and feet, ached with every muscle used to plant the crops, smelled sourdough bread baking and moose steaks frying, and felt the agony of injury and defeat. Ms. Ivey subtlety gave the reader clues to make the case for either side of fantasy versus reality. No quotation marks set off any conversation with Faina leading us to assume they were dreams and she did not exist. The case for the snow child being a figment of the imagination can be made as strongly as the one favoring the other side. How does a snowflake held in her palm not melt and when she throws her arms in the air, snowflakes rain down; how can a child live in this wilderness and have enough prowess to fend for herself? But what about her dead Papa, a pink baby blanket, and the black and white photograph of a couple, the woman possessing Faina’s features and blond hair. One theory rings true to me. Faina became human long enough to fill a void for Mabel and Jack – to present them with a child – her child – something they couldn’t do for themselves, all the while knowing she couldn’t survive in their world. She returned to the snow, to the woods, and to the animals – as a “fellow inhabitant of the wild.” By doing so, she could continue to look after her adopted family – from just outside the edge of the forest.

Good fiction develops strong characters and plot twists and keeps us turning the pages. Great fiction drops us in another place and time where we can absorb the nuances of style, savor descriptive words, and wonder. When great fiction is patterned after a fairy tale, we are able to pick what to believe. We can choose our ending – “we can choose joy over sorrow.” As one reviewer said, “this fairy tale is like a candle lit on a dark night, providing a brief illumination, but knowing it will have disappeared by morning.” It’s no surprise this debut novel was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

                                                      On the business side:

Books n’ Bloom, the fundraiser for Henderson County Public Library will be held again this year at the Cain Center in Athens, Friday, April 4^th. From our meeting we have a table of 9 secured for Lee McFarlane, Judy Lee, Patty Evans, Beverly Dossett, Melanie Prebis, Kay Robinson, Melba Holt, MN and me.Look for a separate e-mail outlining the details for anyone else who might be interested in attending this event.

Bonnie Magee has volunteered her home to host our regular May meeting in order not to interfere with Charlotte Pechacek’s care for her husband.

We talked about revamping our Christmas party for next year, as “we haven’t got it right yet.” We’re thinking of an evening meeting (yes, you heard me correctly.) Details to follow.

We promised to bring some selections to vote on for our April meeting and as we began unfolding our options, it was pointed out that MN and I had not done a review this year. They took a vote and decided we were to pick the book and do the review. We are flattered and of course agreed to do this. We’ve picked Don’t Let Me Go by Katherine Ryan Hyde and already the wheels are spinning. Thank you for giving us this opportunity! The other books we were going to present are as follows and we urge you to read them also. They may be considerations for the upcoming year as well.

As a recap, the following is the rating system MN and I have assigned to OUR opinions of books we’ve read. Again, this is meant to be a guideline only.

5 Stars:                  Order Now. Expedited shipping worthy. Include in your will.

4 Stars:                  Borders on Little Bee

3 Stars:                  Beach Read

2 Stars:                  Borrow don’t buy

1 Star:                   Put your money back in the piggy bank

Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews, book 1 of 5 in the Dollanganger saga series. At the top of the stairs there are four secrets hidden. Blond, beautiful, innocent, and struggling to stay alive…They were a perfect family, golden and carefree—until a heartbreaking tragedy shattered their happiness. Now, for the sake of an inheritance that will ensure their future, the children must be hidden away out of sight, as if they never existed. (4 +)

The Book of Someday by Dianne Dixon. Olivia's childhood memories are ones of loneliness, fear, and isolation. Kept at home with her uncaring and fanatical stepmother and educated by her moody and unpredictable father, she longed for a normal and loving home. Olivia kept her wishes in a secret journal she called the Book of Someday, an "evolving map" of her heart. (4)

Daughters of our Time by Jennifer Handford is a debut novel about infertility, cancer, and adoption. A couple adopts a child from China – get the hankies. (4 +)

Sycamore Row by John Grisham – his latest bestselling novel written in typical Grisham fashion. If you are a fan, this is a must read. It revisits the characters and setting from A Time to Kill. A handwritten will by a wealthy employer leaves the bulk of his estate to his black maid/caregiver, cutting out completely his children and grandchildren. There’s a great deal of speculation as to why he made this decision, and you do find out in the end. (3+)

The Illegal Gardner by Sara Alexi is different from anything we’ve read so far. It centers on a burgeoning relationship that develops between two people from very different backgrounds and cultures – an English woman living in Greece and a Pakistani illegal immigrant who becomes her gardener and houseboy.

                                         On the recommended reading list:

MN has read: Here, Home, Hope, a debut novel by Kaira Rouda, Women’s literature – good beach read focusing on a 39 year old stay-at-home Mom and former PR professional who finds herself restless and in a rut and decides to make some major changes. (3)

The Language of Secrets by Dianne Dixon. Justin Fisher has a successful career as the manager of a luxury hotel, a lovely wife, and a charming young son. While all signs point to a bright future, Justin can no longer ignore the hole in his life left by his estranged family. When he finally gathers the courage to reconnect with his troubled past, Justin is devastated to learn that his parents have passed away. And a visit to the cemetery brings the greatest shock of all—next to the graves of his father and mother sits a smaller tombstone for a three-year-old boy: a boy named Thomas Justin Fisher. (3.5)

Melba has found another author she likes, Amanda Hughes. MN is in the midst of reading Beyond the Cliffs of Kerry, set in Ireland in 1755, a terrible place ravaged by famine and the brutal occupation of the British. There seems to be no escape. Darcy joins a group of smugglers who trade illegally with the French and when their operation is discovered, she is transported to the English Colonies for servitude.

Finding Emma by Steena Holmes is about a five-year old abducted by an Alzheimer’s patient who sincerely thinks she is her granddaughter. (4).

Disenchanted Widow by Christina McKenna, author of The Misremembered Man takes place in the summer of 1981. Newly widowed Bessie is fleeing Belfast with her young son looking for a fresh start. (3+)

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter, set in 1962 in an Italian coastal town – an innkeeper looks out over the water and spies a mysterious woman approaching him on a boat The story jumps from past to present, involves Hollywood love triangle. Beautiful imagery and scenery. (3)

               COLOR CODING SYSTEM

               WHITE:         LIGHT READ

               PINK:             MODERATELY CHALLENGING

               RED:              CHALLENGING

February 11^th:              The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

                                      RED

                                      Home of Patty Evans

                                      Reviewer: Patty Evans

March 11^th:                 The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

                                      PINK

                                      Home of Marlene Ungarean

                                      Reviewer: Jean McSpadden

April 8^th:                       Don’t Let Me Go by Katherine Ryan Hyde

                                      PINK

                                      Home of Sandy Molander

                                      Reviewers: MN Stanky & JoDee Neathery

May 13^th:                     Wonder by R.J. Palacio regular meeting 10:00 AM

                                      PINK

                                      Home of Bonnie Magee

                                      Reviewer: Jean Alexander

Happy Reading,

JoDee

DECEMBER 2013 BOOKERS MINUTES & MUSINGS, Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger

                            

“When you look back at a life, what you see is a path that weaves in and out of deep shadow.”

Arctic temperatures warmed by the sun’s glare escorted another fictional town, New Bremen, Minnesota and its cast of characters into the home of Jean Alexander for Bookers’ Christmas gathering. 28 arrived to celebrate friendships; toast our fellow book lover personas; and bask in the message of a timely novel about a “grace so ordinary there was no reason at all to remember it.” A miracle happened that day of ordinary grace within the sorrow of a family’s tragedy a simple prayer offered in perfect speech was unexplainable but every word, unforgettable.

As “ordinary,” the Alexander’s home rejoiced in the spirit of Christmas. Many thanks to Bonnie Magee for coordinating our fare, to everyone who contributed, and to reader extraordinaire, Jack Stone, for recognizing a Bookers’ book!

Collectively our hearts go out to all who are suffering through personal illness or that of a loved one. Lois and Charlotte, you and your families are in our thoughts and prayers and we hope Kim Hand is on the road to recovery from her recent surgery.

Melba and a few others grew up in a small town similar to New Bremen where everyone knew your name and your business, where life was simpler and more serene, where the clatter of a train was as common as the jangle from the ice cream truck. It was a time baseball came alive on transistor radios, where swimming holes, grape Nehi, drugstores serving ice-cold root beers, board games, model airplanes, and comic books, were staples of everyday life. The telephone was in the hallway, fried bologna sandwiches and cherry Kool-Aid ruled lunch, and Church served the faithful and provided a sanctuary for grieving. Melba, once again, lent her perspective and intuitiveness to the review and we are all thankful for this effort, but mostly, we are thankful for her!

The sixty-three year old author of Ordinary Grace, William Kent Krueger, writes the popular Cork O’Connor mystery series. His third grade teacher praised his flair for writing and by the age of nineteen, he wanted to be Ernest Hemingway. In the course of researching everything “Papa,” he found a couple of things he wanted to incorporate as his own. “Hemingway never wore underwear,” so he thought if it’s good enough for him, he’d try it. He discovered Hemingway “was made of sterner stuff,” so he went back to his Fruit of the Looms. He was able to emulate his favorite time of day to write – “at first light” – much more doable than the commando look. When the idea for Ordinary Grace came to him, he couldn’t ignore it…he wanted to write something that would allow him to revisit the past – a time that was important in his own life. Much of this book is biographical, which explains the moving account of his protagonist’s life – a boy standing at the door of manhood trying to understand a world that seems to be falling apart around him. He wrote a novel about “discovering the terrible price of wisdom and the enduring grace of God.” His next novel, a sister to this one, is named This Tender Land, set in Black Earth County in 1957, but won’t be out for at least two years. His latest Cork O’Connor novel, Tamarack County, was released in August.

Ordinary Grace, set in the summer of 1961, was a time of innocence and hope for a country with a new young President. For the protagonist, thirteen-year old Frank Drum it was a summer filled with death in many forms – an accident, by nature, a suicide, and a murder. The characters, richly developed and diverse include the Drum family: Frank Drum, the narrator who didn’t believe in the “pearly gates version of heaven.” His father, Nathan, is the Methodist minister and his mother, Ruth, the antithesis of a minister’s wife, is full of deep emotion and drama. She has movie star looks and fancies herself as a world famous author like Ayn Rand. When she sang, “she could make a fence post cry.” His younger brother, red-hair and freckled Jake, stuttered in public, idolized his older brother, and was wiser than his years. Eighteen-year old Ariel, their older sister, was Juilliard bound with enviable talent and adored by her family, especially by Ruth as she saw her own dreams fulfilled in her daughter. The well-healed Brandt family gave us a mix of dysfunction between Emil, a blind and physically scarred musical virtuoso, his younger sister, Lise, born deaf and difficult with fits of rage and tantrums, and nephew Karl, who lived a lie that eventually ended in his death. The minor characters filled out the town with a Native American Indian family with an Irish last name and an uncle on the run, a bosomy blonde neighbor and her husband with marital problems, an abusive husband, a friend and fellow military buddy, a vindictive police officer, a stereotypical bully/bad guy who instilled fear just from his demeanor. The novel touched many themes with a religious thread running throughout. It covered secrets, lies, betrayal, handicaps, financial disparities, bullying, murder, suicide, loyalty of friends, family relationships, brothers loving brothers, homosexuality, grief and hope, truth, and consequences.

Our discussion focused on how this book struck a chord – as if it was a chapter taken out of personal lives; how the author brought to our attention the significance of his phrasings, like “pain dripping on the heart or her fingers shaped the music every bit as magnificently as God shaped the wings of a butterfly.” We talked about the relationship between Nathan and Ruth, how each handled the grief thrust on their family; how Ruth had her dreams killed twice, once when she became a minister’s wife, the other with the death of her daughter. We shared our thoughts on the sermon Nathan delivered for Ariel and how Frank so profoundly awakened by the words because they echoed his own beliefs, prompted him to let his brother know the depth of his feelings for him. We spoke of how we’re all angels to someone in a time of crisis and how deep faith in a power greater than ourselves is essential to reconciling tragedy. The title of the book is so poignant because a miracle arrived in the steady voice of a young man who conquered fear, and a mother returned to her family.

                                       On the Business Side: 

                                       Book Talk

As a recap, the following is the rating system MN and I have assigned to OUR opinions of books we’ve read. Again, this is meant to be a guideline only.

5 Stars:                  Order Now. Expedited shipping worthy. Include in your will.

4 Stars:                  Borders on Little Bee

3 Stars:                  Beach Read

2 Stars:                  Borrow don’t buy

1 Star:                   Put your money back in the piggy bank

We’re still searching for a good read for April. We’ll offer 4 for votes next month. I’ve finished Don’t Let Me Go by Katherine Ryan Hyde and agree with MN’s rating of (4+) – I loved it! The Unexpected Son by Shobhan Bantwal, is set in New Jersey, when one morning a letter arrives from India turning the protagonist’s comfortable world upside down – her illegitimate son, who she believed stillborn, is alive and in need of a bone marrow transplant. As I read, I kept comparing this tale to our January 2008 pick by Thrity Umrigar, The Space Between Us. Both are female Indian authors who transport us to their native land, exploring Indian culture and the disparities of their caste system.The difference I found was in the writing…favoring Umrigar’s style over Bantwal. It’s an easy to read, makes you ask what would I do, is informative, and has a happy ending, although not tied up in a neat package. (3)

MN has read: Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver, set in a small farming community in the Appalachians weaving together three stories of human love within a larger tapestry of lives inhabiting the forested mountains and struggling small farms of southern Appalachia. Not rated because she didn’t finish it; it was too technical for her tastes. Lost Girls by Celina Grace focuses on a ten-year old girl whose best friend disappears and the effect this has on her life. Good story, great characters, recommended reading, (3+) Daughters of our Time by Jennifer Handford, a debut novel about infertility, cancer and adoption…a couple adopts a child from China…grab the hankies. (4.5) Finding Emma by Steena Holmes is about a five-year old who is abducted by an Alzheimer’s patient who sincerely thinks she is her granddaughter…liked it a lot. (4). The sequel, Emma’s Secret gets a (2.)

Others to consider, Beverly Dossett read Disenchanted Widow by Christina McKenna, author of The Misremembered Man takes place in the summer of 1981. Newly widowed Bessie is fleeing Belfast with her young son looking for a fresh start. She gives it a (3+-4.) Kay Robinson has read John Grisham’s latest, Sycamore Row, and really liked it…would be a Bookers’ book in her opinion (4), Pat Conroy’s non-fiction, Death of Santini is on my stack.

                                               Movie Talk

Both Leslie and Cherry have seen The Book Thief and loved it.

                                           COLOR CODING SYSTEM:

WHITE:         LIGHT READ

PINK:             MODERATELY CHALLENGING

RED:              CHALLENGING

January 7^th 2014        The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

Note earlier date         PINK

                                    Home of Beverly Dossett

                                    Reviewer: Melanie Prebis

February 11^th:              The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

                                    RED

                                    Home of Patty Evans

                                    Reviewer: Patty Evans

March 11^th:                  The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

                                    PINK

                                    Home of Marlene Ungarean

                                    Reviewer: Jean McSpadden

April 8^th:                      Book TBA

                                    Home of Sandy Molander

May 13^th:                     Wonder by R.J. Palacio regular meeting 10:00 AM

                                    PINK

                                    Home of Charlotte Pechacek 

                                    Reviewer: Jean Alexander

Amid the darkness, we must remember, “the foundations of eternity are the gifts of faith, hope, and love.” We have control over them and they cannot be taken back. “It is we who choose to discard them.”

Happy Holidays & Happy Reading

JoDee