“No one saves us but
ourselves. No one can, and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.” Buddha
21 Bookers met at the home of Daryl
Daniels to discuss Kristin Hannah’s latest novel, recently voted as Goodreads Best Historical Fiction winner
with Patty Evans leading the discussion, offering insight into why this
selection was not high on her list of favorites. The majority of the group read
and enjoyed the novel, but Patty felt it was disjointed – two books inside the
cover of one…a travel book offering a spectacular view of Alaska while the
other focused on a disturbing look at a family in crisis. She felt the character
development lacked depth, with some stereotypical profiles, with parts in need
of tighter editing to eliminate repetition. The author’s insertion of her
“head” into the narrative with parenthesis like, “Leni got out of the plane
carefully (nothing was more dangerous up here than getting wet in the winter.)”
(My pet peeve also– this is me inserting my “head” into this commentary.) By
Patty relaying her honest opinion of the novel, we learn how to positively
report on literature that might not be “our cup of tea” and the role of
constructive criticism in the review process. And on a side note, we couldn’t
recall the literary device the author used in the beginning of the book, a
quote by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, “Nature
never deceives us; it is always we who deceive ourselves.” It is an epigraph, often used as a preface or a
hint as to the underlying premise of the book…encouraging the reader to
remember the words as they read. Thank you, Patty…well done!
Having said this, we had a lively
discussion covering a variety of subjects – the Vietnam War, PTSD, Hannah’s
textbook use of battered women’s syndrome, favorite characters, how secrets are
kept both inside and outside the family dynamic, the turbulent world of America
in the 1970’s with political unrest, kidnappings and plane hijackings fostering
some to seek isolation as an answer to the issues, the lack of support for
victims of physical and/or mental abuse, the Romeo-and-Juliet aspect of first
love with the sweet, childlike innocence between Matthew and Leni, whether we
saw Cora’s explosive act of protection coming when she killed Ernt, Cora’s
confessional being the only thing she could give her daughter that would change
her life, and Leni’s naivety being coerced into revealing her role in the
crime, whether or not we would consider Cora a “good” mother, and Large Marge
saying to Leni, “Your mother was a kite string. Without her strong, steady hold
on you, you might just float away, be somewhere among the clouds.” Part of the
book was a mother-daughter love story…only this one with a broken spine. The
ending of the novel put a smile on your face as we saw a life completed, hope
after all the endured pain, a family united and a young boy learning of
strength and the power of love from both his parents. It might have been
predictable and somewhat Polly-anna, but who doesn’t need a reason to think
good things can happen, even in the worst conditions.
The art of storytelling consists of a
simple formula, you have a who, a what and a why not scenario as the
protagonist who is the leading
character making key decisions and
experiencing the consequences of those decisions. Enter the antagonist whose
job it is to prevent the protagonist
from achieving the goals. The State of Alaska played both roles and to me was
the most powerful character in the novel. Alaska was the who and the what
dangling hope for a “new” beginning in front of the Allbright family. The why not…the starkness of an untamed
wilderness with its frigid temperatures, isolation, sunlit and dark days represented
the literal meaning of the title, but the metaphorical implications dwelled in
the lives of Leni, Cora, and even Ernt – all alone inside their own family. They
didn’t enjoy the grandeur of being alone – often referred to as solitude, only
the pain of being alone. Alaska won on all fronts.
On the business side:
Sheri Green sent a lovely note of thanks
to all who contributed to her “surprise tin” and sent big hugs our way for the
cards, sweets, words of encouragement, and most importantly, prayers. Please
continue to keep Sheri and her family in your thoughts as she seeks treatment
at MD Anderson in Houston.
Bookers’ selection committee has been
reading…and reading…and reading in search of a selection for us to spend the
summer enjoying. They all agreed Markus Zusak’s latest novel, Bridge
of Clay, although good, was hard to follow. We discussed Ken Follett’s,
The
Pillars of the Earth, which Bookers selected September 2009, and those
who had previously read it commented they would like to read it again…so ta
da…we have a weighty tome to keep us entertained during our break. Thanks to
Pat, Katherine, and Melanie for all they’ve done for us!!
Our relocated Bookers’ friend and
thespian, Bernie Crudden, reported loving their new life in “the city” and
their residences have three book clubs…one of which is “Bookers-like.” She
highly recommends Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman, as they
had a very lively and interesting discussion about the book. Donna Walter
thought Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty a very interesting and
complex read. I’m into The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by
Robert Dugoni. The Dauphin Island book club read The Curious Incident of the Dog
in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, and MN is reading True
Places by Sonja Yoerg.
The annual fundraiser for the Clint W.
Murchison Library in Athens, Books in
Bloom, is scheduled for Friday, April 12, 2019 featuring author, Sarah
Bird…our April Bookers’ author! Bookers has reserved a table of 8 ($50.00 per
person) every year and we hope to be able to do so again this year although so
many of us are on the PWC overnight trip to Austin during this time. Beverly
Dossett and Katherine Maxwell-McDonald are spearheading the effort on behalf of
the PWC and Bookers. Please connect with one of these ladies if you are
interested in joining them.
We strive for consistency on the regular
Bookers’ dates on the second Tuesday of the month, but sometimes life happens,
and change is unavoidable. Many thanks to the reviewers and home hosts for
adjusting our February and March meeting dates to a week earlier to accommodate
my conflicts…I am honored and excited to be addressing the American Business
Women’s Association in Corsicana on February 12th and the Cedar Creek Literary
Club on March 12th.
COLOR CODING SYSTEM
WHITE: LIGHT READ
PINK: MODERATELY
CHALLENGING
RED: CHALLENGING
February 5: The Cottingley Secret by
Hazel Gaynor – Note change of date
Set in 1917 England and based on a true story,
two young cousins somehow convince the world that the magic exists.
PALE
PINK
Discussion
Leader: Daryl Daniels
Home
of Beverly Dossett
March 5: Stormy Weather by
Paulette Jiles – Note change of date
Set in East Texas
during the depression, a story of hardship, sacrifice, and strength.
PINK
Discussion
Leader: Ann Ireland
Home of Jean Alexander
April 9: Daughter
of a Daughter of a Queen, Sarah Bird
A forgotten part of history detailing the hidden
story of Cathy Williams, a former slave and the only woman to ever serve with
the legendary Buffalo Soldiers.
PINKISH RED
Discussion
Leader: TBD
Home of
Aulsine DeLoach
May 14: Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens
Set in the 1950’s in very rural North Carolina
revolving around a young woman named Kya Clark – celebrating strength through
tragedy and the resourcefulness of a child left to fend for herself in the
swamp.
PINK
Discussion Leader: Jean Alexander
Evening Wine & Cheese Meeting at the home of Melanie Prebis
Summer Read: The
Pillars of the Earth, Ken
Follett
Happy Reading,
JoDee
