APRIL 2023 BOOKERS MINUTES & MUSINGS, The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

 

Books give us a world of words where life and literature connect.

17 Bookers descended on the home of Debbie Yarger, who not only hosted our evening “wine and cheese” meeting but led the review and discussion of this month’s novel. Many thanks once again to our food and beverage czar, Bonnie Magee, for coordinating our hearty fare and to those who volunteered to bring all the yummy treats!

Bookers have always been committed to our members and often reach out with expressions of support when one is dealing with turmoil. Sometimes we are not aware of these inner struggles, but it is unforgivable to underestimate the pain of one person. To those in need – and you know who you are – we hope your strength of spirit feeds your mind with our love. Please know you all are in our hearts and prayers and don’t hesitate to let us know if there is anything we can do to help.   

The Personal Librarian is a work of historical fiction based on the life of Belle da Costa Greene, a Black woman who passed as white with her assumed identity allowing her to rise in the world of rare art and book collections at twenty-three-years old, becoming the personal librarian to seventy-five-year-old Wall Street icon and philanderer, J.P. Morgan. The novel traces the price she paid for her choice, quickly learning that being white does not eliminate the prejudices against women working in a male-dominated field. Her observation skills detected how women used flirtation as social currency quickly implementing that tactic in her everyday life as the best way to avoid questions about her identity.

Heather Benedict Terrell has written seven novels under Heather Terrell and eleven under the pen name of Marie Benedict, which she prefers. She grew up and still resides in the Pittsburgh area with her husband and two children. She first discovered Belle while working as a commercial litigator in New York City when a library docent at the Pierpont Morgan Library shared her story. For decades the question lingered, “What was it like for Belle to live as a white woman?” She recognized she could not write this story alone, reaching out to contemporary writer Victoria Christopher Murray to collaborate – creating an instant friendship and sisterhood while creating Belle’s story. A new release, First Ladies, will drop June 2023, continuing their writing prowess.

Debbie provided a visual timeline of Belle’s life along with a detailed accounting of her relationships with her family; the lengths her mother went to solidify her daughter’s success in the business world and the pressure she endured as the family’s breadwinner; her loving then strained relationship with her father; her ability to learn on the fly executing high-dollar transactions without hesitation in order to acquire what her boss desired; the unwavering trust Mr. Morgan had in Belle, though sometimes laced with “romantic” innuendos from him and how their relationship changed into possessive and over-bearing with him stating “you are mine and I own you;” how her naivety was on full display with her relationship and consequential pregnancy with art critic, Bernard Berenson, and their involvement throughout the remainder of her life; Belle’s heartbreak at the death of Mr. Morgan, her inheritance of $50,000.00 from his estate, and her continuation of her legacy as the most successful woman in the world; her confession of her true identity at the tomb of Mr. Morgan ten years later; her successful efforts to make J.P. Morgan’s library accessible to all by converting it into a public institution; and finally destroying all of her personal history in an effort not to blacken her legacy – she had lived most of her life as a mystery and wanted to end her life as a mystery as well.

The Morgan Library will celebrate its centennial as a public institution in 2024 and Belle da Costa Greene will once again be front and center as the personal librarian who was critical to the Morgan’s success.

Our discussion:

The novel was filled with fancy parties with the upper crust of society wearing flashy gowns. While cleaning out my mother-in-law’s house after she passed, I discovered a vintage gown hanging in a wardrobe. She and Jim were a hard-working middle-class family trying to make ends meet who retired at their lake home on Cedar Creek Lake. The dress was so unique to the person I had known for decades, I had to investigate. As it turns out the label, Morton Myles, was a New York designer who gained instant recognition in 1961 when Jacqueline Kennedy appeared on the cover of Look Magazine in his blue sleeveless dress for a family photo with the President, Caroline, and newborn, John-John. He maintained offices on 7^th Avenue in New York until retiring in 1994. As it hung above Debbie and me, one could only imagine the story attached to this beautiful dress – mystery unsolved.

The majority liked/loved this story with one saying she would have liked it better if had been 200 pages shorter as technical details got in the way of the story. We applauded Belle the woman and not just as a Black woman but her resourcefulness, lack of intimidation, and success in that era and how imperative Victoria’s input was to the voice of Belle. Although in one biography of J.P. Morgan, Belle was identified as “colored” on her birth certificate, the authors did a skillful job of filling in the blanks of her life in a believable narrative detailing the interactions of all the characters as they related in various ways to each other. We marveled at how a seventeen-year-old Black girl could put those years behind her and assume the role of a white woman. We talked about Belle’s amazing lack of knowledge as to how babies were made citing a chastity belt might have been an appropriate apparatus in her case. Belle’s mother, Genevieve, sacrificed her marriage to launch a masquerade that would continue throughout Belle’s life by registering her as white, certain her daughter’s life would be easier because of it while her father, Richard, was disappointed in Belle for not embracing her heritage. We wondered how a man like J.P. Morgan could put his undivided trust in this young woman, although she had proved herself to be one smart cookie while working at Princeton University Library where she became acquainted with J.P.’s nephew. Some Bookers had read and enjoyed other works by Benedict who champions strong women who have left legacies but often as readers we are not aware of who to be beholden to. Ghosts in the closet and secret lives littered this novel, but did you know Charles Lindbergh had three separate families who knew nothing about each other; Charles Dickens often talked in a language he invented; and Alexander Graham Bell believed deaf people were a threat to the human gene pool…and no the “bot” didn’t supply this information! We talked about Bernard as handsome but a user and whether he really did love Belle or was just using his “resources” to solidify a relationship with this impressionable young woman. We all expressed an interest in visiting the Morgan library and learned about the Isabella Stewart Museum in Boston where Bernard was the art curator. In Isabella’s will she stipulated that nothing in the galleries should be changed – no items be acquired or sold. A painting was stolen and there is a blank space where it originally hung. We “noodled” whether Belle’s attraction to “older” men might be tied to a search for approval, maybe a father figure since her own was not in her life. A published Kirkus Review pronounced the novel, “exposition-laden…dialogue is stilted…strangely stuffy and muted.” We disagreed. The answer to whether today’s Blacks desire to be white was a resounding, no way. We concluded with funny stories of visiting the Big Apple.

On the business side:

Last month we discussed the new artificial intelligence bot, ChatGPT which can be used to write poetry, code, essays, etc…(https://chat.openai.com) jokingly suggesting we might have found a permanent reviewer for our selections. I entered this novel and within seconds “it” rewarded the inquirer with a recap of the story and what readers thought. I also asked “it” for a conversation between an older man and his younger lover to which “it” apologized for not being able to generate inappropriate or offensive content – maintaining ethical standards and respect for all individuals. Is everything on the Internet true? “It” spit out, the first woman President of the United States, Hillary Rodham Clinton, served as the 45^th President of the United States from January 20, 2017, to January 20, 2025. Asked and answered – but far from reality.

Bookish news – they exceeded their goal raising funds to supply Malakoff Elementary school’s new book vending machine. April 29^th is their 3^rd anniversary and will be celebrating with children’s storytime @ 11, bounce house, and free snow cones for the kids attending. From 7:00-9:00 p.m. a grown-up book fair will be held across the street @ The Chalk Lounge with shopping, live music, and literary-themed cocktails available.

The annual Cedar Creek Lake Festival will be held April 22^nd at Cedar Creek Brewery, 336 East Cedar Creek Parkway, Seven Points, Tx. 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Free admission and food and beverage stations will be provided by the Brewery; 40 local vendors; raffle drawings and all profits will be donated to local charities. Both Patsy and I will be peddling our wares.

Stay tuned for John Grisham’s sequel to The Firm, The Exchange to be released in October.

“Changing your name is easy. Changing your soul is impossible.”

Happy Reading,

JoDee

MARCH 2023 BOOKERS MINUTES & MUSINGS, Flight Patterns by Karen White

 

“Sometimes all we need to do to forgive our parents is to understand their own childhoods.” 

This quote delivered the moral of the story as shared by Amy Hoff. 

15 Bookers buzzed down to the home of Kittie Minick which was blooming with beautiful floral arrangements created by Dogwood Designs in Caney City. (https://ddfloralco.com) Jane Shaw insightfully led the review and discussion of this month’s selection and in keeping with the theme of the novel she brought honey straws and a jar of lavender honey – the lucky number drawn and awarded to seat number 12. The coffee table was adorned with a selection of teacups – one of which was Haviland & Co. France Limoges – each with a family history attached to the treasures.

We welcomed Joylene Miller back to the fold, sent our healing thoughts to Virginia Gandy who is home recovering from a fall, and wished Kellie Brisse success with her radioactive iodine treatment for her thyroid cancer. And, unfortunately, our walking/talking queen of surgeries, Ann Ireland, will be undergoing hip replacement surgery, but we know she’ll be up and around in record time if the past repeats itself.

Book Summary:

We are introduced to Georgia Chambers who has spent her life sifting through other people’s pasts while trying to forget her own. But then her work as an expert on fine China – especially Limoges – requires her to return to the one place she swore she’d never revisit – her family home in Apalachicola Florida. It had been ten years since she left her estranged mother, sister, and beloved grandfather, the beekeeper, who was still toiling away in the apiary where she spent much of her childhood. Being thrown into this family dynamic once again forced her to realize she needed to find a way to heal the rifts that caused her to flee and find the courage to confront the ghosts of her past and the secrets she was forced to keep. As in our own lives we must remember there is a fine line between love and hate but it can be crossed with forgiveness.

About the Author, China & Honeybees

She professes the need to include one of her personal passions in each of her books. Selecting China is a rite of passage in the South. At age twelve she chose her pattern beginning the love affair with these delicate treasures. Her first job after college further fueled this obsession as the department manager of the China, crystal, and silver area becoming so proficient she could identify a manufacturer just by looking at the shape of a teacup. China tells a story of family history and is something you can hold in your hand and pass along to the next generation. The bee “theme” evolved through research discovering honeybees’ bodies are too big and their wings too small to fly…but they do anyway. Worker bees (all female) can fly within a five-mile radius of their hive and always find their way back home. And in order to protect their hive from a wasp, they will flutter their wings to get the temperature inside the hive to a specific degree – hot enough to kill the wasp – but one degree higher will kill the bees. Simply one example of divine creation on display. Flight Patterns is about homecoming, finding one’s way, and what people will do to protect what they love…just like honeybees.

Although she never lived in the South, many visits were made to the area and it’s the voices of her aunts, cousins, and maternal grandmother she hears when she creates strong female characters. Karen does not pre-plan or pre-write but does spend a lot of time on setting and internal and external conflicts of the primary characters before sitting down to write. “I write books like I read them…without knowing how they end.” Her writing style is described as “driving in a fog with the headlights on…seeing a little bit in front of her but not the whole road” and her endings are usually as much a surprise to her as they are to the readers. A twist comes about halfway through, and she spends the rest of the book trying to figure out how to make that happen admitting this is not the easiest way to write, but it’s how it works for her.

When asked how she’d like to see her characters in ten years, her answer was happy. “By the end of the book, I want those damaged and flawed characters to have changed, to have learned, to have grown and are better off mentally, physically, and/or spiritually – they’ve achieved what it takes to lead happy lives.”

The “bee quotes,” the narrative voices, & the prologue

Each chapter begins with a “bee” quote which sets the stage for what the chapter is about (called an organizing principle), which shows the very structured and predictable world of bees and offers insight into the personalities of the characters none more telling than Chapter 31: Birdie “The queen bee is the only bee in the hive that does not have a barbed stinger. This means she can repeatedly sting, like a wasp.” Perfect analogy for her – no apologies, no explanation.

The author used first-person narrative for both Georgia and Birdie which offers intimacy between the narrator and the reader, but the limitations are one character is the sole narrator and the reader bases their understanding of what is described only through this character’s perspective, experiences, and feelings. Maisy’s character is told in third-person which offers the potential of objectivity and omniscient or an all-knowing point of view. She has access to all aspects of the story including each character’s knowledge, thoughts, feelings, actions, and backstory.

The prologue sets the stage for the rest of the story introducing Giles Mouton and his daughter Colette and if we were paying attention, it introduced the gift of China as a wedding present from the “chateau” to his grandparents for their years of service. Giles handed a postcard with an image of a white sanded beach to Madame Bosco when he was forced to hand over his daughter to her with the name and address of “his friend” saying if “I can’t find you, I’ll go to him.” At the end of the book, the prologue made sense. The epilogue gives us more information on why the “bee theme” worked. They mirrored relationships, families, protection, vulnerability, exploration of how pride and resentment could poison a relationship between sisters as surely as bee venom could stop a person from breathing.

In many cultures, bees represent the human soul and its journey on Earth…it’s an emblem of rebirth and is associated with determination and willpower and tied up the story in a feel-good-type of ending.

Our discussion:

This novel might be one of the few that appealed to everyone who read it fostering very lively conversation and personal stories. Even those who could not be at the meeting made a point of sharing their praise. 99% of Bookers’ success hinges on the conversations that we enjoy – kudos to our committee for their guidance. 

The Characters – all flawed just like all of us….

Jane shared this quote that summed up the nuances of this novel and most people’s lives to a tee: “Life is not perfect. Life is messy. Relationships are complex, Outcomes are uncertain. People are irrational.”

China, the bees, and Tupelo and Lavender honey became supporting characters. China is delicate and can be broken, but if expertly repaired, can be difficult to detect the flaw – much like relationships and buried secrets. The Havilands were Americans who built China factories in Limoges’s area of France because of the fine white kaolin clay used to make brilliant, durable white porcelain. Each bee has a specific role where nothing is left to chance sacrificing everything to protect their hive and the queen. The fields of lavender in France and the lavender honey tied Giles to Ned defining a major plot point. We knew it was significant, but the reveal was slow developing. Tupelo honey is one of the rarest in the world, prized for buttery sweetness with hints of cinnamon and fresh flowers only sourced in two places in the United States – Apalachicola River basin where beekeepers often must place the hives on platforms or floats above the murky water – and in a wildlife refuge along the Georgia-Florida border. When the white tupelo tree is in full bloom – only ten days out of the year – the bees work extra hard knowing their time is limited – the life span of worker bees during that period is as short as twenty-one days – they wear out their wings and die. “Tupelo Honey” also gained popularity after Northern Ireland singer/songwriter, Van Morrison, released a hit record as a tribute to domestic happiness.

The characters were well developed, loved, flawed, all struggling with families and relationships which made us investigate our own families and wonder at times how in the world did I land in this group full of “crazy” people? White’s characters were all emotionally charged encouraging readers to care, to worry about their predicaments, and hope by peeling back the layers, they would learn what drove them to be the way they were.

Georgia was broken, ashamed, afraid of relationships and of being happy, terrified of her sister’s judgmental attitude and not knowing how to mend the rift between them. She dealt with inanimate objects rather than focusing on her own life using sarcasm as her tool to cover up her inability to face any responsibility for her actions. Returning home after a ten-year absence was “like seeing a photo album full of blank pages.”

Maisy was a “red-hot-mess” – so unlikable, judgmental, angry, and feared letting anyone close even her husband who adored her from the first minute he laid eyes on her.  She claimed no culpability for any of her actions as it was easier to blame her sister for everything unpleasant in her life. 

Birdie was the ultimate definition of a “character.” Readers could visualize her flitting through life dressed to the nines, makeup and fresh lipstick always immaculately displayed while starring in her own movie despite being disconnected, non-verbal, and seemingly catatonic most of the time. She was the mother of two who spent some time in and out of mental institutions so her daughters were void of nurturing instead assuming the role of a mother figure taking responsibility for the lives of the other family members. Georgia used to describe her as if “she fell into motherhood like some people slip off a curb and into a mud puddle except she couldn’t figure out how she got there or how to get the mud off.”

James Graf seemed a “normal” character in the beginning, but as we learn he carried layers of grief, most recently the death of his wife, but that was the tip of the iceberg, his most painful – betrayal.  He too needed help to keep moving and sooner or later had to find a place to land. We knew he was going to be a “saving grace” character but he was also the recipient of it as well.

Becky was a fascinating, sweet, sensitive, damaged nine-year-old with wisdom beyond her years. Her home life was far from ideal but at times she was the only adult in the room and was a calming force for Birdie. She also carried a secret, suffered bullying by the “mean” girls at school, but through it all elevated the meaning of family above everything else thrown her way. 

Giles was Birdie’s (Colette) biological father who followed up on his promise to find her and it cost him his life. He was a hero in France hiding Jews as the Germans marched into the country until he feared his identity was in jeopardy.

Grandpa Ned Bloodworth: The secrets he kept all those years ruined lives. How much guilt do we assign at the end of the book? On Birdie’s breakdown, he knew but did nothing. He hid the fact he couldn’t have children saying repeatedly to Giles when he returned for Birdie, “You can’t take her from my wife.” Instead, they took the life of a man who threatened their existence…but was he really well enough to take Birdie away? Another plan seemed to be presented to Ned, but they chose murder and buried his body and their secret under water.  Ned is the one who sent Giles’ name to be recognized and honored for what he did during WWII. Does that excuse his role in his death?

We discussed how long it took us to suspect Becky was Georgia’s daughter with Maisy’s anger at seeing them together tipping those scales. Georgia’s refusal to own a cell phone was a signal she wanted to remain in her own world and not be bothered by any outside distractions that cause anxiety… and maybe deep down feared if she did have one, she might hope her family would make the first effort at reconciliation, but if she didn’t have one, she couldn’t be disappointed.  Once she acquiesced at the begging from Becky, her worse fears were realized, it rang all the time. Our favorite character we might set out our best China and crystal for was James – hard to argue with a character that could grace the cover of Gentlemen’s Quarterly. We talked about how not to “get a bee in one’s bonnet” or any other part of our anatomy by remaining calm and still with one Booker confessing she no longer will wear a flowery bathing suit as a bee stung her in the hip perhaps on its way to some nectar. There were many references to flight patterns throughout the book comparing bees to people. Bees never did anything haphazardly dancing in the same way every time and their patterns always led them back to their hive…just like siblings to the nest. Families tend to interact in the same way and if our pattern falls apart, we struggle to figure out what happened unfortunately leading to “forced” separations or silence. Jane referenced a scene in the novel that could have prompted a change in Maisy’s flight pattern. She was eavesdropping on a conversation between Georgia and Becky – the dialogue turning to Georgia’s schooldays when Becky asked if she had a best friend. Georgia said she didn’t need one…she had a sister. Maisy could have made this a moment…taking the first needed step, to acknowledge that Georgia was not solely responsible for her young daughter’s drowning…there were a number of adults there…but instead of stepping into the room, she bolted. In order for Georgia to adopt a new flight pattern, she had to change but everyone around her would have to change with her. None of that would have happened without James.

We discussed the paperback cover which was the only issue I had with the book. It made no sense and looked like a beach read…maybe that was by design to attract those readers to the novel…but the hardback copy featured a beehive. We talked about Ned killing his bees – the same bees he had devoted a lifetime to caring for…his intent was to destroy his journal and the bees were a part of that process. Was Becky mature enough to know the truth about her birth and should she have been told? In hindsight it would have been a moot point as she had already discovered the truth but we thought she was old enough to handle the news. We emphasized the importance of leaving our stories for our children and grands.

On the Business Side:

Our favorite local bookstore, Bookish, is partnering with a local church to collect items for their Building Better Kids program. If you bring 2 or more of the following items (shampoo, conditioner, soap, body wash, deodorant, razors, toothbrush, toothpaste, mouth wash, feminine hygiene products, hairbrushes, shave cream) on March 18^th you’ll receive 50% off one item at Bookish.

They are also raising funds to stock a book vending machine at Malakoff Elementary. They’ll be using this as a reward program. Students will earn tokens at the vending machine to “purchase” a brand new book to keep. They’re hoping to raise $700 to purchase all new books at their cost to stock the machine. Donations are tax deductible and available through this link: https://square.link/u/FQYthwm3?src=sms   

Bookers annual Wine & Cheese evening meeting is slated for April 11^th 6:00 p.m. at the home of Debbie Yarger. As in the past, this is a BYOB event and Bonnie Magee will again be coordinating our “hearty fare” for the evening. Please respond to her email on what you would like to bring.

Books in Bloom, Friday, April 28^th, 11:00 a.m. (conflict with PWC overnight trip)

Again it’s at the Athens First Methodist Church Activities Bldg. benefiting Henderson County Clint W. Murchison Memorial Library. Award-winning children’s author and former theater critic for DMN, Nancy Churnin, will be featured. She’s authored 12 picture-book biographies with 6 more due this year including chapter books and board books. She writes about people who have made the world a better place and inspire children to be heroes and heroines. Luncheon will be catered by Smoky B Barbecue. The table theme is an atmosphere of a spring garden and they’ve added a contest this year – best overall, most unique, and best theme. Tables of 8 are $500.00. Individuals at no-host tables $65.00 each. IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED, PLEASE LET ME KNOW ASAP AND I’LL RESERVE A PWC BOOKERS TABLE.

Patsy Dehn announced Bible Study @ 9:30 a.m. at the home of Ann Marie Briggs, Thursday, March 16^th. There will be a study guide and video to accompany He Speaks to Me by Priscilla Shirer. Please call Patsy if you need additional information. 214-478-5135

There’s a new artificial intelligence bot, ChatGPT which can be used to write poetry, code, essays, etc…(https://chat.openai.com) We use this technology everyday with Apple ID face recognition, Siri, and Alexa but this one is more specific as it’s a large language model – predicting the next word on a large scale with a huge vocabulary. I tried it typing in “conversation between a serial killer and the parole board” and in less than 30 seconds it delivered a believable dialogue between the two parties. Incredible and scary. Try it out if you are curious as to what this technology can do. Seems there could be copyright or plagiarism issues lurking if what they generate is used in a publication, but that question is still to be determined. One would hate to be staring down a “bot” or robot using an automated software program that spits out answers faster and more accurate than any human is capable of.

In April we'll be discussing Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray and our final meeting for year 19 will be in May with a discussion of Horse by Geraldine Brooks. Our summer read is Cloud Cuckoo Land, Anthony Doerr and we'll resume meeting in September.

Anyone who thinks they are too small to make a difference hasn’t met a honeybee. 

Happy Reading,

JoDee