October Book Club Meeting Notes

Betty, Janet, Alice, Mary Ann, Carole, Robin, and Dianne met for October's discussion of Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline, which Kathleen hosted. Everyone liked this book, so we started with a round-the-table sharing of reasons why. Betty liked the feel-good fairytale aspect of the story, and how it was a coming-of-age story not just for Molly, but for Vivian. Mary Ann particularly liked Molly's part of the story. Robin was struck by the theme of how what we go through makes us who we are, and the emphasis Kline placed on happiness as a choice. Janet enjoyed the differing points-of-view and how the stories intertwined, as well as the sense of place (the Maine setting); she also liked learning about the historical background of the orphan trains. Alice mentioned meeting a man once who said he was an orphan, but what he meant was that his family couldn't afford to raise him, and placed him in an orphanage. Carole wondered why all these orphans were being shipped west when at the same time, whole families affected by the Dust Bowl were managing to stay together to migrate further west. Everyone was rather taken aback by how so many of the children were just sent off to new families without anyone following up very closely, and Janet pointed out that even the best intentions can wind up very twisted. Dianne reminded us that the state of Maine had an unfortunate history of doing something very similar with Native American children, who until very recently were often taken away from their families and placed with white foster families on flimsy pretexts.

Kathleen posed the question of whether the book would have been stronger if Kline had just told Vivian's story, without moving back and forth through time. Robin felt that Molly was needed as the catalyst to help Vivian confront her past and bring her back to the land of the living, and Janet said that by including the present-day story, we are reminded that as a society we have not solved all of our problems. Then we had a bit of a discussion about the big secrets that Vivian keeps; why didn't she share them earlier in her life? Everyone felt it was a part of the time period (some things just weren't talked about), as well as an indication of Vivian's problems with trust. Janet wondered if perhaps we don't keep enough secrets now, and there was strong feeling that maybe we don't!

Reasons I Love My Job #1

A Conversation at Storytime

(Me) Emma, do you have any brothers or sisters?

(Emma) Yes.

(Me) What are their names?

(Emma) something something and Sarah.

(Me) Sarah. Is she your big sister?

(Emma) Yes.

(Me) How old is she?

(Emma) Three.

(Me) But you're three!

(Emma) She's three too.

(Emma's Grandmother) Emma, Sarah is seven. You are three.

(Me) Do you have any other brothers and sisters?

(Emma) Yes. Solobono.

(Me) Solobono? (Look questioningly at grandmother.) Is he three, too?

(Emma, laughing) No! He's  my baby brother!

(Grandmother) Is he imaginary?

(Emma) Yes.

One-Paragraph Reviews (July/August)

The Outsmarting of Criminals by Steven Rigolosi

A delightful, "cozy" mystery that also pokes gentle fun at...well... delightful, "cozy" mysteries! After being mugged in her lifelong hometown, New York City, Miss Felicity Prim decides the time has come for a career change and new home. After taking a course on criminology, she settles on the career (you guessed it, outsmarting criminals), and chooses to relocate to a rose-strewn Tudor in a quaint little village, not too far from Manhattan. A dead body, quirky characters, and new love interest follow in short order.

The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro

Since graduating from her MFA program, Claire Roth’s promising art career has been brought to a standstill due to her association with a scandal, and she has had to support herself by painting copies of masterpieces for “reproductions.com”. When powerful gallery owner Aiden Markel approaches Claire with the opportunity for a one-woman show at his gallery in exchange for some work that is not quite on the up-and-up, she suppresses her misgivings and jumps at the chance. Loosely based on the real-life 1990 heist at the Isabella Stewart Gardiner Museum, this is a sure bet for anyone interested in the processes of creating art.

Counting by Sevens by Holly Goldberg Sloan (Young Adult)

After tragedy strikes, Willow, an adopted girl with an amazingly high IQ, an intense interest in science, and difficulty relating to her peers, withdraws even further into her shell. A family with problems of their own assume responsibility for her, and discover a way to make a better life for themselves in the process. You will cheer at the end!

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart (Young Adult)

A privileged family retreats each summer to a private island off the coast of Cape Cod, where the patriarch built 3 homes for each of his daughters and their families. The story, narrated by granddaughter Cadence, involves a catastrophic event whose memory she has suppressed, but which gradually surfaces over the course of the following summer.  Elements of King Lear and fairy tales are woven through this compelling and heartbreaking book.

Still Life With Breadcrumbs by Anna Quindlen

A world-famous photographer comes to terms with her dysfunctional past and finds new inspiration for her work when forced by economic necessity to sublet her tony Manhattan apartment and rent a cottage in the country. Top-notch women's fiction.

The Headmaster's Wife by Thomas Christopher Greene

The headmaster of a prestigious prep school is found wandering naked and disoriented through New York's Central Park, claiming he harmed a student. The story is told from several points of view, and the reader must decide which is the most reliable narrator.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

A blind French girl is trapped in a house with a German soldier who believes her to be in possession of a priceless diamond during WWII's siege of Saint-Malo. The narration goes back and forth to give us the backstory of all the characters, which takes a little getting used to; once you have adjusted, however, you will fly through this beautiful tale that--despite all the bad things that happen (it is WWII, after all)--is full of joy.

The Accident by Chris Pavone
This fast-paced thriller will have you on the edge of your seat, trying to follow--or even stay one step ahead of-- the twisting plot. An anonymous biographer has gone into hiding in order to reveal an event in a media king's past so shocking that he is willing to kill to keep it a secret.

The Vacationers by Emma Straub
The Post family takes stock of their lives during a Mallorcan vacation with close friends. Entertaining and witty, with lots of atmosphere.

One-Paragraph Reviews (March/April)

North of Boston by Elisabeth Elo
In this unlikely thriller, Pirio Kasparov, perfume heiress, accompanies a friend--the ex-husband of her best friend--on his lobster boat, which is rammed by a freighter under cover of fog. Why? Best not to ask too many questions! An enjoyable read, especially for beach season, when you don't feel like asking those difficult questions...

*The Hired Man by Aminatta Forna
Duro Kolak has resided in the sleepy little Croatian town of Gost all his life. One day, he sees something unexpected--a strange car at a house that carries a lot of memories for Duro and the rest of the town. Duro befriends the new residents, an English family hoping to make the house their vacation home, but others in the town are not as welcoming, and indeed may be harboring some dark secrets.

*The Silver Star by Jeannette Walls
Bean and Liz are used to having to fend for themselves--their singer/songwriter mother doesn't do motherhood very well. When she decides she needs to take some time on her own to "find herself", the girls take it in stride until the day they discover someone has "ratted them out" and called the police; to avoid being taken into protective custody, the girls travel on their own to their mother's estranged family in Virginia. Bad things happen, but also much that is good in this sweet coming-of-age novel.

*The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
In Jewish tradition, a golem is a clay figure that may be brought to life to do the bidding of a master; a jinni (genie) is a similar mythological figure in Eastern tradition. The two come to life in the Mideast, and then come together in nineteenth-century New York in this magical, compelling, very different first novel.

*Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger
Krueger is best known as a mystery writer, and there is certainly an element of that in this beautifully told story of a minister's son and his family. Tragedy befalls them one hot Midwestern summer, widening the cracks in the family's foundation; the central question of whether their faith will carry them through will compel you to keep turning the pages.

*Benediction by Kent Haruf
The tender portrait of the last days of a dying hardware store owner in a small Colorado town, and a wonderfully crafted tale of the inter-dependent relationships forged by small-town living and the last reckonings brought on by a terminal illness.

*The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope by Rhonda Riley
Another very different first novel, this time set in the hills of Appalachia at the end of WWII. Young Evelyn Roe is asked to work the farm owned by her recently deceased aunt until one of her male relatives can return from the war to take it over. One night during a violent storm, Evelyn discovers a naked, badly burned man half-buried in mud; Evelyn assumes he is a war veteran and takes him in to nurse him back to health, but discovers he is not what he at first appeared to be.

*Maine Readers' Choice Award Short List Title

One-Paragraph Reviews (May/June)

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
Moriarty deftly mixes thriller with women's fiction in this page-turner set Down Under. One wife returns to her childhood home after learning of an affair between her husband and her cousin; another grapples with the secrets learned after she opens a letter from her husband, ignoring the instruction that it is only to be read after his death; a third comes to terms with the terrible loss she has lived with for many years.

Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo; illustrated by K.G. Campbell (Youth)
DiCamillo received the Newbery Award for this book, and rightly so. This winsome fantasy about friendship, love, and a superhero squirrel will please children and parents alike, and would also make a good family read-aloud.

Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg
Best known for her role as CEO of Facebook, Sandberg has had a stellar career; like all working women, she has also had to fight for leadership positions and struggle to balance her family life with work. In this provocative manifesto, Sandberg urges women to examine the habits that keep them from achieving their full potential.

The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown (audiobook)
Brown interweaves the story of the Olympic nine-man crew with that of the efforts of Hitler and his cronies to use the Olympic stage as a showcase for the glories of the Third Reich. This is so good, I sat in my driveway listening to the narration of the gold-medal race, even though I knew how it ended!

The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert
Love, ambition, botany, art and evolution all come together in this sprawling historical novel, quite different from Gilbert's popular memoir, Eat, Pray, Love. Alma Whitaker has the fortune/misfortune to be born plain and intellectually gifted to a wealthy family in 1800 Philadelphia; a traditional life appears to elude her grasp, but she might find an even better substitute in her travels from America to Tahiti to Amsterdam.

Fin and Lady by Cathleen
Young Fin has seen a lot of tragedy in his young life: after losing his parents and grandparents in quick succession, he is left with no one except for his glamorous half-sister, Lady, who is barely known to Fin.  Lady takes him in and does her best to serve as a parental substitute, but has a lot of growing up to do herself; Fin's upbringing, therefore, is a rather unusual one. A sweet, nostalgic book that takes us from Greenwich Village to Capri, from the 1960s through the Vietnam War and the '70s.

Mr. and Mrs. Bunny: Detectives Extraordinaire by Polly Horvath; illustrated by Sophie Blackall (Youth)
Funny, funny, funny! Bunny towns exist right under the noses of humans in this delightful fantasy, although the bunnies try very hard not to have much to do with us. But when evil foxes kidnap Madeline's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bunny (who have, conveniently, recently taken up detecting) decide to ignore the taboos to help the human girl. Translated from the Rabbit. ;)

The Giver by Lois Lowry (Youth)
Lowry's classic dystopian tale is the grandmother of the breed currently in favor amongst teen readers, and one of the best. At first glance, Jonas and the rest of his society appear to inhabit a world very much like our own, although greatly improved--everyone has fulfilling work, there is no hunger, there is no conflict. As the story unfolds, however, and Jonas receives his Life Assignment, we learn along with him that all is not as it seems. Read it before the movie comes out in August!

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper (Youth)
Imagine if you were knew the answers to all the questions in school, but had no means of communicating your knowledge. This is the plight of 11-year old Melody, whose cerebral palsy makes everyone assume that because she can't control her body, she is also intellectually disabled. Luckily, her family and caregivers refuse to believe this, and the reader has the great fortune of following Melody through a school year full of both adversity and triumph. If you liked R. J. Palacio's Wonder, you'll love this too.

Euphoria by Lily King
Set in the 1930s, when anthropology was just becoming accepted as a science, and loosely based on the life of Margaret Mead, this captivating story tells of 2 married anthropologists in the South Pacific who join forces with a lonely legend in the field. Their uneasy alliance is threatened by the ambition and greed of one member of the triangle, which also has disastrous effects on their subjects.

The White Elephant by Lauren St. John (Youth)
After losing her parents in a fire, Martine goes to live with her unknown grandmother in South Africa. Lost and bereft, Martine struggles to make a life for herself in a strange new environment with a family member who doesn't seem to want her. She begins to rethink her place in her new community, though, after a number of mystical events begin to occur and an unforeseen power begins to manifest itself.

A Mild Rant

To all human resources managers, veterans' benefits administrators, unemployment benefit specialists, etc., etc.: please stop telling people that they "just" need to fill out an online form to apply for a job or register for benefits. That "just" implies that this is a simple procedure, and for someone who is not computer literate, it is anything but.

Obstacle one: they do not have a home computer, and have to find a public access computer. Thank you for telling them to come and use the computers at the library, but please remember that not all libraries are open all day every day. If someone has to make repeated trips just to get themselves in front of the machine, their anxiety level rises.

Obstacle two: if they do not have a home computer, then they will probably not be comfortable using a computer. If they sit in front of the machine and have to ask for help just to reach your website, the anxiety goes up again.

Obstacle three: they probably do not have an email. Now they have to leave your website and go to another one and fill out THAT form to create an email account before they can complete YOUR form. Do you see where this is going?

Obstacle four: a resume? Really? Today I helped someone fill out an application that asked all the questions that would be covered in a resume--education, work history, references. Unfortunately, he could not submit the application without also uploading a resume. For a manual labor job.

I wish you would understand that there are a great many people out there--many of whom are seeking your help--who feel the bar has been placed at an insurmountable height. Please, the next time you direct someone to an online form, refrain from using the word "just".

May Book Club Meeting Notes

Betty hosted May's meeting to discuss Maria Semple's Where'd You Go, Bernadette. This light-hearted spoof of Seattle's keeping-up-with-the-Gateses-mentality was entertaining and fun, but fair warning: not a whole lot of dynamic discussion was fostered by this book!

Brilliant, reclusive Bernadette Fox was an award-winning architect before moving to Seattle and becoming a stay-at-home mom. Through a series of emails, memos, letters, etc., we witness Bernadette's increasingly erratic behavior before her disappearance--right after discovering her husband's affair with his assistant at Microsoft, and right before a family vacation to Antarctica. We had some discussion about the format of the book, which everyone thought contributed greatly to the zany, tongue-in-cheek nature of the novel. Even though we are reading things like Bernadette's email to her assistant in India (don't ask), we don't really feel we are hearing her voice through much of the book, and this in turn contributes to the sense of mystery surrounding her.

Seattle itself plays an important role in the book. Semple skewers the Microsoft culture and paints a picture of a society engaged in constant one-upmanship; somehow, this works to make the complicated, high-strung Bernadette seem not only plausible but actually normal and likable--after all, wouldn't we react this way to the excesses we are reading about?

The book wasn't all satire; the mother/daughter relationship between Bernadette and her daughter Bee tenderly showed them both to be loving, understanding, and protective of one another. This further serves Semple's aim of making Bernadette sympathetic: how could anyone stay sane in such an environment? As Carole commented, "Would I ever live in Seattle after reading it? No!"

Book Club will be taking a break for a few months, and we'll be back in the fall!

April Book Club Meeting Notes

Shirley hosted April's meeting to discuss The House of Mirth, by Edith Wharton. Dianne, Carole, Betty, Janet, Kristie and Kathleen were all present to enthusiastically discuss this classic. Set just after the turn of the twentieth century, the novel examines the changing values of New York's elite and the disastrous effect of those values on the heroine of the story, Lily Bart.

Betty remarked the book was an incredible commentary on the society of the time. Shirley agreed, adding she had clear memories of overhearing her mother and other adults having conversations such as "Well, who is she?" "She was a Bradley." Shirley told us that the title of the book is derived from the Bible's book of Ecclesiastes: "The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth." She asked us if we thought Lily had the heart of a fool, or if she was trapped by expectations. We all thought Lily was trapped, although we had differing views on how she came to be that way. Carole felt Lily was trapped because she was not strong enough, Janet because she unthinkingly followed her expected role, and Dianne because she was unwilling to give up the life she was accustomed to.

Shirley also asked us if we thought Lily was naive, expedient, or self-absorbed. We thought she was actually a combination of all three, which is one factor leading to her doom. Kathleen pointed out that Lily also exhibits a strong sense of self-entitlement, resulting from her mother's injunctions to use her beauty as a tool to avoid the dinginess she (the mother) abhors. Kristie thought Lily's pursuit of financial stability was common for the time, and is still something seen today--although now it is called gold-digging. Shirley commented that although Lily's contemporaries disdained the nouveau riche, "business" ethics had crept into the society of the time and were beginning to inform many interactions, i.e. social reciprocity in exchange for "tips". Unlike her friends, however, who can close their eyes to the ugliness of this sort of exchange, Lily always gets cold feet at the last minute and winds up complicating things for herself. As an example, Carole mentioned how Lily chooses not to use what she knows of Bertha Dorset to her advantage.

This brought us to a discussion about Lily's friends, and in particular Selden and Gertie. We all thought Selden was as interestingly complex and fatally flawed as Lily. If each had been stronger, they might have brought out the best in each other; as it was, however, they continually misunderstood and misinterpreted one another. Gertie is the one purely good, unselfish, endearing character in the book, and the only one who thinks highly of Lily. Is her faith misplaced? The discussion around this, in turn, brought us to whether Lily's death was accident or suicide. One of the strengths of Wharton's writing is that this remains somewhat murky. We all agreed, however, that the story wouldn't have been as satisfying with another ending.

Next month's meeting will be hosted by Betty, and we'll discuss Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple.

One-Paragraph Reviews (January/February)

Is This Tomorrow by Caroline Leavitt
A young boy must learn how to live without his father (who walks out) and his best friend (who goes missing) in this 1960's era story set in a Boston suburb. His divorcee mother must also adjust--to single parenthood, to the stigma of divorce at that time, to being the sole provider for her adolescent son. A fresh look at a not-so-long-ago past.

Dirty Love by Andre Dubus III
If you've ever found yourself wondering what goes on in some men's heads, here is your book. Bad decisions made by men who ought to know better make life more difficult for everyone in this series of linked stories. Dubus's powerful writing humanizes these Peter Pans and elicits more than a little sympathy for them.

Americanah by Chimamandah Ngozi Adichie
A wonderful novel chronicling the dual pulls of homesickness and ambition for an African immigrant in America, this book has possibly the worst jacket art EVER.  Do not be deterred! It's a well-written, absorbing portrayal of someone who comes to America in search of a better life, gets it, then questions whether that life is indeed what she wants.

The Explanation for Everything by Lauren Grodstein
A widowed biology professor and expert in Darwinian evolution struggling to raise his two daughters on his own finds himself questioning long-held beliefs when one of his students, a devout Christian who believes in intelligent design, begins working as his babysitter.

How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny (audiobook)
The latest in Penny's much-loved Inspector Gamache series ties up a story arc that has carried through all the previous books, while leaving the door open for new adventures for the Quebecois homicide chief and his crew. If you love this series, the audiobooks--masterfully narrated by Ralph Cosham--will add an extra measure of enjoyment to your experience.

Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner (audiobook)
Our February Book Club selection, this novel is something rare nowadays--a book about adults and adult issues, in which everyone behaves like an adult. Two couples meet and become friends early in their marriages and careers in a college town, remain friends through the vagaries of job relocation and raising families, and are able to look back on their relationships years later with perspective, forbearance, and self-knowledge, when they reunite to bid farewell to one who is dying.

Visitation Street by Ivy Pochoda
Two teenage girls living in Brooklyn decide it will be fun to take a raft out into the Red Hook harbor one night at dusk. The next morning, one is missing and the other is found unconscious and half-drowned, with no recollection of what happened. An interesting look at how race and class make uneasy bedfellows in a gentrifying neighborhood.

All the Truth That's In Me by Julie Berry (Young Adult)
Another story of two teenage girls going missing and only one returning, this time in an unnamed time and place that appears to be colonial America. Judith is unable to explain her whereabouts for the last two years or what happened to her best friend, Lottie, because her tongue has been cut out by her captor, the father of the boy she loves--and a man believed by the rest of the village to be dead. A compelling (and dystopia-free) page-turner.

TransAtlantic by Colum McCann
These linked stories feature both fictional and real characters, including Frederick Douglass and George Mitchell, attempting to win freedom for slaves, rights for women, and peace for Northern Ireland as they travel back and forth across the Atlantic. A fresh, character-centered look at historical events, and an engaging and thought-provoking book.

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (audiobook)
Another Book Club selection (for March), and an incredible combination of literature and performance, thanks to Jeremy Irons' inspired reading. Told from the perspective of Humbert Humbert, the book purports to be a document given to an attorney to be published in order to correct the record of what really happened between Humbert and his stepdaughter Lolita after her mother's untimely demise. Nabokov writes masterfully, making Humbert's decisions seem not only plausible but acceptable, and Irons' performance matches the writing, lulling the reader into complicity.

Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella
Kinsella is up to her usual hijinks in this frothy tale of a woman determined to save her impulsive sister from making a huge mistake after a relationship abruptly ends. Perfect beach reading--or escapist reading if you can't get to the beach!

March Book Club Meeting Notes

Six of us made it to March's meeting, hosted by Jen, to discuss Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov. Rather surprisingly, given the subject matter, everyone enjoyed this title. All agreed it was very well-written; there was a short discussion of Nabokov's technique and whether it outshone the book itself. (No consensus on that.) And we all enjoyed Nabokov's completely rendered characterizations of even minor characters such as Gaston and Charlotte.

We all found ourselves surprised by our sympathy for Humbert, and Jen and Shirley particularly uncomfortable to be in Humbert's head. There was a lot of discussion about Lolita and her motives. Carole remarked that Lolita was atypical of most girls that age at that time, and felt Lolita was predisposed to behave outside of the norm. Kathleen added that Lolita may not have been outside the norm, but she was certainly allowed to act on her impulses without any restraint. We all admired the way Nabokov planted doubt on our minds about whether or not Lolita was to blame for the situation with Humbert. Janet mentioned that Lolita was very controlling, and questioned whether Lolita thought she had more control than she actually did. The scene on the couch early in the book sparked a spirited discussion of Lolita's motives and manipulations: did she know what she was doing, even then?

Everyone thought this story could not have been written now, with our heightened awareness of pedophilia. (Also, many of the plot twists would no longer work as written--it would be very difficult for Humbert and Lolita to go on the lam in the internet age). Everyone agreed that the subject matter serves the story without going too far, and that this is more the story of Humbert's obsession with Lolita than the pornographic romp it is generally thought to be. We all agreed that Humbert is a very complicated character, and impossible to pinpoint. Betty particularly enjoyed the buildup of suspense, as did Kathleen (who nearly drove off the road while listening to the audiobook description--narrated by Jeremy Irons--of the demise of Charlotte). Janet pointed out that Humbert believes himself to be completely justified in everything he has done. Jen agreed, adding that Humbert believes he has no choice other than to behave as he does, but she was disappointed that he receives no comeuppance for his relationship with Lolita.

One of the last points discussed was a question put by Jen as to whether part of the controversy surrounding the book is caused by Lolita's winding up so normal. Betty, Carole and Shirley all reminded us that at that time, such things were not discussed openly, and help-seeking behavior would not have been as common as it is today. Betty also felt that Lolita took all the events of her adolescence more or less in stride, with no idea of their enormity, and this may have been why she turned out relatively unscathed.

February Book Club Meeting Notes

Kristie hosted February's meeting to discuss Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner. You're going to have to excuse the lack of detail in my recap; the discussion was so engrossing, I kept forgetting to write the notes!

Everyone enjoyed this book very much. Kristie remarked that she liked Stegner's intellectual approach to writing. Kathleen mentioned that this novel seemed very much of its time (late 70s, early 80s), which she recalls as having many more books and films exploring adult issues and interests than we see today. Betty particularly liked the descriptions of Vermont and of Italy.

There was, of course, much discussion of the nature of the two marriages and their differences and similarities. Carole and Shirley both commented on how Charity and Sid did not live their lives as their natures would have dictated; Shirley said Charity could have been the chairman of General Motors (we all agreed), and wondered what would have happened to this marriage in 2014. We talked a bit about what Charity wanted for Sid, and what Charity needed and what Sid needed, and how the 2 were not necessarily the same thing, or even the best thing for Sid (despite Charity's assertions to the contrary). Janet felt that Charity sought perfection in her mate. Kathleen reminded everyone how Sid appears to Larry as a sort of Adonis when he is outside of the university environment; would his life have been happier if he had been left to live it as he wished, puttering in nature?

Another question that fostered much discussion was this: given the differences in their backgrounds, what draws these two couples together? We all agreed that Larry and Sally, the orphans, were drawn by the welcome of Charity and the sense of family and belonging they drew from being around Sid and Charity. Betty asked if Charity was likable; we agreed that she was, even though she was also a force to be reckoned with. Shirley commented on how like-minded Sid and Charity were when it came to being generous; it truly gave them more pleasure to help their friends than it did to spend money on themselves.

Finally, we all agreed on what a remarkable man Larry was. He was fully aware of the character flaws of his friends and observed them with a very clear eye, but was able to tolerate those flaws and love them anyway.

Kristie, Carole, Shirley, Betty, Janet--please leave comments if I've missed something important!

Next month's discussion will be hosted by Jen, and we'll discuss Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. Shirley will host April's meeting to discuss The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton, and Betty will host May's meeting (book TBA).

One/Paragraph Reviews (November/December)

Empire Falls by Richard Russo
So, I was probably the last person left in Maine who had never read this book, and now that we've all read it, let's talk! I thoroughly enjoyed Russo's depiction of a small mill town and its decline, and the effects of that decline on its inhabitants. This is a total package novel: meaty themes, vivid characterizations, and a suspenseful plot. If you haven't read it yet, you have a treat in store.

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding
Taking up several years after Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason left off, we see Bridget coming to terms with widowhood and drawing new admirers through social media. (You haven't lived until you've experienced her tweets!) Has Bridget changed? Not essentially, but Fielding has done a nice job of fleshing out the grown-up version of Bridget with more depth and humanity while remaining true to her lovably ditzy character.

The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo
This intriguing blend of historical fiction and fantasy takes the reader to late nineteenth-century Malaysia, where several cultures collide and ghosts who coexist with the living must be regularly appeased. Li Lan declines an offer to wed a ghost that would help pull her family out of their straitened circumstances, but when her dreams are terrifyingly invaded by the would-be groom, she must seek a way to free herself from him.

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
In this heartwarming story, Molly, a teenager in Maine's foster care system, takes on a community service project helping a wealthy, elderly woman sort the lifetime's accumulation in her attic. As the project progresses, Molly learns that she and Vivian have more in common than she initially supposed--after losing her entire family to a horrific accident, Vivian was shipped off to Minnesota as a child on one of the "orphan trains" that tried to place children with Midwestern families during the Depression.

Inferno by Dan Brown (Audiobook)
Robert Langdon returns to save the world from a madman's attempt to spread contagion; he must locate "ground zero" by solving the clues left by the culprit. Brown takes us on a whirlwind tour of some of Italy's most famous towns and works of art and literature; fans expecting a breakneck pace and plot twists will not be disappointed.

Twelve Journeys in Maine by Wesley McNair
Maine's poet laureate takes the reader on an intimate journey through the small towns and byways of the state, offering compelling glimpses along the way of our accompanying ways of life. These poems are accessible and deceptively simple; successive re-readings offer up initially overlooked complexities of language and meaning.

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
In this sprawling, old-fashioned novel about loss and the redemptive power of art, Theo Decker loses his mother and gains secret possession of a priceless painting through a series of random, freakish circumstances. The art becomes both albatross and touchstone as Theo struggles with grief, survivor's guilt and the everyday traumas of being a teenager. Abandoned to his own devices, he forges a lasting friendship with another lost soul, a boy who has had to fend for himself for years while being dragged around the world by his abusive, alcoholic father. Theo's morally dubious self-upbringing results in a morally dubious adulthood, which in Tartt's skillful hands seems more fitting than the fate he would have received had he been created by, say, Dickens. This is a long one, but engrossing, engaging, and very satisfactory.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
This fairy tale for adults examines events in the life of a young boy that may either be supernatural, or beyond his understanding of humanity.. Best known for his children's books, Gaiman excels at portraying the hidden lives of childhood, and this book is no exception. A lovely read for (adult) fans of Harry Potter or Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus.

The View from Penthouse B by Elinor Lipman
When a wealthy divorcee falls victim to a Ponzi scheme; she is forced to take in roommates, beginning with her widowed sister. Both feel they are at a time of their lives when change is no longer desirable or possible; being forced to change helps them both see how wrong they were, and reinvention leads to redemption.

The Sound of Things Falling by Juan Gabriel Vasquez
After a young Colombian professor's brief acquaintance with a mysterious, reticent man involves him in unexpected violence, he becomes obsessed with learning the story of the man who unwittingly drew him into these circumstances. Translated from the Spanish, this novel offers a glimpse into a society forever changed by America's desire for drugs during the 70s and 80s, and the many ripple effects caused by the drug trade even 20 years later; ultimately, though, it is a portrait of a place and a way of life beyond our (stereotyped) expectations.

January Book Club Meeting Notes

After a long hiatus that allowed us to participate in Summer Book Club and Let's Talk About It, we came back to discuss When We Were the Kennedys by Monica Wood. Kristie, Carole, Betty, Shirley all braved the cold and joined Kathleen, who hosted.

Everyone enjoyed this book, a memoir of a particular period in Wood's childhood. Carole remarked that in many ways, it reminded her of Richard Russo's Empire Falls, which we read in the fall for Let's Talk About It. And indeed, both stories revolve around life in a Maine mill town, so there were a lot of similarities. Betty mentioned that she had previously read the book in a bit of a rush, and was very glad she'd had to return and reread it, as she enjoyed it much more on the second go. Both Kristie and Shirley grew up in the shadow of a mill, so both had much to share on that aspect of the book.

When we talked about the appeal of this memoir, one word that recurred was "warmth". Wood's portrayal of her close-knit family and community was warm and sweet without being sentimental. Betty commented on Wood's utter lack of malice in her portrayal of her family and friends, which probably accounts for much of the warmth. Everyone agreed it accurately captured a bygone period in our history, when children were free to roam their neighborhoods unattended and adults tried to shield them from some of the harsher truths of life.

Kristie and Shirley, both of whose fathers worked for the mill in their respective  communities, reminisced about what it was like to live in a mill town. The first thing both mentioned was, not surprisingly, the smell. Kathleen mentioned having been in the Rumford/Mexico area recently for sports events, and how the mill looms over the entire community--the smell, the size, the lights and noise of it. Kristie and Shirley both said it was the same in their hometowns, but also talked about how you grew accustomed to the mill's presence and took it for granted.

We talked a bit about how Wood was surprised to learn her father, and those of her friends, didn't actually own the mill they spent some much time working in; Kathleen remembered thinking something similar as a child. Shirley told a story about a new smokestack going up at her father's mill, and how her family called it "Daddy's chimney". We also discussed Wood's mother, the despair she must have felt at losing "her best friend" and fear of having to be the breadwinner and raise her children alone at a time when single-parent families were certainly not the norm. Shirley put it very succinctly: her role was cut out from under her. We all admired the mother's determination to hide this despair from her children as much as possible, and talked about whether things might play out differently today, when children are exposed to much more. (We thought no, she still would have tried to keep up a brave front for her children.)

Finally, there was discussion about the landlords, the Norkuses, and their very tight hold on the past. Even in a town of immigrants, their refusal to assimilate marks them out as different and causes them to be feared by the children. Their inability to let go of the past makes them a tragic couple in a story full of tragic events.

February's meeting will be hosted by Kristie, and we'll discuss Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner; March's meeting will be hosted by Jen, and we'll discuss Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita.