Farewell to Reid

Hi Everyone: What a wonderful last meeting with Reid, although if you are back, Reid, some time for a visit, you can always join us, especially as you are the founding member. You will be really missed. What will your email be in Colorado so we can keep sending you our messages.

Food was lovely, as usual. How about we always do pot luck as a whole meal on a Monday evening can be a lot for all. Maybe the person hosting the meeting can suggest a theme and what that person will be making and we can make food around it. What do you all think?

We had a great discussion about everything under the sun and then the book. Reid pointed out that she could tell when the author died and her niece took over. When the hard back copy came out they did not mention that she had died just that she was ill. What a shame. We didnt actually decide on a book but these were thrown into the pool - not all have authors but can look up. I will add one I have just read which was absolutely fascinating. So...

The Help - Olive Kitridge-Stout (Reid I think I messed this up)

House at Sugar Beach by Helene Cooper

The Art of Racing in the Rain

The Daily Coyette (sp?) by Shreve Stockton

Haunting Bombay - based in India about a child ghost floating around a large house that once belonged to the British but now owned by a fairly well off India family. Wonderful storyline. Brings out how people in India (then and maybe now) believe in ghosts and are all sorts of gods that they pray to and depend on. It is tragic as well fulfilling. It is a new book and I did get it from (sorry Jayne) Lancaster Library.

By the way the name of Reid's newspaper in Colorado is "The Sky High Daily News" and we look forward to finding out when you will be starting your first day and if it will be online so we can send letters to the editor about your articles etc. Good comments, of course.

Reid has a blog and I am sure she will not mind me listing it. I will definitely try to access it but my record on blogs is down right hopeless and now Daniela is away it is even worse.

www.pierce-armstrong.blogspot.com

Thank you Jayne for hosting the evening. As usual you are a wondereful hostess.

Regards to all

Frances

PS: are we in for our first drought of the season. I have to water my garden for the first time since July and even then David did it.

Upcoming

July 6: Movie Night. Theme: Unrequited Love. Bring a clip to share. Pam's House.

August 3: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society. Reid's choice.

September 7: free read. potluck

Loving Frank

review by Jane E.

The “gulls” enjoyed a hearty discussion of Loving Frank amidst a backdrop of Frank Lloyd Wright photos provided by Reid via video. Talk centered around who Frank was as a man, who Mamah was, the roles they played for each other, and the great cost involved as both Mamah and Frank attempted to live out their personal philosophies of “living true” while maintaining an intimate relationship. This cost, as we discussed, was not only personal, but also tragically affected a wide circle of those around them: friends, family, coworkers, employees and hangers-on.

While all the readers agreed as to Wright’s genius, we also quickly admitted his shortcomings in the engineering and execution department. The book did a good job of pointing out his lack of follow-through and his unrealistic expectations of being able to build stone walls appearing to float in mid-air. Leagues ahead of his time in the design department, he was sorely lacking in some fundamental engineering and business management skills.

Frank, while espousing a “live in truth” idealism, actually lived in more of a fantasy world. He wore tailor-made pants, for example, while the workers went unpaid. He verbalized great love for Mamah, and others, then often forgot simple details of life that would have demonstrated that great love in practical ways. It seemed that many of the people around him spoiled and indulged him because of his great architectural genius. Indeed, Frank spoiled and indulged himself, excusing erratic behavior in the name of his own talent.

We tried to imagine what it might have been like to be Mamah (or anyone in Frank’s circle). “Loving Frank” came with a cost, it seemed—loss of personal space; putting one’s own identity and dreams aside for the greater good of feeding his genius; abandoning family, friends and others in order to sit in Frank’s circle of influence.

It was hard to understand Mamah and hard to comprehend that she gave up home, husband, children and security to be Frank’s partner. Mamah, we agreed, had established herself as a self-actualized, modern woman of the time. She served on various social committees, appeared on boards and charities, and even had a successful “career” in translation services. Mamah was married to a successful businessman and had children well-cared for (mostly by her sister and nanny). She had money, community standing, and status in her circle. In all respects, she was a success in her own right. Yet the temptation of loving Frank—coupled with probable boredom with her own marriage—led her to leave her home and husband for Frank Lloyd Wright.

What follows is the story of the decisions Mamah makes and the consequences that follow. Mamah seems torn in many directions. She wants to be with Frank, but wants also to continue her own path of independence. She misses her children but chooses to live in Europe, leaving them to the care of others and becoming even more estranged from them. She becomes a protégé and translator to Ellen Key, that famous Swedish feminist, only to find that they disagree on some fundamental philosophies. At every turn, Mamah becomes dissatisfied and disillusioned with the consequences of the choices she makes.

Considering the downhill snowball Mamah’s life was taking, I suppose we should not have been surprised at the shocking, tragic conclusion of this book—which this writer will NOT share, so as not to be a spoiler!

All in all, we had a great discussion of not only Mamah and Frank’s characters, but also of the peripheral characters—Frank’s wife, other members of their family, friends, coworkers and hangers-on. We all seemed to agree that this book was well-written and well researched, especially considering it was a first novel for the author.

Thanks to Carolyn for providing the book as well as delectable dinner delicacies. We chewed on some great food and some great thoughts—as usual!

Women of the silk

review by Amy

In attendance: Jayne M., Jane E., Frances, Carolyn, Pam, and Amy. Thadd (Jayne M's son) was also there, built a great fire, and it was nice to catch up with his plans.

Frances went overboard with an array of Chinese-inspired snacks (fried rice, shrimp rolls, sauces, noodles, etc.), tea and wine. At first everyone said they enjoyed the book, until Jane E. dared to say she didn't. No one disagreed with her opinion that it was hard to keep the characters straight and that the story was oversimplified. "Better to just reread The Good Earth" was her remark, more or less. Much of the story seemed to rely on what was not said between the characters, which revealed a lot about Chinese culture. However, as Pam pointed out, it was a great introduction for someone who knows nothing of China during this time period and what life might have been like for young women there. Frances is ordering the sequel, which might be interesting for the group to read one day.

I think there will be some good follow-up discussion, although few suggestions were offered. In bringing up the lesbian element to the story, and the atmosphere that these girls lived in, and that there didn't seem to be one sympathetic male character (save the brother of Lin [was that Pei's friend's name?]), I recalled a book I read several years ago about an ethnic group in China, near Tibet, that is matrilineal. Sons live with their mother. Daughters can take as many lovers as they like and raise the children themselves along with their sisters and mother. The core of the family is the mother and her home, but I forget all the details about how this system really works. It's called "Leaving Mother Lake: A Girlhood at the End of the World."

Interesting List

Found this list of favorite book club books for December.

1. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
2. The Boy in Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
3. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
4. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
5. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
6. Loving Frank by Nancy Horan
7. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
8. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
9. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
10. The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
11. Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum
12. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
13. The Rest of Her Life by Laura Moriarty
14. We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
15. March by Geraldine Brooks
16. Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
17. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
18. Eye Contact by Cammie McGovern
19. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
20. The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
21. The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
22. World Without End by Ken Follett
23. Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones
24. A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah
25. Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo

Blogging, meetings, etc.

Hello book club members!

First of all I would like to thank all our new folks for joining us. I hope you stick with it. You have all been invited to be authors on this blog. You will need to create a blogger account to do that. I would love it if people would help me keep this up with interesting updates on things we discussed and links to articles and movies we reference. Or you can just comment below an entry to keep it interactive. This blog is open to the general public so let's keep it on a first name basis for privacy.

Also - We now have 12 people on the rosters, which is probably the maximum we can handle between the food, the living room and getting a word in edgewise. Let's hold off on inviting anyone new for a little while.

Here is a schedule of upcoming events:(all events start at 7 at Reid's).

March 2: Free Read. Potluck. Topic should relate somehow to Change of Heart. Book, movie, article etc.

April 6: Women of the Silk Frances's Choice. Book host will bring the food and info on the author as well as discussion topics. Please remember to bring a favorite quote or passage to meetings.

May 4: Free Read. Potluck.

June 1: Loving Frank Carolyn's Choice

July 6: Free Read. Potluck. (possible summer break)

August 3: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society. Reid's choice.

September 7: free read. potluck

Change of Heart

Here's are some discussion questions for Change of Heart.

This book, while not one of the best from a literary perspective, possibly generated one of the best conversations we've ever had. First of all, TEN women attended this meeting (a record) and so it was a bit challenging to even get a word in edgewise. The topics ranged from discussions on the death penalty to organ donation to gay rights. No topic was left untouched. Frances pointed out, and Reid agreed, that the book too closely followed many of the plot lines in "The Green Mile," almost to the point of seeming stolen at times. We also debated our favorite characters. Some preferred redemption-seeker Michael while others preferred wise-beyond-her-years Claire. Jane E. liked the honest voice of Lucius. Many agreed that June was underdeveloped. And Amy said she was disappointed in the "Chick Lit" relationship between the too-good-to-be-true Doctor and Maggie. We would highly recommend this book to other reading groups because of the nature of the discussions it generated, and we can't wait to see where people go with this for their free read next month. Thanks Kerri for recommending a great book!