1000 White Women

This Reading Group Guide offers some interesting discussion points and a Q&A with the author. Sometimes I find that books I didn't love lend themselves to better meetings. Trying to find a review that can critic the historical accuracy of the book.

BTW, Jim Fergus has published another book, The Wild Girl : The Notebooks of Ned Giles, 1932, but, I don't think it did too well because the paperback edition was given a new name and a whole new publisher: Last Apache Girl

1000 White Women

Just a reminder that we will be meeting at my house at 7 pm on Dec 3 to discuss lots and lots of white women. I'm still working on the book - trying to plow my way through. It's a bit slow moving so far, and not the best-written book we've encountered. But I'm hoping it will pick up in the chapters to come.

Also, at the last meeting we discussed using our "free months" to springboard off the previous month's book to a related topic. So next month, for example, we may choose to read books about the Cheyenne or women's journals from that time period, or to watch a movie even. That way we still have some common ground for discussion the following month. That meeting will be January 7th at Jayne's house.

Carolyn said she would like to do Eat, Pray, Love for February 4 at her House.

Other books we added to Our BIG List of good reads are: Ahab's Wife;
Love in the time of Cholera; When the Emperor was Divine; Down River; Blue Highway; The Spellman Files and Where the Road Goes.

Frances gets to choose a book for April.

I can't believe I got signed in-even us old dogs can learn new tricks occasionally. I just finished listening to Roots the 30th Anniversary edition. I got it from the library and will return it tomorrow. Of course I read it 30 years ago when it first came out but the audio version is even better. It was beautifully read by Avery Brooks (I think) and it was very moving. 24 discs?!! It gave a powerful account of black history and slavery-the history buff would surely like it but of course it is very intense. I'm not reading anything right now-library closed today

Monday meeting?

Did you meet on Monday? I'm sorry I missed it! I was sitting on a runway in Minneapolis, hoping to make my connection in Chicago. Luckily, the flight attendant declared Happy Hour in progress and passed out free wine. I made it to Chicago with plenty of time, because the flight to Richmond was also delayed. The reason? Wind in Chicago--hey, that's why they call it The Windy City!! I finally got home to Water House at 4:00a.m. And was in bed by 4:10, accompanied by warm cats.

If I'd been there, I'd have discussed The World Without Us by Alan Weisman. This book discusses what would happen to the world if all the people disappeared in some non-violent way, just walked (flew?) away and left everything as it is. The ecological side of The Rapture, perhaps. Weisman discusses how things fall apart, what would go first. New York City and its subways? Very fast because pumps are constantly pumping out the subways and once they stopped....Bronze sculpture? Lasts a long long time, and Mt. Rushmore, made of granite, practically forever. Not so happy parts of the book discuss other things that would last a long time--PCBs and other nasty contaminents, the aftermath of nuclear reactors left unattended. Another topic covers places on earth that have been undisturbed like the Korean DMZ, Chernobyl and a pristine forest in Poland. Fascinating, accessible science, and very thought provoking.

What's up next for the group?

Jaynethelibrarian