Circling the Sun - Review by Kellie

Finally finding the time to sit and write the review from last months book, CIRCLING THE SUN by Paula McClain. I chose this book, specifically, because it was written by McClain.  For those of you who did not read this book you may remember reading THE PARIS WIFE.  We rated that book so high, I was excited to read another one of hers.

McClain's writing did not disappoint.  Beautifully descriptive and "lyrical in style" which is how Sue, our newest member, described it.

The main character, Beryl Markham, was a force to reckoned with.  She grew up in Kenya Africa and was raised by her father after her mother left when she was just five years old.  She learned the art of horse training from her father, which would become her main source of income as an adult.  As a matter of fact, she was the very first female trainer for hire in Africa and, did so, at the age of only 19. She would also, eventually, learn to fly and was the first woman to fly solo east to west across the Atlantic. Overall, most of us loved the book and were in awe of Beryl and all that she did over the course of her lifetime.  Keep in mind she lived in the roaring 20's when most everything she accomplished should have been completely out of reach to a woman.  Beryl was strong, resilient, independent and resourceful. However, for one of us, Beryls sexual exploits, deeply tarnished her character. Over the course of the book, she had two husbands, lovers, liaisons and sadly, an abortion, as well.  However, the only man she truly loved was Denys Finch Hatton. To most of us he was in many ways, the male counterpart to Beryl and, for me they were truly soul mates.  However, he was also the lover of Beryl's friend Karen Blixen, which was for our one reader who questioned her sexual behavior in the first place, unforgivable.  This was a much discussed topic during the course of our meeting, as I'm sure you can imagine.

Beryl went on to write her own account of her life, WEST WITH THE NIGHT, which is very highly recommended and Karen Blixen's story is, of course, OUT OF AFRICA.  One of my favorite movies of all time!

Our overall rating for the book was a 3.9, ratings ranged between a 3 - 4.5.

Plainsong - Review by Patty S.

Plainsong definition: A simple and unadorned melody; Gregorian chant.

“From simple elements, Haruf achieves a novel of wisdom and grace – a narrative that builds in strength and feeling until, as in a choral chant, the voices in the book surround, transport, and lift the reader off the ground.” National Book Award Citation 1999

Kent Haruf’s novel Plainsong takes place in small town America, in Holt, Colorado, in a time described by one reviewer as “between then and now”. The story chronicles the life of 8 characters and how their lives intersect over the course of a year, creating community and family, and filling the void in their life brought on by death, abandonment, emotional withdrawal and absence.

The main character, Victoria, is a 17 year old girl that finds herself pregnant after a summer of fun with a young man from another community. When she tells her Mom of her predicament, her mother kicks her out of the house and tells her not to come back. Victoria turns to Maggie, a teacher at her school that she knows she can trust to help her through this situation. While Maggie initially takes her in, she soon finds another home for Victoria with the McPheron brothers, two aging brothers that have lived an isolated life for decades on their ranch 17 miles outside of town. Maggie convinces the brothers to take Victoria in, to find a purpose in life beyond their own needs. “You’re going to die some day without ever having had enough trouble in your life. Not the right kind anyway. This is your chance”.

And so the story begins, the building of trust and eventually family, between the McPherons and Victoria, as well as a surrounding cast of characters that all intersect to create a community that takes care of one another. There is a beautiful rhythm to the story, a simple cadence that evokes a simpler time of life, yet also full of the sorrow and anguish that permeate all human relationships.

The group on a whole loved the book due to its simplicity and the memories it evoked. Plainsong takes you back to a simpler time of life, although no less complicated, and holds you there so as to fully be a part of the story.

Ratings: 4.5 – 3; “Loved the community and the sweetness of the book”. “Took me back to my younger days in a small town”.

4.25 – 1,

4.75 – 1,

3.0 – 1 “I kept expecting tragedy to happen”.

Red Notice-Review by Bonnie Jean

First of all a great big thank you to Valerie (and Mark – although his picture taking abilities are somewhat limited😊,) for having us to their lovely home – which is now even lovelier with their new kitchen island and chandeliers!  We had a great evening, enjoying food, fellowship, and a lively book discussion.  Deb and Pam H. – we missed you!  Ratings for Red Notice were varied.  There were a couple of 3’s.  All the rest were in the 4’s – ranging from 4.0 to 4.75.  Most of us like the fast pace of the book, the intrigue of the real life story and the author’s life switch from making money to helping people in need from other countries.  We all felt like we learned from the book and that we are more aware of Russian and Putin’s governement in particular.  Those who rated the book lower, got a bit bogged down in the financial matters in the middle of the book.  And some were about 2/3 through with the book. 

People of the Book - Review by Bonnie Jean

Well, Kellie, Lindsay and I were surprised to find ourselves the only 3 at book club this Friday.  But, we enjoyed the small group and had a long and lively discussion.  We all loved the book.  Kellie and Lindsay rated it a 5.  I rated it a 4.5 …I’m never that generous with my ratings😊  Since those of you who didn’t come didn’t write in with any comments or ratings on the book, I’m not sure who read it.  It is a story about a woman who is an expert at preserving books and researching/dating/exploring the various things that are found in old books (blood drops, wine stains, etc.)  The book she is asked to preserve is a particular Haggadah (a Jewish book that tells about the Passover).  This Haggadah dates back to the 1400’s and is an actual book housed in Sarajevo today.  It is a curiosity because it has illustrations.  However, in the 1400’s the Jews considered illustrations in a sacred text to break the 2^nd Commandment of not having any idols.   The storyalternates between Hannah – the book preserver in modern time, and older times.  Each chapter set at an earlier date describes a particular time period and the lives of the people who owned/created the book.  The dates range from the 1400’s up through WW2 and give a mini history of the book during that time.  I am not by any means doing the book justice but it is hard to describe.  Most of the stories about the “people of the book” are tragic, but really interesting.  It was a very unique way to tell a story, and we appreciated the author’s writing, her creativity, the contents of the stories, and just about everything about the book!

The Nightingale - Review by Pat

For our May meeting, we met and reviewed The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.  With five of us at the meeting, we all were of the consensus that it was an easy read and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the book.  The overall ratings ranged from 4 to 4.5 with an average of 4.35.  All of us in attendance agreed that when we compared this book with the other World War II books we have read recently at book club (The Book Thief and All The Light We Cannot See), we felt that Hannah’s writing style was not as eloquently written but the overall plot and character development was intriguing and well executed.  

The Nightingale is the story of two sisters, Vianne and Isabelle, each with their own unique personalities that come into play with how they deal with surviving World War II.  The story begins with the narrator, Vianne, recanting her life story of the war beginning in France, 1939 and the reader doesn’t know until the end of the story which sister is the narrator.   This is one of the many twists and turns that the reader encounters throughout the book.  

The sisters have opposite personalities as well as a significant age difference between the two of them. Isabelle is eighteen, rebellious and reckless, and she joins the Resistance to save numerous lives in her quest to fight the Nazi’s.  Vianne, is older with a passive personality, however, as the story progresses, she becomes braver and assumes an active role in saving her best friends son as well as saving the lives of Jewish children.  Our book club decided each sister was equally heroic based on the circumstances and the decisions each of them had to deal with during the war.  Vianne had her children, Sophie and Ari, to protect and we all agreed that she had to assume a more cautious role in order for her family to survive.  

Each of the sisters had their own love stories and the book follows their strength, endurance and courage during this dark period of their lives.  The book had some brutal scenes with starvation, rape, torture, and prison camps – just what you expect when reading about World War II.  The story does a good job of portraying the strength both of these women exhibited and what they had to sacrifice in order to survive. 

The biggest disappointment we had about the book was the ending where Isabelle died in Gaetan’s arms which we felt was a little contrived and unrealistic.  We did like the reunion scene at the end of the book where Vianne reconnects with Gaetan and Ari.  In summary, this book gets a solid “thumbs up” as a really great read.

Angle of Repose - Review by Lindsay

Wallace Stegner’s Angle of Repose was the winner of the 1972 Pulitzer Prize for fiction.  The book is set in Grass Valley, California, during the spring and summer months of 1970. Lyman Ward is the novel's protagonist.  He is a physically disabled professor of history and has retired from teaching and is living in his grandparents' old home.  He undertakes to write a biographical novel focusing on his grandparents' lives, Susan Burling Ward and Oliver Ward, from the late 1800’s.

Susan Burling, Lyman's grandmother, was a prolific letter writer, artist, and cultured young woman from New York. Her husband and Lyman's grandfather, Oliver Ward, was a talented mining engineer whose career took his family to California, Colorado, Mexico, Idaho, and back to California.

Lyman feels the world around him is sliding downhill, both morally and intellectually.  It was written during a time of great political and social upheaval in the United States.  In that vein, he juxtaposes the life of his grandparents as a time of more commitment to family, relationships, work, and dreams.  While their lives were in no way trouble free, their commitment to the life they had chosen was steadfast.   There are also many similarities between the time periods.   At one point in the novel, Lyman refers to the resulting "rictus" or grimace of the historian when he or she sees how the present is tied to historical precedents.  He leaves the reader contemplating which generation has the better life. 

This novel is very slow paced, particularly in the beginning.  It weaves the story between the past and present, initially confusing and difficult to follow but settles into a rhythm that makes sense towards the middle and end. 

Many of us found Susan Burling Ward a totally unlikable and snobbish character.  Perhaps the intent was to see the west, through the eyes of an easterner.  This theme is pervasive throughout the novel, the stark contrast between East and West.  She was initially horrified at the lack of culture, the dust, dirt, and extreme climate. Susan eventually finds herself able to appreciate the raw beauty of her new surroundings, and is successful in building comfortable homes for her family. Yet throughout her married life she defines herself through her east coast roots, questions Oliver’s worthiness as a husband and provider, and pines over what she has given up in exchange for her life in the west. 

Briefly, we touched on references throughout the book to the Doppler Effect.  You hear a frequency much louder as it approaches than as it recedes.  Meaning, that while time doesn’t completely heal all wounds, the pain lessens over time.  We talked about the role of the Western terrain as a “character” itself in the novel.  We discussed the definition of “angel of repose” and how is applies to the story.  Also discussed was the power of nature, human frailty, and the healing power of forgiveness.  That is a lot to cover in 2 hours!  

While this book had much more content that could be discussed and studied, there is no way I can do it justice in this short review.  The ratings ranged from a high of 4.5 to a low of 2.0.  Many of us liked it so much more after our discussion, as is often the case with our group.  The common complaint was that is was boring, slow paced, difficulty getting into the book and the unlikeable characters.  Others felt that the book was an intellectual stretch, a novel of great historical significance, a literary work of art, and a beautifully written piece of literature.

Until next time…

Lindsay

The Whip-Review by Kellie

Last month we gathered to talk about our book The Whip by Karen Kondazian.  The book is inspired by the true story of a woman, Charlotte "Charley" Parkhurst (1812-1879) who lived most of her extraordinary life as a man in the old west.  As a young woman in Rhode Island, she fell in love with a runway slave and had his child.  The destruction of her family drove her west to California, dressed as a man, to track the killer.

Charley became a renowned stagecoach driver for Wells Fargo.  She killed a famous outlaw, had a secret love affair, and lived with a housekeeper who, unaware of her true sex, fell in love with her.  Charley was the first known woman to vote in America in 1868 (as a man).  Her grave lies in Watsonville, CA.

The above two paragraphs are exactly as the synopsis is written.  However, the reality is, very little is known about Charlotte, the woman, before she became Charley Parkhurst; man and stage coach driver.  What is known, is that as a child she was raised in an Orphanage.  According to Fern J. Hill (Author/Editing and Formatting services) In 1812 Charlotte Darkey Parkhurst was born in Lebanon, NH (though her middle name may have been Durkey). (Documented).  In 1824 Charley runs away from an orphanage. She reaches Worcester, MA and gets a job with Ebenezer Baich.  This is the man Charley supposedly learned her horse skills from. Mid-Late 1840's, Charley leaves Providence, RI for Georgia with one other (stage coach) driver.  Her exact whereabouts during that time are unclear. In 1849, upon her return to RI, from Georgia, Charley worked for William Hayden and Charles H. Child.  Charley meets Jim Birch and Frank Stevens who leave Providence to start the California Stage Company. In 1851 Charley leaves Boston aboard the R.B. Forbes for Panama on her way to California. Once Charley arrived in California, he became a Stage Coach driver for Jim Birch.  

Other known facts, while during Charley's driver career are as follows: She rolled an empty coach once and "busted in" his sides (probably broke a few ribs), but never saw a doctor about it.  She drove her passengers over the rain-swollen Tuolumne River reaching solid ground just before the bridge collapsed. An incident with hogs scaring the horses so they "jumped grade" happened on the Santa Cruz Stage.  Five deaths occurred. In 1856 while on a run from San Francisco to San Jose, Charley was kicked in the eye (and lost the eye)  by an unhappy horse, and became known as "Cockeyed Charley." In 1858 Sugarfoot held up Charley's coach for the first time in June.   When  Sugarfoot held Charley up a second time six months later, she shot and killed him.  Most of these facts are in the book and when you think about it, are pretty amazing.

The problem a couple of us had were the fictional parts of the story about Charlotte/Charley.  Firstly, her childhood companion (Lee Colton) from the Orphanage becomes an obsessed stalker/raper of Charlotte.  Then  Charlotte marries a black man, has his child, but both are murdered by a mob, thanks to Lee.  Once Charlotte becomes Charley and is a Whip in California, she has an affair with a man (who upon meeting her suspects she is female) who in the end, is the infamous Stage Coach robber known as Sugarfoot. Remember, Sugarfoot the robber is fact but, them having an affair is pure fiction. These parts seemed to us, not only fictional but, also very unrealistic.

All of that being said, the book was actually well liked and was given a total rating of 3.96.  Most everyone enjoyed that it was very easy to read and found it very enjoyable.   We loved reading about the old west, which was portrayed very well, and gave us a bit of a refresher course on western history. What was absolutely the most striking of all, of course, was that Charley actually existed!   What an incredibly tough, brave, strong, resourceful woman.  We imagined and wondered so many things about her.  What drove her to become a man in the first place?  How did she keep that fact SO well hidden for more than 30 years?  Even though she clearly had friendships, some more than 20 years long. Was she lonely and did she lack intimacy in her life?

In the end when Charley died, she was a home and land owner, had owned several other successful businesses after retiring as a Whip, AND had voted (as a man).  All of these things were virtually unheard of, not to mention unattainable for an unmarried woman to accomplish at this time in our history.

Upon his death in 1879 from cancer of the mouth, it was, of course, discovered that Charley was a woman.  On the day of her death those with her also found a baby dress in an old trunk.....Charley had been a mother at some point in her life.  That made us very sad and was also a long point of discussion. What could the facts possibly be surrounding that child?

Charley's grave stands in the Pioneer Odd Fellows Cemetery in Watsonville, CA.  It reads...

CHARLEY DARKEY PARKHURST

                  1812-1879

NOTED WHIP OF THE GOLD RUSH DAYS

DROVE STAGE OVER MT. MADONNA IN 

EARLY DAYS OF VALLEY. LAST RUN

SAN JUAN TO SANTA CRUZ. DEATH IN

CABIN NEAR THE 7 MILE HOUSE,

REVEALED "ONE EYED CHARLIE"

A WOMAN. THE FIRST WOMAN TO VOTE 

IN THE U.S. NOV. 3, 1868

The Name of the Wind-Review by Lisa

Well we were only a group of 4 but we managed to discuss our book, Name the Wind, go to lunch, and still have plenty to talk about!! We missed those that couldn't join us. 

Name the Wind, was written by Patrick Rothfuss who was born in Madison, Wisconsin to parents who encouraged him to read and create through reading to him.During his formative years, he read extensively and wrote terrible short stories and poetry to teach himself what not to do.Patrick attended the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, initially studying chemical engineering.He then spent the next nine years jumping from major to major.All this time Patrick was working on “The Book,” as he and his friends lovingly titled it.He eventually graduated with an English major, and began teaching half-time while trying to sell The Book to publishers.  In the process, he disguised a chapter of The Book as a short story and won the Writers of the Future competition in 2002.  This put him into contact with all the right people, and after deciding to split The Book into three installments, DAW agreed to publish it.  In March 2007, The Name of the Wind was published to great acclaim, winning the Quill Award and making the New York Times Bestseller list.

The book, Name the Wind, is a tale about the legendary underdog, Kvothe, as he grows up in a traveling troupe, an orphan in a crime-riddled city, a student at dangerous school of magic and as a result becomes a notorious magician, thief, master musician and an infamous assassin.The story as it unfolds reveals the truth behind his legend for it is told by Kvothe to the Chronicler.(someone like our modern day newspaper writer.. I think..).As with all fantasy tales it is the battle between good and evil or light and dark and set during medieval times...or at least we think it is medieval..

For the most part, many of us enjoyed the book. It earned an overall score of 3.5. With 5 being the highest score and 1.5 the lowest.The book has a "dark" feeling but not in "a real life" disturbing way.. it is fantasy.

A few of us had no difficulty visualizing the characters, understanding the magic terms and thought the author did a great job"world building." Finishing the book led them on to read the second and third book. The rest of us felt the many names for the same characters and words about magic were vague and confusing. The length of the book too long. It was compelling until he went to school and then his circumstances became harder to understand and we were tired about hearing how "poor" he was....he made some bad choices with his money. We all have and thought enough of beating a dead horse. For the majority, we were interested/engaged enough to finish the lengthy book.