Please Pardon Pickle People

Hi there Ladies! Happy Holidays :)

I hope you'll forgive me when I say that I have not had a chance to read this month's selection. I'm sooooo sorry! We have just closed on a house, after a whirlwind hunt, and we are trying to get everything done (it was a foreclosure, so we got a great deal but we now are paying with some sweat-equity to get it ready to move into) with three small kids, so it's often like herding cats, uphill, through molasses on a cold day. Did I tell you we also got a dog? Yegads! So with that and the holidays, I haven't been the most attentive to this month's choice. I'll do better next month! Promise!

The book sounds GREAT and I've enjoyed reading the reviews and I *WILL* read it when things settle down. But for now, mea culpa.

:) Laurenda

Persian Pickle - Posted by Karen Buxton

I enjoyed this book just as much the second time. Both times I put the book down wondering who really was responsible for killing Ben Crook. I really don't think that it was Queenie. Then again, maybe it was. Brilliant!

There were several things that I liked about the book one of them being the language, and visual images that she created. (The scarf had slipped off her (Nettie's) neck and her goiter quivered like a piglet.) I felt sorry for the poor lady with the goiter, but I couldn't help but laugh.

Interesting that Katie didn't like Rita. She really wasn't all that likeable, because she seemed so superficial and shallow, but by the end of the book one can see that she does have loyalty, and an appreciation for the people that she met and the lessons learned on the farm. I like to think of her as the "Scarlet O'Hara" of the book, and Queenie as the "Melanie" Queenie seems to see the best in people, and is forgiving of their faults. She's completely contented with the life that she leads, and can't imagine anything or anyplace better. Rita is the belle of the ball, and is completely out of her element. She's not content to roll with the punches, she's going to fight. I can identify with Rita because I experienced some intense culture shock when we moved to West Texas. It took me a while to get off of my high horse and focus on the comonalities instead of the differences. As much as I want to be like Queenie, there's an element of Rita in me.

I also appreciated the strong relationships between the women regardless of their age differences. We all have something to gain from our relationships with others regardless of our ages. The older I get the more I appreciate the women around me.

I'm not feeling too eloquent tonight, so I better end. I'm glad that the book has been enjoyable, and I'm looking forward to reading the next selection.

Purple Persian Pickles

OK, so I added Purple, but it sounds good.
I can't believe Karen was first. Is there a new world order? ;-) Way to go!!
I loved how "comfortable" this book made me feel. It made me miss (ok, so I wasn't there to miss it), the easier pace of olden times. Now, I love technology - I don't know how I ever lived without my cell phone and I'm jealous that missionaries now use email to communicate much faster than the snail-mail we used back in my day. However, there are times when I wish things would calm down, I could spend time cooking and visiting friends. I agree with Karen how "[t]he use of "down home" language to describe people, places and events was so fresh and generated a feeling of authenticity in the story." It was a very comforting read.
One thing I must say is that I didn't like Rita, I didn't like how she appeared to 'pooh-pooh' the down-home life of the other members of the PPC. Having attended college and wanting a career made her 'better' than others. I found my dislike for her odd, since I'm for not only women's education but not trying to fit in for fitting in's sake.
Now, about the ending. Oddly enough, in the middle of the book I started wondering whether Queenie had committed the murder or not. However, at the end, by saying it was she, I felt she was honoring the secret of the club members. However, I've been wrong before.
Thanks, Karen, for a great pick!!

Persian Pickle Club

What an awesome book!! My daughter-in-law (Carolyn--former book group member who is now reading my copy of Persian Pickle) has a framed saying in her home that neither of us can remember exactly. We are at a rented house in Bountiful and can't check to see was it really says, but it goes something like this: Families are like quilts, pieced together in love, etc. Anyway, it is a cool saying.

At any rate, I loved the way Sandra Dallas used the image of a quilt to show the interconnectedness of the lives of these women. I think it can also apply to our families and to people we have been in a ward with. (I know, I'm not supposed to end a sentence with a preposition!) I have expressed the idea many times that, for me, part of the joy of heaven will be to see those people who have meant something in my life and ask them, "What happened next? Where did you go and what did you do in your life after our paths parted?" I have also found that I can be separated from a friend for years and when we are together again, we just seem to pick up where we left off, just like a recurring pattern in a quilt.

I also thought the writer's craft was excellent. The use of "down home" language to describe people, places and events was so fresh and generated a feeling of authenticity in the story (plus it was fun!). "Rita was right about us looking like a coop full of biddies. We sat there at Ada June's dining room table, clucking as Rita walked in. Then our eyes bugged out, making us look dumb enough to knit with wet spaghetti."

The plot was intriguing. Dallas did an excellent job of surprising the reader. [By the way, is everybody sure that Queenie really did it?] I also liked the way the "threads" of the story "tied" back to each other: The hill country family connecting to the murder mystery, the effort to help girls "in a family way" foreshadowing a blessing in Queenie's life, Rita's journey from an outsider/observer/writer to becoming a real part of the group. "'Why, we taught her to quilt, after all," Mrs. Judd said . . . But it was the name that decided me [Queenie]. This quilt is a Friendship Forever."

The impact of the attempted assault was so genuine and not gratuitous, it reminded me of the way the rape and murder of a girl I knew in elementary school altered my perception of my own safety. I understood Queenie's statement that "the farm was the only place I felt safe, and I refused to leave it, even to be with my best friends." (page 140) I also appreciated the way her friends rallied around her and the growth of her own courage that came when she looked outside herself. "The Celebrity Quilt changed my mind about attending Persian Pickle."

I loved the portrayal of women supporting each other and connecting to each other in a way that is uniquely feminine. "We had our differences in Persian Pickle. 'My stars, we'd be as dull as checkers if we didn't,' Mrs. Ritter told me once. But when any one of us was in need, she got the support and understanding that a man never provided. There wasn't anything we couldn't share or a secret we wouldn't keep." (page 13) It seemed so much like a close Relief Society--comfort food and creating something tangible and trying to find a way to make a positive impact on the world--that it really resonated with me. I also loved their common sense and matter-of-fact way of dealing with the poverty and challenges of dust-bowl Kansas. "'She's a worker.' We all nodded because that was the biggest compliment you could give a Kansas woman."

I hope your Christmas was wonderful! I can't wait to read "your all's" thoughts on this book!

1632

Way to lead out, Katie!!!

I also read "most" of 1632...my library didn't have it so I had to read it online. I must say, much much harder to do for me than to have a physical book to read, and I think it tainted my opinion just a bit. For the last chapters, I just wanted to get it over with, though I was thrilled that chapters don't seem so long when scrolling...anyway, I digress.

I agree with you, Katie, that the premise is very interesting--to have these parrallel universes and the "birth" of a new one, sending a slice of our present to a past...and I enjoyed the history revists (as far as I could tell, the real characters were pretty acurately portrayed), but had a hard time getting into the story (sorry Katrina!). I'm cracking up about Katie's comment re: everyone speaking English instead of German or Italian, even Latin or some combination, now that I think of it. That language barrier would have bogged character interaction down, to be sure.

There were way too many characters to keep track of (and all the romances). However, that being said, how refreshing was it that the characters were "everyday" people who had realistic jobs, but just happened to be transported to this new universe? I liked that aspect.

OH! Thanks, Katrina, for adding the bit of trivia about the sequels...I love that some of the sequels (or what-have-you) out there that are fan written. I don't think I would have written one, but I can see how people could get REALLY into it (it was an easy read!). I am finding, however, that I'm not the biggest fan of historical fantasy fiction (I'm in another bookclub and we're reading "Son of Avonar" by Carol Berg, which is interesting, but I don't know that I'm loving it just yet, either).

In any case, I was glad to have had an opportunity to read it...and read it online even. At least it was available!!!! And poor Leven Thumps, the sequel, is having to wait till the library gets it in. :)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!!!
:) Laurenda

1632

Sure, I'll be first again. ;-)
I read 1632, at least most of it. The premise was fascinating, and I overlooked a lot of the language to see how the premise would play out. I was talking with a co-worker about the book, and when he found out it was sci-fi, he said "well, everything will be well thought out, not like in a silly romance novel." Meaning, things like the power plant (how to keep power for the town), ammunition, fuel for cars, etc. Which, in fact, they were.
There were a few things that the author kept doing that drove me nuts. He would describe a person, either in action, or just features, etc. and then the next sentence would say "that is to say, Mike" or "that is to say, Doug" or whatever. It was also very hard for me to follow the story/characters when the author kept changing how he referred to them - by first name, then last name, then nickname. There were too many characters for me to keep up with.
I found myself wondering whether in 1632 is was really feasible that so many people would speak English - especially an English that would be understood by present day people (or whether our English would be understood by those people).
And what happened to Mike's sister and her new husband? Everyone was attending their wedding, but I don't remember hearing about them again (at least as far as I read). We saw the groom's father, of course, but where did the groom go?
Again, I really liked the premise - but found that I got bogged down in the historical stories and didn't feel like I got to know the characters very well.

Thanks, Katrina!!

Leven Thumps

Ladies,

At the get-go, let me say that I found Leven Thumps to be a quick and an enjoyable read. However, as a fan of fantasy literature, my expectations were probably too high. If I were to put Tolkien and CS Lewis at the top and JK Rowling somewhere in the middle, then I would put Leven Thumps down toward the bottom of the continuum.

In fact, after reading the bio of the author, I wondered if it had been written by a committee or as a publishing house ploy to see just what it would take to get a book to sell. Maybe the book was written simply to create an interactive opportunity for readers to “Begin their own adventure in Foo at LevenThumps.com." (This is something Orson Scott Card has done with some of his books.) Maybe its target audience is young adolescents with no attempt to reach mature adults. I don’t know how or why it was written, but let me explain why I was so aggravated by the time I finished the book.

On a positive note, I thought the comments about coincidences on page 60 and discouragement on page 144 were profound. I also thought the moral to the story about Geth being powerful even though he was a toothpick (don’t judge a book by its cover) was instructive. And I thought the idea of “casting” a shadow was clever. The fact that Sabine’s shadows: sought those who minds entertained selfish or conspiring thoughts (page 114), used self doubt as their most powerful tool, and could be dismissed with the snap of a finger was pretty neat.

However, there was way too much borrowing from other literary works. I noticed that some of you mentioned the similarities, too, but I felt like it was a cop-out from the author, copying rather than creating:

from Harry Potter: being raised by a mean aunt, sleeping on the porch (or under the stairs), Clover is like Doby the House Elf, Winter swells up just the Mr. Dursley’s sister, getting to Hogwarts is done in a similar manner as getting into Foo.

from Lord of the Rings: Sabin is a lot like Saron; Morfit sounds a lot like Mordor

from Celestine Prophecy: fate will make things turn out like they should

from Paradise Lost: Sabine / Satan don’t understand that what they want to do will not get them what they want; it will actually destroy everything

from XMen/Superheroes: Winter can’t touch Leven and the Earth Monster is something right out of the movies.

Plus the Chapter 30’s “The Occidental Tourist” was a “cute” play on Anne Tyler’s book, The Accidental Tourist.

I felt like the author was almost mocking the reader: the Gateway to Foo(l), those who have special gifts are “nits,” the king is a toothpick (page 132, 133, etc.) In fact, the scenes involving Geth are almost cartoon-like.

The writing is very good in places but sloppy and clichéd in others: page 197 “They hit the ground running and took off like there was no tomorrow,” page 199 “Leven had grown to sort of like the little guy . . . he couldn’t bear to just leave him for dead.”

And the author never convinced me of the whole premise for the book. In Lord of the Rings, I knew the ring had to be destroyed to stop Saron from taking over the world. In Leven Thumps I really didn’t buy the premise that there was a world where dreams exist and that without it the world would fall apart. I didn’t arrive at the literary state of “willing suspension of disbelief.” And the author didn’t give any real reason (except he said so) to explain why destroying the Gateway to Foo had to be done by a blood relative.

My copy of Leven Thumps was a gift from a friend who reviews children's lit. Next time I see her, I will get her opinion on the book and pass it on to you. I would love to see an interview with the author. In fact, I have a few questions I would like to ask him myself! I’m not sorry I read it and I will probably read the sequel. Actually, it was kind of fun to have an opportunity to really sink my teeth into literary analysis again. Thanks, Laurenda :)

Leven (not Levin as I've been spelling it) Thumps

Yay! I really liked this book the first time I read it and am glad everyone so far has enjoyed it. I have to say that I suggested it because I wanted to re-read it before I read the sequel (and I had checked it out from the library instead of buying a copy the first time!). You know, ironically, the reason I read the book in the first place is that I saw it advertized in a Deseret Book Catalog I got in the mail, and I was looking for something to read to take my mind off of Harry Potter mania!!! :)

There are so many aspects of the book that I liked or appreciated, so, just to name a few: I love that Geth just lived in faith, believing that Fate would make everything allright or else it wouldn't...like he'd either figure out a way through stuff or it was simply his time to die. The end. That's the way it was. I think I would be in such a better mindframe about my own problems if I could really live like that...trusting the Lord that things would work out, one way or another--and I mean really trusting that. Instead, I start to worry and fret (and the big earth monsters start to stalk me!) lol. Anyway, enjoyed that even as a toothpick, he accepted the way he was and where he was and worked with what he had. Loved it.

I loved Winter and her special abilities of freezing stuff. And I loved Clover and thought the conversations between Leven and Clover were a hoot and a half. I sometimes wish that I, too, had a Void and then I think, oh wait...I do...my purse. lol. (did anyone ever see that episode of "Mad About You" where Helen Hunt's Jamie and her sister switch purses, and by the end of the day Jamie is a disaster and her sister seems totally put together? lololol...ahem). I agree with Katrina that even the sinster characters served a purpose and I'm curious to read more about life in Foo with them there (do we really think Sabine is gone???? all aspects of him?????hmmmm), and I'm thrilled that Leven was reunited with his Grandma. (How many of you realized that it was Grandma who placed Winter in the hospital? I didn't until this reading. Interesting, no?). The one downer of reading was I didn't quite picture the climatic battle scene in my mind as clearly as I would have liked, but it might have been because I was reading it so fast, so engrossed was I in the story.

So, I also loved the dedication...it made sense the second time around...lol. "For those who saw me slip thorugh and held their tongues--your part in this is just beginning." :) (cue foreshadowing here!)

ANYWAY! Enjoyed the book the second time around (which to me is a great sign of a good book) and am going to be heading out to get the sequel sometime this week!!!!!! Yeehaw!

Have a great day, everyone (and can I just say, am loving the emailed blog entries! Wahoo, Miss Katie for "making it work"!).

:) Laurenda

ps. Katie, can I tell you I never made the corrolation between Leven's hair and Harry's scar??? Yegads. lol. Hooray for other book club readers sharing insights. :)

Leven Thumps - Gateway to Foo

I found several similarities between Leven Thumps and Harry Potter (which may be why I liked it so much):
Young boy, parents having been killed, being raised by relatives that really don't want him.
Said relatives mistreat him.
The young boy has a "mark" of some kind that distinguishes him from others (Harry - scar, Leven - white stripe of hair).
Then, at a given age, this young boy is told he is "special," and has a special destiny different from the world he knows.
I liked the fact that Leven had a hard time coming to grips with his new reality, his "special-ness." I tried to imagine a boy his age (my 16-year-old nephew comes to mind) all of a sudden being told he has magic-ish powers. He wouldn't believe it and he would rebel against it. That brought a certain je ne sais quoi - I mean a certain reality to the book. However, to bring a little religion into it, I imagine another 14-year-old boy who helped bring about a religious revolution. There is a reason change starts with people so young - because they probably have an easier time believing in their destiny - so I'm changing my previous opinion about my nephew. I still liked that initial "who me?"
It was very imaginative - I loved the way they took the car across the Atlantic, and I can't wait for the sequel.

The Giver

Hello, Ladies:

I'm late on this post I know but I will be early on the post for Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo.

But to get back to The Giver... I found this book fascinating and not to mention a very quick read. There were so many things that I thought were very sad about the whole scenario that they lived in. I realize that not one of them really knew true love, had an opinion, was able to make a choice or really live life like we all know it. It is all so static and going about this all "churchy" and stuff, truly what things were to be like if all we had to do was to get a body and have things made for us. We wouldn't have to decide what to be when we grew up, or who or when to marry or even how many children to have. (One boy and one girl...that is it.)

How tragic that they think being a birth mother was "job without honor," the lowest form of work anyone could do and how they really discouraged Lily from thinking that she would see what this "work" would be like. And I have to say that I don't think that the pills they were all taking were just to help "control" everyone into submission and believing that what was happening was the way things should be. It seems as though they started the pills when they hit puberty...perhaps to control other sentiments and feelings as well.

Everything about nearly everyone was superficial...even the conversations among the family. They would share but it was done without emotion; emotionally sterile. Even when Jonas is chosen to be the next Giver there was surprise, but life went on. Jonas was not to talk about the training, but his parents didn't know that. It didn't seem like they cared much. Life as they knew it was going on as everything did every day. I was also surprised about the "release" process. I cried when I found out what the process was, yet to the dad, it was just a job he did every day.

Another item I found interesting was all the different ceremonies they had...Naming and Placement, Release of the Old, Ceremony of the Tens, Matching of Spouses, Ceremony of the Twelves, etc. What is with all this pomp and circumstance? To keep the people in line? To keep it organized and sterile?

I liked the Giver. He seemed like the most real person there was. Truly sad and enthusiastic to get things turned over to Jonas...he had more emotions than everyone...duh, I know. I did worry about his plan to get everyone to experience more, however. Did it work? Who knows but that this and if Jonas and Gabriel arrived elsewhere are the two pivital debates. I don't know the the Giver's plan would have worked. When his own daughter chose to be released, there was some disquiet for a time, but things went back to "normal"...as they knew it. Did Jonas die...was there something else out there...did he find it? I like this ambiguous ending. I have debated in my head back and forth the outcomes and I, like Katie, came the conclusion that people did have to start feeling and Jonas and Gabriel made it elsewhere and lived happily ever after.

What can I say, I'm an hopeless romantic!

Good pick!

Michelle

The Giver

Ladies,

I finished this book on time. In fact, I took it to Utah over Labor Day and had Carolyn read it as well. I do apologize for not posting my blog until now, however. I have just been crazy busy with school and church! Speaking of Church . . . how does Moses 5:11 & 12 sound? "Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad . . . " that they were experiencing the good and bad in life. I, too, was certainly reminded of the need for opposition in order to experience joy.

In the book, when they talked about school and the regimentation and conformity that was part of it, it really gave me pause. In the name of classroom control, am I guilty of forcing conformity and taking away the individuality of my students? And the total lack of genuine feeling toward any other human being was chilling. There are many things in this world that can dull or "drug" our empathy and sympathy toward others. Violent media is only one, but it is certainly a powerful desensitizer.

The real enigma to me is "The Giver." Can you imagine how hard his life must have been . . . knowing what he knew, sharing what he knew with his daughter and realizing that she chose death rather than experience knowledge and pain, waiting for years for Jonas to grow up, feeling that there was nothing he could do to change things . . . and then coming up with a plan to bring "real" life back to the people in his care? An interesting thought just occurred to me while I was writing this post. How much of a "Heavenly Father figure" is he . . . giving the people in his care as much as they are capable of handling, protecting, counseling and teaching them? Just a thought.

As far as the ending is concerned, I am all for happy endings. I vote for their safe arrival "elsewhere" and a mortal life of many years filled with joys and sorrows. If not, they might just as well have been "released." In other words, I would like to think they were victorious in more ways that just choosing the way they would die.

Anyway, I loved the book and was surprised I hadn't read it years ago. I own and have read another Lois Lowry book, "Number the Stars." I told Rod that "The Giver" is one he really has to read. He has read "Leven Thumps" and is excited for me to be reading it. Evidently the sequal has just come out in paperback so I imagine it will be part of our home library soon.

Thanks for the incentive to read and the interesting shared insights upon completion! :)

--Karen S.

The Giver

I must say that it wasn't until talking with Amanda (and then reading Laurenda's post) that it even crossed my mind that Jonas and Gabe didn't make it to elsewhere, that they simply died. I just assumed they made it to a warm, loving place. Maybe that's my desire to always see the happy ending.

I did find the world they lived in very interesting and filled with gospel insights. For example, the fact there must be opposition in all things. At night the families talked about their feelings. But, as Jonas found out after becoming the Receiver, how real were these feelings? They didn't know anything different - how could they be happy when they didn't experience unhappiness?

The world they lived in reminded me a lot of the dark planet visited in A Wrinkle in Time where all the boys playing outside bounced the ball in the same rhythm, and the one who didn't was quickly taken back inside for more instruction. All that sameness is never portrayed as a good thing.

What I found interesting is the fact that all these people could be controlled - although it just came to my mind that that's why they had the medication that all adults were to take. Still, it's amazing that all adults would take that medication without question. Those who rebelled were released? I can't even imagine a world without color, music, love, laughter, and this type of world doesn't come without hurt, anger, hatred, etc. Although there are occasions when I wish other people didn't have their agency to choose, I'm really glad we do have that agency.

I'm looking forward to Leven Thumps...

The Giver

Hello Ladies!!! :)

Well, I just have to say that I enjoyed the book--a very easy read that only took me a few hours to finish (I read it this past Sunday). That being said, it made me have fretful dreams that night because I couldn't decide if Jonas and Gabe had made it to "Elsewhere" or if they had moved to the great beyond. It also caused weird dreams because of how it dovetailed with all sorts of gospel related themes.

It took me a bit to get into the book, but I did enjoy the journey as Lowry describes the society in which the plot is set. I kinda liked some of the family unit traditions of talking about their feelings at night and their dreams in the morning because it really did seem like good family quality time. And, to be honest, I thought Lily's anger--for a young child--was pretty appropriate, because that's how my girls get. They get "angry" and "frustrated" with the goofiest things, and it's almost comical because they've never experienced "real" anger (at the library today, Elisabeth was getting angry because she couldn't fit a puzzle piece in just right). Perhaps this is what Lowry was trying to illustrate, that children and adults had the same "feelings." Her parents expression of feelings was pretty superficial. I thought it was interesting that Jonas' father was worried that little Gabe would be released--which would reflect a failure on him--and thus got him a years extension before the Father voted to release him because of all the trouble he caused the night crew, but wasn't worried about "releasing" the smaller twin.

I thought it was so fascinating that Lowry linked memory to feelings, both painful ones and happy ones--both being necessary, and seeing colors and hearing music, and that when you willingly choose "Sameness" over choice, you are still making a choice not to HAVE choices. How interesting was it that when a "Receiver" died, the memories had to be transferred instead of just dying with the "Receiver" (remember how Rosemary's memories came back to the people and caused all sorts of chaos?). I must say that it caused me to cry when I read about the baby being killed, Rosemary choosing to end her life, and then finding out that it was the Giver's daughter.

ANYWAY! It was a very profound and well written book and I can see why it won so many awards. However, it did give me enough fretful dreams that in the morning, I did some research and found a thread of discussion that was actually a relief. This guy was theorizing that the reason Lowry gave such an ambigiuous ending was to allow the reader to choose for themselves what happened to Jonas and Gabe. I liked that. And, you know, with that choice, I was no longer fretful about what happened to them, but ironically, could not decide which ending I preferred. Isn't that funny? :)

Great selection, Miss Katie!!!

:) Laurenda

Belated "To Kill a Mockingbird"

Sorry this is so late, but once I really got into the book, I could not NOT finish it. Olivia and I finally have figured out how to nurse so I can read. She's a good baby.

Okay, I just have to say, What a great book. I had never read it, though I have seen and loved the movie. Of course, after I finished it, I had to go and read up on its author! I am amazed that this was her only published book and that she's a recluse, and that she studied law (which was evident in the court scenes)...I could go on. I was just really impressed. No wonder this was awarded prizes and acclaim and has been "forced" reading in high school (though, clearly, not mine! lol).

ANYWAY, I told Katie that I was going to compare the book and the movie: all things considered, the movie was remarkably true to the book! And I have to confess that during my reading, Atticus Finch looked just like Gregory Peck! :) Indeed, my mental characterization of the book was colored by the film version (I even think I read it like a black and white film!), but I felt that they got it spot on. I was amazed at the poetry of the book and was moved by...so much! I was flipping through, trying to find passages that held me and made me stop and think, but I couldn't narrow them down, there were too many. Gosh, I just really liked this book. It was so wise and it was published at such a pivotal time.

I am glad to have read the book, though, because now I know why Jem is called Jem (I don' t think that was ever covered in the movie. lol). This was a great choice for the book club. Thank you!

I'm excited to see what everyone else thought, but I just wanted you to know that I finally got it done and am now forging on to "The Giver" and will hopefully get that one done on time!!!

To Kill a Mockingbird

Ladies,

Sorry I'm late with my post. I read this book while traveling to Phoenix last week. I read it in high school and saw the movie then as well. It is amazing how much it taught me (and others in the 60s--hence its Pulitzer prize) about racial discrimination, as well as what it was like to live in the South during this time period. It increased my understanding and shaped my attitudes even to the present day. Having grown up in a town where there was only one African American family (and they moved out after a few weeks), my multi-cultural experience was limited. In preparation for my student teaching experience in inner-city Salt Lake, I read Black Like Me and took Black History at BYU (I actually got to meet Alex Haley, author of Roots, and shake his hand). Again, there was one black student in my class and he was transferred out before I did anything more than observe. I really wanted to not be prejudiced.

Now that I live in the mid-west, have lots of African American students in my classes and teach an African history/slave trade/prejudice reduction unit it was really interesting to see what has and hasn't changed. Scout's and Jem's innocence and subsequent initiation into the realities of injustice and cruelty were poignant. It is a process that children everywhere go through, however. I teach middle school. Elementary students are somewhat colorblind and they don't see socio-economic differences either. But by sixth grade, they begin to be very aware of differences and they can be incredibly cruel.

Adults can only do so much to overcome this. Who children become is part of a process shaped by the way they deal with the injustices around them. I loved the way Atticus raised his children. At the end of Chapter 9 he has a discussion with Uncle Jack that Scout "overhears" and later realizes that her father wanted her to hear every word. " . . . I hope and pray I can get Jem and Scout through it without bitterness, and most of all, without catching Maycomb's usual disease." His calm, patient, principled example was awesome!

Then there is the incredible writing style of Harper Lee. (You should see my markings throughout the book.) As I was finishing it, I had an opportunity to walk through the bookstore next to my hotel. I stumbled across a book about Harper Lee entitled Mockingbird, by Charles J. Shields. It is fabulous, but was written without her help. (She doesn't give interviews.) I am only part-way through it, but I can tell you that Scout is Harper Lee and Dill, is based on her best friend, Truman Capote! Her father was an attorney. She lived, and still lives, in a small town in Alabama. The autobiographical stuff in To Kill a Mockingbird is really interesting.

I think I have some idea of why she only wrote one book. First, she won a Pulitzer Prize for her first book. How do you follow that? Second, I think she shared her life and thoughts with millions of people. That is a very vulnerable place to be. It may be she just didn't want to do it again. Third, my son, Jeff, suggested that she said what she wanted to say, what she was passionate about, and then she was done. Anyway, I am so glad to have had the opportunity to re-read this book. As soon as Rod reads it, we are going to rent the movie. (I won't let him see it before he reads the book!) Thanks, Amanda, for suggesting this book!

--Karen Smith

To Kill a Mockingbird

How I love this book. I can't believe I have never read it before. Of course, I've seen the movie (Gregory Peck IS Atticus Finch), but the book was truly a delight.

I agree with Katrina, "Pictures were drawn by the words the author provided." I could actually see the town, the courthouse, the school, etc. I kept thinking to myself that I wanted to go back in time and LIVE in this town. However, each time I thought that, I would remember the bigotry and prejudices of the time and change my mind.

Harper Lee is amazing, and how unfortunate that she never wrote another book. She's very talented in the way she can, this is hard to describe... she can tell a story without writing the story. How to explain, there were many places in the book where Scout narrated one thing, but the reader knew something else was going on. I loved that - a very effective storytelling method.

This ranks right up there with my favorite books of all time - A Wrinkle in Time, The Chronicles of Narnia, etc. Thanks, Amanda!!

My Sister's Keeper

Ladies,

I was thoroughly engrossed in My Sister's Keeper from the first page to the last. However, I was totally furious after I got to page 413 and Brian got the emergency call to go to the scene of the accident. When I realized what was going down, I threw a fit and stopped reading for awhile. I was angry beyond belief. I found it interesting that in the interview with Jodi Picoult at the end of my copy, she says that her son reacted the same way. He refused to talk to her for days after he finished the book. She then explains why she felt it had to end the way it did.

I guess I am an incurable romantic, but I was a little calmer when I realized that Campbell didn't die, too. I felt that Julia deserved some happiness and frankly, I didn't want any more suffering! I just felt so defeated that Anna was fighting so hard to prove her value as an individual, and then she dies and becomes an organ donor, losing her individual identity again. I know it is noble of her to save the lives of others, but I wanted her to live a full life herself!!

I realize that Picoult was exploring medical ethics and it was a nice "bookend" approach to have Anna's life begin and end providing life for Kate, but . . . what about Anna? I wondered if an understanding of the eternal nature of life and family would have made a difference in Sara's unrelenting effort to prolong Kate's life. Is the kind of impact described in the book (especially on Jesse and Anna) typical of LDS families with terminally ill children?

Anyway, this is a book that I will remember for a long, long time and will recommend it to others. (In fact, my daughter-in-law is reading it right now.)

--Karen

My Sister's Keeper

Thanks to Laurenda for being first this time. ;-)

I didn't read the end of the book first. And I didn't see the end coming, which is very unusual for me.

For me, the book evoked many different STRONG emotions:

I had some time to kill in Orem before another appointment, and didn't want to drive all the way home and back again, so I stopped into Barnes & Noble to finish the book. So, I'm in the reading area of B&N crying my guts out at the end of the book. I found the ending very interesting... Anna WON her case, and yet still saved her sister's life. It seemed a little coincidental, maybe even forced, but interesting.

I did not like Sara (the mom). I can't even imaging bringing a child into the world simply to benefit another child - I'm sure the feelings are more complex than that, and granted, I don't have a dying child, but it seems very preferential. There's a line on page 100, "I have thought of this daughter only in terms of what she will be able to do for the daughter I already have." Sara hadn't even picked out names for Anna, yet.

I did like the side story of Campbell (lawyer) and Julia, even though I hate story lines where a person leaves or breaks up with another because "oh, I'm sick and I don't want to burden you with my illness" without giving the other person a say in the matter. I've always hated that.

The relationship between Sara (mom) and Brian (dad) seemed fairly true to life. I've often heard that parents of sick or handicapped children often find that, later in life, they have nothing more in common than the illness of the child. And, unfortunately, these relationships end in divorce.

I liked the writing style. Jodi Picoult had some interesting imagery ("silence has a sound"), and I liked the story from the different perspectives.

Of all the children, I think I felt most sorry for Jesse. I found his story heartbreaking. He resorted to drastic actions to get noticed. As Kate said, "...imagine [if] you were a squirrel living in the elephant cage at the zoo. Does anyone ever go there and say, 'Hey, check out that squirrel?' No, because there's something much bigger you notice first."

Were the conclusions a little pat? Yes. But I enjoyed the read, and enjoyed meeting the different characters. Thanks, Michelle!!

My Sisters Keeper

Hello Ladies! Better get this posted while I still can!!!!!

Well, can I just say that I had to check out the Large Print edition of this book from the second library that I visited because the other 5 editions were already checked out! lol. I have to admit, it wasn't necessarily unpleasant to have slightly larger print, but it cracked me up.

ANYWAY, that little tidbit aside, I have to say this is such an unfair book for a 9 month pregnant woman to read! lol. True confession: The suspense was so crazy for me that I read the ending of the book fairly early on and then re-read it again after I'd finished the book and BOTH times, sobbed sobbed sobbed. Ugh. As Oprah said, I'm sure I was in the "ugly" cry. Ohhhhhhh, the hormones on top of the subject matter!!!!

I thought it was a remarkably easy read, and initially I was way into the different perspectives of the characters via each new chapter. I must admit, that by about 2/3rds of the way through, I was done with all the jumping perspectives and just wanted to find out what was going on. Did find it terribly intereting about the seizures of Anna's lawyer and the necessity of Judge. Fascinating. After his big reveal, I actually remember seeing something on the news about a dog and its owner and how he kept an eye on her because she was epileptic.

Interestingly, I read some reviews on Amazon, after finishing the book, and found out that many people were incensed about the ending. I thought it was definitely a twist, but an irony that had a bit of justice...the parents still mourned a daughter, just a different one. Some of the other character's endings were a little too...happy pat, meaning it seemed that everything got tied up a little too neatly, but still, I enjoyed the book and it was a great diversion!!!!! :)

I'm going to try to get To Kill a Mockingbird in this month, but my baby is due anytime and we'll have to see how accomodating she is going to be to letting mom have some time to read (and sleep and bathe and etc etc.).

OH!!! Happy Fourth of July, everyone!!!!! May all your fireworks be safe but lovely.

:) Laurenda

Peace Like a River

I loved this book. From the very first chapter describing the miracle of Reuben's birth, I was hooked! The book reminded me of Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird, the family dynamic especially. The strength and weaknesses of Jeremiah Land reminded me of Atticus Finch, another strong single father. I loved Jeremiah's relationship with God; he could and did show his kids that they could go to the Lord with anything and that faith works miracles. Jeremiah's faith was described by Reuben as legendary and it certainly seemed so. His "healing" of the principal and the way he walked on air while praying on the truck bed are some of my favorites. I also loved how he taught by example, for instance you should always help people regardless of the rewards. I loved it when the traveling salesman came around and Reuben feared for his favorite soup, but it didn't matter because Jeremiah made sure there was plenty of food. And then to top it all off, the annoying salesman left his beloved AirStream to Jeremiah just when they needed it most.

The one thing I didn't really care for was Davy killing the 2 boys in cold blood the way he did. I know it was necessary for the odyssey to begin but I don't agree that justice was served. It wasn't exactly self-defense; Davy knew by attacking them first they would attack back. Davy thought that his justice was the only appropriate justice for the crime of hurting his sister. I don't agree with that and I think that Jeremiah and Reuben struggled with Davy's choice. Although if Davy had not shot them who knows who else would be hurt by the boys (sorry I can't remember their names, I am at work and don't have a copy of the book with me but I wanted to post).

I also loved Swede and her writings, how incredible to have that talent at 9 years old! I loved Sundown and Valdez and how Swede used her characters to show her feelings for Davy. I didn't care for the ending of the story, with Swede and Reuben not being as close as they were as children on this incredible experience. I loved that Roxanne was found just when the family needed her most and it seems almost like Jeremiah knew his kids would need a loving parent as he would not be around for too much longer. This book is definitely one that I will pick up and re-read. Good choice!

Peace Like a River

Ladies,

I enjoyed reading KT's, Laurenda's and Katrina's responses to the book. (I decided to sneak a peak before I posted my response.) We can all thank Rod for the choice of this book. (He knew I would love it. Thanks, Rod!) I found the message to be powerful and the characters interesting. (Swede reminded me of a girl in my ward growing up.) And the presence of miracles in our lives . . . Rod and I have started calling them, "tender mercies." I have noticed God's tender mercies more in the past few months than I ever did before and I feel such gratitude. Like Katrina, I just think that there aren't many coincidences any more.

There is another reason that I loved this book in addition to all the reasons I have already described and that is the incredibly beautiful way the book is written. Every paragraph . . . even some sentences . . . were works of art in and of themselves. How did Leif Enger ever learn to write like this?!?! page 103 ". . . he was up, sitting in the kitchen with frayed King James--oh, but he worked that book; he held to it like a rope ladder." page 111 "Winter was a train crawling north." page 213 "It shot through me that I would not see him again--that the horse with every upward plunge bore us nearer a ruthless parting I was bound to keep secret." page 297 "Not one of us asked about Andreeson, though he lit on my heart, staying there like a guest on the porch you hope will give up and leave." page 299 ". . . we cleared our throats and armored our hearts and stepped out into the sunrise." page 304 "Dad held my hand, and I felt the music growing in his fingers."

Rod convinced me to choose this book by simply reading the first 3 pages to me. Enger puts images and phrases together in such an unexpected way . . . it is mind boggling. Someday, I would like to be able to write that powerfully. There were times, like Laurenda, when I wanted to get on with the story, but I didn't want to skip ahead because I didn't want to miss one of those amazing sentences :)

I am glad you enjoyed reading it. Thanks, KT for putting together Les Liseuses and for providing us the opportunity to read interesting books and share each other's observations.

--Karen S.

Peace...

Normally I don't read the other reviews until after I've written mine, but I went ahead and read them first this time around. I appreciated that this book did, indeed, make one ponder about miracles in our own lives (I remember the trip, Katrina! And I hope Pugsley okay) and faith and/or lack thereof.

I really relished the book. I loved the characterization of Reuben, the protagonist and the witness, to these amazing things his father did. I loved that he would briefly step aside and talk to us, the reader, of his own weaknesses and developing faith concerning these miracles (ie: when his father was pacing the truck, when they were driving through "town" after town and never once were seen by the authorities) or his own childishness (the courtroom scene). He seemed very human and real--all the characters did. Jeremiah "Dad" Lands, Swede, Davy...even Mr. Andreeson (okay, I can't remember his name, but he was the fed who met a harsh end). You know who Jeremiah reminded me of? My father-in-law. Talk about someone who endures adversity based on his relationship with the Lord--sometimes to the chagrin of people around him who don't understand why he puts up with such and so, or would call him weak. When Jeremiah gives up his pursuit of a worldly profession to become a "mere" custodian after his experience with the tornado, or later when he was fired but still cured the Principal, I thought of Jerry. Children learn lessons in all different sorts of ways, though we often don't understand them until we are older and my husband has often spoken of how high his father has set the bar for so many things because of his quiet example.

Like I said, this book made me reflect and think. I enjoyed reading it (though, I have to admit, I sometimes skimmed some parts--like some of Swede's poetry verses--so I could get to the "good" stuff, thus exposing my own impatiences with rhymed poetry! lol) and was kinda sad to see it end. Very good book choice! Thanks Karen!!!

Peace Like a River

OK, I'll be first again.

I read this book before Karen selected it for the book club. I found the title intriguing Peace Like a River. In my experiences with rivers (kayaking, white-water rafting, etc.), I have not found rivers to be peaceful. They are in constant motion - one might say turmoil. This is how I found this book. The lives of the characters were in constant motion (and turmoil).

There was one time when the lives of the children were peaceful - with Roxanna (I really liked her). The writing style, especially with Roxanna, was peaceful even if the events being written about weren't (how's that for good sentence structure?)

In the description on the back of the book (my book at least) says this is a story "in which 'what could be unbelievable becomes extraordinary.'" Maybe it's my LDS beliefs, but I found nothing in the book to be unbelievable, although I can see how the world would see that. The miraculous healing of baby Reuben, Reuben and his father meeting in that brief after-death period, etc. All of that seemed like "yeah, of course that could happen." Miracles haven't ceased.

The way the tone of Swede's writing matched the events going on around them was beautiful. Swede, Reuben, dad, etc. could all be calm on the exterior, but we got a peak into how they were feeling (especially Swede) through the Sundown adventures.

Nice pick, Karen. Thanks!!

The Good Earth

Good evening, Ladies. I have read The Good Earth a couple of times, once in high school or college and once about ten years ago as part of the curriculum in my high school world studies class. I didn't re-read it this time, but I re-read my marginal notes, which were extensive. I have been particularly interested in the way literature changes with what we bring to it as individuals. My reactions ten years ago were vastly different from my reactions as a young reader and it was fun to re-read them today.

I have really enjoyed everyone's comments thus far. KT, I thought your comment on blaming the gods when things go badly but not praising them when things go well was right on. I also appreciated Laurenda's comment about O-lan leaving the fields to give birth by herself and Katrina's comment about Buck's challenges in getting the book published in the first place. I wasn't aware of this.

Having had the opportunity to teach the history of China, I find this book so true to the culture. The "Dynastic Cycle," or rise and fall of "houses" in China is very similar to the cycle of righteousness in The Book of Mormon. According to the wisdom of Confucious, a house rises to power when the gods are pleased with them. The people will know the gods are pleased when the lives of the people go well: rain in its season, plentiful crops, stable government, honorable rulers, etc. As the dynasty ages, corruption creeps in and the gods are displeased which is demonstrated by drought, instability and war. This results in the overthrow of the old dynasty and the beginning of a new one which lasts until they become corrupt and the cycle begins again. The House of Hwang and Wang Lung's family story fit the cycle well.

Wang Lung's attitude toward the land could also symbolize a person's attachment to his/her roots, values, heritage whether or not that is actual "land." It is important that we pass those values on to the next generation or they will abandon the things which should be of value in their lives, just as Wang Lung's sons did. The counsel to "remember" that is repeated again and again in the scriptures is to counter the human tendency to forget the things that made individuals, families and societies strong in the first place.

I have also been frustrated by the lack of value for women in turn-of-the century China. The destruction of the rigid social structure of Confucious was a goal of the communists. However, societal attitudes are hard to eliminate. I have still seen some "anti-girl" attitudes in my Asian students. I also have read that the one-child policy of China today has led to the modern-day infanticide of girl babies in the drive to have an male heir, especially in the smaller villages.

One other point, although the foot-binding of ancient China is hard to believe, the parents did it to ensure their daughters' future happiness. I am sure there are things we do as a society today that, while well-intentioned, are harmful to girls. "Take gymnastics and dance." "Do everything and do it well." Get "A's." "Thin is beautiful." "Beauty is valuable." "Perfect is expected." Society sends lots of messages and parents buy into them as well to help their daughters have a happy future. It can be crippling to girls and I see this in some of my students.

There is so much of value in The Good Earth. I am glad for the opportunity to discuss it. Thanks!

--Karen S.

the Good Earth

I realize this is a last-minute post and I don't have time to do it justice, but wanted you to know I read and enjoyed the book. I guess I was being optimistic, though, in that I thought something dramatic would happen to change Wang so that he would show love to O-lan before she died. I had hoped that at least she would get the pearls back. That really bothered me. Over-all, a thought provoking book that made me extremely grateful to live now in this country( especially with my size 10 feet- ha, ha). Seriously, I can't imagine regarding a daughter as any less than a son. That's so sad. My brother-in-law lives in China( He's been there about two years and plans on about five more to go through medical school). I will have to ask him what it's like now. I know in some ways it has changed a lot, but I would guess that in other ways it is much the same. Anyway, this isn't much of a post, but thanks for the book selection. I can't wait to read the next one.

The Good Earth

I should have done this the day I finished the book a couple of weeks ago because I've forgotten so much!!! Still!!!! Let me just say, I really enjoyed The Good Earth and thought it was a fascinating look at a culture as interpreted through Pearl Buck's eyes. I remember reading part of the bio of Pearl Buck and noting that it said that, for the era when she was writing, it was shocking that she had written it from a male's point of view. Isn't that fascinating??? Yet, I found her main character, Wang Lung, to be a very human protagonist--I appreciated him and yet sometimes I was angry with his choices. In that, I guess I was able to really relate to him! :)
I appreciated his love for his land, even if I questioned his motives for getting more and more and the ultimate price he paid for it. I loved that he cared for "his fool" and made sure that she was looked after her entire life (once again illustrating that you truly love those who you serve). My favoriate character was O-lan (though, pregnant with my 3rd baby, I can't see how on EARTH she delivered those kids quietly and without someone's help!!!!) and yet I yearned for her to find some happiness...I don't know that she ever did. Maybe contentment, but who knows if she was every happy or if she felt she deserved to be happy, having been brought up a slave and raised with that mentality. I thought it was so interesting that O-lan was considered "ugly" because of her "big feet," and that she made sure to bind the feet of her daughters so they wouldn't have to suffer the same fate. And I was so sad for O-lan, who felt so unloved because of her position and her "ugliness," even though her family would not have survived without her. I mean, had it not been for her cunning to grab the jewels, Wang Lung would never have been able to amass the fortune that he had gained after the drought. I must say that I feel that Wang Lung DID love O-lan, just not in the romantic way that perhaps was the "expectation" and he keenly felt that loss, because his life was just not the same after she passed. Also, he regretted taking away her earrings in order to please Lotus, whom he thought he desperately "loved" (ha! talk about a great example of infatuation) but who later became such a burden. I also thought it was fascinating to read about about the "Red Beard" mob who struck such horror in the farmlands in China, and to discover that the uncle belonged to this faction. It was interesting that one of the reasons Wang Lung was protected was because his uncle was in that mob, and yet how hard it was for Wang Lung to honor his uncle (and subsequently his family), even though he had to for traditions sake, and how interesting that opium turned out to be the way to "deal" with them.

I read some of the Oprah Book Club questions which I found at the back of my particular book edition, and found one especically fascinating. Basically, it was "Who did you feel most sorry for--O-lan or Lotus" because both had come from such horrid backgrounds. Obviously, since O-lan was my favorite character, I felt more for her (maybe I identified more with her because of my own self esteem issues I'm working on). But I couldn't be completely unempathetic to Lotus, though I found her character to be extremely spoiled and such a cause of contention. I think that through these two characters, I was reminded again of how difficult life was for woman in China. They had such few options: slave, prostitute, wife--if your family had dowry enough. How easy it was to dispose of women (I think back to that baby O-lan killed) and what a commodity they were!!!! Yes, you needed a woman to have a family, but how sad was it that when O-lan had children, we learned of the boys' names, but of the girls, we only heard that another "slave" had been born. It made Wang Lung's tenderness for his fool all the more important to me.

I thought the ending of the book was equally fascinating, as Wang Lung's educated sons (who had not worked the land, really) plotted to start selling it off. They, who had not had to experience true labor and had grown accustomed to an easy life, had no appreciation of the hard work that had gone on to create their lives. So telling for all of us!!! We hear it often today (even my generation and I'm 36) that so many of us take so many things for granted, which we do.

All in all, it was just a fascinating book--and one that was very easy to read. Very enjoyable. :) I look forward to reading everyone's review!!!!

:) Laurenda

The Good Earth

I'm posting now because I'm leaving town for the next three weeks and want the book in front of me so I can check my notes.

First of all, I'm glad to have read The Good Earth. I always looked at it when in bookstores, but I never got around to buying it. However, I'm not sure I can say I liked the book. I found it fascinating, and probably an accurate description of turn-of-the-century China.

I did not like Wang Lung. I found him to be a very weak soul, always concerned about how important he appeared to others. There's a quote on my page 287, as Wang Lung's son is suggesting they buy the house of the Hwangs, "[Wang Lung] was moved by the words of his son when he said "the great house of the Hwangs." Wang (or is it Lung) is now ready for a new home based on how it will appear to others. Even his son knew that Wang Lung "cared mightily what people said of him." This weakness of character allows for a miserable life, I think. You're never happy with what you have or who you are because you're always trying to be who you want people to think you are.

I didn't like the worth (or lack there of) attributed to women in the book, although, it's an accurate depiction of the time and place. Another quote, "It is not meet for a man to love his wife with a foolish and overweening love, as though she were a harlot." OK, don't love your poor wife, but it's OK to love a harlot? And what was with the binding of the feet. What torture (it literally was torture). So, what, smaller feet were preferred by the men so parents would make their daughters' feet the object of desire? Yikes.

I did like the use of color, both in descriptions of the land and as symbols. Red, for luck (the red eggs, red sugar, jewels red as the inner flesh of watermelons); white, the color of mourning (interesting that in our culture, it's black). I found an interesting definition online of the Red Egg baby announcement: "One month after a child is born, hard-boiled eggs (symbolizing fertility) were dyed red (for good luck) and given to family, friends and relatives who had honored the child's birth. This was an invitation and announcement of the upcoming naming ceremony for the new addition to the family. During the party, the baby's name is given."

One last comment - there was a theme throughout the book that is SOOO true to human nature. The gods of the temple of the earth. When things were going poorly for Wang Lung, he wouldn't attend to these gods - no incense, no new clothing. He blamed his misfortune on them. Humans are just like that. I remember talking with people in France when I was on my mission, and we would ask them if they believed in God. Many times the answer was no, due to the fact that there was so much suffering in the world. Gods always gets the blame when lives are going poorly, and rarely get the credit when lives go well. When life is difficult is the most important time to remember and worship God.

This is a very "stream of conciouslness" review, so I hope it makes sense.

Thanks, Karen, for finally allowing me to read this book.

The Red Tent

Reading The Red Tent gave me a lot to think about and I am glad I had the opportunity. I gained a deeper understanding of the society of women during Old Testament times. I found the sisterhood powerful as Leah, Rachel, Zilpha and Bilhah and ultimately Dinah grew to appreciate each other and value their own uniqueness. I found the portrayal of the interaction of Jacob's wives interesting and plausible. I felt the universality of the issues women deal with: finding a sense of identity and value in the world, figuring out how to make meaningful contributions, the importance of relationships including the role of women in relationship to men, the role of "mothers" whether by birth or not, the process of birth, life and death all resonated with me. Once I started reading, I could hardly put it down. Anita Diamant has written a powerful novel that looks at significant issues.

I found myself re-reading the Bible account in Genesis 34. (Interesting timing since this was one of the recent Gospel Doctrine lessons.) I found it interesting that Dinah "went out to see the daughters of the land." In the Biblical sense, it sounds like she was associating with "worldly" people and the fact that this statement is included makes me think it was risky behavior, or at least, frowned upon. But it also says that Shechem's "soul clave unto Dinah," that he "spake kindly" to her, and that he "was more honourable than all the house of his father." In that sense, he appears to be a tragic figure rather than someone who raped Dinah. (The scripture says that he "took her, and lay with her, and defilied her.") It also appears from the footnotes regarding Simeon and Levi's actions that God was not pleased. (Genesis 49 has the blessings of Jacob to his sons and the footnotes on Simeon and Levi refer to Topical Guide on "cruelty, retribution, and anger." That doesn't seem to say that what they did was right in God's eyes.) But the limited information on the women in the Old Testament and the absence of any reaction of Dinah gave Diamant the license to "fill in the blanks."

However, I was frustrated that in her attempt to tell the story "from the women's point of view," she devalues all of the men involved, including the god, El. Instead of creating faithful women who sustained no-doubt-imperfect men in a patriarchal society, she creates idol-worshipping women and men/patriarchs who are "schmucks," with the exception of those out of the covenant: Dinah's husbands--Shechem and Benia. I found the portrayal of Joseph having sex with Potiphar as well as Potiphar's wife and then looking lustfully at his men servants a little hard to take. I also had a hard time with Isaac and Jacob being dottering fools. Laban's portrayal, while being more consistent with his character in the Old Testament was even a little extreme. I know Diamant is reacting to the tendency to make Biblical characters out to be "bigger than life" heroes, but I didn't think she needed to make them such a mess in order to make them "real."

As far as the idol worship that she attributes to Rachel and Leah and their handmaidens, I wondered. I know that throughout the Bible there is an ongoing effort to keep the covenant people away from idol worship. That means there was a lot of it around. It seems probable that the handmaidens had their own beliefs, but I thought that the reason that such great effort was made to choose wives for Isaac and Jacob was to make sure they were part of the covenant people. It's interesting that Diamant is Jewish because she certainly doesn't value their role as a people with a unique relationship to God.

One additional point, the ritual Dinah goes through as she becomes a woman sounds like female circumcision. While I haven't studied this thoroughly, what I have read is that it is very injurious to women and is still practiced today in some societies. I was surprised that Diamant made it look so wonderful and so much a part of becoming one with all womankind and with Mother Earth.

All in all, I thought The Red Tent was a thoughtful look at a story in the Old Testament that raises more questions than it answers. Thanks, Carolyn for choosing a book that gave us the opportunity to look at things from a different perspective!

--Karen

The Red Tent

I had mixed emotions going into the book, and felt the same way at the conclusion. I belonged to another book club while we lived in Texas, and this was the book that was chosen shortly after I moved. I heard from a friend about the reaction of some of the ladies in the club. Some had stronger opinions (pornorgraphic, blasphemous) than others. I tend to be more open minded than some, but still, I was a little aprehensive about reading the book. Overall, I really enjoyed it, but I too had to go through the Old Testament version to seperate fact from fiction (speculation) in my mind.
I loved the idea of having the story written from a woman's point of view. Women truly do have a spiritual connection that eludes men. The whole idea of living in tents, in the middle of nowhere and sharing a husband makes me shudder. The women probably had to have a strong bond between them or else they would have torn each other to shreds. They seemed to have their own little intimate world that the men only played a small part in. I've always thought that it would be nice to have several women around to help take care of the kids, meals, housekeeping, etc., but I'm not woman enough to share a husband in the sexual sense.

Diamante has a great talent for painting such a complete picture without adding so many details that one loses interest. It was easy to visualize Dinah's surroundings, or to imagine what the other characters looked like.

I was somewhat offended by her portrayal of the male characters. I felt that she was a little too pro feminine. Diamante seems to have some serious issues with men, or at least with the biblical men. I'm sure that Laban wasn't perfect, but the author gave him almost every vice possible. Jacob had his faults too, but I don't believe that he changed his name to Israel out of shame. Joseph wasn't Potifers boy toy, nor was he sleeping with his mistress. I'm not sure that he was universally loved by everyone in Egypt, but I don't believe that he was mean and arogant either.

I really did like the book! The great thing about belonging to a book club is the opportunity to leave one's own literary beaten path, and try something new. Thanks for the selection!

The Red Tent

Hello ladies!!

I know, you have never heard from me, but I thought it would be time chime in and post my review on this most interesting book.

I have to say that I really liked this book. It was fascinating to here another idea of how times were back in the time of Jacob. Although there are many things that were probably put in there for shock factor. (Perhaps from her research regarding that time she felt the need to include some ideas of how she thought the common man behaved.) Knowing that most of these men were not common; Jacob, Joseph and some of the other brothers, I was able to overlook much of the minutiae and stuff that was written about these men that is generally contradicted by modern revelation, etc.

What I found most interesting was the interaction between the woman...albeit fiction. As I was reading and putting myself into the characters positions, I was wondering how I would feel to watch my sister marry a man that I was in love with, and then find myself in that ceremony; how would I feel to be married the same man as my sisters; what it would feel like to be ignored by my brothers or how I would react to my husband being killed by my own family members. I found the interaction between the woman fascinating and intriguing. I loved the idea of collecting and hanging out with the woman and learning from each other. Coming from a family of women, it was an interesting lesson on emotional interations.

When Dinah was a young woman she was shy, unsure of herself and lonely. The only friends she had were her mothers and then Joseph. Her experiences were horrific and tragic...and some that I would never like to have in my life. But, it was those experiences that molded her into a strong self-assured woman that she became. Dinah emerged triumphant. What a heroine, what a woman. As sad as her treatment was, I wanted to stand and cheer for her.

I loved the midwife story line. Midwives are so important in their lives. It seems as though it was all about having children. The midwives were busy. They were so knowledgeable and even to this day are sought after. The birthing techniques may be different on different continents but babies will always be born. Dinah offered a service and helped so many with here talents. She was fortunate to learn this from her "mothers" and it kept her busy her life. There was a time when she was relying on others for her keeping. It allowed her a way to give back, and be a value to others around her.

I am glad that I read this book. It was thought provoking and interesting. Thanks for the choice.

Michelle

It's just fiction

I had to keep reminding myself throughout the book that it was just fiction. Although I appreciate the "fleshing out" of the characters, like Laurenda and Amanda, I'm sure that the real characters aren't how they were portrayed in the book. Rebecca was not so indifferent to her family or to Isaac. Joseph did not sleep with Potipher's wife. And so on. I, too, went and read the appropriate chapters in Genesis just in case I was missing something. The one characterization that I preferred in the book to the Bible version is the relationship between Jacob and Leah. I liked the idea that he loved her (even though she wasn't Rachel) rather than the "she was hated" stuff in the Old Testament. However, we still have the problem that the Bible is true as far as it is translated correctly (if I can interject a bit of LDS culture here).

I can't think of the word that best describes what I want to say, but I loved the visual images painted by the author's words; words not describing imagery, but people. Rachel smelled like water and was as strong as the moon. How beautiful and unique is that? Strong as the moon... why not strong as a horse, for example. Beautiful.

The story was supposed to be about the bonds of sisterhood, or so I thought. However, Dinah lost all those with whom she shared such a sisterhood - her mothers, her Egyptian friend, etc. I soon felt that the point of the book was that she was all alone and had to gain the strength to continue on no matter what life gave her. Although, as a midwife, she had opportunities to form relationships with other women, she always seemed alone.

The Red Tent... a place where womanhood is celebrated, shared, and cherished. However, all I could keep thinking was how thankful I am that I don't have to spend a few days a month sitting on hay. Did all women really go to the Red Tent at the same time each month? I know, I'm weird.

I really enjoyed the book. It's just fiction - not a biblical account. Thanks, Carolyn!!

The Red Tent

One of my favorite novels from my childhood is Jacob Have I Loved, by Katherine Patterson. Its the story about 2 sisters, both vastly different from the other, and told from the perspective of the least liked child (at least in her mind), the Esau if you will. One of the reasons why I adore this book is because of the redemptive power found at the end of the story, the sister realizes she too was loved just as much if not more than the Jacob in the story and she had to go away from her family to find herself. This is true about Dinah, she had to suffer at the hands of those who should love her the most, leave them and find herself along the way. However, in The Red Tent, I was left feeling that Dinah didn't really get her due, her justice. I was left feeling she was robbed of her mothers because of her stupid brothers who took their misguided anger out on their only sister, whom they never treated like a sister up to that point. I am happy Dinah found another love, an easy love. I am happy she got to see Joseph again and get a bit of closure with her favorite brother. I am even happy that she got to return to her clan and meet so many of her nieces and nephews. But I was displeased with the way things were left with her son. I thought he was a total snot to her, I know this was common of the time period (but was it really??). I was constantly asking myself, Is this true? A lot of it I have to believe was pure fiction on the part of Diamante, and I have to congratulate her on her incredible, imaginative story. But as is true about The Da Vinci Code, this kind of writing can be considered dangerous. It can very easily put untrue beliefs into unknowing minds.

After reading the first chapter I had to go back to the Old Testament and re-read Genesis. The author obviously takes a lot of liberties with Dinah and the entire cast of characters. I can't believe that Rebecca was that uncaring about her family or that she was so strange in her worship. I can't believe that Jacob would be so uncaring about his supposedly beloved wife Rachel by allowing her to give birth on the side of the road and then callously burying her in a shallow unmarked grave. And, I can't believe that the woman worshipped so many other gods/goddesses and performed bizarre rituals. I thought that surely such righteous woman (as they are portrayed in the Bible) would worship one god, the god of their husband.

Another thing I was struck by was the overt sexuality in the book. The men/boys and their sheep. The implied thought that Joseph kept virile young men around him for more than bodyguards. Ewwww. The easy way Dinah gave her body to a man she had hardly met (talk about love at first sight!). I thought that the women would teach their daughter about chastity. Or maybe they did but Dinah's love was so strong and because she acted on this love she was punished. And that's another thing I found odd, the way Rebecca and Leah scorned the "new" idea of showing off the virginal blood to prove a woman's chastity. I don't like that idea either but I thought this is certainly a new way of looking at an ideal/belief that went far into the 19th century and for some parts of the world this is still an indicator of a woman's worth.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. I found it an accessible book (unlike The Historian, which I will probably never finish and will never recommend). And even though I question the honesty of the book, I like the idea that an author can take such small information and turn it into an incredible imaginative tale. I am glad I read this book, and I look forward to the next.

The Red Tent

I am typing with my oldest, Abigail--who is three, sitting and singing to me. She wanted to type something, so here is her offering: qadsrulkmnnbvcxzf. I asked her what she was writing and she told me, "I'm not writing anything, I'm spelling." :) I thought that was kinda appropo for this months selection.

ANYWAY!!! I just finished, The Red Tent, and have decidedly mixed feelings about it. Though the review is early, I wanted to write while it was still fresh on my mind.

Overall, I did enjoy the book. It was certainly an easy read, and I thought that from the very beginning. It consistantly had the feel of a gathering of women in the Red Tent, gossiping and telling stories. And I love books with that feminine conspiritorial tone--it reminds me of a book on communication by Deborah Tannen, where she said that women talk and share in a spirit to gain consensus and empathy, and I found this true throughout the book. I loved the detail of what life may have been like back in the day, and it's always fascinating to see interpretations of that life based on the author's own background.

But what a sad, angry little book! I guess by the end, I'm supposed to feel some sort of peace, too, because Dinah had made some form of peace in getting on with her life, but I didn't. Hmmmmmmm.

So, I wondered at Diamant's own upbringing--knowing that simply by her faith and biography, she is keenly aware of the Old Testament, traditions, and forefathers--and wondering at her associations with her religion as well as the men in her life. She...almost demonize some of the men of the Old Testament, if that makes sense, and I wondered how truly just that was. I also wonder if there was any resentment on her part from her own subconscious life that came out in her book, via her female protagonist, or if she was just trying to remind the readers that no one is perfect, regardless of how kind history (and scriptures) reflects them. Still, it seems that almost everyone in the book, besides Dinah and the midwives, had something very negative thing about them.

Here's where the decidedly mixed feelings come in...I felt I was reading (argh!!!! There is a word for it that is escpaing me at the moment) history being re-written, and I wanted to say, Cite your Source!!!! Of course, this is a work of fiction, but I'm sure there are people who are now colored by it. Sooooo, this is why I have the mixed feelings. Easy easy to read, but people will now believe that all the women of the past worshipped other gods, had other beliefs and rituals that they clung to even while pretending to honor their husband's god (not that some didn't, I'm just saying that surely...from what we know... there were female believers of El). I dunno...it was really an angry feminine perspective--which, Dinah had every reason to be, but I didn't like the characterizations of some of these historical figures (Rebecca "the Grandmother" springs to mind. I just kept thinking, Really now...) . Once again, I wanted there to be some sort of footnote proving that why "The Grandmother" was sooooooo...weird. I guess that is the beauty of fiction, though. You can paint people in different light and then just say, "Well, I made it up." I also didn't appreciate the fact that Jacob's men were punished simply because Dinah put a curse on them...oh, uh huh.

I do appreciate that Diamant wanted to show how hard life was back in the day, that there were soooooo many dieties to choose from. That there were class levels and cultural differences on so many levels (countrymen, different countries, men/women, children, even girls on the verge of womanhood) that we forget about, here in our comfortable lives. But I think that this book lacked...truth on some level. Maybe that's what it was. My faith and belief did color my perspective as I read this account.

Sooooo, overall: thought it was a great choice for the book club. Very easy to read, I got into it right away. Didn't care for some of the fictionalization of characters that I feel differently about, but did appreciate the overall message of surviving and of the bonds that women have simply because they are women.

:) Laurenda

I FINISHED ON TIME!

Ladies,

I, like KT and Laurenda, had a hard time getting into this book. In fact, at about page 86 I wasn't sure I was going to make it. However, once I got into it, it was a great story. I really wanted to figure out what the Havenites were up to and what Honor was going to do about it. (I love the name . . . "Honor." So appropriate. It's also KT's and my great-great grandmother's name. She was a survivor, too. A single mom in England with three sons and a daughter to raise. The name added to my connection with the heroine.) I also enjoyed the political and historical allusions.

I, like Katrina, did some skimming over what my son, Jeff, calls "techno babel" such as "If they pop out of hyper right at the hyper limit on a reciprocal of Sirius's present course . . ." I kind of rolled my eyes, especially when it went on for pages. I just wanted to get on with the story.

I also thought Laurenda hit it right on with her comment about the language . . . why should our curse words have survived gazillions of years and a plague to show up in Honor's world? I thought the language was gratuitous.

But all-in-all it was an enjoyable read. Thanks, Katrina!

Girl Power

There's nothing that annoys me more than reading or watching helpless female characters. Women can do more than wait for the big, strong man to save her. So, I really appreciated Katrina's explanation about Honor's importance. Being a fan of strong female characters like Buffy, Sidney Bristow (Alias), Veronica Mars, etc., I was happy to see another strong female character.

Like Laurenda, however, I found it difficult to get started. Being a Star Wars fan, I was sure I would be OK with this book. However, I found the pages devoted to the evolution of the Warshawski drive, for example, tedious. At other times, there were terms and references that I would have appreciated knowing something about, so I was easily confused at the beginning of the book (maybe that just says something about me).

I liked Honor. I liked the way she handled her crew. She was tough, but she never berated them - which in the end earned their respect. I really liked how she overcame the disadvantages that people heaped upon her (Admiral Hemphill and Pavel Young come immediately to mind). I liked all the characterizations in the book. Although he sometimes frustrated me, I understood McKeon. I really like Dame Estelle. I appreciated that there were other women in leadership positions on Fearless (i.e. Dominica Santos), and that Honor wasn't the only strong female involved.

I'll just touch lightly on the language. I have a harder time reading foul language than hearing it. Is that weird? I will say that the language during the battle scenes was realistic, but I don't have to like it. ;-)

Here's my biggest question from the book. How can there be a Navy in space? Doesn't a Navy require water? How can spaceships have sails?

Thanks, Katrina, for suggesting a book that I wouldn't have purchased myself. That's what I love about this book club. I get to read books that take me out of my reading zone.

Removing myself from the book club for a while

Dear Ladies:

I am sorry to say that I am removing myself from the Les Liseuses Book Club for about the next five months. I’m busy reading Harry Potter books and Eragon books right now. My children are reading them and I want to know if they are clean and appropriate. Take care.

Love, Celia

Honor and Me

Hello from Kansas!

Well, I just have to say that overall, I did enjoy the story...though I must confess (sorry Katrina) that this probably wasn't my favorite book. After reading the background, however, I was much more impressed with our main character and her importance to the genre, so I really appreciate Katrina posting it. :)

Okay...first a note of explanation: Contrary to MY popular belief, I discovered I have a hard time getting into science fiction. I didn't think I had a problem with it, but I do. It took me forever to get past the first two chapters!!!! And seriously, it kinda reminded me--LOADS--of Tolkien's writing; not style-wise, but verbage verbage verbage everywhere, and so many characters names, so it was a tad confusing at first. I just wanted a good editor to step in somewhere and cut some stuff out and explain the rest--at least as I was beginning the book. I was complaining to my husband about it, and then he reminded me that it actually took me about 3 years to start reading the Harry Potter series (which I adore), and that was after I had actually already bought the first three books!!! Sooooo, most of my issues with the book are just that: mine.

Let me say what I did like about the book. In all honesty, the plot was quite simple. We meet Honor and we know, very early on, that she's going to have some sort of problem with her ship and its new weaponary because of ideological choices of "higher-ups" and the plotting of foreign politicians. After that, we just wait for that to come to fruition. I also liked the fact that she was a strong woman and was very capable, earning trust and respect.

I chuckled, though, when her voice was often described as a soprano, because it put me to mind of my 3 year old, who has a very high voice. (see? my own issues with SciFi).

Anyway! I was totally impressed with the imagery. It takes a good writer to move you to a new world (or off, in this case) and keep you there.

That being said, I was a bit disappointed in the language (I'm getting more prudish in my old age, I guess)--not necessarily because I thought the swearing was too gratuitous (it actually kind of helped to distinguish some of the characters, and though I am embarrased to admit it, who knows what would be coming out of my mouth in the heat of battle!), but because it took me out of the story. I mean, really now. Though I vaguely recall someone saying something about "Old Earth", it wasn't in the diagram of the different planets/systems ANYWHERE. So, how/why did all our tired and tacky vulgarities survive? AND, I don't remember much about Christianity/religion being talked about, so why were so many using the Lord's name in vain??? How would they know to use it? Why didn't they use something else? So, that was annoying to me.

Overall, though, I can see why Honor has such a huge following. Most readers enjoy finding an underdog hero who is strong and resourceful, and who you know is going to be able to over come (somehow!) any/all opposition that is thrown to him/her. So, while I don't see myself continuing the series, I can appreciate the fact that it is wildly popular.

I also apprecite the fact that this book pushed me back to a genre that I do like, but found to be harder to embrace than in my youth. You know, this is what I like best about this book club--the diversity of books we've enjoyed so far. And for that, I thank you, Katrina, for selecting this book! Now on to the Red Tent!!!

:) Laurenda