WW - Loved it

This was a great pick. I was leary at first. I don't usually read young adult books. I wouldn't have read Twilight if you gals didn't suggest it. That said, if Wednesday Wars had a sequal I'd read it.

All of you have done well with your reviews. Once again I feel at a loss to say anything new. I'll just post my favorite quotes throughout the book.

Holling said it so perfectly about this time of year... I always wish for snow and this is how I will express it from now on:

"It's the kind of month where you're grateful for every single glimpse of the sun, or ay sign of blue sky above the clouds, because you're not sure that they're there anymore. And if you can't have sun or blue sky, then you wish it would snow and cover all the gray world with a sparkling white so bright that your eye can't take it in."

I liked this next quote because it shows how wise Holling is at an early age... not always trusting a surge of happiness, but describing it's bliss so perfectly:

"Life got brighter, and somehow, the world suddenly got brighter, too. You know how this is? Your walking along, and then the sun comes out from behind a cloud, and the birds start to sing, and the air is suddenly warm, and it's like the whole world is happy because you are happy. It's a great feeling. But never trust it..."

And then he remembered the death threats for cream puffs. DANG!

And this bit here describes perfectly of why I don't get up in the morning to exercise or even shower.

"It was cold and a little foggy - the kind of foggy that goes all through you, so that everything feels wet, and the cold starts to seep under your skin, and all you can think about is the warm bed that you left to do this to yourself, and you're wishing you had on your thermal underwear, and you're wondering why anyone would want to do this to themselves..."

This was just deep for a 7th grader. Something to remember.

"For it so falls out, that what we have we prize not to the worth whiles we enjoy it; but being lacked and lost, why, then we rack the value, then we find the virtue that possession would not show us while it was ours."

That's all Ladies... looking forward to this next read.

Wednesday Wars

This book had an old-school feel to it. Meaning, it reminded me more of Judy Blume's young adult novels (set in the '40s to '70s) than the modern Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants or Twilight series. This had to do in part with the setting (1968 Long Island) but also with the character of Holling himself, the role of Shakespeare's works, names, and the role of women.

Holling Hoodhood as a character was not tormented by ADHD, addicted parents, low self-esteem, a dark crippling secret or overwhelming brilliance. He was just a self aware kid in the 7th grade. Those challenges he did face (lack of money for cream puffs, embarrassment over wearing tights, being faster than the 8th-graders) were explained away (as Holling notes) by the situation of his age and grade: "Mr. Goldman, it's been a long time since you were in seventh grade" (78). 

Holling had a positive, humorous outlook on the "trials" he did encounter: "So I did it. I got through the whole dress rehearsal playing Ariel the Fairy while wearing bright yellow tights with white feathers on the ... well, I might as well say it — butt. There. On my butt! White feathers waving on my butt!" (78). 
He did not cower when embarrassed by the photo of flying Ariel the Fairy dotted the school walls. Instead, he channeled MacBeth: "... there was a flash of inspiration and ambition" (102).

So, while Holling had his weaknesses, he was not fragile. He knew himself, he had friends, and in the end, he stood up to his father. At age 13. Some men never do this.

Something else that gave this book an old-school feel to me was all the Shakespeare. The author dug into the classics for this one. Not only was Holling reading the plays and quoting from them, but touches of Shakespeare's lines ran through the narrative: "Still, it was  a June day to be blithe and bonny in" (243) when referring to the camping.

The author also played around with language. Holling is marked down on papers for using run-on sentences. Then we, the reader, see run-on sentences galore when Holling has hold of the narrative. 

Another old-school moment comes with the names. This might be old-school in the sense that it reminded me of how I used to refer to people. Holling always referred to Doug Swieteck's brother as exactly that. No first name. Teachers and coaches had only last names. His friends had first names only. Holling's father always wanted to know Holling's friends' first and last names.His father was his father, his mother his mother, and his sister his sister; the change came at the very end of the book, when we learn his sister is named Heather. This shows his growing closer to her, using her name.  

Finally, it's important to discuss the role of women in this novel. Holling's mother was a shadow. She acted as a sounding board in Chapter 1 when Holling complained about Mrs. Baker. That's it. She was not unique, she hid from us, like she hid her smoking from her husband. On the other end of the scale is Mrs. Baker. Independent. Brave. Giving. Challenging. Confident. She did not hide. She was a strong female role model in an age when women's roles were changing. Look at Holling's sister. She was angry and frustrated that Holling was being considered to inherit the family business. She challenged her father about her clothes, hair, education. Thank God for women like Mrs. Baker and for those like Heather, struggling for the cause of women's changing roles. If nothing changes, nothing changes.

To end, I just want to point out to Katie that Pete Seeger rocks; I'm not the only one who thinks so (108).

Oops!

Sorry for that post. It was meant to go to www.zoopeters.blogspot.com, my personal blog. Mea culpa.

Note to self: pay attention!!!

I loved Wednesday Wars too

I loved the self centered 12 year old perspective. I loved his sense of self and what was right and wrong. I loved the description of the saddest sound in the world coming from Mrs. Brigio and how he incorporated that into himself and who he was.

This book had a perfect balance of funny ironic and sad tragic stories. I hated his parents and loved Hupfer's parents. His dad was self-centered beyond acceptable behavior. I hope Holling grows up and works for Kowalski and assocciates instead. I was glad that Holling had good adult examples in his life.

I loved the way that the historical time period and shakespeare stories were intermixed with his life. What an amazingly crazy year in history! and I loved his Romeo and Juliet romance with Meryl Lee. I love that through all the pain and turmoil his faith in miracles was restored and despite his father's poor example he learned how to be a man from Shakespeare and other examples.

fun book! Thanks for the suggestion.

Wednesday Wars

This book spoke to me on so many levels, I hardly know where to begin, but I think I'll start on a personal level. The setting is 1967-68 . . . my senior year in high school. I LIVED these events. I couldn't believe how quickly this book took me back. I was reading it on a plane to Utah and came to the part about the 5,000 Marines in Vietnam and suddenly realized they were talking about Khesanh!!! Rod's brother was there! I started to cry uncontrollably. I couldn't believe that Rod could be SLEEPING right next to me! I almost slugged him! Khesanh has had such an impact on our family. We have all felt some small part of the pain Rod's brother has experienced for the past 40 years as a result of the seige: PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)!

Second, it spoke to me on a professional level. I teach 7th grade. Every day I live with student/teacher, student/student, and student/family relationships. I had the great privilege of teaching my students during the 2008 presidential election and seeing their passion for the issues and their desire to have an impact on their world. I also had the challenge of keeping the little piranhas from eating each other for lunch!! 7th graders can be heroically kind and devastatingly cruel! I usually spend half an hour or more venting to Rod at the end of a day. Some of my students' lives are a train wreck. Others seem to have a glorious future ahead of them (no Perfect Houses, I hope). I pray that I will have an impact on some of them such as Mrs. Baker had on Holling.

Third, it spoke to me as a parent. I was ready to choke Holling's parents. I was appalled at the emotional distance between the parents and children in this family. I was so grateful that, at least, Holling had Danny's parents on his side. Rod and I have had several discussions as a result of this book. I know his parents didn't go to many of his basketball games and my parents weren't driven or focused on engineering our success through extra-curricular activities, etc. On some level, I think they sent us (at least the older kids in my family) to school and figured the experts would teach us what we needed to know. However, I know my parents would have done ANYTHING in their power (and did) to rescue a wayward child. I thought the implication that Holling's father was somehow trapped by his upbringing and that Holling, by understanding his father, wouldn't have to follow the same path was very compassionate and helped heal the hurts he experienced. (It also made me feel more forgiving.)

Fourth, it spoke to me as an English major. The use of Shakespeare's plays to develop Holling's self-awareness was masterful. I loved the literature, the allusions, the way the selections fit so perfectly with what was going on in Holling's life. It was such a well-written story. No wonder it received a Newberry Award!

Fifth, it was fun! The humor of the rats, the cream puffs, the Ariel costume . . . I couldn't help laughing out loud :) (Who knows what the other passengers thought!)

Laurenda, Thanks for a great pick. I told Rod he HAS to read it.

The Wednesday Wars

I wish I'd written my review right after I read the book, because I LOVED IT SO MUCH! But now, weeks have passed and, what do I remember? "I LOVED IT SO MUCH!" I want to buy it for my personal collection, I loved it so much.

The basic story is about 7th grader Holling Hoodhood (what a riot that last name is) coming of age during the Vietnam War. He is the only Presbyterian in his class, and all his Catholic and Jewish friends leave on Wednesday afternoons for religion classes, so he's stuck with his teacher who assigns him to read Shakespeare. The result is a tale so gentle, so moving and so hilarious. We get to learn all about relationships, interwoven with bits of wisdom from Shakespeare. My favorite is the development of Holling's relationship with his sister (so poignant!); his relationship with his teacher Mrs. Baker (a main theme in the book) is so true to life. I remember as a young student being seriously surprised to see one of my teachers at the grocery store. Holling's relationship is like this with Mrs. Baker. Initially, he views her stereotypically as a "mean" teacher who hates his guts. By the end of the book, we see her as a person--someone who has history and emotional angst all of her own, and compassion and tenderness and bravery. And we see first love bloom. How great IS Meryl Lee? So great. I wish I had a Coke right now. :)

Some of my favorite parts? The "swearing". LOVED that. Wish I could remember some of them....OH well. And The Rats. Ohhhhhh, the rats. And how appropriately triumphant was it that the one teacher who left with a nervous breakdown came back as the principal and took care of the rats and was the hero of the 7th Grade Camp Overnighter? It kinda sums up how life can be.

Also, I loved it when Holling was pounding the chalkboard erasers and that huge cloud of dust covered the delicious puff pastries--how funny was the whole puff pastry thing? I mean, his fellow students hounding him for them, which lead him to become a thespian! And the consequences of that? And I loved that he embraced the role because he FELT it, even if it meant he had yellow feathers on his rear? And the rats (did I mention the rats?). And the tender scene where his friend gives Mickey Mantle back the signed ball??? And the strawberries? And, my favorite, where Holling cashes in his prize to pick up his sister (his second "saving" of her), after learning how to run, really run, from Mrs. Baker? These things touched my heart and tickled my funny bone. I was sad when this book ended because it was sooooo good. But I also closed the covers of it very contented.

So, if you haven't read it, it's so worth it. It truly is a feel good book.

The Wednesday Wars - Katie's view of the world

I don’t have my book with me – but I’m sure I had awesome things underlined as well as amazing insights written in the margins. Alas, we’ll all just have to survive without my insights. ☺

I LOVED this book. I thought the perspective of the young boy (12-year-old?) was spot on, maybe a little too insightful, but nevertheless correct. Human nature makes us very self-centered – not always selfish, but self-centered. When faced with a friend/co-worker/family member who is in a bad mood, who hasn’t thought, “what did I do to make them this way?” The person’s mood may have nothing to do with us (and it probably doesn’t) but that doesn’t stop us from thinking that we did something. And Holling Hoodhood is no different.

This was a book about relationships – relationships between Holling and his teacher, between Holling and his sister, between Holling and the world around him. But the book also developed relationships between people in the world surrounding Holling. For example, the relationship between the lunch lady (?) and the Vietnamese girl was very touching. I cried when the lunch lady “overlooked” the girl when passing out treats (or something). I also cried when they came to terms with each other later in the book. I can’t even imagine how hard it would have been to be a young Vietnamese child in the United States during the Vietnam War.

This really sucks not to have the book in front of me. Anyway, I was quite impressed with Holling’s friend who returned the autographed baseball to – Mickey Mantle? – after the “hero” refused to sign Holling’s ball. Is that an accurate portrayal of the baseball player? Was he really that much of a jerk?

Thanks, Laurenda, for choosing this book.

Dear Abbey

Northanger Abbey shares a lot with other Jane Austen novels: It is partly set in Bath. Women are chasing men; men are chasing women. There is a scoundrel in the character of John Thorpe. The story ends in a wedding. What this early novels lacks, though, is a mature and perceptive heroine, one along the lines of an Anne Elliot, Eleanor Dashwood, or Elizabeth Bennett. These young women were grown up. They knew their own minds, knew the right path (and took it), and could discern dishonesty and lack of scruples in others. 

Catherine Morland stands out because she is so unlike Austen's other heroines. She looks to others for what's right or wrong. She fancies a respectable man to be a murderer. Obviously, Austen was younger when she wrote Catherine. This was one of her early attempts, so some tolerance can be granted. At least Catherine is still likable. She's fun, honest, open-minded. But reading her story is like reading a young woman's romance novel or a teenager's journal. That's not the worst thing in the world. But Jane Austen has fed us readers on filet mignon with her other novels. This one is like eating cotton candy. It's sweet as it goes down, but it soon disappears and is forgotten.

Of course, Austen may have been playing a joke on her readers. The whole novel may have been one big tongue-in-cheek joke on the Gothic romance genre: dark secrets, old houses (abbeys), dashing men. She just wrapped the joke up in a saccharin love story to make it more interesting. No doubt Austen herself was a perceptive woman with her own sense of humor. She makes fun of social classes in all her novels. Why not make fun of an entire genre in this one? In any case, readers are lucky Austen herself matured enough to write more solid female leads. Without them, Catherine would stand as Austen's lone heroine, and frankly, she couldn't take the heat.

Northanger Abbey

Sorry I haven't written about this. I actually finished the book a day or two before the reviews were "due," and I wrote about it on my personal blog and then promptly forgot to put anything on the actual book club blook (I have no idea where that word came from, and I thought it too funny to change it. It totally should be "blog". This is, without a doubt, a sign of sleep deprivation...this actually might explain why I haven't blogged about Northanger Abbey yet! lol).

ANYWAY!!!! Finished the book while rocking my new baby and I have to say, you can tell this was written early in Austen's career. It was very very wordy. She sooooo needed a good editor! And I should know, because that's how I write and think. Many college term papers came back with pretty much that same complaint.

That being said, what a fun book. I love that Catherine and Henry seemed to like each other from the start and, yes, had some bumps in their relationship, but for the most part, remained on good terms through the entire book. I have to say, though, that the ending reminded me of a Louis L'Amour book...you have drama, story, romance and conflict, only to be resolved in the last few pages of the last chapter. I mean, seriously, Catherine and Henry were able to find happiness and get permission to marry even though Henry's father was a complete JERK (how scandalous that he turned Catherine out of his house like that, really!)! Thankfully, Henry's sister was able to marry well (!) to some guy we had never even heard about until the paragraph where it was revealed they had married (again, !!!!). But I'm a sucker for a happy ending, so I was actually fine with it. I'm just saying.

I did learn some interesting things. One, that gratuitous swearing/gossip by a suitor is a turnoff, regardless of the century. I'm glad Catherine agreed. Secondly, when the people went to Bath, England, known for it's restorative waters, they literally went to the Pump Rooms to DRINK THE WATER. Ohhhhhhh. I was wondering what the heck they were doing walking around in circles in the recent BBC/PBS version of Northanger Abbey, while periodically stopping to take a beverage break. Now I know.

I love Jane Austen, but I had yet to read this particular novel. Now I have and I'm glad for it. Wonderful choice. :)

Northanger Abbey

Satire: A literary work in which human vice or folly is attacked through irony, derision, or wit.

My oldest nephew hates Jane Austen novels, reasoning that all Jane Austen writes about is the frivolous behaviors of pre-Victorian England. What I can’t make him understand (I don’t know where he gets his stubbornness from – probably his mom☺) is that Jane Austen uses her novels to attack such behaviors. Jane Austen’s heroines are usually stronger than such behaviors, Elizabeth Bennet, Anne Elliot, Elinor Dashwood, to name a few.

Northanger Abbey is not one of my favorite Jane Austen’s books, but I think it is her most satirical work – and one of her earliest. Northanger Abbey was written by Austen in 1798, revised for the press in 1803, and sold in the same year for £10 to a London bookseller, Crosby & Co., who after allowing it to remain for many years on his shelves, was content to sell it back to the novelist's brother, Henry Austen, for the exact sum that he had paid for it at the beginning, not knowing that the writer was already the author of four popular novels. The novel was further revised before being brought out posthumously in late December 1817 (1818 given on the title-page). I find it an interesting satire. (from Wikipedia)

Jane Austen herself was only in her early 20’s, and Catherine Morland is 17 (Austen’s youngest heroine). Although Catherine is the heroine, I think the character that best “attacks” feminine foibles is Isabella Thorpe – she really annoyed me to no end. Isabella always spoke in hyperbole (pun intended), and would then do the opposite of what she had previously said:
“…she was so far from seeking to attract [two young gentlemen’s] notice, that she looked back at them only three times.”
Speaking to James Morland: “I would not stand up without your dear sister for all the world,” and then not “three minutes longer” she said to Catherine: “My dear creature, I am afraid I must leave you, your brother is so amazingly impatient…”
To James: “Mr. Morland… I shall not speak another word to you the rest of the evening.” Then, “Isabella smiled incredulously and talked the rest of the evening to James.”

I really like the Masterpiece Theater production of Northanger Abbey. Less of Isabella and more of a Love story between Henry Tilney and Catherine Moreland, as opposed to the less romantic reasoning in the book: “I must confess that his affection originated in nothing better than gratitude, or, in other words, that a persuasion of her partiality for him had been the only cause of giving her a serious thought.” How romantic.

“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.”

WTWBG!

I've fallen into a bad habit. I read the book and then blog on it weeks later. Fortunately, Welcome to the World, Baby Girl is one of my favorite all-time books, so I'll have better recollections of this one.

First of all, I really have enjoyed reading what you all think of this book. I read it sometimes when I am feeling lonely and want to be wrapped in the warm, comfy blanket Katie spoke of. I, too, love that little town of Elmwood Springs.

Flagg's storytelling is impeccable. It's funny. It's clever. It's fast. Her characters are well-drawn, likable, real (though slightly caricatured, the "villains" especially). Her humor runs through the book in unexpected places: the Valentines pull-over scene, for one. Aunt Elner had me in stitches all the time. Flagg also has a knack for tugging at heartstrings: the description of everyone praying for Dena when she was in the hospital built up and up until there was Aunt Elner, telling God that she didn't have anything to do and He could take her instead of Dena. Another tearful scene came when little Macky Warren had to knock on the door to tell Mrs. Nordstrom that she had a telegram, informing her of her son's death. Finally, there is Dena's own mother in the bathtub, looking for that one drop of blood. How lonely, how sad.

I guess that brings me to Dena's secret history. I sometimes skip over the chapter that describes her grandfather telling the employment agent that he has some Negro blood. I just can't stand it. I want him to take it back, to try again, to come back and give a false name. To "Apple Z" that day. It's such a petty, man-made thing. Hate. Prejudice. But, as I said, man-made. We are (wo)men. We are imperfect. Along with our prejudice and injustice there is compassion and hope. We can be the worst and we can be the best, but mostly I guess we're all just in between. Flagg just proves again without the one end of the spectrum there can not be the other.

This book is a book of contrasts. Flagg portrays her characters as almost opposites: Howard Kingsley vs. Sidney Capello, Dena and Neighbor Dorothy, to an extent. Even the setting. Neighbor Dorothy's house with its expansive back yard, her wraparound front porch, all the visitors stands in opposition to the sterility of the apartment buildings Dena grows up in.

The healing powers of this town play an enormous role in the story. When Dena is sick, she comes "home" to Missouri to become well. It's not only the slow and gentle pace of the town that cares for her. It's those warm, silly, friendly, lovable, capable people in the town, too. "Poor Tot" brings over food. Aunt Elner has stories of Dena's father, Gene. Macky offers hardware, Norma fluttering attention. These people surround Dena with all the love they had for her father, and she just soaks it all in. Her soul soaks it in. This town saves her life. Perhaps that's why I love this book so much - it feeds my soul as well as Dena's.

I'm glad you all could share this book with me.

Congrats to Laurenda and family

On Wednesday, August 6th, Laurenda gave birth to her fourth daughter, Quinlyn Taylor. Mother and daughter are doing well. Best wishes from Les Liseuses - we still expect a Northanger Abbey post, though. :-)

Laurenda's oldest and youngest daughters

Welcome to the World, Baby Girl

Sometimes I had hard time believing Dena's character. Her thoughts and attitudes about life were so different/so in conflict with the way that other people saw her. She didn't hide those attitudes and was terrible to waiters and others. I thought her behavior was pretty scandalous and I was surprised that it wasn't an issue for her because she was a media darling. I guess that just shows how the gossip shows have taken off that I expect that behavior to damage her career. I was surprised that they had to dig for dirt on her, I thought she was providing enough dirt with her alcoholism and her attitude toward others. She was lucky to have people who loved her so unconditionally 'cause she was pretty much a stinker. I just found it hard to believe that people couldn't see her detachment and hatred for others more clearly. But I guess that's where the detachment comes in- she didn't let anyone get close enough to see who she was and she was very skilled at being polite.

I liked that in this book we got to see her change gradually. I think Crow Lake was a little harder to relate to because Kate didn't get her wake up moment until the end of the book. We didn't get to see Kate change. The book at least ended with the hope that she would but most of the book was her narrating her detached self and she was harder to like. Dena was more vulnerable from the beginning and her conversations with Sookie highlighted her changing.

When I first started reading about neighbor Dorothy I thought of blogging. It's the whole new form of radio. It connects people in all the little corners of the world. It was interesting how the book didn't feel dated to me even though it was set in the seventies and the technology is so different now.

I was glad to see things come full circle and how Dena embraced her family at the end. I felt bad for her Grandparents that they missed out on it. I bawled when I read about her mom accidentally committing suicide half way around the world away from her baby girl. I love that Aunt Elner found that picture of Dena's mom holding her with love in her eyes. I'm glad that she could remember her new mom with that piece added.

I think I have more to say but I want to post this and my two year old wants to play a game. :) so... I will post and just have to comment later...

Welcome to the World, Baby Girl!

Ladies,

I have loved reading your comments. I agree with all y'all about Dena's lack of self-awareness ("she is so shut down" just like Kate in Crow Lake) and the importance of turning-points in our lives (again like Crow Lake). I loved the prayers and faith and small town goodness that filled the book. I also loved the characters. I laughed so hard in various scenes that Rod would look at me to see what was so funny :) Fannie Flagg definitely has a gift! I had to call my son, Eric, the policeman to read the scene (pages 190-195) when Gerry was pulled over by the Highway Patrolman. I could hardly get through it :) And I loved how it came back it to play at the end of the book when Gerry sends a memo to Officer Childress with the "rest of the story." (pages 389-390)

On a more serious note, I realized that one of the overarching themes of the book was "truth" -- what is it? who has it? what are its ramifications? what happens to liars? what are the ramifications of their lies? Dena is such a liar at the beginning of the book. I don't think she ever thought about the fact that she was lying. The Paparazzi were supposedly reporting the "truth," but they were liars, too. I also was sickened by the realization that our society IS in a feeding frenzy for the WORST in people and people's lives are destroyed by lies and innuendo. An untrue accusation is damaging and so is the truth, particularly when it is misrepresented.

Flagg also demonstrates that people like Dena's boss, Ira Wallace, and the scum bag he worked with, Sidney Capello, (I thought his death was soooo poetic) and Julian Amsley, president of the network, can't stand anyone being better than they are so they have to drag them down somehow. It is so sad! I guess it's an extreme example of the "natural man." The irony of Dena trying so hard to become an "investigative reporter" when that was exactly what had destroyed her mother and her mother's family was huge!

One other thing I wanted to comment on is the plot. I actually thought that somehow Dena's mother was going to end up being part of the Rosemond family that Sidney Capello destroyed. At first, I was underwhelmed when I found out that her mother was living in hiding because she was African-American because I thought that wasn't awful enough. Hopefully, that shows that we have come a long way as a result of the Civil Rights movement. I have African and African American friends, as well as students, that are wonderful. However, when I put myself back in that era, I could see how devastating the "N" was. I felt such a great sadness for Theo and "Marion."

One question . . . Did I miss this? How did Dena live as a 15-year-old with no mother? Who paid for school? Why didn't someone report her mother as missing? Who paid the rent on the apartment? Dena didn't pose for the magazine until she was 17, right? How did she register for school, travel, etc.? Just wondering . . .

Loved the book!!

Welcome to the World!

Firstly, let me just say that I'm loving the look of our reading group blog! So cute! Thanks Katie. :)

Secondly, I actually read the book! Wahoo. For me, getting into the story was kinda like getting into a swimming pool. I stuck my toe in, found it was kinda chilly, but eventually ended up just jumping in the deep end and ended up feeling refreshed and glad I did. Translated: I started the book and liked it but thought, goodness, this is slow going. So I read the end and I was like, Wait, Why is Dena hooking up with the psychiatrist? Which let me to the middle of the book (with Tennessee Williams) and that got me to go back and pick up where I had left off and then I read the rest of it, completely engrossed.

Conclusion: I really really enjoyed this book!!!! It took a while to unveil the mystery, but I thought it was fascinating. I had NO CLUE that was where everything was headed, did you? The conclusion with Marion and Theo was incredibly sad--I can't even imagine what that life must have been like, but I was so happy that Dena's character was finally able to find peace...literally and figuratively...in her life by "returning home," where she was LOVED LOVED LOVED unconditionally. The very best type of "rescue."

There were two parts of the book that really had an impact on me. Clearly the chapter where she goes to "interview" Tennessee Williams...I found this so profound, considering that "Welcome" was published in 1998/99 (I can't remember exactly), set in the 70's (-ish), but being read in 2008 and it made me totally think about the feeding frenzy we are experiencing now with all the "Brittany" "Brangelina" "Whomever is current" gossip and hounding. Even the political scene is all about digging and finding the most horrid and terrible things about people and "exposing" them, all in the name of "news". I thought the discussion was very candid and rang true for so many things concerning that "whore fame" where you are at one moment running towards it and then frantically trying to run from it.

The other part that had a huge impact on me was when Dena is in the hospital, trying to recover from her bleeding ulcer that nigh unto killed her, and the story tells of how she had this very diverse but incredibly large group of people praying for her all around the world. That totally had me in tears. And I love Aunt Elner's prayer of "I'm not busy and I'd love to finally see you, so take me instead." Ugh! I'm getting teary-eyed thinking of it again.

I love that no one was perfect in this book, but all these characters seemed very human and quite possibly, someone you'd meet (or have met!). I really liked it. Thanks for suggesting it!!!!

:) Laurenda

Welcome to the World

Reading this book was like being wrapped in a comfy blanket in front of a roaring fire (in the winter, or course – this would be terribly uncomfortable in the summer). I had no idea where the story was going to take me. It was like I bought a train ticket for an unknown destination – but thoroughly enjoyed the journey.

Sometimes I really think I should live in a small town. But would I miss Barnes and Noble or DSW too much?

Although Danielle P. chose Welcome to the World as a “light” choice (after Crow Lake and The Kite Runner), it made me more introspectional (yes, that’s actually a word, according to dictionary.com, anyway) than even Crow Lake. And the parts of the book that caused this self-examination weren’t necessarily main parts of the plot:

During a conversation between Neighbor Dorothy and her daughter, Anna Lee, Anna Lee asks “Mother,” Anna Lee asked, “if you could stop time, when would you stop it?” Although I thought of a time or two where I would have liked to stop time, Mother Smith’s response to the question was amazingly wise: “…I don’t think I would…I’d hate to take a chance on missing something good that might be coming up, just around the corner, wouldn’t you?” (pg. xxvi)

Aunt Elner (loved her) asks Macky “What would you do if you knew for sure the end of the world was coming next Tuesday?” (pg. 61) What would I do? Would I be closed off to family and friends knowing that the end was near? Or would I try to be as happy, friendly and loving as possible. And, really, since I don’t know when my “end” will be, shouldn’t I live that way all the time?

During one of Dena’s sessions with Gerry O’Malley (what a patient guy), he asks her, “Who are you other than what you do…I’m not saying that other people may not be able to separate you from what you do, I’m wondering if you can.” (pg. 130) Dena’s put in a similar situation when Dr. Diggers asks her to describe herself in three words. Who am I? How would I describe myself? And closely would that match how other people describe me?
And then, later in the book, Dena finds herself: “Slowly [Dena] was beginning to feel like the girl she used to be, the one that had gotten lost along the way.” (pg. 376) Dena then quits the network – the only thing that had previously defined her was no longer needed as she discovered who she really was.

During a visit with Sookie (I think Sookie is Dena’s touchstone), Dena asks her what she would be willing to fight for (pg. 189).

Believe it or not, there was a theme in Welcome to the World that we previously touched on in Crow Lake – OK, in reading the previous posts for Crow Lake, it looks like it’s a theme that I touched on. What does that say about me? Anyway, it’s “how a single choice can change the direction of not only an individual’s life, but the lives surrounding that individual as well.” The choice in Welcome to the World was made by Dr. James Le Guarde. It wasn’t a wrong choice, it was just a choice with long-reaching consequences. When he was applying for a work permit and got the “N” stamped on it for Negro. Had it not been for that, how different would his life have been? His children’s? His grandchild (Dena)? This is not to say that Dena’s mother, could not have made different choices in her life – Dena did – but “that one second, that one letter, changed the course of [Dr. Le Guarde’s] life, and of his children’s lives.” (pg. 412)

What a wonderful adventure.

Crow Lake ... finally

I finally have a chance to post on Crow Lake. In short, I liked the story although I don't think I'd ever go in for seconds. I finished the book about a month ago, so this review will be a little sketchy. I will try to do my best.

Crow Lake did not leave a lasting impression. As I think back on it, there is nothing that stands out. I felt no great loss or sadness, nor happiness or joy. The storyline was interesting enough for me, but it did not resonate with me. This is due, in part, to my lack of connection to the main character, Kate. Because her adult self was hard to reach in the story -- even for her boyfriend -- I was not pulled in to her emotions.

When I first started reading the book, I anticipated being pulled in deep emotionally. The narrator kept referring to a tragedy that was to occur later. It sounded so ominous. There was a lot of buildup. Even when a tragedy -- her parents' death -- occurred, I kept waiting for something more to happen. Although Kate may have also been referring to the tragedy of her brother, Matt, not being able to attend school, this still did not seem to tragic to me. After meeting him, he seemed happy with his life.

I guess this brings another couple of points: 1) We are all responsible for our own happiness and 2) What is tragic to one is not tragic to another. Kate in the book was very wrapped up in her brother Matt's happiness. I think her teacher, Miss Carrington, fueled this concern: The teacher would come by the house to tell the family that it "wasn't too late" for Matt to attend college. For a 6-year-old, a teacher can be very influential. As for the tragedy of Matt not going to college, in the end, Matt made his own choices. He seemed to have decided that not attending college was not a tragedy. He and his other brother also sacrificed for Kate herself.

Kate's perspective of the events during her childhood were very different from her brothers' perspective. It's that shade of childhood that comes down over what's really happening. Kids can't know what's going on in the adult world. Kate seemed to be stuck with this shade down for most of her early adulthood, too. I am glad it began to lift as she visited her family in the last scenes.

Crow Lake - Gina's Perspective

I feel like the odd ball a lot of times because I don't like a book and the rest of you do. Maybe I took too long to read it, but I had to put the book down whenever Kate would move to the present day and her issues with Daniel - it bored me. I'd rather get lost in Crow Lake with the Morrison family and the small town idiosyncrasies.

I didn't relate to Kate at all in this story. I think I had the same disconnect with The Book Thief because Death was the narrator... not a happy soul. Same story in The Stranger. The narrator is so important to me. If I don't see eye to eye with the story teller, I have a hard time enjoying a book.

However I did relate to Aunt Annie, Matt, Luke and poor Marie. I was so proud of Marie for giving it to Kate at the end of the book. It was about time someone COMMUNICATED! I actually enjoyed Kate's shock and horror. It's really sad it took her so many years to re-think her attitude and open her heart.

Before I push "publish post" I need to mention a few quotes that I liked in the book:

"I remember it because both it (the juvenile wave) and her smile contrasted oddly with the fact that there were tears running down her cheeks. Take no notice of the tears, her smile and her fingers said. So we took no notice of them, as if they were nothing to do with Aunt Annie, and waved gravely back" (I saw myself as Annie in this scene... I'd be worried to death for those kids to be left on their own. I was releived that Kate actually wrote to Annie every week. I am sure it put her heart at ease.)

"Daniel is naive in some ways. He hasn't had to struggle for anything in life and that has made him easygoing. Undemanding. Not so much of himself as of other people. He is generous and fair and tolerant, all of which are qualities I admire, but sometimes I think he carries them too far. Sometimes he makes excuses for people in a way which almost denies them responsibility for themselves. ... The idea that we are carried along by fate, unable to resist or change direction, sound suspiciouly like an excues to me." (I loved this quote because Kate is my husband and I am Daniel in this situation. Just struck me interesting.)

"Because in an ideal world, effort, like virtue, is rewarded, and it simply makes no sense not to act as if it's an ideal world." (Beautifully written.)

Crow Lake

I too loved this book. My mom's book club read it and she recommended it to me. Thanks for your comments Katie, connecting it with The Kite Runner. I had realized how similar in structure the books were until you tied them together- both hinge on one life altering decision made in childhood, both end with hope but not a complete resolution, both are fictional biographies. Their settings and characters were so different that I hadn't connected them but really in the humanity of their tales they are very connected.

I think Marie gets a bad rap from Kate. Kate sees her as purely horrible but that's because she is the one who takes away her brother and hero from her. She is so jealous of Marie that she can't see Matt's true feelings for her. I'm not sure that Matt didn't love Marie(though I'm not sure that he did either- he was definitely in a vulnerable position). He certainly acted like it- He burnt down the barn and filled in the quarry that held such terrible memories for her. He couldn't take her away from it completely but he gave her as much of a clean slate as he could. I imagine that he adjusted to the situation pretty fast. He was a smart enough guy to make the best of it too. He may not have gotten to study biology like Kate but he got to live immersed in it everyday. It seems that he was a man to surround himself with learning whether in school or not. He didn't teach Kate from books- he taught her from life. His only failing was in Kate's eyes not in real life. I was sad that they didn't seem to have anymore kids.

I loved Luke too and I had hoped that he would marry once his siblings were grown. I was happy that he became very successful. I loved the way that the author brought you up to date on everyone's lives at the end with out it being a summary epilogue. The way she did it was necessary for the plot and perfect for the ending of the book. I just like that we got to see all of our favorite characters one last time- in the present and it made sense in the context of the book to do that. Hope I make sense- I've got mommy brain. :)

I wish that I could find out what happened to the other Pyes that walked off of the farm. I wonder if they stopped the cycle of abuse. Maybe the cycle only continued with the one that stayed behind because the one that stayed was the one who wasn't brave enough or was too greedy to leave. They also endured the most abuse because they stayed. The story of the one Pye who ran away after falling into the pond terrrified me. I kept expecting her to say that they found his body somewhere when the snow thawed in the spring. When she didn't I had hope that maybe he made it to somewhere... So sad to think of an 11 year old boy journeying off in the snow soaking wet. I hope he had somewhere to go to warm up first...

I loved their community and the way that they banded to keep their little family together and safe. I loved the lady who came over to cook/clean/and babysit. I can't remember her name at the moment. She was amazing. I love that all charity to them had to be given in a certain way in order for the boys to be willing to accept it. They still had to have some control and while they needed help and accepted help it was on their own terms. I wished that the Pyes had had more of that community interference. I think that because they were a successful and seemingly whole family, people respected their privacy and kept their distance. They were the real tragedy.

It is interesting the assumptions we make about ourselves and the way that they lock us into place. Kate assumed that she could never love anyone. She assumed that she needed to go away to school to be a success for the family. She assumed that she had to lock herself away from people so that she wouldn't hurt again. Daniel made her see that she could love. She was a success and she loved what she studied but she also let it remove her from her family. She let that prize divide her from her love. Finally she realized in the end that her hurting was caused by locking herself away. I am thankful for the surprises in life that knock us out of our assumptions and help us to open up.

Crow Lake

I'm finally getting around to posting on a book that I thoroughly enjoyed. I believe that everyone else does such a fantastic job of sharing their views and thoughts about the books that we read, that I usually only want to comment on what others have written. I'm such a lazy bum.

I too must admit that Luke was my favorite character. I related to and admired his optimism that everything would turn out all right. He never seemed to doubt, or get overly anxious about the future. My mother is a true optimist, and having married into a somewhat pessimistic family, I'm so grateful that that quality that my mother possessed became and integral part of my personality. It make the trials easier to bear. I wonder, though, about his decision to sacrifice his opportunity to go to teachers college in order to keep the family together. Was it a purely selfless act, or was it really not much of a sacrifice? How much did he really want to become a teacher? The fact that he was so young makes me wonder if he really understood what was involved in providing physical and emotional support to children. I in no way want to insinuate that his sacrifice was insignificant in any way considering that I'm not sure that I would have been selfless enough to choose to take charge of my 2 year old sister at the age of 18. I just wonder if his choice was a bit naive or perhaps an attempt to make up for the distress that he had caused his parents through his moments of rebellion. I was saddened that he had not married and had his own children, but happy that he had found a skill that he was good at (furniture making) that provided him with a sense of accomplishment, and self satisfaction.

I spent most of the book wondering why Kate should have such a big chip on her shoulder. It did cause me to do some self evaluating and soul searching to find the personal demons that keep me from the more meaningful relationships that I could be enjoying with my friends and family members.

With Matt I was reminded of how life altering one pivotal moment can be. In a split second he made a decision that forever changed the path his life would take. I wondered if he would somehow find a way to take Marie with him and still attend school. I'm sure that in that day and age (What era was it anyway? I wondered that the whole book. Did it ever say?), and under the circumstances, that was nearly impossible.

I really thought that Laurie would eventually kill his father, they'd destroy all evidence, and the Pyes would somehow work things out. I wasn't worried about jail time for Laurie mostly because it just wouldn't be fair to be punished for ridding the world of such rubbish. My guess is though, that Laurie may have eventually grown and continued the cycle with his own son. The author really did know the best way to resolve the Pye dilemma.

Thanks for such a good book choice!

Crow Lake

What a great book! I really enjoyed reading something set in Canada (part of my curriculum). I am very glad it was our June selection! I think Katie did a great job of discussing the turning points in the book, so I have decided to focus on the growth of the main character, Kate, and the beauty of the ending to the story.

I think the most telling line for me was on page 149 when Daniel asks her, "Does the word empathy mean anything to you, Kate?" I think there is a great deal of justification for her lack of empathy: her age when her parents are killed; the lack of discussion of feelings in her family / community; the fact that she is raised by brothers who really don't have a handle on their own emotions, let alone hers; and the "pull yourself up by the bootstraps and move on" era / society in which she was raised.

She reminds me of a PTSD (post-traumatic-stress-disorder) Vietnam veteran. It's as if her emotional development is stopped at the time of the accident and she is frozen until her conversation with Marie finally gets her to break loose and see things from a different perspective. That is the beauty of the ending of the book. The healing process has been going on for years for the others, and finally the healing process begins for Kate.

I, like Katie, thought that Laurie was going to kill his father and go to prison for it. I could only see doom and gloom in the Pye family future. I thought Lawson's ending was so much better than that! It was almost poetic. Calvin Pye had been destroying everyone around him for years. I know he was also a victim, but his final self-destructive act ended the cycle of abuse and allowed Matt and Marie a chance to have a decent life together. Because they inherited the farm without anyone there to drag them back into the pain of the past, their son, Simon, has a life full of love and future full of promise.

Thanks again for the opportunity to read a thought provoking book!

Crow Lake

Crow Lake deftly illustrates how a single choice can change the direction of not only an individual’s life, but the lives surrounding that individual as well.

The Pye men choose to hate their children (but keep having them?). Weird. I understand there is a cycle of abuse, and that a person tends to adopt the behaviors of those around them, but wouldn’t an abused child – knowing how it feels to be abused – want to stop the abuse rather than perpetuate it? SPOILER ALERT I was sure that Laurie Pye was going to kill his father, not the other way around. That took me by surprise. I think it was all the references to the fact that Laurie wouldn’t take crap from his father, that he stood up to him, etc. that led me to believe that Laurie would be the one to do harm - "As a child, Laure too had burned bright with swallowed rage, but when he was older, he did answer back. Oh, definitely, he did answer back," (page 117). "Calvin had never stood up to his own father, according to Miss Vernon. Laurie did. Laurie would not be cowed," (page 203). The choices of the Pye men led Marie to be in the vulnerable situation she was in (I think), which then led to Matt’s choice. What a tragic family.

Luke chooses not to go to university in order to keep his siblings together. Regardless of his motivations, this was an honorable, mature choice. I mean, he was what, 17? 18? Maybe he really didn’t want to become a teacher and that motivated him to stay home, but he still took on a lot of responsibility for such a young man. The people of Crow Lake were amazing - rallying around those kids the way they did. And I was impressed by Luke’s faith that everything would work out al right. Luke is also faced with another choice, witnessed by Kate. Sally McLean, that tramp, offered herself to Luke, but he chose to turn her down (compare with Matt’s behavior). And I don’t think it’s because Luke is gay –there were foreshadowings of a relationship between him and Miss Carrington. Amanda and I were talking about the book, and we both decided that, even though the book focused on the relationship between Matt and Kate, Luke was our favorite brother.

Matt chooses not to go to university and accept the consequences of his actions with Marie. That is an honorable choice – and he’s made his peace with it and is happy. Matt loves his son and I think he grew to truly love his wife. I think Matt’s only regret is the effect that his choice had on his relationship with Kate. His choice is the crux of the book – it instigates Kate’s choice.

Kate chooses to see Matt as a failure. She chooses to allow Matt’s choices warp her relationship with her favorite brother. And this choice causes her to shut herself off from any other meaningful relationships (kudos to Daniel for sticking with her). I will admit, when Kate had her epiphany of self-awareness, it prompted a much needed one for me as well. It’s never easy to analyze oneself, to really understand why you behave in a certain way – but it’s even harder to do something to change it, so kudos to Kate, too. Crow Lake ended much like The Kite Runner – not with a perfectly happy-ever-after ending, but with a hopeful ending.

On a lighter note, I love the two extra commandments - Thou Shalt Not Emote and Thou Shalt Not Admit to Being Upset.

Sorry!!!

Ugh! My apologies about the weird post. I have a different personal blog on blogger, and I inadvertently posted the comic entry on the wrong blog! Sorry!

Is this our book club?

I quite like the British sitcom The Vicar of Dibley. It's hilarious - even when I can't quite understand the accent. Anyway, Laurenda recently watched my two favorite episodes, The Handsome Stranger and The Vicar in White, and suggested I post this scene. The premise of the story is that a female vicar arrives at a small English village. Anyway, in The Handsome Stranger, Geraldine (the vicar) starts a village book club. Hilarity ensues.

Kite Runner

It was a painful and yet beautiful book. I too loved the perfect ending- life was not perfect but it was hopeful.

I actually thought Amir was a little hard on himself. He was a kid and he was reacting to influences out of his control in typical kid fashion. He was jealous of Hassan for reasons that he sensed but didn't understand or have enough knowledge to understand. His culture told him that Hassan was not a person but a slave. His father showed him different but also made him jealous because Hassan was everything his Father could have wanted in a son. There would have been sibling rivalry between them if they had both been legitimate- they might not have been friends at all then because of Amir's inferiority complex. They were able to have their strange friendship because of their situation. I got annoyed with Amir being cruel but his methods of cruelty were pretty mild- brotherly even- usually. He made up stories instead of reading the real words- stories that Hassan enjoyed. He flaunted his power a little but Hassan was good at standing up for himself subtly. He kept Amir from abusing his power too much(usually) by not reacting to his tauntings or simply offering his faithfulness and loyalty. My Mom used to tell my sister that my brother would stop taunting her if she didn't give him such a big reaction. Her reaction created all the fun. Hassan did this very wisely. Amir was a better person because Hassan showed Amir his faults simply by being Hassan.

It was hard to read about Hassan's abuse by Assef. It was hard to have Amir share in the shame without ever talking with Hassan about it. That was the worst- the months of non-communication and miscommunication. Later I think I was more mad at Rahim for not helping both of the boys through it. A child is not equipped to know how to deal with that kind of situation. Amir tried to avoid it and couldn't which is totally understandable. It was painful for him to set Hassan up and kick him out but based on later events I wonder if this was not better for him. Hassan escaped further abuse from Assef as a child. Based on the friend of Assef's who escaped at the same time as Amir and based on Hassan's murder- I think Hassan would have been terrorized continually by Assef if he had stayed there. Rahim said as much to Amir when he told him the story of his banished lover. Hassan was facing worse than Rahim's lover if he stayed and he had no one to protect him. I'm not sure that Amir could have done anything to protect Hassan in the streets from Assef. I'm not sure that even getting an adult would have done any good because he was too far from his father and most of the city did not consider Hassan person.
I thought it interesting that Assef was shown as the core of the Taliban- He being a man so impure and evil. It seems that was the nature of the movement- It professed to be one thing while in actuality it was another. It was a cover for hate and sin. It reminded me a lot of the Nazi reign of terror. Similar motivations and tactics.
I was proud of Amir for assimilating so fast the fact that Hassan was his half brother. That cannot have been easy. He spent so much of his life feeling inadequate and imperfect in his father's shadow. To suddenly discover his father was so imperfect(especially by his father's own standards) must have been very painful. He also showed bravery in taking the wife that he chose imperfect as she was. Amir was a better man than he gave himself credit for.

Kite Runner - A fabulous title

I really enjoyed Danielle P's review of the book. She about covered everything that I would have mentioned. This was a tragic and haunting story. I still don't know if I am going to watch the movie because I am not ready to go back to that place [of heart wrenching sadness].

I didn't think I could ever forgive Amir for what he did to Hassan. I kept reading, hoping that something would make me feel better about that horrible scene... and the further betrayal (when Ali finally moved Hassan and himself out of Baba's home).

My heart just broke more when Baba got sick and Amir got called back to Afghanistan by Rahim Khan. The story of Hassan's mother coming back, the massacre that left Sohrab an orphan. Etc, etc. I just wanted to put the book down. I didn't though. I went to the near end and found the redeeming part of the book that helped me forgive Amir. Rahim Khan's letter to Amir... admitting he knew everything and encouraging him to forgive himself and make it right. The main thing he mentioned was that Amir was a child when he did those things to Hassan. A child. It made me rethink everything and what I would do at the age of 10 or 11 if something similar happened.

As for the title of the book and the ending... it was beautifully matched! Hassan a kite running hero at the beginning and Amir a hero at the end, teaching Hassan's boy the talent he surely had within him. The perfect tie.

Kite Runner

It's been a long time since I posted (crazyness/lazyness are my excuses), and it's been a long time since I read "Kite Runner" (which I was in no hurry to reread). I really enjoyed the book for the good the bad and the ugly. I like a book that can take me out of the revolution of my daily existence, and help me to understand that the whole world does not live like middle class Americans. It helps me to be more appreciative of the life that I lead.

I could identify with personality traits of each of the main characters. It reminded me of selfish angry Scarlet and the loving, guiless, loyal Melanie (a bit of a stretch, I know) in "Gone with the Wind". I want to be the unselfish forgiving Hassan, but wonder if I'd be more likely to run when faced with a situation requiring great courage like Amir. We all make mistakes, and I hope that I have learned from mine.

The Kite Runner: Not something you want to have every night...

Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner is a bit like Schindler’s List. It’s intense, difficult to digest, and satisfying, yet not something you want to repeat often. Its themes are common enough: guilt/redemption, father/son relationship, power/control, prejudice, human nature (good acts vs. cruelty). The storytelling was good enough, at times beautiful and breezy. The characters were well-drawn if a bit stereotypical. The conflicts were real. The glimpse into another culture interesting. The ending was satisfying. But the story was filled with such pain and tragedy, it was hard to get through at times. The ending was a relief, not only in that Amir earns redemption but also because I could finally put the book down.

While the story has enough themes to keep it interesting, I would classify The Kite Runner as a character study more than anything. We have Amir’s father, a strong and moral man. He is charitable (gives food to poor, builds an orphanage), a critical thinker (don’t believe all the holy men tell you), and a bit cynical. There is the bully Assef, who never grows out of his emotional smallness and parochial view of the world. His rants make him sound like Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter’s enemy: “We are the true Afghans, the pure Afghans, not this Flat-Nose here” (40). There is Hassan, the pure-hearted and loyal servant friend (much like Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings trilogy (a character who, in my opinion, is the true hero of the novel). Hassan knows who he is, remains steadfast to Amir, and is eternally optimistic. He is the perfect lamb, and Amir is the slaughterer.

The narrator Amir, is, as his father fears, weak. As a boy, he lacks courage. He is given opportunities to grow stronger but turns his back on them again and again. As a result, he abuses his “power” over his servant Hassan by teasing him and using him as his own personal ego-stroker while at the same time struggling over his feelings of admiration for Hassan. Amir afflicts small emotional abuses upon Hassan when he teases him with vocabulary words and does not acknowledge Hassan as his friend. Amir happily receives the attention Hassan pays him when the servant boy praises his master’s writing. And Amir struggles with himself, he wavers between embarrassment over Hassan and pride.

On page 54, Amir cruelly asks Hassan if the latter would “eat dirt if I told you to” and admits to being fascinated by teasing Hassan – his friend, his servant – as if Amir were torturing an insect.

On the very next page, the author gracefully describes a scene that shows the admiration Amir has for Hassan:

“Here it comes,” Hassan said, pointing to the sky. He rose to his feet and walked a few paces to his left. I looked up, saw the kite plummeting toward us. I heard footfalls, shouts, an approaching melee of kite runners. But they were wasting their time. Because Hassan stood with his arms wide open, smiling, waiting for the kite. And may God – If He exists, that is – strike me blind if the kite didn’t just drop into his outstretched arms.

As time passes, we learn that fear rules Amir’s life. He is afraid not only of being physically hurt but also from being emotionally vulnerable. His father recognizes this fear in his son – as we see when he expresses his concern to his friend – and his concerns are justified.

Amir’s greatest act of fear comes when he fails to fight for Hassan as the boy is being raped (just one of the difficult scenes to read). Amir allows Hassan to suffer this indignity and then – to add insult to injury – turns his back on Hassan’s friendship. This event crippled both Hassan and Amir. Hassan “stopped smiling,” and Amir became haunted by guilt.

Ultimately, it was Amir’s lifetime of guilt coupled with his deep but often suppressed admiration that led him to redeem himself as an adult. He left his cushy life in America to return to war-ravaged Afghanistan. He suffered Assef’s beating and took in Hassan’s newly orphaned son as part of his own family. He was given a chance to make up for his lack of courage as a boy, took that chance with reluctance, and with it, took a step closer to purifying his soul.

The Kite Runner

First of all, a hearty congratulations to Danielle Wheeler on her new baby (born April 14th).

OK - The Kite Runner. How different pre-Russian-invasion Afghanistan is from the Afghanistan we see on the news today? Even though toward the end of the book it was pointed out that the Afghanistan of the rich (Amir's family) was different from the Afghanistan of the normal person, it was actually heart-breaking to picture a happier, normal Afghanistan where kids can watch John Wayne movies and drink Coke.

I had a hard time sympathizing with Amir as a child. I was amazed at how much angst a little child could have, but also at how perceptive they are - Amir was so jealous of Hassan when they were little, and it was probably because he could sense his father's inner struggle. I did find the quote on page 51 very poignant - where Baba buys kits for both Amir and Hassan, and Amir wishes his dad would let him be the favorite. Doesn't every human have the need to be somebody's favorite - at least one person's favorite? Doesn't everybody want someone to prefer their company?

In the discussion questions, there's a question that references the pomegranate tree - "One summer day, I used one of Ali's kitchen knives to carve our names on it: 'Amir and Hassan, the sultans of Kabul.' Those words made it formal: the tree was ours." Then later in a letter to Amir, Hassan says that "the tree hasn't borne fruit in years." The tree represents the "friendship" between the two boys (although Amir earlier says he didn't think of the two of the as friends... in the conventional sense). How ironic that the tree that emblazoned their moment of true friendship would be barren for years - barren like the years wasted because of Amir's reluctance to stand up for Hassan.

I like that Amir had the opportunity for redemption - that he was able to finally defend his true friend. I like that Amir could finally make up for what he did - the he finally was able to become whole.

SPOILER ALERT: I really had no idea that the vicious Taliban member with the John Lennon glasses was going to be Assef. However, didn't it really have to be? I mean, for Amir to be able to really atone for the hurt he caused Hassan, the final "showdown" had to be between the original triangle - Amir, Hassan (Sohrab) and Assef. Why didn't I see this coming? Why was I shocked?

There is so much I could say about this book. I turned down so many pages when I read something I found intriguing, touching, or powerful. I like the ending as well - it wasn't a forced, contrived ending - it didn't end with everything being better. It ended with a little progress made by Sohrab. Amir's downfall began with a kite - and his new, redeemed journey begins with another kite. A kite - flying around with easy motion...

Eat, Pray, Love

I am posting close the the deadline, albeit one day late :) We are in Seattle with our oldest son and his 4 little boys, the newest having arrived 10 days ago. While Cannon is at school, Henry is napping, Luke is playing with blocks upstairs and baby Matthew is with his mother, I am going to post my review.

I am posting before I read anyone else's because I wanted to review rather than just respond. Then I am looking forward to participating in the discussion because I think we will have a lot of different opinions. I do have to raise one general objection to Gilbert's view of the world. I found it interesting that she could be so tolerant of the non-traditional religious beliefs of others, loving mystics and all varieties of Eastern philosophies from Hinduism to Buddhism and associating with Christians-who-don't-speak-very-strictly (see pages 13 & 14), but, she draws the line at accepting (ick) Republicans! (see pages 48 & 88)

I found her to be typically broad minded and accepting of people who consider themselves "broad minded" and "free thinking" but as narrow-minded and bigoted about people who might have issues with her morals or disagree with her assessment of world issues as any of the conservatives she dislikes. (Good grief . . . she loved every word out of the foul-mouthed Italian at the soccer game!?! It was an "exquisite" and "lucky" moment to be sitting in front of him--page 69?! She seemed so much like the artsy, pompous, full-of-themselves intellectuals I have encountered in life!) She offers regrets for any hurt feelings "strictly religious individuals" might have to her writing and then summarily dismisses them as she excuses herself from their business (page 14). Using the label of "a liberal" is really too simplistic to summarize any complex human being (including Elizabeth Gilbert), but in the interest of time, "if the shoe fits"!

This having been said, I thought this book was full of valuable insights and enlightening views that all of us could benefit from examining. In other words, my plan is to sift through what I read then keep the wheat and blow the chaff away (including the parts where love turned into ????) Enough of criticism. Here's the wheat:

1) I loved her quest to learn who she really is. I loved watching her "transformation." I loved considering our need for food for the body, food for the spirit, and love in our lives. I loved her search for the quiet mind and for "balance" in life. I loved her acknowledgement that she should be the best in "Elizabeth Gilbert," rather than trying to be someone else. (page 192--"If God wanted me to be a shy girl with thick, dark hair, He would have made me that way, but He didn't."

2) I really enjoyed the section on prayer and meditation. It was rich with lessons on our relationship with God. I found much that was really "true." The idea of surrender to God, letting go of the junk, praying with focus, choosing not to harbor unhealthy thoughts . . . there was sooooo much in this section that has already been of value to me!

One final note, the ideas in Eat, Pray, Love are receiving consideration on many levels and in many venues throughout the world. Some call it humanistic, some call is faux or new age religion. On my flight here, I was seated next to a lady who was reading "A New Earth" by Eckhart Tolle. We kept stopping in our readings to share insights with each other and they were amazingly similar. My seat-mate shared the "100 monkeys" theory with me. She said that researchers of primate behavior have found that if a new behavior is exhibited by a group of monkeys, that when the critical mass of 100 monkeys exhibit this same behavior, distant communities of monkeys with no contact with the original group will start exhibiting the same behavior. The theory is that life is all connected and that if enough people will start thinking about themselves and their world differently, we can truly create "a new world." (Sounds like life in the Millenium to me--they just leave out the 2nd coming!)

Anyway, I am glad I had the opportunity to read this book. I have already found changes that are occuring in my view of life and its experiences that have resulted from reading this book. Thanks!

--Karen Smith

Love eat pray love

      A great big thank you to whoever suggested this book for our club. I found it fun, fascinating, insightful and stimulating. I relate personally with so much of Gilbert’s own insights and feelings, and I like her method of expressing them.

      Her writing is both direct and meandering, interesting and funny:

“I’m grateful for Luca [Spaghetti] because he has finally allowed me to get even with my friend Brian, who was lucky enough to have grown up next door to a Native American kid named Dennis Ha-Ha, and therefore could always boast that he had the friend with the coolest name. Finally, I can offer competition” (p. 58).

      As for Gilbert’s insights and feelings related in the book, I feel very connected with her. She sees herself as I have done at times, in terms of how she thinks the world sees her, as in this exchange with Richard from Texas at the Ashram in India:

“’OK, I think you’re probably right. Maybe I do have a problem with control. It’s just weird that you noticed. Because I don’t think it’s that obvious on the surface. I mean — I bet most people can’t see my control issues when they first look at me.’

Richard from Texas laughs so hard he almost loses his toothpick.

‘They can’t? Honey — Ray Charles could see your control issues!’” (p. 151).

      I walk around thinking I’m fooling the world about who I am, thinking what a good actress I am. And I just know there are some wise souls out there, shaking their heads and tsk-tsking me for playing this time waster of a game.
      Another example of how I feel connected to her is when she describes how singing the Gurugita for her nephew changed her relationship with the task:

“I filled the song with everything I wished I could teach him about life. I tried to reassure him with every line about how the world is hard and unfair sometimes, but that it’s all OK because he is so loved. He is surrounded by souls who would do anything to help him. And not only that — he has wisdom and patience of his own, buried deep inside his being, which will only reveal themselves over time and will always carry him through any trial. He is a gift from God to all of us” (p. 169).

      The sentiments Gilbert expresses in the lines above are similar to ones I feel toward my nieces and nephews. I would imagine parents feel the same way about their children. There is so much love in those lines. Pure, simple love. No strings attached. Nothing her nephew needs to do to deserve any of it. I find that utterly beautiful. I also see it as a reminder to myself: that I am loved, that I am a gift from God. There are moments in my life (in fact, the majority of them), when I act as if I am not loved. Here is another reminder that I am.
      Finally, the books contains so many nuggets of wisdom, from her Italian comrades to her friends in India and Indonesia:

      * Richard from Texas: “A true soul mate is probably the most important person you’ll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake” (p. 149).
      * The plumber at the Ashram: “With all your heart, ask for grace, and let go” (p. 185).
      * Giovanni: “Liz, you must be very polite with yourself when you are learning something new” (p.56).

      Besides all the spiritual insights, Gilbert describes a Yogic practice that absolutely fascinates me. The blue energy pitching though her body as she meditates tests my curiosity: Is this really possible? What is really happening here? Is it good for you? Is it a spiritual or a physiological event? Tale 46, beginning of page 143, bears rereading.

      So again, thanks for this reading. I tore through it so quickly the first time, I think I will have to make time to reread the entire thing, starting with Tale 46.

Jane Eyre

I haven't read any reviews yet, so please forgive me if you've already talked about this. :)

So, I just have to say that Jane Eyre...well, there's a reason it's a classic. I think everyone in the Young Women's program should read it while a Miamaid (can you imagine, Required Reading in YW's? lol) and before they start dating. I mean, it deals with the "Ugly Duckling/unpopular" situation, the "I love him but he seems to be in love with her!" situation, the "I'm just the smart girl" situation, and the ever popular, "How to choose between settling and maintaining my inner core values??!" Jane goes through HUGE hardships, has to make the HARD decisions, faces loneliness and disappointment time again, and yet maintains her humanity, her compassion and her sense of self and morality through it all.

To get right to the punch, I love that Jane is not a victim. She so easily could have been, but her hardships made her strong. Can you imagine Jane set in today's world? Bless her heart, she'd probably have been on Oprah, working her way through her role as a victim with abuse issues, abandonment issues, probably co-dependant on the wrong sorts of people (though, as a note, I know that not all people who appear on Oprah who have suffered atrocities become victims in their lives, I'm just saying Jane had a lot going against her). Who knows what she would have become. lolol. But in all seriousness, she still had her baggage and issues (don't we all!). That's what made her so real, I think, but she had gained strength and earned respect through her hardships, which made her a richer character for it.

Also, I LOVE that Jane, when faced with her utmost heart's desire (marrying her love, her kindred spirit, her soul mate, Mr. Rochester) and the most wretched of discoveries on her wedding day (of all times) becomes such an example of staying true to who you are. When she is then faced with an offer to be with Mr. Rochester, to just run away together, she stands her ground and says, NO, even though she knows she is giving him up. For anyone who's ever had to make "the hard decision," this surely resonates. Oh, it was so hard for her, and yet she did it! And the blessings that come from that decision make a world of difference for Jane!!! Goodness, can you imagine the different ending the story would have had if Jane had said, "Yes?" Sure, Mr. Rochester would probably not have been blinded/mangled, but Jane's spirit would have been.

And I love that the ending is "happy" but in a very non-traditional way. It's not like Jane and Mr. Rochester run off into the sunset, blissful to the end, because their opposition has been solved for them. There is tragedy that strikes before the concluding happiness, but this tragedy illustrates that, truly, it's a story that love in its entirety is beautiful, but finding beauty is not finding love. Jane truly is the love of Mr. Rochester's life, but there are consequences for choices we make. How interesting that the dashing Mr. Rochester himself suffers disfigurement, but is yet still desired by Jane because she loves him wholely (is that a word?). When we truly love, the physical weaknesses that we might find in ourselves and others disappear because we love the whole of the person, and so that passion that exists at the beginning of a relationship can survive because a different type of love (and passion) becomes the priority. That's what Jane and Mr. Rochester have. It is romantic and yet probably a more realistic love than exists in other literary works (even though the story is not as realistic as one might want. :) )

So, in the end, gotta say that I really really love Jane Eyre. I can't believe that it only took 37 years to read it. lolol.

Have a great day, everyone!!!

:) Laurenda

Just Jane

I've been saying for the past few years that Jane Eyre is one of my favorite reads. I think, after reading it for this club, that my emotional state at the time of the reading has a lot to do with how much I enjoy this book.

I usually pick up this book when I am feeling romantic or lonely. When I need to escape into this ideal relationship between Jane and Mr. Rochester. At those times, this book fills that emotional need, and I get great pleasure out of it. All that said, I was feeling neither romantic nor lonely when I read it this time. I was disappointed to discover that I did not lose myself in it like I normally do. I felt more detached as I read it. I looked at it with a cooler eye, noticing more things like Jane's way of talking rather than the burning desire between her and Edward.

I normally swoon over and long for the type of relationship Jane has with Mr. Rochester. It is energetic, it is fierce. Two strong-minded personalities bending so perfectly with each other. She being so morally minded, unafraid to speak and act her beliefs ("I care for myself ... I will hold to the principles received by me when I was sane and not mad -- as I am now."). He so clever and temperamental. The tiny hints of his growing love for her ("At all events you will come back: you will not be induced under any pretext to take up a permanent residence with her?") are delicious.

But though I read the book with pleasure, I did not feel as energized as I usually do. (This brings up an interesting discussion: What do I expect a novel to do for me ... emotionally? intellectually?)

This reading did give me the opportunity to explore something I've been curious about: the differences between Jane's behavior as a child and as an adult. Bronte often refers back to Jane's brutal childhood under the power of her cousins -- John's physical abuse and the girls' disdain -- and her aunt. As an adult, Jane seems so self-assured, so unafraid. (She gives Hannah the servant a good talking to: "But I do think hardly of you. .. and I'll tell you why...") I would think that her childhood abuses would have made her timid. But she commands respect as an adult, and it's wonderful to see her example. But, I am reading the book as a product of the pop-psychology generation.

If I think about it, I can see the argument that Jane's turning point came when she finally stood up to her aunt and cousins. ("I am glad you are no relation of mine. I will never call you aunt again as long as I live.") That lashing out broke through her early timidity and began to shape the woman that she eventually became. And she became a rock.

Jane Eyre - Self-righteousness is not religion

I think the favorite part of my version of Jane Eyre was the Preface. Charlotte Brontë inscribed the second edition of Jane Eyre to W.M. Thackeray (which was included in my book). In that inscription she writes, "Conventionality is not morality. Self-righteousness is not religion...appearance should not be mistaken for truth." I love that. And how Jane Eyre reflects this, both the book and the character. Right from the beginning Jane doesn't cave in to conventionality - I love it when tells Mr. Brocklehurst that she will avoid hell by taking care not to die. Classic!! Jane doesn't do anything conventionally, but has a very high moral standard. Amanda and I were talking about how much integrity Jane had to have in order to leave Thornfield - a place where she has finally felt she could make a home. Could I have done that? Leave someone I love with such an intense passion? Hmmm...

Another reference to appearances occurs when Bessie and Abbot are talking at the beginning of the book about Jane's illness. Bessie states, "Poor Miss Jane is to be pitied, too, Abbot." Abbot replies, "Yes, if she were a nice, pretty child, on might compassionate her forlornness..." How one appears determines how we should feel toward them? And yet, it does. I know I do it - when I see someone dressed in rags, I feel differently toward them than I do someone who is neatly dressed (expensively or not doesn't matter). Appearances should not be mistaken for the truth. How much more character Jane has than Georgiana, the "nice, pretty child."

I LOVE this book - it is one of my all time favorites. I love several of the movie adaptations as well - my two favorite being Jane Eyre (Masterpiece Theatre, 2006) and Jane Eyre (A&E, 1997). Mr. Rochester is such a great character - morally questionable at time, and yet totally sympathetic. I really don't even have a problem with the mind games he plays with Jane because in a way, he's really helping her come to the realization that she loves him. "You never felt jealousy, did you, Miss Eyre? Of course not: I need not ask you; because you never felt love," (pg.210). Opposition in all things? Could we know joy without sadness?

One thing that struck me this time was the age of Mrs. Reed at the beginning of the book. In the movies, and in my previous readings of this book, she seems so old - like in her 50's (sorry, Karen). But this time around I realized she's only in her 30's. I've never pictured her this young before (and yes, 30's are YOUNG).

I especially appreciate how Charlotte Brontë and her sisters (as well as Jane Austen) broke out of the conventional roles for women. Brontë even makes reference to it in the book: "women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts as much as their brothers do...It is thoughtless to condemn them, or laugh at them, if they seek to do more or learn more than custom has pronounced necessary for their sex," (pg. 161 of my book).

I love the following exchange between Rochester and Jane:
"Is the...man justified in daring the world's opinion, on order to attach to him for ever this gentle, gracious, genial stranger; thereby securing his own peace of mind and regeneration of life?"
"Sir, [said Jane] a wanderer's repose or sinner's reformation should never depend on a fellow creature. Men and women die; philosophers falter in wisdom, and Christians in goodness."
All this is true, but I love Rochester’s follow up:
"But the instrument - the instrument! God, who does the work, ordains the instrument."

I would like to pose a question to the group. Why, when referring to certain townships, etc., does the text insert a dash? Like ------shire? And yet, other places are referenced without problem.

There is so much more I could say about this book, but I ramble on. Thanks, Amanda, for giving me the opportunity to reread Jane Eyre. I love it.

Snowflower....

Hello ladies:

I know that you think that I have really dropped out of the whole scene, but I haven't...really I haven't.

I read this book some time ago and I really enjoyed the idea of learning about the chinese culture. I find it fascinating...and I am greatful that I was born where and when I was. I was shocked by the explination of the foot binding and how young it began. I started to see my nieces and how their feet would be well on the way to being bent over and twisted...how did these women walk, work or stand for that matter...don't get me started. The reason these women were mulitated the way they were was for the sexual gratification of their spouses. Crazy stuff. But, we have to remember that women were second class citizens...and unfortunately still are in so many societies.

It was unfortunate too that how the women were treated they mimiced in their own interpersonal relationships. Lily to me was a sad character... She truly fell victim to her own treatment and was just as intolerant to others around her. I agree with Karen when she said that she didn't have a great self esteem/self love etc. (I think it was Karen...) In any case how does one love others if they really don't love themselves.

Interesting book...thanks for the pick!

Sorry this will be late

I just got the book from the library yesterday- 5 people had holds on it in front of me. Sorry about my tardiness. Your reviews have made me somewhat hesistant to read it as I am not in the mood for a "depressing" book at the moment. But they have also intrigued me so I will dive in... I'll read and post as fast as I can. :)

Lily

I've been very intrigued by the varying opinions on this book. It wasn't until several of you commented on how depressing the book is that I realized that it is depressing. I guess that I viewed it as one woman's life journey, her regrets, and her attempts to make amends. I was proud of Lily for finally seeing the carnage of her life, even though her penitence was too little too late.
The comments that were made about basing one's decisions on their horoscope, and the role of women in that culture made me wonder what kinds of things I would/wouldn't do living in such confinement. In Lily's shoes, how many of us would place compassion over obedience to family honor. I too appreciate how blessed we are to live in this country at this time. We have the choice to be whatever we choose. We are not considered worthless if we never marry or bare sons. Some of the people I admire most in my life are my single friends and family members. I would never want any of them to underestimate the impact for good that they have had on me and others.

I can't say that I disliked Lily, but I was disappointed in her at times. I felt that Lily was very stuborn, and greedily held onto her grudge under the guise of duty. Perhaps that came from her inability to allow others to love her, or her failure to see that she was worth loving. Her relationship with her husband was heartbreaking because he loved her, but she didn't love herself enough to love him back.

Lily's aunt (I can't remember her name right now) was probably my favorite character. She seemed to have an inate ablility to find joy in the mundane.

I was going to apologize to those of you who didn't care for the book, but I think that that is one of the best parts of beloning to a book club. We don't always have to like or appreciate the books that others choose, but it's good to read a variety of genres, see other perspectives, and think about things that we might not otherwise.

I'm excited about reading "Jane Eyre" again. It's one of my all time favorites. I promise that my next pick will have nothing to do with the Chinese culture.

Snowflower and the Secret Fan

"Raising a girl and marrying her off is like building a fancy road for others to use."  I think this quote from Snowflower and the Secret Fan sums up the book for me. The quote comes from one of the chants the women sing to Lily on the Day of Sorrow and Worry before her wedding. I don't normally like books or movies dealing with Chinese culture but this book I was actually able to keep my interest. I loved learning about the rituals surrounding foot binding, nu shu, and the relationships between men and women. I had heard of foot binding before I read the book but I didn't realize the practice was performed on 6 and 7 -year old girls. I also didn't know that it killed 1 out of every 10 girls. 

While I loved immersing myself in the historical customs, I didn't enjoy the relationship between Lily and Snowflower. I was really unsympathetic to Lily. I know that she didn't know how to respond to Snowflower's sad situations but she didn't have to stick to the obedience schtick. I have to say that I did cry at certain points throughout the book--Beautiful Moon's death, when Snowflower's second son died, the mistreatment of Snowflower by her husband--but I did not cry when Lily mis-read the nu shu letter from Snowflower. I couldn't cough up that much sympathy for Lily. Also, did anyone else notice that none of the men have name's except for Lily's husband? None of the boy children are named. They just call them eldest son, second son, etc. Strange. And while Lily did try to make things right at the end for Snowflower's children, I thought it was too little too late. But then again, how much could Lily have done for Snowflower while she was still alive and married?  A woman alone was worse than an animal for at least an animal had worth. And to think there are still cultures that have that kind of thinking about women's worth. I am thankful that we as American women have all the choices we do, especially as a single woman :) 

Also, reading about the 8 characters and the 12 signs of the horoscope and how much their lives depended on this information was fascinating to me: 

"Naturally, I'd like to say that Snow Flower and I followed our horse natures exactly as the horoscopes outline, but horses--and people--are not always obedient. We say one thing and do another. We feel one way; then our hearts open in another direction. We see one thing but don't understand that blinders hinder our vision." I thought this quote really humanizes Lily but she thought this on the day before her wedding, before she knew the truth of Snow Flower's life. Regardless of how she tried to "see something bigger" than her "tiny slice of life I could see from our lattice window," she couldn't see the sorrow happening so close to her. Also, can you imagine following your horoscope and astrological signs so much so that your life decisions and personality are completely based on them? While I enjoy checking out my horoscope and reading my fortune from a chinese cookie (and adding bed at the end of the fortune), I don't actually believe that "this is a lucky day. You receive good news about money and if you decide to do any traveling this weekend--you have picked the right time for traveling." My actual fortune for today! It's a good thing I am actually traveling this weekend. Hmmm....maybe there is something to this horoscope thing ;) 

The Secret Fan

Just another post from me that proves how emotional and easily influenced I am. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I didn't want to put it down. Not a good thing when I've been sick this past week... staying up way too late turning pages.

Since Thursday I've had Lily and Snow Flower on my mind. I think about them in all that I do. Like, These Is My Words, I have compared my life to theirs and feel such gratitude for the conveniences I have, the time I was born and the country I was born into. We are so blessed to live in the United States. It's pretty amazing to think of the small percentage who are fortunate enough to be born in this country and partake of the freedoms we enjoy.

So I dream about the customs of Lily and Snow Flower, I think about them in my sleep, gals! At 5am this morning, I woke with an earache, but prior to waking fully, I realized I was dreaming of Lily and Snow Flower taking care of me with their herbs to draw out the infection in my ear. So I laid there longer obeying what they said and endured the pain a bit longer until I realized where I was.

After reading the other reviews, I see I am the odd ball. Though I did feel detached like Danielle P. explained, I enjoyed the characters. No tears were shed as I read this book. I was calmly in awe the whole way through. Not having contact with the "outer realm", being trained daily on how to be married, being told they were worthless every day, arranged marriage and understanding their lowly place as women. What an unbearable load they carried from the moment their memories began. As appalling as it seems to we Americans, it was their life and it was respectable. I can only praise Lily and Snow Flower for their grace. The only thing I didn't condone was how Lily publicly humiliated Snow Flower. Everything else that played out seemed as good as it could possibly be with the statuses they were afforded.

Yes, communication was limited. Their society was so different from anything we could understand. Stating their true feelings was very risky. Even with the closeness of a loatong, Snow Flower had her reasons for keeping secrets. That said, I respected Lily's bitterness for everyone leaving her out of the loop for so many years. It was an added dagger to the conniving behavior of her mother. Understandable.

The happy part of the book, I found, was that Lily was a better mother than her mother. A common thing we find in life today. We always want to do better than our parents did. Sure, new mistakes are made since we only get one shot at it, but the intention to do better is there.

Thank you for choosing this book. It is piece of Chinese culture I probably would have never picked up myself.

(In my search to find photos of the bound feet, I found and enjoyed this article.)