Butler Women of Wisdom Book Club

Hi Everyone, Yes, this is an unusually early book club email, I know, but I thought I would get an early start this month as compared to the one day notice I gave everyone for our March meeting. Amazingly, seven members were present Tuesday night at Panera Bread: Becky, Barb, Cheryl, Ginnie, Jody, Lori, and me. Our March book was The Smile by Donna Jo Napoli. Enjoyed by all, it is an intriguing history lesson in fourteenth century Italy. Set during the time of Leonardo da Vinci, the subject of da Vinci’s famous painting the Mona Lisa is the main character and narrator of the story. Elisabetta by name belongs to a family of nobility, the daughter of a struggling silk merchant. The book begins as Elisabetta is approaching her thirteenth birthday, the age of eligibility for young Italian girls. The plot revolves around a series of unexpected events that postpone then interrupt the success of her “coming out” party. A parallel plot is uncovered as Napoli weaves the tumultuous story o...

Hi Everyone, I procrastinated sending an email right up to the very day of our next book club meeting. In fact, we meet tonight at 6:30 P.M. at Panera Bread. The book we are reading is called The Smile by Donna Jo Napoli. If you missed last month’s feature read, Help by Kathryn Stockett, you may want to put it on your summer beach read list. It is now on our list of favorites. I was so glued to the pages that I barely took notes! We loved the the black maids, Aibileen and Minny who served their white “ass” bosses tirelessly and with true southern dignity. We hated Miss Leefolt for her treatment of poor little Baby Girl and Miss Hilly for controlling the lives of everyone in Jackson. It served her right to eat Minny’s “pooh” pie! In addition to the colorful characters, Help is heaping with household tips and advice for the lovelorn. We were mystified by Minny’s many uses for the miracle product, Crisco, and the possibilities of Miss Skeeter’s sexual correction tea. This book...