November 2011 Book Club "Little Bee" by Chris Cleave (Christmas Home Tour)

Hi Everyone,
 

What a beautiful Thanksgiving we were blessed with in Western Pennsylvania; I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday and the pleasantly warm November days. We even had a beautiful day for our book club’s annual Christmas Home Tour on November 19. Becky, Cheryl, Ginnie, Jody, Lori and I attended the tour as well as junior member, Kristen Barnhart, and my sister Theresa Beck.

Our tour included extravagant homes such as Doug Bell’s with a brick oven on a detached rotunda overlooking his wooded property and unique homes like Carol Foster’s with its antique baby-dolls, heirloom clothes, and furnishings. Highlighting our day was St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church which featured stained glass windows handcrafted in Munich, Germany; exquisitely carved triptych altars, the first of their kind, designed to close during Holy Week; and flooring and altars constructed of marble from Conamara, Italy, inlaid with glass mosaics. We were shocked to learn that the total cost for the building and all its furnishings when it was completed 100 years ago was only $140,000! 

 In between our touring, we dined at the Hardwood Café on Rte. 8 and discussed our November book selection Little Bee by Chris Cleave.  The consensus on this title was not glowing. It was definitely not one of our best picks. For me, however, after reading this book, I have more of an understanding of the background of my friend from Nigeria, Sister Mercy. It’s deeply troubling that in so many parts of the world people think they have the right to persecute others. I can understand, now, why so many Nigerians like Sister Mercy become priests and nuns. It must be a prime opportunity to rise out of a horrible situation. As I listened to Little Bee share her stories, I could hear Sister Mercy recalling her own, “I am telling you…!” with her wide eyed expressions, “weh!”  

When I read a book, I always try to extract some bits of eternal wisdom, thoughts about human nature that are timeless, that apply to all generations. One of my favorites from Little Bee and one we discussed at the Hardwood Café was a remark made by the character Sarah’s mother to Sarah. She said, “One of you in a marriage has to be soft. One of you has to know how to say, Have it your way.” All of us could see in our own marriages which one is the “Have it your way” partner. Interestingly, we are now even seeing this eternal truth play out in our children’s relationships!

Also, I would like to note the narration of Cleave’s book, alternating first person. I thought it was a clever way to write the story, allowing the reader into the thoughts of both main characters. To become a New York Times Bestseller, I don’t think any other narration would have worked for Cleave’s story. The narration gave it a more biographical quality, and it kept the reader from becoming too opinionated about either Little Bee or Sarah. 

I really felt sorry for both characters, actually, especially at the end. Sarah should have been more cautious and less naïve about the volatile situation in Nigeria before jumping on the plane with Little Bee. Did anyone think that Lawrence planned the whole thing? On page 230 when Little Bee and Lawrence were in the park, before Charlie was missing, Little Bee said to Lawrence, “You should go back to them,” meaning his wife and children; Little Bee noted a “great sadness” that fell over Lawrence after she said this. Conveniently, Lawrence was the one who arranged for Sarah to board the plane. With his ties to Great Britain’s Home Security Office; I don’t believe he was helping Sarah as much as he was saving himself. Was he just acting as a desperate man? Think about it. He had everything to gain from deporting both Sarah and Little Bee, not only keeping his job but ultimately his wife and his children. Lawrence was a weak man; he saw his world falling apart and acted out of desperation. 

In closing our book club meeting at Hardwood Café, we set Friday evening, December 9, as the date for our book club Christmas party and Shakespeare’s Restaurant for our dinner. Please, let me know if you and your husband or a guest plan to attend so I can make enough reservations. Let’s meet at 5:00 PM at Appleby’s Restaurant/Bar on New Castle to start then we can carpool from there. This is a “dress for the holiday” affair so be festive! Most importantly, bring your “great” book ideas for January. We want the New Year to be filled with great reading!

Merry Christmas,

Tammy

P.S. Enclosed are the directions for Shakespeare’s Restaurant.

Sept. Oct. (7th Anniversary) 2011 Book Club "Major Pettigrew's Last Stand" by Helen Simonson and "5th Avenue, 5 A.M." by Sam Wasson

Hi Everyone,

I’m sincerely sorry that I waited so long to put out this email for our October book club. The date is looming, Tuesday, October 18, and many of you have no idea what we’re reading. That’s poor book club management, I will say so myself. Regardless of my irresponsibility, we will be meeting at Red Lobster for our seventh anniversary dinner. Yes, book club has been together for seven years and this month marks our 75^th book. We are reading Fifth Avenue 5 AM by Sam Wasson. The book is a work of nonfiction which serves to enlighten the reader with little known facts about Audrey Hepburn and the making of the film Breakfast at Tiffany’s. We will meet at 6:30 PM to discuss our October selection.

Last month’s book Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson was a hit with our group. The Major, the main character, is a dignified elderly Englishman. His former duty as an officer in the British military and his upbringing in a family of undefined nobility have contributed to the Major’s stiff British posture. We like him, however, as he is endowed with the customary British quick-wit. His observations such has those he makes of the help at his private golf club are hilarious, “Many seemed to suffer from a disease of holes in the face and it had taken the Major some time to work out that club rules required the young women to remove all their jewelry” revealing the gaping holes of multiple piercings. Another passage I enjoyed is a comment the Major makes to Mrs. Ali’s nephew when he tells the major he is in love with an unsuitable woman. The major replies, “My dear boy, is there really any other kind?”        

Besides Major Pettigrew’s quick-wit, he is also insightful and very astute to human behavior. He gives us much food for thought in this passage, “The world is full of small ignorances. We must all do our best to ignore them and thereby keep them small, don’t you think?” Every day we encounter and sometimes even contribute to the small ignorances, on the highway, at our jobs, in our families, etc. Like the Major, it is more dignified to ignore them than to call them out, as irritating as the ignorances may be. We also learn from Major Pettigrew that it is much more acceptable and considerate to create our own sarcastic thoughts concerning ignorances and keep them to ourselves. My husband is great for finding sarcasm in everything, but not quite as subtle in sharing his observations as the Major!

At the September book club we discussed another thoughtful passage where, in his wisdom, Major Pettigrew considers the consequences of mailing a letter. He imagines the closing of the iron mailbox lid, his last chance to retrieve his thoughts before they become gone from him forever, now public. It always bothered him that “one’s words could not be taken back, one’s thoughts allowed none of the remediation of speaking face to face.” How true this is, we discussed, especially with the use of email, Facebook, text messaging. It is so easy to send out our words without giving them careful thought. Young people, especially, are not even aware of the connotation of their words. They send text after text, publicizing their opinions of people, places, and things without the slightest thought as to how the receivers of their messages are going to interpret their words. Wars have been started with much less written and verbal communication. We shared at book club how many of us agonize over the possible suggestions of our words before we send them in emails. It is very serious business in these days of immediate communication. I’d love for Major Pettigrew to speak to my class on the topic, wouldn’t he be a hoot? The kids would love him!

Well, since Major Pettigrew is not available, I really would like our book club to hold a meeting for my classes at Karns City sometime soon to celebrate our 75^th book and our 7 year anniversary. The book I would like us all to read is called Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer. Exploring the possibilities of a major disaster, this book uses first person narration and a diary format to share the realities of a world faced with the aftermath of a meteor hitting the moon. I like to impress through reading this book the importance of creating an emergency disaster kit in families and the importance of knowing how to rely on your own abilities and ingenuity when faced with disaster. We can discuss more about KC Book Club Day at the meeting on Tuesday!

Yours in books,

Tammy

August 2011 Book Club "The Paris Wife: A Novel" by Paula McLain

Hi Everyone,

During the last week of August, the Butler Women of Wisdom Book Club has been very active. First, on Tuesday, August 23; Becky, Cheryl, Ginnie, Lori, and I met at my house for a discussion of the novel The Paris Wife by Paula Mclain. Later, on the following Sunday, August 28, a few of us, Ginnie, Sharon, and I, along with Sharon’s daughter and daughter-in-law, met at the Regal Cinema to see the film version of one of our former book club selections, The Help. 

The characters from the novel The Help were cast appropriately in the movie with very convincing actresses playing the key roles. Unlike many books made into film, the movie followed the original plot, I thought, fairly closely. I highly recommend that you make a movie date and check it out. It contains both scenes that will make you laugh and scenes that will make you cry. My favorite parts are those that depict the sisterhood between the black “help” and their faith community. I admire the way these women were able to keep their sense of humor and relationship with God in the midst of the racial discrimination and hatred they tolerated daily.

As both The Help and The Paris Wife are so fresh on my mind, I’d like to make a very general comparison between the two books. In both books, the stories are centered round two very elite social groups. In The Help, we read about the upper class wives of the southern white aristocrats of Jackson, Mississippi during the early 1960’s. They were egotistical in believing they were justified in their prejudice just because they were white. They used their status in society to make others adopt their hate toward black people. Similarly, in The Paris Wife, we read about the elite, the literary elite. Although this book was set in Paris during the early to mid 1900’s, the writers and poets are also an arrogant group like the Jackson, Mississippi socialites. In The Paris Wife, the writers lived hedonist lifestyles forcing the ones that loved them into slave like acceptance of their perverted pleasure seeking. These literary geniuses believed their own greatness was due in large part to experiencing acts of immorality. In both The Help and The Paris Wife, the social groups are selfish and insensitive; they use others in their distortion of their own self-importance. 

Most of us at the meeting remembered when our book club read Ernest Hemingway’s novel The Sun Also Rises. The narrator of The Paris Wife, Hemingway’s first wife Hadley, shares with the audience how this book changed her husband’s life. After the book’s success, Hemingway became extremely popular becoming the center of attention wherever he went, especially with women. Poor Hadley didn’t have a chance when Pauline came along, a beautiful young model. The most despicable act of infidelity committed by Ernest was when he fornicated with Pauline in the same bed right next to his wife Hadley. How could he? I hated Hemingway’s book The Sun Also Rises and, now, think even less of him once I learned of his deliberate lack of respect for the sanctity of marriage! Needless to say, I am not joining his fan club.

Despite Hemingway’s wickedness, we rated the story of his marriage to Hadley with high marks. Following this winner, we have another promising title slated for September, Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson. In this book we will chuckle over the main character’s British sarcasm and wit. According to the New York Times, “many screwball ingredients” will keep readers riveted. Let’s meet for a “high tea” discussion of, yet, another odd love affair at 6:30 pm on Thursday, September 22, at Panera in Butler. Until then, enjoy reading this humorous fiction selection as we slide out of summer; I look forward to seeing you on the 22^nd, the eve of the autumnal equinox!

Yours in books,

Tammy

June 2011 Book Club "The Dirty Life" by Kristen Kimball

Ciao Everyone!

As I literally tossed and turned last night due to an oversized Panera Bread coffee and Barb’s mindful words from last night’s meeting to “send out the email as soon as you get home,” I’m writing this strung out on sleep apnea and giving all of you a full two month start toward reading our next book. At our Wednesday, June 22 meeting we selected The Paris Wife: a Novel by Paula McLain as our August title. We will meet on Tuesday, August 23, at my house at 6:30 pm to discuss the book. If everyone can bring a French dish or appetizer, it will make for a thematic evening!

Members in attendance at our June meeting were Barb, Becky, Sharon, Lori, and me. Our title The Dirty Life by Kristin Kimball provided us with ample fodder for discussion. We were baffled by this author and narrator as she shared her story of giving up a professional lifestyle in the big city in exchange for the daily toil and hardship of farm living. We decided that her relationship with a man like Mark was an oxymoron and could only be due to an overabundance of charm and male magnetism on his part, and a self-sacrificing and credulous personality on her part. Kimball, however, writes with such honesty and insight, she succeeds in selling the reader on the rationales for her radical decision.

The Dirty Life conjured up the wholesome farm memories of our youth. Barb and Becky remembered drinking fresh raw milk; the taste as our author puts it “is a warm, sugary, proteinaceous substance that “would be cruel to taste it once and not have access to it again.” Becky recalled afterschool visits to her friend’s barn to help her feed her horses. Like Kimball, Becky struggled to carry the heavy buckets weighted with a scrumptious mix of fresh oats and molasses. Lori and I added our memories of buying fresh eggs from the Nyeberg’s, our neighbors who raised chickens. Very interesting, however, was Barb’s connection with Butler’s local farm history. Her dad, we learned, ran Sunnyview Farms, which was located on the property of the present Sunnyview Nursing Home in Butler. She shared with us an amusing anecdote about the farm animals she came to love while working with her father. Through our memories, we were reminded of a past that didn’t seem at all that dirty, but, rather, a past that was marked as much more wholesome and clean in many ways than the lives we lead today.

An easy read, Kimball’s book is compiled of many short vignettes relating her attempts at farm work and farm living. Becky acknowledged it as a handbook of sorts which identifies all aspects of self sufficiency. From producing milk, meat, and poultry products to harvesting vegetables, grain, maple sugar, and honey, Kimball is transformed through farming. She says that once you roll up your sleeves and dig into it, “it seeps into your skin along with the dirt.” The beautiful imagery Kimball uses to describe her first taste of fresh spring maple sap clearly exposes her radiant affection for her new life, “I jumped on the sled and plunged my mouth directly into a full bucket. Whole poems,” she adds, “could be written about the taste of the first run’s sap, icy and sweet and redolent of wood.”

Kimball learns through her attempts at farming to value people whom she previously viewed as dumb; those whom she once thought missed the meaning of abstract ideas and who were only capable of manual labor in the physical world. Her efforts at interpreting nonfiction manuals on every aspect of farming, she says, put her in her place. She admits “there’s no better cure for snobbery than a good ass kicking.”

Although easy to follow, The Dirty Life is without a doubt abundant with the lost wisdom of a self sustaining lifestyle; and like our May book, Water for Elephants, it has just enough demanding vocabulary to keep the reader challenged:

· 

 verisimilitude: “His full beard and ungroomed hair,” for the role of Joseph, “added a touch of verisimilitude.” Meaning the appearance of being true, realism

· diffidence: “Neal’s great size was counterbalanced by and aura of diffidence.” Meaning shyness, timidity

· concupiscent: “This book is the story of a love affair with farming, that dirty, concupiscent art.” Meaning powerful feelings of physical desire or lust

Sorry, Becky and Barb, I know we discussed one word in particular, but I couldn’t remember it! But many other words like hegemony, clevis, zerk, and loquacious can also put the reader to the test.

As I will be leaving for Italy on Monday, I intend to keep one last insightful quote from our book in mind. On page 253, Kimball so wisely points out “Travel tends to grant clarity. Remove all that distracting context and you find yourself staring at chunks of truth.” I hope my journey is cathartic, and I hope all of you find, too, in your summer travels and experiences an opportunity to reflect. I look forward to seeing you all again on August 23 to discuss The Paris Wife and to share amusing anecdotes of Napoli and my other destinations in Italia!

Arrivederci,

Tammy

May 2011 Book Club "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

Hi Everyone,

The summer days are longer, but I still can’t seem to find time to write, so again I am sorry for the long delay. Book club will be here in just a few days on Tuesday, June 21 at 6:30 PM, so I hope you open this email early enough to get started on our June selection, The Dirty Life by Kristen Kimball. I am changing our location from Mama Rosa’s to Panera Bread since, if the weather is pleasant, we can enjoy eating and discussing outdoors.

The May book club met at Mama Rosa’s Restaurant on Tuesday, May 31 to discuss the book Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. In attendance were Barb, Cheryl, Ginnie, Jody, Lori, and myself. As the book was recently made into a movie, Jody opted to see the cinema version. It was interesting to hear how Hollywood translated the book into film. I am anxious to see it, although the “nursing home” setting is missing, a part of the book I viewed as vitally important. Jody, however, having not read the book, still enjoyed the movie. If at all possible, whenever you don’t have time to read the book and the movie version is available, by all means watch the movie instead. Many of my favorite books were made into film: Pride and Prejudice (the Hallmark version), Gone with the Wind, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Christmas Carol, etc. Films, as Jody noticed with Water for Elephants, are brimming with visuals that bring much to the story like mood, drama, theme, and, yes, art. Also, we all love to imagine our favorite actors and actresses in the roles of our favorite book characters. Movies often offer a different interpretation of the characters, an added dimension to them that cannot play out in print.

Let me be the first to say, I loved Water for Elephants. This book provides so much in the way of plot. As I read the book, I was also instructing The Odyssey with my English classes and saw the many parallels in the Hero’s journey. The Odyssey begins with Odysseus telling the story of his journey home from the Trojan War to King Alcinous; Water for Elephants begins with the main character Jacob Jankowski telling the story of his journey with a traveling circus:

· Separation: Odysseus is separated from his young wife, newborn son, and his land; Jacob is separated from his family when his mother and father die in a car crash.

· The Call: Odysseus is called to fight in the Trojan War; Jacob, overcome with grief, answers an inner call by running away from his great loss and his veterinarian studies.

· Crosses the Threshold: Odysseus crosses the threshold when he sails away to the Trojan War; Jacob crosses the threshold when he jumps on the circus train and joins the circus.

· Challenges: Odysseus faces many challenges like the Cyclops, the Lotus Eaters, and the witch goddess in his journey to return home; while working for the circus, Jacob is challenged with dirty and dangerous jobs like feeding the lions and dirty and dangerous people, like August and Uncle Al.

· The Abyss: Odysseus must travel to the abyss, the Underworld, to find the way home; Jacob travels to the abyss by daringly hopping the moving train cars in an attempt to kill August.

· The Transformation: Odysseus is transformed when he loses everything, his men, ship, and his hopes of returning home; Jacob is transformed when he loses his friends Camel and Walter after they are “redlighted” or thrown off the train.

· The Revelation: Odysseus realizes that he must give in to Poseidon and admit that he is “nothing”; Jacob realizes that he must outwit Uncle Al and August in order to save Marlena’s life and his own.

· The Atonement: Odysseus must fight to win back his home from the suitors; Jacob atones for his actions by marrying Marlena, taking his final veterinarian exam, and providing a home for the abused animals.

· The Return: Odysseus returns to his wife Penelope and son Telemachus to reclaim his throne as king of Ithica; Jacob returns to working with animals by joining the Ringling Brother’s Circus as a veterinarian along with Marlena, Rosie the elephant, Bobo the chimp, and the horses.

Many more similarities can be added, but my point is this, Gruen’s story follows a basic pattern recognized in all literature. The pattern is based on the human experience. Although Becky wasn’t at the meeting, she shared a story about her husband Jim that shows clearly how life mimics the hero’s journey. Like Gruen’s character Jacob, Jim experienced separation from his father and mother as a young man. It happened at the end of his sophomore year at Grove City College, and, like Jacob, Jim had just finished studying for his last final exam. Looking forward to the summer, when Jim woke up on Memorial Day ready to begin several months free from all night cramming, he never expected what he would find, his father dead from a heart attack. Within a week following, Jim’s mother suffered a nervous breakdown and was admitted to the hospital. Jim’s life changed dramatically in those few short weeks and he knew, as a dutiful son, he had to answer the call to care for his mother. As the only child, the sole person to accept the responsibility, Jim crossed the threshold into years and years of caring for his mother. During those years Jim overcame the many challenges of meeting his mother’s needs and caring for her home while still spending time with his own family and maintaining his own home. Becky added that Jim never once complained about his mother’s care, but instead remained loving and devoted to his mother until the end of her life. Jim’s story shows what powerful lessons we can learn from each of our human experiences and as we have come to discover those lessons are told and retold through the stories we read and the characters we love.

I’ll finish my letter by noting a few of the numerous vocabulary words Gruen used in her book. I like when our authors make an attempt to strengthen our word usage:

· apoplectic – (appa plektik) furious with anger; having the symptoms of a stroke

· bowdlerizing – to remove parts of a work of literature that are considered indecent

· desultory – random, aimless

· ablutions – ritual washing - cleansing of a priest’s hands

· panoply – full array - full ceremonial dress, suit of armor, etc.

See you at Panera’s on Tuesday,

Tammy

P.S. Homework: Be ready to discuss the questions from the back of the book!

April 2011 Book Club "The Book of Bright Ideas" by Sandra Krung

Salve Everyone!

      Butler Women of Wisdom met on Wednesday, April 27, at Mama Rosa’s Ristorante. We started the meeting at 6:30 P.M. with Becky, Cheryl, Jody, Mary Beth, Lori, Sharon and me in attendance and The Book of Bright Ideas by Sandra Krung as the topic of our discussion.

From the start of Krung’s book, honesty and innocence resonate through the voice of her narrator, a young girl named Button. As early as page 3, Button’s honesty is evident in her description of her Aunt Verdella, “Her body reminded me of a snowman made with two balls instead of three. The littlest ball was her head, sitting right on top of one big, fat ball.” Instantly amused from these lines, I found Button an approachable child and quickly nestled into a comfortable reader/narrator relationship.

     In her innocence Button never questions her mom’s fastidious obsession with outward and inward cleanliness or her father’s disinterest in her, his only daughter. Button had acquired coping mechanisms to deal with the daily psychosis and mistreatment she receives from her parents. She mutters odd noises from her throat and bites her lips till they’re chapped. Through Button, we revisit our childhoods and admit to having acquired habits to cope with our own home lives. From biting finger nails or furniture to twisting the hair out of our heads, if we think hard enough, we have to admit that we all developed behaviors to cope with growing up.

     Escape is another means of coping, and Button is lucky to have a daily escape. Every work day, Button stays at her sweet Aunt Verdella’s while her mother is at work. It is with Aunt Verdella that Button met her friend Winnalee and her sister Freeda Malone. While renting a house from Aunt Verdella, Freeda and Winnalee become part of the family. A free spirited little girl, Winnalee teaches Button her own coping mechanisms. Winnalee finds her escape from the pain of losing her mother by carrying her mother’s urn and by escaping into the fantasy world of fairies. Who hasn’t escaped their fears without the aid of blankies, stuffed animals, or dolls; or who hasn’t escaped from reality without the help of imaginary friends or make-believe places?

    Winnalee also shares another means of escape with Button, The Book of Bright Ideas. It is a journal where Winnalee records valuable thoughts on how to live and adapt. In a gesture of friendship, Winnalee invites Button to join her in filling the journal with important ideas. I can identify with escaping via journal as many of you I’m sure have also found. As far back as fifth grade, I have kept journals, and I still find a journal one of the most satisfying centers for retreat. Button and Winnalee’s Book of Bright Ideas reveal their honesty and innocence. One of their bright ideas I find worthy of remembering is “When the weather’s bad and your lights go out, have a pajama party. Eat till you feel sick, hula hoop, paint your faces, catch fireflies, and dance naked in the rain.” In this innocent thought, Button and her friend Winnalee are reminding us to find our inner child and lighten up.

     We learn from Button’s alter egos to avoid extremes, like the extreme nature of Freeda, Winnalee’s wild and fornicating sister, and the extreme nature of Button’s priggish and frigid mom. The hero figure of Button’s memoir is Aunt Verdella. She represents the best of both alter egos: the loving mother, the devoted lover, and the dependable friend. Verdella loves everyone and reminds us “You can’t judge a person by what they’re doing, till you know why they’re doing it.”

Button’s mom shows us that it is possible to make changes in our lives. When Freeda warns on page 282, “Crissakes, our kids are only nine years old, and already we’ve got regrets. How damn bad is it gonna be by the time they’re grown?” We think about our own lives, and I don’t know how bad I’ve messed up my own kids (and I certainly don’t’ want to know), but I do know that every new day is an opportunity for change. Krung’s characters, and many of the multitude of characters we have read in the last six years of book club, have shared their words of wisdom and have been part of our own personal journeys of change. Like Krung, it is the willingness of these authors to spill their guts, through the thoughts, words, and actions of their characters, of all the good and evil they’ve endured and by divulging their most sincere and liberating lessons on life that they offer us opportunities to change.

     Our next book club meeting is scheduled for 6:30 P.M.,Tuesday, May 31, at Mama Rosa’s Ristorante. We will be discussing another very insightful book that is sure to invoke us to more change, especially in the way we think about the elderly and that final, imminent stage of life. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen is our title. As the movie version of the book is now playing in the theaters, we are planning a field trip as a book extension activity. A date will be set for the girl’s night out at the next meeting. Just to let you know, however, we will probably have to see it at the Clearview Mall Cinema, because I doubt that it will still be showing in the major theaters by the time we make our plans. I called South Pike and they said that it could be pulled any day, all depending on the movie’s popularity.

A presto at Mama Rosa’s Ristorante,

Tammy