Combined Book Club Potluck!
This evening’s Book Club meeting began with a hot and cold dish supper enjoyed by everyone. Afternoon and Evening Book Club members look forward to the biennial event show casing tasty treats including vegetarian casseroles and home style favorites of chicken, spicy sausage and other tempting ingredients.
After dinner the group moved from the Community Room to the Library’s front room for desserts; decorated cake, trifle, cookies, and even chocolates and a discussion of author Ron McLarty’s The Memory of Running. This book evoked strong reactions and opinions about family issues and the treatment of psychiatric disorders during the past fifty years.
All agreed that the author wrote a beautiful story about difficult subjects. There was enough humor to lighten up the overall sadness of the character’s lives. Familiar locations in Rhode Island enhanced the background of events as the characters moved through the highs and lows of life.
The story revolved around family and the love and devotion of parents and children as well as goodness radiating from all of them. The Memory of Running is a story of hope and resilience that exists throughout experience despite life’s trials.
This quote from one of the group inspired Book Club members and was a fitting conclusion to the evening’s program, “In a dog-eat-dog world Smithy wore Milk-Bone underwear.”
Great discussion!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this past Tuesday night's book discussion and the comments everyone made. I do feel, though, that if Bethany had lived, Smithy's life would forever be lived around her and he never would have lived for himself or been able to reach his own potential or let himself fall in love. I was hung up a bit on the parents not accepting Bethany's illness but the more I listened to the group, the more I realized they did accept things in their own way and coped with it the best they could for the times and lack of help/knowledge/support. That is what they did. They took care of Bethany and they each had their role and their own kind of team work and support within their family. I truly enjoyed the story and the group.
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