What We Thought: Doc by Mary Doria Russell

Why didn’t Doc go home to Georgia and his family? How did unmarried women support themselves in the Old West?

Members had sympathy for John Henry "Doc" Holliday, despite his criminal, and some would say immoral, behavior. It was suggested that his having a terminal illness, tuberculosis, influenced his reckless acts, but all agreed he was a true gentleman at heart.

The wild and lawless society of the Old West didn't have much use for dentistry, Doc's chosen profession, so he had to turn to gambling on card games for income. The atmosphere in saloons where he “worked” put him in contact with nefarious characters and loose women. All in all, members of the group felt sorry for Doc, as he was portrayed by the author, and felt that his reputation as a gun fighter, card shark, and womanizer was based more on rumor than fact. Unmarried women of the Old West faced a hard life unless they had money and family to depend on. There was no welfare at that time so women and children were on their own.

Education was limited and employment and business opportunities were scarce and generally available for men only. Many women turned to prostitution as a common occupation; however, once in the “sporting” life it was difficult to leave it even if they wanted to change the direction of their life. Doc’s empathy and regard for “working girls" impressed readers, who felt that his appreciation and defense of them was unusual for men of his time.Maria Katarina "Kate" Harony was a determined woman who was able to live that life in the way she wished. It was decided that she and Doc had a dedicated relationship that worked for them. 
Book club members enjoyed reading Doc because the characters were believable and the events were so well written that the scenes were vividly remembered, e.g. Doc playing the piano at the Christmas party with Kate and the Jesuit priest from Kansas, Alexander Von Angensperg,dancing.
This passage was acknowledged by all as a good example of the humor that threads through this work of historical fiction: “For the rest of his long, eventful life, Alexander Von Angensperg might have topped just about any war story told in a Jesuit residence. He could have listened, and nodded, and acknowledged each man's most colorful adventure, and then achieved an awed, respectful silence with just six words: 'I heard confessions in Dodge City.'”

What We Thought: The Age of Desire by Jennie Fields

The Evening Readers Book Club discussion of Jennie Fields’ The Age of Desire began with a show of hands of how many members liked the book. Most did, and a few said they loved it. Some were put off by the content and did not finish reading it.

Members who liked the story were not happy with the selfish and indulgent behavior of practically all of the main characters, especially Edith Wharton. She was careless and carefree in the pursuit of a passionate relationship with an unsympathetic lover at the expense of her marriage and respect of her one lifelong, true friend and confidant. It was decided that Edith’s behavior was typical of the time period, the Gilded Age, and her place in it as a wealthy woman and famous writer. People are a product of their times and unacceptable and uncomfortable behavior today would have been tolerated and even recognized as normal then.

It was decided that the book was not a chick book, but was true historical fiction and for the most part an accurate representation of a particular time frame in the life of Edith Wharton. Members were satisfied with the epilog and Edith’s life after she ended her affair with the journalist William Fullerton and divorced her husband. Finally she dedicates herself and her resources to find fulfillment in helping others. She also realizes what a great friendship and collaboration her former governess Anna brought to her life. Sadly, she came to this realization very late in life and did not have much time to make up for her neglect.

All were fascinated with pictures of The Mount -- Edith’s grand country place in Lenox, Massachusetts -- and the connection with Brockton, Mass. The Mount has been fully restored and is a tourist destination with lovely gardens and an enormous mansion.

This Month's Selection: Doc by Mary Doria Russell

 

 This month's Evening Readers Book Club selection is Doc by Mary Doria Russell, a national bestseller when it was published in 2011.

From the publisher:

Born to the life of a Southern gentleman, Dr. John Henry Holliday arrives on the Texas frontier hoping that the dry air and sunshine of the West will restore him to health. Soon, with few job prospects, Doc Holliday is gambling professionally with his partner, Mária Katarina Harony, a high-strung, classically educated Hungarian whore. In search of high-stakes poker, the couple hits the saloons of Dodge City. And that is where the unlikely friendship of Doc Holliday and a fearless lawman named Wyatt Earp begins— before the gunfight at the O.K. Corral links their names forever in American frontier mythology—when neither man wanted fame or deserved notoriety.

The Evening Readers Book Club will discuss Doc on Tuesday, November 19, at 6:30 p.m., but you don't have to be a member of the group to add your comments to the discussion. Read along with us, or tell us what you thought, if you've already read this book!