What We Thought: The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

Evening Readers

December 2014

The Light between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

The discussion of the author’s debut novel was intense and lasted throughout the evening. Connections were made to present-day situations of adoptions and the care of recovered missing children. Conversation was centered on legal and moral dilemmas of what’s best for the child as opposed to the role of biological parents and parents who have claimed and raised a child as their own. The question was asked, “Would you have kept the baby?” The majority answered “Yes.” But then it was decided that the answer was based on personal feelings and some readers changed their minds about giving up the baby after an undetermined period of time. The life situation of characters Isabel and Tom was far removed from the present day and unique to their time in post-World War I history. However sympathetic we are to what was going on at that time their choices can’t be resolved from our 21^st-century societal perspective.

Hannah, Lucy’s biological mother was confronted with a heartbreaking situation -- the love for her child Lucy and the rejection by her child because of the bond with Isabelle who cared for her in her formative years. Lucy suffered from the separation once she was reunited with her natural mother. Hannah was torn between the happiness of Lucy and her attempts to become a mother to her daughter. Hannah offered to give Lucy back to Isabel in order to keep her daughter from the loss of the only family she has known.  Readers wondered how Lucy recovered from her childhood trauma once she was grown and had a child of her own. They were not sure if things had worked out for Lucy and what memories she had of her early years with both families.

Readers were of the general opinion that the story was fairly realistic for its time in history. They were satisfied with the outcome even though it was sad for all involved. Tom, the keeper of the light house had an obligation to his duty and should have reported the lost child as soon as he was able. He gave into the wish of his wife to raise the child as their own after a second  miscarriage, but then let the true mother know because he couldn’t live with his decision any longer. In the end both Tom and Isabelle did give up Lucy and lived with the consequences of their actions. Readers did not say that anyone lived happily ever after.

This quote from the book invited readers to think about the timing of significant events in life. “There are still more days to travel in this life. And he knows that the man who makes the journey has been shaped by every day and every person along the way. Scars are just another kind of memory…soon enough the days will close over their lives, the grass will grow over their graves until their story is just an unvisited headstone." The title aptly describes the story, Lucy was the light between the oceans of family and her melancholy story will haunt readers for a long time.

A Christmas candy swap lightened the mood of the discussion and was a welcome conclusion to the meeting. Readers are looking forward to the announcement of January’s book selection.

This Month's Selection: The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

The Light Between Oceans

 

by M. L. Stedman

 

Tuesday, December 9

6:30 p.m.

After four harrowing years on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia and takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day’s journey from the coast. To this isolated island, where the supply boat comes once a season, Tom brings a young, bold, and loving wife, Isabel. Years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the grieving Isabel hears a baby’s cries on the wind. A boat has washed up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby. 

Have you read The Light Between Oceans? Whether or not you can join us for the book club discussion and candy swap on Dec. 9th, please feel free to share your comments about the book here!

What We Thought: Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian

Skeletons at the Feast
Chris Bohjalian

Skeletons at the Feast was uncomfortable to read because of the unrelenting horror and suffering the characters endured. Readers commented that the focus on members of a wealthy German family who abandon their estate and attempt to reach the British and American lines created another dimension to what is the standard American side of the war. The range of characters, including a Scottish prisoner of war and a young Jewish man in disguise, adds to the complexity of the story and compounds the moral dilemmas that arise throughout the book.

The descriptions of time and place were very well done. Readers said that this story must be told so the truth of the Holocaust is realized and never forgotten. A question was asked, how could the German people live with themselves after the truth is revealed and denial is no longer possible? This led to a discussion of what does any government tell their people about what is going on in the country and the world at large. How complicit are citizens in events affecting the population and how can they be informed about them? What is the moral obligation of people to support their government?

Readers were surprised by the sympathy they felt for the ordinary German people portrayed by the author, and were moved by the way that people from such different backgrounds were able to band together on their journey and form a kind of family. The conclusion of the book was sad but not unexpected, and readers were left with hope for survivors' new lives, perhaps in Israel.

The evening ended with a spirited discussion about the emotions generated about the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 and the Boston Marathon bombing on Patriots' Day 2013, and then a surprise phone call at the very end of the night from author Chris Bohjalian, who said he would read today's blog post!

This is second book by author Chris Bohjalian that has been selected by a Holmes Book Club. The Afternoon Readers discussed The Night Strangers last October.

This Month's Selection: Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian

Skeletons at the Feast

by Chris Bohjalian

Tuesday, October 21

6:30 p.m.

In the waning months of World War II, a small group of people begin the longest journey of their lives. They must flee Prussia and move west to avoid the advancing Russian troops.

At the center is eighteen-year-old Anna, the daughter of Prussian aristocrats, and her first love, a twenty-year-old Scottish prisoner of war named Callum. With his boyish good looks and his dedication to her family, he has captured Anna’s heart. But he is the enemy, and their love must remain a closely guarded secret.

Have you read the October selection? Please share your thoughts in the comments here or in the discussion post after the face-to-face meeting!

What We Thought: Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

Blink: the Power of Thinking Without Thinking
by Malcolm Gladwell

The author "examines how people process the information they receive through first impressions and how these impressions, which Gladwell calls rapid cognition, can be channeled into productive thinking.”        

                                    

Blink, a work of nonfiction, generated as much intense discussion as any of the novels read by book club members. Readers did not hold back on their impressions of the author’s observations and conclusions. Most said that what he wrote about was commonsense and possibly mind reading. That what he said was obvious. He spent a lot of time repeating his explanations, and then talked about exceptions. 

The discussion was not so much about whether or not the group liked the book, but rather how the outcome of the studies accurately reflected the science behind the premise of experts who concluded that instincts influence decision making. The group questioned how so much effort could be spent on mundane subjects, and then said it was interesting and useful information. 

The marketing studies about colas and jams interested readers, and everyone who commented on them had a different opinion about the author’s point of view. Again people said that marketing strategies are targeted to an audience with common sense and that the marketers don’t always understand the consumer.

Readers wanted more explanations about how to make snap judgments in a positive way and visuals to illustrate the facial recognition and body language studies. It was said that he wrote a lot about what happens but not how to make things happen. He didn’t explain his points well enough to suit some; for example, when one should or should not act on first impressions. How can we make good snap judgments based on rules and experience when lives are at stake? Another reader said that the same research done by a different person could come up with a different conclusion. It happens all the time. She mentioned recommended healthy diets as an example.

Some readers grew tired of the book early on and didn’t want to spend more time on it. Others were immediately captivated by it and others said they continued reading until they caught on to what he was writing about and then they finished the book.

The discussion followed the book club members’ analysis of the book. Some agreed, some disagreed, and some changed their minds without being aware of what was happening to the dynamics of the group. Blink was a great read and a great choice for the book club.

Have you read Blink? What did you think? Please share your thoughts in the comments!

This Month's Selection: Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

by Malcolm Gladwell

Tuesday, September 23

6:30 p. m.

Blink is a book about how we think without thinking, about choices that seem to be made in an instant - in the blink of an eye - that actually aren't as simple as they seem:

• Why are some people brilliant decision makers, while others are consistently inept?

• Why do some people follow their instincts and win, while others end up stumbling into error?

• How do our brains really work-in the office, in the classroom, in the kitchen, and in the bedroom?

•  And why are the best decisions often those that are impossible to explain to others? 

 Have you read Blink? Please share your thoughts in the comments here or in the discussion post after September 23rd!

Combined Book Club Potluck: The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro

The Art Forger

by B.A. Shapiro

The Evening and Afternoon adult book clubs enjoyed an August potluck supper on Tuesday evening. A variety of colorful summer salads including tomato and mozzarella slices garnished with fresh basil, taco salad, and a cowboy bean salad extravaganza was served buffet-style along with finger sandwiches, meatballs, baked chicken, corn chowder, fruit salad, and assorted chips with salsa. A sparkling lime sherbet punch added pizzazz to the menu.

After the main course, club members adjourned to the library’s reading room for a book discussion accompanied by dessert. The dessert table was awash in chocolate treats; whoopee pies, chocolate pudding cake, frosted marble cake, and a banana cream pie with mile high meringue.

Book club members engaged in a lively discussion about the motives of the art thieves and forgers. Several spoke passionately about what they thought was the fate of the paintings stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. All of their scenarios were plausible. Harder to define were the motives of the thieves and the ultimate owner of the treasures. Was it greed or narcissism? What is the value of a stolen painting, if it isn’t shared with others who can appreciate beauty? Has the statute of limitations expired and who is the true owner now?

Is there a statute of limitations on recovering stolen property? “Time is often the enemy of crime investigators; the trail quickly gets cold. But time has changed the Gardner case in one way that could increase the chances of the paintings' being recovered: The statute of limitations has passed for prosecution of the theft itself. And the US attorney in Boston now says he will not prosecute anyone who has the paintings and offers to return them.

Readers questioned whether there were other undetected forged paintings displayed in museums as the plot in Shapiro’s book. Although the book is fiction, the art techniques discussed are authentic. This feature added to the enjoyment of the story which some said satisfied their preference for “true” historical fiction. Many members have been to the Gardner museum both before and after the theft and spoke highly of the building and the collection. Others said that they are now inspired to visit based on the comments of the group. If your name is Isabella, you can register for lifetime free admission at the museum. If your name isn't Isabella, you can still receive free admission on your birthday. Also, since Isabella Stewart Gardner was a big Red Sox fan, you can wear your Red Sox gear and receive a $2 discount off of admission, too!

The Art Forger was a very successful book selection and it sparked a terrific discussion about the many layers of deception that result in art forgery and theft. The Boston setting was a plus for readers and enhanced the story’s credibility. The author took a real event and crafted a complex and exciting story with an unexpected twist at the end.

This Month's Selection: The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro

Combined Book Club Potluck

Evening and Afternoon Readers

Tuesday, August 19, 6:00 p.m. 

Bring a dish to share!

The Art Forger

New York Times Bestseller and #1 IndieNext Pick!

On March 18, 1990, thirteen works of art worth today over $500 million were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. It remains the largest unsolved art heist in history and Claire Roth, a struggling young artist with her own scandalous past, is about to discover that that there's more to this crime than meets the eye.

"The Art Forger is clever and gripping story. Just like a fine painting, this is a many layered literary thriller about love, betrayal and authenticity. Shapiro builds the story with pitch perfect suspense and twists in plot you don't see coming. The Art Forger is a masterpiece." — IndieNext

What We Thought: The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

The Rosie Project
by Graeme Simsion

Don Tillman’s goal is to find a wife. He says, “There is something about me that women find unappealing. I have never found it easy to make friends, and it seems that the deficiencies that caused this problem have also affected my attempts at romantic relationships.”

"All of us have to make some accommodations and allowances if we are to live with another person.”  -- The Rosie Project

Book Club members were in agreement that The Rosie Project was very entertaining and a great read. Comments about the quirky character traits of Don and his “friend” Rosie Jarman were generally well received. There were some outrageous scenes in the course of the story but all in all the characters were portrayed realistically. After Don made accommodations in his professional and daily life, he set his sights on improving his social life. Although he made the search for a wife more complicated than was necessary, he met his match in Rosie, who was not looking for a mate and who at first struck Don as highly unsuitable. Their adventures together changed their feelings for each other. They had so much fun together that their story evolved into a romantic comedy, surprising both of them!

Don’s best friends, his fellow genetics professor Gene and his wife Claudia, a psychologist, formed the major part of Don’s social life before Rosie enters the picture. Gene mentored Don about his search for a wife even though he was a poor role model of domestic bliss. Gene’s goal to sleep with a woman from every country challenges the tolerance of his wife. Don may not be the only person who has character flaws interfering with his social life.

Some of Don’s traits worked to his advantage, he had a terrific memory and a determination to use it beyond what ordinary people could have imagined. He memorized an entire book of alcoholic drinks and mixed them so well at a fancy party that he impressed the owner of the club who offered him a job on the spot. His proficiency in DNA collection and testing demonstrated his empathy for Rosie in her successful search for her biological father.

There was some discussion about Don having some traits of Asperger’s syndrome. Some said that he reminded them of the character Sheldon in the TV comedy The Big Bang Theory, and that the same actor would be a great choice to play Don Tillman in the movie version of The Rosie Project. The celebrity who came to mind to play Rosie was Cyndi Lauper in her younger days.

Book club members are looking forward to the next book about Don and Rosie married and living in New York City. The Rosie Effect is scheduled for release in December of this year.

Have you read The Rosie Project? Share your thoughts with the Evening Readers Book Club in the comments!

If you haven't read it yet, check out the opening of the book here.

This Month's Selection: The Rosie Project by Graeme Simison

Evening Readers Book Club

The Rosie Project
by Graeme Simsion

Tuesday, July 22
6:30 p.m.

From the publisher:

The art of love is never a science.

Meet Don Tillman, a brilliant yet socially challenged professor of genetics, who’s decided it’s time he found a wife. And so, in the orderly, evidence-based manner with which Don approaches all things, he designs the Wife Project to find his perfect partner: a sixteen-page, scientifically valid survey to filter out the drinkers, the smokers, the late arrivers.

Rosie Jarman is all these things. She also is strangely beguiling, fiery, and intelligent. And while Don quickly disqualifies her as a candidate for the Wife Project, as a DNA expert Don is particularly suited to help Rosie on her own quest: identifying her biological father. When an unlikely relationship develops as they collaborate on the Father Project, Don is forced to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie—and the realization that, despite your best scientific efforts, you don’t find love, it finds you.

Arrestingly endearing and entirely unconventional, Graeme Simsion’s distinctive debut will resonate with anyone who has ever tenaciously gone after life or love in the face of great challenges. The Rosie Project is a rare find: a book that restores our optimism in the power of human connection.

Have you read The Rosie Project? Share your thoughts in the comments on this post anytime, or on the discussion post after July 22!

What We Thought: The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

“In my old age, I see that life itself is often more fantastic and terrible than the stories we believed as children and that perhaps there is no harm in finding magic among the trees.”  -- The Snow Child (A letter to Mabel from her sister)

The evening’s discussion elicited sincere, heartfelt and profound comments from members of the book club. It was said that the author’s creative writing encouraged creative reading. People said they were not certain that Faina, the snow child was a real character but then they offered evidence that she was. Maybe the fairy tale took over the reality of life or maybe life was the fairy tale.

Not everyone was familiar with the Russian folktale of the Snow Child who was cold until she fell in love, her heart warms and she melts. Everyone drew parallels with stories from their childhood, most notably Frosty the Snowman as well as the shape shifting selkies from Ireland. The discussion intensified as it continued throughout the evening and readers debated the place of fantasy and its manifestation in everyday life. Elements of the relationships between all of the characters touched readers hearts. Family connections were transformed by the introduction of Faina into the lives of Mabel and Jack as well as with their neighbors and good friends, George and Esther Benson. The story of Mabel and Jack and their encounter with Faina created a lot of thought provoking reactions about the characters. Beautifully written descriptions about the wildness and remoteness of the Alaskan landscape enhanced the romance of the story.

“I will change the ending and have everyone live happily ever after. We are all allowed to do that, are we not? To invent our own endings and choose joy over sorrow.”  -- The Snow Child (A letter to Mabel from her sister)

This Month's Selection: The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

Evening Readers
June 3, 2014
6:30 p.m.

From the publisher:

Alaska, 1920: a brutal place to homestead, and especially tough for recent arrivals Jack and Mabel. Childless, they are drifting apart--he breaking under the weight of the work of the farm; she crumbling from loneliness and despair. In a moment of levity during the season's first snowfall, they build a child out of snow. The next morning the snow child is gone--but they glimpse a young, blonde-haired girl running through the trees. 

This little girl, who calls herself Faina, seems to be a child of the woods. She hunts with a red fox at her side, skims lightly across the snow, and somehow survives alone in the Alaskan wilderness. As Jack and Mabel struggle to understand this child who could have stepped from the pages of a fairy tale, they come to love her as their own daughter. But in this beautiful, violent place things are rarely as they appear, and what they eventually learn about Faina will transform all of them.

Have you read this book? Please share your thoughts in the comments here or after the discussion post is up after June 3rd. Discussion open to all -- not limited to members of the face-to-face book club!

What We Thought: The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

“Everybody has a story. It’s like families. You might not know who they are, might have lost them, but they exist all the same. You might drift apart or you might turn your back on them, but you can’t say you haven’t got them. Same goes for stories.” -- The Thirteenth Tale

In The Thirteenth Tale, Diane Setterfield has told a story within a story and then some. She has proved herself an accomplished mystery writer as well as a master storyteller. Using the guise of Vida Winter as an unreliable narrator, Setterfield sets the reader up for the revelation of multiple plot twists. Who is Vida Winter? Where are the March twins, Emmeline and Adeline? What happened to the ghost girl? Will Aurelius find his mother and the rest of his family, and what drives his attachment to the Angelfield Estate? There is a lot of detail in the story but also an unsettling vagueness about time and place. The reader is challenged to think carefully about each part of the story. The timeline was confusing, but interest was sustained as more facts were revealed. The unraveling of hidden secrets and resulting tragedies intrigued the members.

What is the true significance of Margaret as the narrator? Margaret and Vida were equally matched despite the age difference. The heart of the story may be the significance of twins and their bonds with each other. Margaret told her story about the loss of her own twin shortly after birth. She is able to use her experience with Vida’s life story to come to terms with that loss of self and move on with her life. This led to a discussion about personal experience with twins in the family which led to comments and questions from members who did not have twins in their own families. This part of the discussion evolved into stories within stories, mirroring The Thirteenth Tale.

Just when readers have solved a mystery, another one takes its place. Readers said that they kept up with the story and that loose ends were nicely tied up at the end, but many said that there was something unsettling underneath the narrative. One of the group said she read the book and then read it a second time. After the discussion she said she needed to read it again. The discussion led to members reading passages from the book to illustrate their beliefs about characters and their relationships to each other. This led others in the group to counter arguments with other quotes.

Everyone said that the book was well worth reading and would recommend it to others. The meeting ended with the desire of the group to meet again to continue the discussion.

This Month's Selection: The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

The Thirteenth Tale
by Diane Setterfield

Random House, 2006

From the publisher:

 

Sometimes, when you open the door to the past, what you confront is your destiny.

Reclusive author Vida Winter, famous for her collection of twelve enchanting stories, has spent the past six decades penning a series of alternate lives for herself. Now old and ailing, she is ready to reveal the truth about her extraordinary existence and the violent and tragic past she has kept secret for so long. Calling on Margaret Lea, a young biographer troubled by her own painful history, Vida disinters the life she meant to bury for good. Margaret is mesmerized by the author's tale of gothic strangeness — featuring the beautiful and willful Isabelle, the feral twins Adeline and Emmeline, a ghost, a governess,a topiary garden and a devastating fire. Together, Margaret and Vida confront the ghosts that have haunted them while becoming, finally, transformed by the truth themselves.

Have you read The Thirteenth Tale? Does the description make you want to read it?

Join the online discussion using the comments! (You don't have to be a member of the Evening Readers Group to add a comment.) The Evening Readers will meet to discuss The Thirteenth Tale on Tuesday, April 22, at 6:30 p.m.

What We Thought: Looking for Me by Beth Hoffman

Looking for Me is one of five finalists for the 2014 Kentucky Literary Award. The Southern Kentucky Book Fest partnership’s award will go to a work of fiction by a Kentucky author or with a significant Kentucky theme that was published in 2012 or 2013. Her good friend, Julie Kibler is a finalist as well for Calling Me Home. The winner will be announced on April 25.

Themes: restoration and renewal, family secrets and conflict, personal growth, and how choices affect the paths our lives take.

Readers were impressed with the scope of the story, the authentic portrayal of characters and their lives, vivid descriptions of rural Kentucky as well as Charleston, South Carolina. One reader who has lived in Charleston remarked that the descriptions of neighborhoods, historic houses, beautiful gardens and fountains were accurate and brought back memories of time spent there.

Everyone agreed that the story was written with great passion that only a woman could have felt. There were many emotional moments when readers spoke about particular events and characters. It was if they were remembering real people and their reactions to them. This led into several serious discussions about the dynamics of family life. One thread was about how different generations deal with family secrets. Nowadays, people are generally more open when talking about sensitive topics such as war-time experiences, family history, and family relationships.

Everyone in the group was pleased with the growth of the main character Teddi and her transformation from a country girl with an interest in old furniture to a successful artist and businesswoman who created a beautiful and satisfying life for herself. She was able to come to terms with having an emotionally distant relationship with her mother as well as with the mysterious disappearance of her younger brother. You don’t always get what you want in life but you can create the life for yourself that you need.

Readers remarked that the book was choppy but agreed that the switching back and forth did propel the story along. Some wanted more elaboration about certain events. They felt that enough wasn’t explained about Teddi’s parents and her brother. All in all, everyone enjoyed reading the book and was very enthusiastic when discussing it. Some said Looking for Me reminded them of other book club books; the Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh and The Memory of Running by Ron McLarty.

SPOILER ALERT -- If you haven't read the book yet, you may want to stop here!

Readers were surprised at the last word ending the book: Menewa. It is a Native American word meaning "Great Warrior" and was given as a name for a red-tailed hawk in a story told by Teddi to her brother Josh when he was a young child. She said that the raptor was chosen over all the other red-tails to be his guardian. Later, as an adult visiting the family farm in Kentucky Teddi saw a red-tailed hawk and felt a connection to her brother. When Teddi gifted the farm to be used a wildlife sanctuary, the caretakers named it Menewa in honor of her brother Josh. Menewa is evoked at the conclusion of Teddi’s story in recognition of love for her brother and her hope that someday they might be reunited.

This Month's Selection: Looking for Me by Beth Hoffman

Looking for Me

by Beth Hoffman

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

6:30 p.m.

Teddi Overman found her life’s passion for furniture in a broken-down chair left on the side of the road in rural Kentucky. She turns other people’s castoffs into beautifully restored antiques, and opens her own shop in Charleston. There, Teddi builds a life for herself as unexpected and quirky as the customers who visit her store.

But nothing can alleviate the haunting uncertainty she’s felt in the years since her brother Josh’s mysterious disappearance. When signs emerge that Josh might still be alive, Teddi is drawn home to Kentucky.

Have you read this book? Let us know what you thought of it! Join the book discussion online!

Potluck Dinner: What We Thought of The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

Both Holmes Public Library adult book clubs, Evening and Afternoon Readers, combined to enjoy a pot luck supper in February after being interrupted by a January snow storm. A hearty winter’s meal was served buffet style and included macaroni and cheese, vegetable lasagna, chili, tortellini soup, spinach quiche, chicken pot pie, calzones, sausage peppers and onion casserole, chili pot pie, pie tortellini salad, corn bread, grapes and assorted artisan breads. A sparkling sunny winter punch added color to the menu.

After the main course all adjourned to the Library’s reading room for a book discussion accompanied by dessert. A spectacular book club-themed, decorated cake dominated the dessert table along with two different kinds of frosted cupcakes, apricot squares, decorated chocolate chip cookies, chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, along with candy and water bottles wrapped in book club-themed wrappers.

The centerpiece of the dessert table featured titles read by the combined groups.

The Age of Miracles generated intense discussion among book club members. It was obvious from the start that this book, liked or not, created a lot of thought-provoking reactions to the characters, as well as to the theme of the earth’s rotation slowing down. The group was divided about whether the story stayed true to an adolescent point of view of the catastrophe or was more realistically an adult memoir about the end of life as we (adults) knew it. It was noted that the book was originally targeted for a teen audience but was picked up by adult readers due to the complexity of the story. There was more to say about the fate of Julia as an adult, and many believed that a sequel will be written to talk more about the intervening years of the slowing.

A Sip of Winter Sun punch (minus the tequila)

Readers commented that this book made them more aware of daylight and the time of day, and think seriously about how they would react personally to situations created by the slowing. There was some discussion of how accurately time could be measured due to the slowing; is Julia really 23 years old? Which is better for individuals to adapt to society, clock time or real time? Is there room for both groups to get along? How adolescents at the beginning of major life changes may accept the slowing differently than adults who have grown up with a regular 24 hour day cycle. Some said that they compared the catastrophe to nuclear destruction because that was the reality of the post-World War II and boomer generation. Today’s children have new and unimagined terrors to confront. One member summed up her response to the lively discussion by saying, “If I had read the book, I would have liked it.”

Just one half of the potluck entrees, soups, and salads

This quote from The Age of Miracles brought a moment of silence:

“Seth and I used to like to picture how our world would look to visitors someday, maybe a thousand  years in the future, after all the humans are gone and all the asphalt has crumbled and peeled away. We wondered what these visitors would find here. We liked to guess at what would last. Here the indentations, suggesting a vast network of roads. Here the deposits of iron where giant structures once stood, shoulder to shoulder in rows, a city. Here the remnants of clothing and dishware, here the burial grounds, here the mounds of earth that were once people’s homes. But among the artifacts that will never be found -- among the objects that will disintegrate long before anyone else arrives -- is a certain patch of sidewalk on a California street where once on a dark afternoon in summer at the waning end of the year of the slowing, two kids knelt down together on the cold ground. We dipped our fingers in the wet cement, and we wrote the truest, simplest things we knew-our names, the date, and these words: We were here.”

This Month's Selection: The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

Combined Book Club Potluck
Tuesday, February 4 (snow date)

Dinner at 6:00 p.m.

Discussion at 6:30 p.m.

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

On an ordinary Saturday, Julia awakes to discover that something has happened to the rotation of the earth. The days and nights are growing longer and longer, gravity is affected, the birds, the tides, human behavior and cosmic rhythms are thrown into disarray. In a world of danger and loss, Julia faces surprising developments in herself, and her personal world—divisions widening between her parents, strange behavior by her friends, the vulnerability of first love, a sense of isolation, and a rebellious new strength.

With a voice as distinctive and original as that of The Lovely Bones, and for the fans of the speculative fiction of Margaret Atwood, Karen Thompson Walker’s The Age of Miracles is a luminous and unforgettable debut novel about coming of age set against the backdrop of an utterly altered world.