What we thought; The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan

Evening Book Club

August 2016

The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan

Three Halifax adult book clubs, Evening, Afternoon and Mystery Readers joined together to enjoy a pot luck supper and book discussion. The meal was served buffet style featuring a variety of appetizers, salads and side dishes; fried rice, pineapple chow mein, edamame with fresh cilantro, three bean, cole slaw and garden salad, along with a fruit plate and cheese and meat selections. Spinach quiche was a treat along with marinated chicken, baked ham, baked beans and brown bread. The traditional Holmes Library Pink Potluck Punch and assorted flavors of spritzers complemented the menu. After the main course all readers adjourned to the Library’s reading room for a book discussion accompanied by a picturesque decorated cake and other chocolate treats. 

Readers were conflicted about the book. Some said it was a straight forward story about a young woman and her schemes for survival. Others said it was about justifying the moral decisions people make in desperate situations. Readers had their own ideas about the characters and no one convinced others to change their minds about the motivations and actions of Grace before and after the shipwreck. There was some discussion of how the survivors were able to tolerate the terrible suffering in the lifeboat. Some readers did not want to spend much time talking about it and were eager to get to the rescue. They were disappointed that the author did not spend much time on the rescue and questions were raised about survivors in the other lifeboats. Although other characters were prominently featured the discussion focused on Grace and her sister and her husband’s family. It was decided that this was the author’s intention and she succeeded in the direction of her story. 

Readers decided that despite accolades and awards The Lifeboat had too many loose ends and unanswered questions to qualify as a good read for them. They commented that they never connected with any of the characters and although the deaths were sad they didn’t care very much about the people. They needed more details and time to engage with their lives. 

The discussion concluded with the members of the book clubs drawing straws to determine who would pick September’s book selection. After two rounds Library Director Jean was left with the short straw. The group unanimously changed her name to Director Hardie. 

 “Am I to be blamed for this? We do not ask certain ideas to enter our heads and demand that others stay away. I believe that a person is accountable for his actions but not for the contents of his mind, so perhaps I am culpable for occasionally letting those thoughts turn themselves into words.”  Charlotte Rogan, The Lifeboat.

Have you read The Lifeboat?  What did you think? Please share your thoughts in comments.

What we thought: Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal

Evening Book Club August 2016

Kitchens of the Great Midwest

J. Ryan Stradal

“...have a house without a pie, be ashamed until you die.”
― J. Ryan Stradal, Kitchens of the Great Midwest

Kitchens of the Great Midwest, is a story of how regional food is the background of our lives and forms lasting impressions of comfort and home. The discussion centered on the characters and how they fit into the life of Eva Thorvald, the girl with a once-in-a-generation palate. It continued throughout the evening with comments about the how did the characters fit into the story. There was confusion about the brief introduction of some of them and why they were essential to Eva’s story, but most said they liked Eva. Some said there were too many of them and that a few plot lines were not necessary to the story. Others said the characters reappeared later and tied up loose ends and left some questions to be answered by the reader. This is how Stradal writes, quirky and jumping from one situation to another. Readers are forced to fill in the blanks and make up their own stories. 

Most readers appreciated the humorous situations but were put off by the reality of gritty living conditions of rural life in Minnesota. It was decided that the author wrote about the culture of Minnesota and how food reflected the tastes and history of the people who live there.  All readers agreed that they liked the parts about some of the food, especially the local tomatoes and sweet corn as well as the story about Pat’s bars. Readers enjoyed one member’s recreation of Pat’s chocolate peanut butter bars for the group’s snack.

The most intense discussion was reserved for the end of the evening when everyone had strong opinions about Eva’s pop-up dinner party with the non-refundable $120 reservation, $10,000 cost for two people, and  three year wait with no choice of date. The menu was good, but the portions were small and there were no substitutions or seconds available. Readers questioned whether the diners were deliberately chosen for that particular evening and how they were part of Eva’s life. Did Eva know her mother would be at the dinner and how would she have known?

Listed here are books readers suggested.  The Beans of Egypt Maine, Caroline Chute , Shotgun Lovesongs, Nickolas Butler, Jan Karon’s Mitford Cookbook and Kitchen Reader, edited by Martha MacIntosh.

Have you read Kitchens of the Great Midwest? What did you think? Please share your thoughts in comments.

What we thought: Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

Evening Book Club July 2016

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

Although this is a novel the author’s background growing up in Ethiopia and his profession as a surgeon is reflected in the treatment of subjects and insights into the emotional lives of the characters. Readers were profoundly moved by the intensity of the story and how culture and spiritualty affected the way the characters understood and reacted to their circumstances. Readers compared the differences in American society to that of Ethiopia and talked about the lives of immigrants after coming to the United States either by choice or force.

Readers commented that they wanted to know more about the history of Ethiopia and Haile Selassie. They were not certain about the time frame and wanted to know how the characters of

Dr. Thomas Stone, Sister Mary Joseph Praise, Hema and Ghosh physician adoptive parents of Marion/Shiva fit into the scope of the story. They determined that the story began in the 1950’s and moved through the adulthood of Marion and Shiva Stone.

Readers were fascinated by the medical and surgical details in the Ethiopian clinic where the Indian doctors and nurses cared for their patients. The ailments were gruesome, especially the conditions of women and the aftermath of childbirth. Readers said that despite the terrible suffering they couldn’t turn away and kept reading. This led to a discussion about the connection between the physical body and the spirituality of the soul and the differences between the views of Western and other cultures. Readers were captivated by the sensitivity and beauty of the author’s language in writing about death and acceptance of it. In his medical and teaching practice Dr. Verghese emphasizes the importance of bedside manner and attention to patients and their families. Readers talked about their own experiences with doctors and how Cutting for Stone gave them a lot to think about.

Recommended reading: Marcus Samuelsson, renowned chef and Food Network celebrity is an Ethiopian child who was adopted and grew up in Sweden. He wrote about his multicultural life in Yes, Chef; a memoir and Marcus off Duty; the recipes I cook at home.

Have you read Cutting for Stone?  What did you think?  Please share your thoughts in comments.