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: 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!