We read and discussed the Washington County Library One County, One Book for 2014 -- "The World's Strongest Librarian: A Memoir of Tourette's, Faith, Strength, and the Power of Family." Every year for several years, Washington County has chosen a book for a "County Wide Read." One of our members asked what is the criteria for selection. Our library liaison shared with us that they have three key county library employees look over books, which uses the Legacy Fund monies to support the purchases and program. This year they selected a book that had faith, disability, sport, and reading entertainment in an inspiring way.
As flexible as we (Park Grove Library Book Club members) are, we were able to slide this one in this month, and with 10 of us attending the book club, we had a very lively discussion. It was a well-liked book by most (one person said it wasn't her favorite, but she pointed out some very good characteristics about the book that she liked). Having 9 out of 10 people enjoying the book was good. It was about a LIBRARIAN. My own personal opinion when I first looked at it was that it was going to be slow and BORING. I loved it and would recommend it for anyone to read, far from boring! It had me engaged immediately in the book, the introduction shared stories that a librarian would share. Josh shared: "The purpose of libraries -- to organize and provide information -- hasn't changed. They're billed as the Poor Man's University." "Libraries have shaped and linked all the disparate threads of my life. The books. The weights. The tics. The harm I've caused myself and others. Even the very fact that I'm alive. How I handle my Tourette's. Everything I know about my identity can be traced back to the boy whose parents took him to a library in New Mexico even before he was born." It was personal stories of Josh's Librarian experiences that helped make this entertaining!
Our first discussion question was "Do you remember your first trip to the library? Do you read more or less now than you did as a child? Why?" Oh the memories we dragged up. Many members shared memories of their first trips to the libraries, some influenced by their parents' love of reading. Many talked about a "Book Mobile" with books lined on both sides. Personally, I can remember the smell of that small town library my mother took me to when I was first able to read and have my very own library card. Our leader asked "Was there a book or character in a book that infatuated you as much as Charlotte's Web and Fern did Josh?" Many comments about favorite books, and we also wondered about our own children. Will they continue to love going to the library and reading books as we had? One member has had a list of the books she has read for many, many years, and she reads a lot of books! We were envious of her ability to have had the endurance to start young and keep track.
When we first shared whether we liked the book or not, people mentioned they liked the different threads that came together in the book, his life experiences were unique and individual. He shares about his Morman Faith, his Tourette's disease, his commitment to exercise with weights and then his own family, both the one he was born into and the one he created. Someone said "it sounded so authentic with the emotions" and "enjoyed his sense of humor."
Someone commented: "What struck with me was his strength of character. I admired how accepting his parents and the Morman community were for just the way he was." We also admired him as an author and his story. It gave us a perspective of how Tourette's affects him, how hard it is to work in a library (someone said they had great pity for librarians) and about the Morman faith. We commented on the end of the book when he is doing the Highland Games, an ancient Scottish event, and he catches himself talking out loud. He pauses and recognizes that he was saying "oh please, oh please, help me, help me, help me." A prayer to a higher power. We felt that wrapped up a large part of the book. Strength, Faith and the Power of Family, a Memoir of Tourette's by the World's Strongest Librarian Josh Hanagarne, a well-loved book.
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Thank you, Natalie, for the well written blogs. I am keeping up and enjoying the books but miss being there for the discussions so I appreciate the postings. I am pleased that "Cutting For Stone" and "The Forty Rules of Love" were chosen as I may not have known of them and nor had the opportunity of reading these interesting and inspiring books. I did not want them to end. This book club is a treasure. Annette
ReplyDeleteOne person at book club made note about each chapter has the Dewey Decimal System in the front, I liked that too. I also liked the facts about the Salt Lake City Library where Josh worked. In Chapter 10 he stated "The library owns over a million items. At any time half of those are on the shelf and half are checked out." He listed: Books, DVDs, CDs, VHS tapes and art prints. If you have a love of libraries, this just brings such joy! He shared that in July, 2011, the six library branches making up the Salt Lake City Library put on 138 programs. In June it was 162, from tango lessons to computer mouse usage to travel lecture by Rick Steves or a program about Tourette's. I love it!
ReplyDeleteA few pages away he writes: "A mind can be lost without it's owner's death. A mind that no longer questions only fulfills the rudimentary aspects of its function. A mind without wonder is a mere engine, a walking parasympathetic nervous system, seeing without observing, reacting without thinking, a forgotten ghost in a passive machine. The mind that asks and experiments and evaluates will die one day, but will provide a richer life for its owner. The mind that does nothing but rest inside the brain doesn't sidestep the puddle. It's sitting in it."
I want to sidestep that puddle and DANCE all around the knowledge and passion that I can find in a library. I'm thankful for that library card so many years ago given to me when my mother first took me to the library. Thank you to Josh Hanagarne for the passion you inspire!
Friday, March 28, 2014
I really loved the book and was so surprised, because I almost didn’t read it. I knew I wasn’t going to be at the meeting, and it just didn’t sound all that interesting, but I picked it up and read the first few pages and I was HOOKED! I so admired his parents and the way they did not take anything about him personally. I think so often it is easy as parents to feel a personal failing whenever our children have any difficulty. This did not happen with them, and they were never upset or embarrassed by his condition. It was a fabulous extension of grace in his life and I imagine was a huge part of his ability to accept the Tourette’s and work on the symptoms the way he did.
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