Patty Jane's House of Curl by Lorna Landvik

Eight members of the book club were able to share their thoughts on this month's selection and "like" was what most felt about it, with one saying they loved it.  Some had never read her books before, some had read some of her books before and one person had read this book before!  One member said it was "fun to read," another said "it was light hearted," and one person said "it was interesting, provocative."  One member said that it took her 30-40 pages before she could get into the book.

One member said that she could connect with the location of the storyline. We loved that it was in the area, I think a lot of us could see the big house at the end of the story.  We had a good discussion on where women meet to talk, do we even do that anymore?  Where do we connect with other women and meet others?  The beauty shop isn't what it use to be.  We discussed about one aunt's beauty shop in a small town. Community Centers, like the one in Inver Grove or Cottage Grove Senior Center or coffee shops are places now where we meet others -- or Book Clubs!

We had a discussion about Thor leaving (one person found it frustrating and she said "I don't get the Crazy Lady who kidnapped Thor) and about Avel's death (one member said I lost my husband suddenly and I cried throughout).  We talked about Nora saying "until I can handle things, I'll pretend I can handle things" and how we do that in our own life at times.

We were enjoyed the "uffda" and Ione in the story.  We were so glad she was able to travel and see the world.  One member said "Ione reminded me of my mother-in-law" with the way she was more 'closed' until later in life she opened up more.

We found some parts of the book interesting. Someone liked in Ch 14 Inky suggestions box note about subscribing to better magazines "True Confessions is cheaper than National Geographic."  One member said "As a young teen we would sneak into my friends moms bedroom and read those."  Another liked the "Bills Hardware Calendar" as that was important to communities many years ago and some people still want them, have to have them!  Those who are from out of state loved that Lorna Landvik in the novel, just referred to the University of MN as the "U."  Why of course we Minnesota born and bred didn't even think about it.  We all refer to it as the "U" but those from out of state have a "U" where they were from.

We liked the part of Harriet's singing voice and we talked about how Harriet "faced her ghost" and almost cost her her own life.  Patty Jane was close to losing it, but Clyde Chuka saved her.  What causes one person do do one thing but not another we discussed.  How resilient are you?  In Ch 13 we liked the part where Clyde Chuka says:  "We're allotted one great love--and some of us are lucky enough to find it.  That love is sort of our pilot light and when it goes out...then it's out for good."  But when Patty Jane and Clyde Chuka finally connect and she finds Thor Clyde asks "So would you have turned off your pilot light?" Patty Jane smoothed the lines etched into Clyde's forehead "I would  have told him I'd switched to electric." (Ch23).

We have some questions to ask when Lorna Landvik visits our library soon (we are all so excited) and one we wrote "Did she know when she started the book, that Avel was going to die?"  So looking forward to our visit!

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

A dozen members were able to share in the discussion of "Unbroken:An Olympian's Journey from Airman to Castaway to Captive."  Most enthusiastically liked the book, a couple were more tepid and all agreed it was heavy reading. One member said "I loved it, I couldn't put it down." Another initially bought it as a gift for a family member and found herself hooked going out to get her own copy. As a runner herself, another said she was enthralled by the running aspects of the story. One person said she resisted reading “Unbroken” because she wondered what all the fuss was about, then read it and was riveted. One member said the book was ok, having read Hillenbrand’s “Seabiscuit” also and thought both were too "wordy."

Reading Unbroken left many wondering how much abuse someone can take and survive, it left some members unable to sleep, and some having to put it down at times because of how dark it became. One person commented "I marveled at what it would take to render myself able to deliver the level of curelty born upon Louis Zamperini, and how much would I be able to take in his position." 
One member found Louis’ tale a gripping one, especially the whole experience adrift at sea in the Pacific. Her father was a gunner on a tanker in the Pacific during WWII. He returned shell shocked and ashamed. Her father-in-law was a Pacific scout during the war and never talked about his experiences. He and his wife had separate beds because he would sometimes vigorously thrash at night after returning home.  

All the research Laura Hillenbrand did was amazing along with the great index information. The beginning of the book layed out the foundation of his youth, which one member said shows that a juvenile troublemaker can work through his issues and even become a hero. Others shared that the Olympic training taught him to focus, to be persistent and probably gave Louis the thought that he couldn’t envision anything but winning. "He had the tenacity to push to win at all costs." 

One reader said it gave her an appreciation for the "Greatest Generation." We were surprised by how horrific the statistics of the war was. The plane Superman had 500 plus bullets in the Battle of Nobu. One member shared pictures that her father-in-law had taken of the planes while he was in the Pacific. The Minnesota History Center "Greatest Generation" exhibit has a WWII fighter plane with combat sounds and flashing lights so you can experience what they may have felt and heard. The discussion among the group marveled at how flight crews relied on each other and had to carry on with replacements when their crew suffered loss. 

Several in the group were astounded that we hadn’t heard of this tale sooner. Why? The consensus was that there were so many stories, everyone simply did what needed to be done and everyone sacrificed. As a result, war experiences weren’t discussed as anything exceptional. And society in general tended to keep quiet about war experiences. Several noted family members who experienced dramatic events in and around WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War and rarely, if ever, spoke of that time.

 A member said there are online videos conducted by University of Southern California with interviews of Louis Zamperini and another shared that the Billy Graham Foundation is going to make a film concentrating on the redemption aspects of the story. We found that part of the story fascinating, what an impression Billy Graham had on his life. We were glad to read this book and learn so much about the sacrifices made during the war, Louis story from his youth to his old age and his ability to succeed through all the horrific acts done to him.

VISITING AUTHOR COMING TO PARK GROVE LIBRARY IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH

TUESDAY FEB 17
Park Grove Library is sponsoring a Winter Jacket Author Event with Woodbury author Christopher Valen.  His new book Death's Way is the 5th of his John Santana mystery series, which takes place in St. Paul.

AND....rumor has it that Lorna Landvik is coming to visit Park Grove Library through a special Book Club Edition in April.  Date is still pending.  We will be reading her book, Patty Jane's House of Curl in March and moving The Mockingbird Next Door: Life w/Harper Lee by Marja Mills to the end of our list (although now with the new sequel by Harper Lee to come out, we might have to move this one up!)  

If you were able to visit us with our December Book Club Special Edition with William Kent Krueger and thought you might enjoy our book club, we welcome you with open arms.  Please join us on any of the upcoming book club discussions or author visits supported by Park Grove Library.

Tuesday, Febraury 24 "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand will be discussed.  Join us for this popular book!

BOOK CLUB SELECTION

2.24   Unbroken Laura Hillenbrand
3.24   Patty Jane's House of Curl Lorna Landvik
4.28   The Invention of Wings Sue Monk Kidd
5.26   Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail Cheryl Strayed
6.23   The Cross Gardener Jason F. Wright
7.28   A Walk Across the Sun Corban Addison

8.25   The Orchardist Amanda Coplin

9.22   The Goldfinch Donna Taft
10.27 Moloda'l Alan Brennert

11.17 The Aviator's Wife Melanie Benjamin
12.15 Little Heathens:  Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm Mildred Armstrong Kalish
2016
1.26   A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Betty Smith
2.23   All the Light We Cannot See Anthony Doerr
3.22   The Fault in Our Stars John Green
4.26   The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie:A Flavia de Luce Novel Alan Bradley
5.24   Shotgun Love Songs Nikolas Butler
6.28   The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Deborah Moggach
7.26   A Confederacy of Dunces John Kennedy Toole
8.23   BOOK CLUB SELECTION
9.27   Lucky Us Amy Bloom
10.25 The Mockingbird Next Door: Life w/Harper Lee Marja Mills

A Star for Mrs. Blake by April Smith

Our January meeting had a dozen of us discussing this historical fiction of a program the United States Government started shortly after WWI called "Gold Star Mothers pilgrimage."  One person stated they thought the book was going to be dry, not very interesting, but the novel immediately had brought me in.  Another said they got caught up in it, read it really fast and really enjoyed it.  One member said it brought out racism, how it was for women back then, the discrimination. Ten members loved the book, one liked it and one was neutral in their view.

Our leader for the book, choose this because she was downloading the library media program and choose a book right away on the list, A Star for Mrs. Blake.  She said "I wouldn't have read it, but by serendipity it served well and was a good book."  We all agreed.

We talked about the time that these women went.  Here many were suffering the effects of the depression and they are now in a fancy hotel and with food that is above anything they would have back home.  We talked about that when their soldier sons died, these women had been asked if they would like to bring their sons home.  Many probably couldn't afford the burial.

The storyline involves women who were diverse, including their age difference, some were immigrants, they were of different faith and some had more money than others.  One woman in the group in the beginning was, Selma, a Black seamstress.  We learned in the story about the segregation back then and a few of us mentioned we missed hearing more about Selma.

Someone in the group mentioned this from the book "Doesn't matter who you are, Black, White, Jewish, Catholic -- doesn't mater -- we are all going to die." {I couldn't find it in the book, but if someone from our group knows where it is they could post it in the comments.}  They were in this mission to find out about where their sons died and where they were buried.

We are introduced to many characters in the story, Linwood, Hammond, Lily, Perkins, Griffin Reed besides the ladies on their pilgrimage.  We talked about the secrets that many carried through out the story:  Cora -- her son's father; Bobbie's -- heart condition; Griffin -- his mask; Katie -- shameful about not being able to afford bringing both sons home; Lily -- the kiss Perkins gave her; Hammond -- his path chosen but did he really want to be in the military?  We talked about the characters and what happened at the end of the novel.
 
Cora was a great character in the story and we talked about her experience with many characters in the book.  Will she go back to Linwood?  Does she know that Griffin doesn't make it back to the States?  What will her life be like with her grandson?  Faith was a part of this story.  We saw faith by the military in taking meticulous care of their soldiers (even the women on the pilgrimages).  Faith in humanity, the people cared for the fallen soldiers graves.  And finally, faith in the shared experiences, a bond, even though there were many differences.

The Full Cupboard of Life by Alexander McCall Smith

More treats in December!  A member hosted our evening discussion and we all brought an appetizer to share and even, a book to pass along if we wanted.

We had a great discussion by an author who is well-published, 100 books to his name our discussion leader has shared.  There are 15 books to this series (16 counting a different version of the #1 book).

The series takes place in the country of Botswana, just above South Africa. The main character in the story is Mma Ramotswe, proprietor of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency.  Most liked the book and we had quite a good discussion with it.  One person said they liked the "respecting elders and good manners" that are a part of this book, but imagine part of Botswana, and they liked that women aren't oppressed by their husbands.  Mr. JLB was a kind man and represents the men well in Botswana.  He had high ethical standards in his business.

We liked how they often had 'Bush Tea' and even in the hot summer days they sat under a tree and had hot tea, considered it to be a pleasantry offered to guests.  We liked this, and someone said it is like time to relax, to just talk.  Life is slow and simple and enjoyable there someone shared.  "It wouldn't fit in New York."  Someone said that the community is "so generous, so straightforward, they take care of each other.  Don't have all the drama."  Another member stated they enjoyed reading the book because it was this way, it was a great place to "get away."  Someone said they also liked the simplicity of the book, they felt like they were in the country, listening to them speak (which is how the author wrote the book).  Another said they liked how simple life was.

We liked the characters in the book and how Mma Ramotswe was influenced by her past, by her father.   A member shared this line from the book and we nodded in agreement.  “We find what we are looking for in life, her father had once said to her, which was true--if you look for happiness, you will see it; if you look for distrust and envy and hatred--all those things--you will find those too.”
― Alexander McCall Smith, The Full Cupboard of Life

William Kent Krueger visits Park Grove Library, December 1, 2014

Park Grove Library, Cottage Grove offered a special night "Book Club Special Edition with William Kent Krueger."  What a wonderful evening it was.  The staff at Park Grove estimated there were around 80 people attending.  It really was a packed house!  The Book Club Members, along with our library liaison, helped to set a feast of treats along with coffee, tea and water.  It really was a grand evening, and if you missed it, watch for another author visit in 2015.

We introduced our Book Club as this was "Book Club Special Edition" series, and hope that others will consider joining our group.  Anyone is welcomed to participate with us.

William Kent Krueger, said "Call me Kent" and set off on a journey of storytelling that left us fascinated and intrigued.  He first shared the story of a young high school student who asked him how old he was.  First off, he shared, High Schoolers are at times, difficult to talk to, but here he was in southwest MN and a student asked a question, so he answered.  He said "64."  She was a writer herself and wanted to know how long will it be before something might "happen."  He told her to be patient, time will come to you.  He shared that it is a journey to be a writer and he was on a spiritual journey while writing his books, including Ordinary Grace.

He shared one incredible poem he wrote when in the 5th Grade, "The Lone Wolf." If I had been his teacher at that time I think I would have asked for an autographed copy.  Time showed that this man was destined for some stories that would leave  quite an impression on the heart of his readers.

Kent Krueger shared a bit of how he came to write "Ordinary Grace."  He shared that he vividly remembers being 13 years old and what it was like the summer of '61.  It was a start of a spiritual journey and also about story telling.

He read a part of the funeral of the "itinerant" in chapter 7.  "In the early afternoon  my father got himself ready for the burial" he started and read to the end of the burial where Jake's father asked "Gus, would you like a hand?"  "No, Captain," Gus said.  "I've got all day and I intend to take my time."  Kent stated:  I believe there is a great spirit that runs all creation.  We are born, simply come out of that great loving heart and when we die we go back to that great loving heart."

It was absolutely delightful to hear this author read from his book.  It was such a treasure to hear his expression, his voice lift the words off the page as he read to us.  He answered several questions the audience had and then shared one more piece of information:  a new book.  He is writing a companion piece that he hopes to release in the spring of 2016.  "This Tender Land."

Thank you to all who came out to listen to Kent Krueger share in his talent and his gift of word.  We are forever blessed by this event.  Thank you to the Park Grove Library, our liaison and Washington County Library for allowing the funding for this event. 
updated 1.4.15

The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman

Thanks to G.B. for notes for this months topic -- There was a lively and compelling discussion among fourteen members of the Park Grove Library Book Club on Tuesday, November 18 around M. L. Stedman’s debut novel, The Light Between Oceans.  We welcomed a new member, Wendy.  She belongs to a book club in Edina, and as a Cottage Grove resident, decided to check us out.  We benefited from some of her keen insights, are happy she decided to join us, and hope she will continue as part of our group.

Our leader led the discussion, and as we introduced ourselves, we were asked to state the person in the book with whom we felt the most empathy.  The answers were all over the place!  A couple of members mentioned Tom, and a couple mentioned Isabel, and a couple mentioned Lucy Grace.  But Frank, Septimus, Bluey, and even Isabel’s parents received votes.  This is something we felt was important to note – Stedman created so many rich characters, and the moral ambiguity inherent in the book was so over-arching, that it was hard to figure out who we should feel the sorriest for.  There was unanimous agreement that the book was excellent and extremely well written, though one member, a new mother, was so emotionally impacted by the story that she could not finish it.

It was noted that the lighthouse has been a source of myth-making in literature – standing for sanctuary, and the edge of knowledge and reason.  And that Janus Rock was named for Janus, the Roman God of doorways, “always looking both ways, torn between two ways of seeing things.”  The image of sanctuary and the notion of opposites (looking in two ways) were interesting to talk about as was the dichotomy of light and dark, war and peace, truth and lies, safety and danger, and how those things framed the choices that Tom and Isabel made.   We also spent time talking about isolation and morality – more specifically:  Is it easier to make a choice when you don’t see the effect of your choice on someone else?  In this story, isolation allowed Isabel to deny the consequences of her actions, but Tom felt less ambiguous and had a stronger moral compass even though he lived on a daily basis in the same isolation as Isobel.  This may have been due to the clear and unchanging structure around his job responsibilities (the many regulations, the logbook, specifics around the light, etc.) 

Unfulfilled duty haunted Tom.  He was scarred by what he witnessed in the war and felt he had let others down.  He was determined to be better as a light keeper.  So he could not forget the blank he left in the logbook which should have been filled with documentation of Frank and the baby’s beached boat.  But as the story progressed, his own moral dilemma grew to include not only the decision to tell a lie and to keep Lucy knowing the impact that would have on Hannah, but also his obligation to Isabel, who he deeply loved, as her husband.  His job in life was to keep the light burning – nothing more.  And he determined to do this for Isabel, knowing that to tell the truth and to return Lucy could snuff her light out forever.  As he sought to make the best of things, and to assure Hannah that Lucy was alive and well, he was willing to put his own life in jeopardy so that each of them were hurt as little as possible in the process.  Sadly, the circumstances were such that no one could win.    

Someone pointed out that Lucy means light and Grace means God is with us.  She rightly noted that so much depended on this child to bring happiness to so many people.

An interesting interview with the author can be found at here