The 19th Wife

I suggested The 19th Wife at our November meeting as a possibility for one of our selections in 2009. But I've since finished it, and I don't really think it would be a good fit for our book club. You can read my review here and draw your own conclusions. There would certainly be plenty to talk about, but I think we have some much better titles to choose from - check out the list here.

Thoughts on Hannah Coulter

Reading Hannah Coulter was a joy; this book is satisfyingly substantial and beautifully written. Our discussion was profound and has led me down many paths of thought since - one being to wonder whether a return to a more agrarian and "membership" lifestyle might answer a number of the economic, political, and social questions our country is now facing. In that respect, it is a timely read. I'm sure it's not the answer we'll get from Washington; perhaps it's worth thinking about for that reason alone...

Year I in Review: May '08 ~ THREE CUPS OF TEA by Greg Mortenson & A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS by Khaled Hosseini

We had trouble deciding on a book selection for May, so we picked two that we thought might complement each other: Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. Unfortunately, we found that we were overly ambitious, and for a number of reasons most of our members weren't able to finish both books. This made the discussion a bit more difficult, but there were still plenty of broad topics that we could discuss in relation to these two books. To celebrate the end of our first year, we met for dinner at a local Indian restaurant, the closest we could get to Pakistani or Afghan food.

We used some of the questions from the Penguin Reading Guides for each book to get our discussion started. We talked about the different perceptions of Islam that are presented in each book. Three Cups of Tea takes a very positive approach to recognizing the value of the culture in the Pakistani villages where Greg Mortensen worked. You get the impression that most of these Muslims don't want any part in the extremes of the Taliban. In contrast, the male leaders of these villages seem glad to educate their daughters in order that they might bring advances in medicine and education back to their people. On the other hand, A Thousand Splendid Suns presents the harsh reality of women in a male dominated society, a plight that was made even more desperate with the rise of the Taliban. I still shudder to think of some of the scenes that were described in that novel.

We found it interesting that Greg Mortenson made a point to offer only practical help to the leaders of remote mountain villages in Pakistan. He attributed a good part of his success in building relationships to the fact that he did not have any religious or political agenda. We speculated about how the story might have been different had he brought a Christian message with his schools and other projects.

Although Greg Mortenson's story was amazing, we did find the writing style of Three Cups of Tea to be somewhat lacking and at times annoying. Maybe it was more a journalistic style, as the co-author David Relin is a journalist, not a novelist. He could definitely benefit from reading William Strunk's The Elements of Style.

Only half of our members read A Thousand Splendid Suns by the time of our meeting. Though we didn't have a chance to talk about it, I (Page Turner) thought the character development in this novel was superb. I quickly sympathized with Mariam and found Rasheed despicable. It evoked a wide range of emotions - from tears to shock to anger to hope.

Captive Thoughts members, if you later finished one or both of these books, please add to this summary and discussion in the comments.

HANNAH COULTER by Wendell Berry ~ November '08

Slow Reader has mentioned elsewhere that we had one of our best discussions in November with the novel Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry. As I've thought about the factors that made this possible, it seems that perhaps this story of life and relationships and growing old helped us to reflect on what is truly of value in our lives. In that reflection, we shared more of our own histories and our own lives with each other than we have in other discussions. This book made us think. It made us compare our lives to the life described by Hannah Coulter (many of us found it easier to personify this fictional character than to refer to the author's presentation of the story). Some compared her story to their family history if it was linked to a farm, and others found a challenge to live more purposefully in the present and future. At the least, all of us came away with a new appreciation for a piece of America that has all but disappeared.

Wendell Berry's ideals are seamlessly interwoven throughout the narrative. Some of our members thought they came through almost like a sermon, but they made others long for a simple and full life closer to the land, a life that seems so elusive in our fast paced urban and suburban lifestyles. Although none of us are in a place where we can fully embrace those ideals even if we wanted to, they certainly gave us reason to examine some of our assumptions and motives for how we live our lives.

We discussed most of the questions listed in a previous post, but two concepts in particular seemed to shape most of our discussion. First, we spent a good deal of time talking about contentment and ambition as related to this passage:

Compared to nearly everybody else, the Branches have led a sort of futureless life. They have planned and provided as much as they needed to, but they take little thought for the morrow. They aren't going any place, they aren't getting ready to become anything but what they are, and so their lives are not fretful and hankering. And they are all still here, still farming... They survive and go on because they like where they are and what they are doing, they aren't trying to get up in the world, and they produce more than they consume...they trade and contrive and make do, getting by and prospering both at once. It doesn't seem to bother them that while they are making crops and meat and timber, other people are making only money that they sometimes don't even work for (152).

It truly gave us pause to consider that this might be a more genuine application of "taking no thought for the marrow" than the more typical (and overly-simplistic) admonition not to worry. (And how many of us succeed at that anyway?) The members of the Branch family referred to above also had little formal education, yet they were self-educated in many practical skills and areas of knowledge that interested them. While all of us Captive Thoughts ladies value education, it also made us wonder if sometimes our pursuit of education can become chasing after the wind.

The other topic that shaped our discussion was the idea of place and community that figured prominently in the novel. Hannah referred to the network of friends and relatives in Port William, Kentucky, as "the Membership." The Membership was tied to the land and to the others who lived there and loved the same land. They knew each other intimately and thus were able to help each other in time of need. In a multitude of ways, these connections to land and people are lost in our culture today. Yet we can still create a place of refuge, a place for roots and heritage and family and community to grow. It will take time and effort, but it is possible. Several of us look forward to reading this recent release for ideas of how to do just that.

I haven't even begun to cover all the ideas we tossed around at our meeting, so Captive Thoughts ladies, please add to this by posting some more thoughts in the comments. What did you think of the book and/or our discussion? Maybe you can share if something in Hannah Coulter or our discussion brought you to a better understanding or changed the way you thought about life. Personally, I think I'll attempt to raise a garden next year! What about you?

FOR FURTHER READING
More fiction about characters in Port William, KY:
Jayber Crow
That Distant Land: The Collected Stories
The Memory of Old Jack
Nathan Coulter: A Novel
Andy Catlett: Early Travels

Non-fiction by Wendell Berry:
The Art of the Commonplace: The Agrarian Essays of Wendell Berry

By Matthew Bonzo and Michael Stevens (Cornerstone University professors):
Wendell Berry and the Cultivation of Life: A Reader's Guide

Recipe for Dried Apple Stack Cake (we enjoyed this traditional Appalachian dessert at our November meeting!)

Book Group Discussion Questions for Hannah Coulter

As we prepared for our November discussion, I didn't find any discussion questions for our selection of Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry. As I was reading, I jotted down a few ideas and compiled the following questions before our meeting. Unfortunately, I forgot to print them to take with me, but our discussion still covered most of these topics. Perhaps another book club or reader will find these questions helpful or thought provoking. Links for further reading can be found at the end of this post.

1. The idea of “place” features prominently in the novel. How does Hannah understand and describe this concept? Can such a place be found apart from the land, or to put it differently, how can a significant place be found outside an agrarian community?
   
2. Wendell Berry is known, among other things, for promoting sustainable agriculture, environmentalism, and conservationism, or minimizing one’s impact on the environment. How does he communicate his ideals through Hannah’s voice? Share some specific passages.
   
3. Biblical allusions were subtle, but surely present in this novel. Which ones did you notice or particularly stood out to you? What is the role of faith in Hannah Coulter’s life and in the community of Port William?
   
4. There is a shift in the narrative between Parts I and II. (chronological narrative vs. reminiscing and directly addressing Andy Catlett) Discuss these differences and what the author might have been trying to accomplish with these changes.
   
5. How did Hannah Coulter understand and describe her two courtships and marriages? What were some of the strengths and weaknesses of each of these relationships?
   
6. What did you find to be the most surprising thing about this novel? Did it challenge your thinking? Did it make you long for a by-gone era or a rural life? Do you think Wendell Berry’s portrayal of rural life is more realistic or idealistic?

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress

Our last discussion, on Hannah Coulter (Wendell Berry), was so good -- probably our best. One of our members said she'd been feeling a deep pull toward rural life, and the book accorded with that. I'm not going to summarize our discussion yet, because as usual I've since read something else that I need to share.

We also discussed what to read during the months for which we still had no titles. Another member suggested we take up Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution by Ji-li Jiang. It's a memoir about the Cultural Revolution in China. I don't know which month we'll plug it into.

I needed something to read over our holiday break (we don't meet in December), so I went to the library and noticed a display of books by Asian writers. Didn't see Red Scarf Girl, but noticed one with red shoes on the cover. It was Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, by Dai Sijie. I thought, since it's short and also about the Cultural Revolution, it might be a good companion to Red Scarf Girl.

It is a quick read, and a good story. If anyone wants to supplement their reading for the month we finally do Red Scarf Girl, I recommend this one. It would make for an interesting discussion, especially as it offsets the viewpoint of Hannah Coulter. As the story opens, we learn that the two main characters are being forcibly moved to a back-country village for their re-education. They are "young intellectuals" according to Mao, and need to learn peasant ways. Actually, their "crime" consists of having a high school education and being the sons of medical professionals. Needless to say, this is hardly the idyllic picture of rural life that Wendell Berry paints. Certainly, a move to the countryside should be one's own choice!

I also picked up Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry, which is turning out to be much the same in writing style to Hannah Coulter. I had hoped for a different voice -- didn't care for Hannah's narrative so much -- and this is a slight improvement. There is the same reflective tone -- you can tell it's by the same author -- but this first-person narrative is a bit crisper and more interesting. I think there's more description, and certainly more action, and I have a better sense of who the narrator (the barber of Port William) is. Naturally, a barber (Jayber Crow) is going to have a lot of insight into the town's characters, so that makes it interesting. And he is a friend of Burley Coulter's -- a character we all wished for more of in Hannah Coulter. Actually, this story reminds me a lot of Gilead. Jayber is a solitary person, much like the old, dying pastor in that book.

Isn't it interesting how so many of our books have some relation to each other?

Added later (2/21/09): I just remembered something that I really liked about Jayber Crow. His love is pure and sacrificial. I'd say that it's in contrast to Max DeWinter's, for either of his wives. I don't want to give anything away, so you'll have to read Jayber. But really, do read it. He's a wonderful character.

Another by Alexandre Dumas

I was interested in reading another of Alexandre Dumas' historical novels after we read La Reine Margot in October. I didn't think I had the time to delve into the 700+ pages of The Count of Monte Cristo (maybe someday), and I wasn't particularly interested in the swashbuckling tales of The Three Musketeers. But I came across The Black Tulip on Amazon, and not only did it have good reviews, but it was under 300 pages, and it was set in Holland (which is fitting for many who live in West Michigan)! I enjoyed this little novel much more than La Reine Margot, and you can read my summary and review here. My local library had this wonderful old copy with such a charming cover ~

Frank McCourt's Teacher Man

The following was a comment under Angela's Ashes, but I wanted to turn it into a post because a) it's so brilliant : ) and b) I found something to add that really is brilliant and I don't want anyone to miss it. Here's what I wrote before:

Before delving into Hannah Coulter, I sped-read through McCourt's Teacher Man. Unusual for a person with a moniker like mine, I know, but it only took me two days! I think I like this book best of his other two (I'd read 'Tis years ago and can't remember much of it except being disappointed he'd become a drinker, although apparently not a "drunk" like his dad). His accounts of the classroom and his handling of it are fascinating. I'd come to the end of a chapter and decide "just one more." McCourt seems to have floated along in life without guiding principles, but in the end, he adhered to whatever forms or philosophy represented the opposite of his Catholic education. (We're getting quite a Catholic theme going here.) Anyway, other than one scene that seemed unnecessary in its depiction, this is an enjoyable book that rounds out our experience with Frank McCourt (although now I think I'd like to read Malachy's book).

Here's what I wanted to add:

I just read this article by a rabbi who tricked a disinterested classroom into grasping the fallacy of moral relativism. Now this is teaching. You'll enjoy it, and maybe want to use it with your children or students.

Wendell Berry

I just finished Hannah Coulter and found myself wanting more. Intrigued by the titles of some of his essays as listed with his other writings, I went searching and found this unofficial web site, Mr. Wendell Berry of Kentucky ("unofficial" because he doesn't own a computer and isn't hooked to the Internet). There are links to writings by and about him, including from his book What Are People For?, the answers to which tell a lot about a person. "The Burden of the Gospels," as published in Christian Century, was thought-provoking.

Angela's Ashes controversy

When we discussed Angela's Ashes, Page Turner mentioned having found an interview with the great late actor Richard Harris in which he refutes Frank McCourt's recollections of Limerick. Harris is a native of Limerick and actually calls McCourt a liar on several points; both versions can't be right. Read the Harris interview here, and McCourt's response here. This controversy makes the story all the more intriguing, especially the questions that Harris raises over the relationship between Frank and Malachy, and between both sons and their mother.

LA REINE MARGOT by Alexandre Dumas ~ October 2008

Captive Thoughts Book Club met recently to discuss our October selection, La Reine Margot, by Alexandre Dumas, the French 19th century author better known for The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo. This novel was our second attempt to read something related to the very broad theme of women in literature. We found, however, that the title character Marguerite de Valois is not necessarily the protagonist in this novel. Her presence is pervasive and perhaps even symbolic, but the plot focuses as much or more on the Saint Bartholomew's Day Massacre and various intrigues among the French royalty to secure the throne or other positions of power. As the sister of King Charles IX, daughter of the queen mother Catherine de Medici, and wife of Henry of Navarre, a Huguenot who escaped the Massacre and still aspires to the throne of Navarre or even France, Margot is often in the center of the action. Yet she herself is concerned with only two things: love, which she spurns in her marriage but finds in the gallant and handsome young La Mole, and ambition, a goal for which she faithfully conspires with her husband Henry of Navarre.

We did not have any prepared discussion questions since this does not seem to be a popular book club choice! But we had no trouble finding topics to occupy us for a couple of hours. The tension between Catholics and Huguenots is a key element of the story and Slow Reader began our discussion with some background information on this branch of the Reformation in France. Later in our discussion, we commented on the fact that very little was said of God or religion in La Reine Margot. This seemed rather odd given the fact that France was in the midst of the Wars of Religion and the Bartholomew's Day Massacre concerned this very conflict. We weren't sure whether the absence of God and the importance placed on astrology was a subtle commentary by Dumas on the emptiness of religion at this time or if it was an accurate reflection of the 16th century court. At any rate, Dumas himself seemed to be quite secular, and perhaps he brought those assumptions to his portrayal of history.

In keeping with our theme, we talked about the character of Margot, the significance of the book title, and the role of women as depicted for the 16th century French nobility. Margot was known for her beauty and sensuality. It seems that women of this day were generally powerless and thus used their bodies as a means to control their circumstances and destiny. Even so, Margot was a pawn in the hands of her power-hungry family as she had to submit to the arranged marriage with Henry of Navarre, and later the framed charges of treason which led to the death of her lover La Mole.

We discussed the historical accuracy of the novel at some length, for Dumas took quite a bit of license with the details. The explanatory notes were useful for learning what is known of the historical facts of the characters in this time period, but the number of characters and the author's subtle changes made it rather cumbersome to sort out the truth and fiction. In spite of this, most of us thought that once we read through the initial chapters where the many characters (often with similar names) were introduced, the novel moved quickly with plenty of action and suspense.

Along similar lines, we also speculated about what Dumas might have hoped to accomplish, aside from the obvious entertainment value of a fast-paced historical novel revolving around the romance and intrigues of an ancient royal family. There is a good deal of humor in the story, in spite of the carnage of the Massacre and other tragedies. Perhaps he was making a subtle attempt to reveal the pompous vanity of the nobility. For being more than 160 years old, it was not at all difficult to read, at least not in this recently updated English translation. We did find it interesting that our one member who read a different edition, Queen Margot or Marguerite De Valois (Miramax Book), shared a passage that had additional content from the Oxford World's Classics edition. Whichever version you read, La Reine Margot will give you an exciting and suspenseful view of this tumultuous time of history.

All Captive Thoughts Members, please leave additional thoughts and critiques in the comments or in another post to add to this little summary.

Page Turner's personal review can be found here.

Year I in Review: April '08 ~ THE THIRTEENTH TALE by Diane Setterfield

One of our members had read good reviews and intriguing excerpts from The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel by Diane Setterfield. It was described as a gothic novel (like Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights) with plenty of literary allusions, so it sounded like something we bookish types might enjoy, as well as something a bit lighter after several months of non-fiction selections. After reading it, however, our members had very mixed reviews - some really enjoyed it and others found it rather disturbing. It did generate good discussion, and from that discussion, we settled on the theme that we are pursuing during our second year.

The Thirteenth Tale tells the story of Vida Winter, a famous, but elusive novelist who is nearing the end of her life and decides to reveal her true story to Margaret Lea, an extremely introverted woman whose life revolves around reading and working in her father's antiquarian bookshop. Miss Winter has fabricated countless accounts of her life story to various reporters over the years, so Margaret is rather uncertain about finding the truth in Miss Winter's story. She takes meticulous notes and visits the sites of Miss Winter's early life, uncovering more complexities along the way. Margaret herself is haunted by a loss in her own life, and as she seeks to unravel Miss Winter's mysterious past, she must face her own memories and fears.

We began our discussion using questions found at the book's website, which unfortunately seems to be out of commission for the time being. While some of those questions were interesting, we didn't find a lot of depth to our discussion there.

We did, however, have some very good conversation about the nature of truth as presented in the novel. Margaret Lea seems to represent a more objective sense of truth as she searches for the facts necessary to make sense of Miss Winter's story. Vida Winter, on the other hand, seems the epitome of post-modernism, since truth has been whatever her imagination could create. As the story unfolds, we understand why Miss Winter fled from the truth, and in the end there is a neat resolution of the intricacies of the story and closure in the lives of almost all the principal characters.

Some of the disturbing details of the dysfunctional home of Vida Winter's childhood overshadowed our discussion of the story itself. The allusion to incest was shocking when encountered in the story, but in retrospect it does fit with the surprise twist near the end and, in that sense, is a key element to unravelling the mystery. One member mentioned several classic novels that have similar instances of incest, and from that idea we began to discuss classics about "fallen" women that we might want to read: Moll Flanders, Vanity Fair, Madame Bovary, and The House of Mirth, to name a few. Thus began our discussion of a theme for our second year, a theme which slowly evolved from a focus on fallen women in the classics to a more general category of the roles and influences of women in both classic and modern literature. Obviously, there is a vast number of books that fall under that broad heading, but we hope we have selected a good variety for this year so far (see schedule in the side bar).

Our members jotted down these brief comments on The Thirteenth Tale at the close of our meeting in April:

"Intriguing and allusive...with good discussion."

"Very unique story, captivating - in the sense of figuring out the truth."

"Good discussion; well-written story; not a favorite, but interesting."

"Yeah, not a favorite, but sparked good discussion - probably more than the writer thought we would find there."

"Well-written but disturbing in parts; good discussion book."

Kristin Lavransdatter

Captive Thoughts members spent summer '08 immersed in 14th century Norway -- a place none of us had been before -- arrived at by reading the Kristin Lavransdatter trilogy. A strange and compelling place, if Sigrid Undset's depiction is dependable.

The characters are all larger than life, and we asssume they must be representative of the culture and myths of Norway. Undset weaves a somewhat mystifying history and odd customs in manageable doses, interspersing the recitation of names and places with moments of intense action and emotional interchange between characters.

The narrative follows the life of Kristin from young girlhood through courtship, marriage, and motherhood to death, and unfolds, as she grows, in greater degrees of detail and insight. Young Kristin is unconcerned for and unaffected by the outer world, as long as she feels secure. Maturing, she stumbles in some decisions and only later realizes their consequences. In adulthood, the full weight of guilt for past sins nearly overwhelms her at times, but she remains undaunted throughout and deserves the title 'heroine.'

The books center around Kristin's love for Erlend -- a love that consumes both, for good and ill. It endures stubbornly through every sort of trial, long past what convention, or even wisdom, would say is sufficient. This was a matter of much discussion in the group. I believe everyone enjoyed the adventure and would recommend it to others.

I didn't really intend to be main reviewer for the series. Instead I wanted to talk about a book that made me think of Kristin when I read it. You can read excerpts here. It's a Bible study called Living in His Forgiveness, by Sandy Day, and is for women who have had abortions. I feel it brings to light what is missing in Kristin Lavransdatter.

There's a restlessness about Kristin Lavransdatter that arises from her spiritual condition and the lack of assurance her religion offers. We agreed that the books were remarkable in their insight into the depth and breadth of a person's guilt, as Kristin experiences it. This is a seriousness and attention to detail often lacking in Protestant circles. But at the same time, where is the joy of salvation, of forgiveness both with God and with man?

Kristin seems to bear her sin forever, to the end of her days. In her last conversation with her father, she is still dredging up past prodigality. (Although Lavrans admits his own sinfulness, he stands in the book as almost untouchably righteous. Has he really forgiven her?) Not long before she dies, Kristin feels compelled to take on one more strange quest -- a pilgrimage to yet again or once more fully atone for a callow youth. Grace is mentioned. The work of Christ is alluded to. But there's no redemption.

Similarly, Living in His Forgiveness presents sin and its consequences in an unsparing light. Testimonies by numerous people delve into the fulness of depravity, relating all the opportunities they'd had to avoid or reject abortion. There is blame to go around -- other people involved in the sin -- but, like Kristin, the writers place its full weight on themselves. They also uncover the various layers of suffering caused by sin, in their own lives and in their relationships with others.

Unlike some post-abortion treatments, these consequences are seen for what they are -- symptoms of a greater spiritual truth: Sin separates us from a holy God. Similarly, the only cure for the symptoms and corrective for the underlying cause is the righteousness of Christ applied to our account. Living in His Forgiveness makes it clear sin is doubly awful because it caused sinless Jesus to be separated from God for our sake, but also that we can live by faith in His forgiveness because of that sacrifice.

The title for the Bible study stands in apt contrast to Kristin Lavransdatter. We can go on, we can live, in God's forgiveness. Each writer speaks of the joy that overtook their lives once they realized they'd been given new life in Christ. While we remember our pasts, we don't wallow, we don't dredge. At the foot of the cross, we stand shoulder to shoulder with others who have also been forgiven.

Speaking of Memoirs...

Whenever I browse the biography/autobiography section of my library, I always find several titles that look interesting. So when I picked up I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings last January, I also saw this:

The cute baby picture was enough to grab my attention, and the title was even more intriguing: A Girl Named Zippy: Growing Up Small in Mooreland Indiana . Since I love subtle word-plays like Mary Engelbreit's "Life is just a chair of bowlies," anyone who spoke of "Growing up Small" must have a unique perspective on the world. I certainly wasn't disappointed, as this childhood memoir delivers Midwestern charm and humor by a pint-size agnostic with a knack for trouble and accidents. It had me laughing to the point of tears on several occasions. Being a country girl from the Midwest myself, I could certainly identify with elements of her story. It was the perfect light and fun read in between book club selections.

So when I checked out Angela's Ashes for September's book club meeting, I couldn't pass up the sequel to Zippy: She Got Up Off the Couch. This installment is even funnier than the first - I was again laughing so hard I cried, and that was only in the Preface! Haven "Zippy" Kimmel relates her own and her family's story with an honest charm and unique perspective that finds the humor in painful and tragic events and makes even simple incidents hilarious. She Got Up Off the Couch refers to her mother, a woman who had made a lasting imprint in the corner of the couch where she sat for years with her phone, books, and fried pig skins, seemingly a permanent fixture in Zippy's life. But Delonda did get up off the couch, learned to drive, went to Ball State, earned a Bachelor and a Master degree, and became a teacher.

Interestingly, Zippy lives in destitute surroundings, similar to Frank McCourt, but she doesn't seem to mind one bit. It doesn't bother her to wear the same pair of pants for the second half of fourth grade or the same outfit for most of fifth grade. It doesn't matter if her hand-me-down saddle shoes have seen better days - she'd rather not wear shoes anyway. The menagerie of animals that find shelter in their unheated house provide an interesting diversion, apart from the mice that give her nightmares. If her house is too dilapidated to have friends over, she still has plenty of friends who welcome her to their homes, where their mothers feed and bathe her and ensure her general survival. In contrast to the simple innocence of Zippy, however, Haven hints at a mounting undercurrent of tension between her parents as her domineering father and now educated mother develop new lives apart from each other.

She Got Up Off the Couch fits excellently with the theme that Captive Thoughts Book Club is pursuing this year: "the various roles and influences of women in classic and modern literature using both fiction and non-fiction genres." I would certainly recommend it to our members (like Zippy it's a quick read that is easy to fit in between other book club titles) and to anyone else who would like a humorous and, at times poignant view of a 1970's childhood in rural Indiana.