The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish. - November 23rd 2020

We are continuing with our Zoom meetings and they have become very productive.  We all agree however that when we can again meet in person it will be even better!  Present at the meeting were Betty, Carla, Janet, Linda, Marg, Michèle and Shirley.  We discussed Shirley's book choice, The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish.  Ms. Kadish is an American author. This is her 4th book.  The Weight of Ink took her 12 years to write.  She teaches creative writing at Lesley University.

This is the story that takes place in London, of two strong women, Ester Valesquez a young Jewish emigrant in the 16th century and Helen Watt a Historian with a specialty in Jewish history in the 21st century.  Helen is asked to evaluate papers found during the renovation of an ancient house in London.  Through these papers we meet Ester who is a scribe for a blind Rabbi.  As the stories evolve we learn of the horrors that Jews endure in the Spanish Inquisition, the rich trade of Amsterdam and their life in London including the plague that ravages the city. We read of Helen's one true love when she spends a year in a Jewish kibbutz. We read of her struggles as a historian ailing as she was, and the trials and tribulation she goes through in her last years working, her struggle to make her mark by discovering the importance of the papers found in the 17th century London house.  

Most of us loved this book, enjoyed the intrigue, the strong women characters and the men that surrounded them, the 16th century mores of London society. Anti-Semitism was as present as today's society.   Of course the description of the London plague and how society coped is very relevant for us today. We learned so much history of those times in London in this story. 

When Helen, as a young woman, decides to spend a year in a Jewish kibbutz, we discover the politics, the norms of a kibbutz and we witness the development of a love story between Helen and Dror the young Jewish man who leads and supervises the young people who come to do their part in the development of the Jewish State. We live the pain that Helen feels when she leaves Dror behind. 

In the 16h century, Ester Valesquez is determined to continue her work as a scribe but also she discovers a thirst for knowledge that she needs to fulfil. She struggles to find balance between her desire for knowledge and her attraction and friendship with Alvaro. 

Some of us found a link with Jane Austen's books, women looking for husbands.  Janet noted that in the time of Ester in London it is the same time that Jean-Esprit Radisson from the book Bush Runner was in London.  There is a lot to learn and enjoy in this book.  

Some of us enjoy books with a happy satisfying ending and although Helen did die before her work and achievements were properly recognized, we felt that there was a good and happy ending.

Thank you Shirley for pushing us into reading this book, heavy and long as it was!  

Books and Meetings 2021

 The list will be updated as members choose their books.

Monday January 25th - Carla's choice The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michelle Richardson, Marg hosting

Monday February 22nd - Michèle's choice  Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman- Janet hosting

Monday March 22nd - Janet's choice Wild Rose by Sharon Butala- Carla hosting

Monday April 26th - Marg's choice Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah - Jane hosting

Monday May 31st - Betty's choice - Frankenstein by Mary W. Shelley - Colette hosting

Monday June 28th -  -Shirley' choice The Lightkeeper's Daughters by Jean Pendziwol - Linda hosting

Monday September 27th - Colette's choice Becoming by Michelle Obama - Michèle hosting

Monday October 25th - Jane's choice -Hamnet or Hamnet & Judith by Maggie O'Farrell, Betty hosting

Monday November 22nd - Beth's choice The Dig by John Preston - Beth hosting

Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice - October 26th, 2020

 Zoom meetings seem to be the norm and our members are holding strong!  Present were Betty, Carla, Colette, Jane, Janet, Linda, Michèle and Shirley.  We discussed Jane's book choice Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice.  Mr. Rice is an Anishinaabe writer from the Wasauksing First Nation near Parry Sound, Ontario.  He studied journalism at Ryerson University and worked as a journalist at CBC television and radio.  He left CBC in May 2020 to concentrate on his literary career.  He has written a book of short stories Midnight Sweatlodge and a first novel Legacy.  He has also written scripts and journalistic articles.   He recently announced that he is writing a sequel to Moon of the Crusted Snow.  

This story that takes place in a small Northern Anishinaabe community can be considered a thriller. As winter is beginning to settle in, some members of the community are hunting to ensure their food supply.  The story begins with Evan Whitesky who has just killed a large male moose.  When he gets back to his community with the moose carcass that he plans to share with family,  the community begins to lose it's sources to the outside world, cable goes out, cell phone service dies and soon even landlines don't work and they lose their power source.  The band council meets and decides on a plan to survive what they believe is a temporary problem.  As the plot unfolds, life becomes more and more difficult and when strangers from down south arrive, a struggle for the survival of the community unfolds. Evan becomes a leader in the struggle to maintain their traditional life.  

Every once in a while, we read a book that all of us enjoy tremendously and Moon of the Crusted Snow is one that was enjoyed by all of our members.  It surprised some of us.  We all found the book to be suspenseful, well written with a good plot, thoughtful with well developed characters even the evil characters are well developed.  There is humour and tragedy in this story.   One member mentioned that it reminded her of Lord of the Flies. As the community finds itself completely isolated, struggles begin in an attempt to survive. 

Several of us mentioned that we learned several things about First Nations traditions,  it had an educational aspect weaved into the story.  Many of noted that Mr. Rice incorporated several problems facing indigenous communities such as alcoholism,  suicide, drug abuse and the effects of residential schools but without them dominating the story.  His writing skills are excellent. 

Thank you Jane for this wonderful book selection that we all enjoyed.  Jane has given us a couple of interesting links. 

Waubgeshig Rice

Screen adaptation and sequel

Bernadette by Maria Semple - September 28, 2020

 Our September meeting was again via Zoom.  COVID-19 has not relented!  Present were Betty, Carla, Colette, Janet, Linda, Marg, Michèle and Shirley.  We discussed Colette's book choice Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple.  Ms. Semple is an American novelist and screenwriter.  She has written 3 novels and written scripts for television programs such as 90210, Mad About You and Ellen among others.

This novel is about a family living in Seattle.  Bernadette, an architect suffered a catastrophic event in her career when in Los Angeles and has been dealing with psychological problems since impacting her family, husband Elgin and daughter Bee.  Bernadette and Elgin promise their daughter anything she desires if she gets all A's in her last year of middl school and Bee chooses a family trip to Antartica.  The majority of the story is told through correspondance, mainly Bernadette's emails, notes and documents.   

Opinions from our members was quite varied, some enjoyed it, some saw it as "magical realism", some as a comedy with laugh out loud episodes.  Some found the whole book absurd and unrealistic and difficult to finish.  Many found it difficult to get into the story but it picked up after Bernadette disappeared and daughter Bee began to search for her.  We learn a lot about Bernadette's accomplishments and her downward spiral into agoraphobia.    

Part of the variety of opinions on this book was probably the effects of COVID-19 that has impacted all of our lives.  Some who have yet to see it might want to watch the movie that is apparently better than the book.

The Rosie Result by Graeme Simsion - June 22, 2020

Our June meeting before our summer break was held again via Zoom.  Hopefully by September we will be meeting again in person! Present were, Beth, Betty, Colette, Linda, Janet, Michèle and Shirley. We discussed Beth's book choice The Rosie Result by Graeme Simsion.  This is the third of a series that we have read of the Rosie books.  Mr. Simsion began his adult life as a data modeler and went on to be an author, screenwriter and playwright.  Along with the Rosie trilogy, he has published books on data modelling, a novel with his wife called Two Steps Forward and The Best of Adam Sharp. He lives in Australia with his wife Ann Buist and two children.  

The Rosie Result, continues the life story of Don Tillman, a University professor.  Don and his wife Rosie and son Hudson have moved back to Australia after spending some time in the U.S.A. The book deals with the life education of Hudson who is having difficulty readjusting to life in Australia and school.  Don, who is having a few problems of his own at the University, decides to take a leave of absence from teaching to help Hudson.  To ensure financial security, he decides also to open a cocktail bar.  Throughout the story as Hudson's challenges are described and as the Don's attitude and "solutions" come out there are hints that Hudson may be on the autistic spectrum and/or have Asperger syndrome.  Rosie and Don struggle to decide if they should let the school test Hudson, not wanting him to be labelled.  

As his other Rosie books the characters are well developed and there is interesting rapport between the characters.  It was suggested however that there was not as much humour as his other books and that the relationship between Don and Hudson could be frustrating at times. It was interesting to read how Hudson, realizing what his parents were trying to do, takes over the "Hudson Project" and understands what is required of him in society if he is to have a "normal" life.  

Though Don's circle of friends he had acquired in the first two books that helped him cope with life were present in this book, some of us felt they were not as interesting in this book.  Several of us felt that this was not as interesting a novel as the first two. However, the reality of autism and Asperger's in the school system was well described and the frustration of parents with the educational system well explained through the situations as they arose with Hudson.  

All in all, it followed this family well and concluded the "project" but most of us felt it was not as good as the first two books of this trilogy. 

The Home for Unwanted Girls by Joanna Goodman - May 26, 2020

This is the third month that we have met online using Zoom.   We discussed Linda's book choice, The Home for Unwanted Girls, by Canadian author Joanna Goodman.  Present were Beth, Betty, Carla, Colette, Janet, Linda, Michèle and Shirley.  We were also very fortunate to have the author Joanna Goodman join us for a good hour of our meeting.

Before discussing this month's book we revealed the "academy award" of the best book we read in 2019.  Circumstances prevented us from awarding the lovely book bag that Shirley made and announcing the winner before this month.  Linda's choice for 2019, Requiem, by Canadian author France Itani was our choice for Best Book.

The Home for Unwanted Girls is the story of a young girl, Maggie, the daughter of a French mother and an English father living in the Eastern Townships of Québec.  It is the 1950's and when Maggie falls in love with a young poor French farmer and becomes pregnant, her parents send her to live with her aunt and uncle and force her to give up the baby.  Maggie's father does not want his daughter to marry a poor French farmer; he has ambitions for her.  Maggie's daughter, that she names Élodie, is sent to an orphanage with the hope that she will be adopted by a good family.  In alternating chapters, we follow Maggie's life and Élodie's life. Élodie finds herself caught up in the horrid nightmare of the Duplessis Orphans in Québec and Maggie begins a new life with an English husband chosen by her father.

This is an historical novel that reveals in great detail the horrific life that illegitimate children had when, because of federal funding, the Premier of Québec Maurice Duplessis passed a law that allowed orphanages to certify the children as mentally ill and the orphanages to become mental institutions.  Also highlighted in the background, is the uneasy side-by-side lives of the French and English that existed in Québec in that time period and, some say, still exists in modern Québec.

It is safe to say that all members of our Club loved this story.  Most of us found the incidents of Élodie's life in the mental institution difficult to read. But because Ms. Goodman alternated between Maggie's life and the description of Élodie's horrifying life, as readers we had some relief.  All our members thought the character development was excellent: we knew Maggie and Gabriel; we could feel the intensity of their love for each other.  We understood Gabriel's anger and felt the pain of loss Maggie felt and the need she had to find her daughter.  Both of Maggie's parents were vivid characters, the difficult relationship between the two well described as well as Maggie's relationship with each of her parents.

Ms. Goodman told us that originally she wanted to tell her own mother's story, of a young ambitious girl raised in a "mixed" family with a  French Catholic mother who had come from a poor background and an English Protestant entrepreneur father.  In the research she did about Québec and the precarious relationship between the French and English, she stumbled on the Duplessis Orphans story and she then knew that the story she would write would be about Maggie and Élodie.

The 20 years of research she did has allowed her to also write a sequel that will be out in Fall 2020, called The Forgotten Daughter. She tells the story of Élodie and of Véronique Fortin, a separatist who falls for the journalist, James Phénix, Maggie's son.

We wish to thank Joanna Goodman for participating in our Bookclub meeting.  It was an excellent conversation with her that we enjoyed thoroughly.   Thanks to Linda for suggesting this book!

And Then There Were Nuns by Jane Christmas - April 27, 2020

Again this month we have met online to discuss this month's book, And Then There Were Nuns by Jane Christmas.  This is Marg's book choice.  Jane Christmas is a Canadian author presently living in Britain.  She has written 6 non-fiction books, mostly about her own experiences in life.  Her latest book,  Open House, discusses her 32 moves in her life, those with her parents and in her adult life throughout her 3 marriages, and as a single parent.

Marg chose this book from a short list given to her by a friend.  Having received an offer of marriage from her boyfriend of several years, Colin, Ms. Christmas decides that before accepting to enter into a third marriage, she must explore her long-time desire to enter into a monastic life as a nun.  Coming from what was then called a "mixed marriage", an Anglican father and Catholic mother, she sets out to visit and explore life in 4 different convents, one in Canada and 3 in Britain.

Most of our members enjoyed the book and thought it was a good read. Though she treats her faith seriously she was not, in her discussions with priests and nuns, always accepting of what others said. She held her own in discussions and this added to the exploration of attitudes and beliefs in the different convents. There was a fair amount of humour and her own self-deprecating descriptions of how she reacted to some situations were funny. Her descriptions of life in the 4 different convents gave us a fair amount of information about life for women who choose a monastic life. It also allowed us to see the difference between Catholics and Anglicans. Certainly she found life as a Catholic nun much more restrictive and confining.

One of our members found the book to be a perfect read during Lent.  She felt that Ms. Christmas described well her experiences, her spiritual hunger and was very honest about exploring her spirituality.

Many of us decided not far into the book, that Ms. Christmas would not at the end of this exploration choose to become a nun. Though the exploration of her faith is serious, her constant comments and thoughts on, for example, attire the nuns wore, whether they be formal habits or not and her difficulty in accepting long periods of silence, were clues to her eventual decision.  It seemed obvious that isolation from usual everyday life was not in the cards for her.

A couple of our members, who did not enjoy the book as much as others, felt that she was whining too much and one member who read What the Psychic told the Pilgrim, found that book similar.

Thank you Marg for an interesting choice.

Bush Runner by Mark Bourrie - March 26, 2020

In these difficult times of self-isolation and the COVID-19 virus that is spreading in our communities,  Muses & Views Bookclub members felt it was better to be creative and meet on-line rather than cancelling our meeting.  I think our dearly departed member Jolene would be very proud of us.  We will do anything that allows us to discuss our book choices. Present were  Beth, Carla, Colette, Janet, Linda, Michèle and Shirley.  We each had our own glass of wine and several of us had cheese and crackers or other nibbles.  Carla who was to be our hostess this month had made mini-tourtières! We sure hope we will eventually get a chance to taste them!

We met to discuss Janet's book choice Bush Runner : The Adventures of Pierre-Esprit Radisson  by Mark Bourrie.  Janet described Mr. Bourrie as an eclectic savante.  He has a Master's in Journalism, a PhD. in Canadian Media History and a law degree.  He is a part-time lecturer with both the University of Ottawa and Carleton University. He has written several books, all non-fiction on a variety of subjects, one on the Parliament Buildings, one on stories of the Great Lakes, one on Canada's youngest serial killer David Michael Krueger and several other subjects.   He was also a feature writer for the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star a Hill Times reporter.  Bush Runner won the RBC Taylor Prize in 2020, the last year the prize will be awarded.

In many Canadian history texts, Radisson was portrayed as a fur trader and part founder of the Hudson's Bay Company.  In reality he was as Mr. Bourrie described him a hustler with few scruples.  He was born in France and sent to New France as a young teenager finding himself at the Trois Rivières Fort. He was adopted by a Mohawk family and later by an Iroquois family.  He found ways to charm people and with the Indigenous people, he was for the time he was with them, willing to learn their language, their traditions and he was always willing to help and do his part to survive with them.  This is probably why he survived. He did not try to take their land or steal from them.  Some have described Radisson as the "Forrest Gump" of the 17th century because he seemed to be everywhere. He was in Europe during the Plague, in England during the Great Fire, he was friends with King Charles II of England and travelled not only North American but many other parts of the World.

Most members appreciated the book and found the writing style  easy to read and understand and fascinating. For those of us who "listened" to the book, it was like having someone read us a story.  One of our members described how her husband laughed at the faces she made when she listened to the more violent combats and descriptions of human killings and cannibalism. There was some criticism of the writing style, one member finding it sometimes a little bit scattered. However the history she learned had her describe her attitude towards the book as a love/hate relationship.

As a biography, it gives us a history lesson much different than the little of this story we studied in school.  We appreciated the descriptions of the indigenous cultures, the geography of our country.  Many of us  were intrigued and fascinated by the description of parts of our country and names that are familiar to us. For our member who has a cottage in Huronia, she was excited to read about the area.  For another member from the Richelieu Valley, the names were so familiar and the description of Champlain Lake were interesting and oddly familiar.  Most of us found Radisson to be a bit of a sociopath, not a particularly good person and not particularly loyal to any one group he met.

Radisson's visit to England during the Plague reminded us of Geraldine Brooks book Year of Wonders that we read in 2011 and some of us mentioned that it allowed us to better understand Joseph Boyden's The Orenda that we read in 2014.

Thank you Janet for your suggestion, it was a great read.

Educated by Tara Westover - February 24th, 2020

Our February meeting was hosted by Janet.  Present were Beth, Betty, Colette, Janet, Marg, Michèle and Shirley. Janet had some excellent Canadian cheese,  sausage pastry rolls, vegetable pastry rolls and olives, wine and tea was served with a delicious dessert.

We discussed Betty's book choice Educated by Tara Westover.  This is a memoir of a young woman raised in Idaho in a survivalist family who shunned public schools, hospitals, doctors and anything governmental.  She was the youngest of 7 children and was partly home-schooled, learning to read from an older brother and then teaching herself, reading anything she could find.  The home environment was difficult and often violent.  Having managed to pass ACT exams, she was admitted to Bringham Young University left home and went on to complete a PhD.

In Educated Ms. Westover describes her family life detailing the abuse she endured from her older brother, the denial from her parents and her efforts to educate herself.  All thought the memoir was well written we all felt that it is not a pleasant read.  Besides her description of the land, there is little hope and light in her relay of family life.   It is a story of resilience and of conflict, of abusive ignorant parents who offered little or no support, love or affection.  She does sometimes question her recollection of events, comparing her memory to those of her siblings who are still talking to her.

There was some discussion of the similarities and differences with the novel we read in January Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens that for some of us did not seem based on reality. However, this memoir Educated has had some of use re-think our view of Delia Owens'  novel.  Some of us who read Jeannette Walls' memoir The Glass Castle see some similarities, parental neglect for example.

Ms Westover did a good job of moving forward in her story keeping the narrative a lot like a novel the place, the house, the community, very well written.  She describes how she kept going back, hoping to re-connect with family.  It shows how strong family ties can be no matter the circumstances.

Despite her difficult life and struggle to educate herself she has become a confident, bold assertive person. Her memoir essentially shows that she had to choose between her education and the life that it has opened up for her and her family.   Thank you Betty for suggesting this book that generated a good discussion.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens - January 27th, 2020

On January 27, 2020, our club met at Marg Bisch's home to discuss Carla’s book choice, Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. In attendance were Marg, Shirley, Carla, Colette, Betty and Beth. As there were four members missing from our group this month, it was decided that the announcement of the Muse & Views Academy Award for the 2019 book of the year would be postponed until April when attendance would be back to normal.

For her debut as a host, our newest member received rave reviews for preparing a delectable buffet of foods that appear in the novel: shrimp with sauce, hush puppies and corn fritters, tiny chicken pot pies, and finally, a marvelous buttery peach cobbler. Marg added to the ambiance with a display of feathers, shells and 'fireflies', evoking Kya's collections from the marsh!

Where the Crawdads Sing has been a bestseller for over a year. It is written by a woman whose first career was as a zoologist (PhD) who spent 23 years living in remote areas of Africa with her husband, observing and writing about the social behaviour of lions, elephants and hyenas.

Owens says she grew up in South Georgia as an ‘outdoors girl’, whose mother encouraged her to venture into wild places and learn about them, often using the phrase, "go out where the crawdads sing". Her family regularly vacationed in the outer marshes and swamps off the North Carolina coast, the setting she chose for this novel.

When she was planning the book, Owens says she was intrigued by the idea of a character who combines some of her own experiences and interests: living alone without one's group; living closely attuned to the land and wildlife and learning their secrets; trying to adapt and survive with the knowledge and instincts we have. The book has elements of several genres: orphaned child; coming of age; survival in the wild; love story; murder mystery; courtroom drama; social criticism, etc.

The novel moves back and forth between the present, a mysterious death in a small town on the North Carolina coast, and the past, where we follow the story of a six year-old girl who lives in a shack in a remote part of the coastal marshes and has to fend for herself after her dysfunctional family abandons her. These two plot lines converge in a suspenseful courtroom drama and shocking conclusion.

Almost everyone loved this book. Many members described their intense sympathy and awe for the main character, Kya, and her intelligence, resourcefulness and resilience in a hostile world. Other characters who help and care for Kya (Jumpin', Tate) were felt to be well-rounded and memorable. While a couple of readers found parts of the scenario unbelievable, one admitted that there are some real-life examples and all felt it is well-written and easy to read. Members commented on how vividly the writer brought the marsh region to life, especially because it's not a typically ‘beautiful’ landscape for many. The descriptions of the sky, lagoons and the insects' behaviour are all poetically, and sometimes disturbingly, drawn for us. Most of us liked the clever plot line and compelling suspense of the murder trial with its push and pull as we are expecting one verdict and one answer, but are surprised by the eventual outcome. However, a couple of us picked up subtle clues Owens leaves early on. Our lawyer member said she enjoyed the crime story aspect but we all found much to enjoy and ponder - most movingly, the theme of loneliness and the long-term effects of living in such pain and isolation, looking for something to love and trust.

A Brightness Long Ago by Guy Gavriel Kay - November 25th, 2019

Our November meeting was hosted by Beth. Present were Beth, Betty, Carla, Colette, Jane, Janet, Linda, Michèle and Shirley.  Beth had some very nice cheese, olives and a pâté.

This month we discussed Shirley's book A Brightness Long Ago by Guy Gavriel Kay.  Mr. Kay is a Canadian author born in Weyburn, Saskatchewan. He worked a year with Christopher Tolkien to help edit J.R.R. Tolkien's unpublished works.  He also worked as a writer for the CBC radio series The Scales of Justice.  His first book, The Summer Tree, was published in 1984. He is considered a fantasy fiction writer of novels that have a historical aspect.  They are usually in fictional settings  that resemble real places such as in China, Italy, Spain or Turkey taking place during real historical periods.

A Brightness Long Ago tells the story of a power struggle between mercenaries to take over the Court in fictional Batiara after the murder of its brutal ruler by a young strong woman, Adria.  The Beast as he is called, has young women brought to him that he rapes and kills.  Adria has decided to end his rule by posing as his next victim and kills him by poison from her lips.  The story is told by a merchant of the Court, Danio Cerra who helps Adria escape after she poisons the Beast and finds himself in the middle of the struggle to take over the Court.

For several of our members this was their first fantasy novel and many found it very interesting.  We all found the characters to be well developed and the writing lyrical and poetic at times.  There were several characters both major and minor, all well described and developed.  The only character some thought we did not get to know was the narrator Danio. Some thought there were too many descriptions of battles and the slaughter of people.  We also had a discussion about how and when the story should have ended, some of us thinking that the death of Adria should have been the end.  One of our members, who is an avid reader of Guy Gavriel Kay, felt that ending the story at that point would be too devastating and dramatic.  We agreed, whatever our opinions of the book, that Mr. Kay is an excellent storyteller.

As with many books where opinions differ, we had a great discussion.  Thank you Shirley for introducing us to this very interesting Canadian author.