The Dig by John Preston - November 22, 2021

Present were Beth, Betty, Carla, Colette, Jane, Janet, Linda, Marg, Michèle and Shirley.  We discussed Beth's book choice, The Dig by John Preston.

John Preston is an English journalist and novelist. He has written 7 books, three that are novels.  He was the Arts editor at the Evening Standard and The Sunday Telegraph.

The Dig is a fictionalized account of Britain's most important archeological find, Sutton Hoo.  Beth referred us to the British Museum website that has several photos of the Dig and of the treasures that were found. 

Most but not all our members had not only read the book but had also seen the movie, so we had a good conversation about the differences between the two.   We all appreciated learning about Sutton Hoo and the treasures that were found.  Edith Pretty, the owner of the property where the mounds were wanted to honour her husband who died before they could investigate what may be buried in the mounds. She hired an amateur archeologist Basil Brown to begin the dig. When the local museum in Ipswich finds out what Mr Brown has discovered, they and the British Museum get involved.   

Most of us found the book very readable, "lovely" how some of us described it. There is no great drama but you want to know what happens between Basil Brown and his wife May, between Peggy the young newly married woman and Rory the photographer.  Some found the pace of the book a bit slow, it is definitely not a page-turner.  We all agreed however, that the text was very well written and there were some beautiful passages such as the description of the nightingales' song that evoked more than just the song.

...The nightingale waited for a response. but there was nothing, only silence.  After a few minutes, the singing started up again, both louder and more passionate than before. Bubbles of sound streamed up into the night sky.

 The sound was sadder than anything I had ever heard before. Full of yearning and desperation and the proximity of regret....  page 197.

 All of us found that learning about the archeological find Sutton Hoo was well worth the read. Thank you Beth for the book choice and the reference to the British Museum website that explain and shows through photographs, what was found. 

 

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell - October 25, 2021

 

Present were Betty, Carla, Colette, Jane, Janet, Linda, Michèle and Shirley.  We discussed Jane's book choice Hamnet or Hamnet & Judith by Maggie O'Farrell.   

Maggie O'Farrell was born in Northern Ireland and lived in Wales and Scotland.  She presently lives in Edinburgh with her husband, author William Sutcliffe and her children.  Ms O'Farrell has won several awards for her 8 novels.  She has also written a memoir called I am, I am, I am: Seventeen Brushes with Death.

Hamnet is the story of William Shakespeare's son who dies of the plague at 11 years old.  Shakespeare had three children, Susanna and twins Hamnet & Judith, with Anne Hathaway known in this book as Agnes.  The novel is briefly about Hamnet but the main character is his mother Agnes who is strong, well known in the village as a free spirit and a herbalist sought after by the villagers.  Village life is well described, the buildings, the people, merchants and those who have been to Stratford-upon-Avon felt almost as if they were there in the village. It is really the story of 17th century life, of grief and marriage. 

Most of us enjoyed the book and found the storyline, the descriptions, the characters well written.  Like a Jane Austen book you could easily be engrossed in the story,  some described it as a page-turner.  The description of Agnes preparing her son Hamnet for burial was so real you could feel her grief. Shakespeare is never named, he is the husband, the father, the Latin tutor.  Their marriage is well described, the absences as their each dealt with the grief of the death of Hamnet, the love that existed between them.  We almost all found the book fascinating.  

Thank you Jane for an excellent book choice.  For those who wonder why there are two titles for this book, it seems as if in Canada, published by Penguin Books, it was titled Hamnet & Judith and in the UK and the USA it was published by Alfred K. Knopf as simply Hamnet. 

Becoming - Michelle Obama - September 27, 2021

Present at our first meeting since summer are Betty, Carla, Colette, Jane, Janet, Linda, Marg, Michèle and Shirley.  The book to be discussed was Colette's choice, Becoming by Michelle Obama.

Most of us enjoyed the book and found that it was written as if she was talking to friends about her life. It was easy to read. Those of us who listened to the audio version read by Michelle Obama herself found it to be especially evident. She talked about her life as a child with her parents and brother, life on the east side of Chicago, the support she received from her parents and family, grandparents, aunts and uncles.  Being close to family and neighbours in a mostly black neighbourhood, when she went on to university and found herself in the minority, with few students who were black, it was difficult for her to participate in social activities.  We found her description of campaigning fascinating and it was obvious she did not enjoy it but she described how Barack, her husband relished the challenge of the race.  She described life in the White House a bit like living in a fish bowl.  Nothing could be done on the spur of the moment, everything had to be planned and their security detail was always present.

It was easy to admire her as a person; strong, energetic, kind, and supportive of her kids and her husband.  We would have liked to know more about life after the White House.  What were her plans? What is she doing now?  One member who read both this book and Barack Obama's book thought this one was more enjoyable.  We did find that there was some repetition in the book, about her dislike of politics and we found that she described many of life's experiences as black and white, or black vs white?

Thank you Colette for suggesting this interesting autobiography. 

Books and Meetings 2022

 This list will be updated as members make their book choices.

January 24 - Carla's choice The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett,  Marg hosting

February 28 - Betty's choice, A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson,  Jane hosting

March 28 - Beth's choice. The Company We Keep by Frances Itani, Carla hosting.

April 25 - Marg's choice,  American Dirt by Jeannine Cummins, Colette hosting.

May 30 - Michèle's choice, Cassandra at the Wedding by Dorothy Baker, Shirley hosting.

June 30 - Linda's choice, Operation Angus by Terry Fallis, Michèle hosting.

September 26 - Jane's choice,   A Killer in King's Cove, Iona Whishaw, Beth hosting.

October 24 - Janet's choice, The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles, Betty hosting 

November 28 - Shirley's choice,  Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall, Linda hosting.

The Lightkeeper's Daughters by Jean Pendziwol -June 28th, 2021

 

Present at are hopefully last Zoom meeting were Beth, Betty, Carla, Colette, Jane, Janet, Linda, Marg, Michèle and Shirley.  The book to discuss was Shirley's choice The Lightkeepter's Daughters by Canadian author Jean Pendziwol.  We were fortunate to be able to welcome Ms. Pendziwol who joined our Zoom meeting.  

Ms Pendziwol is a Canadian author who lives in Thunder Bay on the shores of Lake Superior.  This book is her first adult novel and she is a well loved children's book author.  On her website you will find information about all her books, a blog that is interesting to read and recipes.  She also has on the side bar a poem written in honour of International Women's Day. It is worth listening to the poem.   

The story of this novel is narrated by two characters, Elizabeth who once lived on Porphyry Island and now lives in a retirement home and Morgan a young woman who is completing community work at the retirement home.  When Elizabeth receives her father's journals that he kept as a lightkeeper, she enlists Morgan's help to read them to her.  As Morgan reads the journals we are taken back to the Island and the life of the two sisters.  Morgan is fascinated by the story in the Journals and it becomes evident that there is a connection between Elizabeth and Morgan.  

Ms Pendziwol had a slide presentation for us that showed us the location in Lake Superior, of Porphyry Island and several photos of the structures on the Island and the flora and fauna. It helped us visualize aspects of the novel.  

We very much enjoyed Ms. Pendziwol's participation and appreciated her input in our meeting.  Thank you very much!  

Frankenstein - May 31, 2021

 Present at our Zoom meeting were Betty, Beth, Carla, Janet, Linda, Marg, Michèle and Shirley. The book discussed this month was Betty's choice, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley. The book was recommended by Marnie, a friend of several of the Muse and Views members.  

Our discussion was quite lively, not only about the story itself but also about Mary Shelley.  She was born in 1797, Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, daughter of political philosopher William Godwin and feminist activist Mary Wollstonecraft.  Her mother died shortly after her birth and she was raised by her father who encouraged her to adhere to his political theories but she also read her mother's political theories.  Mary Wollstonecraft wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Woman and is now considered a pioneer of women's rights.  

In 1814 when she was only 17, Mary began a romance with the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley and along with Mary's stepsister moved to France with him. As Shelley was already married, they lived ostracized from society. In 1816 they married after the death of Shelley's first wife and the death of their first child. One stormy night when they were staying with Byron and other friends, Byron suggested they should see who could write the scariest ghost story.  Though all started, Mary Shelley was the only one who persisted and the story of Frankenstein was conceived.  It was published in 1818.  Shelley edited it more than once and published an edited version in 1831 that was for a long time the more popular version but in modern times the earlier 1818 version has become the version that is read and studied.  

Mary Shelley's character, scientist Victor Frankenstein, is convinced he can create a real life by connecting different body parts he acquires. He succeeds but the creature is not of his liking and he abandons it.  The creature teaches himself to read and write and wants to feel love and companionship. He feels abandoned and pursues Victor and demands that he create a mate for him. Victor agrees and secludes himself to create a female creature but before completing it he is horrified by the the possible consequences of his work and destroys the unfinished female creature. His original creature vows revenge.

This novel is considered a gothic novel and many see it as the beginning of science fiction.

Some found the older literary style difficult to read but several of us were surprised at how much we enjoyed the book. Shelley has written a story that makes us question the meaning of being human, the emotions that are complex, the needs we have as humans and our need for love and companionship as is seen by the creature's demand that Victor create a mate for him. The story examines learned behaviors, how the fear of the unknown and the fear of  'otherness' guides mankind. One of our members  expressed the view that though the creature is often referred to as the monster (as is seen most Hallowe'en nights), it is Victor himself who was the monster, unfeeling, abandoning his own creation. 

We talked about the different interpretations of Frankenstein that have been made into movies, both as serious horror and as comedy, many of which are described in this National Post article that Beth found. It is worth the read.  Janet had us listen to Monster Mash.  Thank you to Betty for the book choice, it generated a lot of discussion.  

Born a Crime - April 26, 2021

It is Zoom again this month!  Present were Betty, Carla, Colette, Linda, Marg, Michèle and Shirley.  The book discussed this month, Marg's choice, was Born a Crime, Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah.  

Trevor Noah, born in Johannesburg South Africa during Apartheid to a black Xhosa mother and a white German Swiss father. He is considered in South Africa, a coloured person.  He was raised by his mother with little influence from his father.  His mother Patricia raised him with her mother in Soweto where her family lived.  During the first years of his life when Apartheid still existed he was kept mostly indoors to keep away from the eyes of the authorities. Trevor began his education in a private catholic school amongst mainly white children.  He soon realized that the best way to blend in with different groups was to know their language and he taught himself practically every language spoken in South Africa.  In his late teens he began a career in South African radio and television as a comedian and actor.  One of his television appearances was seen by Jon Stewart, previous host of The Daily Show, an American night time show.  He was offered the opportunity to replace Jon Stewart.  He moved to New York City in 2011.  

All members enjoyed the book and learned a lot about life in South Africa both during Apartheid and after  South Africa was liberated from white rule.  Trevor's experiences as he recounts them plunged the reader into the realities of Apartheid, poverty, violence and inequality.  With his mother who believed in grasping all opportunities, post-Apartheid gave them the chance to live more freely and Trevor embraced every opportunity he had.  

All of us admired Trevor's mother who pushed him to have an open mind and see all the opportunities the world offered.   Thank you Marg for a good book choice that allowed us to learn about South Africa. 

Wild Rose - March 22, 2021

 We have now met online for one full year! We should be proud of our perseverance!  Present were Betty, Janet, Linda, Marg, Michèle and Shirley.  The book discussed tonight was Janet's choice, Wild Rose by Sharon Butala.  Ms. Butala joined our meeting at 8:00 pm and we had a very good discussion with her. 

Janet chose this book because her husband's grandparents were homesteaders in Saskatchewan that had come from France.  Two other of our members came from the prairie provinces and had families that struggled to make a life homesteading in Western Canada. 

Sharon Butala is a Canadian author from Saskatchewan.  She taught at the University of Saskatchewan, College of Education before becoming a full time writer. She has written 22 books, the 22nd coming out on September 13, 2021, called The Strange Visible Air - Essays on Aging.  She is not only a prolific writer; she has written fiction - novels, short stories and essays - as well as non-fiction.  She has three Honorary Doctors of Law from the University of Regina, Saskatchewan and Alberta. She is an Officer of the Order of Canada and has received the Saskatchewan Order of Merit.  She has received literary awards, the Marian Engel Award amongst them.   Ms. Butala's grandparents came from Québec and homesteaded in Saskatchewan and is most probably why there is the connection with Québec in this story. 

This is a historical novel that we all enjoyed and found very interesting.  It is very well written; the descriptions of the prairie landscapes allowed us to visualize the beauty. "Nothing, nothing to be seen for miles in any direction: only grass and more grass, hills and more low softly sloping hills, repeating themselves until they reach the far, light-filled wavering horizon." (pg 134).  Sophie, the main character, is a young woman who has come to Saskatchewan from Québec with her husband to homestead.  She is abandoned by her husband and the land they had started to develop is sold from under her.  Alone with a young child and very little to survive, she is determined to make a life for herself and her son and despite setbacks she survives and prospers.  

We were all impressed by Sophie's determination and guts to succeed in a land that was essentially dominated by men.  Members felt that the discussion of Sophie's life as a young child in rural Québec allowed us to view the grip the Catholic Church had on the population in Québec in the 1880's.  Sophie wanted to escape the restrictions imposed on women in Québec society dominated by the Catholic Church. Sophie's life and struggles showed us how difficult life was for women alone in our developing country. The story Wild Rose reminded us of the courage and determination women had to have to carve out a life for themselves and their families in the Canadian prairies of the late 19th and early 20th century.   

Thank you Janet for an excellent book choice and thank you Sharon Butala for the wonderful conversation we shared with you. 

Magic Lessons - February 22, 2021

 It is always nice to see all the faces on the screen for our Zoom Bookclub meeting.  Present tonight, Betty, Carla, Colette, Jane, Janet, Linda, Marg, Michèle and Shirley.  The book discussed tonight was Michèle's choice Magic Lessons  by Alice Hoffman.  

Ms Hoffman is an American novelist born in New York City in 1952. She studied creative writing and now lives in Boston.  She wrote over 30 novels, 3 short story books and 8 children's or YA novels.  

Magic Lessons is part of a series of three books about the Owens family, all women.  The first book of the series was Practical Magic written in 1995, The Rules of Magic was written in 2017 and Magic Lessons was published in 2020.  Both of these last two books are prequels, written after the original book.  A fourth book will be published next year about the whole Owens family.  

Magic Lessons begins in the late 1600's and is the story of Maria Owen abandoned as a newborn in the snowy fields of rural England. She is found by Hannah Owens and raised by her until the age of 11.  It becomes evident that Maria has magical powers and Hannah teaches her the Nameless Arts, the herbs and remedies that help for physical maladies a those of the heart. When Hannah is murdered, to save herself Maria leaves England and finds herself on a tropical island in Central America and then goes on to America.  The story follows Maria to Salem, Massachusetts where she travels to find the father of her daughter Faith.  She is arrested and found guilty of witchery.  The story continues when Maria escapes but loses her daughter Faith.  Jolene, who passed away in 2018, would have enjoyed this book since it has a happy ending, tying all the loose ends. 

Most of our members enjoyed the book.  Many found it read like a fairytale and was a page-turner.  The characters were well developed and interesting.  It was an easy read, easy to follow the story and plot.  There are many contrasts in the story, good & evil of course,  selfless use of magical powers as Maria did and selfish use of magical powers as her birth mother Rebecca did.   Many of us felt like yelling at Maria and Faith when they made poor choices, almost always about men! We were definitely immersed in the story! We were also all intrigued by the black soap that all women wanted and bought from Maria. 

Janet pointed out that we have read other books that use magical realism, Yann's Martel's  The High Mountains of Portugal and Gabriel Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude.   She also noted that this is the 3rd book we have read in the last year that is in the time of the Great Plague of London of 1665, The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish and Bush Runner : The Adventures of Pierre-Esprit Radisson by Mark Bourrie.   

Maria sang the lullaby The Water is Wide to her daughter Faith as some of us did with our own children.  Thank you Janet for reminding us.   This was a good book to read during these difficult times in today's world, easy to escape to another time, a fairytale. 

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek - January 25, 2021

As we begin 2021, we have become quite good at holding our Zoom meetings, being quite respectful,  waiting our turn to speak and sometimes even holding up our hand when we have something to say! However, we all miss  seeing each other in person every month and of course the food and wine! Present at this evening's meeting were Beth, Betty, Carla, Colette, Janet, Linda, Marg, Michèle and Shirley. 

Our first task this evening was to name the Book of the Year 2020.  We had several excellent books this year and it was obvious in the votes we received. However, Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens was the narrow favourite, Carla's book choice in 2020.  

This evening we discussed Carla's book choice The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michèle Richardson.  Ms. Richardson was born in Kentucky and grew up at the Saint Thomas-Saint Vincent Orphan Asylum.  Her memoir The Unbreakable Child chronicles her experiences at the orphanage and why she along with her sisters and 40 other children who lived at the orphanage, sued the Sisters of Charity in 2004 for the abuse they endured.  Ms. Richardson has written 4 novels along with the memoir.  

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is a historical novel set in the Appalachian Hills of Kentucky. The heroine, Cussy Mary Carter is one of the last females of the Blue-skinned people of Kentucky. The story takes place during the depression of the 1930's.  The Pack Horse Library Project was a work project to deliver books to remote areas of Kentucky.  Cussy Mary was hired as a book woman and she and her mule Junia travelled her treacherous routes  delivering books, magazines, newspapers and other reading materials to her patrons.  We learned their stories and difficult life in depression era Kentucky. Cussy Mary's strength of character and determination showed in her belief that books and any reading material helped people dream and believe in a better life. 

There was no debate about the merits of this book.  Everyone loved the book and it is a definite page turner.  The writing is excellent, the characters are well-developed. The description of the Appalachian area of Kentucky brought alive the harshness of the terrain, the mountains and the deep connection people had to their part of the world . As a historical novel we learned about the blue people of Kentucky and many of us took the time to read more about this genetic condition.  The Pack Horse Library Project highlighted the desire and thirst people had to read and learn about the outside world.  We were all moved by the drama of arranged marriages, starving children, bigotry and discrimination.  

We were all intrigued by the use of  a "courting candle" by Cussy Mary's father and Carla showed us a photo of one she had found.  It is a Colonial candle holder used as a time-keeper marking the length of time a suitor could visit.  

Thank you Carla for selecting such a beautiful descriptive historical novel that we all enjoyed.