A Killer in King's Cove - Iona Whishaw - September 26, 2022

It was so good to see everyone again and catch up everyone’s news after our summer hiatus. We met at Beth’s and she served us crackers with an assortment of cheeses, olives and, in a nod to the book’s setting, some BC salmon, finishing with a delicious apple crumble topped with ice cream. Betty, Carla, Jane, Colette, Marg, Shirley, Linda, and, of course, Beth, were in attendance.The book this month was A Killer in King’s Cove by Iona Whishaw chosen by Jane. Jane began the evening by giving us some background on the author. Iona was born in Kimberley, BC, but grew up in a number of different places, including a small community on Kootenay Lake, as well as Mexico and Central America, and the US because of her father’s geological work. She took a degree in history and education from Antioch College, and subsequent degrees in Creative Writing at UBC and pedagogy at Simon Fraser University. Her own writing output took a brief back seat during her teaching career, but she shared her passion for writing by nurturing a love of writing in her students in English, Creative Writing, and Spanish classes. During the course of her career as a Principal in Vancouver she was awarded the Woman of Distinction in Education by the YWCA in 2010 and a Canada’s Outstanding Principals award in 2012.

Iona has published short fiction, poetry, poetry translation, and one children’s book, Henry and the Cow Problem. A Killer in King’s Cove was her first adult novel, published in 2015. Her heroine, Lane Winslow, was inspired by Iona’s mother who, like her father before her, was a wartime spy. A Killer in King’s Cove is the first of nine in the Lane Winslow series of books.

The book is set in a very small, rural BC community at the end of World War II and, as such, the aftereffects of war on each of the main characters plays an important role. It was mentioned a number of times that the author’s power of description was such that it was easy to imagine the locale, the personalities of members of the small community of King’s Cove, even the wee stream where the body was found. The house that Lane Winslow moved into has a supposed ghost and as attic windows open erratically, that might even be conceivable. From the beginning, there is the hint of suspense.

Character development was very well done, some extremely likeable and others, not so much. Finding that this book is the first of a series meant that some of the most likeable characters will (we trust) make further appearances. Lane Winslow is a mid-twenties, ex-British spy with a history that is not fully explained but it does give us insight into her strength of character under the circumstances in which she finds herself enmeshed while still showing a bit of the naivety of youth.

While we are reminded that there are currently another eight books in this series to be read, we played a bit of ‘if you like this, then you might like…’. The Maggie Hope Mysteries by Susan Elia MacNeal was suggested as well as The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. Thank you, Jane, for suggesting A Killer in King’s Cove and leading us on another path of literary discovery

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. 

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

Starlight by Richard Wagamese - October 28, 2019

Our October meeting was hosted by Shirley. Present were Betty, Colette, Jane, Janet, Linda, Marg, Michèle and of course, Shirley.  As usual we ate very well. Shirley presented us with a menu inspired by the three sisters of the Fall Harvest,  pickled green beans enrobed in prosciutto, a wonderful corn and cheese dip with corn chips, and for dessert, a pumpkin (squash) & carrot cake with a divine cream cheese icing!  Of course wine and tea were also served.

This month we discussed Jane's book choice Starlight by Richard Wagamese.  He was a Canadian Ojibwe author and journalist.  He wrote several novels and books that could be considered as memoirs or books reflecting on life.  His most noted novel is Indian Horse which was adapted to film.  Starlight was his last novel, a continuation of Medicine Walk that we read in 2014.  Richard Wagamese died in March 2017 before finishing Starlight. His literary agent and the publisher McLelland & Stewart, opted to publish with little editing and as is unfinished,  the story ends abruptly, letting the reader wondering what happened.

As Medicine Walk, everyone loved the book.  We found his writing poetic, descriptive and strangely calming and touching.  Many of us did not want the book to end, slowing our reading down so it would last longer.  A continuation of Medicine Walk, the old man has died and left his farm to the young boy he raised, Frank Starlight.  Frank has hired a man, Roth, to help on the farm and they become friends.  We meet Emmy and her daughter Winnie when Frank rescues them in town and brings them home to live with him.

Frank has become a well-known photographer. At the beginning of the book he describes Frank Starlight's night outing to photograph a pack of wolves.  His description of Frank running with the wolves leaves us breathless.

He ran easily. Like a wolf. He bent closer to the ground and loped, the slide of his feet skimming through the low-lying brush without a sound, and when he found the pace of the pack he angled off through the trees and took a parallel tack to them, keep them on his right and dodging the pine and spruce easily, his night eyes sharpened by use. He ran with them, the scuttling pace easy after the first three hundred yards. (page17)

The main characters, Frank himself who we knew from Medicine Walk, Emmy and Roth are well developed, we easily understand the relationship between them.  Cadotte, the man Emmy was running from gives us shivers, "He was a brute and he simmered in a palpable silence and stillness that could fill a room with its sweeping malevolence." (page 11)

None of us found the abrupt ending disappointing.  We could each of us, imagine how it ended and thinking back to Mr. Wagamese's other novels, it is likely that the story ended well.  We are all sad that no other novels will come from this wonderful storyteller and writer.

If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin - April 29, 2019

Our April meeting was hosted by Jane.  Present were Beth, Carla, Colette, Jane, Janet, Linda, Michèle and Shirley.  Jane had a very nice variety of cheeses, parmesan crusted cold cuts, her great pickled veggies and baguette stuffed with olives.  In honour of Tish's given name, Jane made a Clementine cake that was quite wonderful.  As usual red and white wine was served and tea.  

We discussed Beth's book choice If Beale Street Could Talk written by the American author James Baldwin.  Mr. Baldwin, having had a difficult childhood growing up in Harlem with a demanding step-father and multiple siblings escaped his family life when he could, going to Greenwich Village where he met artists and writers.  He wrote several short stories and published his first book Go Tell it on the Mountain in 1953 when he was 29 years old.  This first book was semi-autobiographical and referred to religion and life as a black person in Harlem.  Mr. Baldwin published over 20 books, novels, essays and plays,  He was also well known as an activist travelling back to the United States from France where he lived for several years, to participate in activities of the civil rights movement.  He was well known and considered an important American author.

If Beale Street Could Talk was published in 1974 and is the love story of Fonny and Tish. Fonny is falsely accused of rape and finds himself in jail as Tish waits for the birth of their first child.  Strong family ties and the love between the young couple and their family allow them to survive even though racism flourishes in New York and leaves Fonny jailed and his family desperately trying to find hard, believable evidence to free him.  There is despair and rage in the writing of this novel but there is also love and hope.

Everyone liked this book, found the story beautiful but emotionally raw.  Many found that the story tore at their soul, showed us how injustice was prevalent in the U.S. and still is.  We also discussed how, though more hidden and less reported, such injustices existed in our own country, notably in Nova Scotia's Africville in the 1900's and now in many areas of our large cities such as Toronto.  We also talked about the injustices towards our own indigenous people.

The ending is ambiguous.  We are not sure if Fonny is set free or has to stay in jail.  It is an ambiguity that mirrors life in the black community.

Thank you Beth for a great book choice that brought a lot of discussion and reflection.  We also talked about the differences between the book and the movie that came out in 2018. 

The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce - October 22, 2018

The October meeting of Muse & Views Bookclub was hosted by Betty. Present were Beth, Betty, Colette,  Jane, Janet, Michèle and Shirley.  Betty had prepared deviled eggs, cheese, olives and a great apple pie for dessert.  Of course, wine, coffee and tea were also available as usual.

This month's book presented by Jane was The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce.  We read a couple of years back one other book, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, by the same author.  Ms. Joyce is a British author who has written several plays for BBC radio and adaptations for BBC television. She has also worked as an actress with several theatre groups in London.

Most of our members enjoyed the book and saw it as love story with a lovely nostalgic atmosphere and a bit of fantasy. The characters are well developed. Music plays an important role in this story and Frank, the main character, is a very tender, lovable person that seems to have "magical powers" when it comes to music. He has a special gift of knowing what music a person needs to hear for whatever is ailing them or what is going on in their life. We learn more about Frank in chapters that take us back to his youth living with his eccentric mother. Although she is not a particularly nice person, she taught Frank all he knows about music.

We get to know other shopkeepers on the small community of Unity Street and their characters; although they do not play major roles, they are well developed. Maud is the typical London woman with her tattoos and weird clothes. Kit, Frank's assistant, is a young man who is excited to be working and enjoys learning from Frank.

Early in the story a young woman faints in front of Frank's store and as he tries to revive her he feels an immediate connection with her that he tries to deny. We meet Ilse Brauchmann and so the love story begins between Ilse and Frank. He teaches her about music, introducing her to different pieces at weekly meetings. They develop a certain rapport but there is something on both their sides that keeps them from developing a deeper relationship and then Ilse disappears.

This is a touching story with a good ending and the music, very eclectic, is wonderfully interspersed and woven into the story. There is a playlist on Spotify. Thank you Jane for an excellent read.

Meeting of October 23rd, 2017

We met at Shirley's home to discuss Jane's book choice The Chilbury Ladies' Choir by Jennifer Ryan. Present were Beth, Colette, Jane, Janet, Linda, Michèle and Shirley.  As usual, Shirley had a wonderful array of food for us, crab rolled sandwiches, stuffed cherry tomatoes, pigs in a blanket and wonderful bacon and fruit tarts.  She had a wonderful clementine cake, a Nigella Lawson recipe.  Click on the link to get the recipe.

This is Jennifer Ryan's first novel.  She was born in England and now lives in Washington DC with her husband and children. She was a book editor specializing in non-fiction books such as economics, politics, health and biographies.  The Chilbury Ladies' Choir was inspired by stories her grandmother told her, who was 20 when WWII broke out and who lived in a small British village.

The story is told in the novel through letters written by some of the characters and journal entries by other characters.  It is similar to an epistolary novel Pamela; or Virtue Rewarded by Samuel Richardson told through a series of familiar letters. It could also be compared to Henrietta's War: News from the Home Front 1939-1942 written by Joyce Denny's and part of the Bloomsbury Group.

As we read the journal entries and letters we not only learn about what is happening in the village of Chilbury during 1940 from March to September but we become acquainted with the main characters, Mrs. Tilling, Kitty, Venetia and Edwina Paltry. In reading the letters and journal entries we become familiar with other characters in the novel such as Prim the choir master, the Brigadier, Kitty and Venetia's father, Colonel Mallard, Henry and his fascination with Venetia and Kitty's puppy love for him, and Mr. Slater who Venetia targets on a dare by her friend Angela.

Most of us enjoyed the novel and found it a nice light easy read with interesting characters and a good story line.  The map of the village and the descriptions of the different buildings and areas of the village allowed us as readers to imagine the characters in their environment.  The Ladies Choir is a good unifying tool, allowing us to observe the interaction between the characters and also showing how, when war left a village with only the women and older men, the strengths and backbones of the village came from the women.

Several members commented on how  characters such as Venetia, Mrs. Tillings and Henry evolve as events happen and the story line changes.  At the beginning though Hitler is taking over many areas of Europe, England is unaffected, it is almost like a phony war.  As events occur and Hitler begins to bombard southern England, Dover is constantly hit and Chilbury is bombarded, the deaths of husbands and boys and those of loved members of the village, Prim and Harriet changes the narrative in the journals and letters. Venetia matures, not only because of these events but also because of her growing love for Alastair Slater. Mrs. Tillings becomes less timid and develops as a strong supportive person.

Some felt that there were some areas where we were left hanging a bit.  What happens to Mrs. Tilling's son David?  Does Edwina really get away without consequences? Some also felt that Kitty's journal entries were not the narrative of a 13 year old.

Though we found the book to be an easy light read, it had excellent character development, good references to how WWII affected England and villages.  It had two good love stories and though many events were quite predictable such as the baby swap and Mrs. Tilling and Colonel Mallard's developing relationship, it was enjoyable to read.

Thank you Jane for a good choice.

Meeting of October 24, 2016

We met at Shirley’s home to discuss Jane’s choice, The Reason You Walk, by Wab Kinew.  Present were Jane, Shirley, Linda, Beth, Betty, Colette, Carla, and Jolene.  Shirley served  a wonderful selection of cold cuts, cheese, quacamole and dip, as well as meatballs, mini wild rice and mushroom quiche followed up with a delicious berry crumble and ice cream, all gluten-free.

Jane introduced the author as a rapper, chief, father, journalist, politician and university administrator.  He defended The Orenda on Canada Reads.  He holds a master’s degree in Indigenous Governance.

The Reason You Walk follows the lives of Wab and his father Tobasonakwut, himself a survivor of residential schools.  Tobasonakwut faces death with strength, courage, grace and forgiveness.  Reconciliation between father and son is also a large part of the story.

Reaction to the book was fairly uniform.  While the book was informative and interesting, the writing style was not very appealing.  Since the author is a good speaker on CBC, some wondered if an audio book would have been more effective.   We appreciated details about indigenous culture and the background to Truth and Reconciliation.  The ending, with Wab’s sons singing and telling their dying grandfather that they loved him, was moving and appreciated by all.  However, it would have been helpful to have more explanation about how Wab managed to manoeuvre so well between the indigenous world and outside culture. 

We had a good discussion about spirituality in the book.  The focus on fasting and prayer in native culture was gripping; however, the Sundance dances were hard to fathom, with flesh tearing so foreign to our group.  At one point, Wab’s father offered a feather to church leaders, a momentous gesture.  In answer to the criticism that Christ seemed absent from much of the depiction of Christianity, some pointed out that “the reason you walk” embodies Christian values—understanding of the Creator, His motivation, love, and our ultimate destination. 

 Because many in the group work daily with indigenous peoples, or have done so in the past, the educational value of the book compensated for its literary shortcomings.  One final comment was “the more you find out, the less afraid you are—on both sides.”

Meeting of October 26, 2015

Our host this month was Colette. Present were Carla, Colette, Jane, Janet, Linda and Michèle. Our book this month was Jane's choice All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.

The story takes place in France and Colette served some delectable french cheese and mini-omelets inspired by a passage in the book "Eggs crack. Butter pops in the hot pan................all of Marie-Laure's attention is absorbed by the smells blooming around her: egg, spinach, melting cheese."  Colette also served a peach cheese cake again inspired by what Madame Manec served Marie-Laure "....Marie-Laure can hear a can opening juice slopping into a bowl. Seconds later, she's eating wedges of wet sunlight." 

Anthony Doerr is an American author who has written many short stories and published two collections of short stories, a memoir of his time in Rome and two novels.  All the Light We Cannot See is his second novel.  It took him 10 years to write it.  He first started with the idea of telling a story about radio transmission and the wonder of being able to hear someone speak who could be very far away. In a visit to France he visited the walled town of St. Malo and decided to use it as the setting of his story.  He also became interested in all the treasures and art in Paris that were hidden away before the German invasion and incorporated these three subjects into the story. It won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for fiction.

The story has two main characters, Marie-Laure who is a young blind french girl whose father is the locksmith at the Paris Museum of Natural History and who finds herself with her father escaping to the town of St. Malo.  The other character is a young German boy Werner who with his sister are orphans. Werner because of his talent for fixing radios finds himself in a military school for talented boys run by the Nazis. He also finds himself in St. Malo with Nazi officers.

Everyone enjoyed the book. All thought the characters were well developed and that there was no stereotypes, for example, not all Germans are villains. We learn to understand and like both Marie-Laure and Werner. Marie-Laure's relationship with her father is touching.

One of our members summarized the writing and what is encompassed in the story very well. "The writer brought together many currents underlying the war in an original way: industrialization and technology; human talent and creativity; art and historical treasures; love, compassion, bravery and sacrifice, etc. " Thank you Beth.  Also though we all enjoy a happy ending, everyone agreed that the tragic ending of this story was realistic and appropriate.  All in all, a very well written story.

We also discussed the meaning of the title All the Light We Cannot See.  There are references to light and the lack of light in many places in this book.  First of all, Marie-Laure's blindness and in one of the broadcasts about light that Werner and Jutta listen to, there is a revealing description. "What do we call visible light? We call it color. But the electromagnetic spectrum runs to zero in one direction and infinity in the other, so really, children, mathematically, all of light is invisible." 

Thank you all for an excellent discussion.

Meeting of October 27, 2014

This month's book choice Medicine Walk by Richard Wagamese was Jane's choice. Colette is hosting and present were Beth, Colette, Jane, Janet, Jolene, Linda, Michèle and Shirley.  Colette had some wonderful hors d'oeuvres, meatballs, cucumber slices with herbed yogurt and smoked salmon, puffed pastry squares with caramelized onions and a wonderful raspberry pie made by Dan.

The story is about a 16 year old boy Frank of aboriginal descent who lives on a small farm with an "old man". Frank's father Eldon left him at the farm when he was one week old. The "old man" raises Frank as if he was his own son also taking care to teach him as much as he can of the traditions coming from his aboriginal roots. Throughout Frank's young life, his father appears every once in a while, always disappointing him. When Frank is 16 his father sends for him.  He is dying and he wants to be buried as an Objibway warrior sitting upright facing east and he has a particular place on a cliff overlooking a valley where he would like to be buried. He asks that young Frank take him there. Frank sees this journey as his responsibility and as they journey towards the cliff, his father tells him the story of his life and the circumstances of Frank's birth.

Jane begins the meeting by explaining to us the four sacred medicines, sweetgrass, sage, cedar and tobacco, their significance and their use.  Jane also gave us a graphic of the The Seven Grandfather Teachings  that is often used to teach the traditions and ways of aboriginal people.  We each left with a small pouch of tobacco that she prepared for us.

Richard Wagamese is Objibway originally from Northern Ontario.  He now lives in British Columbia. He is a journalist, having written many articles and books.  Medicine Walk is his 11th book. He has recently written an essay Speaking My Truth  in which he explains the impact Residential Schools has had on his life.

Everyone enjoyed the book and found it very well written.  The descriptions allow us to "see" the scenes, "smell" the woods, the farm, the taverns and the description of the journey toward Eldon's final burial allows you to travel with them.  The landscape becomes a character, it is a part of everything in the story. The prose is beautiful, with a rhythm that is not rushed. We sense and understand the ravages that Eldon's alcoholism has on his life and on Frank's, the complications it brings to their father/son relationship.  Those of us who have recently lost a parent, found Frank's observations of the ravages of illness on his father particularly poignant and sad.


This was an excellent choice, thank you Jane.

Meeting of October 28th 2013

Michèle hosted this month's meeting. Beth, Betty, Carla, Colette, Jane, Janet, Jolene, Linda, Michèle and Shirley were present.  Since our book this month Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie presented by Jane had a Chinese theme, we were served appropriately themed food.  Michèle indicated that she had fun preparing Fire and Spice nuts,  Lemon Chicken, Asian style Cabbage rolls and Almond cookies with green tea ice cream.

This book generated a lot of comment and discussion.  Most of us enjoyed the book and found that it gave us a better understanding of China's Cultural Revolution and its impact on what could be considered China's elite in the late 1960s.  The two main characters in the story are two young men, Luo and the narrator in their late teens who are sent to the countryside to be "re-educated".  Both are from families of professional parents who had access to books by foreign authors such as Balzac, Stendhal, Dumas, Flaubert and many others.  All of these authors, any literature that was not Chinese was banned. The story revolves around the discovery that a young man in another village has a suitcase full of banned books and the two young men's desire to obtain the books.  They are hungry for the diversion that such literature can bring for them. They have met a tailor who has a beautiful young daughter, the little Chinese seamstress, and Luo who is infatuated by her, wants to "re-educate" her by reading to her from these books.

We all found that the author was very good at describing the surrounding countryside, giving us vivid description of the mountain scenery.  He was also very good a depicting the atmosphere when Luo and the narrator told stories to the chief and the villagers after viewing movies in a nearby town.  We discussed extensively, Luo's relationship with the seamstress, his desire to "re-educate" her and the parallel between what was happening to them and what Luo was doing to her.  We also found that there was a fair amount of humour in the book, the chief's rotten tooth incident, the buffalo they pick to sacrifice, the scene when Luo and the narrator are hidden under the beds as examples.

Beth gave us the title of a book Life and Death in Shanghai that is a memoir written by Nien Cheng about her experiences during and after the Cultural Revolution. Those who want to know more about the impact on the elite might want to read this book.

Jane, in introducing this book, gave us some information about authors such as Honoré de Balzac, Alexandre Dumas, Victor Hugo and Gustave Flaubert among others.  She also talked about Bernard Pivot's program on French television, Apostrophe.  Mr. Pivot's program was very popular in France and Québec and he interviewed Dai Sijie in 2001. Those who understand enough French might want to take a quick look at this video of the interview.  In the interview Dai Sijie admits that this novel is partly biographical.  The video is a little over 7 minutes.

Some of our members have seen the movie that was directed by Dai Sijie and said that it is very similar to the book with the exception of an ending that has the two young meet 20 years after their "re-education".  It is well worth watching.

Thank you Jane for a great read!

Meeting of October 22, 2012

This meeting was hosted by Shirley.  Present were Betty, Carla, Colette, Jane, Janet, Jolene, Linda, Michèle et of course Shirley. Shirley had some lovely English cheese, spicy lamb sausage with mint sauce and a wonderful chutney, wine of course, coffee and tea.  And she had a sublime dessert, pots de crème citronée.  The recipe is at the end of this post.

The book discussed this month is Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by author Helen Simonson.  Ms. Simonson, originally from England lives in Brooklyn, New York.  This is her first novel.  Major Pettigrew's Last Stand is a story of a retired gentleman, Major Pettigrew and the clash between the traditional and sometimes rigid values and customs of a small English village and the new modern England.  Major Pettigrew, the vicar and his wife, other original residents members of the village golf club and the local manor owner seem to live in the past, shooting parties, restricted membership at the golf club and little connection to the new ethnic Brits who are moving into the village.  The Major's son Roger, his girlfriend and the younger generation have no respect for tradition.  The balance is further upset when Major Pettigrew's friendship with Mrs. Ali, the owner of a local shop and a British born of Pakistani origin grows to a love interest.  He finds himself torn between his traditional values and customs and his growing concern for the disdain his friends and neighbours have for those unlike themselves.

We all enjoyed the book and found it to be a good sumer read. The characters are well-developed, we can picture not only the main characters such as Major Pettigrew and Mrs. Ali but minor characters such as his neighbour who "steals" some of his plants and participates in the protests against shooting parties, Mrs. Ali's nephew who has decided he must follow the traditions of his Pakistani origins.  Many of the characters are given exaggerated personalities that highlight the perceived negative characteristics of traditional Brits, immigrant families who refuse to moderate their traditions and customs inappropriate to modern day England and younger generations such as Roger, the Major's son who is obsessed with climbing the corporate ladder, exploiting all connections.

We had a discussion about racism.  Core values, cultures, religion and/or life style are so different.  Is it  just racism or a lack of flexibility and knowledge that keep people from understanding and accepting the differences?  We saw the lack of acceptance not only amongst the people of the village but also in the actions of Mrs. Ali's family.

Some thought that the second part of the book lacked structure and felt that some of incidents were not plausible.  However others liked the predictability and that you could telegraph what would happen.  The incidents at the annual golf club gala were easy to predict and Major Pettigrew's paralyzing non-action when Mrs. Ali is humiliated is evident.  He well knows that the actions of his neighbours and friends are inappropriate but he is unable to react appropriately right away.

We all knew that the decision the young couple Abdul and Amina made to live separate lives was wise and we all wondered if Major Pettigrew and Mrs. Ali's relationship would survive the differences in their culture and the reactions of neighbours and family.

A good choice Jane. Thank you!

Here is the recipe for Shirley's sublime dessert from the book "Three Chefs, the Kitchen Men" by Michael Bonacini, Massimo Capra and Jason Parsons.   A White Cap Madison Press Book. 

Pot de crème citronée avec petits fruits

2 1/4 cups of whipping cream

2/3 cup of sugar

1/4 cup of lemon juice

In a medium pot, combine the cream and sugar and bring them to a simmer, stirring  until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice.  Pour the mixture into 6 ramekins or bowls  and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Garnish with fresh berries, mint and a bit of icing sugar.

It takes less than 15 minutes to prepare and is absolutely sublime!  I have made it already for company and it was a big hit. Thanks Shirley. 

Meeting of October 24th 2011

Our host for this month was Shirley.  Present along with Shirley were Beth, Carla, Colette, Jane, Jolene, Linda and Michèle.  Shirley served wonderful sausage, chorizo and a sweet sausage with an apple chutney.  She also served apple quesadilla and cream cheese and crab quesadilla.  She had a wonderful fruit dessert with vanilla ice cream.  Very nice.

The book choice this month presented by Jane was Sanctuary Line by Jane Urquhart.  Ms. Urquhart is a Canadian writer and this is her 8th novel.  She has also written 4 books of poetry, edited a Book of Canadian Short Stories and a biography of L.M. Montgomery.  In 2001 she was nominated for the Giller Prize for The Stone Carvers.  The Book Club read it in 2006.

In Sanctuary Line, the narrator Liz Crane is an entomologist who specializes in monarch butterflies.  Jane who is a member of the Monarch Teacher Network, gave us an enthusiastic explanation of the life of a monarch butterfly and its migration patterns from Canada to Mexico.  She also explained the goals of the Monarch Teacher Network in using monarchs as a learning tool in science, geography, about change and the need to use our environment responsibly.

Most members liked the book, however found it slow at the beginning and found it difficult to settle into the book. There are several themes in the book, migration, immigration, cultural differences, oppression of migrant workers among others.  As in The Stone Carvers Ms. Urquhart is very good at describing landscape.  There is a definite sense of place in her books.  The story of Sanctuary Line takes place mainly in south western Ontario along the shores of Lake Erie.  Those of us who know the area could easily imagine it and others could easily picture the flat farm lands of the area and the shoreline of the lake.  She has given fictitious names to many locales but the area was still quite identifiable.

The book has a melancholy feel to it and memories of loss and tragedy are what moves the plot along.  Many of Liz's  memories of her summers on the farm with her aunt and uncle describe awkward experiences such as her uncle's attempt to have all square dance, the tension between Uncle Stanley and Aunt Sadie palpable, especially when Stanley urges Teo and his mother to join.  The visits to the old school where Uncle Stanley once taught have a very melancholy feel.  Stories from the past that Stanley recites are often tragic, the barn fire, the Butler lighthouse keepers.  One member noted that none of the "couple" relationships lasted, Stanley and Sadie,  Stanley and Dolores, Mandy and Vahil and Liz herself and Teo.

Some members like the ending and other did not.  However, all in all, we all felt it was a good choice. Thank you Jane.

Meeting of September 27, 2010

Our Muse & Views Book Club met at Shirley's home to discuss Jane's choice The Boy in the Moon by Ian Brown. Present were, Betty, Colette, Jane, Jolene, Linda, Michèle and Shirley of course. Shirley had spent the day cooking and we had some wonderful hors d'oeuvres, Jamaican patties, a great dip with veggies and a lovely pumpkin cake.

Ian Brown is a Canadian journalist who works for the Globe & Mail. This book is a recount of his struggle in searching for the best possible life for his severely disabled boy Walker. It is also a journey through the evolving genetic research going on in many labs across North America that Mr. Brown takes us through as he strives to learn as much as possible about this rare disease that Walker has, called cardiofaciocutaneous syndrome (CFC). He won for this book, the B.C. National Award for Canadian non-fiction, the Charles Taylor Prize and the Trillium Book Award in 2009. Jane said that she hesitated before recommending this book but felt that the book was so well written and had touched her so much she wanted to share it.

All members present felt the book was certainly worth reading but some had difficulty getting through it because it was for them, so very emotional. One member commented that Mr. Brown is heart wrenchingly honest and compassionate in his description of his son Walker. The love he feels for his son is indisputable and present on every page of the book. He is also not afraid to show frustration and anger in dealing with the health system and the provincial welfare system. Though there is no description of impatient tirades with doctors or government administrators, it is easy to understand, by his description of waits in hospitals to see specialists for example, that he is a tad cynical.

We had a discussion about how society treats those who are disabled, the need to integrate them and accept them as they are and for who they are. The teachers in our group talked about integration in the classroom and how other children come to accept them and include them in activities much more easily than we do as adults. However, all agreed that not all disabled children can integrate into the educational system as it exists with its limited resources.

All said that the book was uplifting even though the despair he sometimes felt at night for example came out in his description of events. This book describes almost uniquely, Mr. Brown's experience, emotions and journey he has had with his son. There is very little about Ms. Johanna Schneller's experience, his wife and Walker's mother. It is however, very evident that both love their son unconditionally but experience the journey with Walker very differently.

Mr. Brown wrote several chapters about his visits in France to meet Jean Vanier the founder of l'Arche, an international organization that supports intellectually disabled adults. A exchange by correspondence between Mr. Brown and Jean Vanier, published in the Globe and Mail is very much worth reading.

Many of us thanked Jane for recommending "The Boy in the Moon". It was a book for some, difficult to read but very much worthwhile that made us think seriously about how society treats the disabled. Ian Brown referred to Robert Latimer who asphyxiated his severely disabled daughter in 1993. "The big remaining question for me is, why isn't our province on trial? ..... That family wasn't getting the support they needed...." Isn't that true across the country, the disabled are often an afterthought.