Wednesday, March 26, 2008
What's Next?
Our next great read is a book by Sara Gruen, titled "Water for Elephants." We will be meeting at Jill Adams home on April 22nd at 7 pm. Hope to see you there!
Yet Again
Last night's book club was wonderful. It was lovely to have smart women in my home and noisy children elsewhere for the evening (thank you so much to Kirts girls for sitting). We discussed Peony in Love by Lisa See. We talked of the protective love of a mother, the drama of teenage girls, "The Mother-in-Law" phenomenon, and the mutilating things women do for beauty (both here and in other cultures). It was so wonderful. Thank you to all who took the time from their busy lives to come. As the hostess, you try your best to make it a nice evening and at the last minute, after candles are lit and music is on, you think, "I hope someone shows up!" So, thank you all for coming.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Success is Sweet
I am happy to report that the book club meeting this month was a huge success. Multiple reasons enter my mind. Reason number one: WE READ! So many women read, whether it was our chosen book (These Is My Words) or the other book (Condie), there was reading going on and that makes me so happy! Reason number two: Janice Hastings. Enough said, no elaboration needed....okay, I'll elaborate: Holy cow! Food, sweets, displays, quizzes with prizes, parting gifts that went with the book...the list goes on. Thank you, thank you, thank you for making it wonderful, Janice. Reason number three: Engaging conversation about everything from Sarah to segregation, pioneers to pecan trees! It is wonderful to be around women with voices. We have chosen book two, as most of you know. It is "Peony in Love" by Lisa See. Here is a synopsis for you:
I finally understand what the poets have written. In spring, moved to
passion; in autumn only regret.
For young Peony, betrothed to a suitor she has never met, the lyrics from The Peony Pavilion mirror her own longings. In the garden of the Chen Family Villa, amidst the scents of ginger, green tea, and jasmine, a small theatrical troupe is performing choice scenes from this epic opera, a live spectacle few girls, even women, have ever seen. Like the heroine in the drama, Peony too is cloistered and from a wealthy family, trapped like a good-luck cricket in a bamboo-and-lacquer cage. Though raised to be obedient, Peony has dreams of her own.
Peony's mother is against the production: “Unmarried girls should not be seen in public.” But Peony's father prevails, assuring his wife that proprieties will be maintained. Women will watch the opera from behind a screen to hide them from view. Yet through its cracks, Peony catches sight of an elegant, handsome man with hair as black as a cave -- and is immediately overcome with too many emotions.
So begins Peony's unforgettable journey of love and destiny, desire and sorrow -- as Lisa See's haunting new novel takes readers back to 17th century China, after the Manchus seize power and the Ming dynasty is crushed. Steeped in traditions and ritual, this story brings to life another time and place -- even the intricate realm of the afterworld, with its protocols, pathways, and stages of existence . . . a vividly imagined place where one’s soul is divided into three, ancestors are worshiped, misdeeds are punished, and hungry ghosts wander the earth.
Based on a true story, Peony in Love uses the richness and magic of the Chinese afterlife to transcend death and explore the many manifestations of love. Ultimately, it’s about universal themes: the bonds of female friendship, the power of words, the desire all women have to be heard, and finally those emotions that are so strong that they transcend time, place, and perhaps even death.
If you want to know more about the author Lisa See, visit her website here. Our next meeting will be at Karalea Richards home on Tuesday, March 25th at 7 pm. See you there! FYI: If you want to read ahead, our April read is "Water For Elephants" by Sara Gruen.
I finally understand what the poets have written. In spring, moved to
passion; in autumn only regret.
For young Peony, betrothed to a suitor she has never met, the lyrics from The Peony Pavilion mirror her own longings. In the garden of the Chen Family Villa, amidst the scents of ginger, green tea, and jasmine, a small theatrical troupe is performing choice scenes from this epic opera, a live spectacle few girls, even women, have ever seen. Like the heroine in the drama, Peony too is cloistered and from a wealthy family, trapped like a good-luck cricket in a bamboo-and-lacquer cage. Though raised to be obedient, Peony has dreams of her own.
Peony's mother is against the production: “Unmarried girls should not be seen in public.” But Peony's father prevails, assuring his wife that proprieties will be maintained. Women will watch the opera from behind a screen to hide them from view. Yet through its cracks, Peony catches sight of an elegant, handsome man with hair as black as a cave -- and is immediately overcome with too many emotions.
So begins Peony's unforgettable journey of love and destiny, desire and sorrow -- as Lisa See's haunting new novel takes readers back to 17th century China, after the Manchus seize power and the Ming dynasty is crushed. Steeped in traditions and ritual, this story brings to life another time and place -- even the intricate realm of the afterworld, with its protocols, pathways, and stages of existence . . . a vividly imagined place where one’s soul is divided into three, ancestors are worshiped, misdeeds are punished, and hungry ghosts wander the earth.
Based on a true story, Peony in Love uses the richness and magic of the Chinese afterlife to transcend death and explore the many manifestations of love. Ultimately, it’s about universal themes: the bonds of female friendship, the power of words, the desire all women have to be heard, and finally those emotions that are so strong that they transcend time, place, and perhaps even death.
If you want to know more about the author Lisa See, visit her website here. Our next meeting will be at Karalea Richards home on Tuesday, March 25th at 7 pm. See you there! FYI: If you want to read ahead, our April read is "Water For Elephants" by Sara Gruen.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
It Has Begun!
We've made a decision! Our first book club read will be "These is My Words" by Nancy E. Turner. Here is a synopsis:
"Inspired by the author's original family memoirs, this absorbing story introduces us to the questing, indomitable Sarah Prine, one of the most memorable women ever to survive and prevail in the Arizona Territory of the late 1800s. As a child, a fiery young woman, and finally a caring mother, Sarah forges a life as full and fascinating as our deepest needs, our most secret hopes, and our grandest dreams. She rides Indian-style and shoots with deadly aim, greedily devours a treasure trove of leatherbound books, dreams of scarlet velvet and pearls, falls uneasily in love, and faces down fire, flood, Comanche raids, and other mortal perils with the unique courage that forged the character of the American West. This action-packed novel is also the story of a powerful, enduring love between Sarah and the dashing cavalry officer Captain Jack Elliot. Neither the vast distances traveled nor the harsh and killing terrains could quench the passion between them, and the loss and loneliness both suffer only strengthen their need for each other. While their love grows, the heartbreak and wonder of the frontier experience unfold in scene after scene: a wagon-train Sunday spent roasting quail on spits as Indians close in to attack; Sarah's silent encounter with an Indian brave, in which he shows her his way of respect; a dreadful discovery by a stream that changes Sarah forever; the hazards of a visit to Phoenix, a town as hot as the devil's frying pan; Sarah's joy in building a real home, sketching out rooms and wraparound porches. Sarah's story leads us into a vanished world that comes vividly to life again, while her struggles with work and home, love and responsibility resonate with those every woman faces today."
If you would like to know more about this book and others by Nancy, check out her website here. Janice Hastings will be hosting on February 26th. Happy reading!
"Inspired by the author's original family memoirs, this absorbing story introduces us to the questing, indomitable Sarah Prine, one of the most memorable women ever to survive and prevail in the Arizona Territory of the late 1800s. As a child, a fiery young woman, and finally a caring mother, Sarah forges a life as full and fascinating as our deepest needs, our most secret hopes, and our grandest dreams. She rides Indian-style and shoots with deadly aim, greedily devours a treasure trove of leatherbound books, dreams of scarlet velvet and pearls, falls uneasily in love, and faces down fire, flood, Comanche raids, and other mortal perils with the unique courage that forged the character of the American West. This action-packed novel is also the story of a powerful, enduring love between Sarah and the dashing cavalry officer Captain Jack Elliot. Neither the vast distances traveled nor the harsh and killing terrains could quench the passion between them, and the loss and loneliness both suffer only strengthen their need for each other. While their love grows, the heartbreak and wonder of the frontier experience unfold in scene after scene: a wagon-train Sunday spent roasting quail on spits as Indians close in to attack; Sarah's silent encounter with an Indian brave, in which he shows her his way of respect; a dreadful discovery by a stream that changes Sarah forever; the hazards of a visit to Phoenix, a town as hot as the devil's frying pan; Sarah's joy in building a real home, sketching out rooms and wraparound porches. Sarah's story leads us into a vanished world that comes vividly to life again, while her struggles with work and home, love and responsibility resonate with those every woman faces today."
If you would like to know more about this book and others by Nancy, check out her website here. Janice Hastings will be hosting on February 26th. Happy reading!
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