Comments from the De Soto Book Discussion Group regarding our December 2013 selection:

The Snow Childby Eowyn Ivey
Below is a summation of the members' reactions to this work.

Eowyn Ivey’s “The Snow Child” takes the Russian/Alaskan folktale of the Snow Maiden and transforms it into a realistic fictional narrative about a middle-aged childless couple that leaves their old life behind to homestead in the Alaskan wilderness. When, in a rare moment of fun, they build a child out of snow and an orphan girl appears out of the wilderness, it seems that their snow child has come to life. How this and other events impacts the couple’s life weaves a beautiful story about the nature of family while maintaining the integrity of the original folktale.

Some members found the story sad and at least two described it as “strange.” However, all said they would recommend this title to others. One comment, “I’m of two minds: on the one hand I kept thinking this is the strangest story, but on the other I couldn’t put it down.” Another member chimed in, “It was the same for me. I kept reading and reading and, even though it gave me a headache, I had to keep reading.” Discussion focused on the strength of the characters and how real they were. All the characters were likeable and there were no “villains” in this remarkable look at homesteading in the Alaskan wilderness of 1920. The concept of “changing the ending” was also discussed—how the author had used the old folk tale of the Snow Maiden to produce a story that redrew the narrative using non-magical characters while maintaining the essential integrity of the folktale. One member said, “I just loved, loved, loved this book!”

Comments from the De Soto Book Discussion Group regarding our November 2013 selection:

Life After Lifeby Kate Atkinson
Below is a summation of the members' reactions to this work.

November's meeting marked a special event for the group as this month's selection and discussion were tied into the Johnson County Museum's project "Citizen Soldiers of the Prairie," which celebrates the contribution to the WWII effort of those working at the Sunflower Ordnance Plant in DeSoto. Kate Atkinson's Life After Life was chosen for the discussion as it is mainly set in the first half of the 20th century and vividly depicts the Blitz of England as well as other difficulties experienced by both the English and German populations during the WWII.

The structure of the book is unusual, reminiscent of the movie Groundhog Day. Certain events in the life of the central character, Ursula, are replayed with different consequences depending on the choices made at critical points in the narrative. Thus Ursula may fall out of a window while reaching for her doll and tumble to her death; or, someone might enter the room just in time to distract the child and save her from her fate. This unusual structure produces a narrative that uniquely shows the sheer randomness of life and how the fate of nations and millions of people can turn on the presence or absence of one person at one moment in time.

All the members enjoyed the book but found it difficult to read at times because of its narrative structure and basic premise. Several commented that the book depicted the London blitz very vividly and brought the true nature of that ordeal home to them as no other book had done before. Every member contributed some moment in the book that she found memorable. Izzie, Hugh’s sister, was everyone’s favorite character while all agreed they liked Teddy as well. The story is very complex and some said they planned to reread it and see what they might have missed on first reading.