Comments from the De Soto Book Discussion Group regarding our September 2014 selection:

The Light Between Oceans
by M. L. Stedman

Below is a summation of the members' reactions to this work.

All but one member said they loved or very much liked the book. The one member said she found she disliked the character of Isabel so much that she quit reading and skipped to the last 4 chapters. The discussion centered on the choices made by the various characters and their consequences. Also, members commented on how they each viewed the actions of Tom, Isabel, and Hannah (the central characters) and whether or not they saw their choices as right or wrong. Several commented they thought the book got off to a slow start but, once they got into it, they couldn’t put it down. One member loves lighthouses and has visited many so she was delighted with setting. Although the narrative may at first appear fairly basic, the plot overlays a number of complex actions and interactions by many characters and there was not time in our discussion to explore all the intricacies of this novel.

Comments from the De Soto Book Discussion Group regarding our August 2014 selection:

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena
by Anthony Marra

Below is a summation of the members' reactions to this work.

Members thought the book was an incredible accomplishment for a first novel and said that, despite the rather complex presentation, they did become interested in the main characters although the book got off to a slow start. The narrative centers around three residents of a rural village in Chechnya, caught up in yet another civil war.  The two adults are determined to protect the recently orphaned 8-year-old Havaa, who has escaped the death squad sent to eliminate both her and her father.  We discussed the effects, both physical and mental, of living in a constant state of war and the deprivations imposed by years of destruction and deprivation.  In particular, the discussion focused on the moral choices people are forced to make in order for they and/or their families to survive. Members also talked about how fortunate we are in this country and that we cannot truly comprehend what people in other parts of the world are going through. As this title also centered around war and the victims of war, the group feels a bit "war-weary" but also more informed about some lesser known conflicts and their consequences on the people who lived through them.