Comments from the DeSoto Book Discussion Group regarding our November 2017 selection:

Here Comes the Sun 
by Nicole Dennis-Benn

Here Comes the Sun is a major departure from our usual type of fiction choices. Most of us would not have picked this book off the shelf to read on our own because of the subject matter. However this debut novel shows us an entirely different side to survival in Jamaica. This book gave us a lot of topics to discuss. Margot works at a luxury resort and has an extra job on the side working as a prostitute. Margot and her mother Delores work hard and put all their hopes onto the youngest daughter, Thandi. Her whole life has been leading to medical school because that’s their meal ticket and key to survival. However, Thandi dreams of being an artist.  

Here Comes the Sun is depressing and upsetting because so many bad things happen to these women. Multi-generation sexual abuse, poverty, and neglect lead Grandma Merle, Delores, and Margot to do terrible things to survive. None of us can blame them for what they have to do. Selling their bodies and their children is the only thing these women have. We’re all shocked sexual abuse is so prevalent. None of the characters have positive relationships with men.  

Homophobia is vicious in the River Bank area of Jamaica. Verdene Moore is called a witch and is chased from the markets. Her neighbors put dead dogs in her yard and throw blood on her house and sidewalk. The relationship between Verdene and Marogt is strong despite what could happen to them if they’re caught together. Margot dreams of buying a home in the Lagoons, far away from the prying eyes of neighbors.

Margot’s betrayal of Verdene is unexpected. Margot does not tell Verdene her hotel is taking over River Bank. Margot advises Verdene to sell and not hire lawyer to read the contract.  We can understand Margot’s reasoning, she wanted to have the upper hand and money in their relationship for once and her job depended on all the homeowners selling. Jamaica is a paradise to those who visit, but not to those who live there. The resorts are taking over all the beaches and pushing people from their homes.

The Jamaican patois dialect shines through in this novel. Reading the patois is difficult but it pulls the reader deeper into the story. Dennis-Benn is compared to Mark Twain in her use of vernacular. The Jamaica Dennis-Benn creates is desperate, poverty-ridden, and sad. Although this novel features graphic scenes this is a great book to discuss with a group.  

Comments from the DeSoto Book Discussion Group regarding our October 2017 selection:

Soldier Girls: The Battles of Three Women at Home and at War 

by Helen Thorpe

Soldier Girls: The Battles of Three Women at Home and at War intimately details a decade in the lives of three women from the Indiana Army Nation Guard, Michelle Fischer, Desma Brooks, and Debbie Helton.  

Soldier Girls is an excellent look into America’s longest war. The fractured reality of war affects all three women because it feels as if they are leading two lives, a military life and a civilian life. This affects their romantic relationships, children, friendships, and families.

Michelle is the youngest and most free spirited of the women. Michelle joins the National Guard in June 2001 to pay for her college education at Indiana University, a dream she pursues with passion and hard work throughout the book. Desma is a single-mother of three who knew she’d learn valuable job skills and earn good money for two weekends a month and two weeks a year with the Guard. Debbie is the oldest in most of her units. She has always wanted to be a sniper and see the world through her service to the country.

This well-researched and gripping true life account of female soldiers shows the harsh conditions, loneliness, and sexual harassment the women face. We found the history of Afghanistan and the people they meet very interesting. Akbar Khan, their translator, shows his unit the human side of Afghanistan. He speaks English, wants to move to the United States, and is proud of his heritage. He changed the way Michelle, Desma, Debbie, and their unit see the people.

The women felt they did something to help the people, by securing the democratic elections and freeing the people from Taliban and Al Qaeda rule. When Desma and Debbie return from Iraq, they do not have the same sense of accomplishment. They did not meet Iraqi people or go into the communities. Instead, they were on edge, lonely, and in combat zones.

Desma is put into an all-male unit that refuses to talk to her because she is the enemy who could get them into trouble. Desma does not receive proper training and is isolated. We were very surprised she carried a knife around with her because the threat from American soldiers was so great.

Thorpe does an excellent job of showing the mental and physical toll of war. PTSD is a silent epidemic among soldiers. When Desma’s vehicle hits the IED we were surprised she wasn’t killed. Her head injury plagues her for years.  

The changing role of women in the military is evident during their years of service. While they’re in Iraq in the spring of 2008, President Bush claims there are no women in combat. Desma wonders what driving a truck or being in the gun turret in an ASV on a highway in Iraq in spring 2008 was. Obama’s Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta announces lifting of ban on women serving in combat positions. We have mixed reactions to women seeing combat.

All of us shared personal stories of how Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq, and Afghanistan impacts people we know. These stories show the ripple of war into everyday life. 

Comments from the DeSoto Book Discussion Group regarding our September 2017 selection:

Everyone Brave is Forgiven 
by Chris Cleave

The majority of our group enjoy Everyone Brave is Forgiven.

Mary is a polarizing character. Some of us did not care for her while others love her moxie. A couple of our members point out Mary is only 18 when the novel begins. For an 18-year-old Mary is stubborn, strong-willed, and determined to help the war effort. Mary signs up to help the day was is declared. Mary is disappointed she did not receive a more important job as a spy. After meeting her kids and seeing the need to keep them safe in such uncertain times, Mary is hooked. Despite the headmistress, Hilda, and her mother telling her to leave teaching behind Mary gives teaching even more energy. We all applaud her work with the children left in London when all the other kids move to the countryside. Mary sees a need and does her best to help.

Everyone loves Alistair because of his humor and good nature. We had to keep reminding ourselves that Mary and Alistair only met once and then only communicated by letter. The letters were funny, endearing, and helped the novel. Most of us did not know much of the blockade and hardship in Malta.

Most of us also enjoy Hilda because of her flair and her ability to put up with Mary. Hilda and Mary’s bickering was at times funny but almost always lead back to Mary stealing another man from Hilda. None of us could understand why Mary did this repeatedly. One of the most exciting and edge of your seat parts of the novel occurs in the underground station when Mary is trapped. When the water begins rising Mary panics but Hilda remains calm. Hilda saves Mary’s life by breathing into her mouth until she is cut free. Most of us cannot imagine Mary doing the same thing for Hilda. We all hope Hilda and Simonson end up together and are happy they are corresponding.

The jam jar is a wonderful talisman in the novel. Alistair keeps the jam to eat at the end of the war. Carrying this jar through the battlefields of France and Malta is an interesting way to stay positive and stay alive. When Alistair gives the jam to Simonson it shows the importance of their friendship. The idea of the jam is one of the most impressive things Cleave does with the novel.  

Occasionally the novel felt too long and limped along. However, other times the story taught us new things about WWII, showed us the haphazard destruction of London, and exposed us to new ideas of the war. The ambulance portions of the novel were eye opening. Only one of us knew the Hillman was a car and not a regular ambulance. None of us knew they strapped injured people to the roof of the car.

The ambiguous ending of the novel leaves us all wondering what will happen to the characters. We believe Cleave is leaning towards Mary and Alistair spending their lives together. We all hope that is the case. 

Comments from the DeSoto Book Discussion Group regarding our August 2017 selection:

A Man Called Ove 
by Fredrik Backman

There is so much to talk about in A Man Called Ove. The majority of our members love this novel. Two members did not enjoy this novel due to the suicidal tendencies of Ove and the poor characterization of Swedish people. One member brought photos to share of her family in Sweden. The Swedish farmhouse gave us a great jumping off point to dive into our discussion about Ove.

The humor mixed with the sadness creates a novel that resonated with our group. Ove is a good person but he sees the world in one way and you better see it that way too. Ove is grumpy and set in his ways because he lost Sonja and cannot come to terms with that.

There is such a beautiful love story between Sonja and Ove. His life was black and white and she was his color. We can all understand his depression at losing her. We love that Ove fights for Sonja and anyone being mistreated. On their honeymoon Sonja naps and Ove is fixing up the town. When Ove stands up to Tom when he was a boy and then as a man shows his true character.

All of Backman’s characters are so richly drawn that we feel like we know them. Parvaneh is determined to befriend Ove. We all love her humor and persistence. Ove’s cat, that he did not want, was more like a dog. Ove talking to the cat makes us all laugh.

This is one of our favorite books of the year (for most of us). 

Comments from the DeSoto Book Discussion Group regarding our July 2017 selection:

Orphan Train

Christina Baker Kline 

The majority of our group loved Orphan Train because of the mixture of historical and modern day stories.

There are so many great personal memories from all of our members. One member’s mama was on the orphan train. Her story is inspiring and heartbreaking. Her mama is separated from her three siblings but they are later reunited in Kansas City. Hearing this story is a reminder of the astounding number of orphan train riders; from 1854 to 1929 an estimated 250,000 children come to the Midwest. There are an estimated 2 million descendants from the train riders.

Changing the main character’s name from Niamh to Dorothy to Vivian is unthinkable to most of us. However, there were a number of stories of family members having their name changed by foster parents and other family members. Dorothy is not treated as a child or family at the Byrne house. Instead, Dorothy is chosen for labor skills as a sewer. We think a lot of the orphans probably end up in situations where they were free labor, much like Dutchy.  

The Grote house is horrific and we are mad Mr. Sorenson even thought about sending Dorothy back to live with them. The filth, lice, and food at the Grote’s is such an extreme difference from Niamh’s life with her family.

The Nielsen’s are a great family and gave Vivian many opportunities with the store. We can understand why she did not think of the Nielsen’s as her real family, but she never thinks of them as more than her foster parents.

One member has a criticism of this novel being too contrived. She feels Jack’s immediately desire to date Molly and setting her up with his mother’s employer for her community service is convenient. Molly and Vivian’s similar lives are also too contrived. Another criticism of the novel is the portrayal of female foster parents. Neither Molly nor Vivian get along with multiple foster mothers.  

One plot point we all take issue with is Vivian giving her daughter away. We cannot accept Vivian putting her daughter through the exact same hardships she went through. Giving her daughter up for adoption is out of character and hard to read. Having one last piece of Dutchy would have given Vivian strength. All of the members found this piece of the story too far fetched to believe.

Despite these criticisms, Orphan Train is an intriguing part of history most of us want to learn more about. 

Comments from the DeSoto Book Discussion Group regarding our June 2017 selection:

In the Unlikely Event 

Judy Blume

In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume is a great story that everyone likes and we are all happy we read. Blume’s strength shines through her perfect characterizations. Each character comes to life and feels real. Blume is from Elizabeth, New Jersey and lived through the plane crashes. The historical aspects of this story were interesting to everyone.

We cannot imagine living in a town where three planes crash in a 58 day period. Imagine the terror and the feeling of hopelessness. The plane crashes lead many of us to think of September 11^th and the fear of planes at that time. Many others remember doing atomic bomb drills and hiding under their desks at school. One member saw a bomb explosion on television and froze whenever a plane flew overhead. We can understand why Miri and her schoolmates were so afraid, it does seem like the planes are trying to kill kids by narrowly missing schools and the orphanage.

There are so many characters but we love how Blume weaves all their stories together. Each person’s story touches another’s because of these unlikely events.

Doctor Osner is one of our favorite characters because he takes care of everyone. He is a stable, caring, understanding man who wants to take care of everyone. His affair with Rusty did shock us and we did not see it coming. However, Corinne Osner is such an unsympathetic character we did not feel for her. We are happy that Rusty and Dr. O make each other happy.

Miri is a typical teenager. The plane crashes affect her deeply but she tries not to worry her family with her fears of future plane crashes. Miri is in love for the first time and has so many emotions. Blume does an excellent job writing teenagers. Miri is trying to navigate her increasingly complicated relationship with Natalie.

Natalie is so sensitive and the plane crashes affect her deeply. We do not fully understand why she believes Ruby is living inside her, but it is her way of dealing with all that is happening. Natalie goes on to live an unconventional life which makes sense for her. 

Moving to Las Vegas seems sudden and we did not see this coming. However, we are happy most of the family is together. Henry moving to Washington DC seems out of character for him because he is so close to Irene, Rusty, and Miri. However, we know this is how his career will grow. We all enjoy his close relationship with Miri.

We all enjoy going 35 years in the future to see how everyone’s lives turn out. We are happy Natalie and Dr. O eventually make up. Miri forgives Mason and although they are both tempted by each other they remain faithful to their spouses, which we all appreciate. 

Comments from the De Soto Book Discussion Group regarding our May 2017 selection:

The Little Paris Bookshop 
by Nina George

We all want to read Perdu’s work, Great Encyclopedia of Small Emotions: A Guide for Booksellers, Lovers, and Other Literary Pharmacists. We all left our discussion thinking about what emotions to add. Visiting the Literary Apothecary sounds like fun and we love the idea of the perfect book for curing ails. We love that Jean Perdu sells book in his own way. Perdu can prescribe what a reader needs and will only let them have that book, not the one they want to buy.  

Perdu is an interesting character because he denies himself so many things in life. The name Jean Perdu is accurate because “perdu” means lost in French. No one can imagine sealing off their life for 21 years because of a lost love. Also, we would all read the letter immediately after receiving it. None of us could seal it away in a drawer and never open it. Even if it said the usual courtesies of a breakup, we’d still want to know the details.

All of our characters are adrift both physically on the book barge and emotionally in their relationships to others. Max Jordan the famous author of Night is everyone’s favorite character. We love his personality and his friendship with Perdu. His children’s book ideas sound fascinating and we all want to read them. Cuneo is a great character who fits right in on the barge with Perdu and Max. We enjoy his love for life and his cooking skills. Our group wants to know more and have additional backstory on Catherine. She plays such a large role in Jean’s life and seems more interesting than Manon.

Some of the members feel this book was a nice read but found flaws with the writing, different scenes, and some details were overlooked by George. A one member point out Nina George wrote 29 novels and teaches writing but this novel’s writing style is nothing special and it did not connect with her the way it should have. However, she notes the novel is translated from German so perhaps the fault lies with the translator’s and not George.

A number of members felt Samy was too weird and they were ambivalent about her as a character. Although she plays such a large and important role in Jean’s life as the author of Sothern Lights, a book that found him at his worst and helped him for 20 years. Samy also becomes a dear friend who helps guide Jean through his grief during the “hurting time.” Samy and Cuneo’s relationship is well-liked and we are all glad Jean brings the two together.

There were too many little things the group could not overlook in their reading which made the book less enjoyable for them. We have a number of questions:

-          How did Jean fall in love with Catherine so quickly?

-          How did Catherine feel about Jean disappearing for months?

-         Why didn’t Jean prepare for the trip and at least bring some food?

-         How did Jean not know Manon was dead sooner? Why didn’t he try and contact her or track her down?

-         Sealing off his life like he did his kitchen seems extreme. Why didn’t he just give up his whole apartment and live on the barge?

The deer drowning in the canal is too odd for most of us. We know it is supposed to illuminate the loss and death of their past lives, however it did not move us the way it should have. The poor deer screaming in the canal lacks something that we cannot identify. Perhaps it is something lost in translation. We know all of our characters come away from this scene with a deeper sense of life and death but the impact on the reader is minimal.

Manon is an unsympathetic character and her diary entries do no help her. Manon did not create an emotional bond with us. We did not see why Jean’s attraction to her never wavers after 20 years. He stops his life because she left him. Manon seems to love Jean but she does not give up her life with Luc for him. If Manon told Jean in person she was sick and explains she is pregnant and cannot receive treatment she may have redeemed herself, but then we wouldn’t have an adventure, so maybe she needed to be selfish.

The voice is very French, it is suave, seductive, and gives the reader a deeper understanding of life and love. Some of the ideas and characters of this book we attribute to “being French” so they get a pass. Luc’s character is so forgiving, open, and accepting of Manon’s lover that we all said, “he’s French so he understands.”

The Little Paris Bookshop transports you to a faraway place. While reading this book it was fun to Google image search all the locations to see the beautiful scenery are characters are exploring. We love traveling the canals through France. We learn a lot about the lock system and the different areas from the gardens to the hot, mountainous, lavender fields of the South of France. We are all glad we read this book. 

Comments from the De Soto Book Discussion Group regarding our April 2017 selection:

Dead Wake 
by Erik Larson

This month’s reading selection, Dead Wake by Erik Larson coincides with the 100 year anniversary of the United States entering World War I. This extraordinary nonfiction title tells the story of the final voyage of the Lusitania and her 1,959 passengers and crew, of which only 764 survived.

Our discussion was lively and free flowing. I am so glad most everyone enjoyed the book. One member could not get into the story. By the end of the discussion she is eager to go home and try again. The other seven members enjoyed Dead Wake and were happy we read it.

Larson’s detail of the passengers and their belongings is impressive. The amount of research and hours spent on this book shows and is well worth the effort. There is a Kansas City connection with the husband and wife travelers Theodore and Belle Naish. Belle survives and cannot stand blue skies because they remind her of the day the ship sunk. We each had favorite characters including Theodate Pope, Captain Turner, and Charles Lauriet. Another favorite is Margaret Mackworth; she survives the sinking and being sucked into the funnel and shot like a cannon out of the funnel.

One member is especially angry and upset that Winston Churchill let this tragedy happen to the Lusitania. Churchill and Room 40 had ample opportunity to warn Captain Turner, protect the ship, and change the course because they knew German submarines were patrolling the area. Room 40’s secrecy, though understood, seems too extreme for the damage it did to the Lusitania and other vessels. There should have been multiple ways around rerouting ships and protecting them that did not expose the fact Room 40 is breaking the German’s codes.

We all felt especially bad for Captain Turner. Turner did everything he could to avoid trouble and tried to save lives. There is a perfect storm of events that all lead to the sinking. If only a few things were different the ship might have made it to Liverpool. To blame Captain Turner is inexcusable. He did not have the appropriate knowledge of the submarine’s whereabouts. He receives conflicting reports

The Lusitania sinks so far, in only 18 minutes. We cannot imagine the panic and horror of the passengers. However, those aboard seem calm and are not worried the ship is going down. The failing lifeboats are particularly sad. There are more than enough life boats however, the ship lists so badly the ships are hanging over the side and cannot launch. We cannot imagine the horror of seeing one boat fall on top of another full boat.

We would not want to spend any time in a German submarine. Death is around every corner. There are many factors to control and get right and it changes all the time. Water temperature, depth, and current all affect the submarine. How much fresh water, number or torpedoes, and weight of food affect the pressure and planes needed to dive. There are so many things that could go wrong. Some of the potential deadly events include: asphyxiation from chlorine gas if water touches the batteries; water seeping in from valves left open; or being struck by a boat. The very close quarters and smell of the sub are other unpleasant things to consider. Most of us felt Captain Schwieger got what he deserved. A few years after sinking the Lusitania His sub blew up from contact with a mine in the North Sea.

Woodrow Wilson’s depression and almost apathy for the war is a surprise to all of us. Most did not know his wife died and he remarried while in office. Edith Gault is interesting because she knows how difficult it will be to marry the President. She will come under fire for everything she does. We are glad their love story works out and are happy they marry. Most of us do not realize it took nearly two years for Wilson to declare war after the Lusitania sinks. We all knew the sinking sparks a change in the way Americans view the war. Most members say their knowledge of WWI is much less than that of WWII. This book helps us understand the tragedy and world events surrounding WWI.   

Comments from the De Soto Book Discussion Group regarding our March 2017 selection:

The Truth According to Us 
by Annie Barrows

Our larger than normal group all enjoyed The Truth According to Us. This novel contains a number of storytelling tropes: the coming-of-age-tale, historical fiction, mystery, and a story set in a small town. The story engages you and you feel like you’re walking the streets of Macedonia, West Virginia.

Willa is a fascinating character because she makes it her mission to discover the secrets of adulthood. Willa is wise beyond her years and can read people well. The Macedonia, West Virginia motto of ferocity and devotion is Willa’s new aspiration. Willa begins her story by telling us, “Everything began that day” (Barrows, 2015, p. 4). This statement is true; the arrival of Layla Beck starts a series of events that uncover secrets buried deep in the Romeyn family’s past. Willa is growing up and realizing her place in the world. Willa sees things with new eyes, like her father’s business and Cooey’s Red Apple and his relationship with Layla, and Jottie’s spinsterhood.

One member makes a great statement, “Felix is a sociopath” and the rest of us had to agree. Felix is also charismatic and smooth. Those around Felix explain away his shenanigans as fun and not hurting anybody. Most tend to look the other way, even though the town knows he is a bootlegger. When Felix tells Jottie to choose between him or Sol we all realized something bad is going on between them. Many of us wonder how he is so conniving with Jottie. How does he control her so completely?

Jottie lost years of her life because of Felix’s lies. Jottie is a favorite for many. Some felt surprise that Jottie does not marry Sol. This is Jottie’s chance to live her life and enjoy being a married woman. The others were surprised Jottie became engaged to Sol in the first place. Most understand why Jottie chose to keep her life of independence. Jottie’s love of Vause Hamilton is too big to let go and Sol will never fill his place. Even though Jottie never marries, she lives life as an independent woman running a house and taking care of her nieces. We all love Jottie’s career later in life as a writer of ghost librarian tales.  

Many of our members like Layla Beck the best because she grows and changes so much. Before coming to Macedonia, Layla does not have the opportunity to explore her writing. When Layla first joins the Works Progress Administration under the Federal Writers’ Project, she cannot understand why she must work and is overly dramatic about her living conditions are like. As Layla gets to know people, especially the Romeyn family she begins to enjoy her assignment. Layla ends up feeling closer to the Romeyns than her own family in Washington D.C.

Layla’s growth as a character surprises most of us. Surprisingly, Layla moves beyond being a spoiled, dramatic, rich girl going through the motions of writing the history of the town. Most did not expect Layla to get to know the townspeople and enjoy the town’s history. We also did not see Emmett Romeyn and Layla marrying. However, we are all glad they fell in love and Layla became part of the Romeyn family.

The twins Mae and Minerva make us all laugh because they cannot live apart from each other during the week. We all wish we knew more about them.

The secondary characters are richly drawn and you feel like Barrows knew these people in real life and incorporate them into her novel. Mrs. Bucklew’s relationship with Willa is unexpected. We did not expect Willa to be a bootlegger like her father and wonder how this relationship came to be.  

Having multiple characters tell the story from their point of view leads to a more well-rounded tale. We see into the minds of Jottie, Layla, and Willa giving us a wider view of the story. Barrows does a nice job providing a different perspective and voice for each character. The mix of prose and letter is an enjoyable touch and adds authenticity to the time and characters.    

The title of this novel is a perfect way to describe the arc of history. The truth of history is dependent upon the person telling it, which Layla discovers repeatedly. Many see their families’ history as the only version. However, other people know more details and the other side of the story, which Layla is happy to write because it adds to the history of the town.   

Comments from the De Soto Book Discussion Group regarding our February 2017 selection:

I Will Send Rain 

by Rae Meadows 

I Will Send Rain is an emotional story of an Oklahoma farm family living through Dust Bowl. The members of our group enjoyed this novel. Meadow’s pacing brought the reader into the Dust Bowl slowly. The way Meadow’s develops each character pulls you into a world where each day is a struggle to survive. I Will Find Rain is gritty and raw. You feel for the characters and want it to rain so badly.  

It is hard to imagine the tough farm life. The Bells scrape the dust off a pie then eat it which sounds horrible. Also, none of us can imagine living in a dugout home or going into the cellar with bugs and snakes to protect ourselves.

The Bells are each suffering in their own way and each tries to find a way to forget the hardship. We all understand Annie’s desire to feel feminine and alive again during such a hard time. Her attraction to the Mayor is a way for her to escape the hopeless feeling on the farm. Samuel does not know what to do, so he turns to God and decides to build an arc for the flood that is surely coming. Fred, the eight year old mute boy, is one of our favorite characters. Fred is wise beyond his years and sees things the other characters do not.

Birdie is a typical teenager who wants to find her true love. We all felt sorry for her when her boyfriend Cy moved to California with his family. We all had interesting stories of what happened to Birdie later in life. We appreciate the way this story came full circle for Annie and Samuel. They find their way back to each other because of Birdie’s choice.

The story is wonderfully told through beautiful and stark prose. Fans of William Faulkner, Carson McCullers, and John Steinbeck will enjoy the Bell’s story. 

Comments from the De Soto Book Discussion Group regarding our January 2017 selection:

The Atomic Weight of Love 

by Elizabeth J. Church 

The Atomic Weight of Love is an outstanding debut novel. Meridian Wallace puts her dreams of a Masters and PhD. on hold and follows her husband, Alden Whetstone, to Los Alamos, New Mexico where he helps with the atomic bomb. Meridian’s unfinished scholarly work in ornithology leads her to question her life with Alden, who becomes more interested in his work and must lead a rather secretive life. Clay Griffin, a Vietnam veteran, changes the course of Meridian’s life when he teaches her the value of an equal relationship and following your own path. Meridian’s growing interest in women’s liberation and her affair with Clay show how discontent simmers below the surface when potential cannot be fulfilled.

Our members love this story because Meridian is so real. Meridian has dreams, setbacks, hardships. Meridian wants to learn new things and have a partner who loves her for her mind. Her foundation, Wingspan, helped Meridian fulfill her life’s passion for education and helps young girls find their potential.   

We are all surprised Alden is so secretive, even when he did not need to be when talking about mundane things or what Meridian is thinking. Alden is also too controlling with money. He gives Meridian a small allowance to run the household each month. She scrimps and saves to make ends meet; little does she know Alden is a millionaire. When he dies and leaves Meridian an even smaller monthly allowance we were all shocked and happy Meridian fought the trust and won. Alden’s actions towards Meridian did not justify the affair with Clay; but they show us how Meridian is thrilled by Clay’s attention.

The history of this novel shows how far women have come in the past few decades. The best moments of our meeting came from other members discussing how they were treated in the 1960s and 1970s. On a job interview one woman was asked if she was on birth control because the boss was not going to invest time and money in her if she was going to leave in a few months. Another member was asked about having more children because it might interfere with her job. None of the women could open a credit card in their own name; they had to be an authorized user on their husband’s account. Another member was questioned by a bank teller if she was planning on divorcing her husband and would not cash a check he had written for her savings account. These stories demonstrate what it was like to be an American woman not that long ago.   

Comments from the De Soto Book Discussion Group regarding our December 2016 selection:

The Boys in the Boat 

by Daniel James Brown 

We had so much to talk about with this amazing book. Our discussion last two hours and we had a great time. The Boys in the Boat is an inspirational story that will stay with you long after you finish reading. This nonfiction adventure is one of the best books I’ve read this year. The University of Washington rowers shows how hard work and teamwork pay off. We all felt these resilient boys had strength and courage beyond what we have today.

The personal stories of our group members will stick with me the most. Hearing about how one member’s grandfather had to leave the house at age 14 because it was too hard to feed growing boys was shocking. Hearing members describe their trips and experiences of living in Germany was very interesting. One member lived in Munich. The people were very different and were not helpful or pleasant to her. Everywhere she went people seemed to think her politeness were an affront to them. Her hilarious stories showed how different our cultures are. 

Comments from the De Soto Book Discussion Group regarding our October 2016 selection:

Fates and Furies 

by Lauren Groff

The more we dislike a book, the more there is to talk about! This is definitely the case with Lauren Groff’s Fates and Furies. Most of us had to force ourselves to read Fate and Furies. Instead of looking forward to the experience, we were dreading having to read more. Groff’s back-and-forth in time is one of the many reasons this book fails to grab the reader’s attention. The characters in this novel are difficult. Their personalities are different than most characters. They are flawed, narcissists, and in Mathilde’s case sociopathic. Mathilde is too conniving and keeps too many secrets from Lotto for us to trust her.

The book is cut into two sections, “Fates” is Lotto’s section and “Furies” belongs to Mathilde’s life. The order of this novel is important because you see the happy side of the marriage first. Then you see the behind-the-scenes work Mathilde put into the marriage to make things go smoothly. Mathilde’s section is eye-opening because she hides so much of herself. She was born in France, may have killed her brother, was sent to live with her uncle, and became an escort to Ariel to get through college.

Surprisingly we all agree that Lotto and Mathilde have a good marriage and happy life. Mathilde hides so many things from Lotto that he is blissfully ignorant of her entire past, her sterilization, and her ongoing feud with Antoinette, his mother. Had Lotto known all these things we all feel the marriage would have quickly ended. By the end of the novel we feel Mathilde has grown as a character because she does not ruin Chollie’s business. However, this is one of the only times she decides not to wreak havoc on others.

Our discussion is fascinating and many issues including marriage, mental health, and Greek myths are brought up because of this novel. 

Comments from the De Soto Book Discussion Group regarding our August 2016 selection:

The Boston Girl 

by Anita Diamant 

The Boston Girl is a delightful story that none of us were expecting to find so enjoyable. The characters of this novel were richly brought to life through dialogue and action. Diamant pulls you into Addie's life so effortlessly that you do not want to leave. Addie is a smart, plucky, and strong-willed girl who sees the changing role of women first-hand. As the first American born child in her family Addie goes to school, befriends girls from other backgrounds, and finds lifelong friends at the Settlement House’s Saturday Club.

The Boston Girl reads like a biography because of the historical elements throughout. Herman Levine is Addie’s brother-in-law and he helps the whole family through the depression and beyond. Levine is also a great character who helps time and again but does not get recognition from his in-laws for all he does. Levine makes shirts for World War I, two of Addie’s nephews die from the Spanish Influenza, Addie dates a World War II vet, and her husband helps pass Child Labor laws. The historical elements of this novel add so much to the story and we are all enthralled to read about how these big events shaped the lives of our characters.

The group is hurt by Addie’s mother, Memah, because she treats Addie poorly throughout the novel. Some members think Memah was mentally ill. Others wonder if Memah does not like Addie because she is born in America and is flourishing in life, while two of Memah's children die trying to get to the U.S. and Memah blames America for their deaths. Either way Addie has a hard time with her mother. Memah thinks Addie is lazy, stupid, and needs to work harder for her place in the family. Relations between them do not get better with time or after Celia’s death. Celia is such a fragile girl who could not deal with the realities of life and was not prepared to be a wife and mother to two boys. The stress and isolation drove Celia to her death. We wish we knew more about Celia and even Betty who is always there but somewhat of a mystery. But Diamant perfectly shows how an older sister is not always well known, but is there for support. 

Our discussion of this novel is lively, amusing, and we are all happy with this selection. 

Comments from the De Soto Book Discussion Group regarding our July 2016 selection:

A Spool Of Blue Thread 
by Anne Tyler

Our discussion this month was great. The majority of the members enjoyed A Spool of Blue Thread. The novel starts off slowly and includes a long list of names and family relationships to piece together, but once you are past that the novel pulls you in to the Whitshank family. We feel like we know a few of the characters well, like Abby and Linnie Mae. However, we never really know the motivations of Denny, Stem, or the girls.

Denny is a mystery to all of us. We do not understand what made him the way he was. He kept his family on the hook throughout his life. The Whitshank’s did not know Denny’s phone number or address for long stretches of time. Then Denny would show up out of the blue and stay with his family until they said something to anger him and he would leave. We all recognize how taking in Stem affected Denny; however, we do not understand why it made him withdraw from his family so completely.

The chapters dedicated to Linnie Mae and Junior were rather shocking. Junior did not want anything to do with Linnie Mae when she followed him to Philadelphia. Knowing that Junior thought Linnie Mae ruined his life brought an additional level of meaning to the novel. The Whitshank family line started with Junior and Linnie Mae, they both left their families behind and did not go back or keep in contact. They only had each other to depend on and knowing Junior often felt disappointed by Linnie Mae was sad. 

Comments from the De Soto Book Discussion Group regarding our May 2016 selection:

Before I Go 

by Colleen Oakley 

Our group discussion shows a mix of reactions to Before I Go.  

As Daisy gets ready to celebrate her four year cancerversary, or life without cancer, she discovers there is now Lots of Cancer throughout her whole body including a tumor the size of an orange in her brain. Daisy is given 6 months to a year to live. During that time Daisy plans to fix up her house and see her husband, Jack, complete the dual PhD and DVM in veterinary medicine. Another item on Daisy’s to-do list is finding Jack a new wife because he will need someone to take care of him. Daisy begins trying to meet women in coffee shops and starts internet dating for Jack. This turns out to be harder than she imagines.

Most members enjoy the touching story and conversational language of the novel. Cancer is a difficult topic to deal with and it is hard to know Daisy is dying. But the novel is heartfelt and moving. We all appreciate the way Oakley handles the end of this novel and are glad we do not see Daisy severely decline in health.

Others do not like Daisy or the voice of the novel. Admittedly, Daisy does get rather hard to like when she adamantly thinks Jack is cheating on her, but she is going through a hard time. Another drawback of the novel is too many adjectives making one member feel the writing is lacking.  The present tense of the novel is distracting for another member.

One thing our members can agree on, Jack is great. His absentminded nature and sweet temperament towards Daisy made him loveable to the group. Everything revolves around Jack’s school. They miss out on spending time together because school comes first. Everything is put off to the future when Jack graduates. Jack needs to finish school for them both. This is a huge goal for them and something to work towards and keeps their minds off the cancer.

Kayleigh is one of the group’s favorite characters because she was the most real. There were many comedic moments from Kayleigh’s misadventures in love and her cursing. We were all sad Daisy pushes Kayleigh away and yells at her about wasting her life with a job she hates. However, it is surprising much time Daisy wastes in pushing Jack away when they should be spending more time together.

Reading books dealing with cancer is tough for our group as the majority of the members had cancer at one point. Congratulations to one special member who is now cancer free! 

Comments from the De Soto Book Discussion Group regarding our April 2016 selection:

Dear Committee Members 

By Julie Schumacher 

Schumacher’s novel, Dear Committee Members, is smart, snarky, and often laugh-out-loud funny.  Cantankerous and eye-rolling inducing Jay Fitger has written over 1,300 letters of recommendation during his career as Professor of Creative Writing and English at Payne University.  Dear Committee Members is an epistolary novel, meaning it is written in letter of recommendation format, making for an interesting read because of the way you must piece the story together from Jay’s perspective. 

This humorous tale leads to a fantastic discussion about Jay’s foibles.  Jay is angry and constantly mentions cuts to the liberal arts, especially the English department, in favor of economics and the technological sciences.  The English building has been sealed because of construction for a new tech building next door.  Jay has a tough exterior but seems lonely.  He is living in the past and is too brutally honest for his own good.  The story is often one-sided and readers are left wondering how events really play out. Jay usually reveals details a few letters later.  The stories of Jay’s ex-wife, Janet, and his ex-girlfriend, Carole, show how hapless Jay is about women, love, and his lack of tact.  

The majority of our members enjoy this novel.  All members are impressed by Schumacher’s ability to move the story along through the letters.  This novel could easily lose steam because of the format. However, Schumacher finds the right balance between humor, insight, and weaving an engaging, intelligent story about modern university life.  Some of the best parts of this novel came from Jay’s sign offs and titles he gave himself.  One of the best is Jay Fitger, Professor/Hazardous Material Specialist.

Comments from the De Soto Book Discussion Group regarding our March 2016 selection:

Someone 

By Alice McDermott

Someone is well-written, but the book club members did not like McDermott's style of moving back-and-forth in time.  There were too many gaps in Marie's life.  We all want more details about Tom Commeford and their courtship.  Marie briefly meets Tom before the war, while the next section starts with Marie and Tom married.  We are all disappointed we do not know more about Gabe's life.  We would like to know his thoughts and the real reasons why he left the priesthood and how he ended up in the Suffolk Mental Institution.  Tom and Gabe were the two characters we like the most, but know the least about.  

The job at Mr. Fagin’s seems to increase Marie’s station in life and help her mature because of the way she softly greeted mourners, guided them through the wakes and services.  Marie is happy to work in Brooklyn after hearing how hard it is to work in the city.  Marie decides to take the job because she is allowed to charge five dresses to Mr. Fagin’s account.  These dresses change her life; she refers to the dresses numerous times throughout the book.

Marie also learns a lot of people from Mr. Fagin's sister and the nuns who discussed all the people who pass through the funeral home.  The women tell stories and remember each person.  And if they did not know the person, they read their obituary and created things about the person. 

One of my favorite topics discussed was the idea that we each have stories to tell that are fascinating and extraordinary and someone would love to read.  But not each of us has the talent to write these stories and bring together a motif of our lives.  I think this is definitely true, we all live interesting lives.  Each decision you make leads to different paths and no two lives are exactly the same.  

Even though no one liked the book but we had plenty to discuss. 

Comments from the De Soto Book Discussion Group regarding our February 2016 selection:

The World We Found 

by Thrity Umrigar

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

February’s book selection is The World We Found by Thrity Umrigar.  This novel focuses on four women living in modern Bombay and recalling their youth and college days together.  Over the years, Armaiti, Kavita, Laleh, and Nishta lose touch because life gets in the way.  Now Armaiti is living in America with her family and she is dying from a brain tumor.  Armaiti’s last wish is to see all her friends again. 

The World We Found receives unanimous praise from the group.  The majority will recommend this novel because of the great characterization Umrigar provides the reader.  The story is touching and real because we all have friends we slowly lost touch with and know the feeling of being reunited.  

 

Most of our discussions led back to Iqbal and Nishta's relationship.  Many could not understand the reasoning behind Nishta's acquiescence to Iqbal's wishes.  How could such a strong woman slowly lose herself and follow all of Iqbal's orders?  We all agree losing touch with Armaiti, Kavita, Laleh, did not help Nishta and could have made her feel even more isolated.  Nishta slowly falls into the routine of wearing a burka, feeding her mother-in-law, living in a rundown apartment in the Muslim part of town, and being unhappy.  We are all surprised at Umrigar's explanation of wearing a burka.  The feeling of claustrophobia and not being able to see what was happening around you sounds terrifying.      

Armaiti’s tumor lead us to share our cancer stories.  The majority of the group has been touched by cancer in some way through family and friends.  We could all emphasize with the friends in this novel wanting to be together again.  Most agree the story would have felt better if Armaiti spoke with Diane, her daughter, about why she did not want treatment and her conflicted feelings about dying.  We have so much more to discuss, but ran out of time.  

Thanks to all the members for making me feel so welcome and part of the group.  I look forward to our monthly meetings and the terrific discussions!  

Comments from the De Soto Book Discussion Group regarding our January 2016 selection:

Nora Webster

by Colm Toibin

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

Nora Webster by Colm Toibin depicts a mother of four, struggling with grief and financial hardships after the death of her beloved husband, She struggles to support her four children and clings to secrecy in the intrusive community of her childhood before finding her voice.

Most members of the group enjoyed the book.  We discussed the relationships between Nora with her mother as well as Nora's relationship with her daughters. No surprises there as the similarities passed through the generations confirm that history continues to repeat itself. 

It was interesting for us to note that all of her family members, worked around her. Was everyone trying to protect her in her grief?  Did they just not want to deal with her?  Reactions were mixed on this topic!  Nora was very well protected (insulated?) while married to Maurice which caused her to become very focused (or was she actually just self-centered?).

We also discussed her relationships with her two younger sons.  Why did she not discuss selling their vacation home with them? It was clear that she understood the importance of the Cush house to the boys.  Was she "protecting" them from dealing with adult financial problems?  Or perhaps, she just didn't want to deal with it.

All members appreciated the excellent job that the author (a man) did writing from a woman's perspective; however, we also all agreed that there were too many unfinished stories started throughout the novel. 

When asked if this is a book you would recommend to a friend, no one jumped up with a resounding "Yes!!"....which I interpret as, "Hmmmm... maybe, depends on the person."