Comments from the Book Discussion Group at DeSoto Library regarding our December 2010 selection:

The Vanising Act of Esme Lennoxby Maggie O'Farrell

Below is a summary of the group's collective observations of this work.

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox is a family saga that spans several generations. Through the voices and perspectives of several female characters, the narrative reveals how society and family impacted the lives of mothers, daughters, and sisters across a century. The book opens with Esme Lennox about to be released from a psychiatric hospital where she has spent the last 60 years of her life. Her niece decides to shelter Esme for the weekend until she can find her an acceptable place to live. As the weekend unfolds so does Esme's family story, revealing the events and decisions that kept her in confinement for six decades.

As the structure of the book was unusual, with narrators and times shifting without clear warning, the group discussed how the narrative flow contributed and/or detracted from the story. Members also expressed their feelings about each of the characters and their relationships to each other as well as the societal influences that shaped these women's lives.

All the members enjoyed the book and would recommend it to others. The complex nature of the story that takes place in India and Scotland is fertile ground for discussion.

Comments from the Book Discussion Group at DeSoto Library regarding our November 2010 selection:

Marchby Geraldine Brooks

Below is a summary of the group's collective observations of this work.

March seeks to augment Louisa May Alcott's Little Women by creating an account of the absent father's Civil War experiences.

The discussion generated some lively debate concerning how accurately the novel portrays Mr. March, a fictional character in Alcott's Little Women who is based on the Alcott's father, Amos Bronson Alcott. There was also much discussion on whether or not Mr. March should have even enlisted given his family's financial circumstances as well as discussion about the historical impact of John Brown and the fictional Mr. March's support of his cause. March provided some contrast with other titles read by the group that are more truly docu-novels while Marchis a work of fiction based on a semi-autobiographical work of fiction.

Comments from the Book Discussion Group at DeSoto Library regarding our October 2010 selection:

A Northern Lightby Jennifer Donnelly

Below is a summary of the group's collective observations of this work.

A Northern Light incorporates the sensational 1906 murder of Grace Brown that really happened with the fictional struggle of Mattie Gorkie growing up in poverty in the North Woods of New York State.

Although this work is targeted toward young adults, the historical facts provided of the Grace Brown murder interested the group. The discussion ranged from the treatment of blacks, even in the North, to the moral dilemma posed by deathbed promises. The story highlights the extreme difficulty of girls mired in poverty trying to seek higher education and how difficult it is to resist the temptation to just do what is expected. We all thought the book would be especially good for young adults, and several members expressed interest in learning more about the Grace Brown-Chester Gillette murder case.

Comments from the Book Discussion Group at DeSoto Library regarding our September 2010 selection:

Just Janeby Nancy Moser

Below is a summary of the group's collective observations of this work.

Just Jane is a docu-novel based on the life of Jane Austen. The author specializes in this type of work and does considerable research on her subjects prior to writing each work that mixes fact supplemented by supposition.

The group enjoyed a lively discussion of the position of women during Austen's lifetime, including the often precarious situation of single women. We compared Austen and her sister to single women today. We also discussed differences in child-rearing practices between then and now and how well we thought the author captured Austen's undocumented thoughts and feelings at various times in her life. Several group members felt that Just Jane would enhance their reading of Austen's novels.

Comments from the Book Discussion Group at DeSoto Library regarding our August 2010 selection:

One Thousand White Womenby Jim Fergus

Below is a summary of the group's collective observations of this work.

This book was selected because of its unusual plot which proposed a fictional situation in which the U. S. Government enrolled white female volunteers in a program in which the women agreed to marry American Indians and produce a child as a means of integrating the two cultures. The narrative is presented in epistulary and journal formats as written by one of the characters.

The selection generated much discussion about the good and bad elements of both societies. Some felt that many situations in the story were contrived and that the time frame was too compressed to feel realistic. Overall, however, the story did provide insights into the less well known physical and cultural aspects of Indian life as well as generate some interesting discussion.

Comments from the Book Discussion Group at DeSoto Library regarding our July 2010 selection:

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweetby Jamie Ford

The question was asked, “Would you recommend this book to someone else?”

This book was selected because it is the 2010 United We Read selection for the Kansas City Metro area. As often happens, what appeared at first to be a fairly simple story showed hidden depths during the discussion. The story raised penetrating questions about the nature of love, family, citizenship, and patriotism and how difficult it is to blend different cultures. The group would definitely recommend this book as a worthwhile look at the history of how the Japanese internment affected life in Seattle during World War II and how it impacted the lives of two families, one Chinese and one Japanese, during that difficult period in our country's history.

Comments from the Book Discussion Group at DeSoto Library regarding our June 2010 selection:

First Dawnby Judith Miller

The question was asked, “Would you recommend this book to someone else?”

All the members enjoyed this selection and would recommend it to others. Although the characters and the plot were fictional, the main setting of Nicodemus in western Kansas was presented with historical accuracy and detail. The nature of the settlement of this community provided some good discussion on the hardships of settling the prairie, the voluntary segregation of communities, and the obligations of the government to help citizens when they have been defrauded and abandoned.