A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler

On June 20, 2016 we held our meeting at

Rockstone Pizza. It was a small group of 6 members,

Kathy, Betsy, Donna, Sue, Carol and Nettie.

Sue did a fantastic job of leading the discussion with

the help of the book club suggested topics.

The Spool of Blue Thread was a quintessential

Anne Tyler book about 4 generations of an

American family totally heartwarming and at the

same time dysfunctional.

We discussed the characters we felt were important

and agreed they were Denny the problem child and Abby

the mother who was going to keep her family united.

She was the spool of blue thread who tried to keep

her family grounded and together.

The house that was built by the eldest Whitshank for a 

wealthy client  almost becomes 

a character in the book and so it was surprising that none

of the Whitshank children chose to keep the home.

The story flip flops between the different generations

but all came together. 

Eventually they had to deal with old age and dementia

like all families.  The Whitshanks could be any of our

families, just  ordinary people trying to attain togetherness.    

Kathy chose "Under The Influence" by Joyce Maynard.

It is about a recovering alcoholic who makes some

bad choices regarding a couple who greatly influenced her.

September 7th was targeted for the next meeting.

A Man Called Ove by Frederik Backman

We met in June at Rockstone Pizza to discuss

Madeleine's choice "A Man Called Ove" by

Swedish author Fredrik Backman. It has been

a while so bear with me if I am incorrect. I recall

that those attending were Madeleine, Julie, Betsy, Sue,

Carol, Julie, Donna, Nancy, Janet, Sarah and Me.

Those who read the book did not start out liking

Ove who was a cantankerous curmudgeon and widower who

lived by order and rules and was annoyed by any who

did not follow the rules in his housing complex.

He was set in his ways such as only driving a Volvo

and breaking up a long term relationship with a

neighbor as he bought a BMW. 

However as we learn more about him we start to

like him. We learn about his motherless childhood,

his heartwarming courtship and love for his deceased 

wife Sonja, his high principles for doing the right thing.

Ove is trying to commit suicide but is failing miserable 

because he gets involved with new neighbors who are

needy Iranians. He forms an unlikely friendship with one of

the children, adopts a messy stray cat, teaches a woman

to drive his Volvo, harbors a gay boy whose

father has estranged him. He is needed by his neighbors to

fix their heating units, helps a boy fix a bicycle. As he

becomes needed and involved he morphs into a generous

caring person. Ironically he dies of a heart attack at the end of 

the book just when he had given up ideas of suicide.

Sue chose an Anne Tyler book called "A Spool of Blue Thread".

A date was chosen but had to be cancelled.