"Girl In The Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse

On October 25th we met at Rockstone to discuss my book

"The Girl In The Blue Coat" which is set in World War II Amsterdam.

Since many of us had just been to Amsterdam I thought it would be fun to

read. Discussion was difficult due to the noise level of the restaurant

caused mostly by 5 wine swilling females nearby. We decided we

need another venue. We had a large group consisting of Doug, Donna, Madeleine,

Betsy, Carol, Sarah, Kathy,Nancy, Sue, Janet and me. 

This was a young adult coming of age story of young people in Holland

written by a reporter for the Washington Post who is neither Dutch nor

Jewish. So although it was not great literature she manages to weave a nice

mystery about a Jewish girl who has disappeared from her hiding place.

The heroine is Hanneke who transforms from a selfish self serving girl to a caring

young woman who helps the Amsterdam Student Underground with smuggling,

obtaining ration cards and placing children into hiding from the Nazis.

One point of interest we discussed was war photography which was forbidden 

and done at great risk. The other thing we discussed was homosexuality which

was not accepted in that era and was actually dangerous.  These young

people had to grow up in dangerous times where nothing was normal.

It was just a small story within a big war.  

Nothing will ever equal Anne Frank's Diary but there are many stories

that can still be told about the never to be forgotten atrocities of that war.

Next book chosen by Janet was "The Life We Bury"  by Allen Eskens.

A tentative date of December 13th was chosen.  

"My Brilliant Friend" by Elena Ferrante

Due to Nancy's surgery in the summer as well as tennis activities

we decided to take a break from meetings during the summer of 2017.

We resumed in September and met at my house to discuss this book.

Unfortunately Nancy was not able to join us but we decided to

commence at her suggestion.

"My Brilliant Friend" written by Italy's Elena Ferrante is the first of

four  Neapolitan novels which is soon to be an HBO miniseries.

Those who read it loved it and even went on to read the other 3 books. 

It is about the friendship between two women beginning in the 1950's set

on the outskirts of Naples, Italy. Through the lives of these women

the author reveals what post war Italy was like for young girls in this small,

area where everyone knows everyone and the few prosperous families dominate. 

It is a story of two girls coming of age, of a town, of a nation emerging from war into an

economic boom. Vividly written by one of Italy's beloved authors.

Next book chosen by me was "Girl In The Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse. 

Defending Jacob by William Landay

Julie Champagne chose "Defending Jacob" by William Landay

which was discussed in May.

This was a wonderful book which was a very compelling and

readable courtroom drama about a district attorney who is defending his

son Jacob who is accused of killing one of his classmates. As the father 

attempts to prove his son's innocence he gets into a rather uncomfortable

territory: Can a tendency towards violence be inherited?

Is the capacity for murder a genetic disposition?

The author who was a district attorney gets the whole book just right.

It was a thriller with a clever plot which does not reveal itself to the end.

Many of us said it reminded us of a book we had read called "The Dinner"

by  Herman Koch. Both dealt with parents who had to confront the

fact that their child could be evil. Denial comes first and facing the ugly

truth can bring on tragic circumstances.

We all loved this book. Thanks Julie for your choice.

Next book was "My Brilliant Friend" by Elena Ferante chosen

by Nancy Forbush. 

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society.

I have fallen down on my job as book club chronicler as I now see that

I have missed several books so I am going to  try my best to recall the missed ones.

Carol Branson  chose "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" by Annie Barrows

based on research by Mary  Ann Shaffer who is now deceased.

and we met in April at Rockstone for discussion.

I remember everyone being delighted with this novel which was set on the

 English Channel island called Guernsey.

It is a book of letters exchanged with an author and the members of  the Guernsey 

Literary and Potato Peel Pie society who formed a book club during the

Nazi occupation of their island during the second world war.

Not only is food scarce but so are books. Some people only read the same authors

 and what is available such as Shakespeare, Jane Austen and The Brontes.

We were all delighted with these quirky lovable characters as they navigated

the war with humor, bravery, kindness and optimism. The author not only finds a

subject for her next novel but a husband for life. 

We found out that the book has made Guernsey a popular destination for

tourism and we all thought it would be a great place for us to visit.

We are also awaiting the movie which is in the works.

The Boston Girl

On February 8,2017 some braved a potential snowstorm to

meet at Betsy's house to discuss her book choice which

was the Boston Girl by Anita Diamant.  The braves one were Nettie, Kathy, Donna,

Madeleine, and Sarah. Our bravery was nicely rewarded by a lovely

supper of a grilled shrimp Caesar salad, fruits and spinach quiche.

Madeleine brought heart shaped sugar cookies.

We all read and enjoyed the Boston Girl who was Addie Baum. 

Addie who is now 85 years old is relating her memoirs to

her favorite granddaughter.

Addie takes us back to 1900 when her Russian parents

escape the horrors of Russia to immigrate to America.

Their life was penurious and fraught with tragedies including

many losses of lives.

Addie's mother does not encourage women to get education and

she tries to suffocate her 3 daughters with her low expectations for them.

Addie however manages to become educated and through joining

a reading club gets exposed to a better class of people.

We liked the romp through the ages including the 2 world wars, the flu of 1918,

the orphan train, the trial of Sacco and Vanzetti

Mostly it is about the triumph of women who manage despite

great odds to become something other than a man's wife.

Carol was not present but sent in her selection of the next read

"The Guernsey Literary and  Potato Peel Pie Society" by Mary Ann Shaffer

and Annie Barrow. It was puublished in 2008 and some thought we may have 

already read the book but we may not have or it was pre blog days.

However we can all use a refresher so we went with that book and

set the next date for the meeting to be March 22nd.    

Georgia by Dawn Tripp

On December 14th, 2016  we met at Nettie's home to

discuss Sarah's book entitled Georgia by Dawn Tripp.

Since it was Christmas we had a lovely social hour with appetizers, soups,

and Kathy's desserts.

Most people were able to attend and we had nine including our

honored guest Doug. So the attendees were Julie, Madeleine, Kathy.

Betsy, Sarah, Carol, Nettie and Janet.

I believe all had read the book and most of us had gone to

Georgia O'keeffe's museum in Santa Fe or had been to one exhibit

or another.

The book starts out with Georgia  painting and teaching in Texas and her

ultimate meeting in New York with her mentor Alfred Stieglitz. They have

an instant attraction and she is enthralled and taken into  his world of art, sex and passion.

She becomes the model for his famous nude photographs but refused to be

defined by those and begins to

develop her own artistic independence and transforms into her own

artistic being using her own instincts. Stieglitz would have liked to

control her art but she manages to break loose and moves to Santa Fe

developing her own artistic freedom  and the rest is history. 

O'Keefe was actually an artist who successfully sold her art as

she had a great manager/promoter husband.

 The author uses the love

letters they wrote to each other almost daily before and after they were 

married to weave the story together. We had to be reminded that this was historical fiction. 

The book had some torrid love scenes and some beautiful visual imagery of the art.

We discussed the character of Stieglitz who was an unfaithful womanizer.

We thought the author did a great job depicting their relationship which

was the meat of the book. It was a good read whether factual or not.

Betsy chose "The Boston Girl" by Anita Diamant to be the next book

and a tentative date was set for February 8th. Betsy offered to host the next

meeting.