The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry: A Novel by Rachel Joyce

JoAnn was our host on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in October.  With a nod to the mushrooms and other field greens our protagonist ate along his journey, JoAnn created a delicious salad which alone would have been filling.  However, our gracious hostess also treated us to some of her delicious homemade soup - yum!  Of course, there was also the obligatory dessert which everyone willingly devoured.

Synopsis:
Retiree Harold Fry receives a letter out of the blue from a previous co-worker with whom he has not had contact for many years.  This letter will be the catalyst for a journey which will take Harold out of his comfort zone both physically and emotionally.  What begins as a quest to save a dear friend's life will in the end actually serve as the salvation for Harold and his wife, Maureen.

Comments:
This aptly named novel began with a fitting quote from The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan:

Who would true valour see, 

Let him come hither; 

One here will constant be 

Come wind, come weather.  

There's no discouragement 

Shall make him once relent 

His first avowed intent 

To be a pilgrim.

Harold showed courage and determination in his own pilgrimage no matter the weather and the discouraging remarks of others.  His valiant effort to save Queenie resulted in him avowing to walk all the way to Berwick-upon-Tweed where she was in hospice care.  Harold was in a spiritual crisis and true to the nature of most pilgrimages, his walk became transformative and healing as he wrestled with atoning for the mistakes he had made in his life.  The use of his yacht shoes reminded the reader that this began as an unintentional journey when he first set out from his home only to mail a letter.  Along the way, the refusal to replace the yacht shoes with more sensible walking shoes became a self-imposed suffering to atone for his sins as Harold endured the blisters and painful infection in his leg.  Harold's long journey gave him time to recall memories which had long been buried in an effort to protect himself from the pain of those incidents.  However, it also gave him the opportunity to recall the good times which had been suppressed along with the bad times.

Harold met many interesting folks during his walk and with each of those characters he learned something more about human nature and in the process gleaned another nugget of truth about himself.  "He understood that in walking to atone for the mistakes he had made, it was also his journey to accept the strangeness of others.  As a passerby, he was in a place where everything, not only the land, was open.  People would feel free to talk, and he was free to listen.  To carry a little of them as he went." (p. 90 - Nook)  We were also reminded of the power of human connections, no matter how short the time spent together.  "They believed in him.  They had looked at him in his yachting shoes, and listened to what he said, and they had made a decision in their hearts and minds to ignore the evidence and to imagine something bigger and something infinitely more beautiful than the obvious." (p. 37 - Nook)

Memorable Quote:
"He had learned that it was the smallness of people that filled him with wonder and tenderness, and the loneliness of that too.  The world was made up of people putting one foot in front of the other; and a life might appear ordinary simply because the person living it had been doing so for a long time.  Harold could no longer pass a stranger without acknowledging the truth that everyone was the same, and also unique; and that this was the dilemma of being human." (p. 158 - Nook)

FAB Rating: ****1/2 (4-1/2 out of 5 stars)
The author did a wonderful job of doling out bits of relevant information along the journey so that the reader discovered the truth as Harold's repressed memories came back to him with each step.  This created unexpected twists to the story and kept the reader emotionally engaged.  This novel had many interesting characters who were true to the diversity of human nature.  Harold and Maureen were relatable and we were pleased that the ending of this story was sweet for them.  The unrealistic part of this story was where the author expected the reader to believe that an out-of-shape sixty-five year old man could manage to walk 627 miles on foot along major roadways in 87 days while stopping for visits, shopping, meals, and time off to rest and heal -- entirely in yachting shoes, no less!

The Silver Star: A Novel by Jeannette Walls

Ellen was our hostess for the month of September as we met for the first time on a Saturday morning.  Although she had originally planned for us to eat outdoors, the weather was still just a bit nippy at that time of day. We enjoyed a delicious brunch indoors at her kitchen table and marveled at the size and color of the emu egg which Ellen had cleverly used as the table's centerpiece.

Synopsis:
Liz and Bean (Jean) are sisters who rely on one another to survive and thrive in a world where they have no father and their mother shirks her maternal responsibilities in order to selfishly pursue her own unrealistic dreams. In order to avoid the risk of being put in foster care, the girls escape to Virginia to live with their estranged Uncle Tinsely.  Living in the small town of Byler will bring challenges, learning opportunities, answers to familial questions, and a painful incident which will test the mettle of not only the girls but those who love them.

Comments:
This novel was Ms. Walls' first publicly printed foray into the world of fiction writing.  Having read her two best selling non-fiction novels, we immediately picked up on the strong similarities of this storyline and characters with the author's own true life experiences.  In particular, the sisters' mother was a believable character having known how Ms. Walls' own parents were portrayed in her autobiography.  Maddox's character was a bit unbelievable - just too ruthless, evil, and above the law while maintaining a position of authority in the factory.

Bean's character blossomed in their new town as she found her father's family loving and accepting of her. They filled in the gaps for her in her life story.  The awful incident which brought out the fighting spirit in Bean appeared to highlight the true fragility of Liz.  Bean had always heavily relied on Liz to direct her, but during their time in Byler, Bean became the leader and her strength and wisdom was beyond that of a typical twelve year old.

Liz found her sanity restored when she was given responsibility of two emus.  She was able to care for creatures who were as scared as she was at that time and who needed patient, loving care in order to trust humans - just like Liz.  The spoonerisms which Liz created were fascinating and entertaining.  On page 203 (Nook) she begins a long list of spoonerisms.  "Pack of lies.  Lack of pies.  Plaque of eyes, arranged by size.  Or black-eyed lies?"..."Plucked-out eyes.  Lucked-out lies.  Synthesize.  Between my thighs."..."To no surprise, to our demise."..."All the liars told their lies."..."Who denies the lies?  Who will scrutinize the lies? The size of lies? Who will pluck the liars' eyes? Who cries, who spies, who sighs, who dies?"  We were all amazed at the author's ability to creatively use words in that manner.  As fun as they were to read silently, it was even more fun to read them aloud!

Memorable Quote:
Interestingly enough, for someone whose presence was minimal in the storyline, the girls' mom had the most interesting and though provoking quotes.  Perhaps it is indicative of how much her words meant to her daughters who were deprived of typical maternal care and guidance.
"Don't be afraid of your dark places," Mom told her.  "If you can shine a light on them, you'll find treasure there." (p. 186 Nook)
"Find the magic," Mom always said.  "And if you can't find the magic," she added, "then make the magic." (p. 11 Nook)

FAB Rating: ***1/2 (3-1/2 out of 5 stars)
The story did start out in a way which captured our attention, but lost momentum and appeared to wind down instead of up.  It became predictable and then somewhat unbelievable when Maddox entered the picture.  The most unbelievable part was where the author had Bean's grandfather kill Maddox and the police not question the lame story he gave as his alibi.  Despite those negative traits, this story had enough meat to keep our attention and made for an easy read.

Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini

All six of us were able to meet at Marcia's lovely home on Tuesday, August 13 for a meal and book discussion. Marcia had prepared a tuna salad that appealed so much to all of us that we had her share the recipe with us. What captured our attention the minute we entered her dining area was the artfully arranged display of antique sewing novelties -- all from her own collection!  It was a fun history lesson as we picked up pieces and learned their purposes for seamstresses.

Synopsis:
Elizabeth Keckley was a former slave who used her talent in dressmaking to make a name for herself among the elite of Washington D.C. in the mid to late1800's.  When Abraham Lincoln was elected as the sixteenth president of the United States, his wife, Mary, retained Elizabeth as her personal dressmaker.  Their relationship developed into more than professional as Elizabeth became a confidant for Mrs. Lincoln and an eyewitness to the sorrows and joys experienced by the Lincoln family.

Comments:
Overwhelmingly, we all agreed that the reported details of the Civil War bogged down the storyline.  One FAB member likened it to reading a Wikipedia novel.  Another reader said she felt like she had picked up an 8th grade history textbook.  The drawn out historical facts interferred with the main character's story.  Elizabeth appeared to be just an observer in her own life story.  We desperately wanted to see her character developed more so that we could connect to her as a genuine, real person from an important and tumultous time period in our American history.  However, each time the author added another long, unemotional reporting of historical data, it drew the reader away from Elizabeth and the connection to her personal story was lost. The last half of the story did improve and became a bit more engaging for the reader.

Mary Todd Lincoln proved to be a woman of both great strength and debilitating weakness.  Her excessive spending habits coupled with her deep depression fits the description of manic depressive disorder.  She did manage to bring to the White House some class and more modern furnishings, but with the treasury monies going towards war spending, her timing was terrible and stirred up criticism which lasted throughout her tenure.

Memorable Quote:
Still a true statement today and applicable to most cultures and races: "As the lowest among them fared, so everyone of their race would be perceived, and thus for their own sakes it was essential to forgo snobbery and raise up all colored people." (p. 104 - Nook)

FAB Rating: **1/2 (2-1/2 out of 5 stars)

The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier

Through unexpected -though welcomed- intermittent bursts of rain showers we drove to converge upon Diana's home for our July book club meeting.  Her brunch presentation delighted us all with Eggs Benedict, sweet fruit and melt-in-your-mouth blueberry scones.

Synopsis:
Honor Bright rashly decides to join her sister in emigrating from her home in England to the United States of America in the mid-1800's.  Honor's journey is no smooth sailing as she endures severe seasickness, the death of her sister, and the many disappointments of living in a country which is still a bit rough and so unlike her genteel home and church family back in England.  When Honor's new family forbids her to assist any of the runaway slaves which pass through their woods, Honor will have to find her voice and take a stand for what she feels is true to her Quaker beliefs.

Comments:
As we discovered in reading this story, the slaves were not the only runaways. Honor was running away from the heartache and shame of a broken engagement back in England.  Her passive-aggressive traits and constant derogatory comparison of America to England were irritating at times.  A flawed heroine at best, Honor did find the courage to do the right thing despite the risks.  We appreciated her desire to follow what she had been taught as a child: "...everyone has a measure of the Light in them, and though the amount can vary, all must try to live up to their measure." (p.63 Nook)  Honor is in conflict with her husband's family regarding their refusal to help the runaway slaves.  She judged them rather harshly without knowing their past experiences with this issue:  "When an abstract principle became entangled in daily life, it lost its clarity and became compromised and weakened." (p.193 Nook)  However, we found that we could not say without a doubt that we would not have behaved in the same manner as her in-laws had we been in their shoes.  Until our moral convictions and principles have been tested in the toughest of times with our family's lives at stake, how could any of us say for certain which path we would choose?

The truer heroines were Belle Mills and Mrs. Reed.  These two women worked in the Underground Railroad with a much greater risk to their lives than Honor.  Belle's response to the question of why some folks chose to change their thinking regarding slavery and some did not is applicable to the prejudice we still battle today: "I think deep down, most southerners have always known slavery ain't right, but they build up layers of ideas to justify what they were doin'.  Those layers just solidified over the years.  Hard to break out of that thinking, to find the guts to say, 'This is wrong.'" (p.222 Nook) The author did an excellent job of describing the character and home of Mrs. Reed.  As noted on page 193 (Nook), "...the flowers she wore in her hat; the stew so full of onions and chilies; the improvised quilt she had made.  These daily details were the things that fleshed out a person." We agreed that we could see Cicely Tyson playing that role were the book to be made into a movie.

There was a lot of discussion in the book about quilts and we found the comparisons of quilting in America versus quilting in England quite interesting and telling.  The English quilts during that time period were more  time consuming and detailed in patterns while their American counterparts were done more quickly and made use of colorful appliques.  At that time the Americans were busy carving out a nation through the sweat of toil and did not have as much time or energy to spend working on a quilt.  And as Ellen noted, the applique was bright and cheery which the pioneering Americans would have appreciated in a rough and unrefined setting such as a log cabin.  We were surprised at the marriage tradition of having a dozen quilts ready for marriage and a thirteenth made at the community frolic.  Honoring the theme of handmade items, Brenda used her time and skills during our meeting to complete a knitted dishcloth to add to her selection.  She then offered each of us our choice of dishcloth and I chose the green one.

Thank you, Brenda -- I'll think of you every time I scrub a dish or wipe down those dirty countertops! :)

Memorable Quote:
Honor made this observation after an encounter with a runaway slave on her husband's land:  "He has become so used to the journey, she thought, that he has forgotten about the destination." (p.151 Nook)  In our own lives there are long periods of time where the journey can become so consuming of our energies that we fail to focus on the end goal and perhaps lose our hope, joy, and direction in reaching that final destination.

FAB Rating: ***1/2 (3-1/2 out of 5 stars)
Although a good story, it was impossible not to compare this book to Ms. Chevalier's previous novel "Girl with a Pearl Earring" which everyone agreed was much a better piece of literary work.  This book was slow at times with too much time dwelt on discussing quilts, hat making, and a rehashing of the previous chapter's events written as letters being sent back to England.  We felt there was more depth to be explored had the author followed the story of one of the runaway slaves as an additional storyline interwoven into Honor's events.

The Painted Girls: A Novel by Cathy Marie Buchanan

We met at JoAnn's house to take advantage of her crystal blue pool.  Brenda provided a delicious meal of chicken salad, a new type of hummus for us to sample, and her yummy apple-cinnamon sandwiches.  The weather was perfect for eating outdoors and floating in the pool while discussing our June book.

Synopsis:
Sisters Marie and Antoinette van Goethem live in desperate poverty in Paris, France, in the late 1800s.  Their father is deceased and their mother's meager laundress wages go towards her addiction to absinthe.  Both girls will find themselves working in the ballet opera house, along with their youngest sister, Charlotte.  Antoinette and Marie alternate narrating this story sharing their struggles, sacrifices, and forced journey from childhood to adult responsibilities while still in their teenage years.

 
Degas' "Little Dancer of Fourteen Years"

Comments:
"It is about being downtrodden and staying that way.  Hard work makes no difference, he is saying.  My lot, the lots of those around me, were cast the moment we were born into the gutter to parents who never managed to step outside the gutter themselves." (page 96 - Kindle)  The van Goethem sisters are victims of their parents' station in life.  It was depressing and dark at times reading the struggles, injustices, and sadness experienced by the poorest of poor during this time period in France.  However, that true to life depiction is what made this story so compelling.  There were moments of triumph and joy for the sisters.  Marie finds her soul fed through dance: "Sometimes I wonder, though, if for the very best ballet girls, the trickery is not a little bit real, if a girl born into squalor cannot find true grace in the ballet." (p. 220 - Kindle)  However, as Marie and Antoinette will discover, their most marketable asset is that which makes them both powerful and vulnerable.  "I want to put my face in my hands, to howl, for me, for Antoinette, for all the women of Paris, for the burden of having what men desire, for the heaviness of knowing it is ours to give, that with our flesh we make our way in the world." (p. 250 - Kindle)

Marie models for Edgar Degas as a means of earning extra income.  Much of Degas's actual art work is centered on scenes from the Paris Opera where the sisters worked, but his most famous sculpture is the one which the author uses Marie as the model.  His paintings and sculptures were considered 'too realistic' at that time, and is the case with the majority of famous artists, his works were not appreciated and considered investment-worthy until after his demise.

The popularly accepted physiognomies studies during that time period were fascinating.  The idea that certain facial features hinted at a person's innate criminality played a role in judicial outcomes, art, and literature.

Memorable Quote:
"He touched me on the shoulder lightly, and in the touch I felt sadness that girls grow into women; that men crumple, hobbling over walking sticks; that flowers wither; that trees drop their leaves." (p. 250 - Kindle)

FAB Rating: ***** (5 out of 5 stars)
This story was the perfect mix of authentic historic events and figures with a believable storyline intertwined. The author's addition of headline news taken from that year were informative and added depth to the storyline.  Ultimately, this book was a reminder of the strength found in the bonds of sisterhood.  Each of the girls played their birth order role as expected with the tension, intimacy, and love found in the everyday relationships of sisters.  In the end, having one another is what saved Antoinette, Marie, and Charlotte.

The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin & Gift From the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh

JoAnn hosted our May meeting for Diana.  Our sympathies go out to Diana in the loss of her mother.
At lunch, we filled up on a healthy green salad topped with grilled chicken and pickled okra on the side.  Our sweet tooth was satisfied with peanut brittle and cookies.

Synopsis:
Gift From the Sea - Anne Morrow Lindbergh spent time alone on a Florida beach rediscovering herself and the truths regarding the life of a wife, mother, daughter, and woman in modern times.
The Aviator's Wife - Melanie Benjamin attempts to fill in the gaps between the public image and the unseen private moments of the Charles Lindbergh family.  Read through the eyes of Anne Morrow Lindbergh, the story follows their short courtship, adventurous flights around the world as husband and wife, tragic murder of their firstborn, and the struggles of Anne to find her voice in a narrative which was overshadowed by her domineering famous husband.  In the end it's a story which proves that every hero will eventually fall from the lofty heights of adoration as admirers realize that their heroes' flaws and weaknesses are no less than their own.

Comments:
We first discussed Gift From the Sea.  There was a strong consensus among our group that this book would be best categorized as a self-help book and most likely appealed to that generation of women who did not discuss the private struggles of their marriage, kids, and self.  Although relevant to women today, it's most likely that the women of that time period felt a strong kinship with the author because Anne expressed so much of what they felt or were struggling with but were still trapped behind the mask of perfection.  We agreed that women of today find it more accepting and permissible to admit failures and struggles in their variety of roles.  We thought it was probably a cathartic literary work for Anne Lindbergh, too.  The downside was that we found the book to be repetitive - overall it was the same broad message but delivered in a variety of ways.

The Aviator's Wife offered us a glimpse into the private life of the Lindberghs and it was not always a pretty picture.  Charles Lindbergh was strong, determined, and a leader.  Those same qualities which gave him courage to do what was considered impossible - cross the vast Atlantic Ocean in the Spirit of St. Louis - were the same qualities which made him difficult to live with as a husband and father.  He cared more for his public image than his family's well-being.  We determined that he loved as much as he was capable, no thanks to his cold, unloving mother.  It was disappointing to learn that he had other children with women on the European continent.  His idea of building the Lindbergh dynasty meant that the 5 children he and Anne had together was not enough.  We are convinced that the Nazi ideals that Charles espoused played a large role in his desire to build his progeny dynasty.

Anne was in love with the public image of Charles Lindbergh.  She married America's hero without ever knowing the real man. We found Anne's mother to be a wise advisor to Anne, especially when she spoke these words: "You need to stop looking for heroes, Anne....Only the weak need heroes and heroes need those around them to remain weak.  You're not weak." (p.288-Nook)  Anne's marriage and her kids suffered for Charles' lack of emotional attachment and display of affections.  After many years of marriage, Anne did finally find her true north and experienced the joy of falling in love during her affair with Dr. Atchley.  Anne was a strong woman, but she did not recognize her strengths until much later in her life.    "Were we women always destined to appear as we were not, as long as we were standing next to our husbands? I'd gone from college to the cockpit without a chance to decide who I was on my own, but so far, I was only grateful to Charles for saving me from that decision, for giving me direction when I had none." (p.150 - Nook)

Anne's opposing mix of personality traits consisting of fear and courage, and meekness and boldness was understood by us.  Our jobs change with passing years and so our strengths and weaknesses take turns playing leading roles as we meet the needs of our loved ones.  We related to Anne's statement on p.115: "If I were married to a physician, I would be Mrs. Doctor.  If I were married to an attorney, I would be Mrs. Lawyer.  No married woman had a separate identity, not even my own mother, with all her education and energy.  She was the senator's wife, first and foremost.  That I was married to an aviator made me different but no less dependent on my husband." How often have we been introduced as so-and-so's mom or so-and-so's daughter, as well as so-and-so's wife, but not introduced by our given name?  Often enough to relate!

Memorable Quote:
"Jealousy is a terrible thing.  It keeps you up at night, it demands tremendous energy in order to remain alive, and so you have to want to feed it, nurture it--and by so wanting, you have to acknowledge that you are a bitter, petty person.  It changes you.  It changes the way you view the world; minor irritations become major catastrophes; celebrations become trials." (p.280 - Nook)

FAB Rating: **** (4 out of 5 stars) - for The Aviator's Wife
This story was so revealing to us as we peeked behind the front door of the world famous Lindbergh family's home.  Although a fictional story, our group agreed that we were convinced by the author's research, and interviews, and historical documents that the book most likely hit as close to the truth as possible for an unrelated outside observer.

The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly

Our group, minus Marcia, trekked out to the deep woods to Jonetta's house for our April meeting.  Diana provided the rose hip tea - which was a big hit - while Jonetta provided the meal.  We ate spinach/strawberry/pecan salad, caraway seed bread, roasted garden vegetables seasoned with rosemary, and a cold mint pea soup.  After our book discussion we satisfied our sweet tooth with baked pears and vanilla bean ice cream.

Synopsis:
It's the late 1800's in England, Jack the Ripper is on the loose, and young Fiona and Joe are in love with big plans for their future together.  However, the two soulmates will soon be separated and forced to forge their own individual futures continents apart from one another.  Despite their circumstances, Fiona and Joe will eventually find success and with any luck each other once again.

Comments:
Okay, if the synopsis sounds cheesy, that is because this novel felt like one long drawn out Harlequin story!  We were all disappointed with this book.  When we first met years ago to discuss the formation of a book club, one of the guidelines we all agreed upon was that we would not include any Harlequin romances on our reading list.  We obviously missed the mark with this book.

This storyline was predictable in so many areas.  We all knew which character was really Jack the Ripper, that Millie would snag Joe, and that Joe and Fiona would eventually reunite.  Besides the predictability, the unreal coincidences and multitude of major achievements by the main characters made it difficult to pinpoint just when this story 'jumped the shark' for us.  Could it have been when Fiona invented the teabag?  Or how about her brilliant idea for assembly line work?  Perhaps it was when her uncle went from being a complete souse to a sober, productive citizen after one interaction with his infant daughter?  How about when Nick offers to share his room on the ship and then ends up being a Viscount holding the majority of stock Fiona needs to take over her enemy's tea business?  No matter which scene you choose, the story's plausibility - if ever there was any - dramatically dropped.

In an effort to find something positive to say about a book in which a few of our members admitted to fast-forwarding through various sections, we will say that it was evident that the author did her research at times. The union strife was realistic, the description of the poverty and the market stall area was vivid, and the information regarding teas was interesting.  It was a great time period with lots of history-making advances and inventions, interesting historical figures, and momentous occasions.

Memorable Quote:
"We're not punished for our sins, lad. We're punished by them." (p. 319 Nook)

FAB Rating: ** (2 out of 5 stars)
Obviously, we did not enjoy this month's book selection.  Ms. Donnelly's writing skills are well honed, but the plot is predictable and unbelievable too much of the time.  Our readers desire mystery, surprise, and maybe some edgy twist which doesn't necessarily make all the loose ends tie up nice and neat....in other words, realism: shocking, unclean, and maybe even heartbreaking.  The author herself offered great advice on p. 319 which could be applied to writing a story, "Trust me on this.  Use what you know to grow."