What We Thought: Bad Monkey by Carl Hiaasen

Bad Monkey by Carl Hiaasen

The first comment about December’s reading selection was “Bad Monkey was...quirky.”

Readers did not like the Monkey, Driggs. He was a really bad monkey with no endearing qualities. Driggs was, after all, a tamed monkey who was not very well cared for but Neville, his keeper did put up with his antics until one last time. Neville was one of the interesting characters who was somewhat innocently involved in a convoluted real estate scam perpetrated by Nick Stripling one of the major bad guys in the story.

Carl Hiaasen writes books about Florida and Bad Monkey is a hilarious take on the scams and crimes that make the state notorious. This one is about the real-life dead sailfish scam. You will have to read the book to find out about it, but it’s worth your time! Readers remarked that the actions of the bad guys reminded them of other scams, including one that involved the Miami airport and rental cars.

There were plenty of mis-directions and implausible outcomes to keep the reader’s attention. The characters really drove the story and the readers spent a lot of time discussing their motives. No one felt sorry for the bad guys in the story and felt that they deserved what they got. Everyone was pleased that Andrew Yancy, former detective turned restaurant inspector in the end found peace at his home and that his nemesis, Evan Shook, finally was outmatched. The Bad Monkey appears to have redeemed himself as well.

Although Carl Hiaasen has written quite a few books for children none of the group has read any, but some were so pleased by this story that they are tempted to try one. We would like to hear about this at the next book discussion. A discussion of children’s books that readers found interesting was inspired by the thought of how the author could tone down his adult themes for children’s sensibilities.

Book group members agreed that the book provided a comic insight into the corruption peculiar to Florida. Although the characters and much of the plot were ridiculous, there was enough suspense to keep the reader’s attention.

This quote from the book sums it up: “Nobody said he was Alvin Einstein.”

This Month's Selection: Bad Monkey by Carl Hiaasen

Afternoon Readers

Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2014

Bad Monkey

by Carl Hiaasen

From the publisher:

Andrew Yancy—late of the Miami Police and soon-to-be-late of the Monroe County sheriff’s office—has a human arm in his freezer. There’s a logical (Hiaasenian) explanation for that, but not for how and why it parted from its shadowy owner. Yancy thinks the boating-accident/shark-luncheon explanation is full of holes, and if he can prove murder, the sheriff might rescue him from his grisly Health Inspector gig (it’s not called the roach patrol for nothing). But first—this being Hiaasen country—Yancy must negotiate an obstacle course of wildly unpredictable events with a crew of even more wildly unpredictable characters, including his just-ex lover, a hot-blooded fugitive from Kansas; the twitchy widow of the frozen arm; two avariciously optimistic real-estate speculators; the Bahamian voodoo witch known as the Dragon Queen, whose suitors are blinded unto death by her peculiar charms; Yancy’s new true love, a kinky coroner; and the eponymous bad monkey, who with hilarious aplomb earns his place among Carl Hiaasen’s greatest characters.
Here is Hiaasen doing what he does better than anyone else: spinning a tale at once fiercely pointed and wickedly funny in which the greedy, the corrupt, and the degraders of what’s left of pristine Florida—now, of the Bahamas as well—get their comeuppance in mordantly ingenious, diabolically entertaining fashion.

Have you read Bad Monkey? Please share your thoughts with the group in the comments! Anonymous comments are accepted, if you prefer not to give your name.

What We Thought: Still Life with Bread Crumbs by Anna Quindlen

Afternoon Readers Book Club

November 2014

Still Life with Bread Crumbs

Anna Quindlen

Still Life with Bread Crumbs is Anna Quindlen’s seventh novel. The story covers many serious themes and connects them all in meaningful ways; senior women, women’s lives and relationships, life-changing events, self-discovery, personal growth, and second chances at love and career. Readers were impressed with the detailed and vivid descriptions of the characters and country living.  

Although the story was written from a women’s point of view the readers felt that the story rang true to life. A focal point was that of a woman making her way on her own without relying on a man to save her. The comparison between the two men in Rebecca’s romantic life was dramatic. Her husband used her to support his career and social life only to abandon her for a younger woman when she became famous. Jim, a local roofer, developed a romantic attraction to her, impressed by her strength and independence. His devotion to his sister and appreciation of his neighbors brought out the love which connected Rebecca to Jim and ensured their future together.

Readers were inspired to speak about how their choice of careers affected their own lives. They discussed whether or not they had become the person first thought about early in life. Does anyone ever think that they are a finished product? This led into other related discussions about husbands and parenting. Do romances with large age differences last? Is the author married? (Answer to the last question: Yes. Anna Quindlen and her husband, attorney Gerald Krovatin, live in New York City with their three children.)

Everyone enjoyed reading the book and is interested in reading her new memoir, Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake which explores her past, present and future — her relationships with her parents and children, her faith, her career, and her feelings about herself over the past five decades.

This Month's Selection: Still Life with Bread Crumbs by Anna Quindlen

Still Life with Bread Crumbs

Anna Quindlen

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Still Life with Bread Crumbs begins with an imagined gunshot and ends with a new tin roof. Between the two is a wry and knowing portrait of Rebecca Winter, a photographer whose work made her an unlikely heroine for many women. Her career is now descendent, her bank balance shaky, and she has fled the city for the middle of nowhere.

Brilliantly written, powerfully observed, Still Life with Bread Crumbs is a deeply moving and often very funny story of unexpected love, and a stunningly crafted journey into the life of a woman, her heart, her mind, her days, as she discovers that life is a story with many levels, a story that is longer and more exciting than she ever imagined.

We'd love it if you'd join us for the discussion by commenting here on the blog, even if you're nowhere near us in geographical terms!

What We Thought: North of Boston by Elisabeth Elo

Afternoon Readers Book Club

October 14, 2014

North of Boston by Elisabeth Elo

Book club members enjoyed reading Elisabeth Elo’s book, with its descriptions of Boston and other North Shore locations, as well as Canada. North of Boston lived up to its name. The group thought the author’s explanations of the legal and illegal aspects of the fishing industry, and related ecological issues, accurately reflected her research.

Readers’ interests were captivated by additional plot lines about the complexities of perfumes and the nature of friendships and family life. Although the group generally agreed that many themes were presented throughout the story everything was neatly tied together at the end. Pirio Kasparov was a great character with a compelling story. Her curiosity, loyalty and tenacity kept readers attention throughout the twists and turns of the story. This book had something for everyone and left readers expecting a sequel, which the author is planning to write.

This is a fast-paced story about people caught up in dangerous circumstances with unintended consequences -- days, months, or even years after an event.

Elisabeth Elo grew up in Boston, and now lives in Brookline, Mass.

Have you read North of Boston? What did you think? Comments are open to the public, not restricted to our book group members!

What We Thought: The Movement of Stars by Amy Brill

The Movement of Stars

by Amy Brill

“By my reckoning, she who waits for love’s return is shackled enough by her longing without a beacon with which to chart it.” -- The Movement of Stars

The Afternoon Readers book group met on Tuesday afternoon, September 15, to discuss The Movement of Stars, a novel based on the life of Maria Mitchell born on Nantucket, Massachusetts who was the first professional female astronomer in America. The author was inspired by Quaker values and how they fit into the island life of Hannah Price in the 1840s. Strong themes drive the story; a woman’s place in society’s expectations of marriage and family versus the wish for the independent life of a scholar and astronomer. The challenge of an inter-racial romance complicates her life as well. Hannah finds her own way despite the pressures of religion, family and suitors.

Hannah spends her time gazing at the night sky, learning the locations of  stars and constellations. She was very familiar with the Nantucket sky and felt that this would lead to her discovery of a comet and the prize of a gold medal from the King of Denmark. The discovery of the comet opens new horizons for her professionally and ultimately offers a chance to leave the island for a position as a professor of astronomy at a college on the mainland.

The author has written a story about an intelligent and determined young woman whose life loosely parallels that of the real Maria Mitchell. The author has taken liberties with the story line of a romantic relationship with Isaac, a black whaler from the Azores. Her version of family and friends’ relationships, although based on actual people, are invented. This book is a work of fiction, but the timeline of Nantucket’s history is accurate, as is the self-confidence and strong wills of both young women.

Maria Mitchell retired from Vassar College as the founding professor of astronomy in 1881. After her death in1889, the Maria Mitchell Observatory in Nantucket was named in her honor. In addition to Comet Mitchell, the lunar crater, Mitchell, and asteroid #1455, Mitchella, are named for her.

“We especially need imagination in science. It is not all mathematics, nor all logic, but is somewhat beauty and poetry.” -- Maria Mitchell

This Month's Selection: The Movement of Stars by Amy Brill

Afternoon Readers

 

The Movement of Stars

by Amy Brill

Tuesday, Sept. 16, 1:00 p.m.

 

It is 1845, and Hannah Gardner Price has lived all twenty-four years of her life according to the principles of the Nantucket Quaker community in which she was raised, where simplicity and restraint are valued above all, and a woman’s path is expected to lead to marriage and motherhood. But up on the rooftop each night, Hannah pursues a very different—and elusive—goal: discovering a comet and thereby winning a gold medal awarded by the King of Denmark, something unheard of for a woman.

 

-- from the author's Web site

Have you read this book? What did you think? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!

Combined Book Club Potluck: The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro

The Art Forger

by B.A. Shapiro

The Evening and Afternoon adult book clubs enjoyed an August potluck supper on Tuesday evening. A variety of colorful summer salads including tomato and mozzarella slices garnished with fresh basil, taco salad, and a cowboy bean salad extravaganza was served buffet-style along with finger sandwiches, meatballs, baked chicken, corn chowder, fruit salad, and assorted chips with salsa. A sparkling lime sherbet punch added pizzazz to the menu. 

After the main course, club members adjourned to the library’s reading room for a book discussion accompanied by dessert. The dessert table was awash in chocolate treats; whoopee pies, chocolate pudding cake, frosted marble cake, and a banana cream pie with mile high meringue.

Book club members engaged in a lively discussion about the motives of the art thieves and forgers. Several spoke passionately about what they thought was the fate of the paintings stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. All of their scenarios were plausible. Harder to define were the motives of the thieves and the ultimate owner of the treasures. Was it greed or narcissism? What is the value of a stolen painting, if it isn’t shared with others who can appreciate beauty? Has the statute of limitations expired and who is the true owner now?

Is there a statute of limitations on recovering stolen property? “Time is often the enemy of crime investigators; the trail quickly gets cold. But time has changed the Gardner case in one way that could increase the chances of the paintings' being recovered: The statute of limitations has passed for prosecution of the theft itself. And the US attorney in Boston now says he will not prosecute anyone who has the paintings and offers to return them.

Readers questioned whether there were other undetected forged paintings displayed in museums as the plot in Shapiro’s book. Although the book is fiction, the art techniques discussed are authentic. This feature added to the enjoyment of the story which some said satisfied their preference for “true” historical fiction. Many members have been to the Gardner museum both before and after the theft and spoke highly of the building and the collection. Others said that they are now inspired to visit based on the comments of the group. If your name is Isabella, you can register for lifetime free admission at the museum. If your name isn't Isabella, you can still receive free admission on your birthday. Also, since Isabella Stewart Gardner was a big Red Sox fan, you can wear your Red Sox gear and receive a $2 discount off of admission, too!

The Art Forger was a very successful book selection and it sparked a terrific discussion about the many layers of deception that result in art forgery and theft. The Boston setting was a plus for readers and enhanced the story’s credibility. The author took a real event and crafted a complex and exciting story with an unexpected twist at the end.

What We Thought: The Hearts of Horses by Molly Gloss

The Hearts of Horses

by Molly Gloss

 

Book group members met Tuesday afternoon, July 22, to discuss a life very different from 2014 Southeastern Massachusetts. The Hearts of Horses is set during the winter of 1917 in eastern Oregon when America has entered World War I.  The author deals with young Martha Lessing new to Elwha County finding her way and creating a place in the community for herself. She finds work breaking horses to the saddle and gentling them for riding. She has unconventional methods but impresses all those who see the results of her work. She gains their respect and friendship as well.

Riding the circle; riding horses and dropping them off on farms and ranches in turn serve the purpose of finishing their training. The circle not only works for the horses but for Martha as well. She is able to become attuned to the people of the valley and the rhythms of their lives. The farmers and ranchers accept her as well. She finds a comfortable place with the older established citizens and the younger generation too. Martha is introduced as a loner but soon her love of horses and hard work changes her life. She matures from a young girl to an adult and gathers an extended family and a marriage for herself.

One recurring story line was about Native American tribes and how different the land was before it was settled by white people. Martha often thought about the life that came before and imagined herself as an Indian boy riding horses throughout the wild country.

Homesteading and women’s place in that harsh and often lonely setting is vividly described. Electricity and indoor plumbing were not generally installed in the outlying farms and ranches until the mid to late 1940’s. People had to depend upon each other for help and companionship, no matter what they thought about each other. Not all of the people lived happily ever after but they made their way as best they could.

The characters were believable and held the interest of readers, who were captivated by the cowboy life depicted. Although the story takes place nearly one hundred years ago, readers commented about parallels in modern life. The author has written an authentic story about a young girl who could easily be a twenty-first-century woman.

Molly Gloss has written a great story that book club members thoroughly enjoyed and will long remember. She lives in Portland and is a fourth-generation Oregonian.

Please share your comments about this book to join the discussion!

This Month's Selection: The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro

Combined Book Club Potluck

Evening and Afternoon Readers

Tuesday, August 19, 6:00 p.m. 

Bring a dish to share!

The Art Forger

New York Times Bestseller and #1 IndieNext Pick!

On March 18, 1990, thirteen works of art worth today over $500 million were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. It remains the largest unsolved art heist in history and Claire Roth, a struggling young artist with her own scandalous past, is about to discover that that there's more to this crime than meets the eye.

"The Art Forger is clever and gripping story. Just like a fine painting, this is a many layered literary thriller about love, betrayal and authenticity. Shapiro builds the story with pitch perfect suspense and twists in plot you don't see coming. The Art Forger is a masterpiece." — IndieNext

This Month's Selection: The Hearts of Horses by Molly Gloss

Afternoon Readers Book Club

The Hearts of Horses
by Molly Gloss

Tuesday, July15
1:00 p.m.

From the publisher:

Set in eastern Oregon in the winter of 1917, The Hearts of Horses tells the story of nineteen-year-old Martha Lessen, a tall, big-boned young woman whose shyness around other people is in sharp contrast to her tender yet confident manner with horses—and her fierce advocacy on their behalf.

There’s not a cliché to be found in Gloss’s lyric, literary prose, which sets Martha’s story in an unvarnished, un-romanticized World War I–era American West. This West isn’t filled with brave, uncomplicated cowboys; rather, it’s peopled with individuals whose everyday lives are fraught with the stark realities of war, cancer, death, alcoholism, and the agony of unrealized dreams. But Gloss’s writing is realistic, not pessimistic, and she weaves the elements of The Hearts of Horses together to form a one-of-a-kind story about the connections between people and animals that is moving and heartfelt, with an abundance of historical detail.

Sound good?

Read along with the Afternoon Readers Book Club and post your comments here any time, or on the discussion post after July 22nd!

What We Thought: Supreme Courtship by Christopher Buckley

Christopher Buckley has written a political satire about the United States Supreme Court and the influence of reality television on popular culture. The author shows respect for the political process and the judicial system. His knowledge of the subjects is demonstrated in the complex descriptions of the Constitution and election laws. This is not just another goofy story, but a realistic depiction of a "what if" situation.

Book group members agreed that the book provided a fascinating insight into the world of the Supreme Court and the Washington political scene. Although the characters and much of the plot are ridiculous, there was enough factual information to engage the reader’s interest and move the story along. The characters of President Donald Vanderdamp and Judge Pepper Cartwright were likeable and added realistic touches to the story. Other characters were so comical that perhaps they were on the verge of revealing something that could have actually happened in real life.

The discussion continued with comments about the character of those who aspire to political office. What kind of a person would subject themselves to the intense personal scrutiny of a campaign and what would be the effect? Is it the desire for power, public service or something else?

New York Times Book Review contributor Blake Wilson wrote in his review: “At a time of high political absurdity, Buckley remains our sharpest guide to the capital, and a more serious one than we may suppose.”

Have you read Supreme Courtship or any other books by Christopher Buckley? Share your thoughts in the comments. You don't have to be a member of the Afternoon Readers book group to comment!

This Month's Selection: Supreme Courtship by Christopher Buckley

Afternoon Readers
Tuesday, June 17, 1:00 p.m.

Supreme Courtship
Christopher Buckley
Hachette/Twelve, 2008

President of the United States Donald Vanderdamp is having a hell of a time getting his nominees appointed to the Supreme Court. After one nominee is rejected for insufficiently appreciating To Kill A Mockingbird, the president chooses someone so beloved by voters that the Senate won't have the guts to reject her -- Judge Pepper Cartwright, the star of the nation's most popular reality show, Courtroom Six.

Will Pepper, a straight-talking Texan, survive a confirmation battle in the Senate? Will becoming one of the most powerful women in the world ruin her love life? And even if she can make it to the Supreme Court, how will she get along with her eight highly skeptical colleagues, including a floundering Chief Justice who, after legalizing gay marriage, learns that his wife has left him for another woman?

Soon, Pepper finds herself in the middle of a constitutional crisis, a presidential reelection campaign that the president is determined to lose, and oral arguments of a romantic nature. Supreme Courtship is another classic Christopher Buckley comedy about the Washington institutions most deserving of ridicule. 

Have you read Supreme Courtship? Please share your thoughts in the comments below, or on the discussion post to come!

What We Thought: The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

The Paris Wife
by Paula McLain
May 27, 2014


“And that’s when he finally tells me his name is Ernest. I’m thinking of giving it away, though. Ernest is so dull, and Hemingway? Who wants a Hemingway?” -- The Paris Wife

The book is written in the voice of Elizabeth Hadley Richardson who describes herself as Victorian and was the first of Hemingway’s four wives. Married in Chicago on September 3, 1921, she soon travels to Paris with him so he can write and experience life among other expatriate artists and writers including Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and John Dos Passos.

The discussion was not so much about whether or not the group liked the book, but rather how the details of the story affected Hadley and Ernest. The story was written as historical fiction and the author stayed true to details of life in 1920s Paris. Time was spent on analyzing the actions and motives of the characters. The general consensus was that Hadley and Ernest were destined to live their lives the way they did and the outcome would not have changed much no matter what they would have done to alter it. Their family backgrounds, as well as their own interests, character and career choices, affected their life path together in a way that could have been predicted. Bohemian life in Jazz Age Paris with other artistic characters contributed to their lifestyle despite Hadley’s more traditional views contrasting with her husband’s risk-taking and bold attitude toward life. Ernest divorced Hadley in April 1927, and married fashion writer Pauline Pfeiffer one month later.

Members talked about Hemingway’s books and came to an understanding about how his writing evolved throughout the years. He was truly larger than life; Hadley was transformed and her life enriched during their short time together, despite their difficulties and Hemingway's infidelity. It was thought that she continued to love him throughout her life and that Ernest came to understand how important she was to him, paying tribute to her in his memoir A Moveable Feast.

What do you think? Did we get it right? What did we miss? Share your thoughts by adding a comment! You do not have to be a member of the group to participate.

This Month's Selection: The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
Book Club Selection
May 27, 2014

From the Publisher

A deeply evocative story of ambition and betrayal, The Paris Wife captures a remarkable period of time and a love affair between two unforgettable people: Ernest Hemingway and his wife Hadley. Chicago, 1920: Hadley Richardson is a quiet twenty-eight-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness--until she meets Ernest Hemingway and her life changes forever.
Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for Paris, where they become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group--the fabled "Lost Generation"--that includes Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. Though deeply in love, the Hemingways are ill prepared for the hard-drinking and fast-living life of Jazz Age Paris, which hardly values traditional notions of family and monogamy. Surrounded by beautiful women and competing egos, Ernest struggles to find the voice that will earn him a place in history, pouring all the richness and intensity of his life with Hadley and their circle of friends into the novel that will become The Sun Also Rises . Hadley, meanwhile, strives to hold on to her sense of self as the demands of life with Ernest grow costly and her roles as wife, friend, and muse become more challenging. Despite their extraordinary bond, they eventually find themselves facing the ultimate crisis of their marriage--a deception that will lead to the unraveling of everything they've fought so hard for.
A heartbreaking portrayal of love and torn loyalty, The Paris Wife is all the more poignant because we know that, in the end, Hemingway wrote that he would rather have died than fallen in love with anyone but Hadley.

What We Thought: Sunset Park by Paul Auster

Yesterday afternoon's discussion of Paul Auster's Sunset Park was somber and subdued, reflecting the depressive mood elicited by the characters and their life stories. This book evoked strong reactions and opinions about family issues and depression.

All agreed that the author wrote beautifully about difficult and troubled lives. Detailed descriptions of how the characters lived and went about their days and nights were realistic enough to interest everyone. An added dimension was the discussion in depth of subjects that engaged individual characters: baseball trivia, Vietnam, and the World War II movie The Best Years of Our Lives.

The story revolved around sad personal and family events. It portrayed how difficult it was for the younger characters to envision productive and joyful futures for themselves, despite the best efforts and hopes of family and friends. The characters always seemed to choose courses of action that led to a dead ends or sabotaged any hope of moving forward. They attempted to adapt to the emptiness of their lives by living communally and forming a family of sorts. This solution only enabled their aimlessness and in the end led to disaster. Although this quote describes the main character, it could apply to any of the others who inhabited his life in the Brooklyn, NY neighborhood of Sunset Park: "He is only twenty-eight years old, and to the best of his knowledge he has no ambitions, in any case, no clear idea of what building a plausible future might entail for him."

After reading and discussing Sunset Park members of the group agreed that they were ready for an uplifting book selection for the next meeting!

Have you read Sunset Park or other writings of Paul Auster? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion!

Click here to read a review of Sunset Park from The New York Times.

Click here to see it in the SAILS Library catalog.

This Month's Selection: Sunset Park by Paul Auster

Sunset Park
by Paul Auster

Tuesday, April 22, 2014
1:00 p.m.

From the Publisher:

New York native Miles Heller now cleans out foreclosed south Florida homes, but after falling in love with an underage girl and stirring the wrath of her older sister, he flees to Brooklyn and shacks up with a group of artists squatting in the borough's Sunset Park neighborhood. As Miles arrives at the squat, the narrative broadens to take in the lives of Miles's roommates--among them Bing, "the champion of discontent," and Alice, a starving writer--and the unlikely paths that lead them to their squat. Then there's the matter of Miles's estranged father, Morris, who, in trying to save both his marriage and the independent publishing outfit he runs, may find the opportunity to patch things up with Miles. The fractured narrative takes in an impressive swath of life and history--Vietnam, baseball trivia, the WWII coming-home film The Best Years of Our Lives--and even if a couple of the perspectives feel weak, Auster's newest is a gratifying departure from the postmodern trickery he's known for, one full of crisp turns of phrase and keen insights.

Have you read this book? Let us know what you thought, or read it along with the group and add your comments to the discussion post after the face-to-face group meets!

What We Thought: Wild Indigo by Sandi Ault

Book group members met Tuesday afternoon, March 11, to discuss a life very different from traditional New England history and customs. Assorted snacks were readily available to set the mood. Corn bread, chili and jalapeno flavored crackers served with black bean salsa were on the table along with "mesa cake" --a ricotta and corn-flavored dessert. There was a dish of button mushrooms for those who were fully engaged in the elements of the story!

The group generally agreed that the book was an interesting read and commented positively during an intense discussion about practicing and preserving Native American languages and culture in modern times. Some readers said that there were too many characters and that the story had a lot of things happening. There was almost too much to keep track of, but others were satisfied with the story line.

Wild Indigo made nine bestseller lists and earned critical acclaim for author Sandi Ault. The high desert of New Mexico is the setting for the book and is vividly described. The characters were believable and the interactions between the people who live on and off the reservation held the interest of readers, including those who don’t ordinarily read southwestern fiction.

Although the story takes place in the present, there is plenty of history about Native American rituals and Pueblo life as well the interaction of Mexican and Spanish and Native American and European societies. So detailed were the ceremonies it was questioned whether details were accurate or whether they had been altered to protect the secrecy of the rituals. Members wondered if the mystical events of the novel were meant to be real or if they could -- as in a Scooby Doo episode -- be explained away by other means. Others thought that because the author thoroughly researches her books, is passionate about life in the southwestern United States, and even lives in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado with her family and a wolf and a wild cat, that she writes truthfully even if her stories are fictional.

The discussion continued with comments about other elements in the story, such as how Mountain -- a wolf rescued by the main character, Jamaica Wild -- represents a bridge between "cultures" that both have strong family (clan) connections. Bone Man was recognized as the trickster, a character in many traditional Native American stories. At the conclusion of the discussion, a surprise gift was awarded to one of the book club members. It was a paint-by-numbers picture of a wolf, admired by all!

This quote by the author sums up how she feels about her work and how it can affect her readers:

At the end of the Hopi harvest dances, the villagers throw loaves of bread to the onlookers who have come to observe. And the Hopi don’t care if the bread lands in the arms of a thief or a saint, it is just important for them to throw the bread and give the gift of life back to the world that has nurtured and sustained them.

And when the reviewers were throwing their gifts, I was just lucky enough right then to be standing where the bread landed. Those good reviews came to me while many, many other writers do as well or better work and receive no recognition whatsoever. So it was more out of goodness on the other end than anything I did.

The important thing was that I showed up for life long enough to get that story written, which is like showing up for the dances. And I would encourage your writer/readers to do the same. Show up. Write. And enjoy the dance.

Have you read Wild Indigo? What did you think? Please share your thoughts in the comments!

This Month's Selection: Wild Indigo by Sandi Ault

Wild Indigo

by Sandi Ault

Wild Indigo introduces Bureau of Land Management Resource Protection Agent Jamaica Wild and her wolf cub, Mountain, of New Mexico. When Agent Wild witnesses a Pueblo man killed in a buffalo stampede, she suspects foul play.

After the tribal government of the Tanoah Pueblo and local paper make allegations that Jamaica caused the stampede herself, she is determined to solve this mystery. Her investigation into the man's death leads her through a maze of peyote rituals, forbidden kiva ceremonies, and even Hispanic witchcraft.

Have you read this mystery? Add your comments to this post or to next week's discussion post!

What We Thought: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

Rachel Joyce has written a sentimental and sweet novel about Harold Fry who receives a letter from a past acquaintance, Queenie Hennessy. Queenie is dying at a hospice 627 miles north of Harold’s home near the English Channel. When Harold reads the letter he writes her a postcard and walks down his road to mail it...and then keeps on walking.

Book group members met Tuesday afternoon, February 18, for a spirited discussion of this book. The group generally agreed that the book was a good read. In the beginning the characters were not very likeable but then they became more interesting as the story moved along and incidents in their lives were revealed. Rachel Joyce wrote the story after her father was diagnosed with terminal cancer. She said that, “I had begun writing a radio play when my father told us he had weeks to live and we didn’t want him to die. So I suppose, looking back, writing it was about me trying to keep him alive.” The author’s personal connection to her own family enhanced the believability of the fictional story.

The discussion continued with comments about the breakdown of marriages and the resulting dysfunction in families. No one in Harold’s family was able to take responsibility for their actions until Harold started his pilgrimage for Queenie. His actions jump-started changes in those who were associated with him, and especially in Maureen, his wife. In the end, he could not save Queenie but he did save himself and created a good start on repairing his marriage as well.

The author’s latest novel, Perfect, is the story of two outcasts and their parallel lives in British society.

Have you read The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry? Click on Comments to share your thoughts!