The Help - notes from the meeting

1. Who was your favourite character?                                 


• I liked them all; I had a soft spot for Celia – she was real white trash but she tried so hard – the bit about going to the dance!; You got pictures of Marilyn Monroe in your head *laughter*; I liked Abileen – one thing she said is ‘Kindness don’t have no boundaries’ and I thought that summed her up; Absolutely, yes she was very special; They all seemed to be brought up by the black women; And then they all seemed to become racist; Skeeter, in a way; Skeeter didn’t seem to have developed any racism – whereas the others...; I think that was Constantine; the father had blac workers on the farm and they treated the workers well; mum followed the rules of the society she was brought up with; Celia wanted Minnie to be her riend; I actually liked Minnie because she reminded me of Tosca and her mouth; she had a soft spot for Celia but was resisting the soft spot for her; poor Elizabeth was so influenced by the other women – or she wanted to be but really couldn’t afford to be – she was forever sewing; Stuart the character reminded me of Stuart who works here – but not the bits where he was arrogant and so self-assured;


2. How much of a person’s character would you say is shaped by the times in which they live ... Hilly / Celia / Minny / Abileen etc.?


• I would say all of it; Quite a lot, I think; I thought it was interesting that Hilly’s mother’s humour wasn’t so strait laced but Hilly’s was; Hilly was very racist and yet her mother wasn’t so maybe she saw her mother’s behaviour as weak; some did end up very racist, e.g. Hilly, and some didn’t, e.g. Skeeter – so how does that happen?; the song ‘You’ve got to be taught’ from South Pacific really says it all – you’ve got to be taught these attitudes and behaviours; I had a horror all the way through reading the book that something really drastic would happen to Minnie’s children – they were very vulnerable; I had a feeling that something awful would happen to someone because of the times; there were a lot of people who did treat their help extremely well; Rosa Parks was mentioned at the very end of the novel;


3. And by the environment that they live in – do you think Mae Mobley would have grown up to be racist like her mother if Aibileen had stayed working for Miss Elizabeth?


4. Which leads into racism... Aibileen expected that once May Mobley started school she would lose her respect and perhaps even her love. Is racism inherent or taught?


• It’s taught – how else could they have learned it?; my mother read this book and one of her favourite lines was about reminding her what she’d taught her, ‘You is kind, you is smart, you is important.’;


5. Any comments on Skeeter’s hairshellac system? We all alter our looks in the definition of beauty...any bizarre regiment you ever underwent?


• Some very funny stories were shared by the group involving hair rollers, rags, spiky rows, shampoos (leading to the query: What did we use before shampoo? And the idea that: We should have a Google moment and find out when shampoo was invented). And as for sharing the stories with the blog...you know what they say, right? What happens in Vegas...


6. What did you think of the relationship between Skeeter and Stuart? Were you wanting them to remain together? Could it have worked?


• I don’t think it could have worked; ? No we weren’t wanting them to remain together; I kinda did; Because you’re a romantic; He had inklings about what was and wasn’t right but wasn’t brave enough to stand up to the sister; The author may have stated that it wasn’t an autobiography but the similarities are too obvious to dismiss;


7. What did you think about Minny’s pie for Miss Hilly? Would you have gone as far as Minny did for revenge? And what about Hilly’s mum bidding for the pie for Hilly at the dance function! She has some humour – unlike her daughter.


• I’d like a sequel to see what happened after everything; it would’ve been interesting to see if the replacement help was as forthright because if she wasn’t then she’d probably turn out like her mother


8. A difference between Abileen and Minny seemed to be that Abileen could take all the abuse/put downs as part of life where as Minny couldn’t. She knew she was just as good as any of the women she worked for. Can you imagine having to put up with what they put up with? But then, perhaps we come across people like that in our own workplace, e.g. managers.


• They were good friends but they were totally different. Abileen would take the little bits of life and get through it but Minny – how many jobs did she go through? Maybe we can even relate to it today with our own managers; Miss Hilly got Abileen in the end didn’t she with the ‘You stole my silver spoon’ thing; she didn’t get her completely, though, did she?;


9. Do you think it was true to what life was like in Mississippi in the early 1060s? What did you think of the ending? As Abileen walks out of the door she says she feels free...but does free put the dinner on the table?


• What would have happened? I think things changed and she went back to university, got a degree, became a teacher and set up something for black women – that’s how I see her life unfolding during that time of change; Constantine only last for 3 weeks – do you think she died?; I wondered if she’d gotten something like pleurisy and maybe that combined with the change in temperature and her broken heart...she would have lost the will to live; i had to wonder whether Skeeter’s parentage was a question mark – they kept alluding to something and maybe you’d find out that there was some question about her dad’s identity; interesting discussion about recent news events: Paul Henry’s comments about Anand Satyanand, the Maori women who was recently dismissed from her job for not being Maori enough and the young Indian women who was thought not to look Indian


• I think it probably was true to life; it seemed to resemble movies of the time and books; I remember when Kennedy was killed – I was very young but I remember it *discussion ensues about where various members of the bookclub were at the time it happened*; for people who can remember the Kennedy assassination, we thought he was such a wonderful man who set some incredible things into action – the bits about his standards didn’t come in to play until much later; Good Reading magazine has a whole article about The Help and the woman who wrote it and the book is being turned into a film

10. How do you rate the book from 1 to 5?

• 4 ½; 5; 5; 4; 5; 5; 5; 5; 5; 5; 5; 3 ½; 4 – average = 4.7

Discussion Questions for Anita Shreve's Testimony

This Saturday we will be discussing Anita Shreve’s ‘Testimony’ at 11am in The Manurewa Library Community Room.
Discussion Questions received so far include;
1. Testimony is written from the different character’s perspectives. I found this worked well for the most part. The glaring exception for me was Ellen. The second person, “you’s” in the Ellen chapters became irritating. What are your thoughts on the author’s use of different point of views to tell the story?
2. How much responsibility do you think the parents have for what their sons did? Compare Rob’s parents, Ellen and Arthur with J.Dot’s parents, Michelle and Matthew, and Silas’s parents, Owen and Anna.
3. Sienna is an intriguing character, a kind of 14 year old Britney Spears wannabe gone off the rails. What were your thoughts towards her? Did Laura’s and Irene’s point of views, challenge any sympathy you may have felt towards her? What about her parent’s responsibility and their reaction to the incident?
4. Which character of the “incident” participants did you find the most empathy with during the book and did this change at the end of the novel?
5. Did you feel any empathy towards Mike? What do you think he coerced James and Rob into writing confessions?
6. Much was made of how Silas was brought up right, and that he would never do such a thing, it would be completely out of character. So the question is: Was the discovery of Anna and Mike’s affair the reason why the incident occurred? Or could it have been something else that would have set it off anyway, as Rob put it, “it was an act without a why.”
7. The fall out from the incident affected the rest of the basket ball team, the reputation of Avery, the Academy students, staff and parents and the town. Do you think their lives were ruined or will they get by as Rob suggests?
8. The person behind the camera wasn’t named until the last chapter; do you think it was odd that we never got his perspective on the incident?
9. Why do you think Owen and Anna stayed together and Mike and Meg divorced?
10. How do you rate the book from 1 to 5?
If any of you have any more discussion questions please bring them along...and lastly don't forget we will be having our end of year shared lunch, and selecting books for next year's meetings.

Discussion Questions for Kathryn Stockett's The Help

This Saturday we will be discussing ‘The Help’, our thanks to Merrin and Shari for our questions.

Questions we have received so far include;

1. Who was your favourite character?

2. How much of a person's character would you say is shaped by the times in which they live ... Hilly / Celia / Minny / Aibileen etc? 

3. And by the environment that they live in - do you think Mae Mobley would have grown up to be racist like her mother if Aibileen had stayed working for Miss Elizabeth. 

4. Which leads into racism…  Abileen expected that once Mae Mobley started school she would lose her respect and perhaps even her love.  Is racism inherent or taught?

5. Any comments on Skeeter's hairshellac system? We all alter our looks in the definition of beauty ... any biazzre regimen you ever underwent?

6. What did you think of the relationship between Skeeter and Stuart?  Were you wanting them to remain together?  Could it have worked?

7. What did you think about Minny's pie for Miss Hilly?  Would you have gone as far as Minny did for revenge?  And what about Hilly's mum bidding for the pie for Hilly at the dance function !!  She has some humour - unlike her daughter.
   
   
8. A difference between Abileen and Minny seemed to be that Abileen could take all the abuse/put downs as part of life where as Minny couldn't.  She knew she was just as good as any of the women she worked for.  Can you imagine having to put up with what they put up with?  but then, perhaps we come across people like that in our own workplace e.g. managers.

9. Do you think it was true to what life was like in Mississippi in the early 1960's? 
   
   
10. What did you think of the ending? As Abileen, walks out of the door she says she feels free… but does free put the dinner on the table?

11. How do you rate the book from 1 to 5? 

Looking forward to hearing to all your opinions on Saturday morning....

September meeting: notes

September meeting and discussion notes

Title: The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society
Author: Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

Synopsis: January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’d never met, a native of Guernsey. He'd come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb. As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island - boasts a charming cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all. Juliet begins a correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.

Discussion Questions for the ‘The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society’ by Mary Ann Shaffer

Hi bookmates,

We have added another question to the ones we sent out in the newsletter that hopefully you have received!
If there are anymore then just bring them along tomorrow. looking forward to seeing everyone then.

1. This is the first book that we have read so far in letter form, how did you cope with the style?

2. What did you think of the title of the book? Did you find it appropriate that it was Elizabeth that dreamt up the name of the society?

3. What was your first impression of Dawsey, and did it change over time?

4. In what ways were Elizabeth and Juliet similar?

5. Who was your favourite member of the ‘The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society’?

6. What did you think of Adelaide’s description of the members of the Society? “There are only two respectable people in the Society – Eben Ramsey and Amelia Maugery. The other members: a rag-and-bone man, a lapsed Alienist who drinks, a stuttering swine-herd, a footman posing as a lord, and Isola Pribby, a practising witch, who, by her own admission, distils and sells potions.”

7. Do you agree with Isola’s comment after reading Wuthering Heights? ”I don’t believe that after reading such a fine writer as Emily Bronte I will be happy to read again Miss Amanda Gillyflower’s Ill-Used By Candlelight. Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad books.”

Or do you think there is a place for both good and bad books?

8. What would have been the worst thing about being on Guernsey during the occupation? And would have it been worse to be on Guernsey or in another country that had been occupied e.g. France

9. In some ways the novel reminded me of the last two books we have read, the theme of compassion and people remaining true to themselves and their ideals and not letting nationalism take over. What do you think?

10. Did you have a Google moment? Would you like to visit the island?

11. Were you satisfied with the ending of the book or was it 'too pat' with Juliet adopting Kit and then getting together with Dawsey?
12. How do you rate the book from 1 to 5?

I-LIKE-BIG-BOOKS..and I can not lie

****WARNING: INCOMING RECOMMENDATIONS ****

When not fully engrossed in one of the excellent SBC books, I've found myself drifting towards historical fiction of the rather LARGE kind. These books that were recommended to me are know fast favourites. For example; 'The Bronze Horseman' series by Paulina Simons set in Stalin's Russia was my first foray into the world of history through fiction. What an [cough] eye opener that series was...I was hooked.

I'd discovered the Whitcoulls Top 100 list and thought (naively) that I'd like to try reading my way through it. This lead to more BIG BOOKS and further delectable historical treasures such as 'Into The Wilderness' by Sara Donati set in 18th century North Carolina. Never before had history come alive in such a morish and entertaining way. But then I read.....'Cross Stitch' (also known as 'Outlander') by Diana Gabaldon.

The author has written 7 books so far in the series and each one takes you on a journey (literally). Set in the 18th century with brief excursions back to the 20th, we are in Scotland, England, the West Indies, France, America and back again. Although the author has done a phenomal job at bringing the pages of history alive, it is the story of Jamie and Claire that has kept me intrigued 8,000 pages later. Diana Gabaldon is a wonderful story teller with a witty sense of humour. 'Cross Stitch', 'Dragonfly In Amber', 'Voyager', 'Drums Of Autumn', 'The Fiery Cross', 'A Breath Of Snow And Ashes' and the last book 'An Echo In The Bone' are full of adventure, intrigue, love, heart break, humour, HISTORY, Scottish pride and rich morish entertainment. If you are looking for all of the above in a series to immerse yourself in and are not daunted by big books then I highly recommend the Outlander series. If you stick with it then the rewards are bountiful. You will not be disappointed and (like me) you will be eagerly anticipating the 8th book's arrival. Apparently the books take 2-3 years each to write -with the detail and scope I can believe it !! I can't wait to see what happens next with the red-haired Scottish laird Jamie and his time travelling wife Claire.

If anyone else is a Diana Gabaldon fan I would love to swap (fan-fanatical) notes with you....

Megan :)

August meeting: notes

June meeting discussion and notes

Title: A thousand splendid suns
Author: Khaled Hosseini

Synopsis: Mariam is only fifteen when she is sent to Kabul to marry the troubled and bitter Rasheed, who is thirty years her senior. Nearly two decades later, in a climate of growing unrest, tragedy strikes fifteen-year-old Laila, who must leave her home and join Mariam's unhappy household. Laila and Mariam are to find consolation in each other, their friendship to grow as deep as the bond between sisters, as strong as the ties between mother and daughter. With the passing of time comes Taliban rule over Afghanistan, the streets of Kabul loud with the sound of gunfire and bombs, life a desperate struggle against starvation, brutality and fear, the women's endurance tested beyond their worst imaginings. Yet love can move a person to act in unexpected ways, lead them to overcome the most daunting obstacles with a startling heroism.

Discussion questions for Khaled Hosseini's 'A Thousand Splendid Suns'

Greetings bookmates,

The questions for this Saturday's SBC meeting are -

1. I could not understand Mariam's father. he obviously loved Mariam and visited her weekly, but did not help her out when she most needed it. Was it just because he was weak or didn't want his reputation ruined? Or did his wives have a lot of influence in the household?
2. Was Rasheed just a product of his own evil personality or of the country and culture he grew up in, in a 'Pre-Soviet Invasion" Afghanistan?
3. Throughout the book, there were about 4 different regimes that had control in Afghanistan. The monarchy, the Soviets, then a civil war and then the Taliban. Which was the best and worst for the civilian population?
4. The rules, issued by the Taliban, about what people could and could not do, was astonishing. What would the educated woman living in Kabul have done at this time?
5. I found that there were a few emotional moments in the book when I needed some tissues. Which moments affected you the most?
6. Nana on page 17, said that "There is only one, one skill a woman like you and me needs in life, and they don't teach it in school."..."only one skill. And it's this tahamul . Endure." How true do  you think that was?
7. How would you describe Mariam and Laila's friendship? 
8. Who was your favourite character?
9. Were you satisfied with the ending of the book? Was it too much of a 'happy ending'? Maybe not very realistic compared with the rest of the book?
10. How do you rate the book from 1 to 5?    

P.S. The good news Gail is bringing a friend who spent 18 years in Afghanistan, which is great as this add will add some depth to our discussion.

cheers Nat                

SBC Notes from People of the Book

I am not sure whether our notes will match the actual discussion but here goes.

Q1.

contrast new /old world Europe/Australia

lighter moments from the present part

main character from the other side of the world,  helps reader identify with the book

Q2.

general opinion not too graphic,  could have been worse.

Made it real & had an impact, made reader appreciate what we have

Q3

Infiqya - interesting, fascinating information, interesting way to learn history, makes you look things up in the dictionary

More tolerant of other cultures.

People of the Book, phrase for both Jews & Muslims that follow bible/Koran

Q4

in general no.

Q5

Yes it was an unusual relationship - bit extreme maybe.

Comment made that it was surprising that Hanna didn't make more effort to find her father when she was younger, often teenagers will do this as part of asserting their own identity

Q6

Q7

Book about hiding, everyone seemed to have something to hide; rabbi, chief censor,

survival e.g. the book and Jews, Sarajevo

Book drawn by a Muslim, using Christian imagery for a Jew.

Q8

yes. weak.

Q9 

Because he was a Jew, difference of a opinion on whether it was it conscious or unconscious?

Q10

yes and no

Q11

Most didn't have a favourite character

Q12

Rating out of five, an average of 3.7.

4,4,4,4,3,4,3,3,4,4,4

People of the Book Discussion Questions for Saturday 31st July

Greetings bookmates,

Here a few of the questions received so far for this Saturday's meeting at the Manurewa Library. Looking forward to catching up with you all and hearing your views on the book.
1. With Hanna Heath being the main thread in the book, I found her down-to-earth attitude lightened the mood of an often times dark story. With words and sayings such as; 'Salvo's', 'piss-take', 'libbers' and 'drives me spare'...do we share any of our Aussie neighbours slang?
2. A friend who's also read 'People Of The Book' says she found it quite distasteful at times and thinks the descriptions of the atrocities inflicted on the Jewish people were too graphic. I had to disagree, I thought the author was restrained and her inclusion of these horrible historic events are what made the book believable, informative, emotive and impactful for me. What are your thoughts? Too graphic?

3. Since deciding to come along to the Saturday Book Chats I have re-discovered my love of learning. Many times I found myself enthralled in the history aspect of this book. For example; when reading about a land called 'Ifrqiya' in the 15th century, I wanted to know more so I googled it and discovered it used to be the area comprising of the coastal regions of Libya, Tunisia and Algeria. So this helped me imagine the Jewish migrants setting out from there on their way to Spain. Did you have any 'Google' moments while reading 'People Of The Book'?

4. Early on in the book, Hanna noted that 'the Yuogoslavs were famous as the only migrant group who managed to import their old World grievances' when they arrived in Australia do you think it is possible for migrants to leave their history/bias behind and start a fresh?

5. Hanna’s relationship with her mother, Sarah, was unusual. Can you think of any reason why the author would portray the relationship like that?
6. I noticed that the last historical flashback was told in 1st person whereas the rest were in 3rd person. I wondered why and thought perhaps it maybe because it was the story of the person who created the haggadah. Did anyone else notice and if so, do you think it has any significance?
7. One of the themes I felt came from this book was the theme of persecution - mainly for religion. There is a quote from Hanna's friend Raz that sums it up (page 303): "...you've got a society where people tolerate difference...and everything's humming along...then somehow this fear, this hate, this need to demonize 'the other' - it just sort of rears up and smashes the whole society. Inquisition, Nazis, extremist Serb nationalists...same old, same old. It seems to me the book at this point, bears witness to all that." What was the main theme of the book for you?

8. Do you think Ozren was a believable character?

9. Why do you think Father Vistorini saved the Haggadah?

10. If you were Hanna would you have forgiven Ozren so quickly?

11. Who was/were your favourite character/s and which tale connected with you the most?

12. How do you rate the book from 1 to 5

thanks to all those for contributing to the questions

June meeting: notes

March meeting discussion and notes

Title: The white tiger
Author: Aravind Adiga
Note: Book Prize for Fiction 2008

Synopsis: Balram Halwai is the White Tiger - the smartest boy in his village. His family is too poor for him to afford for him to finish school and he has to work in a teashop, breaking coals and wiping tables. But Balram gets his break when a rich man hires him as a chauffeur, and takes him to live in Delhi.

The Alchemist - questions so far...

Autumnal Greetings to Millie & anyone else reading this...

So far we have questions from Lesley & Megan and these are posted below.

1. I find it strange that Santiago's own family feature so little in "his destiny" (page 28). How can a person totally wipe out those who apparently gave him a happy upbringing?
2. I like the word 'maktub' - "It is written". Do we need such a word in our language? Do we have one, or a phrase?
3. Am I right in assuming that the old king with the jewel encrusted breast plate, is the same person as the crystal seller, and the Alchemist? Or at least have some connection?
4. How many true alchemist's feature in 'The Alchemist'?
5. What period was 'The Alchemist' set in?
6. Out of the many morals to this beautiful story, which one resonates with you?

Our SBC newsletter will be posted out on Wednesday this week so that Jan & everyone else can read it before Saturday!  

If any one else has questions they want to contribute please add them to this post or send them, otherwise as usual please bring them along to the meeting on Saturday.

Looking forward to hearing all your opinions this Saturday.

Notes from The Denniston Rose by Jenny Pattrick discussion

Synopsis: The bleak isolated coal-mining of Denniston, is situated high on a plateau above the West Coast, its harsh conditions seemingly to either make or break those that live there. Into this chaotic 1880s South Island community comes five-year-old Rose and her mother, this novel depicts their struggle with the conditions & other Denniston residents...

Present: Dianne, Pauline, Susan, Denise, Merrin, Natalie, Lesley, Shari, Megan, Nola and Doreen.

How realistic a picture in Denniston at that time is portrayed in the story?The consensus was that it was a very realistic picture of life in Denniston, the author seemed to have done a lot of research, while the illustrated edition, with its photographs and maps reinforced the sense of harsh conditions. One of the group had had a family member visit Denniston and when they were there a guide said the novel was very true to life.

Does the harshness of life contribute to the standard of behaviour of some of the characters? For good? and for Bad?

The majority agreed that the harsh life definitely impacted on the way the characters behaved.

Some felt that Eva was pushed into her behaviour and her twisted use of her daughter Rose, was almost excusable. Others felt there was no excuse for the way she used Rose.

Bella was one of those that were made by Denniston the way she became respectable community leader and the teacher.

As was Mary Scobie, almost broken by her son's death and the harsh conditions she rose above her depression to become a leader during the strike and then there was no holding her back.

Totty flourished in Denniston and became a beacon of sensibleness.

Con needed the escape (Eva) from his life despite his love of Bella...and his disappearance may remain unsolved if we do not read the sequel.

There are four strong female characters in this book, Mrs C Rasmussen (Bella), Mary Scobie, Eva and Totty. Who did you relate to or feel sorry for the most?

Partly answered in the question above, but the ones that we felt sorry for the most were Bella and Mary Scobie with one bookmate describing "Mary Scobie as a central pillar of the novel", Totty was very relatable.

Do you think Rose's mother actually felt any lover for her child? If so when did she show it?There was divison whether Eva/Angel felt love towards Rose, with some thinking her treatment of her daughter inexcusable and that if she felt love it was a very twisted love...in fact she called Rose "her little pot of gold"

Others disagreed pointing out that Eva was happy for Rose to be cared for by Tooty when she was burned but was quick to collect her when she got well, but others thought that Rose was the payment for living at Billy Genesis and so she needed her back anyway.

Why did the townsfolk turn a blind eye to what Billy Genesis was doing to Rose?

Billy was needed as the blacksmith, he was a skilled one and even though no one liked him there were a shortage of blacksmiths.

When we first started the book club there were a number of us who admitted to not really liking New Zealand books/authors, now that we have read three NZ authors, Lloyd Jones, Kate de Goldi and Jenny Pattrick, have we changed our minds towards New Zealand books and authors?

The majority verdict was that we do enjoy New Zealand books and authors and were reading them, with only one dissenter who still avoids NZ books and authors like the plague.

Rating 3.5 (Out of 5) : Actual member ratings on the day ranged from 2 to 5. (4, 5, 3.5, 4.5, 2, 3, 3, 4, 3.5, 3.5 = 36)

Questions for The Denniston Rose meeting

Here are a few of the questions received so far courtesy of Lesley and Merrin..

How realistic a picture of life in Denniston at that time, is portrayed in the story?
Does the harshness of life there contribute to the standard of behaviour of some of the characters? For good? and for bad?
What do you think makes Mary Scobie such an important character in the development of the story?
There are 4 strong female characters in this book, Mrs C Rasmussen (Bella), Mary Scobie, Eva and Totty.

Who did you relate to or feel sorry for the most?
Do you think Rose's mother actually felt any love for her child? If so, when did she show it?
Why did the townsfolk turn a blind eye to what Billy Genesis was doing to Rose?

When we first started the book club there a number of us who admitted to not really liking New Zealand authors, now that we have read three NZ authors, Lloyd Jones, Kate Di Goldi and now Jenny Pattrick, have we changed our minds towards New Zealand authors and books?
Remember as usual if you have any more questions please just bring them along to tomorrow's meeting...

'Languages shape the way we think...

...and determines what we can think about.'
- Benjamin Lee Whorf

Another post about an International Arts Festival event I managed to see while home in Wellington in March 2010.

Title: The Arrival
Author: Shaun Tan

Publisher: Lothian

Year of publication: 2006

Star rating out of 5: 5

Summary: In this wordless graphic novel, a man leaves his homeland and sets off for a new country, where he must build a new life for himself and his family. -- Publisher's description

If language shapes the way we think...what happens when anything appoximating a language is removed? I recently read (4 times in one sitting, and each time seeing something new) Shaun Tan's wordless graphic novel 'The arrival' and was blown away by its message and its impact. The beauty of this book is that it is everybody's story. It also nobody's story. Sounds implausible? You obviously haven't read the book, then :-)

Shaun Tan is, in short, a genius - he uses this wordless graphic novel to convey how it must be for a family to be temporarily torn apart. In a possibly-Asian country (the dragon tail shadow that wraps around the buildings) that looks rather European (think World War II) a father must leave his wife and daughter to take a ship to a strange country to ready the way for his family. The fear and oppression and political suppression come through so clearly when the family leave home to see the father off on his trip. Tan manages, through the use of symbols and fascinatingly multi-layered pictures, to depict not just the father's journey to start anew, but the journey of those he comes into contact with as well. I enjoyed this book so much. It really did blow my mind. There are no names, no recognisable landmarks, no identifiable cultures, no particular class or caste system - in short, nothing is anything you would recognise except the journey of the characters. The start of the book sees the family (mum and daughter) helping the father to pack a case of belongings in preparation for his journey to a new land, where he will set himself up with a job and accommodation before sending for them. His experiences - the isolation, the loneliness, the struggle to find a home, a job and friends - are very cleverly depicted in Tan's artwork. I'm absolutely stunned that all of his emotions and thoughts can be expressed without words. 'The arrival' is heartbreaking, eye-opening and oh so very clever.

In March of this year I flew home to Wellington to participate in the last part of the International Arts Festival and was able to see the Red Leap Theatre play of 'The arrival,' and it was as fantastic as I had hoped it would be! It probably helped that the venue was the Wellington Opera House (did you know that they actually have boxes? One day I'm going to sit in one just because I can). As for the play: I must admit to experiencing some slight disappointment that the characters spoke. It threw me for a moment. I guess I wanted it to be exactly like the book - wordless. So the occasional English word took me aback. Their made-up language seemed too Eastern-European sounding for me to relax and believe it was invented just for the play. I will gladly admit to shedding a tear or two (if I am honest it was much more). As someone who had returned to my childhood home for a long weekend I was able to remember the heart-wrenching move, 26 years ago, from all that was familiar in Wellington to the faster-moving Auckland - I guess I felt that in some small way I identified with the father from 'The Arrival.' Weirdly enough, I went to see the play with my gran, an activity we have never really done in any of my 34 years. It was a very enjoyable experience so I hope that, in the near future, I can take in more with her. She loved the play, although she did make the comment that she kept trying to relate all of the characters (including the animals) in the play to something physical she knew in this world :)

Readers of graphic novels or sophisticated picture books will really get something out of this. And it makes for a great discussion book/topic with children. There was a young boy at the play who had obviously gotten so much out of the book that he was fair squealing with excitement while providing a running commentary. How could you not love the enthusiasm? Read it - that's about as blunt as I can get. Thank you, Monsieur Tan, Red Leap Theatre and Gran. We really must do this again sometime.

'Would you not like to try all sorts of lives - one is so very small...

- but that is the satisfaction of writing - one can impersonate so many people.'
- Letter from Katherine Mansfield to Sylvia Payne, April 1906

Quick fly-by post, much like a one night stand, only slightly more classy because it involves Katherine Mansfield. A couple of weeks or so ago I flew home to Wellington to catch the last part of the International Arts Festival and one of the things I was able to do was visit 25 Tinakori Road. Any ardent Mansfield fan will know that this house is historically significant - and if you haven't yet got it, the pic (check left) should be a dead giveaway as to why. And cheers to the guy tooting his horn while I was trying to take the shot - almost scared the life outta me!

My parents left Wellington when I was about 8 or 9, and I hadn't then discovered Mansfield's writing (even though her birthplace was 5 minutes walk down the road). I can't say I love her work, but I did enjoy it quite a bit when I finally did get around to reading her stories in intermediate/high school. I think I admired her more for having lived such a wonderfully full life. Each time I come back to Thorndon I tell myself I'll visit her birthplace but I never do. Finally, I was able to. And it was such a beautiful day for it - such a huge difference from the freak storm of the day before. When Wellington turns it on it really turns it on.

25 Tinakori Road is almost miss-able, if you're not looking. And I wasn't. I was plugged into the iPod and almost walked straight past on the opposite side of the road (in spite of the ornate signage and huge OPEN sign eek). Took some snapshots of the outside (we're not allowed to take pics of the inside) and spent ages mooching around inside, generally haunting the residence, and thinking how very much I would like to have lived there (although from some of her writing it wasn't a place that she liked all that much). Take away the dainty furniture and the chamberpots and I'd like it fine.

What a fascinating woman, and what a life she lived. One of the upstairs rooms is filled with photos of her with various people (family, husband, friends) and they're accompanied by text from her stories and her letters (such as the post title). One particular piece of text caught my eye, if only because it seemed to have an echo of so much of everything else I'd seen in the house. It was in reference to her very English husband who was so proper and how she lamented that he would never be a quick and carefree kind of person, and she loved him anyway. It seemed...sad. And quite poignant, and I ended up leaving not long after in a very reflective mood. Am I going to read her stuff again? Very probably not, although I greatly enjoyed my time in her childhood home. I think, perhaps, she was a woman ahead of her time. I also think she did try to live all sorts of lives in the one she was given. I will be extremely happy if I am capable of saying the same thing many years from now.

Nat has asked if I'd like to write a few posts about what I managed to see while in Wellington for the festival so in a few days or so I'll blog again. Cheers - tosca.

March meeting : notes

March meeting and discussion notes

Title: The life and times of the Thunderbolt Kid
Author: Bill Bryson

Synopsis: Bill Bryson on his most personal journey yet: into his own childhood in America's Mid-West. In his deeply funny new memoir, he travels back in time to explore the ordinary kid he once was, and the curious world of 1950s America. It was a happy time, when almost everything was good for you, including DDT, cigarettes and nuclear fallout. This is a book about growing up in a specific time and place. But in Bryson's hands, it becomes everyone's story, one that will speak volumes - especially to anyone who has ever been young.

Present: Merrin, Leslie, Vanessa, Nola, Joy, Megan, Diane, Gail, Pauline, Adele, Jan, Tosca

1. Why do we find Bryson’s writing so funny – his descriptions of e.g. poor Milton Milton, the toity jar! And the descriptions of the inhibitions towards eating anything slightly unusual at that time?

He writes so humorously; he’s just a good writer; e.g. Milton Milton – some of that laughter was cruel but I still laughed; the delivery of it was so funny; it was so true of kids (the cruelty that was also funny); like when somebody trips up and you know it’s awful and you all sort of titter; some of his descriptions were quite unkind and wondered if the people would be able to recognise themselves; it makes you think about your own childhood and how there was somebody I’m embarrassed at how we treated at the time; the toity jar (much laughter); the descriptions can make you picture the actual event; we’ve all seen people like that; the way he writes is so descriptive

2. Had anyone heard of, or used any of, the words that Bill described as being delightful Fifties words? E.g. mimeograph, rotisserie, ice box, bobby sox, etc.

Have heard nearly all of them; there are a lot that aren’t used nowadays; such as mimeograph; we didn’t use the term mimeograph in New Zealand but the idea of it is familiar; some of the words he uses are ones I would only recognise from watching American films or tv series; an ice box used to be a hole in the ground where the ice man would place the ice

3. How did he get to be so successful when he missed so much school?
He knuckled down in high school – only just; was obviously very smart; parents were very clever; so much of what he wrote was very exaggerated in the typical way we exaggerate things in childhood (remembering how things were so enormous when little and yet so small when big) so it’s possible he didn’t miss as much school as he thought he did; his mother says her cooking was nothing like that (but of course she would say that wouldn’t she?); he was just good at what he did; he must have had the most enriched childhood for the time – the way his parents were always sharing things and taking him places; his father only wanted to take him to places that were educational and cheap; there weren’t so many places to go to either so perhaps that made it easier

4. How do you pronounce Des Moines? I’ll bet it’s not like the original French?
Da Moine; if you don’t know how to pronounce a place or a character name it can sometimes interrupt the flow of the story

5. How’s your memory? Could you remember so much of your childhood?
No; reading this reminded me of bits of my childhood – some of his reminiscences would jog my memory; reminded me of a time when my father made my sidecar and the three of us squashed into it and we went all over the place, mum would sit on the back with no helmet; that’d be highly illegal now; he split this up into different chapters recalling different parts of his life; he probably talked to his family about things to refresh his memory; in his acknowledgements and preface he says a lot about who helped him; also he’s probably a very observant person which is possibly something within you when you’re quite young and so you may remember things maybe others ordinarily wouldn’t; I found it fascinating that he could detail so much and thought that perhaps my own childhood wasn’t quite exciting – growing up in smalltown New Zealand; having other siblings can help flesh out the details; he probably exaggerated things a bit – took something little and made it big; each chapter would end with the comment that the Thunderbolt Kid got them in the end; if you see Boy it will remind you of this book

6. Chaise longue – I’ve always thought it was spelt lounge and, even when reading it in the book, saw it as lounge, and took a while to realise the point the father was making. Anyone else like that?
Pronounced shayce long although now it is spelt chaise lounge and pronounced shayce lounge

7. What aspects of Bill’s childhood can you relate to?
The food – what types of food we didn’t eat (pasta, cornbeef etc.) – in our household the only pasta we had was macaroni cheese, the only spices we used were salt and pepper, the only takeaways we had were if we were lucky and even then it was once a month and it was fish and chips; universally food has become more international; they wouldn’t have been exposed to so much in the cosmopolitan way like New York would have been as they were in the middle of the country; such a good story with the father off the diving board; as a kid he thought it was terribly high but maybe it wasn’t; I remember reading it and going ‘Oohh’; it would have been like hitting a brick wall; the descriptions were so awfully funny

8. Was there more freedom for kids in the 1950s, 60s, 70s, 80s than there is now? And if so, what has changed?
Nothing was dangerous, everything was inviting; nowadays everybody is so afraid that people would get hurt; sugar gave us anything; we’re a lot more pc and cautious now; common sense went out the doors in the 1980s; some places, like the US for example, are slightly more litigious than say New Zealand; we’re overcautious and we believe germs etc. will hurt our children; my mother worked when I was a child and we grew up very community-minded and knowing our neighbours, nowadays we’re too busy with extra-curricular activities for kids that we don’t just let them play with each other and get to know each other; television has taken away that option to learn to play with each other; perhaps kids have too many options to just want to be kids and enjoy the freedom of it; when we were younger we lived in state houses everyone had a garden and we all swapped vegetables with each other and knew each other – there’s not so much of that now

9. Is the past always seen as being better? And, if so, why do we look back and think about the ‘good old days’?
This book made me nostalgic and it made me reflect on the good times I’d had as a child; kids still play jump rope today and elastics if they’re given a chance

10. What toys do you remember from your childhood?
Elastics, knucklebones, skipping, marbles, rubik’s cube, gutterboard, roller skates, handball, foursquare, lego, Tupperware toy (round ball with shapes), jack-in-the-box, monopoly, cards (snap, last card, fish, old maid, crib, 500, canasta); I’ve always enjoyed reading but what I think is better now is that children’s books are so much more enjoyable – they’re in colour, they’re exciting and full of adventure and they’re just fantastic; now there’s graphic novels

11. Did you learn anything from Bill’s informative narration of the 1950s American that you didn’t know before?
Polio epidemic, that America did not have to wait as long as Europe and the UK to recover after the war; parents would stand on stepladders and talk to each other over hedges; thought they were very cutthroat with their nuclear bomb blasts and atomic cafes and that the Americans were interfering in other people’s government (funding rebel movements etc.); people never understood the effects of radiation (think Christmas Island) or Agent Orange; communism scare during the McCarthy-era that was tantamount to a witch hunt

12. Did the ending satisfy you?
Can’t remember the ending; he just moved on; I didn’t want it to end; his visit back there showed that a lot of things had gone or moved, e.g. Yonkers department store no longer there reminded me of trips to Farmers Department store and the whole experience of it all; some of the pictures had been destroyed so all of that good history was all gone; made me feel sad and nostalgic for things that had gone or closed now; his visit back reminded me of things that had changed now here: Hector the Parrot was alive during Leslie’s day and stuffed during Merrin’s day; photographers would wander around and snap pics of people and you could order prints;

Rating:
5, 5, 5, 4, 5, 4, 5, 3, 3, 4 and a half, 4 - average = 4

Please note: Our next meeting is Saturday 17th April 2010 here at Manurewa Library. Our next book is 'The Denniston Rose' by NZ author Jenny Pattrick. Nat/Merrin have requested copies for the group which should have arrived or is still to arrive. See you all next month :)

February meeting : notes

February book & discussion notes

Present: Vanessa, Gail, Doreen, Pauline, Shari, Denise, Natalie, Nola, , Vanessa, Maureen, Tosca
Title: The tenth circle
Author: Jodi Picoult
Image from:

Synopsis: "How far would you go to protect the ones you love? When Daniel Stone was a child, he was the only white boy in a native Eskimo village where his mother taught, and he was teased mercilessly because he was different. He fought back, the baddest of the bad kids: stealing, drinking, robbing and cheating his way out of the Alaskan bush - where he honed his artistic talent, fell in love with a girl and got her pregnant. To become part of a family, he reinvented himself - jettisoning all that anger to become a docile, devoted husband and father. Fifteen years later, when we meet Daniel again, he is a comic book artist. His wife teaches Dante's Inferno at a local college; his daughter, Trixie, is the light of his life - and a girl who only knows her father as the even-tempered, mild-mannered man he has been her whole life. Until, that is, she is date raped...and Daniel finds himself struggling, again, with a powerlessness and a rage that may not just swallow him whole, but destroy his family and his future." -- Amazon.

Relationships - were pretty complicated. Laura didnt' want to marry Daniel, he said he could change but he really couldn't. He was obsessed with his daughter. This allowed Laura to go off and have her career while he was a house husband. She knew abou this violence - she was attracted to that bad boy side. It would've been nice to get in the head of Laura. You got the impression Daniel knew the sort of guy Jason was, although he admits Jason was still never as bad as he himself was.

Comments:
* Not an enjoyable book because of the subjects, but it was a page turner. Rape, underage sex, various other social issues - too depressing. Unreliastic - for shock value?
* My innocence was shattered. The book started out with a rape scene and then you find out the woman's back history of lovers.
* I wouldn't make an effort to read any more of her books.
* I've never done this before but, with this book, I read the ending partway through, saw how it ended and went back and finished it.
* Enjoyed reading it more than The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
* Enjoyed reading The Lovely Bones more than this
* Skimmed through the story
* The cop was a good character whose daughter had been through drugs etc.
* I didn't like it but I finished it

Questions raised:
* Did Picoult know a family like this?
* Was she raised by Inuits?
* Great writing skill but didn't enjoy the book
* There was great depth to the book
* Was not conducive to sleep
* Book club is about stretching yourself and reading books you ordinarily might not
* Did Laura kill Jason or did he slip?

Did nobody feel one bit of sorrow for Trixie? Yes, she was a sad figure, a product of her upbringing but she was also spoilt and she was a sociopath - so totally self-obsessed. Trixie was incredibly sad, mixed-up and in pain and nobody listened to her.

Who was responsible for Jason's death? ALL of them: Daniel, Laura, Jason & Trixie.

Is redemption possible? Daniel's relationship with Trixie was his chance to atone for his past and what Jason did threatened that. Is it possible? Yes.

Did Daniel's graphics enhance or detract from the story? Can now see how comic artrists put their work together.

General feeling: Laura and Daniel were remiss in their parental duties. Who lets a 14 year old girl stay out overnight without knowing anything about where they would be or even who they would be with?

Rating: 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 5,

Would you recommend the book to others?
* No
* As well-written as it was, no
* Yes but not to all
* No
* It was a good book, so yes
* Yes, e.g. class discussion type book
* No
* Yes - but I'd pick my victims well

Please note: Our next meeting is Saturday 27th March 2010 here at Manurewa Library. Our next book is 'The life and times of the Thunderbolt Kid' by Bill Bryson. Nat has requested copies for the group which I think everyone has had by now. See you all later today :)

Discussion Questions for Bill Bryson's The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid

Hi Bookmates,

To make it easier for everyone to find on the blog, I have copied the questions that we have received below.

1. Why do we find Bryson's writing so funny - His descriptions of eg. poor Milton Milton, the toity jar! and the descriptions of the inhibitions towards eating anything slightly unusual at that time?
   
2. Had anyone heard of or used any of the words that Bill described as being delightful Fifties words? E.g. mimeograph, rotisserie, ice box, bobby sox, etc
   
3. How did he get to be so successful, when he missed so much school?
   
4. How do you pronounce Des Moines? I'll bet it's not like the original French?
   
5. How's you memory? Could you remember so much of your childhood?
   
6. Chaise longue - I've always thought it was spelt lounge, and even when reading it in the book saw it is lounge and took a while to realise the point the father was making. Anyone else like that?
   
7. What aspects of Bill's childhood can you relate to?
   
8. Was there more freedom for kids in the 1950's, 60's, 70's, 80's. than there is now? And if so what has changed?
   
9. Is the past always seen as being better? And if so, why do we look back and think about the 'good old days'.
   
10. What toys do you remember from your childhood?
    
11. Did you learn anything from Bill's informative narration of 1950's America that you didn't know before?
    
12. Did the ending satisfy you?

Thanks to Megan, Lesley, Merrin and Vanessa for sending in their questions, we lok forward to hearing everyone else on Saturday.

Thunderbolts of laughter...

Hello bookmates :-)
How did the February chat go? Was there a newsletter? What were the thoughts/opinion's/ratings of 'Tenth Circle'? Yes this is '20 questions' hahaha. For what it's worth I enjoyed the second half of that book more then the first half, especially when Trixie is in Alaska. I gave it a 3 out of 5.
I went to see 'Mao's Last Dancer' at the movies a couple of weeks back and thought it was great. I'd read the YA edition of the book so the movie fitted in nicely with that. Although it would have been good to have seen more of his early years, it still made me cry in all the right places.
This months book was a joy to read. Bill Bryson is one of the funniest, most sarcastic and dry humoured authors I've ever read. For a few days I brought the book to work as I just couldn't put it down and my workmates were laughing at me, laughing whilst reading !! A couple of questions to ponder:-
- Did you learn anything from Bill's informative narration of 1950's America that you didn't know before?
- Did the ending satisfy you?
Happy reading, see you on the 27th :-)
Megan

Excellent News - check out our Fiction collection on your next visit

Hi bookmates,
we have some great news, today was the beginning of the floating fiction collection. I know I know you are thinking the what?
Being a good sort I won't bore you with the library lingo, but suffice to say the really good news is that you should see a whole heap of different adult fiction books on our shelves when you next visit the library. How it works is if someone has requested a book from another branch and returns it to ours it will stay in our branch unless someone else requests it etc, that is the book stays where the demand is, well that is the theory.
I know I am really looking forward to it as our science fiction collection is looking pretty sad and could do with a few different titles...Looking forward to hearing if you notice a difference in your next several visits and if it is for the better or the worse...
cheers for now, Natalie

Discussion questions for Jodi Picoult's The Tenth Circle

Hi bookmates,

Without meaning to pre-empt our SBC meeting this Saturday can I say that reading The Tenth Circle was like watching- an episode of "Lie to me". For a fuller explanation come on down to this Saturday's Book Chat meeting.

Here are our discussion questions so far. Don't forgot to bring along a few if you can't manage to post it the blog.

Q1. Did "Daniel's" graphic novel enhance or detract from the story?

Q2. Did anyone work out the secret quotation from the hidden letters in the graphic novel?


Any more questions please add to this post

January meeting : notes

November book & discussion questions

Present: Nat, Lesley, Denise, Gail, Joy, Doreen, Nola, Shari, Adele, Megan, Maureen, Pauline, Jan & Tosca

Title: The 10pm Question

Author: Kate de Goldi

Image from: Longacre Press

Synopsis: Twelve-year-old Frankie Parsons has rather large, quirky family. Until now they've been the centre of his universe, but now Frankie's view of his world begins to change. There's a new arrival at school - a dreadlocked girl called Sydney who becomes perplexing & fascinating to him. She even starts to draw him away from his best friend, Gigs.

1. Where is the story set?

- Most of us: agreed the South Island - Dunedin in particular. A few thought perhaps Christchurch and a couple thought perhaps Wellington until a flight to the north island had been mentioned.

2. Comment on the title - is it appropriate?

Yes - taking into account Frankie's talks with his mum and that the story was set over the last 10 years.

3. How did the arrival of Sydney change Frankie and his relationship with Gigs and his ability to cope with his family?

Sydney was a special girl. Gigs was jealous - his idea of girls was that they were all about fashion and girly things but Sydney proved him wrong. She was almost a tomboy in some ways. Frankie & Sydney related to each other in a way that Frankie could not with other people. She was his outlet - he couldn't talk to anyone else. Sydney was a very optimistic person and Frankie was a worrier. The mother's behaviour was probably exaggerated because of Frankie's unusual sense of humour. Couldn't determine the nationality of the characters - not a major issue but was in the back of the mind sometimes.

4. Do you think Frankie's worrying was due to his being the youngest?

Everything was on him - 'he got the worry gene' was one of the comments from the book. A lot of his anxiety was down to his mother's condition and added to it was the fact that he was removed from his mother twice, once at 4 years and then again at 6 years of age.

5. Do you think Frankie's bird sketches in particular were his subconscious minds way of attempting to combat the crippling 'coping mechanism' of persistent list reciting? The birds giving flight to his constant worries for a while, till night time and the inescapable 'rodent voice'?

Yes. It was Frankie's way of getting out of his own head and his own worrying. And he was good at drawing. He made lists to keep the 'rodent voice' quiet. He was constantly worried he was going to become like his mother. His sense of humour saved him, otherwise he couldn't been quite a sad figure.

6. Did you get the feeling from Frankie that he, in some way, felt some guilt for his mum's condition? Even though we don't find out what caused the breakdowns, it appears that if he did feel guilt it would have been unfounded.

Yes. Intrinsically his mother's breakdowns go back to her parents being killed. Some children do believe that they are responsible for their parents' well-being, happiness & state of mind. He took on too much himself so in the end everyone let him take care of everything.

7. Frankie's relationship with his sister develops as the novel progresses. Why do we think she changed her attitude and way of speaking to him?

She started to realise two things: that Frankie was growing up, and how upset he was about his first love. When she finally listened to him he was able to tell her about Sydney's mother, and then a very powerful scene follows.

8. The Aunties obviously have a big influence on Frankie's upbringing. What do we think about them collectively and/or individually?

The Aunties are exceptionally close - proof of the statement that it takes a village to raise a child. They stepped in where Frankie's mum wasn't able to - attending lectures, baking etc.. The aunts were great characters - they had their own hobbies that were quite interesting. They symbolised stability, which was probably Sydney would have been quite curious about them. They looked after Frankie's mum in their own way, too, by dropping off shopping. Even if they weren't able to visit or stay every weekend they did help out. The family weren't a bad family - they weren't any more or less dysfunctional than any other family and they supported each other quite a lot. Sometimes it seemed like Frankie's mum wasn't always the most perceptive person but he always felt reassured after their talks. Frankie's being able to visit his aunts and feel comfortable with them at the end of the novel was quite cathartic - he might have had a breakdown otherwise.

9. Do you know anyone like Frankie? Is he a realistic creation? So lovable, kind, sensitive, creative and vulnerable. Can we believe it?

Yes. There's always one in every family. It's a personality quirk, not necessarily related to being the oldest or the youngest child. Is he a realistic creation? Yes. Absolutely. He was simply a rather sensitive child.

10. What time period do you think this story is set in and why?

In the present or at least in the last decade - there were mentions of computers and online shopping.

11. Did the ending satisfy you?

Yes - it was very realistic.

Rate the book out of 5 with 1 being terrible and 5 being excellent:

- 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 and PASS, PASS, PASS (members who were not able to receive the book in time).

In previous months Natalie has prepared questions in advance for each bookclub meeting. This month around we tried something different - the group came up with their own questions as they were reading the novel.

Like Topsy our group has growed and growed. We had 14 members today with 3 absent - YAY US!

Please note: Our next meeting is Saturday 27th February 2010 here at Manurewa Library. Our next book is 'The tenth circle' by Jodi Picoult - Megan's suggestion. Nat will request copies for the group.