Discussion Questions for When God was a Rabbit

Hi bookmates,
Below we have listed a few of the questions for this Saturday's book chat.
This month's book is Sarah Winman's novel, When God was a Rabbit, we look forward to hearing what you all thought of the book.

1. What did the title ‘When God was a Rabbit’ mean to you?
2. The book was split into 2 distinctive parts. Did you enjoy one part more than the other? If so, which?
3. What do you think happened with Mr Golan? What did you make of the note on page 274?
4. What did you think of the events that occurred around September 11th 2001? Did you expect the Twin Towers to feature in the book?
5. Some things that happened were a bit too good to be true - Charlie turning up, Joe turning up alive after 9/11, Arthur getting hit by a coconut. Were there any moments like that for you?
6. The book features a number of events with heavy themes - terrorism, death of varying types, child molestation, kidnapping, illness etc but there was also quite a bit of humour. How does the book manage to balance the humour and tragedy? Or does it?
7. Even before Golan, Elly found it difficult to have friends. Why do you think Elly ended up as such a messed up individual who found it hard to hold down a job and have a normal relationship?
8. Elly and Joe never told her parents about Golan, Sarah Penny lied about her husband’s abuse, and her neighbours knew but didn’t report it. Why do you think people don’t report abuse – is it because they will end up like Jean, not being believed?
9. Discuss Dad and Mum’s marriage and how they coped with her parents’ deaths and his guilt over Jean. Do you think they had a strong marriage even with or because of the Nancy factor?
10. Which character did you like best? Empathise with the most?
11. What was the most memorable part of the book for you?
12. Discuss how you would feel if you had a family member who couldn’t remember you?
13. What would you do if you won the pools or lotto?
14. If you were an alien visiting earth and you found this book and read it, what kind of conclusions would you reach about humans?
15. What do you rate the book out of a scale of 1 -5. Would you recommend the book to anyone else?

Andrea Levy's The Long Song Discussion Questions for June's SBC meeting

Hi bookmates,

Here our questions for this Saturday's Book Chat discussion of Andrea Levy's The Long Song.
1. What did you think of the cover – did it make you think of Jamaica or sugar cane plantations?

2. At first July’s narration annoyed me, (the way she would say “dear Reader” and I had doubts about her tale), but once I read Thomas’s comment that she had multiple versions of how she was born I was able to let go of my disbelief and just flow with her narration. Did the author’s narrative structure work for you?
3. Did you enjoy the descriptive language of the novel? Or did you find yourself fighting the urge to skim paragraphs?
4. While reading I found myself thinking that if I lived in the time of slavery I would be more of a Nimrod rather than a Godfrey.
Discuss the effects of slavery on the following characters, Kitty, July, Godfrey and Nimrod.
5. How did slavery influence the way Caroline, Tom, Agnes, John and Robert behave towards others?
6. Did you think Caroline and July’s relationship rang true, especially after the introduction of Robert?
7. Who was your favourite character?
8. Which character did you empathise most with?
9. Discuss the role of the church in the novel.
10. Throughout the book Thomas and July’s have differences of opinion over the book. Who did you sympathise most with July or Thomas?
11. Do you think Thomas or July will ever find out what happened to Emily? What do you think happened to Emily?
12. When I first started the novel, and found out that Thomas was printing his mum’s memoir my initial reaction was “oh no this is another The Help” but it wasn’t The Long Song was a much darker tale. Do you agree or disagree? Did you find any similarities between the two novels?
13. How did you rate the novel from 1 to 5

Ben Elton's Blind Faith Discussion Questions and Notes from May's SBC meeting

Hi Bookmates,
Here are the notes from May's book discussion.1. This book was written in 2007. Do you think since then the world has become a bit more like this 'Blind Faith' world with the enormous usage of Facebook, twitter, Youtube?
Agreed by the group that now days there are a number of people that will do strange things to get their 15 minutes of fame. Talked about experiences when travelling on the train – its unusual to see people reading, most people get out their phones, laptops, ipods. Reality show have contributed too.
2. What did you think of the ending? With Trafford gone and all his fellow Humanists locked up, who would have continued with the organising of the Ev Love revolution?
Most thought that there would be someone who would have taken over with the organising of the Ev Love reolution. Comparisons to historical events made, such as Joan of Arc.3. Did you ever have any suspicions that Sandra Dee was a spy?
Some members did, some didn’t. Those that did thought she was too good to be true. She had too much freedom to rebel, whereas others, such as Cassius, went along with what the rest of the population did and did all his rebelling behind the scenes.4. There were some amusing parts to this book which I suppose you would expect from Ben Elton. I enjoyed the Jerry Springer type scenes from the confessions on pg 172. And also the names people had. Have you put any thought into a name you might like if you lived in this world? Or was there one particular name that amused you? (Barbieheart, Princess Lovebud, Tinkerbell, Kahlua, Caitlin Happymeal, Gucci KitKat, Phoenix Rising, Supernova, Lexus, Heavenly Braveheart etc)Members hadn’t put much thought into what name they would have used. Did find the names amusing, although some found it distracting when reading the book. Also a comment was made that a lot of people today uses aliases when signing up to different computer sites.5. The plot use of vaccination is quite realistic as many parents today do not to vaccinate their children against common ailments, such as measles etc. Diseases such as TB which was thought to have been eradicated in New Zealand have appeared in recent times. On the other side Super Bugs are increasingly common in hospitals, which would you prefer blind faith in science or in the temple?Discussion on peoples attitude to vaccinations today. Maybe some complacency occurs. Also the effect of media on the decisions parents make. Most would prefer faith in science – which is not necessarily blind faith as it has proven good results.
6. I would have liked to know a bit more about what happened to the world. We got a bit of info from pg 143 and bits and pieces throughout the book as part of the story but I would have liked more.
Others agreed with this. What for instance happened to the intelligent leaders of the world? What happened to other parts of the world eg USA
7. Was there anything you liked about this world? eg working from home most of the time except for fizzy coff days. pg 10
No, the majority thought there was nothing to like. Constant noise, half naked people, disease, etc
8. Discuss the title Blind Faith, did it fit the novel or sum up the unoriginality of the novel?
Yes, title suited the book.
9. How did you rate the novel from 1 to 5
Average of 3.3 out of 5
(2.5 NM, 3.5 ML, 3 MR, 3.5 JG, 4 VO, 4 LC, 4 SD, 4 NP, 3.5 DS, 3 MO, 2 PB, 2.5 GV)

Water For Elephants..the movie

Hello fellow book chatters,

As we are all probably aware, Water For Elephants has been adapted into a movie.  It will be released mid-May.  The book was a big Saturday Book Chat favourite and the prospect of seeing the movie as a group is certainly appealing.

Just wanted to get in super early before we all went off to see the movie seperately.  Lets have a show of hands .."Who wants to see 'Water For Elephants' at Event Cinema (Manukau) in mid-May as part of the Saturday Book Chat group?"

Megan

Audrey Niffenegger's Time Traveler's Wife SBC Discussion questions

This Saturday 22nd January, at 11am in the Manurewa Library Room, we will be discussing ‘The Time Traveler’s Wife’ by Audrey Niffenegger. We have only received a few questions this month so we would look forward to hearing everyone’s views of the book



Questions we have received so far include;

1. The novel was told through both Henry and Clare, and reflected their perspectives at those moments in time, did the jumps in narrative timeline work for you? Was their relationship credible as they experienced events at different times, e.g. Clare as a child meeting Henry

2. Miscarriages put a strain on any relationship. Did you think the author got it right, from both Clare’s and Henry’s point of view?

3. If you could time travel would you live like Henry did and try to keep the future secret from himself? Or would you be tempted to exploit knowing what was going to happen and change timelines if you felt you could/should prevent catastrophic events?

4. It's a few weeks since I reread it and my lasting thought is that poor Henry was almost pleased to get it over with when he died? I had some trouble getting that actual act - his getting shot - and his getting back to Clare in the present, sorted out in my mind. Did anyone else have that?

5. Well right through the book the tangle of getting times right, so you understood where Henry or Clare's reactions were coming from was a challenge - fun though. I can't remember ever before doing so much flipping back and forth of pages to understand.

6. When we had both the child Henry and the adult together in a place it seemed so very weird. But he had to know how to pick pockets and locks etc. didn't he? Those are almost 'chicken and egg' situations. Stretching credibility of course. Very weird and wonderful.

7. Time travel was the only hook that kept me reading. I didn’t find Henry or Clare particularly riveting, and as I ploughed through to the end I remember feeling slightly ripped off, upon discovering that Alba was also a time traveller and I wished the author had explored this more. Alba seemed to be more comfortable than Henry was, the only time I thought Henry was comfortable time travelling was when he was teaching his younger self to pick pocket. Did any of you feel the same?

8. With Chrono-Displacement being a genetic disorder, I wondered if Richard and Henry’s mum had trouble conceiving Henry, like Clare and Henry did with Alba. Which made me question why Henry and his dad didn’t connect earlier in the novel?

9. How did you rate the novel from 1 to 5?

SBC Books for 2011

Happy New Year bookmates,

I know a few of you have been asking for our list of books for the coming year so here they are...

January 22nd  The Time Traveler's wife : a novel / by Audrey Niffenegger
February 26th  A Dangerous Vine by Barbara EwingMarch 26th  Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok
April 30th  The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian
May 28th  Blind Faith by Ben Elton
June 25th  The Long Song by Andrea Levy
July 30th  The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
August 27th  From the Dead by Mark Billingham
September 24th  The Last Letter from your Lover by Jojo MoyesOctober 29th  Rebel With a Cause by Ray Avery 
November 26th  Room by Emma Donoghue

Personally I think we are saving the best one until the last month.

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...