Cherrie: "The Children's House" by Alice Nelson delighted everyone and was enthusiastically reviewed. Cherrie had heard Alice speak at Writers Week and was able to give us some insightful background information on this book, suggesting much of it seemed to be based on Alice's personal experiences and encounters with similar characters in the book.
Themes of motherhood and the abandonment of children were threaded through the book. Just like people, mothers and families are all different. And a message from this book is we don’t necessarily follow in the footsteps of our mothers. The Children’s House brings out these themes in spades, along with others such as the effects of trauma.
Marina’s mother was an absent mother who couldn’t come to terms with her own past or her (mainly) husband’s decision to leave their children in a kibbutz; Constance was an absent mother who couldn’t come to terms with her life in Rwanda; Jacob’s son, Ben’s, mother left him and Jacob. But Marina became a loving and ever present mother and guardian of Gabriel, and came to terms with her own mother’s life in the revealing final chapters. And all the while, Rose (Jacob’s mother) was wonderful, gathering her family and centering them to her life.
Everyone loved this book – and thanks to Zoe M for the recommendation (as was revealed on the night). There was so much in the book but also so much we didn’t know and could only contemplate - what did happen to Constance in Rwanda? Where did Jacob and Marina’s relationship end up? What about the fathers' roles? (Was it an editorial decision to not explore these storylines – we just don’t know?) But the resolution for Constance who found peace looking after the aging nuns seemed proper; and the revelation of Dov’s death (Marina’s brother), finally exposed their mother’s fragility.
We were all happy the book didn’t go down the rabbit hole of a relationship between Marina and Patrick in Cape Cod, and liked that resolution. And we all loved the writing – particularly the way the descriptive scenes interacted with the narrative, moving the story along. Moving, thoughtful, and captivating stories. Top marks - 9 and 10/10 from all.
Mog: " Everywhere I Look" by Helen Garner, the well known Australian novelist, journalist, screen writer and actor was also thoroughly enjoyed. This is her latest book (2016) and is a collection of essays comprising her memories and reflections on life - sometimes taken from her diaries. The book is divided into 6 parts and deals with some very honest & personal facts covering her relationships with her husbands, parents and grandchildren; ageing; some of her interviews with noteworthy Australians (Russell Crowe, Rosie Batty & Tim Winton) as well as interesting court cases she had reported on. It was her exquisite writing style - tender, funny whimsical and wise that enabled us to so easily relate to her stories. A couple of us were initially disappointed that the book didn't have a 'story line" but on reading further enjoyed the depth and wisdom of her observations on everyday life and her compassion and humour.
The two books, although chosen randomly, dealt with family relationships and mothering in particular.
Next meeting: 10 July 2019 at Kathy's place. Hosted by Megan and Kathy.
Book selection:
Kathy - 'Brother of the more famous Jack' by Barbara Trapido
Megan - 'White Houses' by Amy Bloom
