It was third time lucky for our last rendezvous of the year at Fox Street, Goodwood. Banjo greeted the six of us (well 5 if you discount his owner who he already knew) and we were all pleased to see he was operating on all fours. And now I'm trying to finish this para with the numbers 1 and 2 - oh yes, how about there was one late scratching (Cherilyn) and two earlier apologies (Barb and Margie P), while Mog was off to dinner somewhere. So numbers done, we got down to the words, where little books (ie around 300 pages) with big themes emerged as the motif for the evening.
We started with Julie's choice, The Reader by Bernhard Schlink - chosen after watching the film of the same name. The story was about particular events set in four different decades (1940's, 50's, 60's, 80's) with the characters Hanna and Michael taking centre stage throughout. The book started out as looking like a coming of age story for young 15 year old Michael, but it quickly left that thread dangling as the story moved us on further into the unholy trinity of shame, guilt and secrets.
Bernhard Schlink
So there was much to discuss: whether Hanna exploited the younger Michael in their liaison (50's); whether Hanna was so ashamed of her illiteracy she couldn't spring to her own defence during the trial about her role in events in the 40's; whether Michael could have changed the outcome of the trial in the 60's if he hadn't kept secret about Hanna's illiteracy; and whether Michael's reluctant renewal of the relationship 20 years later when Hanna was still incarcerated was due to his past guilt and/or shame (80's).
We enthusiastically explored these 'whethers' with 'yes-buts'. Yes, Hanna did exploit the young 15 year old (you're wrong Kate Winslet) - but then the age of consent was 14 back then. And no, she didn't because Michael was a very willing participant and the 50's were different times. Yes Hanna was ashamed of her illiteracy and couldn't present her own defence because of this - but no she couldn't see that her role in the events upon which her trial was based was morally unacceptable anyway. But then, while her moral compass may have been askew, so perhaps was her mental capacity - (from Julie's research you can read more about that here https://jaapl.org/content/37/3/427). But surely, Michael's failure to do anything at the time of the trial was immoral too - and yes it was a deliberate choice he made at that time. Would it have made a difference? Perhaps not in the 60's - but is that an excuse? Nevertheless it did appear to be the reason he came to visit Hanna 20 years later in prison and decide to reconnect with her - albeit mainly via tape recorder.
Was there a resolution at the end? The tin and money scene could have been but it is difficult to say - because sitting over the top of all these 'whethers' and 'yes-buts' was the big moral dilemma posed by the book - can the guilty ever find atonement for the past? It was in this vein that the big under story of the book poked through - the collective guilt of Germany for atrocities in WW2. We pondered on what Michael did in the end to try and atone, which was probably his best - yet was it good enough/not good enough?; but all agreed how important it is for authors like BS and the next generation to keep writing about this period (especially in this day and age).
So we were all of one mind in agreeing this was an excellent book choice - well written, focussed, posed many complex questions and overall was enjoyed by all as a great read.
Not so much for the next book however - The Promise by Damon Galgut. Clearly many of our readers didn't think it lived up to its title. The winner of the Booker Prize in 2021, it was the story of the unravelling of a South African post colonial white family, set against the backdrop of the unravelling of the emerging black republic of South Africa. Sometimes it was hard to tell which unravelling was at the centre of the book - though some might say this doesn't matter so much because the big theme was concerned with the lasting and devastating effect of colonialism (read the English and Dutch) on the emerging black republic.
(Watch an interview with DG on the book here)
Most agreed it wasn't an easy read - not so much for the storyline of the 4 funerals of the different members of the Swart family set over 3 decades since Mandela's release from prison, but more for the way in which it was written. Disjointed, hard to discern who was thinking/saying what some of the time, with a narrator who was often too intrusive (Eds note: I'm putting in a good word for the black satiric humour here!) and odd characters flown in to chapters and then disappearing - these were some of the criticisms of the style.
Amor was the only Swart character any of our readers felt connected to, with the other members of the family falling apart before our eyes on the pages - racial prejudice, social climbing, moral turpitude, privilege, and class distinction all playing a part. So as the family members disintegrated and died one by one (all by some type of misadventure), only Amor was left to fulfil the promise made by her father to her mother (on her mother's deathbed) 30 years earlier. But then, by the time it came to fulfil the promise, it was too late - and that also seems to be the message from the author about the emerging black republic. How hard is it to give up privilege? And can it ever be forgiven? It was pessimistic, dark, and difficult to read - yes - but important - some thought.
Anticipating a lively chat about the book, here are the 2 opposing reviews of the book brought to the meeting
Some concluding remarks then: both books were serious and interesting in 2 ways. Firstly, they both looked backwards and made the reader think about judging the books' characters from the choices they made. Should we judge them from the privileged position of hindsight - or the context at the time: and does that make us reflect on how we would have acted at the time? And secondly, neither book offered simple alternatives - their moral nuance made the reader really think - and thats a good reason to keep reading (though being an enjoyable read is useful too!).
To lighten the evening the mince pies and little cheesecakes came out, and we reflected on the years reading list with The Lincoln Highway and Songbirds emerging as highlights, along with All My Mothers and probably The Reader jumping into this list at the last hurdle. Some holiday reading was suggested (anyone please add to the list)
The Night Watchman - Louise Erdrich: 2021 Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction
The Island of Missing Trees - Elif Shafak: a recommendation from last meeting also, and I'm sure Barb would add with anything written by Elif Shafak (if I recall)
The Russian Wife - Barry Maitland: if you're after a light read its a page turning detective novel by an australian architect
The Homecoming - Bernhard Schlink: if you're interested in following the author on another journey into German guilt its available from Sue's lending library
The Reader on the 6.27 - Jean-Paul Didierlaurant: a late starter from Barb who fessed up she had read the wrong Reader but recommended the one she did read (twice)!
Talk turned to 2023 - the first meeting was discussed as Wednesday 1 March 2023 assuming this meets with Barb and Cherilyn's approval (please advise). Other dates and venues will be confirmed but at this stage look like
Wednesday 1st March - Cherilyn and Barb
Wednesday 3rd May - Mog and Cherrie
Wednesday 5th July - Megan and Kathy
Wednesday 6 September - McLassie and McMargie
Wednesday 1 November - Sue and Julie
And here's an unsolicited suggestion if anyone gets down this far. To resuscitate the F bit, if you think there is a film worth seeing on the other first Wednesdays of the months in 2023 -
Wednesday 5th April
Wednesday 7 June
Wednesday 2 August
Wednesday 4 October
maybe even Wednesday 1st February and Wednesday 6th December
send out a smoke signal beforehand to see if others have an appetite for the film and a quick bite afterwards. Partners welcome but not dogs. Interested in your thoughts - as always.
It had been a day of thunderstorms and rain around Adelaide town, but by evening the weather had calmed down and our happy group congregated at Marg's place on 14 September 2022. Sarah from Victor Harbor was a refugee from Covid and a surprise but very welcome guest - while everyone knew Barb, still basking in the northern sun, had an evening pass.
Is it this leg or the other?
After hearing all about Banjo's recent surgery and oversize splint, McLassie led us on the journey to discover different kinds of mothers with her book selection 'All my Mothers', by Joanna Glen. We all know McLassie is a very wise mother, and this was by unanimous proclamation a very wise choice. It was a book for all - an emotionally intelligent child at the centre searching for her birth mother, encountering both fragile and strong women, mothers assigned by disposition and given a colour by the author through Eva (blue is best), interesting relationships with males some of whom were gay, mystery about whether the priest was her father, the value of friendship, particularly heartbreaking beginnings and an ending just waiting to be read.
From McLassie's research on the author we learnt Joanna loved all things Spanish, and so unsurprisingly the novel ended up in the south of Spain - and from Sarah's research we learnt that Joanna Glen may have a slight obsession with mothers as this is her second book (of only 2 so far) on the subject - 'The Other Half of Augusta Hope' being her first.
All agreed the book was well written, was a great read, and importantly for some, easily able to be read in your pyjamas on a day when thunderstorms, wind and rain swirled around for most of the day. And more thanks to McLassie because along the way we also found out from her that 'Saudade', the famous maker of the Mitcham portuguese tarts translates as 'longing' in Portuguese - the overriding sense which hummed along quietly in the background while reading the book. The general agreement was so many sad but also so many good things came out of this read - whatever you were wearing.
Marg contemplating big themes
Next up was Marg's choice and with her book of notes in hand, and sound advice from her daughter in mind (which was something like "Mum, at book club you don't rewrite the book - people have already read it. You pick out a few themes and talk about them") Marg took us to her book 'Songbirds' by Christy Lefteri. We last left Christy with the Beekeeper from Aleppo who finally made it to England after a perilous journey - this time we landed in Cyprus near the Green Line with Nisha the disappearing nanny, Yiannis the poacher, Petra the mother who found her daughter but not her nanny, and of course the Songbirds.
Entrapment was the key theme for Marg - with Nisha the Sri Lankan nanny trapped in 'servitude' (read modern slavery), and the Songbirds trapped in the poacher's nets for pretty substantial monetary gain - where they (the songbirds) ended up in a Cypriot 'national' dish
Somehow we all knew it wasn't going to end well for Nisha and as Petra and Yiannis's search tracked her last journey down the lane, any way out for the songbirds and Nisha seemed to close off. Marg followed up on this theme by checking on recent reports about the plight of migrant workers like Nisha, and attempts by the British army to stop the poaching. But lo and behold - zip progress on both counts.
Our discussion suggested there was a lot going on in this book. Firstly, the very practical question of the smell that must have come from Yiannis's flat haunted some - but in the literary sense there was the engaging relationship between Yiannis and Nisha, the gap between Petra and her daughter, Nisha's story and her daughter back in Sri Lanka, then Yiannis and Nisha's daughter, the dark clouds always hanging over the Red Lake, and the black marketeers lurking in the background. But we agreed with Marg - entrapment was absolute and overpowering. We never heard the voice of Nisha or the songbirds singing - no doubt a decision of the author knowing they were destined to an untimely end. Like the Beekeeper it was an enlightening read, but unlike the Beekeeper, it didn't end well - but then like the Beekeeper it certainly brought important issues to the surface, and thats what good books do.
The full house at Marg's place agreed the two book selections, though very different, were both from the top shelf - and after getting them under our belts it was time to dive in and get McLassie's delicious raspberry and pear cake under our belts - with refreshing tea and lots of goss about kings, queens, Richard Fidler interviews https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/conversations/episodes (especially the episodes on coast watchers and black war babies), and other recent events.
The the next meeting is Wednesday 16 November 2022 at Julie's place (1 Fox Street, Goodwood), when Banjo could be back on all four legs. Book choices:
Julie: The Reader by Bernard Schlink (tip: the 2008 film of the book may still be on Netflix)
Sue: The Promise by Damon Galgut (after scratching The Paris Bookseller)
Recommended reading: for those wanting to continue with Cyprus, The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak (nod to Cherrie's suggestion).
There were a few absentees at the mid July meeting, but then quality often trumps quantity (except if you're 'The Donald'). But Kathy and Megan came up trumps, with their reviews of the evening, the books and the recipe for the popular cake.
Thanks to Megan for her review of the evening
We had an interesting meeting on Wednesday- only 6 able to be there.
Kathy’s book ‘Rattled’ didn’t really pique anyone’s interest other than why she had chosen it! It was really a bit like reading someone’s diary - sometimes amusing, sometimes thoughtful but really not that enlightening. Kathy’s report really summed it up well (see below).
The highlight of the evening was hearing of Kathy’s life experiences - teenage pregnancy, moving to California with her best friend to protect her ’change of shape’ from becoming general knowledge to her family and work colleagues. Subsequently meeting her later to be husband. Her whirlwind romance, engagement, wedding, honeymoon then settling in Australia were riveting listening. Kathy’s memoirs would certainly be a wonderful read - can’t wait for the publication!!!
So when we came to review Garden of Broken Dreams it was probably a little underwhelming!
There was no reason for the choice of book other than I was looking for another title which had been suggested - couldn’t find that one and saw this. As we’ve never reviewed a book about Haiti I thought we’d give it a go!
Some found it a bit hard to get going but with perseverance thought it was worth the read. A real eye opener with regard to the living conditions, poverty, corruption, lack of employment and general malaise of the male population. As Cherrie noted “A story of brave and/or self sufficient women!” We we’re all dismayed and appalled at the bullying & abuse given to the daughters (the Idea being to make them resilient and able to make a living for themselves - following in their mother’s footsteps).
There were times in the narrative where you were unsure what was real and what was imagination- talking about your two selves and your other half.
I expected there to be an emphasis on Voodoo (generally Haiti is well known for its superstitions and black magic) however there was no mention. The characters were semi-religious (Catholic) but this also was not really part of the story although I’m sure religion is an important part of to some of these people.
The earthquake really did happen and it’s devastating consequences hard to fathom. The earthquake in 2010 killed over 200,000 people and the one in this book whilst not having the same number of deaths still resulted in nationwide destruction. How they could manage to rebuild a country with such a lack of infra-structure is hard to imagine. It certainly wasn’t a happy book and perhaps not appealing to some - I thought it was worth the read but probably too long. The characters generally not very appealing but interesting!
Megan's overview of 'Garden of Broken Dreams', by Francesca Momplaisir
This is the second book by Francesca Momplaisir who was Haitian born, a multilingual literature scholar and writer of fiction and poetry in both English & her native Haitian Kreyal.
She holds undergraduate & graduate degrees in English & Comparative Literature from Colombia, Oxford and N Y Universities. She earned a doctorate in African literature and is a recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship to travel to Ghana to research cultural retention and memory of the Trans Atlantic slave trade. She lives in the New York metro area.
The story begins with Genevieve driving her eldest son, Miles, to New Jersey to visit Bright, her estranged husband & father of Miles & Yves and a US District Attorney. Miles is in trouble at school once again - he struggles with the disparity between the treatment of the privileged white boys and Black boys like himself. The same infractions and misdemeanours by white & black boys are handled quite differently- little punishment for the whites but police line ups, friskings & interrogations with a gun trained on them for the blacks. Miles is becoming more rebellious & sullen and is possibly heading for disaster - Genevieve decides to take him on a visit to Haiti to understand where he’s come from and what opportunities he has been given in America compared to what his life would have been in Haiti.
Bright is not happy with the proposed trip and blames Genevieve for her lack of parenting skills - she is actually a qualified psychiatrist earning a good living - bright has on many occasions threatened to take both boys away from Genevieve although neither of them particularly like their father and know of his many indiscretions & questionable life. Both Genevieve’s grandmother O’Lady and mother Ma despise Bright and warned her against marrying Him as they knew him to be unreliable and ‘no good’ - they consider women to be the stronger sex and that there is no need for a man to help them be successful. Thankfully they did adore Genevieve’s two sons even though they weren’t girls! They formed a very close bond.
The arrival at Haiti Airport is expected to be a huge cultural shock for Miles - no air conditioning, beggars everywhere and certainly no preferential treatment to go to the head of the queue just because you are American!
They are met by Mimi, cousin & close friend of Genevieve, in her much loved truck which Genevieve had provided for her 9 years ago. This is just one of many gifts and financial help Genevieve has provided to family members over the years. Whilst letting Miles experience life’s challenges in Haiti and meeting his relatives Genevieve also wants to again approach her cousin (and once close friend) Ateya to discuss her 9 year old daughter T’Louse who Genevieve knows is being abused & bullied by her mother. Genevieve & Ateya were very close as children and spent a lot of time together when ya Genevieve visited Haiti with her mother and grandmother. Ma and O’Lady both offered to take Ateya back to America with them to give her a better life but Ateya’s mother refused. In time, after years of both mental & physical abuse by her mother, Ateya as part of the society she belongs to, has a number of children of her own by different fathers but is pleased when she finally has a daughter after a number of sons. This means she now has her own future settled - a daughter to bully and belittle and know that when she is old enough she will be strong enough to take over all that Ateya has accomplished- this cycle of abuse and expectation is passed down from mother to daughter - the females are considered to be much harder workers and smarter and get things done but live almost as slaves until they inherit what ever business or property their mothers leave them. The boys of these families are allowed to be lazy, aren’t challenged to better themselves and invariably father children who they have no intention of helping to rear.
Ateya is very envious and jealous of Genevieve and their relationship is very strained. She knows T’Louse loves Genevieve and would happily go back to America with her but because her mother refused this opportunity for her when she was a child, she will not allow Genevieve to take her daughter from her even though she knows her life would be so much better.
Genevieve continues to battle with Miles sullenness and lack of interest in Haiti generally all the while hoping that Ateya will show some kindness towards T’Louse and maybe change her mind about letting her go to America.
The rumblings and shakings of the earthquake are hard to fathom at first but the total destruction and devastation all around is totally overwhelming. Genevieve locates Miles under some rubble and realises he is very seriously hurt and will need emergency medical assistance which wouldn’t be available locally. Thankfully Mimi is ok and her truck roadworthy enough to get them to a hospital. Ateya, who only has hearing in one ear (from a blow to the head by her father when she was young) now doesn’t seem to be hearing anything - she is in total shock and disorientated.
Genevieve finds T’Louse’s body and is persuaded by Mimi to leave her as time is very important for them to drive the hundreds of miles to the hospital with Miles hoping to avoid all the aftershocks. Ateya refuses to go with them but just wanders off dazed and confused. Eventually she knows there is someone she should be looking for - this becomes her sole purpose. She manages to save a number of babies and small children she finds by taking them into the plantains where it’s cool and probably safer.
The earthquake has been a catalyst for Ateya who drives herself to keep searching (unaware that her daughter is dead) - she thinks of all that happened in the past, regrets her treatment of T’Louse and knows that she really did love her. She becomes sympathetic to all those suffering around her and offers help where she can (a trait which she never previously showed - always looked out for herself).
Genevieve & Mimi have a nightmare journey to the hospital - witnessing all the death & destruction but totally focussed on saving Miles. Genevieve has time for reflection whilst nursing Miles in the back of the truck - perhaps her life could have been managed better and possibly things were not all Bright’s fault in the marriage breakdown.
Genevieve’s Comments It has been three days since we’ve been back in New York. Mimi has found a spot among the brush and Trees at the base of the Citadel, where she sleeps in the truck, waiting for the frenzy to die down. For 3 days she listens to planes landing and taking off, the bellow of cruise ship horns announcing their arrivals and departures as they deposit foreign rescuers and ferry the frightened documented ones from this place, that for them is home and not home. Not home when it comes to getting out of the broken country to save their own lives. Mimi is not one of them nor is she a rescuer. She is a trembling misfit, hiding in her pickup until the danger passes.
Ateya is sitting in the grave meant for 2 in the plantain garden with her legs spread open as she digs the soil with earth-stained hands. She has burrowed holes at the base of every tree, searching for what is hers. She has sent her soft self into the yard to hold the children mined from beneath hefty chunks of earth. These are the ones who have not survived - whose skins bear no marks of trauma. Her tender self cradles them, carries them to the grove, lays them there and goes back for another one. For 3 days Ateya performs this ritual - these are acts of contrition that she knows will not bring back what is hers. But it is better than laying both of her selves in the grave dug for 2 and waiting to die.
Ma and O’Lady are in the kitchen trying to keep quiet whilst preparing the meal. They maintain a vigil to make sure that the boys and I remain inside, where they believe my sons are safe from what they have deemed my recklessness. The boys are in Miles’ room where Yves has slept for 3 nights- Miles forces his fingers to move so that he can play video games with his brother.
Bright is parked outside my building where he has been for the past 3 days, coming in only to use the bathroom. He speaks to no one and no one speaks to him. He tracks the residue of his regret as he walks carefully down the hallway past my bedroom door. He wants me to let him in to apologise, to forgive, to take him into my bed. He leaves and returns to his car to stand guard in case I try to leave with the boys.
I am in bed, resting in the fetal position, with my arms wrapped around myself, my eyes open. I stare at baby girl in the chair by the window. Not a scratch or a bruise on her bare arms visible by moonlight, nor a tear of joy, nor the tight smile of displeasure on her face. Only her unblinking eyes with their bright whites fixed on my face, as if she wants to touch me.
Drowsy from the chamomile tea I close my eyes drifting into sleep. When I open them with a gentle flutter, the girl is kneeling beside my bed, breathing an air of soil and greenery into my face. She unwraps my arms and climbs into the spoon of my body. She wiggles until her form is so snug that I can hear the purr of her breath. Her heart beat is less of a sound but more of a tremor as if it has dispersed itself through her body. She holds my arm which is swung over her and I squeeze to keep her from trembling.
Although I am holding her close, when I look over at the chair she is sitting there watching.
And now to Kathy's take on her book
Rattled by Christine Coppa
I realised quite a few weeks after recommending this book to our group that it was, in fact, the wrong “Rattled”. The one I should have put forward was written by Adelaide author, Ellis Gun – not Christine Coppa.
I was listening to an episode of Radio National’s “The Book Shelf” in early May. Kate Evans and Cassie McCullough opened the show by raving about a book called “Rattled”. I completely missed the author’s name but, in that brief opening prior to reviewing the books for that episode, they both discussed the merits of reading the title.
I feel Ellis Gun’s “Rattled” might have won more favour amongst the group than Christine Coppa’s tome. When I typed the title “Rattled” into Amazon, Coppa’s book was right at the top, so I simply clicked ‘buy’.
As it turns out, both stories are memoirs but with vastly different tales. I personally found Coppa’s writing style easy enough to read, despite finding her somewhat repetitive and trite. Again, personally, I thought the premise of the story – the emotions and reaction to finding oneself pregnant without an available partner – might have featured some new insights. It failed.
Christine Coppa describes herself as a print and digital Lifestyle Journalist with 20 years of experience; a dynamic storyteller; an editorial strategist; and a brand content creator. The New Jersey native is possibly best known for her long-standing blog called “Storked!” in GLAMOUR magazine, outlining her pregnancy, birth and maternal experiences as a single mother.
What I found most touching about the book was the incredibly positive reaction and interaction of her family, particularly her brother, Carlo. He was the epitome of surrogate dad to Jack (JD), before and after the delivery, and was also a perfect stand-in partner to Chrissy. Without question, he was my favourite character in the book.
Other than to say I thought Christine was a very lucky person to have a very deep family connection, I don’t have a lot else to say about the book itself.
So now its on to the all important cake recipe - thanks to Kathy
Danish Apple and Prune Cake
Ingredients for batter:
125gr butter, room temperature
170gr sugar
2 well beaten eggs
100gr ground almonds
80gr self raising flour
125ml milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp boiling water mixed with 1/2 tsp baking powder
Ingredients for topping:
8 sox dessert prunes, coarsely chopped
100gr chopped walnuts or pecans (I used pecans)
2 good Tbsp sugar
2 Granny Smith applies, cored and peeled and thinly sliced
And 3/4 way through cooking:
3 Tbsp sugar mixed with cinnamon
25gr butter cut into dobs
Method:
Cream together with sugar.Add well-beaten eggs, ground almonds, self-raising flour, milk, vanilla and baking powder mixed with boiling water.
Preheat oven to 190C. Pour batter into well-greased or baking paper lined 20cm cake tin. Evenly place chopped prunes on top of batter and then cover with chopped nuts that have been mixed with the 2 Tbsp sugar. Arrange thinly sliced apple pieces over the entire top. Bake for 45 minutes and then carefully, slide rack out and sprinkle over the cinnamon sugar and dot with butter. Slide the cake back into the oven and bake for a further 20-30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cake will keep well for least a week in an airtight tin. Serve with whipped cream.
Next Book Club meeting is Wednesday 14 September 2022 - when its Margie and McLassie's turn. Stay tuned for the book selections.
Our bi-monthly rendezvous took place at Mog's place on 11 May to discuss Mog's choice, 'The moment of lift' by Melinda Gates, and Cherrie's selection, 'Scary Monsters' by Michelle de Kretser. Three of our group missed the discussion and the yummy cake - Julie and Kathy were separately in iso, and McLassie was tied up in family affairs.
Bonnie wasn't happy at having to move from the comfiest chair in the room but after she was rescued by Jeremy, Cherrie introduced us all to Michelle de Kretser and her book. Flipping through her 4 pages of notes, Cherrie recounted her recent interview at Writers Week. It was an informative exchange with some puzzling quotes from Michelle - but the big question was who or what were the 'Scary Monsters'? We all had our different views to begin with but somehow they coalesced through our discussion of the book/s. There was a lot to talk about - with 2 novellas (Lyle and Lili), comparing the two and flipping the essence of the bridge (yes if you can make sense of that last phrase you apparently can talk Michelle's language). So to the novellas
First to Lyle - a dystopian view of the sadly not too distant future narrated by the rather insipid namesake of the novella. We followed Lyle around his Department, home and life, discovering along the way that casting a pale shadow seemed to be his key survival strategy. Yet throughout the bleak outlook of the story was woven de Krester's acerbic wit which went someway to lightening the storyline. But the dark threads were real - with racism, disinterest, and greed (or at least indifference to the life of the elderly) to the fore. Ivy and the Amendment drove our discussion down rabbit holes that we probably didn't want to grapple with - and yes we found more scary monsters (think ageing, losing control and end of life). So we moved on to the next one....
Lili - a very different book. It was a walk through the past and a short though very graphic reflection on the overseas experience of a young female teacher in France. In some ways it was about Lili's rite of passage into adulthood - where she wanted to be like Simone de Beauvoir and ooze confidence (no small aspiration there!). There was no real storyline, rather it was a character based, fast paced, explosion of a novella. Everywhere was colour (including Minna's wardrobe and hair), yet it was all grounded in Lili's fear of the scary monsters. Think racism again, youthful uncertainty, and killers roaming the streets. There were odd relationships along with weird neighbours with weird names (I for one was glad that no light was shed on Candlewoman), and strange encounters on the stair/landing/dunny. We were all thankful again for the wry humour woven through this novella, and found ourselves caught up in Lili's escapade through the south of France, and side trips to Italy and Sardinia. (And who was John Berger? - you can find out more here if you must - https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/jan/02/john-berger-obituary)
Cherrie worked her way through her notes and admirably led us along the pathway of these two unrelated but conceptually connected stories. It soon became clear that there were common themes around the scary monsters, even though there were divergent views and interpretations about the book/s in the room. But we all agreed it was a classic book club book - invoking great discussion, making us confront our own scary monsters, with many laughs along the way, and in the end expanding our minds in many different directions to try and make sense of it all. There was general agreement it was a strange book but a great choice.
You can bridge the essence and listen to MdK talking about her book at this link -
And I can't leave this part without posting a picture of the scary monsters Cherilyn has renamed Lyle and Lili
Lyle in front; Lili behind
After the lengthy discussion of scary monsters we didn't have a lot of time for Mog's book, The moment of Lift. Chosen during the dark times of the pandemic and Ukraine, Mog explained her choice was driven by the need to be uplifted. We all felt the same. Mog gave us a summary of Melinda Gates' life up to her divorce and how Bill's link with Epstein was the last straw for her. Moving out from Bill's shadow and into the world in her own right, Melinda has certainly made her mark. Moment of Lift is a personal statement about the importance of investing in women and health, which Melinda has been fortunate enough to be able to do in spades. Her first steps were into funding for family planning in third world countries - and that moved her further into encouraging women everywhere to have access to jobs. Our chat took a slight deviation at this point - into wonderment about how our generation of women managed a home, children AND work - and how this has moved the goalposts for the next generation where men (well, some at least) now lean in to do their share (or is it sometimes more than their share was a question posed here; and I'm definitely not going there).
Amongst our group, the view was that the first half of the book was a bit of a slog, but the second half was redeeming in that the presentation of her main argument was a moment of lift - her argument being that pulling the gender equity lever lifts everybody. YOU GO GIRL!
After confronting our scary monsters we were lifted up and ready for Mog's yummy carrot and walnut cake, tea, along with more uplifting chatter - before a few of us had to set off on the road to deflation and suffer the delays caused by night roadworks on the long drive home.
Next meeting is on 13 July 2022, at either Megan or Kathy's place; and the books are:
Megan: The Garden of Broken Things by Francesca Momplaisir
