Thursday, January 30
Friday, November 15
Deconstructing the environment: Reconstructing cakes
 |
| A clean Mystery |
The environment came in for much attention in our 2 books - both its importance, and its fragility - and this set the scene for some troubling discussions later on. But first, here is Julie's take on the discussion about the first book Limberlost by the ABC Radio National's Book Show favourite, Robbie Arnott.
 |
| Robbie Arnott |
Quite a bit of discussion but most bookclubbers were interested to press the return button and live in parental childhood, with Ned and his family. We reminisced about country living in depression times and before the war. Few cars and little chance to visit other places.
The thrill for Ned when taken by his father in a boat, with his siblings to view the whale, set the scene for Ned`s desire for boat building. The capture of a quoll, its release and its rehabilitation resulted in Ned finding his future wife. The capture of rabbits and selling their pelts was the means for both these events.
Tasmanian country life is at the heart of this novel, as Ned works on the family apple orchard.
The novel slips backwards and forwards which most bookclubbers found annoying, making it difficult at times to know with which family Ned was living, however the conciseness of the novel and the connections to the environment, made the novel satisfying and personal.
"Arnott, I think, isn’t sentimental. Ned’s failures and errors aren’t presented as moments of transformation or growth. They are allowed simply to stand, as part of the whole.” https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/oct/07/limberlost-by-robbie-arnott-review-a-sweet-and-moving-song-of-man-and-landscape
The general view overall was 50/50 for the book (I think - or maybe that was for Creation Lake? or maybe both books??) - here is the link to Julie's notes for the book if you want to limber your eyes and get a little more lost in the book.(scroll down because the notes are out of order - I'm blaming Mystery - life has been a bit of boondoggle the last few days). https://docs.google.com/document/d/1k5l6cdaK46M39rQaULp8U4iK3DiZdeCIR7xoaVBw66M/edit?usp=sharing
Then, just in time, the late arrival arrived, and we wandered waist deep into Creation Lake, by Rachel Kushner. It wasn't your usual spy thriller, and nor was the narrator Sadie Smith a normal heroine. Manipulative, deceptive, unfeeling are just three of the words we used to describe her. Some thought there was no saving her - others suggested maybe there was a core to her and the book - suggesting it came out on pages 208-211 giving a clue (not quite a SPOILER ALERT) to the ending.
Pascal's character was also the subject of commentary, laced as he was with the arrogance of privilege along with the emptiness of oratory, leaving the farmers in the lurch. The ending was either unresolved/ambiguous/satisfactory/unsatisfactory depending on your reading - but in all cases, had the effect of making the reader reflect. (Apparently Kushner was going to give Sadie her comeuppance in the end but decided against it, so maybe we were all correct.) As Cherrie commented, the book did make you reflect on the extent to which objectors now need to go in order to get their message across (recent example given by Cherrie was cementing/locking arms to cars and other immovable objects in Limberlost country).
If you want to hear a short interview with RK try this - and my brief notes are in the above google.docs link.
Conversation turned to the state of the environment (COP 29 now on with the 2 big emitters not there), and how the orange blob is going to make the environment, and everything else, so much worse.
Before we got too dark, Cake time was called. Its not often that a cake ends up in a jar, but sadly it was the fate of the chocolate roll cake that never was -
this is what it should have looked like
(Mary Berry eat your heart out - oops that is MB's cake!)
But if the cake didn't turn out for the better, we all agreed the election in the USA took the cake for being a disaster. While not wanting to get too depressed, we all worried about the future of the planet and whether we shouldn't return to the cave just like Bruno - which may be where we end up if the orange blob and his unelected wingman Elon keep heading in the direction they're going.
Trying to steer away from the demise of the USA (again), and reassure Mog that Lainie won't be deported (but could be lucky if she was!), we turned to Series 2 of The Diplomat, then on to pigs (don't go there!), and back to two of Mog's lighthearted jokes to end the evening:
- What borders on insanity? - Canada and Mexico 🤣
- After driving with an older friend through 3 red lights, she felt obliged to ask the driver if she knew she had driven through a red light. Answer - am I driving? 🙏
Good to end of an uplifting light note. The schedule for 2025 is looking something like this - based on the second Wednesday of alternative months
12 March Cherilyn and Barb
14 May Mog and Cherrie
16 July Megan and Kathy
10 September Margie and McLassie
12 November Julie and Sue
No books yet decided so stay tuned, and not sure who is hosting though it maybe first person listed - but put the dates in the your diary, or if you're hosting, let everyone know if the listed date is a problem and we'll reschedule. Holiday readings didn't get much of a mention, although Elizabeth Strout's new book Tell me everything was suggested given the author's past successes in telling stories about characters, lives and relationships. Also suggested again was The Forest of Wool and Steel by Natsu Miyashita. Does that mean its Zen time in the rest of the world for the next 4 years?
Happy reading until 2025.
UPDATE: Books for 12 March 2025 have come through the internet wire and are:
- Cherilyn - Noble Ambitions by Adrian Tinniswood
- Barb - The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng
Wednesday, October 2
Fire and Chai - and then there was the Teacher
Wednesday 25 September 2024 and all booksclubbers except Julie gathered at McLassie and Rosie's place for our fire and chai chat. It took us a while to settle down around the fire and when Rosie had found her place, McLassie led us off with her selection, Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens by Shankari Chandra. It was not long after the author had appeared on ABC Compass talking about her 2023 Miles Franklin award winning book, explaining where its narrative about justice and dispossession had come from.
 |
| Shankari Chandran |
Cherrie also referred to Shankari's interview with Richard Fidler, where she talked about being an Australian lawyer based in London for 10 years. During that time she achieved no mean feat by incorporating social justice as a principle for the international law firm she worked with.
https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/conversations/conversations-shankari-chandran/8747086
Chai Time is her third book and revolves around the residents of the Cinnamon Gardens Nursing Home and their stories. With story lines in both Australia and Sri Lanka, the book stands racism firmly on its dark pedestal giving it a good whack - which in turn gives the book a good deal of heft. We discussed the many characters Shankari introduced us to, some of whom were complex and not so easy to understand; and talked about Shankari's blunt way of introducing some of her characters (eg Ruben). The anti-colonial sentiment of Anjali's parents that brought about the downfall of Captain Cook's statue some time ago was tossed around too. This action set off a series of events that raised past trauma for the residents - and was precipitated by the action of the local Councillor who lodged a complaint with the Human Rights Commission. (Hmm - is there a hidden message here about power, men and local government?)
Some thought that there was too much going on the in the book, with the many characters, their backstories, the different timespans, and the storyline about Cinnamon Gardens and the Council - and all this made it difficult to keep track of everything. But the kindness seeped through rescuing some of the many and varied narratives, and our readers generally agreed it was a good choice. Thanks McLassie.
McLassie handed the platform over to Marg for our next book, The Book of Fire, by Christy Lefteri. Christy is a favoured author for Marg (and the group) as Marg has previously chosen her two earlier books (The Beekeeper of Aleppo and Songbirds). Here is a short interview with Christy introducing The Book of Fire - there are much longer ones on Youtube if you feel like settling in:
We didn't take long to plunge into the sea with Irini and her daughter Chara, and spent many chapters with the Mother, daughter and fabulous dog, Rosalie paddling on the raft reflecting on the big theme of the book - the effects of climate change and who is to blame. We also spent a lot of time on the night discussing the end of Mr Monk - was it suicide, was he assisted in his suicide, or was it a straight out stringing up by the villagers? All three options got a guensey with various readers favouring different interpretations - so the jury is still out on this one. After questioning Tasso's response to the fire, we talked our way around to agreeing in the end that Tasso too should be acknowledged because of the grief and trauma he went through. Which then brought us to the kindness of the strangers who looked after Irini and Chara in the days immediately after the fire - leaving us with some respite from the unresolved questions posed by the book. But resolution or not, Irini's strength and Chara's resilience shone through suggesting they were the heroines of the book. Another great Lefteri read, all agreed.
We made our way homewards around 9.00 pm thinking about the next meeting which is currently scheduled for Wednesday 13 November 2024 - venue Fox Street unless its changed to Hindmarsh Valley and moved to lunchtime on Friday 22 November 2024. Yes it's up for voting. Books are:
- Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner (Sue)
- Limberlost by Robbie Arnott (Julie)
.....and then there was the Teacher
on Tuesday 1 October. Kathy and Peter, Mog and Jeremy, Julie and Chris, Megan and Andrew, McLassie and moi saw 'The Teacher who promised the sea' at Palace Nova, followed by dinner at Lemongrass.
Friday, July 19
Women, War, What-the-@#*k, and Why
Barb, Cherilyn and McLassie found themselves in states other than at Kathy's place at Frederick Street on Wednesday 17 July but all remaining book clubbers turned up and missed the missing, while the resident ginger/tortoiseshell el pussycato (Pumpkin) reoriented herself with her guests.
 |
| Thanks to David Rowe for "Trump - me the people" |
To divert our fears Kathy told us of her news that after Matt's (and fiancé) recent visit to Adelaide she had told Matt of her wise decision not to travel to Panama for the wedding; and Mog is looking forward to a very full house over Christmas with the visit from her American family (and friends) crossing over with her interstate lot. (Whether the USA arm of her family return is a question waiting for an answer).
But some of us wondered whether these conversations were a diversion - because there may have been an element of reluctance to re-enter the pages of our two troubling books about women and war. Just then, Megan valiantly stepped forward and launched us into Iraq and the fractured world of the Yazidi community in Kocho - torn apart when ISIS stormed into that part of the middle east in 2014. The Last Girl, by Nadia Murad (with Jenna Krajeski), was an autobiographical account of the genocide, and all agreed it made for a very difficult and troubling read. You can read Megan's excellent research and summary here https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YEE4v9cPu2VXtC10cyyqkc2BCGO_dGDfIGSVQs6OcYY/edit
Discussion about the book revolved around Nadia's incredible courage - in surviving, escaping, telling her story and taking the Yazidi genocide to the world in an effort to obtain justice. All readers agreed that despite, and even because, of the grim subjects it traversed, the book was a significant contribution to recording the catastrophic effects of extreme religious fervour. We discussed whether the Yazidi would be described as a 'cult' in the west, but decided that was very much a second order issue. One lone voice thought there could have been more background to set the scene of the time, particularly the lasting effects of the US/UK/Australian invasion of Iraq (2003-2011), resulting in the civil wars and the rise of ISIS when they exited in 2011. But there were no takers on this as most bookclubbers considered this aspect was beyond the book's scope, and all took the view that Nadia's story was important to tell in its own right.
Fortunately, as you can see from the video, the Yazidi have found some joy since, with Nadia gaining the 2018 Peace Prize along with western support to rebuild the homelands. Her work to redress the failure of the international community to take action on the ethnic cleansing of the Yazidi is ongoing, while on a personal level, she has married and resettled in Germany. A tough but important read was the general view - to find out more about Nadia's work go to https://www.nadiasinitiative.org
Kathy then whipped us back to the late 1960's early 70's and USA/Vietnam with The Women, by Kristin Hannah, and you can read her extensive background research and book summary here https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YWDfKGUTVIgS543tA2TyFqdn5Xn-E1DWiqBN2BCW1VA/edit
Also here is an interview of Kristin Hannah talking about her book (its 17.5 minutes so settle in with your cup of tea and choccy biscuit)
Everyone agreed on some things about the book: firstly it told an important story about the women on the front line in the Vietnam war whose role was not acknowledged; secondly that Kristin Hannah did her research meticulously; and thirdly that the book conveyed the atmosphere of the turbulent times well. But there were some caveats - and here they come
- As Frankie faded with PTSD in the second half, so too did the narrative, with twists and turns in the storyline, some of which channelled 'Mills and Boon' - particularly the romantic elements which some thought were sentimental, cheesy and predictable.
- The reconnection with Rye stands out, as does the finale with James (honestly!! - we were led to believe both died in the war and yet they separately return from the dead, with James' reappearance contributing to the book's happy ending and 450+ page count).
- Then there was the affair and engagement with psychiatrist Henry Acevedo - who despite his professional expertise, amazingly does nothing to assist her through PTSD even while witnessing all the pill popping and alcohol consumption.
- The parents estrangement from Frankie also came in for some critical walloping - and Kathy reflected that the lifestyle from 'a country club existence' probably contributed to their detached perspective
Despite these misgivings, we agreed the book was interesting and readable, and that the standout characters were the women and their lasting friendship - Frankie, Ethel and Barb - which was probably what the author wanted us to go away with. So its a success there!
Pumpkin purred her way into the room as we were winding up, no doubt keen to hoover up the crumbs of the delicious apple cake we wolfed down before making our way homewards.
Next meeting, on 11 September 2024, (probably McLassie's place but stay tuned), we're going to Greece with Margy's book selection - The Book of Fire, by Christy Leftery: and a mystery trip probably to somewhere else with McLassie yet to confirm her selection.
UPDATE: McLassie's book brings us back home - Chai Time at the Cinnamon Gardens, by Shankari Chandran
Book recommendations - or not - were
- The Forest of Wool and Steel by Natsu Miyashita (recommended by Cherrie)
- The Guest Cat, by Takash Hiraide (continuing the Japanese theme)
- The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, by Kim Michele Richardson (recommended by Megan)
- When we were Orphans, by (Sir) Kazuo Ishiguro (recommended up until 2/3rds through the book by Julie)
Sunday, May 26
Quiet and Noisy Women
Confession time. Your poster girl feels like an imposter while posting this record of the FnB Club meeting, because I didn't get to read Restless Dolly Maunder and I'm still making my way through Stone Yard Devotional. But I'll plough on and make it up if needed - as they did some of the time in Mog's original but discarded book choice 'The Rest is History'.
Cherilyn was away in sunny Queensland but everyone else turned up at Cherrie's townhouse on 22 May 2024 to talk about Cherrie and Moggie's book selections.
 |
| Charlotte Wood and book |
https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/adelaide-writers/aww24-stone-yard-devotional-H8bq1wKl9O_/
or read about it in Cherrie's thoughtful homework on the book and author (hint - Beejay didn't come out well as interviewer).
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kTYDxpPy69Sh35av3Jd_7wye4iIA-LwLbTTLhlb2nXQ/edit?usp=sharing
Perhaps because of Charlotte's exotic haircut, the book created quite a lot of discussion about many things including
- how the 'retreat' or convent actually worked. Kathy provided first hand info about retreats, convents and nuns, and the chat around the table about the book suggested retreats are very silent without offering redemption for anyone - at least not in our story
- the narrator - whose ambiguity throughout the novel presumably was designed to suggest this could be anyone's story (thinking here of loneliness, desolation, introspection, depression at the state of the world - phew, quite a jolting list)
- the mice plague - a double entendre reminding the reader of climate change and (if you're a believer) the wrath of some almighty somewhere - but McLassie gave us a great tip from her father about putting bed legs in bowls of water to stop the mice from running over you at night
- bones and the other visitation from Helen Parry - now a Sister and climate activist oozing confidence. This visitation also had the double whammy of reminding the narrator of her past political activist life in Sydney about which she was so disillusioned - and the shared schoolyard where the young Helen was a victim of bullying. So this opened another road
to remorse for the narrator because she didn't stand up for Helen in the schoolyard.
We all sank a bit with the weight of the novel and reflected on our own schoolyard groupie histories, but most readers agreed with Cherrie - it was a quiet and profound read.
 |
| Kate and Dolly |
Perhaps, from the table conversations, several ways of looking at this book emerged. One is that Dolly was always looking for the greener pastures over the hill (a product of her early hard life on the farm maybe): another is that she always felt trapped and needed to find a way out: another is that she was an entrepreneur and had she been of a different sex she would have been applauded for her 'can do' capacity and upward mobility; and another less favourable gendered view could probably be found in her inability to nurture her children and grandchildren. All options are not mutually exclusive of course, and there may be more - so I'm leaving all this 'on the table' in the expectation that it is really Kate G's take that is probably the most important (although having said that she is relying on book sales for a living).
Observing the chat around the table it was interesting that the contrast in the 2 books appeared to be quite deep. While one was about the narrator's quiet introspection in a disintegrating world, the others main character stepped out into the world and just took it on - injustice, frustration and all.
Everyone could agree that the 2 books were good choices and created lots of discussion - and even more somehow they also prompted chat about very different subjects including teenage teeth and bands, older ears and cochlea implants, and even more strangely, fairy penguins (note to self: don't get close when Cherrie is around). And as Cherrie brought out her fabulous almond pastry strawberry tart, we all wondered if there will be strawberries in June this year?? - and learnt that the grey leaf plant in Mog's bunch of flowers is Dusty Miller Jacobaea Maritime (thanks to Cherrie who sent that information through later).
Next meeting was rescheduled to 17 July 2024, at Kathy's place (I think - stay tuned) - when 2 more books about women will be dissected
Kathy - The Women by Kristen Hannah
Megan - The Last Girl by Nadia Murad (suggest you wrap yourself in a warm blanket by the fire with hot chocolate while reading this one).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)