Before we get there, terrific thanks to Maggie who not only hosted, but also made the most delicious chicken mole. This is truly food for the gods the way Maggie makes it and it bears no resemblance to the brown stuff out of a can that most Mexican restaurants offer up. Of course it also takes hours upon hours to prepare, so thank you so much! Much to our concern, Maggie tripped and had a bit of a hard fall resulting in a cracked collarbone and a trip to Patient First. The good news is that she is doing well and resting at home. Leave it to Maggie to make sure we all had dinner and our discussion before heading out to get checked out!
There was so much talk about the book that it is hard to do it all justice. Many commented on the precocious attitude of Joe, who was supposed to be 13 years old. On the other hand, he did seem so typical of a teenage boy. Of course the situation was heartbreaking and the tangle of legal jurisdictions infuriating. What was so wonderful, and many commented on it, was how the story was so much more than this complicated story of his mother's rape and search for the person responsible.
It was the human side of the story that was so compelling for most of us. That the author took this plot line and made it so personal; it was really impressive and also gripping. The difficult process of deciding on a course of action, the dread and determination to carry it out and the way his friend Cappy appeared at just the right time to help was a wonderful, if wrenching part of the book.
Someone brought up the good twin/bad twin relationship between Linda and Lark; that she was deformed yet a kind and helpful person but he was handsome and evil, another interesting layer of detail in the book. Like so many of Erdrich's books, the characters have a bit of their future lives unfold in this story, and usually also ancestors who appeared in other books when their own stories were told, like Nanapush. Erdrich herself said that she feels that she really is writing only one novel, one that covers years and generations of the same families, the same tribes and how they all connect together in some way.
Val had such an interesting perspective as she grew up in a tiny Minnesota town that was right by (or on?) a reservation. While she enjoyed the book, she also felt as it the general reservation experience is no where near as positive and intact as the characters in this book. Her experience was of disengaged or missing parents and isolated and directionless children, with low standards and lower expectations. Hopefully, life has improved on the reservations, but it is a reminder that perhaps these characters were the lucky ones in their environments, another element of interest.
For those who enjoyed this, Erdrich's first novel was Love Medicine which still rates as one of my most beloved books and it is a great place to start on this long and lovely saga of the Northern Plains Indians. I am lucky enough to have a first edition from a print run of 5,000 so I have been a fan for a long time! My current favorite of the more recent books is The Painted Drum but it is hard to go wrong with any of her books.
Thanks to all who came and special thanks to our hostess Maggie! Our next meeting is at Mary Millhiser's house on Feb. 11 at 6:30. The books are either Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollen or Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. They are both about the food chain If you want to get even more riled up about it, watch the movie King Corn as well.
The date for March is also the 11th, bring ideas for the March book as we didn't come to a consensus yet. Anyone interested in a fabulous Soviet murder mystery? Child 44 just might be my suggestion, it is awesome.
Thanks everyone for coming, see you in February!
No comments:
Post a Comment