The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown

As an English minor and a lover of Shakespeare, I should have immediately warmed to this book. Alas, that was not the case.  It seemed to begin with like another story of women born into the same family but never able to get along or realize the importance of each.  Fortunately the story changed.  While I could have done without most of the literary references which held the book to its title, I ended up enjoying the book. The characters are both modern and classical.  Each of us with more than one sibling might be able to recognize a character, a sister even in the confines of Ms. Brown’s book.

Rose, first born, becomes the fixer. She controls everything except the one thing she wanted—to be her own person, an only child who mattered before and after others.  She was afraid to venture out, try new things and let herself enjoy life. I am the first born. This was never a problem for me. Opposite of the character Rose, I always did what I wanted, much more Cordy than Rose.  I believed that I could do anything, be anybody.  Staying home did not even cross my mind.  My second sister is much more like Rose. She lives nearby my mother, takes care of everything and is the one who is responsible.  My sister next to me moved away but continues to care about what goes on.  I don’t think any of us were like Bean except that we moved and tried to make a go if it.  Impressing others has never been nor probably ever will be a part of our DNA!

Bean is a strange one. She is bright, has much to offer but gets caught in the role of conspicuous consumer.  This does not fit the role I would have envisioned for any of the sisters in this family.  Her family had not been one that was caught up in the fads of society.  Her parents seem well grounded in community, happy together and happy with their family. Maybe my lack of understanding of the second child comes into play here. I was pleased that she did not lose her sense of justice in the end albeit the morality aspect took her a bit longer!

Cordy is the baby. Ironically she also seems the most grounded even though I think she spent very little time away from Barnwell grounded—at least not emotionally.  Like so many youngest children I know she spent her youth trying to find her place in the world. She states that the baby is the only thing that is truly hers, not handed down from one sister to another. I am sure my sisters loved the fact that there were five years between each of us so that hand-me downs typically went to cousins and not to the next sister.  Cordy is genuine, a bit on the wild side and the one person who is in touch with herself emotionally.

I enjoyed the parts of the book where each sister arrives at the realization that she has something to offer and something to live for. I love that Rose once she climbed those steps, never looked back.  She found herself.  I envision Cordy becoming not only a coffee shop worker but expanding into her own bake shop that supplies the baked goods that go with the coffee. I approve that Bean (Bianca) has found someone with whom she can enjoy life.  A man with a child is infinitely better than a man with a wife!  I think each sister has found her own happiness, not necessarily where they imagined, but found it nonetheless.

Do I think that author had to give their mother cancer in order to bring them together? No, but sickness has been known to bind families in ways normal situations cannot.  I like to think the mother recovers and goes on to live a long life, watching each of her daughters grow old.  The father offers such an example of love that I know they want to find that in their own lives and I believe they have/will.  My favorite part of the mother/father relationship is that they have never spent a night apart.  A friend of mine is going through a similar situation now. Her husband is her rock and I saw a bit of their relationship in this story.  They have three sons and one daughter but the ideas resonate.

Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

I was intrigued by the jacket cover of this book asking how you could know what you want with your life and who you are if you don’t know your own mother.  The hint that the mother’s story was related to Russia also interested me.  I was curious enough to buy the book and am happy I did.  I found not only a well written book about three women but also a book that drew the reader into the fairy tale along with the daughters.

As is often the case in families, one sibling is the reliable one always putting responsibility before self while another is the free spirit, flying off to all parts of the world leaving everyone else to hold life together.  Meredith is the older, responsible daughter who almost loses all she loves trying to keep it together. Nina is the free spirit, going into war zones and natural disasters looking for the perfect photo.  One hides behind family, work and duty while the other hides behind a camera lens and a search for the thrill.  Both are trying to capture the same thing—meaning in life.  Their mother, Anya (Vera) has never shown them love and they have developed accordingly.  They loved their father and upon his death, finally begin to learn what makes Anya tick.

Using the fairy tale as a basis for the story of her life, Vera finally lets her life story be told.  She can only tell it in the dark at first and only in pieces.  Nina is determined to get the whole story and keep a promise to her father. Meredith is equally determined not to listen to the story any longer.  Her husband tells her that words matter and that she is just like her mother.  To her this is cold and unfeeling. While she realizes he is right, she does nothing to stop the breakup of their marriage. Nina loves Danny but freezes when he proposes marriage.  Despite both women loving their men they can not commit.  It is through the fairy tale and its completion that they learn to love their mother, that she loves them and to find what makes each of them happy.

Surprises—that again I am drawn into a book about strong women.  Vera starved, watched her children die, left her dead mother in a graveyard, unburied because she lacked the strength to bury her, walked miles to save her children and herself only to find everyone she loved was dead and she was in a German work camp.  Surprise #2—the trip to Alaska is cathartic for all three women. Vera finishes her story and her daughters learn that she was afraid to love them—afraid they would be taken from her. Meredith learns that she indeed still loves Jeff and is finally willing and able to make changes that will make her happy. Nina does love Danny and they agree to live the life of nomads, following a story until they can no longer get around. Marriage is not necessary as long as they have love. Surprise #3—not everyone in Vera’s life died.  The trip to Alaska helps her find her daughter, Anya. It also lets her know that Sasha had not died as she had been told. He did live, moved the family to Alaska as they had planned and lived out his life waiting for her to come to him. 

The ending is beautiful and a perfect blend of love and faithfulness.

Nefertiti by Michelle Moran

A friend of mine was reading this last fall and liked it but I would never have even looked at it had it not been the selection for our group because I don’t “do” ancient history.  I am very happy it was selected because I enjoyed the book—sped right through it like it was a magazine!  I learned a lot from it as well as I would check facts that came up for authenticity even though it is clear that this is a novel.  By checking facts, I asked Bruce!  After all that is his time period, being a classicist!

We have read about many strong women in our months together. Nefertiti is another example of a woman who saw what she wanted and went after it even to her own demise.  The first woman to serve as Pharaoh of Egypt!  I think the novel is more than the story of a strong woman or even the first Pharaoh.  The story is one of greed, murder, blind faith along with familial loyalty, love, shrewdness and survival.  Nefertiti exhibited all of those traits with the possible exception of murder, at least by her own hand.  Mutny on the other hand became the ying to Nefertiti’s yang. As they were only half sisters, that would make sense. While they are both intelligent, powerful women, Nefertiti used subterfuge to exert her power while Mutny used science and reason along with love and kindness. 

My first take on Nefertiti was here is a spoiled brat who will risk and empire to have immortality.  Parts of the book proved my assessment correct but others showed the error of my thinking. While outwardly she followed her husband in all he did, she worked behind the scenes to counter much of his vanity and overzealous rule of Egypt.  I found it interesting that even he was afraid of her!  Still, when he would not listen to her and ran out of the palace to kill those hiding the idols of Amun, she did what she had to to hold it together—forced him into a sealed room to protect all from him and issued decrees to get Egypt moving in the right direction. Her fault came in not seeing that as beloved as she was the Egyptian people could not overcome the hatred of the mess that had become their lives. Plague, starvation and harsh treatment of others comes back to bite you most times and Nefertiti was not different than other mortals.

Mutny on the other hand, married for love, protected her family with the use of the herbs during the plaque and helped others when asked.  She treated everyone as they should have been treated even when she was skeptical of the outcome. I enjoyed her rebellion against her sister. I remember when John Kennedy chose Robert as his Attorney General. He was asked why and responded that he wanted at least one person around who would always tell him the truth.  Mutny was Nefertiti’s Robert.  I also liked that she agreed to take the infant Tut and raise him as her own when she knew this would not go over well with Nefertiti.  From the early pages of the book it is often discussed that she should have been made the Queen and not Nefertiti.  This is almost the fulfillment of that as she is now the “mother” of the King. 

Just as the women in the novel play varied roles so do the men.  Akhenaten was the power driven, egotistical person who would stop at nothing, including murder, to achieve what he thought was his destiny. He gave no thought to quality, rationality of thought or even to the people he claimed to rule.  His actions resulted in thousands of deaths, almost collapsed the Egyptian Empire and the building of a great city that wasn’t. Amarna might have been a great city had he paid more attention to quality of work as opposed to the quickness with which the work was completed.  The author let you know early the city would fall when it was noted that the building was occurring with cheap sandstone and other materials, not granite.

Akhenaten’s counter character is the Vizier Ay, the father of both Nefertiti and Mutny. Here was a wise man that set about saving Egypt even when he had to watch things going wrong. For every mistake Akhenaten and Nefertiti made, he was in the background making amends. He ruled Egypt as its true governing person. He communicated with rulers and leaders of other states. He advised his daughter and was probably behind the good things she did behind the scenes—things like pay the soldiers from the gold of Aten’s temples without letting her husband know.  These seemingly small measures may have kept them alive longer than without. Mutny’s husband, Nakhtmin, is another good character who showed great patience and intelligence in keeping Egypt together.  

Michelle Moran does a good job of weaving a tale based on history.  She talks in her notes about research and accuracies. For example, Mutny was actually married to Horemheb and not to Nakhtmin. Also her name was probably Mutbenret and not Mutnedjemet, but I prefer Mutny! Would I have preferred a storybook ending where the queen and her daughter survive, not being murdered and desecrated, sure!  While little is known of her actual death (possibly of plague)and her mummy has not yet been found, this is as good a death as she could be given; possibly more theatrical than the real one. Like a good writer she is able to unite reality and fiction in a novel that is believable and entertaining.

The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley

Time travel--something Star Trek gave us a long time ago but never in the way Susanna Kearsley does! In The Winter Sea she took us to the coast of Scotland and brought us back and forth between centuries in the name of love. In this book she takes us to Cornwall and stirs is up a bit. Instead of finding connections between the past and the present, she uses the present to connect with the past. Or, does she? While I thought I had a handle on the time shift elements in the book, I was surprised to realize that the present was actually the past and the future is--well I'm not certain!

As I read the discussion questions at the end I thought about the type of conversations we might have when we meet. Eve went to Cornwall to disperse her sister's ashes because that is where she thought she was happiest. Where have we been our happiest? Did Eva choose wisely? Did she return to Cornwall because fate drew her there or because her happiness was tied to the house?

Having read The Winter Sea, I was not surprised by the connection between past and present. I liked the way she faded her heroine in and out between centuries. I found the acceptance of time travel by Fergal and Daniel interesting since learning anything from a woman was not something readily accepted in their time. The chivalry, protection and affection for Eva were charming. It did not surprise me to find her falling in love with Daniel--that was expected. Constable Creed is a good villain who gets his just desserts in the end. This brings us to another of the discussion questions: would you change history if given the opportunity? Did Eva change things when she went back in time and married Daniel? I will save my thoughts on this for our discussions!

The one thing I find interesting about Ms Kearsley's book is the way all of the characters are intertwined. Oliver, Susan, Mark, Felicity, Paul, George and Claire all have a very important role to play in the multiple century connectedness of the book--none in the way I thought until I reached the last chapters of the book. Guide or fellow traveler makes little difference. Each is interesting with a vital role in the novel.

 I wish she had gone one chapter more and told me what happened between Eva and Daniel.  Did they live a long and happy life together? If so, why the Grey Lady? Did they move to Spain? I find this doubtful since the story is so tied to Trelowarth.  Why was there no gravestone for either?  

I look forward to our discussions and do hope someone will comment on here someday! 

The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory

The third novel in Philippa Gregory's series on the Cousins War should probably have been read first. However, Ms. Gregory did not write it first so we are left to backtrack to learn the source of Jacquetta's gifts, how she influenced her life, her many children and the lives of others during the time prior to the beginning of War of the Roses and during the end of the Hundred Years War. We learn of Mesulina and the reason for the connection to the river that was such a part of The White Queen. I found that I liked this book as much as the other two and have adjusted much of my thinking about Elizabeth as well.

Jacquetta was a strong, royal woman who was restricted by the position women held in society during the 15th century. She was intelligent, personable, strong of character and loyal, almost to a fault. Married to an older Duke when she was still quite young, she set about being a good wife, even after he told her she was his wife for her special gifts, not for love, sex or anything related to the typical marriage of that or any time. She was loyal to Duke Bedford even though she had probably fallen for Richard Woodville long before the Duke died and they became lovers. The fairytale aspect of meeting her one true "prince" adds to the story and the love affair of Jacquetta and Richard is enduring and I believe one not readily found in that time period. I think she is somewhat more favorably dealt with in this book than in The White Queen where she was seen to be just a tad manipulative! Here I found her resourceful, using all her abilities to survive and to carve out a place for herself and her children in society.

Much of this book deals with the varied role of women in the 15th century. Our two main characters are Jacquetta and Margaret. Jacquetta has been taught by her great-aunt to be careful how one uses the gifts you have and to be very careful when cursing as it might have unintended consequences. Margaret on the other hand, is married to the King, thinks of no one but herself most of the time and uses whatever means she can to carry out revenge, murder, mayhem and all around spitefulness. Yet, Jacquetta is there for her. My own thought was to give Margaret the proverbial kick in the pants and be done with her but that did not happen. Then I wished that she would get her comeuppance.

Once I get beyond my feelings about each character I try to look at the book from a perspective I think Ms. Gregory is trying to convey. Women had to do what they had to do--to survive in a man's world where they were often nothing more than chattel. When Margaret took control of the realm while Henry "slept" she was considered harsh, cruel, and I am sure a few other words not so kind. She is accused of having become pregnant by Edmund Beaufort (probably) and that the heir to the throne was not the king's son. She still played that very close to the vest and would have done well to not be so public with the fondness she had for Beaufort. She most definitely should not have waged a war of revenge against the people who were responsible for his death at the expense of losing the country. Margaret had too been well trained but she was the opposite of Jacquetta--brash, vindictive, manipulative and responsible for the deaths of many English as a result of her action. If I wanted to be equally harsh I would say she almost single handedly caused the War of the Roses.

I enjoyed the book. I love the characters, their humanness and their greatness as well as their weaknesses. I cannot imagine giving birth to a dozen children and having all but one live.  As much as Jacquetta loved Richard, she did not challenge him on anything. He was the ruler of the house.  He did love her and respect her but there was no discussion about much that impacted her life.  He was away too much.  But then I can't imagine being away from my family while I was a lady-in-waiting for a self-centered, conniving queen either!  Thankfully, times have changed and I don't have to!

The Shack by William P Young

When I read the jacket information about this book I first thought, ”Oh, Right!”  It was not a book I would have picked up on my own but like with so many of the books we have read together it was one I was willing to try. I am so glad I did.  This book is spiritual without being preachy, religious without being denominational, and inspiring beyond what I thought was possible in a book.  Reading this book makes me want to be a better person.  The only other book that has inspired me to want to be better is Freedom Writers.  I wanted to be an even better teacher after reading that one!

But, back to The Shack!  I cannot imagine the horror of losing a small child to a serial killer, knowing that she was brutalized and murdered.  The helplessness that Mack called The Great Sadness seemed so real.  It was like he could not catch a break—horrible father, leaving home so early, finally having a great family that he had missed as a child—then losing his youngest daughter to murder nearly losing his second daughter to grief is more than enough to make a person yell and scream at God for not doing something.  Mack did not yell but he did not deal with his own grief as well as he thought he was doing.  SOOOO, when he receives a typed note from Papa asking him to meet at the very shack where his life had fallen apart was a stretch for him.  I am amazed he went but then I think he went hoping it was the killer and he could possibly get some revenge.

How do you imagine your relationship with God?  We are all involved in our own relationships and our own religions.  Do we actually visualize the Trinity? Is Jesus the Jewish man Mack meets or the rather buff man hanging from the crucifix? Do we ever think of God as a robust African woman who loves to cook and laugh?  Is the Holy Spirit a lady from the Asian continent who never sits still and shows beauty in everything?  I do not.  I am not sure I ever put a face to the Trinity.  So, the question is how would I react meeting them as Mack did? I think I would be a lot more skeptical than he was and he had plenty of skepticism to go around! 

While I will not go into a long listing of my relationship with God, I will tell you what I liked about the book!  I liked the way Mack was led gently into his relationship with God. I liked that there was no judgment but unconditional love. I liked that Mack was able to forgive his father and to know that Missy was truly ok.  I liked the concept that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit liked one another and worked in unison—truly a Trinity.  I loved when Mack was informed that religion as an institution was how others seemed to control those who follow its version of what is a relationship with God.  I loved that God points out that all humanity is part of his love—Muslim, Buddhists, Jews and Christians among those he holds dear.  I also liked that he was able to take the police back to the cave and gathered the remains of his daughter. Even more I liked that evidence collected led to the arrest and apparent conviction of the Ladybug Killer.  God had promised him that the killer would be punished if only Mack could forgive him. I liked that God said forgiveness did not mean forgetting or even a lack of anger.  I wish the leaders of our country would read this book and take it to heart.  Heck, I wish everyone would read it and then the world might actually become a better place!

What did I dislike?  Can’t really think of anything! Thanks for the suggestion and for sharing the book among ourselves.  I must admit that I try to look at the world with different eyes having read this.  It is difficult to look around and always see the good in life where those I love are dealing with health problems, lack of employment, the inability to care for themselves and their loved ones, cancer, depression and so much else.  I have to remind myself that God is there assisting each to deal with what they must regardless of how I think it should be handled.  It is not the easiest thing to do. I am one of God’s people who fight to maintain in relationship, opting for the nouns instead of the verbs!  This book makes me want to let go of the control and enjoy what there is to be enjoyed in living in a relationship with God and with my fellow humans!!!

The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht

This book was nothing like I expected! When I read the teaser for it I thought it sounded like a good mystery--a granddaughter seeking clues in the death of her grandfather. Once I began reading I did not find it a mystery but more of a family history. Still I did enjoy reading the book.
As a child I too used to spend time with my grandfather. Unfortunately he died when I was almost five but I really loved the time I spent with him. I see the author as also loving the time she spent with her grandfather and wanting to share his life with others. It took me a while to figure out where she was going with the story though until I realized where her story was set. Although never addressed by name, only towns, I realized it was taking place in the former Yugoslavia.  Then it began to make more sense.

 As part of one grad class I read a lot of books and stories set in this part of the world. Myth plays more of a role in modern Eastern Europe than it seems to do here in the US but it is important to recognize the symbolism of each myth.  Her grandfather’s love of the tiger is symbolic of the struggles of the land. These are strong people who overcome many adversities. The tiger is left to starve in the zoo, begins to eat his own legs, escapes, and finds solace in a deaf mute woman who needs his strength to help her survive an abusive husband.  The grandfather is orphaned as a child, lives with an unemotional grandmother, finds friendship with a person who cannot speak or hear him and retreats to The Jungle Book for his spiritual nourishment.  Later he meets and marries a woman (Muslim) and moves across the border to keep his family safe. 

 The deathless man is also a central character.  He says he has been forbidden to die and shows up at various times throughout the book.  At first meeting I thought he was the devil with whom the grandfather had made a deal representative of the Devil and Daniel Webster.  Later I came to believe he was more like the angel of death—there to help the dead cross over but not there to steal their souls.  When the grandfather’s belongings are retrieved the Jungle Book is not there. Since that was his “Bible”, he no longer needed it. It was also part of the deal with the deathless man that he would have the book upon his death.   

The one person I found most confusing was Natalia.  She is obviously a modern woman, a doctor in her own right, fiercely independent and willing to take chances—going off with another female doctor to help sick children, standing up to the men in the vineyard about child labor, driving across the border alone to retrieve her grandfather’s belongings and of course, following the old man up the hill after he retrieved the “heart”.  Still, I was never certain she fully got the relationships of the people about whom she wrote. Yes, she loved her grandfather.  Did she understand his relationship with the deathless man or the tiger’s wife?  Maybe?

While I am happy I read the book it did leave me with questions.  What purpose did the bear man serve?  Was he representative of groups that moved through the country during the wars?  The apothecary—was he there to promote religious tolerance or the show that the people were adaptable?  When the deathless man helped people cross over was that truly a death experience or was it too symbolic of the ways borders were drawn regardless of allegiances to towns, to people? 

I look forward to reading the interpretations of the rest of you about this book.  The symbolism I saw here may be totally different from you found.  Please comment so we can have a good discussion!