Group Picture-The Burgess Boys

We had a fun breakfast meeting at Natalie's to discuss The Burgess Boys.

 

 

 

Group Picture-The Sandcastle Girls

So, this book was a surprise to a lot of us. We were expecting a romance and that's not what we really got. Only two of us finished this book on time (we were thinking it would have been more of a quick read). I think we would have liked it better as a whole if we hadn't been expecting a different type of book.

 

We were mostly all new to the topic of the Armenian genocide. How could something so horrible be almost unknown to us?

 

June Book Choices!

In June, we'll be reading historical fiction! Here are our options:

The Mistress of Nothing by Kate Pullinger | Paperback, 249 pages

Lady Duff Gordon is the toast of Victorian London. But when her debilitating tuberculosis requires healthier climate, she and her lady's maid, Sally, set sail for Egypt. It is Sally who describes, with a mixture of wonder and trepidation, the odd menage marshalled by the resourceful Omar, which travels down the Nile to a new life in Luxor. When Lady Duff Gordon undoes her stays and takes to native dress, throwing herself into weekly salons, language lessons, excursions to the tombs, Sally too adapts to a new world, affording her heady and heartfelt freedoms never known before. But freedom is a luxury that a maid can ill-afford, and when Sally grasps more than her status entitles her to, she is brutally reminded that she is mistress of nothing.

In 1862, the real Lucie, Lady Duff Gordon, a well known writer and hostess, traveled to Egypt with her maid. Her letters form the basis for this historical novel.

The Mistress of Nothing won the Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction, one of Canada’s most prestigious literary prizes. It has a 3.52 rating on Goodreads.

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain | Paperback, 392 pages

Chicago, 1920: Hadley Richardson is a quiet twenty-eight-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness—until she meets Ernest Hemingway and her life changes forever. Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for Paris, where they become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group—the fabled “Lost Generation”—that includes Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.

Though deeply in love, the Hemingways are ill-prepared for the hard-drinking and fast-living life of Jazz Age Paris, which hardly values traditional notions of family and monogamy. Surrounded by beautiful women and competing egos, Ernest struggles to find the voice that will earn him a place in history, pouring all the richness and intensity of his life with Hadley and their circle of friends into the novel that will become The Sun Also Rises. Hadley, meanwhile, strives to hold on to her sense of self as the demands of life with Ernest grow costly and her roles as wife, friend, and muse become more challenging. Despite their extraordinary bond, they eventually find themselves facing the ultimate crisis of their marriage—a deception that will lead to the unraveling of everything they’ve fought so hard for.

In addition to being a novelist, McLain is also a poet and teacher at John Carroll University. The Paris Wife has a 3.72 rating on Goodreads.

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant | Paperback, 321 pages

Her name is Dinah. In the Bible, her life is only hinted at in a brief and violent detour within the more familiar chapters of the Book of Genesis that tell of her father, Jacob, and his twelve sons.

Told in Dinah's voice, Anita Diamant imagines the traditions and turmoils of ancient womanhood--the world of the red tent, the place where women gathered during their cycles of birthing, menses, and even illness. It begins with the story of the mothers--Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah--the four wives of Jacob. They love Dinah and give her gifts that sustain her through childhood, a calling to midwifery, and a new home in a foreign land. Dinah's story reaches out from a remarkable period of early history and creates an intimate connection with the past.

Deeply affecting, The Red Tent combines rich storytelling with a valuable achievement in modern fiction: a new view of biblical women's lives.

Diamant is known for her works of non-fiction, guides to Jewish life. The Red Tent, published in 1997, was her first work of fiction. It is a perennial book club favorite. It has a 4.09 rating on Goodreads.

Natalie is hosting the June meeting.

The Things We Cherished by Pam Jenoff

I love stories that span time. I feel that the characters within these stories lend themselves to becoming more a part of the story being told. This one sounds good to me as does its sequel, The Kommadant's Girl.

The Things We Cherished is a suspenseful story of love and betrayal set during the Holocaust.

An ambitious novel that spans decades and continents, The Things We Cherished tells the story of Charlotte Gold and Jack Harrington, two fiercely independent attor­neys who find themselves slowly falling for one another while working to defend the brother of a Holocaust hero against allegations of World War II–era war crimes.

The defendant, wealthy financier Roger Dykmans, mysteri­ously refuses to help in his own defense, revealing only that proof of his innocence lies within an intricate timepiece last seen in Nazi Germany. As the narrative moves from Philadelphia to Germany, Poland, and Italy, we are given glimpses of the lives that the anniversary clock has touched over the past century, and learn about the love affair that turned a brother into a traitor.

Rich in historical detail, Jenoff’s astonishing new work is a testament to true love under the worst of circumstances.
About the Author
PAM JENOFF is the author of The Kommandant’s Girl, The Diplomat’s Wife, Almost Home, and Hidden Things. She attended George Washington Univer­sity, Cambridge University in England, where she received a master’s in history, and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. A former Special Assis­tant to the Secretary of the Army and State Department officer, she lives in Philadelphia, where she works as an attorney.

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

This is by far my favorite book of all time. It is a timeless classic that will never go out of style. Yes, it is a love story, but it is much more than that. It is a story of survival, the idea that you can continue regardless of how you feel, how weak you seem; life and the will to live takes over. It also gives a true sense of the ability and strength of women regardless of the time.

-Scarlett was originally named Pansy

-Scarlett was partly based on Mitchell herself and her grandmother

-Rhett was based on Mitchell's first husband Red Upshaw

-the initials JRM in her dedication refer to her second husband John Reginald Marsh

-Margaret Mitchell maintained the only character taken from real life was Prissy the maid

-When asked who she'd like to be in the movie version, Mitchell said 'Prissy'

-Like a detective novelist, Mitchell wrote the last chapter first and the first chapter last

-GWTW is the only book to sell more copies than the Bible

-Mitchell nearly went blind just proofreading the manuscript!

-Mitchell scrupously researched every detail for GWTW, even going to the town register to ensure there was no Rhett Butler or Scarlett O'Hara alive during the Civil War

-The novel took ten years to complete, most of it was written in three years

-For style, she endeavoured to make her prose so that a five-year old could read it

-If she would have ever written a sequel, it would have been called 'Back With the Breeze' On that note,please avoid the Ripley penned sequel 'Scarlett', it is atrocious.

Mistress of Mellyn by Victoria Holt

Growing up I had a role model that taught me the importance of reading--it was my mom. When I was thinking about what to post I remembered how much she loved Victoria Holt novels. I also read every one of them and found them exciting to read since I love history and reading--how could you go wrong. Many of her books are out-of-print but can still be found at the library.

Originally published nearly 40 years ago, this gothic classic has been frightening, romancing, and winning fans ever since. Part Jane Eyre, part Rebecca and all good, clean, campy fun, Mistress of Mellyn will keep you tearing through the pages, and looking for copies to lend out to friends.
Our heroine Martha Leigh is a prim and freshly minted governess who has been hired by the remote and demanding Connan TreMellyn to care for his daughter Alvean. As the departure of the three prior governesses suggests, Alvean is a difficult charge, though understandably so since the recent death of her mother, Alice. As Martha tries to connect with Alvean, she researches the history of Mellyn, and discovers hidden family secrets that still haunt the present. Now familiar with Alvean, she feels herself falling for Connan. Though the desire between Martha and Connan grows, Alice's tragic death continues to haunt them both and endanger any future they may have.

A delightful combination of highbrow writing and lowbrow sentiments, Mistress of Mellyn is a guilt-free treat you can indulge in. The romance, suspense, and mystery tromp across the pages with predictable frequency, and there are enough dark looks and dark corridors for any gothic fan.

The Mistress of Nothing

Natalie has been neglecting historical fiction so far...has anyone read this one yet?

The Mistress of Nothing by Kate Pullinger

When Lady Duff Gordon, paragon of London society, departs for the hot, dry climate of Egypt to seek relief from her debilitating tuberculosis, her lady’s maid, Sally, doesn’t hesitate to leave the only world she has known in order to remain at her mistress’s side. As Sally gets farther and farther from home, she experiences freedoms she has never known—forgoing corsets and wearing native dress, learning Arabic, and having her first taste of romance.

But freedom is a luxury that a lady’s maid can ill afford, and when Sally’s newfound passion for life causes her to forget what she is entitled to, she is brutally reminded she is mistress of nothing. Ultimately she must choose her master and a way back home—or a way to an unknown future.

Based on the real lives of Lady Duff Gordon and her maid, The Mistress of Nothing is a lush, erotic, and compelling story about the power of race, class, and love.

Pullinger won the 2009 Governer General's Literary Award for Fiction for The Mistress of Nothing.
 
Listen to the author discuss her book:
 


Sound interesting? It's currently one of the most wished for books at Indie Bound.