"We're all of us afraid of many things, but if you make yourself smaller or let your fear confine you, then you really aren't your own person at all---are you? The real question is whether or not you will risk what it takes to be happy."
- Karen Blixen, from the novel
One of the other Page Turners selected this book for our group. I enjoyed it very much and gave it a 5 rating. I confess I read much of it before I realized it was a fictionalized account of a real person's life. The cover says A Novel and I took that at face value, never having heard of Beryl Markham. As it turns out she was a real woman and ahead of her time in many ways.
Beryl's story is sad in parts and inspiring in others. Her mother abandons her when she is very young and she is raised by an emotionally distant father in colonial Kenya, and in some ways by the nearby Kipsigis tribe. It reminded me of "it takes a village to raise a child." She grows up loving her freedom, the land and the animals, particularly the horses they tend and train. She later becomes the first woman to earn an English trainer's license. It was an interesting coincidence that I was reading this novel during Triple Crown racing season.
Beryl's social life is a roller coaster as she gets involved in several toxic relationships with men. When she finally meets her soul-mate, it is someone she cannot have.
Much later in the book she learns to fly a plane and becomes the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, east to west. You would think I would have heard of her! Amelia Earhart, yes; Bessie Coleman, yes; Beryl Markham, no.
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Refreshments at our meeting today? Tasty edibles and delicious faux champagne! (Hey, we meet in a church.) A creative choice since characters were drinking champagne frequently!
I found Circling the Sun a real page turner, but not everyone in our group agreed. The group average was 3.6 with only one rating of 5 besides my own. Many of us agreed that Ms. McLain's writing style is pleasing and she develops the sense of place beautifully to make us see and feel Kenya in the 1920's.
One member who had read Beryl Markham's memoir, West with the Night and Isak Dennison's Out of Africa (story from Karen's perspective, see quote above) thought this book was a "shameless rip-off of the actual autobiographies." One thought it presumptuous of McLain to write Beryl's fictionalized story in first person but others of us found it more personal.
Our group had a hard time relating to the decadence of this society with all the drinking and marital infidelities. But we were reminded of the time---Roaring 20's, and place---British colonial Africa. I said it seemed a bit Gatsbyesque to me. Not a good thing for most of our group since we couldn't identify with those characters either.
Several of us who never heard of Beryl Markham were glad we read the book. Perhaps some who had not read the other two books mentioned above enjoyed it more than those who made the comparison. A few were heard to say they want to watch the film "Out of Africa" again.
One thing's for sure: this one gives you plenty to talk about!
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Sunday, May 22, 2016
Bridget Jones Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding
"Wednesday 5 June 2013
134 lb, hours in a day 24, hours required to do all things supposed to do in day 36, hours spent worrying about how to fit in all things supposed to do in day 4, number of things supposed to have done actually done 1 (go to toilet)."
-from Bridget's diary
I fondly remembered Bridget Jones's Diary, both the novel and the movie with Renee Zellweger from years ago so I thought I'd like this one from 2013. I DID enjoy it but my rating is a 3 because it became a little tedious in parts. At 476 pages, it's probably longer than it should be.
Fielding uses a similar style to the original ...Diary in this sequel but along with diary entries she uses texts, emails and tweets to move the plot along. The quote is a great example.
In Mad About the Boy screenwriter Bridget Jones, still grieving over the tragic death of her precious husband Mark, tries to reenter the dating scene with a "toy boy" named Roxby McDuff who is 21 years younger. They call each other Roxster and Jonesy.
I found it difficult to identify with Bridget: she is British, a widow of a younger generation with 2 small children and more involved with social media, especially Twitter in this novel. I did find many of her antics amusing such as the treatment of her children's lice problem. It was a crazy coincidence that I had just watched an episode of "Fresh Off the Boat" on TV about the same subject! I also enjoyed the references to London since I had been there a year ago.
Basically I would recommend this book to women in their 40's or 50's. I don't believe most of our Page Turners group would find it satisfying.
134 lb, hours in a day 24, hours required to do all things supposed to do in day 36, hours spent worrying about how to fit in all things supposed to do in day 4, number of things supposed to have done actually done 1 (go to toilet)."
-from Bridget's diary
I fondly remembered Bridget Jones's Diary, both the novel and the movie with Renee Zellweger from years ago so I thought I'd like this one from 2013. I DID enjoy it but my rating is a 3 because it became a little tedious in parts. At 476 pages, it's probably longer than it should be.
Fielding uses a similar style to the original ...Diary in this sequel but along with diary entries she uses texts, emails and tweets to move the plot along. The quote is a great example.
In Mad About the Boy screenwriter Bridget Jones, still grieving over the tragic death of her precious husband Mark, tries to reenter the dating scene with a "toy boy" named Roxby McDuff who is 21 years younger. They call each other Roxster and Jonesy.
I found it difficult to identify with Bridget: she is British, a widow of a younger generation with 2 small children and more involved with social media, especially Twitter in this novel. I did find many of her antics amusing such as the treatment of her children's lice problem. It was a crazy coincidence that I had just watched an episode of "Fresh Off the Boat" on TV about the same subject! I also enjoyed the references to London since I had been there a year ago.
Basically I would recommend this book to women in their 40's or 50's. I don't believe most of our Page Turners group would find it satisfying.
Friday, May 20, 2016
Still Life with Bread Crumbs by Anna Quindlen
"It's a funny thing, hope. It's not like love, or fear, or hate. It's a feeling you don't really know you had until it's gone."
-Rebecca, from the novel
I prejudged this book by its cover----the title aroused my curiosity. Besides, it was on sale!
Main character Rebecca Winter is a photographer with a fading reputation and bank account who sets out to reinvent herself. She seemed very believable as a middle-aged woman----a member of the "sandwich generation"---with a son just beginning a career and aging parents. I could identify with her efforts to find purpose in her life.
Rebecca had been an award-winning artist especially known by a series of photographs called the Kitchen Counter Series, one of which was Still Life with Bread Crumbs, giving the novel its title. In her new life, she makes some mysterious discoveries which become a fresh series of photographs. Could this lead to a second chance at success?
I found the story confusing at times when the author would introduce a new character and suddenly begin narrating background about him or her. Quindlen's use of foreshadowing was frequent and interesting, eg. "Rebecca Winter knew that well, was about to learn it even better." Chapter titles are clever and help to keep the reader engaged, as well.
I am rating Still Life with Bread Crumbs a 3---good, but not great.
-Rebecca, from the novel
I prejudged this book by its cover----the title aroused my curiosity. Besides, it was on sale!
Main character Rebecca Winter is a photographer with a fading reputation and bank account who sets out to reinvent herself. She seemed very believable as a middle-aged woman----a member of the "sandwich generation"---with a son just beginning a career and aging parents. I could identify with her efforts to find purpose in her life.
Rebecca had been an award-winning artist especially known by a series of photographs called the Kitchen Counter Series, one of which was Still Life with Bread Crumbs, giving the novel its title. In her new life, she makes some mysterious discoveries which become a fresh series of photographs. Could this lead to a second chance at success?
I found the story confusing at times when the author would introduce a new character and suddenly begin narrating background about him or her. Quindlen's use of foreshadowing was frequent and interesting, eg. "Rebecca Winter knew that well, was about to learn it even better." Chapter titles are clever and help to keep the reader engaged, as well.
I am rating Still Life with Bread Crumbs a 3---good, but not great.
The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg
"The rest of the day, Sookie kept catching glimpses of herself in the mirror. She knew she looked the same on the outside. She walked and talked like the same person. But she didn't know who or what she was on the inside."
-from the novel
I have been a fan of Fannie Flagg (pun intended) for years but had somehow missed reading this book from 2013. In reading it I realized how much I've missed the Southern charm of her stories.
The novel begins in Point Clear, Alabama in 2005 when Mrs. Earle Poole, Jr., called Sookie, receives a registered letter which reveals a shocking family secret. This revelation throws Sookie into a serious identity crisis. Sookie's conflict alternates through the novel with a secondary plot involving the Jurdabralinski family from 1928 into the 1940's.
Polish immigrants, the Jurdabralinskis come to own Wink's Phillips 66 filling station in Pulaski, Wisconsin. Spunky Fritzi and her sisters run the station when their father is taken ill and brother Wink is serving in the army, explaining part of the title The All-Girl Filling Station... Ahead of her time, Fritzi learns to fly, becomes part of a flying circus and later joins the WASPs (Women's Air Force Service Pilots), a little-known unit serving gallantly in WWII.
Discovering the intersection of Sookie and Fritzi's stories make the book a page-turner. The interesting characters add even more charm.
"A Conversation with Fannie Flagg and Pat Conroy" in the Reader's Guide section at the end was a treat for me because Conroy is a favorite of mine, as well.
I am rating The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion a 5. I enjoyed it very much and even gained some knowledge and appreciation for women's contributions in WWII.
----------------------
This novel became our March 2017 selection for the Page Turners group. Since I had read it close to a year before, I had to do a little review, including reading this blog post. Our group seemed to enjoy the book with ratings of 4 and 5. The average was 4.3. Several of us had known little about the WASPs in WWII but one member of our group has personally known women who were pilots of that organization. She, too, is a pilot and has flown with some of them. She assured us that Fritzi's character combined many of their attributes. The All-Girl Filling Station.... made for an enjoyable discussion!
-from the novel
I have been a fan of Fannie Flagg (pun intended) for years but had somehow missed reading this book from 2013. In reading it I realized how much I've missed the Southern charm of her stories.
The novel begins in Point Clear, Alabama in 2005 when Mrs. Earle Poole, Jr., called Sookie, receives a registered letter which reveals a shocking family secret. This revelation throws Sookie into a serious identity crisis. Sookie's conflict alternates through the novel with a secondary plot involving the Jurdabralinski family from 1928 into the 1940's.
Polish immigrants, the Jurdabralinskis come to own Wink's Phillips 66 filling station in Pulaski, Wisconsin. Spunky Fritzi and her sisters run the station when their father is taken ill and brother Wink is serving in the army, explaining part of the title The All-Girl Filling Station... Ahead of her time, Fritzi learns to fly, becomes part of a flying circus and later joins the WASPs (Women's Air Force Service Pilots), a little-known unit serving gallantly in WWII.
Discovering the intersection of Sookie and Fritzi's stories make the book a page-turner. The interesting characters add even more charm.
"A Conversation with Fannie Flagg and Pat Conroy" in the Reader's Guide section at the end was a treat for me because Conroy is a favorite of mine, as well.
I am rating The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion a 5. I enjoyed it very much and even gained some knowledge and appreciation for women's contributions in WWII.
----------------------
This novel became our March 2017 selection for the Page Turners group. Since I had read it close to a year before, I had to do a little review, including reading this blog post. Our group seemed to enjoy the book with ratings of 4 and 5. The average was 4.3. Several of us had known little about the WASPs in WWII but one member of our group has personally known women who were pilots of that organization. She, too, is a pilot and has flown with some of them. She assured us that Fritzi's character combined many of their attributes. The All-Girl Filling Station.... made for an enjoyable discussion!
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