The UN-Alcott version of the March Family

I have stumbled upon a most delicious book. It is the novel "March" by Geraldine Brooks. This is the flip side of the book "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott. In "March", Brooks gives us the tale of the absent father during the years he was off serving as Chaplain during the civil war. Through his memories and correspondences there are many references to his beloved Marmee and those girls we know from the classic: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. But make no mistake, this is not Little Women revisited. This is clearly Mr. March's tale.

It is as if we get "The Rest of the Story" as Paul Harvey would say.

We are given much of the backstory of that family that somehow give new insight and depth...even if none of this is what Alcott herself would have intended. (Such as the scene where Meg was conceived in the woods before the actual wedding).

Brooks won the Pulitzer Prize for this novel in 2006 and I for one can say she totally earned that. It is a rich story that holds my interest with characters that have depth and credibility. I'm about half way through the book right now and loving every page of it...

Some of the war scenes are gritty and the depiction of the treatment of slaves breaks my heart. Yet the story unfolds in such a way as to make this man AND the family that he repeatedly references completely come to life.

The story moves back and forth in time as the protagonist (based on the life and letters of Bronson Alcott...Louisa May's real life father) wrestles with his idealism and the grim realities of slavery and war.

We watch him meet, fall in love with, and court they young Marmee. We see him through periods of prosperity and then later tremendous struggle and poverty. We learn of his double nature - sending cheery letters home to comfort his family during his long absence despite his struggle with horrific events. In an aside to himself in the opening chapter he notes that while he promised to write to his wife every day, "I never promised I would write the truth."

It's a complex, rich story that makes my heart go out to both the March family AND the Alcott family. In reading some of the reviews others have posted on this book I learned that RECESS for elementary school children really was first suggested by Bronson Alcott. Ya gotta love the man for that if nothing else, right?

A definite thumbs up!

What are you reading??

It seems our dear Page Nibblers reading group has somewhat fizzled. But that's only a matter of definition. It's true that we've all sort of gone off in different directions for our reading. If we name "SUCCESS" as all of us reading the same books at the same time and then eloquently discussing the themes of said books, we're a flop.

I tried to read Little Women. I really did. But it just didn't capture me. So after slogging my way through several chapters out of a sense of commitment, I finally bailed.

Initially I was drawn to some non-fiction. As I told Mimi in an email I sent her at the time, I was itching to read real words spoken by real people. So I gobbled up two or three volumes...Acedia & Me by Kathleen Norris among the most powerful. Since then I've read a bunch of other stuff...most recently the novel "Restitution" by Lee Vance which was an absolute page turner.

Now we are on to September. For the life of me I don't know whose pick it is for this month or what we were scheduled to read.

But honestly, I'm not sure I care.

We are all at different places in our lives right now. Maybe we aren't up for a typical book club where we read the same thing. But that doesn't mean we have to discard this effort all together does it?

What I like BEST about Page Nibblers is that it gets me thinking, helps me CONSIDER different books that I might not have otherwise read, and give me a place to talk about those books. We are a fairly diverse group, each of us different ages, different religions, different political views, different lifestyles, different family status (from no kids to young kids to older kids to grown kids). But the one thing we have in common is our love of reading.

So I say let's keep it going, even if we don't read the same stuff.

Tell me what you ARE reading and what you think of it. Because really, sharing our ideas about books is the draw for me. We can still SUGGEST books for each month if others want to join in. But I hope no one will feel bad if their book doesn't snag others. (Mimi, THANK YOU for being so gracious when I bailed on Little Women...I really did not want to let you down, and felt bad at first when I opted out. It helped a lot that you were so nice about it.)

I rather like the idea of a gathering place to talk about books with NO guilt, NO demands, NO expectations. We have enough places in our life where we have to Keep Up with someone else's priorities. Let's let this be a place that NOURISHES our love of reading rather than adding more stress.

Now, I'm not queen bee... this reading group is a collaborative effort with no specific leader and no one IN CHARGE. I certainly do not presume to change the rules when honestly there are no hard fast rules. We do this for the fun of it. We are a delightful literary anarchy. So if the rest of you DO want to keep making an effort to read books in unison, by all means, go for it. I just don't think that fits for me right now.

SOMETIMES when I hear what you are reading I may want to read it too. Sometimes not.
And I think that's just fine.

But I truly am curious. What are you reading these days?

Invincible Louisa

I went to the library today and picked up my copy of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Actually, the book I got is the full Trilogy that includes Little Women, Little Men and Jo's Boys all in one volume. I'm only familiar with the first one so I'm exciting to see all three gathered together.

Then, just to make it interesting, I also picked up a copy of "Invincible Louisa - The Story of the Author of Little Women" by Cornelia Meigs. I was a little wary about how much I'd be able to get into the read since it was located over in the Juvenile section. But once I got started with it I thought, Holy Cow! This book is intended for KIDS??? The vocabulary and the complexity of the sentences seems WAY beyond what most 8th graders would read. So I don't have to worry about it being over simplified. Not sure yet what I think of this particular biographer's writing style. Still, I think it will be fun to first learn more about the life of Louisa May Alcott before I dig into our August choice.

Thanks so much, Mimi, for getting me started down this path. The last two books I've read have been Jack Reacher novels by Lee Child. While they have been absolute page turners I could barely put down, I am definitely ready to move away from mayhem and into classics!

Photo Credit

Crazy For The Storm

I just finished one of the most compelling books I've ever encountered.

It is Crazy For the Storm - A Memoir of Survival by Norman Ollestad.

In this book, Ollestad alternates chapters between the story of the plane crash that he was the lone survivor of at age 11 with stories of his growing up that prepared him for the grueling climb down that ice mountain, the experiences that helped him stay alive.

He describes his dad as a larger than life, highly charismatic figure who pushed him hard to excel at surfing, skiing, hockey - all sorts of physical stuff. Norm Ollestad Sr. pushed his son way further than I as a mother ever could have tolerated. But who is to say how much is too much?

With clear prose that never sugar coats a moment of any of the incidents he describes, "Little Norm" - as he was dubbed growing up, paints amazing word pictures of his early life on Topanga Beach, near Malibu CA in the 70's. He offers glimpses into the life of the surfer culture at a time in history before eminant domain and government regulations changed the California landscape.

Then, in February 1979, in a small Cessna his dad had chartered to take them to go to the awards ceremony for a Ski Race championship that little Norman had just won, they hit the side of a mountain. The pilot, and Normans father, were killed on impact. Little Norman and his dad's girlfriend were both injured, but alive. His depiction of getting down off that mountain is burned into my brain.

The story of the trip young Norman took with his dad to Mexico the previous summer is also told with such riveting images I almost feel as if I was right along with them, slogging through the mud when they got stuck, feeling the salt on my skin at the beach.

This is an amazing book.

It raised so many questions for me.

How far should a parent push a child to do things he or she does NOT want to do if the parent believes it will ultimately be good for the kid?

How far does one parent allow another parent to discipline if (as is often the case) the two have different views on parenting styles?

Why do women stay with men who hit them?

In what ways have things my parents done or not done shaped the way I chose to parent my own kids? How much of that would I change now if I could?

To what extent am I willing to endure physical pain or fear in order to experience bliss or accomplishment on the other side?

What things have I missed out on because I was NOT willing to endure pain or fear?

This is hands down one of the best books I've sampled for a long, long time.

Not only is it a riveting story - his skill with words is amazing. I am convinced that Norman Ollstad would be a good writer telling any tale. But unfolding THIS story, his story, was nothing short of amazing as far as I'm concerned.

I hope he keeps writing.

But whether he does or not, he's given me much to think about.

Where were we??

Hey fellow page nibblers, how's your summer reading coming along? I must admit in the mad rush to finish up my job I totally lost track of what our agreed reading schedule was or even who picks next.

What are you guys reading now?

Here is what I've picked up and what I am recommending for whenever my pick happens to be... The Gursney Literary and Potatoe Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. I'm about half way through it right now and am finding it to be an absolutely delightful book.

It starts off giving the impression it would be a quick easy read, just a bit of whimsy between some of the more serious fare I had been slogging through. But as I read on I found there are moment of real substance and things that gave me pause to ponder along with plenty of chuckles and one or two outright belly laughs.

Have any of you read this one? I'd love to talk to you about this book!

My Sister's Keeper

I just finished reading "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult. I started it last night. I was so totally engrossed by this book I literally could not put it down.

I liked a lot about it. I liked the way her characters were not one dimensional. I liked that it made me think and made me FEEL, even if I didn't always like what I was thinking or what I was feeling. I found it to be a very powerful book.

For me, it was powerful for many reasons, but most of all because I've spent time in a hospital ICU with a dying child. I stood by while one sibling was asked to give a stem cell transplant to his sister. The donor child was Troy, Larry's son who is developmentally disabled. So, while he was technically an adult, due to his disability "informed consent" for the procedure was essentially meaningless. He did what his parents asked him to do. Considering his inability to understanad the implications, was it right to ask this of him? I honestly don't know. I wrestled with it then. I wrestle with it now. Would I feel differently had the procedure been successful? I'm honestly not sure. In the end, it was not the cancer that killed Stacy. It was the stem cell transplant. It was a very gruesome, gruelling, awful thing to go through with her. Watching what she went through broke all of our hearts. Still, it was our only hope. So...yeah, I have lots of murky feelings about this.

Fast forward a few years to when my grandson was having his THIRD open heart surgery when he was about 10. I paid close attention to how the whole family responded to that crisis...and we are not out of the woods with Austin yet. Doctors implanted a cow valve, since the two prior attempts to repair his own defective valve had not been successful. So far it seems to be working...but he will most definitely need another surgery as he gets older because his heart will grow, but the dead cow valve will not. So more hospitalizations are looming. This book reminds me all over again how very, very important it is to NOT lose sight of the OTHER kids needs when we huddle together when A. goes back under the knife.

Also it raises another aspect of medical ethics. How do I feel about Xeno-transplants, putting animal tissues or organs into people? As grateful as I am to have my grandson mostly well, I do wonder. Is it any different to put a piece of cow in my grandson's heart than it is to eat a burger? Those of us who eat meat sustain our lives at the expense of animals every day. Still...it feels different. Would I feel any different if it were a different kind of animal that we do not typically eat? I think of the little girl who got a baboon heart. Would I sign off on that?? If it were MY kid who was critically ill, where would I draw the line at what I would or would not do in order to save my child?

I think the author did a good job of raising issues about medical ethics without getting too heavy handed with answers. I also think she did a good job of portraying the complexities of what it can be like for a family wrestling with the serious illness of one child and losing sight of the needs of the others.

As for the ending - I really did not see it coming. I had heard it had a "terrible ending", but that was a twist I did not expect. I've heard the movie has a completely different ending. I'm glad to hear that, although in truth I can accept the book's version of ending as another reminder that life is complicated, brutal, beautiful and seldom turns out how you thought it would.

All in all I found it a very engrossing book. I plan to read more from this author.

Their Eyes Were Watching God

I am currently reading Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. This is what it says on the back cover:

One of the most important works of twentieth-century American Literature, Nora Neal Hurston's beloved 1937 classic, Their Eyes Were Watch God, is an enduring Southern love story sparkling with wit, beauty and heartfelt wisdom. Told in the captivating voice of a woman who refuses to live in sorrow, bitterness, fear, or foolish romantic dreams, it is the story of a fair skinned, fiercely independent Janie Crawford, and her evolving selfhood through three marriages and a life marked by poverty, trials, and purpose. A true literary wonder, Hurston's masterwork remains as relevant and affecting today as when it was first published--perhaps the most widely read and highly regarded novel in the entire canon of African American literature.

About the author: Zora Neal Hurston (1891-1960) was a novelist, folklorist, and anthropologist whose fictional and factual accounts of black heritage remain unparalleled. Her many books include Dust Tracks on a Road; Jonah's Gourd Vine; Mules and Men; Seraph on the Suwanee; Moses, Man of the Mountain; and Every Tongue Got to Confess.

I'm just getting started with the book, but so far I'm enjoying it. It took me a little while to adjust to the phonetic spellings of the southern dialect. For example, when the main character is telling her friend about the day she ran away from slavery she describes it like this:

"She flounced on off and let her wintertime wid me. Ah knowed mah body wasn't healed, but Ah couldn't consider dat. In de black dark Ah wrapped mah baby de best Ah knowed how and made it to de swamp by de river. Ah knowed de place was full uh moccasins and other bitin'snakes, but Ah was more skeered uh whut was behind me. Ah hide in dere day and night and suckled de baby every time she start to cry, for fear somebody might hear her and Ah'd git found. Ah ain't sayin' uh friend or two didn't feel mah care. And den de Good Lawd seen to it dat Ah wasn't taken..."

I'm enjoying getting caught up in the world of these charaters, this time period.
I just wish I had more time to just get lost in my reading instead of having to scramble for stolen pockets of time between so many other things...




"

What I'm Reading Now

Hopefully I'll get back in sync with the group before long. But for now I'm off on my own tangent. Thought I'd let you know what I've picked up to read lately and see if anyone else might want to come along for the ride.

I'm reading The Great Influenza by John Barry. I'm just getting started, but so far it has been a facinating read. Meticulously researched without too much technical jargon, this book gives the history of how medicine evolved as a science and describes the social, political, and biologial confluence of events that came together in the terrible flu epidemic of 1918 that killed more people than World War I and more than we have lost to AIDS. In just one city (Philadelphia - the hardest hit) in Philadelphia, 4,597 people died in one week alone and bodies piled up on the streets to be carted off to mass graves.

Barry describes the panic and despair of the people, the driven determination of the doctors trying to find a cause and a cure, and the misguided governmental policies and priorities that exacerbated the disaster.

I've had this book sitting on my shelf for a long time...picked it up with a stack of others at a library book sale in Sequim a few years ago but for one reason or another just never got around to reading it. Finally I made time to pick it up.
It has been absolutely riveting.

Now I am mindful of a phrase I found years ago when I was doing the lit review for my masters thesis. Some Harvard doctor in the 1800's was explaining why education was unwise for females...after a long description on the size of women's brains as compared to mens and cautions about how over education could create complications in childbearing (I'm not making this up!) he further went on to warn that if women were given the same educational opportunities as men they would neglect their household duties...

Well, on THAT note the guy was right. I have absolutely no interest in doing the laundry, in dusting or scrubbing the sink. All I want to do right now is curl up with a good book.

Lone Survivor - Page 107 and I QUIT!

The weekend of my 40th birthday my husband and I hiked the trail to Wallace Falls, near Gold Bar, WA. The first hour or so was absolutely gorgeous and wonderful. The trail danced in and out of sunlight and shade, taking us through deep forest that felt like a fairytale, showing amazing vistas of moss and ferns and flowers and so much green. But then we hit the steep parts of the trail and I realized I was woefully unprepared for the climb.

I tried to pace myself. But my muscles were screaming. I gritted my teeth and kept going, but was not having much fun. I scrambled my way over rocks and pulled myself up by branches as the trail went up and up and up. Finally, winded and aching, I sat down and quit. I said I'd seen plenty of waterfalls in my time and it just wasn't worth it to go through that much pain to see one more. I was done in. I sent my husband on ahead to finish the climb without me, telling him he could tell me all about it on his way back down. I was not about to go another step.

About that time some hikers coming back down from the falls came along and said to me "Oh no, you CAN'T quit here - you are almost there! Come on, it really is worth it! You will be so sorry if you let yourself miss out this close. You can make it!"

So, a bit rested and encouraged by these enthusiastic hikers, I got back up and finished the climb. They were right. It was worth it. It was a breathtaking view.

Ever since that day I've given quite a lot of thought to when, why and under what circumstances I am willing to endure pain/difficulty/struggle to achieve a goal and when, why and under what circumstances I am more likely to quit.

I believe some pain is there to make us stronger, and enduring that pain is ultimately for our own good. There are other kinds of pain that are there as a message to change course quick for our safety and best interest, screaming out "hey, dummy, take your hand off that hot stove!"

The trick is in sorting out which is which.

As I was reading Lone Survivor, I disliked most of it. But I was determined to hang in there and keep going. It would get better, I kept telling myself. It would be worth it in the end. Right from the start I didn't like it. Four or five times I put the book down for a few days. But each time I would pick it back up and try again. I was trying to endure this book about endurance. But finally, I decided to throw in the towel. Having made it only to page 107, I'm ready to bail out of this book. I quit.

As the author goes about describing his Navy Seal training, it has been all about enduring extremely grueling tests one after the other without one bit of encouragement and withstanding levels of pain that to me would be spirit breaking.

It seems like he wants the reader to be impressed by how tough he was. Frankly, I wasn't all that impressed. All I can say is, testosterone is a scary thing.

I get it that our military has a need for turning men into killing machines that will follow orders no matter what. I get it that I am personally safer in the world because there are people like the Navy Seals who are willing to become warriors, disciplining their bodies and minds to endure excruciating pain and lay their lives on the line. I get it that based on the need for that our military justifies this sort of treatment of soldiers and sailors. But I HATE it. I hate everything about it.

I don't really think being able to withstand torture makes someone better or stronger. Yes, it makes them better prepared for horrible, ugly battles. And we live in a world where those battles are fought far more often than I want to know. But I'd rather read about someone who used diplomacy to resolve conflict than how they trained men to blow people away.

It is a hard reality of this world that we need to train some of our sweet young sons into hardened soldiers. But I am not happy about that and I will not read any more of this book. I do not see the merit of enduring this book. I see no beauty waiting for me at the end.

Moving Right Along...

We are winding down February - where does the time go? I just wanted to do a check in with everyone to see how you are doing with your reading.

So far we've had postings about our Feb book, "Sarah" by Mimi, Pat and myself. Still waiting to hear from Amber, Andrea and Rozel about their views. Where are you guys? This isn't a nag - if for some reason you have not finished it yet (or even if you never started) there is no bat to beat you up! This is not school homework. We agreed from the start this would be a guilt free reading group. Still, we also said we would encourage each other to contribute. So, if you have read the book, or are somewhere along the way, I am genuinely curious what your reactions have been and hope you'll each be posting some thoughts soon.

Meanwhile we should all be locating a copy of our next book for March. We'll be reading Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10

This is what it is about: "Four US Navy SEALS departed one clear night in early July 2005 for the mountainous Afghanistan-Pakistan border for a reconnaissance mission. Their task was to document the activity of an al Qaeda leader rumored to be very close to Bin Laden with a small army in a Taliban stronghold. Five days later, only one of those Navy SEALS made it out alive.

This is the story of the only survivor of Operation Redwing, SEAL fire team leader Marcus Luttrell, and the extraordinary firefight that led to the largest loss of life in American Navy SEAL history. His squadmates fought valiantly beside him until he was the only one left alive, blasted by an RPG into a place where his pursuers could not find him. Over the next four days, terribly injured and presumed dead, Luttrell crawled for miles through the mountains and was taken in by sympathetic villagers who risked their lives to keep him safe from surrounding Taliban warriors.

A born and raised Texan, Marcus Luttrell takes us from the rigors of SEAL training, where he and his fellow SEALs discovered what it took to join the most elite of the American special forces, to a fight in the desolate hills of Afghanistan for which they never could have been prepared. His account of his squadmates' heroism and mutual support renders an experience that is both heartrending and life-affirming. In this rich chronicle of courage and sacrifice, honor and patriotism, Marcus Luttrell delivers a powerful narrative of modern war. " (from Amazon.com product description.)

I've got my copy ordered at my local library ...they say it is due March 9 so I should get to start it pretty soon. (HOPEFULLY the current reader won't be late!)

As you are reading if you come up with thoughts for books for the next six months, feel free to throw the ideas out here. I often go to used book sales and it would be nice to have a list of titles to be on the lookout for.

Happy reading ladies!

Pious Lies

I finally finished reading Sarah. All through the book I kept noting little things that would be worthy of discussing...things like how Card addressed Sarah's feelings about her infertility, how Sarah and her sister interacted, and whether or not the relationship between Sarah and Abraham had been portrayed in a consistent or believable manner (I would say no to both.)

But all of that went tumbling away from my mind when I got to Cards afterword section where he introduces the notion of "Pious Lies", claiming that Abraham was completely justified in lying about Sarah being his sister rather than his wife when in the court of Pharaoh. (Interesting that Card made it Pharaoh who they were dealing with.)

Anyway I have been thinking A LOT about that, and struggling with the whole notion.
On the one hand I DO believe that the Lord can and does give specific instruction to specific individuals that require them to violate a basic commandment.

For example, in the Book of Mormon we have the story of how Nephi is commanded to slay Laban so that Nephi can get the Brass Plates and preserve his own life. He is told that it is better for one man to perish than a whole nation struggle in ignorance and unbelief which is what will happen if they don't have the critical records to teach their people from. I can accept that.

So if Abram/Abraham was given specific revelation from God to say Sariah/Sarah was his sister, based on my faith in revelation and that Abram/Abraham was indeed a true prophet, I could accept that.

What I do NOT accept is that any time an individual thinks their life is in danger they are totally justified to say or do anything they think they may need to in order to preserve their own safety. I think in some extreme cases it might be understandable and excusable to lie my way out of danger, but I think Card was just a bit too flippant about how he addressed this issue.

Honesty and integrity are precious commodities that seem to be little valued in our modern society. In far too many situations people fall back on thinking the ends justifies the means. So I am wondering - in what cases do I think it would be justified to lie to save my life? In what cases would I not?

Would I deny my testimony of Jesus Christ if I was told I would be killed unless I refuted that belief? I hope not.

Would I lie to a burglar who held a gun at my head if I knew a way to convince him/her that I was more valuable alive than dead? Probably.

I've been thinking about the "social lies" that are often told in order to spare some one's feelings. I'm thinking about all the many ways that I measure my own integrity and whether there are areas where I could specifically do a better job at honoring the truth.

Sarah was an ok book. I strongly preferred the other novel about her life by Marek Halter. Card's version didn't seem to stay true to the cultural / historical context how Patriarchy would have played out and his two primary women characters were way too one sided.

His writing in this book was not powerful for me, as it was in the novel Pastwatch which takes a very interesting twist on the Christopher Columbus story, or Stone Tables that gives us a view into the life of Moses and his family. I'm still a fan of several of his works. This one, for me, falls short.

Broccoli & Chocolate

I'm really glad that we are all reading the same books and have an opportunity to talk about them. That IS sort of the point of a Book club, whether conducted in real time or a virtual one in cyberspace, right?

I am planning to finish up SARAH soon and will be posting my impressions of that book.

But here's a thought. I'm sure all of us, avid readers that we are, may read OTHER books that we won't be discussing as a group. Any time you come to a quote or an idea in whatever you are reading, how about post it here?

For instance, I just started listening to the book "Finding Noel" by Richard Paul Evans on my commute back and forth to work. I had to giggle at this line:

"Chocolate is God's apology for broccoli."

Hey, I LIKE broccoli. But it amused me just the same.

Some words on the creative process

One of my friends over on Facebook posted a link to a FANTASTIC talk given by Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the book Eat, Pray, Love that we all recently read.
This is TOO GOOD to be missed. It takes about 15 minutes to watch (I think, didn't really time it.) But it has some POWERFUL ideas. When you get a chance, take a look and let me know your thoughts, ok?

Here is the link to Gilbert's speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86x-u-tz0MA
Beyond really appreciating THIS talk, it turned me on to a whole new resource I was unfamiliar with - Ted.com Do you guys know about this? There's some GREAT stuff here! How am I supposed to go ahead and get ready for my day now when I just want to soak this up???

Sarah - Women of Genesis

The Page Nibbler pick for February '09 will be Sarah: Women of Genesis by Orson Scott Card

This is what I found about it so far:

From Libreriauniversitaria:

"Sarai was a child of ten years, wise for her age but not yet a woman, when she first met Abram. He appeared before her in her father's house, filthy from the desert, tired and thirsty. But as the dirt of travel was washed from his body, the sight of him filled her heart. And when Abram promises Sarai to return in ten years to take her for his wife, her fate was sealed.
Abram kept his promise, and Sarai kept hers. They were wed, and so joined the royal house of Ur with the high priesthood of the Hebrews. So began a lifetime of great joy together, and greater peril; and with the blessing of their God, a great nation would be built around the core of their love.

Bestselling author Orson Scott Card uses his fertile imagination, and uncanny insight into human nature, to tell the story of a unique woman -- one who is beautiful, tough, smart, and resourceful in an era when women had little power, and are scarce in the historical record. Sarah, child of the desert, wife of Abraham, takes on vivid reality as a woman desirable to kings, a devoted wife, and a faithful follower of the God of Abraham, chosen to experience an incomparable miracle."

And then this piece from Post-Gazette.com

"As Card tells it, Sarai (as she is called until God changes her name late in life) first meets Abram (later Abraham) when she’s 10. He has come to pay the bride price for his nephew Lot to marry Qira, Sarai’s sister. Abram tells Sarai he’ll be back to marry her in 10 more years.

Problem is, she’s been promised to the goddess Asherah as a temple worshiper for life.

When Abram does return, Sarai breaks the vow her father made to Asherah, marries Abram and goes off to lead the nomadic life. A supremely honorable woman, she wins the love of every servant in the camp -- unlike Qira, who grumbles that the upright Lot does nothing to befriend the dirty men of Sodom and increase their social standing. When Lot leaves Sodom to join Abram in the desert, Qira has no choice but to go along. She offends everyone in the camp, while the love shown to Sarai only grows.

And that’s the problem. Card makes his two major female characters too one-sided. Sarai calls to mind the tragic hero of ancient drama -- perfection on legs if it weren’t for one fatal flaw, and one flaw only. Sarai’s flaw is her nagging concern that Asherah really does exist, and the goddess is inflicting barrenness on Sarai because of the broken vow.

In all else, Sarai is perfect. She selflessly offers her handmaid, Hagar, as a gift to Abram in order for Abram to have a child by her. After Hagar’s son Ishmael is born, Sarai displays not the slightest hint of cattiness toward Hagar. Even in disagreements with Abram, Sarai is always right, and Abram has to go seek the Lord to come to the conclusions that his wife has already suggested.

Qira, on the other hand, has not one redeeming quality. She ridicules everyone and even considers her own daughters an annoyance. She’s too easy to hate.

Despite these drawbacks, the story is well-told. Abram is more multifaceted. So is Hagar, who seems at times to be Sarai’s best friend and at other times her fiercest competitor. A servant since girlhood, Hagar wants to love and be loved but is hampered by her impulse to steal every advantage.

The story moves swiftly, climaxing at several points, such as Abram and Sarai’s stay in Egypt when the pharaoh wants to take Sarai as his wife. It is a quick and interesting read.

The biggest problem I foresee for this book is winning an audience. The natural audience -- Christian and Jewish people who know and love the story of Abraham and Sarah -- may well be offended by the liberties Card takes.

Some can be excused as poetic license or convenience -- for instance, making Sarai and Qira sisters adds a heightened level of interest.

But other changes will be more offensive to people who cherish the biblical story. For instance, Card dismisses the miracle of Lot’s wife being turned into a pillar of salt. In an afterword, Card, a Mormon, explains that choice and others, probably meaning to mollify traditionalists but perhaps making the situation worse than if he had simply left his choices a mystery.

So if many Christian and Jewish readers are put off by this book, who’s left to read it? Historical fiction fans? Not necessarily. Most responsible historical fiction embeds a made-up story within a such a factual setting as a documented Civil War battle. But Card readily admits he’s not doing that here; he doesn’t have enough historical facts to work from because the story is so ancient.

And that’s the real crux of the matter. A warning for those who might hope to find in this book a responsible theological discussion, a historical record or a devotional: “Sarah” is based on the barest of facts, and her character is largely a creation of Card’s own imagination. This is an intriguing story -- with the emphasis on the word story."

So as I begin this book I am curious, eager, and cautious. I am reminded that this IS a work of FICTION, based on what we know from the bible.

I just finished reading the book about Sarah in the Canaan Trilogy by Merek Halter It will be interesting to see how Orson Scott Card's interpretation of the same character will compare.

Introducing Orson Scott Card

For our February selection of Page Nibblers I am suggesting we read any one of the Women of Genesis series by Orson Scott Card.

There are three books to choose from:

Rachel and Leah

Sarah

Rebekah

I have not yet decided which one I will be reading...I'll probably make a trip to the library and see what I can get there before I buy one.

But while I am sorting that out, I thought I'd share a little background about the author.
Born in Richland, Washington in 1951, Orson Scott Card grew up in California, Arizona, and Utah. He lived in Brazil for two years as an unpaid missionary for the Mormon Church and received degrees from Brigham Young University (1975) and the University of Utah (1981). The author of numerous books, Card was the first writer to receive both the Hugo and Nebula awards for best novel two years in a row, first for Ender's Game and then for the sequel Speaker for the Dead. He lives with his wife and children in North Carolina.

While he is best known for his science fiction novels Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow, Orson Scott Card has written in many other forms and genres. Beginning with dozens of plays and musical comedies produced in the 1960s and 70s, Card's first published fiction appeared in 1977 -- the short story "Gert Fram" in the July issue of The Ensign, and the novelet version of "Ender's Game" in the August issue of Analog.

While Card's early science fiction stories and novels were earning attention (Card won the John W. Campbell Award for best new writer from the World Science Fiction Convention in 1978), he supported his family primarily by writing scripts for audiotapes produced by Living Scriptures of Ogden, Utah.

(Info taken from Card's website, Hatrack.com)

I LOVED the book Pastwatch. I was enchanted by Stone Tables. Folks on the Fringe stuck with me long after I put it down. I've long enjoyed work by OSC. But it has been a while since I've sampled his work. I'm excited to get back to his stuff, and to get a new view of some powerful women from the Bible. I look forward to hearing what my fellow Page Nibblers have to say about their readings...no matter what they choose.

Soldiers of Seriousness

I'm continuing on with the book Eat, Pray, Love. Found some GEMS in the section on Italy, where the author spent time exploring the whole concept of pleasure.

I particularly related to the section on page 23 where the author says:

"For years, I'd wished I could speak Italian--a language I find more beautiful than roses-- but I could never make the practical justification for studying it. Why not just bone up on the French of Russian I'd already studied years ago? Or learn to speak Spanish, the better to help me communicate with millions of my fellow Americans? What was I going to do with Italian? It's not like I was going to move there. It would be more practical to learn how to play the accordion.

But why must everything always have a practical application? I'd been such a diligent soldier for years--working, producing, never missing a deadline, taking care of my loved ones, my gums and my credit record, voting, etc. Is this lifetime supposed to be only about duty? In this dark period of loss, did I need any justification for learning Italian other than that it was the only thing I could imagine bringing me me any pleasure right now? ..."

Yeah, I could relate.

For many years I've piled load upon load of responsibilities on my own plate, scrambling from one "should do" or "ought to do" to another, too often confusing RELAXING with sloth, an unpardonable crime.

My focus all too often has been more on accomplishing, achieving and acquiring than it has been about savoring, relishing, appreciating.

I'm working at shifting the balance of that in my world.

Another part that really hit me was over on page 42-43 where she talks about beginning formal language classes in Italy. She has to take an entrance test that will determine which level she will be place in, Level One is the most basic, for brand new beginners. It becomes VERY important to her to prove she can make it to at least Level Two. The scorn she feels for Level One is absolute. After all, she had begun learning the language while she was still back in New York. She has practiced. She has studied. She is ready to shine. So she pushes out her very best effort and does indeed make it to Level Two.

However, she flounders there, feeling out of her depth, way beyond the right fit. She writes:

"Classes begin in the afternoon. So I go eat lunch (roasted endive) then saunter back to the school and smugly walk past all those Level One students (who must be molot stupido, really) and enter my first class.. With my peers. Except that it becomes swiftly evident that these re not my peers and that I have no business being here because Level Two is really impossibly hard.

I feel like I'm swimming, but barely. Like I'm taking in water with every breath. The teacher, a skinny guy (why are the teachers so skinny here? I don't trust skinny Italians),is going way too fast, skipping over whole chapters of the textbook saying, "You already know this, you already know that..." and keeping up a rapid-fire conversation with my apparently fluent classmates. My stomach is gripped in horror and I'm gasping for air and praying he won't call on me.

Just as soon as the break comes, I run out of that classroom on wobbling legs and I scurry all the way over to the administrative office almost in tears, where I beg in very clear English if they could please move me down to a Level One class. And so they do. And now I am here. This teacher is plump and speaks slowly. This is much better."

OH how I recognize in myself the driven need to prove my advanced proficiency at ever so many things...even when it meant putting myself into circumstances that were way beyond me. Unfortunately, unlike the author, I have not often had the courage to recognize it and fall back, take things at a more appropriate pace. Instead, I've just pushed and pushed and pushed to keep up, making myself nutty in the process.

Maybe there is a lesson there for me... maybe I CAN set my sights "lower" and find the right fit in things I take on. Hell, I have nothing to prove to anyone else. It's high time I quit scrambling to prove whatever it is I'm trying to prove to myself.

Yeah, I really like this book - even the parts that make me a little uncomfortable. Maybe ESPECIALLY the parts that make me uncomfortable. It makes me think, to ponder, to recognize. I'm enjoying it way more than I thought that I would.

I just finished the section on Italy. Now I'm off to India where she will be exploring Spirituality. I can't wait!

Road Trip??

Holy cow, what an opportunity!

I just went back to the website for Eat, Love, Pray to read a bit more detail about and by the author, Elizabeth Gilbert. And guess what? She is going to be within reasonable driving distance in February.

Here's the scoop: as part of the Portland Literary Arts Lecture Series Ann Patchett & Elizabeth Gilbert will be speaking on Tuesday, February 10th 7:30 p.m.

Tickets cost $12.00 - $28.00

This is what the info on the website says:

"The two writers will share our Portland stage to discuss friendship and the writing process. Ann Patchett and Elizabeth Gilbert met a few years ago at a writers’ conference and have since developed a friendship, primarily through letter writing. This very special event brings these two authors on stage for the first time to engage the audience and each other in an exploration of creativity.

Ann Patchett’s books include The Magician’s Assistant (1998); Bel Canto (2002); Truth and Beauty (2004), a memorial tribute to her friend and fellow writer Lucy Grealy; and Run (2007). Elizabeth Gilbert is the author of the short story collection Pilgrims (1997); The Last American Man (2002); and the New York Times best-selling memoir Eat, Pray, Love (2006).

All single tickets are sold at the PCPA Box Office and are general admission.

Reserved seating is only available through Portland Arts & Lectures with a series subscription. Portland Arts & Lectures: 224 NW 13th Ave. Ste.306; (503)227-2583; http://www.literary-arts.org/pal/"

Then Gilbert will be following that appearance with a solo gig in Seattle on Feb 12 - but that one is considerably more spendy (Tickets for that event at University of Washington are $30-$60).

HMMMM... I have gone to book readings and signings in the past and NEVER paid for a ticket to be there. I'm not sure how typical this is in the book world.

Still, I'm sorely tempted to go to the event in Portland. Rozel, any chance you could come? Pat? Mimi? Andrea?

Let me know if any of you have any interest. It could be one blast of a road trip. Food for thought anyway.

Diving In

When entering a swimming pool some folks tentatively dangle their toes, then SLOWLY inch their way in with many a sharp intake of breath as the water hits tender places. Others just dive right in. Which are you? With me, temperature makes all the difference. In cold water I'm reticent, forcing myself into submersion inch by excruciating inch. In warmer water I take the sudden plunge.

Likewise, with reading, some books seem to invite me to just jump into them with wild abandon, immediately immersing myself into the world between the pages. Other books I wrestle with, fitfully starting and stopping, initially holding back my full engagement. But what makes the difference? What criteria establishes the "temperature" for how I relate to the printed word?

Part of it, I suppose, is WHY I chose the book. Is it something that will be good for me, like vitamins and a high fiber diet? Something I SHOULD read? (ugh!) Part of it is basic style of the book.

I will admit I was feeling a teensy bit reticent about starting our January book - Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. It would not have been my first choice. But I had the book on hand, so I agreed to begin there. What was the source of these niggling reservations I had about this book? Well, some of the people who I had heard rave about the book in the past were...let's just say a little bit OUT THERE metaphysically speaking. That gave me pause. And I really wasn't sure how interested I would be to read about one woman's ongoing navel gazing as she tries to find meaning and balance in life after a messy divorce.

But I have a few days off for the holidays so I decided I'd go ahead and jump in.

I'm about 45 pages into the book so far, and suprisingly, I am finding myself positively DELIGHTED by the pace and tone of what I am reading. Some of the sentences are positively delicious. Some of the passages so closely describe some of my own private feelings and fears it is as if the author had been rooting around in my underwear drawer. Clearly, this is a book I can relate to.

These are some of the tidbits I have particularly savored:

"I could remain totally celbate except for keeping a pair of handsome twenty-five-year-old Italian twin brothers as lovers. Which was slightly reminiscent of a freind of mine who is vegetarian except for bacon." (Gilbert p 8)

"Having a baby is like getting a tattoo on your face. You really need to be certain it's what you want before you commit." (Gilbert p 9)

"he was still my lighthouse and my albatross in equal measure. The only thing more unthinkable than leaving was staying." (Gilbert p 12)

Where I really found myself smacked between the eyes with self recognition comes over on the 14th segment - page 42-43. Man, oh man, did I see myself in those words...

So ladies (or gents, as the case may be) any of you who are reading this with us, let's get going cause I REALLY want to talk about this with some of you and get your perspective.

Go ahead, Dive right in.

Eat, Pray, Love

The first book that Page Nibblers will be taking on is Eat, Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.

Ok, I must admit - I can hear some of my friends groaning with rolled eyes to say "OH, it's going to be one of THOSE kind of book clubs. A bunch of women sitting around getting all new age touchy feely. No thanks."

To which I say - now wait a minute, put your stereotype bat down for a minute. I do understand there are many genres of books. Over time we hope to sample a diverse selection. We just happen to be starting with this one. It is my HOPE that when it comes time to read Larry Niven (who I adore) no one will say "I don't read science fiction" and close the door. The whole point of this group of readers is for us to go out of our usual pattern of reading and sample OTHER kinds of book and then talk about what our experience of them was. Fair enough?

For starters, as I begin to read this book I like to know a little bit about the author. If you are interested, you can read her Bio HERE. I was intrigued to learn that the movie Coyote Ugly is based on Gilbert's memoir written for GQ based on her experiences tending bar.

I was also impressed to see she spent over five years trying to break into getting published, kept going and going like the energizer bunny despite all those rejection slips.

I had to stop and wonder what accomplishments I have not had because I quit when the going got tough. HMMM. Maybe there is something I can learn in the pages of this book.

So what is it supposed to be about anyway? Well, the good folks at Penguin.com have this to say:

"In what could be construed as a coming-of-age story for thirtysomethings, Gilbert leaves behind an excruciating divorce, tumultuous affair, and debilitating depression as she sets off on a yearlong quest to bridge the gulf between body, mind, and spirit. Part self-deprecating tour guide, part wry, witty chronicler, Gilbert relates this chapter of her life with a compelling, richly detailed narrative that eschews the easy answers of New Age rhetoric. In the book’s early pages, a flashback finds the smart, savvy, successful Gilbert on her knees on the bathroom floor of the Westchester house she inhabits with her husband, wailing and wallowing in sorrow, snot, and tears (“a veritable Lake Inferior”), awkwardly embarking on her first conversation with God."

Uh, ok. I admit this does NOT make me think oh goody this book is going to be great. It's not the type of stuff I typically read. (Which may explain why it has been sitting on my shelf for MONTHS now and I haven't started it.) But I'm game. I am going to read this book, and then try to look at it with an open mind to decide if it has value for me or not. If not, WHY not? If so, what parts do I savor?

I am going to THINK as I read, I am going to ANALYZE, I am going to COMPARE, I am going to consider this book in ways that go beyond the brain candy distraction I embark on with most espionage novels or murder mysteries.

I might like it. I might not. But I am going to taste it completely, and then make up my mind AFTER I see what it is all about, not make up my mind going in.

So join me if you care to. Get the book at your local library or bookstore and read along with us here. Give your honest opinions of what you liked or didn't like. Remember, I'm just getting started on this, so no spoilers please. But let's talk about it. No matter what you think of the story, discussing WHY you thought that could be fun. So if you are up for it, come along for the ride.

So Many Books...So Little Time

My dear pal Rozel recently mentioned on her blog that the reading club she had joined up with had fizzled. For a long time now I have been longing to get back into a reading club again. I had a wonderful group that I met with monthly when I lived in Ohio. Alas, that was 20 yrs ago. Where does the time go?

I have allowed my life to get over busy and not carved out enough time for the sweet delicous luxury of reading for fun. I listen to books on CD nearly every day during my commute to and from work, which helps fill the niche somewhat. But it is not the same as curling up in a blanket with a cup of herbal tea with no other distractions, allowing myself to get lost in the language of characters and plot. Or, just as important to me, is to take time to dig deep into a good non-fiction read with the freedom to fully focus, reflect, and consider WITHOUT having to look out for other cars and pay attention to where I am going.

One of my goals for the coming year is to make more time for meaningful reading. But the reality is my life IS very busy. The chances of me meeting on a regular basis with people in the physical world is not likely.

Besides - there are people I know and love who share my passion for reading who do not happen to live where I live. And there are people I have never met who might have something WONDERFUL to contribute to discussions. So Rozel and I decided the best approach would be to fire up a new blog to begin a sort of virtual bookclub.

Obviously we could each just read what we want to read on our own. But both of us enjoy the sharing / discussing part as much as we do the reading itself. I used to work with Rozel at a college we both have left for other options. I miss her. This will be a way we can continue the quirky conversations we both so valued when we were colleagues there. This will also give us both a chance to meet some new friends to kick around thoughts about what we are reading.

We will be reviewing some books, and talking some about general issues related to literature, literacy, genre, and whatever else comes up. It will be interesting to see how it evolves.

Rozel will invite a few of her friends and I'll invite a few of mine, and of course the comment section will be open to anyone who wants to put their two cents in.

We are still kicking around ideas for which books we will be reading for 2009. We've decided to start with Eat, Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (mostly because we both have the book and neither one of us has read it yet.) We want to do a mix of different kinds of things...

These are some we are considering:

NON FICTION:
They Poured Fire on us From the Sky: The Story of Three Lost Boys From Sudan by Benjamin Ajak
Dark Horse: A Political Thriller by Ralph Reed
We the People: A Story of Our Constitution by Lynne Cheney
Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell with Patrick Robinson
Escape by Carolyn Jessop
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis


FICTION
The Wednesday Letters by Jason F Wright
Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Heart is A Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
Ringworld by Larry Niven

This is just a start - the list is deliberatly open for suggestions.
We'd like to mix it up between light and dark, meaty and fun. This will give us each a chance to read books we might otherwise have overlooked.

So here we go on our maiden voyage of the Page Nibblers. I'm most definitely looking forward to it.