What We’re Reading

“WEST WITH THE NIGHT,”

by Beryl Markham

& “CIRCLING THE SUN,” by Paula McLain

Fair and Tender Ladies

The pairing of a well-researched novel and a memoir of early 20th-century Africa provided a depth of insight into Markham’s adventurous life of shattering the expectations placed on her by social convention. Born in Britain in 1902, Markham moved with her family to Kenya when she was 2, only to have her mother and older brother return to England and leave her to be raised by her father and the local natives on his farm. Her beautifully crafted vignettes of her life as a wild child, an accomplished horse trainer, adventurer, and an African bush pilot are painted in poetic prose. During the early days of aviation she became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic from east to west. McLain’s fictionalized history, Circling the Sun, brings Markham vividly to life as she tells a powerful tale of a complex woman who lived defiantly on her own terms. Blending fact and fiction, McLain has penned a masterful story of hardship, courage, and love that wowed the book group. “We loved and were dazzled by her many talents and accomplishments and also her fierce determination to be herself and not conform.”

“LANDFALL,”

by Ellen Urbani

Chapter Chicks

“Not all books lend themselves to being good book group books,” according to the Chapter Chicks. “This one is a definite yes.” In the aftermath of the devastating catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina, a young woman struggles for forgiveness, redemption, and salvation following a tragic accident. Landfall is not about a storm; it is about the resiliency of the human spirit. The Southerners in the book group thought Urbani, who spent her formative years in the South, wrote with an authentic voice of the area. Her unforgettable characters demonstrate how what we think we know can blind us to what matters most. “A well-liked book by our group – vivid descriptions and full-bodied characters.”

“THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN,” by Sherman Alexie

Bibliobabes

“Experimenting with different genres, we chose this young adult novel” based on the author’s own experiences on the Spokane Indian Reservation, explained the Bibliobabes. The semi-autobiographical chronicle of 14 year-old Arnold Spirit, aka Junior, is heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written. The story is embellished with poignant drawings by Ellen Forney that reflect Junior’s art. Narrated like random passages from a journal (hence the title), Junior’s story “is unique, trying to find that balance between life within and outside” the rez. “At the same time, some universal themes echo any boy coming-of-age. Alexie tells the story of his youth with wit, honesty, and compassion. This is a wonderful book.”

“THE LITTLE PARIS BOOKSHOP,” by Nina George

Bend Bookies

“What’s not to like about a bookstore, floating on the Seine?” asked the Bend Bookies when discussing their latest selection. They were drawn to the characters, including the bookseller, Monsieur Perdu, who calls himself a literary apothecary. He prescribes books to heal the broken hearts and souls of the readers who come to the converted barge looking for solace. Circumstances and a found letter take Perdu on a quest for lost love. He and his neighbor, a young author, take the barge bookstore on an odyssey along the Seine where they meet an unusual cast of characters while discovering surprising revelations about profound joy, sorrow and love. George’s prose is rich and captivating – an engaging, charming novel.

“THE MARRIAGE OF MISS JANE AUSTEN VOLUME I”

by Collins Hemingway

Bend Book Worms

With close attention to details of early 1800s England, Bend author, Hemingway, transports the reader into the mind and heart of the Jane Austen that might have been. “In this well-researched novel, we meet Jane as a young woman, determined to marry for love, not position, as was the common practice at the time.” Though Austen is often viewed as having been prim and proper, in this novel she is reimagined as lively, intelligent, and passionate.The decade of her 20s, about which little is known, is the basis for a compelling love story. Hemingway dives deep into the heart and soul of his characters, prompting the reader to laugh and cry with them.