Martyr!

 

May brought us together over some amazing coconut curry and quinoa salad made by Lexi at Chrysanne's house.  We read Martyr by Kaveh Akbar and I am going to try to capture the discussion- which was a good one.  Lexi led by talking about one of the lines and themes in the book which was about how in relationships there is a feeder and an eater.  This is a universal truth that we pondered in our own relationships and in the relationships of Cyrus, his father, mother, friends and lovers.  

While it was a difficult read about a main character who seeks a meaningful death after tumultuous experiences  with addiction and then recovery,  combined with the issues of being an Iranian immigrant. Cyrus's  parents sought a better life through their immigration, but were they better off in the end?  We felt it was hard to read some of the struggles through the addiction and  the sadness of finding Cyrus's mother. Finally, the struggles of navigating sexuality and finding meaning were painful to read.  

This novel comes at a crucial time when we are at war as a country with Iran and our President has just announced that 'an entire civilization will be destroyed. ' This novel is centered around an event in 1988 when Iranian Flight 655 is shot down by the US- 290 people were killed, including 69 children.  This event in the novel results in the believed death of Cyrus's mother, the move to the United States and his father's under employment on a chicken farm in Indiana.  The parallels to current day, senseless bombings of a primary school are uncanny and the notion that a civilization that is so similiar to our own is being threatened to be destroyed.  We felt sad, frustrated and unsettled.

Next month, we are reading The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak.  We are meeting at Cindy's at 5:30 on 6/29/2026.  Don will join us remotely.  Cindy will send a link.  

The Land in Winter

 We read The Land in Winter for March.  This was a very interesting book that no one in our group loved, however, the reading inspired a great discussion.  The novel is considered an historical novel that covers a record breaking cold winter in 1962-63 in England.  In addition, the main characters are influenced by having parents and colleagues who were traumatized by WWII.  The novel captures the oppression  of the early 60's of marriage, career, socio-economic class and access to education.  The main female characters are isolated, pregnant and unable to freely follow their dreams.  The men are restless, unhappy and searching for something more.  Altogether, it is a story of restlessness and isolation.  We thought the writing was good, but didn't understand what the author was trying to capture, except these historical moments.  No one could find a favorite character and it all felt very sad.  

Our dear friend and bookclub member of 29 years, Mindy Evnin died. and we devoted this bookclub meeting to "What would Mindy think."  It is safe to say that Mindy was direct and no nonsense.  She would have agreed with our discussion and would have had little patience for the sort of accepted suffering of the characters in this novel.

Our next meeting is on May 11th and we are reading Martryed by Kaveh Akbar.  We will meet at Chrysanne's and Lexi is making dinner! 5:30!

The Trees

 February brought us to Terry and Debbie's house reading The Trees by Percival Everett.  We had read James by Percival Everett and loved it.  This novel, published in 2021 is a satire focusing on racism and police brutality. We talked about how the author can bring our attention to the injustices, violence and unfairnesses in our history and present in a way that keeps us engaged and thinking.  we were also struck by his creation of circumstances that are happening now in 2026! This led to some handwringing of what is to come in our politically tumultuous time. Thankfully, we were able to drown our worries with icecream and chose The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller.  We are meeting at Chrysanne's on April 13th at 5:30. 

Isola

 In January, we read Isola by Goodman.  I think just one of us enjoyed it.  While we appreciated the historical tale, we were not moved to identify with the characters. Our discussion was short and we enjoyed Allan's cooking.  Next book is The Trees by Percival Everett. We are meeting at Terry's and Debbie's February 16 at 5:30.
 

The Audition

 

We read Audition by Katia Kitamura and it blew our minds.  We had no idea how to sort out the meaning of this book.  Was it a Sliding Doors theme where an encounter could take two different directions in life? Was the main character psychotic and making up different scenarios or was in a study in two different scenarios with the same characters? Some of us loved it, others not so much.  

Next meeting is Isola by Allegra Goodman.  We will meet at Alan's House at 5:30.

Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny

 

We loved The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai.  We thought that the author was able to capture the immigrant experience of having one part of one's identity rooted in one's heritage while living in another culture, learning all the nuances.  There were so many challenges for Sonia and Sunny that were parallel and different based on their economic status, educational status and gender.  

Next book is Auditon by  Katia Kitamura   .  We are meeting at Chrysanne's at 5:30.

My Friends

 

We loved Fredrik Backman's My Friends.  Such a great story of young friends bonding and holding one another into adulthood.  Each character was well developed and we fell in love with each one.  In spite of insurmountable challenges, their friendship held and they not only survived their childhoods, but became humans that were interesting, productive and loving.  

Next book is The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny.  We are meeting at Cindy's at 5:30 for good food and discussion!

Kafka on the Shore

 

We read Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami this month.  This was our first Murakami and it felt like a wild ride to most of us.  Some of us could not read the entire book but 

Orbital

 December brought us altogether with our newest member, Alex! We had an excellent discussion about Orbital by Samantha Harvey.  This novel won the Mann Booker 2024 prize.  The judges said the following:

‘In an unforgettable year for fiction, a book about a wounded world. Sometimes you encounter a book and cannot work out how this miraculous event has happened. As judges we were determined to find a book that moved us, a book that had capaciousness and resonance, that we are compelled to share. We wanted everything.

Orbital is our book. Samantha Harvey has written a novel propelled by the beauty of sixteen sunrises and sixteen sunsets. Everyone and no one is the subject, as six astronauts in the International Space Station circle the Earth observing the passages of weather across the fragility of borders and time zones.  With her language of lyricism and acuity Harvey makes our world strange and new for us. 

‘All year we have celebrated fiction that inhabits ideas rather than declaiming on issues, not finding answers but changing the question of what we wanted to explore. Our unanimity about Orbital recognizes its beauty and ambition. It reflects Harvey’s extraordinary intensity of attention to the precious and precarious world we share.’ 

I think it is unusual in our group to have everyone focus on a different aspect of the book.  We talked about the pull of the earth, the breaking down of the constructs that define cultures and geographical boundaries, about space and imagining our futures and mortality.

Our next book is The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Bremmer.  We are meeting at Mindy's new apartment on January 30th at 5:30.  I cannot remember who is bringing what- Here is my guess:

Jeffrey- Soup

Alex- Salad

Lexi- Dessert

Tim or Allen Beverages

Cindy- Bread

Lioness of Boston

 

For November, we read The Lioness of Boston, a historical fictional account of Isabella Steward Gardner's life.  As a group, we didn't love the novel, but we had a great discussion.  We talked about art, marriage, architecture and love.  The novel gave us a very strong feeling of place and time.  Boston at the turn of the last century was not inclusive in the upper classes of old Bostonian families.  The story of how Isabella Stewart Gardner carved out a way to be in as authenic a way as she could during a time when there were many roadblocks was impressive.

Next book is Orbital by Samantha Harvey.  We are meeting on December 16th at Chrysanne's at 5:30.  Alex Roth will be joining us as Cindy's guest.

  

Horse

 

For September, we read Horse, by Geraldine Brooks.  This is the third book in a row that we have unanimously loved as a group.  The splendor with which Geraldine follows the horse, his breeder, trainer, owners, artists and the country is incredible.  

Next Book is Lioness of Boston by Emily Franklin.  We are meeting at Chrysanne's house at 5:30 on 11/12/24.

James

 In August, we read James by Percival Everett.  For the second meeting in a row, we all loved this book.  We talked about how skillfully Everett took an 1884 iconic novel and completely rewrote it from James (Jim's) perspective.  In Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, James (Jim) is a character in service to Huck.  James (Jim) emerges as a scholar, a leader, a father, a husband and a maker of change.  This novel speaks to the challenges of being enslaved in America during a time of movement and change.  

We loved how ancient philosophy intertwined with the character's search for truth and meaning in a senseless world.  We were able to have some insight into the time and place of being a slave in America on the run.  What a powerful novel.

Next month is Horse by Geraldine Brooks at Chrysanne's 5:30 on October 2nd.

This is Happiness

 

Related Correspondences!

Niall, our Vermont book club, the Greater Westford Literary Society (pompous name for a fun group of oldsters, 4 men, 4 women), just read "This is Happiness" and adored it. Because we have your email I can tell you that we loved the story, the characters, Faha, and all the universal truths you explore. I think you are now one of our favorite authors, and if you googled our blog you'd see we have been at this for a long time. Like all great authors, your work will enhance other's lives for generations to come..thank you for this gift of a book..

--Tim Jerman

Dear Tim & the Greater Westford Literary Society,

Hello from County Clare in a damp and breezy July. Thank you for the kind response to 'This is Happiness.' I have always felt that a book finds its reader, the meeting needs to happen at the right time and for whatever reason, so I am grateful that this one seems to have been well met by your group of Oldsters. O Now! Says Ganga, who does not consider himself an oldster, but in the new novel he certainly is one. 

Thank you once again. Happy reading days ahead to you all. 

Niall   

Tom Lake

 Tom Lake by Ann Patchett was the book choice for June.  I should really remember to write the blog post right after our meeting.  At the moment I can only remember how great the grilled salmon, asparagus and potatoes with fresh greens we had for dinner was.  Oh, and the blueberry crisp for dessert in keeping with the fruit theme of the book.  I think overall, everyone had something positive to say about this novel.  Ann Patchett definitely captured the feelings of emerging adulthood and adventure, paired with lessons learned in youth. We saw how the main character's  narrative took on different meaning with time.  

Patchett captured that feeling of uncertainty brought on by the  precautions of the Covid 19 shut down and families making the best of an unusual situation.  We liked the character development overall.  And we liked the theme of how small, simple, basic lifestyle won out over notoriety and money.  Definitely dinner at Chrysanne's beats a five star Michelin dinner any day of the week!

We are meeting on July 15th at Terry's House at 5:30.  We are reading This Is Happiness by Niall Williams.

Great Expectations: A Novel

 

In April, we read Great Expectations: A Novel by Vinson Cunningham.  Our group saw this novel as a coming of age story based on Vinson's work as a young adult on Obama's campaign.  He  pulls together the experiences of a young man's work as part of a major political campaign that promised hope and change with the main character's experiences as a young parent, lover, and friend.  He weaves in the influences of religion into the narrative in an interesting way.  We agreed this was a work that captured a time and an experience at a pivotal time in history.  Where it might have been better for our experienced crowd would have been to have a narrative that could have had more of a universal connection to a broader experience.

For May we are reading Tom Lake by Anne Patchett.  Tom Lake is a modern day rendition of Our Town by Thornton Wilder.  For extra credit, we can either see a rendition of the play or read the play for our discussion. We are meeting at Chrysanne's at 5:30 on June 5th.

The Prophet Song

 

In March, we read Paul Lynch's Booker Prize winning novel, The Prophet Song.  This was a dystopian novel that was inspired by the Syrian refugee experience.  The novel is set in Ireland and from the start, things go from troublesome to trouble to tragedy.  Members of our bookclub thought it was an important work, however, so tough to hang with it through all the hopelessness.  There was little hope left at the end and we all felt the themes of being torn about when to recognized the time to leave and weigh the cost of leaving one's home. Hard read, but important work.

in April we will read Great Expectations: A Novel by Vinson Cunningham.  Our new member Jeffrey suggested this novel.  We will meet at Alan's at 5:30 on May 1st.

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store

In January, we read The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store.  We had read Deacon King Kong previously and loved it.  This was a notable recommendation by Lexi who we finally let choose a book.  And now that we have read her pick, she gets to choose from now on. This was a great novel with excellent character development.  We had a good discussion around each reader's favorite characters.  This novel was an excellent rendition of a time and place, of the politics of the time, and social issues set in Chicken Hill.  

We spent time talking about Ed Amidon who had been in our bookclub for 33 years.  He died on December 26th and we can hardly believe it.  He loved Confederacy of Dunces. by John Kennedy-so much so that we had to read it twice!  He loved the Rabbit series by John Updike and I think we read Run Rabbit Run twice as well.  He will be remembered for his great laugh and sense of humor.  He was our literary friend.  We are planning to put together our thoughts and stories about Ed and will find a place on our blog to honor and perhaps roast him a bit.  

We are meeting at Mindy's on March 18th at 5:30, hoping to finally have some of her famous turkey chili. We will be reading Prophet Song by Paul Lynch.

The Glass Chateau

 We read The Glass Chateau by Stephen Kiernan in November.  We met in December via Zoom, missing Mindy's turkey chili and left to our own devices for our dinners.  Stephen Kiernan is a local author and journalist.  We had read A Universe of Two earlier this year and had liked it.  The Glass Chateau had some similarities in terms of themes of trauma associated with war-both managing that pain within the turmoil and later during healing.  Mixed with this theme is the story of blowing glass and creating stained glass as an art form.  We learned from the epilogue that the author had been inspired by an exhibit in Montreal by Chagall.    She shared photos with us which really put some of the novel into perspective for us around the artistic style of the characters.  

There were mixed reviews and a great discussion.  Alan, Mindy and Tim found the novel to be timely and a good reflection on the senselessness of war and the subsequent healing and hopefulness of the novel.  Others enjoyed the novel as a story, however were not able to connect with characters.  We had a great discussion and look forward to our next meeting.  We are hoping to meet at Mindy's but since I am writing this so late after our meeting, that I know that we also have the next meeting via Zoom at 7Pm (so Chrysanne can join) on January 23rd. We will read The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride.

 

October 2023 –

This month we met to discuss “The Mysteries of Pittsburgh” by Michael Chabon.  This is his first novel, written in 1988, and is a coming of age story that takes place during the summer after the protagonist finishes college.  None of our group members loved this book – a rarity since usually at least one person proclaims to love each book that we read!  As a group, we appreciated Chabon’s beautiful language and sentence construction.  We were disappointed with the lack of character development and the pace of the first half of the book.

However, we had a fabulous meeting – beginning with Chrysanne’s incredible cooking - baked chicken with lemon and garlic, roasted potatoes and green beans, fresh bread, salad and finished with an incredible fall apple dessert. Terry updated the group on his new agri-business, which lead to an interesting recounting of his business ventures over the last 50+ years.  Tim had recently returned from Kansas City where a private collector has a painting by Lemeul Wilmarth and Tim’s grandmother was the model for the painting when she was 16 years old.  After a series of communications with the collector, Tim visited and saw the painting, which is the collectors favorite piece of art!  Cindy also shared a Doug Nap painting that she is the model for.  We shared much laughter, conversation, and comradery – now that’s a successful book group!

Next meeting is on December 11^th at Mindy’s house to discuss The Glass Chateau by Steven Kiernan.

 

"This was the right book at the right time".                                              This sentiment was endorsed by almost all of us who gathered at Cindy's house, enjoying a spectacular summer garden salad, in September.  The story of the residents of the town of Algren had a sweetness that was a nice counterpoint to some of the darker books we have read in recent months.  Many people commented on the authenticity of the characters and their struggles. Many novels have included the challenge of sons longing to know their fathers - and this book explored this with humor and an almost child-like longing.  

NEXT MEETING IS: OCTOBER 9th at Chrysanne's where we will discuss "The mysteries of Pittsburth, by Michael Chabon"