November 2019 - Great Alone
At our October book group meeting, we discussed The last castle : the epic story of love, loss, and American royalty in the nation's largest home by Denise Kiernan. Several of the book group members have visited the Biltmore mansion and were able to give first hand impressions of the experience. Most members enjoyed learning more about the Vanderbilt family and the mansion but felt the book focused a bit too much on the family and not enough on the contributions and benefits due to the construction. We had Biltmore's Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce which was excellent! We also spent a few minutes choosing books for next year. Watch for the list to be posted soon!
Book Summary:
"In 1974, a former Vietnam POW, suffering from flashbacks and nightmares, moves his family to Alaska to live off the grid in an attempt to find peace, restoration, and freedom. They will also face dangers, both internally and externally, as they face the ultimate test of the human spirit"-- Lenora Allbright is 13 when her father convinces her mother, Cora, to move from Seattle to Kaneq, AK. It's 1974, and the former Vietnam POW sees a better future away from the noise and nightmares that plague him. Having been left a homestead by a buddy who died in the war, Ernt is secure in his beliefs, but never was a family less prepared for the reality of Alaska, the long, cold winters and isolation. Locals want to help out, especially Lenora's classmate Matthew Walker. Yet the harsh conditions bring out the worst in Ernt, whose paranoia takes over their lives and exacerbates what Leni sees as the toxic relationship between her parents."
October 2019 - Last Castle
Summary: Documents the story of the Gilded Age mansion Biltmore, tracing George Vanderbilt's construction of his European-style estate and the efforts of his bride, Edith Stuyvesant Dresser, to become its protector in the face of changing fortunes and times.
Next meeting November 27-Nightingale
At our October 30th program, we discussed The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan. All felt this was a book that covered a topic little of us knew about and serves as an important work on women's history. Personally, I didn't like how it jumped around the timeline and the author's technique of compartmentalizing the information to demonstrate the methods employed at the site made it difficult to engage in the book. Overall though, the group liked it and appreciated learning about tubealloy and the Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
Girls of Atomic City - October 30
At our September 25th meeting, we discussed The Book that Matters Most by Ann Hood. Everyone enjoyed the book and we had a great discussion on the books that matter most to us. Overall, we liked the story progression and didn't focus much on the book titles featured. We had Pepperidge Farm Lemon Cake and watermelon. The hot weather was also perfect for having lemonade.
Summary of Girls of Atomic City:
"This is the story of the young women of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, who unwittingly played a crucial role in one of the most significant moments in U.S. history. The Tennessee town of Oak Ridge was created from scratch in 1942. One of the Manhattan Project's secret cities. All knew something big was happening at Oak Ridge, but few could piece together the true nature of their work until the bomb "Little Boy" was dropped over Hiroshima, Japan, and the secret was out. The reverberations from their work there, work they did not fully understand at the time, are still being felt today."
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