Next Month--The Invention of Wings
At our February 23 book group, we discussed Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal and the Real Count of Monte Cristo by Tom Reiss. Even though the author did a lot of research, we felt that the book lacked rhythm, the dates and history were confusing at times, and the exploits of the Black Count were mired in too much historical detail. This book was not well liked by the group. Our refreshments were cheese & crackers and fresh fruit.
Summary: "The story follows Hetty 'Handful' Grimke, a Charleston slave, and Sarah, the daughter of the wealthy Grimke family. The novel begins on Sarah's eleventh birthday, when she is given ownership over Handful, who is to be her handmaid. "The Invention of Wings" follows the next thirty-five years of their lives. Inspired in part by the historical figure of Sarah Grimke (a feminist, suffragist and, importantly, an abolitionist), Kidd allows herself to go beyond the record to flesh out the inner lives of all the characters, both real and imagined"
January 26th meeting notes
The book group meet on January 26, 2015 to discuss The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin and all the members reporting in LOVED this book! Why did we like it so much? It was a variety of things--the characters, the location, the idea of a complete life, the quirky and clever ways the author catered to the reader--everything. This may be our favorite for the year and it's only January! For refreshments, we had gluten-free brownies and fresh fruit.
Summary:
Explores the life and career of Thomas Alexandre Dumas, a man almost unknown today, but whose swashbuckling exploits appear in The three musketeers and whose trials and triumphs inspired The count of Monte Cristo.
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