April 2012 - DEFENDING JACOB

A fast, compelling, and compulsively readable courtroom drama, Defending Jacob tells the story of a district attorney’s son who is accused of killing a classmate. As the father attempts to prove his son’s innocence, Landay explores uncomfortable territory: can a tendency toward violence be inherited? Is the capacity for murder a genetic disposition? The author, a former district attorney, gets the taut nuances just right, capturing the subtleties of a trial in a packed courtroom, where a small rustle or murmur can signify a lot. In the end Landay pulls off a clever plot device that doesn’t reveal itself until the final pages. --Neal Thompson

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The Turning Leaves Book Club met at Marcia’s on April 29.  Most members were present and the book Defending Jacob received ratings of 6-7, with one 4.  Marcia did a great job coming up with questions to get the discussion of the book moving, and of course also served a fabulous dessert.  Some of the highlights of the conversation included the following:

·         Most readers related to the character of the mother and her concerns regarding her son; however, many could also understand the father’s refusal to recognize the possibility of his son as a murderer as well as his denial of his past.

·         The possibility of a genetic predisposition toward murder, violence, and many other “evils” was discussed at length.  If this is indeed true, can these types of tendencies be overcome?  Also, how responsible is a person for behaviors that are “caused” by his/her DNA?  One member stated there is a gene for everything, but not one to fit her butt.  J

·         Opinions varied on whether or not it is acceptable for a spouse to keep a secret from his/her past. 

·         There was also a lot of discrepancy in thought regarding the mother’s final decision in dealing with her son’s problem.  Some felt she was courageous, while others stated they could never do such a thing.

Dena is going to set up our May meeting at the Alexander House.  Each member is reading a memoir/biography/autobiography for this get together. 

Thanks to Geri for putting our blog post together this month!

March 2012 - LEFT NEGLECTED



The Turning Leaves Book Club met in March 2012 at the home of Geri Beckman to discuss the book Left Neglected by Lisa Genova. 

Amazon.com describes the book as follows:
Sarah Nickerson, like any other working mom, is busy trying to have it all. One morning while racing to work and distracted by her cell phone, she looks away from the road for one second too long. In that blink of an eye, all the rapidly moving parts of her over-scheduled life come to a screeching halt. After a brain injury steals her awareness of everything on her left side, Sarah must retrain her mind to perceive the world as a whole. In so doing, she also learns how to pay attention to the people and parts of her life that matter most.

Generally, the group had favorable ratings for the book, most ranging from a 6 to an 8. We were all intrigued by the medical condition that was the center of the book. Most of the criticism for the book revolved around the underdevelopment of the characters and the relationships in the book. The subject matter of the book led to some interesting discussion and a mix of opinions, especially as it related to working mothers and the effect that this can have on our family and ourselves.  At the end of the night we were all still good friends and enjoyed a tasty juneberry pie topped with ice cream.

We also welcomed a new member, Debby Karas, to our group.  We are glad to have her in our group. 

We send "get well soon" wishes to Tracy, one of our dear members who is dealing with some health problems.  We are looking forward to her feeling better and joining us for book club again soon.

Our next book is Defending Jacob by William Landay.  Marcia Rost will be hosting the group at her home on April 19th.