Hi, all. Marcia has set the date for THE DAY I ATE...: October 27 at
7:00. I am also including a note from Mary that was meant for the whole
group, but I don't think it got to the whole group. Have a splendid day!
Geri
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Monday, October 3, 2011
September 2011 - Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution
Char hosted our book club at her home on the evening of October 2nd - a late September meeting. Our book this month is Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution by Michelle Moran. Jean, Geri, Vicki and Char were able to attend.
Amazon.com describes the book as this:
The world knows Madame Tussaud as a wax artist extraordinaire . . . but who was this woman who became one of the most famous sculptresses of all time? In these pages, her tumultuous and amazing story comes to life as only Michelle Moran can tell it. The year is 1788, and a revolution is about to begin.
Smart and ambitious, Marie Tussaud has learned the secrets of wax sculpting by working alongside her uncle in their celebrated wax museum, the Salon de Cire. From her popular model of the American ambassador, Thomas Jefferson, to her tableau of the royal family at dinner, Marie’s museum provides Parisians with the very latest news on fashion, gossip, and even politics. Her customers hail from every walk of life, yet her greatest dream is to attract the attention of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI; their stamp of approval on her work could catapult her and her museum to the fame and riches she desires. After months of anticipation, Marie learns that the royal family is willing to come and see their likenesses. When they finally arrive, the king’s sister is so impressed that she requests Marie’s presence at Versailles as a royal tutor in wax sculpting. It is a request Marie knows she cannot refuse—even if it means time away from her beloved Salon and her increasingly dear friend, Henri Charles.
As Marie gets to know her pupil, Princesse Élisabeth, she also becomes acquainted with the king and queen, who introduce her to the glamorous life at court. From lavish parties with more delicacies than she’s ever seen to rooms filled with candles lit only once before being discarded, Marie steps into a world entirely different from her home on the Boulevard du Temple, where people are selling their teeth in order to put food on the table.
Meanwhile, many resent the vast separation between rich and poor. In salons and cafés across Paris, people like Camille Desmoulins, Jean-Paul Marat, and Maximilien Robespierre are lashing out against the monarchy. Soon, there’s whispered talk of revolution. . . . Will Marie be able to hold on to both the love of her life and her friendship with the royal family as France approaches civil war? And more important, will she be able to fulfill the demands of powerful revolutionaries who ask that she make the death masks of beheaded aristocrats, some of whom she knows?
Spanning five years, from the budding revolution to the Reign of Terror, Madame Tussaud brings us into the world of an incredible heroine whose talent for wax modeling saved her life and preserved the faces of a vanished kingdom.
The ratings from the book ranged from a "6" to a "9". We all found the history of the French Revolution to be interesting and informative. There was some difference in opinion though as to how engaging the book was overall and some found it more difficult to stay interested and keep reading.
Discussions this evening focused around what an interesting character Marie was and the various choices and sacrifices that she had to make to save her business and keep her family safe.
Those who read the book felt that the author went to great lengths to research the information and provide historical data in addition to the fictional stories.
Char served a peach and a rhubarb dessert. For those who were unable to attend, trust me it was impossible to decide between the two and having a little bit of each was the only option!
Our next planned book is The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted: And Other Small Acts of Liberation by Elizabeth Berg. Marcia Rost is planning to host the next club meeting at the end of October.
We decided to add Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World by Tracy Kidder to the reading list for the month of November. Geri is tentatively planning to host for that month and it will likely be prior to Thanksgiving.
Lastly, the group discussed doing something to celebrate the holidays. The night at Sanders last year was enjoyed by many, so will be under consideration again. If anyone has alternative ideas, please bring them to the next meeting.
For those who read the book, but were unable to attend, please leave a note in the comments to let us know how you liked the book.
The world knows Madame Tussaud as a wax artist extraordinaire . . . but who was this woman who became one of the most famous sculptresses of all time? In these pages, her tumultuous and amazing story comes to life as only Michelle Moran can tell it. The year is 1788, and a revolution is about to begin.
Smart and ambitious, Marie Tussaud has learned the secrets of wax sculpting by working alongside her uncle in their celebrated wax museum, the Salon de Cire. From her popular model of the American ambassador, Thomas Jefferson, to her tableau of the royal family at dinner, Marie’s museum provides Parisians with the very latest news on fashion, gossip, and even politics. Her customers hail from every walk of life, yet her greatest dream is to attract the attention of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI; their stamp of approval on her work could catapult her and her museum to the fame and riches she desires. After months of anticipation, Marie learns that the royal family is willing to come and see their likenesses. When they finally arrive, the king’s sister is so impressed that she requests Marie’s presence at Versailles as a royal tutor in wax sculpting. It is a request Marie knows she cannot refuse—even if it means time away from her beloved Salon and her increasingly dear friend, Henri Charles.
As Marie gets to know her pupil, Princesse Élisabeth, she also becomes acquainted with the king and queen, who introduce her to the glamorous life at court. From lavish parties with more delicacies than she’s ever seen to rooms filled with candles lit only once before being discarded, Marie steps into a world entirely different from her home on the Boulevard du Temple, where people are selling their teeth in order to put food on the table.
Meanwhile, many resent the vast separation between rich and poor. In salons and cafés across Paris, people like Camille Desmoulins, Jean-Paul Marat, and Maximilien Robespierre are lashing out against the monarchy. Soon, there’s whispered talk of revolution. . . . Will Marie be able to hold on to both the love of her life and her friendship with the royal family as France approaches civil war? And more important, will she be able to fulfill the demands of powerful revolutionaries who ask that she make the death masks of beheaded aristocrats, some of whom she knows?
Spanning five years, from the budding revolution to the Reign of Terror, Madame Tussaud brings us into the world of an incredible heroine whose talent for wax modeling saved her life and preserved the faces of a vanished kingdom.
The ratings from the book ranged from a "6" to a "9". We all found the history of the French Revolution to be interesting and informative. There was some difference in opinion though as to how engaging the book was overall and some found it more difficult to stay interested and keep reading.
Discussions this evening focused around what an interesting character Marie was and the various choices and sacrifices that she had to make to save her business and keep her family safe.
Those who read the book felt that the author went to great lengths to research the information and provide historical data in addition to the fictional stories.
Char served a peach and a rhubarb dessert. For those who were unable to attend, trust me it was impossible to decide between the two and having a little bit of each was the only option!
Our next planned book is The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted: And Other Small Acts of Liberation by Elizabeth Berg. Marcia Rost is planning to host the next club meeting at the end of October.
We decided to add Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World by Tracy Kidder to the reading list for the month of November. Geri is tentatively planning to host for that month and it will likely be prior to Thanksgiving.
Lastly, the group discussed doing something to celebrate the holidays. The night at Sanders last year was enjoyed by many, so will be under consideration again. If anyone has alternative ideas, please bring them to the next meeting.
For those who read the book, but were unable to attend, please leave a note in the comments to let us know how you liked the book.
Monday, August 22, 2011
The Story of Beautiful Girl - August 2011
Jacqi hosted book club at her home on a hot August 22nd evening. We had a smaller group with just Jean, Marcia R., Jacqi and Vicki attending, but the conversation was good all the same.
This month's book was The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon. It was recommended to the group by Tracy Laaveg.
The book description reads:
This month's book was The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon. It was recommended to the group by Tracy Laaveg.
The book description reads:
"It is 1968. Lynnie, a young white woman with a developmental disability, and Homan, an African American deaf man, are locked away in an institution, the School for the Incurable and Feebleminded, and have been left to languish, forgotten. Deeply in love, they escape, and find refuge in the farmhouse of Martha, a retired schoolteacher and widow. But the couple is not alone-Lynnie has just given birth to a baby girl. When the authorities catch up to them that same night, Homan escapes into the darkness, and Lynnie is caught. But before she is forced back into the institution, she whispers two words to Martha: "Hide her." And so begins the 40-year epic journey of Lynnie, Homan, Martha, and baby Julia-lives divided by seemingly insurmountable obstacles, yet drawn together by a secret pact and extraordinary love."
The book was well-liked by all, with an average rating of 8.5 from the group. The biggest criticism noted of the book was the ending, which most agreed was "skimpy", "hurried" and somewhat "inplausible". We enjoyed a long discussion of the various elements and themes of the book and general discussions about some personal experiences with people with disabilities and how they can be mistreated by society. We talked about our desire to "fix" people who might not themselves want to be fixed. Jean brought up the similar story in a book we read earlier (The Memory Keeper's Daughter).
Those who were unable to make it missed out on a delicious fresh peach upside down cake that Jacqi baked up for us. It tasted like summer on a plate! YUM!!
Upcoming books include: Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution by Michelle Moran for September and Elizabeth Berg's The Day I Ate Watever I Wanted: And Other Small Acts of Liberation for October. Hosts for both months were not certain at this time, so if anyone was planning to take one of those months, please speak up!
Geri has also recommended the book Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World. A description of the book was passed out at the meeting for review and could be added for November or a later month.
Thanks to Jacqi for hosting a wonderful evening of good conversation with friends about an interesting book.
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