Winter Garden Discussion - Happy Halloween!

Here we are at the end of October and hopefully all of you have read Winter Garden by Kristen Hannah.  Here are the general questions I would like everyone to answer:

1.      On a scale of 1-8, what would you rate this book overall?

2.       What genre would you select for this book? (i.e. Mystery, horror, etc.)

3.      On a scale of 1-6, what would you rate this book to difficulty with 6 being the most difficult to read.  (your reasons for the difficulty rating would be helpful)

4.      Yes/no:  Would you read this book again?  Would you recommend it to someone to read?

5.      How would you rate the quality of the story? Author’s writing? Reality of the characters?

My husband accused me of writing a term paper here but I am just trying to simulate a reading group.  I don’t know if there is another way to do it but ask lots of questions and hope people respond. 

Here are some other more in-depth questions for you to ponder and share answers to:

1. Meredith and Nina are both reluctant to let the men in their lives help them through a difficult time, yet both are suffering from the grief caused by the death of their father. Do you think this is something they’ve inherited from their mother? In what other ways are they similar to their mother? Do you think it’s impossible to avoid becoming like the people who raised you?
2. One of the themes in this book is female solidarity and strength during hard times. Nina witnesses women in Namibia, Africa holding hands and laughing, even though their country has been ravaged by famine and warfare, their bond impenetrable. Why do you think she’s so interested in this theme? How else does this theme play out throughout the novel
3. Meredith often regrets--when looking at old family photos taken without her--that she was often off organizing or obsessing over details, while everyone else was living in the moment, creating memories. How common is this for women and mothers? What memories keep your family together?  If you know the story of Martha & Mary from the Bible – can you relate them to Meredith and Nina?
4. As a child in Leningrad, Anya learned that it was dangerous to express emotions. By doing so she would be putting what was left of her family at risk with the secret police. But now, with Meredith and Nina, her inability to express emotion is driving them apart, destroying the family she has now. How has Anya passed down this legacy to her daughters? How has it harmed their relationship?
5. Anya is an unsympathetic character throughout much of the book. How did your perception of her change as the fairy tale unfolded? Did you end up sympathizing with her, or even liking her? Or do you feel that her treatment of her daughters was inexcusable, regardless of the hardships she had faced in her life? How do you think you would have fared in Leningrad under the siege? Was Anya heroic in Leningrad, or a failure?
6. How did you feel about the ending? Why do you think the author chose the surprising meeting in Sitka?

Finally a few weeks back I posted an excerpt from an article reducing great literary works down to one or two sentences.  What would your sentence be for Winter Garden?

OK- enough of my blathering about the book, what it meant and asking for your reflections.  I hope you will take some time to post some responses & comments.  I will also respond in a day or so.

I promise that I would announce the book for November.  It will be:  Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand.  My library has 3 copies and they are all out on loan so I may be buying this on Amazon if one of the books doesn’t come back soon.  I hope we all enjoy it.  There is a much shorter book for December since we'll all be so busy with the holidays and you can download it free!

http://www.amazon.com/Unbroken-World-Survival-Resilience-Redemption/dp/0739319698

Hey, look how fancy I'm getting by putting pictures in!

Thanks

Thanks for the book suggestions Jen.  I will check those books out at the library on my next visit.

Still Reading Winter Garden by Kristen Hannah????????

Hello - 


Two weeks have passed since my last post and I hope all of you have been reading the book.  I have  had a few reports on it and can't wait to see all of the responses to the test .... not really!  I will be posting some questions, thoughts, and responses to the book in about 10 days.  
If you have questions you would like to  ask the group -- just hold them until the 30th!  


I will be announcing the next book on the 30th as well.  It is a new book, I haven't read it yet and I am hoping my library will have it available for me.  If not there is always Kindle!  


Now I am reading Still Alice by Lisa Genova.  It is very compelling  and her insights into Alzheimer's Disease is incredible.  If you haven't read anything by Lisa Genova I urge you to get either this book or the other one I read  Left Neglected.  


Last week I scanned  There Are Things I Want You to Know about Stieg Larsson and Me By Eva Gabrielsson on her life and trying times after Steig Larsen's death.  Scanning it was about all it deserved in my estimation.  Her situation is interesting but I think the book was more to get something out of his passing that Swedish law doesn't allow her.  (Steig Larsen wrote The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and Eva & Stieg lived together for 32 years.


Well, I am looking forward to the 30th when I'll post some comments, questions, and thoughts on Winter Garden as well as posting the book of the Month for November.  


Have a very readable weekend!
Barbara

I waited!

I waited until October first to begin reading this month's book.  As I write this Murray Rider has it in his hands.  I couldn't put it down and completed it yesterday!  That is really quick for me but I found the story very compelling.  


Here are a few ideas to keep in mind while reading:
             The Biblical story of Martha & Mary
             Fairy Tales


How can and author can elicit laughter and tears at the same time?  


As a side note there was this article on a site called Flavorwire on September 26th.  It recounted how there was never enough time to read  and there is a cure.  Here is a sample of their rendition of some very famous books:


     Dante's Inferno: Some woman puts Dante Through Hell.
     
     Upton Sinclair's The Jungle:  Bad things happen, worse things happen, better things happen, awful things happen, Jurgis discovers socialism and gets all happy.
     
     Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn:  Goes rafting, goes home


     Thoreau's Walden:  A truly rich man doesn't have money but rather courage, truth, and an inner glory that transcends the passiveness of our physical beings.  That's why I'm going to live in the boonies.


All of those book i have not read but maybe there's more in those books than the author (Alison Nastasi) could grasp.  Any Comments?????


Think about the 15 second statement of Winter Garden but don't give it away since there are many who are still reading.  Don't forget, pass the site around to your friends and ask them to join the book blog.


Til next time,
Barbara