Lisa Hillenbrand, the author of Seabiscuit has topped her first book in my opinion, if that is possible I am recommending it to everyone I see, and sending people notes to go buy this book and read it. Why?
So many of us were educated well on the European WWII theatre, not so much the Pacific. This book does a fantastic job of bridging the gap, as well as telling an important individual, family, country, political, and war story. I could not put the book down.
Thanks to Kelly’s terrific notes from club, her recap will show, we had a rich discussion of the book
“We talked about how the protagonist Louis clearly had ADHD, before anyone had ever heard of such and how left to his own devices without doctors and medication, in many ways it may have saved his life. He had the stamina for the running; the optimism and hyper-focus to survive the months stranded at sea on the raft and the prison camp. He lived in the present which was more inclined to make him successful in his struggles. Sylvia also referenced an article in which the author’s struggle with her illness (CFS) is described as being on “her own raft.” And, she could capture those raft scenes so accurately and detailed because of her own travails. We also discussed Louis’ relationship with his brother Pete and how he was like a father figure to him. Carolyn and Jane both shared information about relatives who fought in WWII. Jane shared a photo of her father in uniform. We also talked about Louis’ time in the prison camp, his downward spiral after his return to the states and how Billy Graham led him to turn around his life. We probably could have discussed this book for another hour. So many fascinating layers and shed tremendous light on the Pacific Theater of WWII. Thank you Carolyn”.
Other items we talked about is having a better understanding as to why VFW’s from this theatre are reluctant to purchase Japanese cars, where we did not have perspective before. We also discussed the crime and punishment versus geopolitical aspects of what happened to the captors versus the captured and whether the punishment fit the crimes in all cases. And then, the timing of our reading and the current events in Japan. As Kelly wrote we could have continued discussing this one for another hour.
Nicolette made the following recommendations for April. It was a close vote between Columbine and Remarkable Creatures, in the end, we decided on the latter. Summaries from Amazon.
· From the unchosen list, a book many of us have already read and found enlightening, Columbine by Dave Cullen
· Remarkable Creatures** by Tracy Chevalier, our choice from the author of Girl with the Pearl Earring, available in paperback
On the windswept, fossil-strewn beaches of the English coast, poor and uneducated Mary Anning learns that she has a unique gift: “the eye” to spot fossils no one else can see. When she uncovers an unusual fossilized skeleton in the cliffs near her home, she sets the religious community on edge, the townspeople to gossip, and the scientific world alight. After enduring bitter cold, thunderstorms, and landslips, her challenges only grow when she falls in love with an impossible man.
Mary soon finds an unlikely champion in prickly Elizabeth Philpot, a middle-class spinster who shares her passion for scouring the beaches. Their relationship strikes a delicate balance between fierce loyalty, mutual appreciation, and barely suppressed envy, but ultimately turns out to be their greatest asset.
· The Last Brother by Nathatcha Appancik
Nine-year-old Raj lives with his mother and abusive father in a small village on the island of Mauritius in the 1940s. When his older and younger brothers are tragically killed, the family moves halfway across the island to Beau-Bassin, where Raj’s father finds work as a prison guard, overseeing European Jewish exiles interned by the British after being turned away from Palestine. When Raj is admitted to the prison’s hospital after a severe beating by his father, he meets one of the orphaned refugees, David. Though the two couldn’t be more different, they forge an immediate connection. As their relationship grows, a violent cyclone rocks the village and, with Raj’s help, David is able to escape. As suspicion surrounding Raj’s family begins to swell, the two boys retreat to the surrounding forest, struggling to survive as their harrowing journey becomes increasingly dangerous. Appanah’s intense tale finely captures the deep connection between the imperiled Raj and David as well as Raj’s desperate attempts, later in life, to make sense of these tragic events and extraordinary circumstances.
