The Fairfax Library Book Discussion Group has chosen the books we’ll read and discuss together in the next 3 months.
On April 3, 2008 we’ll be discussing River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey by Candice Millard. This is a gripping non-fiction story and can be found at 918.113 on the library shelves.
“After his humiliating election defeat in 1912, Theodore Roosevelt set his sights on the most punishing physical challenge he could find, the first descent of an unmapped, rapids-choked tributary of the Amazon. Together with his son Kermit and Brazil's most famous explorer, Roosevelt accomplished a feat so great that many at the time refused to believe it. In the process, he changed the map of the Western Hemisphere forever. Along the way, Roosevelt and his men faced an unbelievable series of hardships, losing their canoes and supplies to punishing whitewater rapids, and enduring starvation, Indian attack, disease, drowning, and a murder within their own ranks. Three men died, and Roosevelt was brought to the brink of suicide. The River of Doubt brings alive these extraordinary events in a powerful nonfiction narrative thriller that happens to feature one of the most famous Americans who ever lived.”
On Thursday, May 1, 2008 we will discuss another river adventure, Shooting the Boh: A Woman’s Voyage Down the Wildest River in Borneo by Tracy Johnston (wife of SF Chron columnist, Jon Carroll) This book can be found at 959.83 on the library shelves.
A thrilling, touching, and densely instructive book, Shooting the Boh is also a frank self-portrait of a woman facing her most corrosive fears--and triumphing over them--with fortitude and unflagging wit. "A captivating and truly offbeat rite of passage."
On Thursday, June 5, 2008 we’re still on our watery theme but closer to home as we discuss Cadillac Desert: The American West and its disappearing water by Marc Reisner (333.91)
“This timely history of the struggle to discover and control water in the American West is a tale of rivers diverted and damned, political corruption and intrigue, billion-dollar battles over water rights, and economic and ecological disaster. Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award.”
I look forward to seeing you at the Fairfax Library.
Thanks for reading with us!
Beth Bailey-Gates
Friends of the Fairfax Library
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Saving Fish From Drowning
One Book/One Marin 2008
Saving Fish From Drowning by Amy Tan
The Fairfax Library Book Discussion Group will meet this Thursday, March 6th at 7 p.m. in the meeting room of the Fairfax Library to discuss our March selection and the 2008 One Book/One Marin choice, Saving Fish From Drowning by Amy Tan,
“A provocative journey, colored with picaresque characters and haunting imagery, and a mesmerizing tale about what is real and what is make believe—and the profound answers one seeks when things seemingly fall apart.”
You can check the Marin County Library’s One Book/One Marin link for even more information about Amy Tan and her book. (Don’t miss the YouTube video of Amy singing with her rock band, the Rock Bottom Remainders.)
We’ll also spend a few minutes of the meeting choosing our next 3 book selections. Please bring any titles you’d like to have us read together or send me an e-mail with your choices.
Below are the discussion questions for the Saving Fish From Drowning. I'll also have some additional author and other background information for our discussion on Thursday.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Saving Fish From Drowning by Amy Tan
1. In the opening chapter, Bibi says, "...in all my life no one had loved me wholly and desperately." Discuss how this is reflected in Bibi's voice and in the way she narrates Saving Fish from Drowning.
2. The first time in her adult life that Bibi feels “unmindful” passionate love results in her accidental death. Is her demise tragic? Comic? Ironic? Why does Tan leave us to assume for most of the novel that Bibi was murdered?
3. As the opening epigraph, Tan has chosen a quote from Albert Camus that reads, "Evil ...almost always comes of ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence if they lack understanding." How does evil, ignorance, and good intentions play out in the novel? Discuss whether you have observed this in your own experiences with others.
4. The role of the media, including the Global News Network and the reality show "Darwin's Fittest" shapes outcomes and people's sympathies in the story. Do you believe the media really does have such an effect, and if so, in what ways and to what degree? Do you feel the media should have more or less of an effect?
5. Some of the group have mixed feelings about visiting Burma. "...it's in some ways a financial collusion with a corrupt regime," Roxanne says. (page 35). In a meeting with foreign journalists in Rangoon on November 17, 1995, the Nobel Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi, when asked if she thought tourism could help her country, reportedly replied, "Well, I think that visitors to the country can be useful, depending on what they do, or how they go about it. But I think also, tourists have to be careful not to deceive themselves ...You can talk about 'trickle down' effect, but sometimes the trickle down effect is exactly that, a mere trickle, which dissipates before it gets to where it's required." Do you think it's better to boycott a place where the native people are oppressed? Does tourism help in these places, or does it hurt? What further information might you need if you were one of the tourists considering whether to go to Burma?
6. In what sense do the tourists feel culpable for the suffering they see in Burma? Does Amy Tan offer a solution to their feelings of guilt?
7. In Chapter 6 (page 161), the group's Burmese tour guide, Walter, says, "...being American has less to do with one's proficiency in English and more with the assumptions you hold dear and true - your inalienable rights, your pursuit of happiness." Do you agree? How do you think Americans are perceived overseas today? What other qualities define Americans?
8. How does the tour group’s behavior reinforce or rebut stereotypes of the “ugly American”?
9. Is it important to get credit for the things we do? What about the blame?
10. Another theme in the book is the idea of unintended consequences. Outcomes are not in our control. When they’re bad, who actually suffers?
11. What is the moral responsibility of the tourists?
12. In Chapter 8 (p. 215) Bibi says, “In Buddhism it is said you must have complete compassion to have complete understanding.” Is this true? Do any of the characters exhibit this trait?
13. The title of the book comes from the anonymous epigraph in the beginning of the novel and is mentioned again in Chapter 6. Discuss the implications of the book's title and how it might reflect any of the character's intentions or actions. How are words used to conceal truth and deceive in Burma and among the travelers?
14. In the opening of Chapter 12, "Darwin's Fittest," Bibi says, "The only thing certain in times of great uncertainty is that people will behave with great strength or weakness, and with very little else in between." Discuss how some of the characters demonstrate their own strengths and weaknesses in their time of crisis or great stress.
15. Toward the end of their ordeal, in Chapter 17, the eleven captives experience a sort of group out-of-body experience. What are some of the ways that might explain what has happened to them? Is this state of feeling similar to what you have observed other groups who have undergone a powerful shared experience?
17. "But if miracles are like rain after a drought, then greed is the flash flood that follows," Bibi says, when all the good that seemed to come right after their adventure begins to dissipate. What examples in current events can you think of that might support this sentiment? What are some examples in history?
18. The narrative of Saving Fish From Drowning winds itself around episodes of illusion and false impressions: the travelers are lured away from their resort under false pretenses; the world at large is seduced by Myanmar's glossy PR campaign; and in a larger sense, your readers will be seduced by the story's façade of travelogue and tourist escapades, only to find that there is something much darker at the its soul. By its very trickery, the novel asks the question - how does one deduce what is truth? How can a person separate fact from fiction in everything they hear or see? Does this come into play in one's personal life? Do you think there's a political element to this theme?
19. Burma - and the current situation there - serves as the perfect setting for the novel's themes of truth and moral responsibility. But how much of this novel, do you think, is fact and how much is based on Amy Tan's imagination?
Saving Fish From Drowning by Amy Tan
The Fairfax Library Book Discussion Group will meet this Thursday, March 6th at 7 p.m. in the meeting room of the Fairfax Library to discuss our March selection and the 2008 One Book/One Marin choice, Saving Fish From Drowning by Amy Tan,
“A provocative journey, colored with picaresque characters and haunting imagery, and a mesmerizing tale about what is real and what is make believe—and the profound answers one seeks when things seemingly fall apart.”
You can check the Marin County Library’s One Book/One Marin link for even more information about Amy Tan and her book. (Don’t miss the YouTube video of Amy singing with her rock band, the Rock Bottom Remainders.)
We’ll also spend a few minutes of the meeting choosing our next 3 book selections. Please bring any titles you’d like to have us read together or send me an e-mail with your choices.
Below are the discussion questions for the Saving Fish From Drowning. I'll also have some additional author and other background information for our discussion on Thursday.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Saving Fish From Drowning by Amy Tan
1. In the opening chapter, Bibi says, "...in all my life no one had loved me wholly and desperately." Discuss how this is reflected in Bibi's voice and in the way she narrates Saving Fish from Drowning.
2. The first time in her adult life that Bibi feels “unmindful” passionate love results in her accidental death. Is her demise tragic? Comic? Ironic? Why does Tan leave us to assume for most of the novel that Bibi was murdered?
3. As the opening epigraph, Tan has chosen a quote from Albert Camus that reads, "Evil ...almost always comes of ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence if they lack understanding." How does evil, ignorance, and good intentions play out in the novel? Discuss whether you have observed this in your own experiences with others.
4. The role of the media, including the Global News Network and the reality show "Darwin's Fittest" shapes outcomes and people's sympathies in the story. Do you believe the media really does have such an effect, and if so, in what ways and to what degree? Do you feel the media should have more or less of an effect?
5. Some of the group have mixed feelings about visiting Burma. "...it's in some ways a financial collusion with a corrupt regime," Roxanne says. (page 35). In a meeting with foreign journalists in Rangoon on November 17, 1995, the Nobel Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi, when asked if she thought tourism could help her country, reportedly replied, "Well, I think that visitors to the country can be useful, depending on what they do, or how they go about it. But I think also, tourists have to be careful not to deceive themselves ...You can talk about 'trickle down' effect, but sometimes the trickle down effect is exactly that, a mere trickle, which dissipates before it gets to where it's required." Do you think it's better to boycott a place where the native people are oppressed? Does tourism help in these places, or does it hurt? What further information might you need if you were one of the tourists considering whether to go to Burma?
6. In what sense do the tourists feel culpable for the suffering they see in Burma? Does Amy Tan offer a solution to their feelings of guilt?
7. In Chapter 6 (page 161), the group's Burmese tour guide, Walter, says, "...being American has less to do with one's proficiency in English and more with the assumptions you hold dear and true - your inalienable rights, your pursuit of happiness." Do you agree? How do you think Americans are perceived overseas today? What other qualities define Americans?
8. How does the tour group’s behavior reinforce or rebut stereotypes of the “ugly American”?
9. Is it important to get credit for the things we do? What about the blame?
10. Another theme in the book is the idea of unintended consequences. Outcomes are not in our control. When they’re bad, who actually suffers?
11. What is the moral responsibility of the tourists?
12. In Chapter 8 (p. 215) Bibi says, “In Buddhism it is said you must have complete compassion to have complete understanding.” Is this true? Do any of the characters exhibit this trait?
13. The title of the book comes from the anonymous epigraph in the beginning of the novel and is mentioned again in Chapter 6. Discuss the implications of the book's title and how it might reflect any of the character's intentions or actions. How are words used to conceal truth and deceive in Burma and among the travelers?
14. In the opening of Chapter 12, "Darwin's Fittest," Bibi says, "The only thing certain in times of great uncertainty is that people will behave with great strength or weakness, and with very little else in between." Discuss how some of the characters demonstrate their own strengths and weaknesses in their time of crisis or great stress.
15. Toward the end of their ordeal, in Chapter 17, the eleven captives experience a sort of group out-of-body experience. What are some of the ways that might explain what has happened to them? Is this state of feeling similar to what you have observed other groups who have undergone a powerful shared experience?
17. "But if miracles are like rain after a drought, then greed is the flash flood that follows," Bibi says, when all the good that seemed to come right after their adventure begins to dissipate. What examples in current events can you think of that might support this sentiment? What are some examples in history?
18. The narrative of Saving Fish From Drowning winds itself around episodes of illusion and false impressions: the travelers are lured away from their resort under false pretenses; the world at large is seduced by Myanmar's glossy PR campaign; and in a larger sense, your readers will be seduced by the story's façade of travelogue and tourist escapades, only to find that there is something much darker at the its soul. By its very trickery, the novel asks the question - how does one deduce what is truth? How can a person separate fact from fiction in everything they hear or see? Does this come into play in one's personal life? Do you think there's a political element to this theme?
19. Burma - and the current situation there - serves as the perfect setting for the novel's themes of truth and moral responsibility. But how much of this novel, do you think, is fact and how much is based on Amy Tan's imagination?
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
The Glass Palace discussion Feb. 7th
The Fairfax Library Book Discussion Group will meet this Thursday, Feb. 7th to discuss The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh.
I've enjoyed reading this book which has turned out to be a little lengthy for me - almost 500 pages! The story about the British invasion of Burma, the exile of the Burmese king and queen and the tales of the intertwining lives of three Burmese and Indian families over a century of history is genuinely riveting, although I could have lived without the excessive details of the cars of the period. The novel offers an important, alternative view of events from the native inhabitants of those countries during the reign of England during their colonial years.
If you're interested in delving a little deeper into the story, I found some websites that offer material worth your time:
An interesting blog discussion of colonial literature and post-colonial literature and their designations as such:
http://www.lehigh.edu/~amsp/2004/05/question-for-discussion-marketing-and.html
A discussion of the pro-democracy movement in Myanmar:
http://arbitrarymarks.com/wordpress/2007/09/28/covering-myanmar/
A fun story of Amitav Ghosh’s bookstore appearance in the Oxford Bookstore:
http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2003/08/11/stories/2003081101030100.htm
Discussion questions for the novel can be found on the Publisher's (Random House) website:
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780375758775&view=rg
I've enjoyed reading this book which has turned out to be a little lengthy for me - almost 500 pages! The story about the British invasion of Burma, the exile of the Burmese king and queen and the tales of the intertwining lives of three Burmese and Indian families over a century of history is genuinely riveting, although I could have lived without the excessive details of the cars of the period. The novel offers an important, alternative view of events from the native inhabitants of those countries during the reign of England during their colonial years.
If you're interested in delving a little deeper into the story, I found some websites that offer material worth your time:
An interesting blog discussion of colonial literature and post-colonial literature and their designations as such:
http://www.lehigh.edu/~amsp/2004/05/question-for-discussion-marketing-and.html
A discussion of the pro-democracy movement in Myanmar:
http://arbitrarymarks.com/wordpress/2007/09/28/covering-myanmar/
A fun story of Amitav Ghosh’s bookstore appearance in the Oxford Bookstore:
http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2003/08/11/stories/2003081101030100.htm
Discussion questions for the novel can be found on the Publisher's (Random House) website:
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780375758775&view=rg
Monday, January 14, 2008
The best books of 2007?
What would the New Year be without a look back? Here are some of the lists of the Best Books of 2007. Have you already read some of these? Or are these on your list of TBR (to be read)?
Lists like these just prove the adage, "So many books, so little time."
So what are you waiting for?
Remember to check the Marin County Library's website for availability. If the book isn't currently available at the Fairfax branch, just click on the "Request" button and, for 50 cents, you'll be added to the wait list or a copy will be sent to Fairfax from another branch.
Happy reading!
NY Times list of the 10 best books of 2007
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/09/books/review/10-best-2007.html
salon.com’s list of best fiction of 2007
http://www.salon.com/books/awards/2007/12/12/best_books/index1.html
Kirkus Reviews best books of 2007
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/kirkusreviews/images/pdf/Best_of_2007.pdf
Barnes and Noble best books of 2007
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/bestof/index.asp?PID=20800&z=y
and 3 of the NY Times reviewers' picks for their personal favorites of 2007
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/28/books/28intro.html
Don't miss the Marin County Library's "Reader's Corner" with recommendations, Bookletters and Literature Resources:
http://www.co.marin.ca.us/library/readers.cfm
Lists like these just prove the adage, "So many books, so little time."
So what are you waiting for?
Remember to check the Marin County Library's website for availability. If the book isn't currently available at the Fairfax branch, just click on the "Request" button and, for 50 cents, you'll be added to the wait list or a copy will be sent to Fairfax from another branch.
Happy reading!
NY Times list of the 10 best books of 2007
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/09/books/review/10-best-2007.html
salon.com’s list of best fiction of 2007
http://www.salon.com/books/awards/2007/12/12/best_books/index1.html
Kirkus Reviews best books of 2007
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/kirkusreviews/images/pdf/Best_of_2007.pdf
Barnes and Noble best books of 2007
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/bestof/index.asp?PID=20800&z=y
and 3 of the NY Times reviewers' picks for their personal favorites of 2007
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/28/books/28intro.html
Don't miss the Marin County Library's "Reader's Corner" with recommendations, Bookletters and Literature Resources:
http://www.co.marin.ca.us/library/readers.cfm
Friday, January 11, 2008
This Is Not Civilization
The Fairfax Library Book Group met Wednesday night (a change from our usual first Thursday meetings) and discussed our January book selection, This Is Not Civilization by Robert Rosenberg. The overall consensus of the group was positive although most in attendance were not “wowed” by the book.
We all enjoyed the descriptions of the Kyrgyz village and Istanbul and appreciated the author’s comparison of the Kyrgyz village and the Apache reservation in Arizona as equally struggling communities suffering from poverty (both money and opportunities) internal corruption and the oversight and abandonment of their larger governments.
I would definitely recommend the book to others and look forward to reading more from Robert Rosenberg. An interesting (to me) footnote; my son attends the university mentioned in the first part of the book, Northern Arizona University. It’s a great school!
I made some of the recipes that are available on the publisher’s website:
http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/readers_guides/rosenberg_this.shtml
Here are the 3 recipes that I tried and brought to the meeting:
Plov
This pilaf is popular throughout Central Asia, especially in southern Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
5 Tbsp oil
2 cups rice
5–6 large carrots, cut in long thin strips
¾ cup raisins
2–3 large onions, chopped
5–10 cloves garlic, whole
2–3 fresh peppers, chopped
1–2 pounds beef or mutton, cut into cubes
salt and pepper to taste
Heat oil in a wok until hot, and add the meat, cooking until brown on all sides. Add the carrots, onions, and peppers, and cook until tender. Add 5 cups hot water and then the rice; the water should completely cover the rice. Push the cloves of garlic just under the surface of the rice, making sure they don't pop up. Cover and lower heat a little. After 10 minutes, add the raisins. Do not stir. Cover and cook until done, about 30 minutes. (I poured off all of the fat before adding the rice and used cubed London Broil since it was on sale this week.)
Note: Plov is usually eaten with the hands. Mash the rice into a small ball over the plate and slide it with the thumb into your mouth. (We used forks and plates…)
Apache Fry Bread
4 cups white flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
Lard or shortening
Combine all ingredients. Add about 1½ cups warm water and knead until dough is soft but not sticky. Shape dough into balls the size of a small apple. Flatten into patties by hand; dough should be about ½ inch thick. Fry one at a time in about one inch of hot lard or shortening in a heavy pan. Brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels and serve hot with honey or jam. ( I used olive oil to fry the bread.)
Crushed Tomato Salad Spread (Ezme)
½ pound ripe tomatoes
½ cucumber
1 green pepper
2 stalks green onions
1 tsp dried mint
salt, pepper, paprika
1 Tbsp paprika paste (optional)
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp vinegar
Peel tomatoes and cucumber. Remove stalk and seeds from pepper. Remove outer layer of green onions. Chop them all very fine without pulverizing them. Mix well all ingredients. Serve with bread for dipping. (Tomatoes are out of season now so I used a can of organic whole, peeled tomatoes. I also didn’t have dried mint so I used dried basil. I used plenty of paprika, but no paprika paste.)
We all enjoyed the descriptions of the Kyrgyz village and Istanbul and appreciated the author’s comparison of the Kyrgyz village and the Apache reservation in Arizona as equally struggling communities suffering from poverty (both money and opportunities) internal corruption and the oversight and abandonment of their larger governments.
I would definitely recommend the book to others and look forward to reading more from Robert Rosenberg. An interesting (to me) footnote; my son attends the university mentioned in the first part of the book, Northern Arizona University. It’s a great school!
I made some of the recipes that are available on the publisher’s website:
http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/readers_guides/rosenberg_this.shtml
Here are the 3 recipes that I tried and brought to the meeting:
Plov
This pilaf is popular throughout Central Asia, especially in southern Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
5 Tbsp oil
2 cups rice
5–6 large carrots, cut in long thin strips
¾ cup raisins
2–3 large onions, chopped
5–10 cloves garlic, whole
2–3 fresh peppers, chopped
1–2 pounds beef or mutton, cut into cubes
salt and pepper to taste
Heat oil in a wok until hot, and add the meat, cooking until brown on all sides. Add the carrots, onions, and peppers, and cook until tender. Add 5 cups hot water and then the rice; the water should completely cover the rice. Push the cloves of garlic just under the surface of the rice, making sure they don't pop up. Cover and lower heat a little. After 10 minutes, add the raisins. Do not stir. Cover and cook until done, about 30 minutes. (I poured off all of the fat before adding the rice and used cubed London Broil since it was on sale this week.)
Note: Plov is usually eaten with the hands. Mash the rice into a small ball over the plate and slide it with the thumb into your mouth. (We used forks and plates…)
Apache Fry Bread
4 cups white flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
Lard or shortening
Combine all ingredients. Add about 1½ cups warm water and knead until dough is soft but not sticky. Shape dough into balls the size of a small apple. Flatten into patties by hand; dough should be about ½ inch thick. Fry one at a time in about one inch of hot lard or shortening in a heavy pan. Brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels and serve hot with honey or jam. ( I used olive oil to fry the bread.)
Crushed Tomato Salad Spread (Ezme)
½ pound ripe tomatoes
½ cucumber
1 green pepper
2 stalks green onions
1 tsp dried mint
salt, pepper, paprika
1 Tbsp paprika paste (optional)
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp vinegar
Peel tomatoes and cucumber. Remove stalk and seeds from pepper. Remove outer layer of green onions. Chop them all very fine without pulverizing them. Mix well all ingredients. Serve with bread for dipping. (Tomatoes are out of season now so I used a can of organic whole, peeled tomatoes. I also didn’t have dried mint so I used dried basil. I used plenty of paprika, but no paprika paste.)
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
January meeting date changed
Our January meeting date has changed to accomodate the holiday schedule.
We'll be meeting on Wednesday, January 9th at 7 p.m. in the meeting room of the Fairfax Library to discuss our January selection, This is Not Civilization by Robert Rosenberg.
Hope to see you there!
We'll be meeting on Wednesday, January 9th at 7 p.m. in the meeting room of the Fairfax Library to discuss our January selection, This is Not Civilization by Robert Rosenberg.
Hope to see you there!
Friday, December 7, 2007
Book Choices for Jan., Feb. and March 2008
We’ve chosen our next three books – the first for 2008!
JANUARY: At our January meeting, we’ll be discussing This Is Not Civilization by Robert Rosenberg.
From the book jacket: This Is Not Civilization is an inspired, sweeping debut novel that hopscotches from Arizona to Central Asia to Istanbul with a well-meaning, if misguided, young Peace Corps volunteer. Jeff Hartig lies at the center of this modern take on the American-abroad tale, which brings together four people from vastly different backgrounds, each struggling with the push and pull of home. A young Apache, Adam Dale, forsakes the reservation for the promise of a world he knows little about. Anarbek Tashtanaliev, of post-Soviet Kyrgyzstan, operates a cheese factory that no longer produces cheese. Nazira, his daughter, strains against the confines of their village’s age-old traditions. With captivating insight, realism, and humor, Robert Rosenberg delivers a sensitive story about the cost of trying to do good in the world.
You can find discussion questions for This Is Not Civilization here.
FEBRUARY: At our February 7th meeting, we will discuss The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh.
“Set primarily in Burma, Malaya, and India, this work spans from 1885, when the British sent the King of Burma into exile, to the present. While it does offer brief glimpses into the history of the region, it is more the tale of a family and how historical events influenced real lives. As a young boy, Rajkumar, an Indian temporarily stranded in Mandalay, finds himself caught up in the British invasion that led to the exile of Burma's last king. In the chaos, he spies Dolly, a household maid in the royal palace, for whom he develops a consuming passion and whom years later he tracks down in India and marries. As their family grows and their lives intersect with others, the tangled web of local and international politics is brought to bear, changing lives as well as nations.” – Library Journal
You can find discussion questions for The Glass Palace here.
MARCH: At our March 6th meeting, we’ll discuss Saving Fish From Drowning by Amy Tan. This will coincide with another One Book/One Marin reading program to held in early 2008.
“Tan's hilarious new novel arrives at a time when we aren't laughing much at the news of the day. How much you enjoy "Saving Fish From Drowning" may have to do with how willing you are to be bewitched by a superbly executed, goodhearted farce that is part romance and part mystery with a political bent. With Tan's many talents on display, it's her idiosyncratic wit and sly observations about the nature of illusion that make this book pure pleasure. And by the end, all the travelers, including one charming tiny dog, seem like old friends.” The San Francisco Chronicle - Sara Peyton
You can find discussion questions for Saving Fish From Drowning here.
JANUARY: At our January meeting, we’ll be discussing This Is Not Civilization by Robert Rosenberg.
From the book jacket: This Is Not Civilization is an inspired, sweeping debut novel that hopscotches from Arizona to Central Asia to Istanbul with a well-meaning, if misguided, young Peace Corps volunteer. Jeff Hartig lies at the center of this modern take on the American-abroad tale, which brings together four people from vastly different backgrounds, each struggling with the push and pull of home. A young Apache, Adam Dale, forsakes the reservation for the promise of a world he knows little about. Anarbek Tashtanaliev, of post-Soviet Kyrgyzstan, operates a cheese factory that no longer produces cheese. Nazira, his daughter, strains against the confines of their village’s age-old traditions. With captivating insight, realism, and humor, Robert Rosenberg delivers a sensitive story about the cost of trying to do good in the world.
You can find discussion questions for This Is Not Civilization here.
FEBRUARY: At our February 7th meeting, we will discuss The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh.
“Set primarily in Burma, Malaya, and India, this work spans from 1885, when the British sent the King of Burma into exile, to the present. While it does offer brief glimpses into the history of the region, it is more the tale of a family and how historical events influenced real lives. As a young boy, Rajkumar, an Indian temporarily stranded in Mandalay, finds himself caught up in the British invasion that led to the exile of Burma's last king. In the chaos, he spies Dolly, a household maid in the royal palace, for whom he develops a consuming passion and whom years later he tracks down in India and marries. As their family grows and their lives intersect with others, the tangled web of local and international politics is brought to bear, changing lives as well as nations.” – Library Journal
You can find discussion questions for The Glass Palace here.
MARCH: At our March 6th meeting, we’ll discuss Saving Fish From Drowning by Amy Tan. This will coincide with another One Book/One Marin reading program to held in early 2008.
“Tan's hilarious new novel arrives at a time when we aren't laughing much at the news of the day. How much you enjoy "Saving Fish From Drowning" may have to do with how willing you are to be bewitched by a superbly executed, goodhearted farce that is part romance and part mystery with a political bent. With Tan's many talents on display, it's her idiosyncratic wit and sly observations about the nature of illusion that make this book pure pleasure. And by the end, all the travelers, including one charming tiny dog, seem like old friends.” The San Francisco Chronicle - Sara Peyton
You can find discussion questions for Saving Fish From Drowning here.
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