The Language of Flowers, by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Characters

Victoria Meredith Combs – Social Worker Elizabeth – foster mother Catherine – estranged sister Grant – Catherine’s son Perla – Carlo’s daughter, Elizabeth’s vineyard foreman Renata – owner of Bloom Natalya – singer, Renata’s sister Mother Ruby – midwife, Renata’s mother Message – Victoria’s florist business Marlena – worker from Gathering House Customers: Earl – periwinkle (tender recollections), spider mums (truth) Bethany and Ray – red roses (love), white lilac (first emotion of love), rosemary (remembrance) Annemarie – jonquils (desire)

For Discussion:

Note: Page numbers are from the paperback edition.

1. Could Victoria’s story have been different if someone or something else had intervened?   What events could have made her life better?
2. How well did Meredith do her job?  What could she have done differently?
3. Why did Elizabeth stop the adoption? 
4. To what did you attribute the changes that happened with Earl and Bethany after Victoria made them the bouquets?  On page 113 the author reflected that “It wasn’t as if the flowers themselves held within them the ability to bring an abstract definition into physical reality, instead, it seemed that Earl, then Bethany, walked home with a bouquet of flowers expecting change, and the very belief in the possibility instigated a transformation.”  Do you agree?  Is this possible?
5. On page 209, Victoria asked the girls at The Gathering House three questions before hiring Marlena:

1.       Do you have an alarm clock?

2.       Do you know how to get to 6^th and Bethany by bus?

3.       Why do you need the money?

Was there anything else you think she should have asked?

6. How many times did you refer to Victoria’s Dictionary of Flowers while you were reading?  Did it add to your reading pleasure?
7. The meaning of flowers had once been common knowledge.   Do you think it would be nice if it still was or would that add more difficulty to buying someone flowers?   What might be common knowledge now that will be lost in the future?
8. Do you think Mother Ruby should have seen that Victoria was not prepared to keep the baby alone?
9. Victoria thought that leaving Hazel with Grant had been the “most loving act “ she had ever done (page 271).  Do you agree?  What do you think she should have done?
10. Discuss your reading experience.  Did you like how the author drew out the story of Elizabeth, Catherine and Victoria?  Would you recommend this book to your friends?
11. Did you like the ending or was it "too pat?"  
12. The author has foster parented many children.  How do you think that influenced how she wrote the book?

*****

First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.

The Life of the Party, by Bob Kealing

Review:  I really enjoyed this book.  Growing up I remember Tupperware Parties so I was able to easily relate, but it would be interesting and informative for younger readers as well.   There is a lot of information about how to be successful in sales as well as life in general and it could also be listed as a “how-to” book for business success as well as non-fiction.  But it is also an interesting character study.   Why was Bonnie Wise so successful?  What led to the break in her relationship with Earl Tupper and could it have been avoided?  There are multiple reasons to choose this book and any one of them will lead to an enjoyable reading experience.  I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for this review.

People
Tupperware Home Party Division (THP)	Executive Office
Brownie Wise Robert – husband, divorced Jerry – son Rose Humphrey – mother Hibiscus – pen name for advice column Water’s Edge – home in Kissimmee, FL Isla Milagra (Miracle Island) – island in Lake Toho Mary Frances Babb – secretary Herb Young – office manager, only one who left and joined Brownie after she was let go Stanley Sales Force who moved to Tupperware with Brownie: *Rose Humphrey – mother, Hibiscus Sales *Florence Zewicky *Peter and Elsie Block – ring leaders of distributor revolt *Dorothy Shannon *Gary McDonald – Dorothy Shannon’s nephew Best Wishes – Brownie’ book, not successful Dealers >> Managers >> Distributors	Earl Tupper *Hamer Wilson – Sales Counselor *Gary McDonald – Sales Promotion Manager *Norman Squires - General Sales Manager *Jack Marshall – General Sales Manager *Elsie Mortland – Originally one of Rose’s key star dealers, perfected the “Tupperware burp,” Hostess Demonstrator, ran Magic Kitchen at headquarters *Ruder & Finn – Madison Avenue PR firm *Charles McBurney – Public Relations Department *Glen Bump – writer for McBurney *George Reynolds – Maintenance Manager *Tony Ponticelli – Special Events Director for Home Parties Fuller Brush Co./Stanley Home Products *Frank Beveridge – first to use home parties, told Brownie “management is no place for a woman” (page 27) *Elmer Nyberg – Director of Education, influential to Brownie’s sales philosophy

For discussion:

NOTE: Page numbers are from the hardback edition.

1. Do you think things might have turned out differently if Brownie had not received so much media attention?
2. Was there anything Brownie could have done differently to avoid the conflict with Tupper or was it inevitable?   Given how well she worked with people, should she have foreseen the problem and worked to avoid or repair it?
3. At the end when Brownie tried to lure dealers away from Tupperware after she was let go, were you surprised that no one followed her?  What do you think you would have done?
4. On page 95, what did you think about the statement that one part to the success of Tupperware was that women never got praised for what they did until they got praise for selling Tupperware?  How important is praise to you?
5. On page 16, the author listed Elmer Nyberg’s seven ways “to make people like you.”  Is there anything you disagreed with or would add?
6. When talking to a Tupperware convention, Bonnie Wise said that “Being completely satisfied would be a little like death” (page 127).    Do you agree?  Is it negative to be satisfied with what you have accomplished?
7. On that same page (127), she said that “success was limited only by how willing they were to let it consume them.”  Do you agree?  What has consumed you in your life?  Do you see a connection to how successful you were with that endeavor?
8. There was a lot of emphasis on helping other people be successful.  (See page 139 where Tony Ponticelli, special events director, said that at his first convention he, “was converted.  It wasn’t a phony, staged kind of thing…before you know it, you had a new religion of helping other people.”)   How did this philosophy help Tupperware and Bonnie Wise be successful?

 ***

First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.

Beach Music, by Pat Conroy (second half - Parts 4, 5, 6 and Epilogue)

NOTE:  My Library Book Group is discussing this book over two months.  This discussion guide is for the second half of the book.

Characters – expanded for second half of novel
McCall family	Others
Jack McCall Shyla – wife, suicide Leah – daughter Judge Johnson Hagood McCall – father Lucy – mother Dr. John Pitts – Lucy’s second husband Father Jude – Lucy’s brother Brothers: Dupree Dallas – lawyer with dad’s firm Tee – second youngest John Hardin – youngest, mental problems Paternal grandparents: Silas Ginny Penn The Great Dog Chippie	Shyla Fox’s family: Martha – sister Ruth – mother – rescued as teenager from Holocausts by Max Rusoff and wife George - father – pianist, also Holocaust survivor Jack’s high school friends: Ledare Middleton Capers Middleton - divorced from Ledare, political ambitions, 2nd wife Betsy Mike Hess – Hollywood produced Jordan Elliott – fugitive, priest in Rome Jordan’s parents: Celestine General Elliott Max Rusoff – Mike’s father, department store owner, mayor of Waterford In Kironittska was apprenticed as child to: Arel the Muscle – blacksmith Mottele the Blade – butcher Radical Bob Merrill – leader of Students for Democratic Society at Carolina University 1969-1971

After reading the second half of the book:

• In chapter 20 Jack said to Leah that, “All life connects…. Nothing happens that is meaningless.”  How well did everything will connect together at the end of the book?
• What questions did you have that were answered in the second half of the book?

If you read the entire book without a break:

• What surprised the reader in the second half?
• What seemed important in the first half that was not be important to the final story?

 For discussion:

1. What did you think about the story where Shyla brought home the homeless black woman, left her alone in the apartment and then she stole everything from them?  Was it realistic that Shyla would do this and that Jack would go along with it?
2. Leah is about eight when she and Jack go back to Waterford.   Does she act too old for her age in the novel?   In particular, see the episode in chapter 28 with her grandmother and Jane, the South Carolina Wildlife Officer and also the time she saw John Hardin naked.
3. On about the fourth page of chapter 31 Leah tells Jack that he does not understand John Hardin or his father and that Jack is mean to his father.  She says that, “It’s your job to like him.  He’s your daddy.”   Is this too insightful for a child?
4. At the very beginning of chapter 29, what did Jack mean by a “danger of unremembrance?”
5. Do you think it would have been possible for Ruth and George Fox to escape their past and move on?   Was it possible for them to raise Shyla differently than they did?
6. There have been numerous fiction and nonfiction accounts published about the Holocaust.   How did George Fox’s story written by Conroy compare?  Did you gain any new insights?
7. At the end of chapter 30, George tells Jack, “I think Shyla might have died because of what I did not tell her, not what Ruth did.”   He went on to say, “I thought silence was the proper resolution and strategy for what happened to me.  I did not think my poisons and hatreds and shame would leak out and poison everything I loved.”  What did he mean?  When would it have been appropriate to tell Shyla his story?   Would it have made a difference to her?
8. What was Mike’s motivation for holding the mock trial for Jordan Elliott?  Did you think it was self-serving?
9. Where you surprised when Capers was revealed as a paid undercover agent at the trial following the Vietnam Demonstration?
10. What purpose did Radical Bob Merrill play in the novel?
11. He alone seemed unconcerned with what he did in the past.   In chapter 38 during the mock trial he said, “I did what I thought was right back then.  Hindsight’s groovy, but a total waste of time.”   Do you agree?  Why or why not?
12. Does Capers need forgiveness for what he did to his friends and family or is General Elliott right when he said, “You’re the only one on this stage who conducted yourself with honor in this whole affair.”  (Chapter 38)
13. Also in chapter 38 the General said, “I can’t help who I am, son.”   Do you agree?  Is it possible to be self-reflective and change something about ourselves we do not like?
14. When John Hardin kidnapped his mother and the brothers were hunting him, where was Dr. Pitts?  Where was Leah?  Do you think the author should have addressed this?
15. Who do you think Jack and Ledare should have chosen for their matron of honor and best man?
16. The 2009 paperback edition has a letter at the end that Pat Conroy wrote to the Charleston Gazette in response to an email from a high school student telling him that some parents were trying to stop high school English teachers from teaching The Prince of Tides and Beach Music in their English classes.  How convincing was his argument to allow the books in the classroom?  What did you think was his most convincing point?

*****

First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the  upper right  link.

The Sunlight Pilgrims, by Jenni Fagan

REVIEW: This was an interesting book, although far from my favorite.   The writing is beautiful.  I especially liked the description of driving across the suspension bridge (“…flashes of crisscross, crisscross, crisscross, the shadows flicker over the driver’s face.”) on page 19 and the description of Dylan inside the cloud on page 78.   I also gained insight into the feelings of someone who feels they are in the wrong gender body and the struggles to fit in as a teenager.  Even though there are many positive aspects of the book, I can’t quite put my finger on why the story did not interest me more.  Maybe it moved too slow, or I like a bit more drama.  Certainly there are readers out there who will find this book enthralling, I am just not one of them.  I received a complimentary copy of the book for this review.

Characters
Clachan Fells	Babylon Cinema
Constance Fairbanks – the moon polisher Stella (previously Cael) Alistair – Constance’s lover and Stella’s father Caleb – Constance’s lover Lewis Brown – used to be Stella’s best friend Vito – transgender internet friend in Italy Sisters of Beathnock Residents: Barnacle Tim (Alan) Satanist Ida – porn star Boo – Iceberg heading for Clachan Fells	Dylan MacRae Vivienne – mother Gunn – grandmother Havid & Bitta – Dylan’s great-grandparents Children: Gunn MacRae Olaf Balkie Vivienne MacRae – Gunn and Olaf’s child Alistair Balkie – son of Olaf and Astrid (wife)

For discussion:

NOTE: Page numbers are from the hardback edition.

1. Did you enjoy the description of being inside a cloud on page 78?  Were you able to feel what Dylan was experiencing?
2. How well did the author describe Stella’s experience being transgender?  Did the book help your understanding of the feelings and problems faced by transgender people?  How do you think Constance was coping?   Was there anything that could have been done to help Stella’s acceptance in her school? 
3. Do you think the Sisters of Beathnock should have done more to help Stella?  The book starts in the year 2020.  Did you think helping a transgender child would be more understood in the future than was portrayed in the novel?
4. On page 45, Stella meets Gunn in the caravan park and Gunn tells her that, “You have two spirits…”   What do you think she meant?
5. On the same page, 45, Gunn says she was taught how to safely look directly at the sun and absorb the sunlight by the “sunlight pilgrims…from the islands farthest north.”   How did you understand this passage?   (See page 124 for discussion between Stella and Dylan regarding the identity of Gunn as the woman Stella talked to.)
6. Why is Constance referred to as a “moon polisher?”
7. Why did Gunn change her last name from the family name (Balkie) to her mother’s maiden name (MacRae)?
8. Should Dylan tell Constance and Stella their family connection?  Do you think he ever will?  Did you like the way the author hinted at something in the family but drew out revealing it to the reader?
9. Can you imagine living under the conditions described in the book?  How do you think you would fare?
10. Did you like the ending?  What do you think will happen next?

*****
First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.

Beach Music, by Pat Conroy (Preface and Parts 1, 2 and 3)

NOTE:  My Library Book Group is discussing this book over two months.  This discussion guide is for the first half of the book, followed by a prediction/preview of the second half.

Characters
McCall family	Others
Jack McCall Shyla – wife, suicide Leah – daughter Judge Johnson Hagood McCall – father Lucy – mother Dr. John Pitts – Lucy’s second husband Brothers: Dupree Dallas – lawyer with dad’s firm Tee – second youngest John Hardin – youngest, mental problems Paternal grandparents: Silas Ginny Penn The Great Dog Chippie	Shyla Fox’s family: Martha – sister Ruth – mother Father – both parents Holocaust survivors Jack’s high school friends: Leader Middleton Capers Middleton - divorced from Ledare, political ambitions, 2nd wife Betsy Mike Hess – Hollywood produced Jordan Elliott – fugitive, priest in Rome Jordan’s parents: Celestine General Elliott Max Rusoff – Mike’s father, department store owner, mayor of Waterford In Kironittska was apprenticed as child to: Arel the Muscle – blacksmith Mottele the Blade - butcher

For discussion:

1. Jack:
1. What were the positives and negatives of moving with Leah to Italy?  Do you think this was a wise choice?  What would you have done in Jack’s circumstances?
2. Why did the Fox family attack Jack to vehemently?  Could they have handled things differently?  Was it possible for them to get along at that time?
3. When Martha came to visit to try to promote a reconciliation, Jack left her with Leah and went to Venice, even though at that point Leah knew nothing about Shyla’s story or her own background.  Why did Jack trust Martha and do this?   Was this realistic or fair to Leah?

2. Jordan:
1. Why do you think Jordan’s father betrayed him and turned him in?
2. Can you understand the General’s side of the story?   Given his personality, was he able to react any differently?
3. Throughout the first half of the book, Lucy and Max Rusoff’s stories were included.  What do you think the purpose is of these stories?  
4. Regarding Max, do you think the Jews of Kironittska were justified in how they treated Max after he killed to two Cossacks who were violating Anna Singers?
5. What is the purpose of The Great Dog Chippie stories?  Regarding stories in general, Jack said to Leah in the hospital, “Stories don’t have to be true.  They just have to help.”  (Chapter 18) 
6. What did you think of the different reactions when all of the McCall brothers gathered for Lucy’s illness?  Tee was the only brother who showed sadness.  Jack thought about why men are not allowed to cry and decided that, “we die long before women do, with our hearts exploding or our blood pressure rising or our livers eaten away by alcohol because that lake of grief inside us has no outlet.”  (end of Chapter 14)
7. Dallas explained why he stayed in his father’s law practice by telling Jack, “You may not have noticed, but our father’s a tragic man.”  (beginning of Chapter 15)   Do you agree or not?  Can you see him in that light?
8. Are any parents depicted in a positive light?
9. What did you think about Mike’s movie plans?  What is his motive?  Why did Ledare agree to work on the movie? 
10. How do you think the story will end?

If you have only read the first half of the book:

In chapter 20 Jack said to Leah that, “All life connects…. Nothing happens that is meaningless.”  How do you think everything will connect together at the end of the book?

What questions do you hope to have answered in the second half of the book?

If you have already completed the book:

What surprises are in store for the reader in the second half?

What seems important in the first half that will not be important to the final story?

*****

First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.

The Invoice, by Jonas Karlsson

REVIEW: This is an unusual, charming book that makes you think about your life and happiness in general.  At first I was not sure what to think about the book but I enjoyed it and wanted to keep reading to see what would happen at the end.  As I read I realized it is an extremely thoughtful book dealing with a subject we hopefully experience every day but probably don’t stop to think about.  It is an easy, fast read and one that you will remember and ponder long after finishing.  The novel is a great selection for book clubs – I can hardly wait for the discussion with my group!  I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for this review. 

Characters

Narrator Sunita – girlfriend, moved to India for an arranged marriage Roger – friend World Resources Distribution (WRD) – headquarters in Sweden Maud Andersson – telephone operator Georg Various other supervisors Quantity of Experienced Happiness (EH)

 For discussion:

NOTE: Chapter numbers refer to the unedited proof copy.

1. Why do you think the author never told the reader the narrator’s name?
2. In chapter 9 the narrator compares his and his sister’s grieving for their parents.  Why does he feel suddenly guilty that he did not mourned enough?
3. This book explores the idea of being happy.  What thoughts did you have about the following:
1. Chapter 6 – what difference does being rich make in happiness?
2. Chapter 8 – the narrator reflects that he was, “…undeservedly happy with my tranquil existence here in my flat.”  Do we deserve to be happy or not?  Could you understand his feeling that he did not deserve the happiness he had?
3. Chapter 9 – some negative times are necessary to appreciate the happy times.
4. Chapter 11 – Georg told the narrator that high EH correlates with family wealth or motivation to work and have high earnings.  Do you agree?
5. Chapter 11 – When Maud was reviewing his file, she listed the “premiums” he had – “…welfare premium, whiteness premium, male premium…”    What other “premiums” do you think contribute to happiness?  To your happiness?
6. Chapter 20 – Maud told the narrator, “You see, we look at life as if it were a classically constructed play.  The one with the most whistles and bells isn’t necessarily the best.”    Do you agree?
7. Chapter 20 – “People are extremely unhappy.”   Do you agree?  Are many people putting on a false front?  
4. The narrator described a scene from the movie The Bridge to Maud, but after she watched it she had a completely different viewing experience and understanding of the scene.  How does that happen?
5. Roger’s bill was much less than the narrator’s even though he had more possessions.   Discuss their different perceptions of life.  Examine Roger’s reaction to his boat’s damage and improvement at the expense of others and how he still thought it was a negative experience.
6. Why wouldn’t the narrator help Roger with his appeal of his bill?  What do you think his motivations were?
7. When the narrator went back to this apartment after the first interview at EH headquarters, why was he suddenly so dissatisfied with his life? (Chapter 16)
8. What did you think about his sudden regret that he had done nothing with his life?  He said to Maud, “That’s the saddest thing of all.  I had every opportunity, but what the hell have I done?  Nothing. Nada. Not a damn thing.”  (Chapter 16) Was he justified in these thoughts?   Did the fact that he was so happy make a difference?
9. In Chapter 15 the narrator was missing his parents and wanted to call them to, “…have a bit of a moan, and they would have listened carefully with the phone between them, and they’d have comforted me and said everything would be all right.”  Can you relate both as a child and as a parent?
10. There were very few characters in this novel.  Discuss Maud in particular.  What did you think about her character and how her relationship with the narrator changed?
11. What new thoughts or insights did you gain from this book?   Would you recommend it to others?  Are there some people to whom you would NOT recommend the book?  Does it require a certain amount of self-awareness or depth of thought to appreciate this book?

*****

First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.

The Kitchen House, by Kathleen Grissom

Characters
The Kitchen House	Tall Oaks	Slave Quarters
Lavinia McCarten (Abinia) – indentured to Captain Pyke to pay for passage - parents died on ship from Ireland except for brother Cardigan – brother – indentured to pay for passage – died Belle – daughter of Captain Pyke Jamie Pyke – son after rape by Marshall Mama Mae Papa George Uncle Jacob Ben Fanny Beattie Beattie – 3 children with Marshall Dory Henry – son – died Sukey - daughter	Captain James Pyke Martha – second wife Marshall – son Sally - daughter – died Campbell – baby Mrs. Pyke – Belle’s grandmother – educated her as a white girl Mr. Waters – tutor Isabelle – Martha’s younger sister – died Rankin – overseer Will Stephens – overseer Martha – wife Williamsburg: Sarah Madden – Martha’s sister Husband - lawyer Meg – daughter Mr. Boran – Mr. Madden’s law partner – wants to marry Lavinia	Jimmy – married Dory Ida – Jimmy’s mother Lucy – married Ben Three sons

For Discussion:

NOTE: Page numbers refer to the paperback edition.

1. Given the time period, was there any better solution for Lavinia other than Captain Pyke bringing her home with him as an indentured servant?
2. How was Belle able to accept her position, knowing she was Captain Pyke’s daughter and was educated and yet was considered a slave?   Do you think Marshall should have figured out the relationship between Belle and his father?  Why didn’t anyone tell him?
3. Why did Martha not give Belle the papers granting her freedom right away?
4. All of the slaves knew that Mr. Waters was abusing Marshall.   Was there something else they could have done sooner?   Could his mother have known if she was paying more attention to him?  How do you think the abuse affected him throughout his life?
5. How many choices did Lavinia have in her life?  Could she have said ‘no’ to Mr. Boran’s marriage proposal?   Why do you think Mrs. Madden encouraged the marriage?
6. Discuss Lavinia experiencing both the white and slave environments.  How hard do you think it was to transition to the perspective of the white mistress after she married Marshall?
7. Can you understand Lavinia’s resentment of Beattie having relations with Marshall?  Did Lavinia really understand Beattie’s position?
8. When Mr. Madden turned down Lavinia’s request to go back with the family to Williamsburg, she withdrew and started taking laudanum.  Bell criticized her and said, “Course, she actin’ just like a white woman, just give up, sittin’ in her room.” (page 308).  What else could Lavinia have done?
9. Discuss Jamie, Belle and Marshall’s son.  He thought he was white, even though the law would consider him a Negro.  How do you think he felt when told the truth?  How do you think he should have been raised?
10. Discuss the organization of the book.  Did you find it confusing or interesting?  Did you like the way the author started off with the ending and then led up to it throughout the book?  Did you like the fact that she led the reader to believe that it was Belle who was hanged?
11. Did this book give you any new insights into this time period in our country? 

*****

First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.