Shannon Hollow
Chelsey Cosh, 2014
CreateSpace
480 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781503061859
Summary
A generational saga that spans from the dirty thirties to modern day, Shannon Hollow tells the story of a small Utah community and its eclectic mix of residents.
From the spoiled and insatiable housewife to the dancing coal miner's daughter, each has their own little secret to protect.
Faith is tested. Love is put to the limits. Truth is discovered.
Welcome to Shannon Hollow.
Author Bio
• Birth—1991
• Where—Ajax, Ontario, Canada
• Rasied—Greenwood, Ontario, Canada
• Education—attended UOIT; B.A., Must University
• Currently—lives in rural southeastern Ontario, Canada
Chelsey Cosh has been writing all her life.
Formerly entertainment editor and co-webmaster of Canadian literary magazine What If, she mixes her writing with other pleasures, including her love of everything that pop culture and technology has to offer.
Her debut novel, Shannon Hollow, is set in Utah, capturing the experiences and attitudes of a small town's citizens and watching them change through the decades, moving from the dirty thirties right up to modern day. She also writes non-fiction, like Reel Talk: Irreverent Insights on Cinema and Television, a thirteen-essay collection on film and television.
Cosh lives in rural southeastern Ontario.
Visit Chelsey's Goodreads Author Page and her Amazon Central Page.
Discussion Questions
1. Motherhood is an important theme throughout the book. There are many maternal figures, regardless of whether or not they have children. Who do you feel does the best job at being a mother, biological or otherwise? Why do you feel that some characters struggle with motherhood? Do you think any characters are lacking in maternal figures and, if so, do you think this affects their own maternal instincts?
2. In what way do each of the main characters - Diane, Harriet, Wyatt, Elijah, Hector, Francis, and Ruby - reflect their background? Do you feel that any of the characters overcome their origins? Does their background ever help them meet their goals? Do you feel that any of these characters fulfilled his or her destiny?
3. Is Jo (the former beauty queen/stripper that works at Parker Brigham Luft) a good person or a bad person? Explain your impression of her character.
4. Who is Ruby's father? Consider not just biological ties but the father-daughter relationship. Explain your reasoning.
5. Consider Diane Weiss as a character. Do you find her sympathetic? Do your feelings towards her change over the course of the novel? Talk about the points in which Diane shows who she truly is.
6. Consider the many cultures that criss-cross in Shannon Hollow: Diane's French and German ancestry, Harriet's Irish heritage, Elijah's formative years in predominantly Jewish New York, Sora's Japanese lineage, Heloísa's abusive upbringing in Brazil... Considering this multicultural convergence, why do you think that Utah was chosen as the main setting? Do you feel it was an appropriate choice? Why or why not?
7. Consider the reasons why you would or would not want to visit Thistlewood. Is Thistlewood welcoming? Does it invite social gatherings or is it a hiding place? Does Thistlewood hold a deeper meaning, and, if so, what do you think that meaning is?
8. How are the marriages of Wyatt and Harriet, Elijah and Diane, and Aron and Ruby different? How are they similar? Would you consider any of these characters' marriages successful? Why or why not?
9. Luella May and Sora have markedly different marital relationships than those around them. Do you think their unique circumstances isolate them? Consider whether these characters believe their own marriage is successful. Given the chance, do you feel that these characters would adopt a more conventional relationship? Why or why not?
10. What role does religion play in Francis's life? What about Diane? Luella May? Would you consider them "good Christians"? Do you think their moral code is based on religious teachings? Why or why not? How does religion affect each character's attitudes towards sex?
11. Consider the pace of the plot. Is this book driven by the sequence of its events? Or does it focus instead on the characters and their dynamics? Which passages engage you most and why do you think that is?
12. Is the ending satisfying? Do you feel that any characters who deserved to be punished received a fitting comeuppance? If not, what would you change?
13. Consider the title of the book, "Shannon Hollow." Do you feel there is a hidden meaning attached to the title? If so, what do you think it may represent?
14. Cosh divides her story into parts based on the decades. Why? Consider the various decades that Shannon Hollow spans. Do you feel that the characters grow and mature in any major ways? How does the passing of time and the changing social mores affect the characters and their relationships? Do you think that any of the characters would have acted differently if they were part of a more modern generation? How so?
(Questions courtesy of the author.)
Thicker Than Soup
Kathryn Joyce, 2015
Troubador Publishing
304 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781784822640
Summary
Focussed on their careers, Sally Lancing, the daughter of a Pakistani immigrant and English mother, and John Sommers, the much-loved son of adoptive parents, are equally committed to a child-free future.
Then a surprise pregnancy—and doubts about the paternity—hurls them both into new, but separate, lives. Devastated by the loss of her job, her partner, and her home, Sally and her baby son embark on a journey to Pakistan to meet her father’s distant family. Once there, Sally’s eyes are opened to a world that challenges her deepest beliefs.
Meanwhile, John hides his vulnerability behind increasing success as a restaurateur. But the baby has rattled skeletons, and, unable to avoid his past, he too embarks on a journey—to find his birth parents.
As their horizons broaden and their views are challenged, the child, Sammy, is an innocent but enduring link. Thicker Than Soup is a story of love, loss and discovery that explores the concepts of morality and independence as Sally and John attempt to build separate futures. Until, that is, providence stirs life’s mixing bowl once more, and Sammy is again the crucial ingredient.
Thicker Than Soup is a moving tale of relationships set against a backdrop of both Thatcher’s Britain and a beautifully evoked Pakistan. Inspired by The Ginger Tree by Oswald Wynd, the novel explores the serious issues of cultural integration and diversity as well as adoption, and also, the devastating shock of HIV.
Author Bio
• Birth—August 16, 1953
• Where—Hull, Yorkshire, England, UK
• Education—BSc, University of Leicester
• Currently—lives in Stamford, Lincolnshire, England
Book Reviews
Thicker than Soup is a great read with strong and interesting characters who reflect real issues and real life dramas. It tugs one in as John struggles towards success whilst battling with the demons of his past. And when Sally goes to Pakistan, her experiences there open the eyes and the mind to a culture and society that has surprising attractions and reveals life that challenges some of the myths and views many of us hold. The story twists and turns as it takes the reader to some very plausible but unforeseen outcomes.After reading this book more than once I’ve been sad each time I finished; I’ve grown to know the characters and their lives, and discovered new things I missed the previous time around. The book is an experience and one that I won’t forget. I recommend it hugely.
David Lankester
This story gripped me to the end with it's many unexpected twists. The characters are complex and develop pleasingly as the story progresses. The setting in Britain and Pakistan of the period, as well as the cultural and social challenges of the time, are cleverly woven into this story of love and families.
Elizabeth Delap
Beautifully written page turner- I started it at 10am and finished it at 7pm, only briefly coming up for air and a quick lunch! The characters are well drawn and their actions and motivations are plausible and draw you into their lives. The time period (80s) and places (England and Pakistan) are evoked with a lightness of touch that never intrudes, and the author pulls off the difficult trick of maintaining a well balanced storyline alternating the narrative between the two protagonists chapter by chapter.
Nena
What an admirable first novel! Not just an absorbing and most readable page-turner, but a book that deals with serious themes - sexual morality, AIDS, friendship, family values and Islamic-Christian relations - all with a light touch and an engaging style. It is pacy, beautifully plotted with surprising twists, and its poignant ending leaves us with some hope. Dialogue and characterisation were extremely good. The reader benefits from the author's own experience of living in Pakistan to counter some of the popular misconceptions about that country, at least as it was some 20-30 years ago. Though I found the influx of new characters about a third of the way through the book somewhat overwhelming, that didn't spoil enjoyment of the novel as a whole.
Frank Brierley
This is a very well written debut novel. Full of engaging description of the 1980s the story evolves through several unexpected changes in fortune of the two main characters which keeps the reader guessing about the final outcome.
minuana
What an enjoyable read. I liked the pace of the story and found it hard to put down. So interesting to have a knowledgeable account of life in Pakistan. I also enjoyed travelling down memory lane to the 1980's. Definitely lots of "food" for thought! I shall certainly go and visit the Rothko at the Tate!
Diana Slater
Really enjoyed this book. The characters were believable and likeable. The story line followed unexpected paths but was realistic given the 1980s timeframe. I now want to visit Pakistan after reading about the sights, food and people.
J Bah
An excellent read- found myself not wanting to put it down! A brilliant ending and I am hoping that there is a follow-up in the pipeline.
Anita Quinn
A thoroughly enjoyable story, with well-developed characters. I thought the changes in location between England and Pakistan to be very well done. I lived for several years in Rawalpindi and found the author really captured the feeling of life in Pakistan in the 80's. I really felt I knew the characters and couldn't wait to get to the next chapter and twist to the plot. I read the book in two days and I look forward to more books from Ms. Joyce.
TGIS (Pat)
Discussion Questions
1. Are John and Sally justified in their behaviour towards each other in Part 1? Why do you think they behave as they do? What aspects of their personalities do you like and / or dislike, and why? Is it necessary to like the characters to engage with the story?
2. Does the author's style impact favourably or unfavourably on the story? How well, or otherwise, does the author manage the passage of time for each of the characters?
3. How do the psychological journeys Sally and John embark on in Part 2 compare? How do the past and the present impact on the decisions each of the make?
4. What are the main themes of the story and how are they portrayed in each character?
5. Were the supporting characters authentic? What did they bring to the story? Which of them did you like or dislike, and why?
6. What effect do you think the theme of food has on the story? Do you think the story could be similar or substantially different without it?
7. Are there any aspects of the story that affected you strongly? Did they make you sad, make you laugh, make you angry? If so, why do you think that was?
8. By the end of the book both Sally and John have matured. What do you think they have learned, and what effect has it had on them?
9. Has the book made you think differently about anything. Think about morality, conformity vs. independence, attitudes in the 1980's, adoption, life in Pakistan, etc.
10. Does Part 3 conclude the story? Is it a satisfactory ending? If not, how do you think the story might continue?
(Questions courtesy of the author.)
The Precious One
Marisa de los Santos, 2015
HarperCollins
384 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780061670916
Summary
A captivating novel about friendship, family, second chances, and the redemptive power of love.
In all her life, Eustacia 'Taisy' Cleary has given her heart to only three men: her first love, Ben Ransom; her twin brother, Marcus; and Wilson Cleary—professor, inventor, philanderer, self-made millionaire, brilliant man, breathtaking jerk: her father.
Seventeen years ago, Wilson ditched his first family for Caroline, a beautiful young sculptor. In all that time, Taisy’s family has seen Wilson, Caroline, and their daughter, Willow, only once.
Why then, is Wilson calling Taisy now, inviting her for an extended visit, encouraging her to meet her pretty sister—a teenager who views her with jealousy, mistrust, and grudging admiration? Why, now, does Wilson want Taisy to help him write his memoir?
Told in alternating voices—Taisy’s strong, unsparing observations and Willow’s naive, heartbreakingly earnest yearnings—The Precious One is an unforgettable novel of family secrets, lost love, and dangerous obsession, a captivating tale with the deep characterization, piercing emotional resonance, and heartfelt insight that are the hallmarks of Marisa de los Santos’s beloved works. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth—August 12, 1966
• Where—Baltimore, Maryland, USA
• Education—B.A., University of Virginia; M.F.A., Sarah Lawrence College; Ph.D., University
of Houston
• Currently—lives in Wilmington, Delaware
Marisa de los Santos achieved her earliest success as an award-winning poet, and her work has been published in several literary journals. In 2000, her debut collection, From the Bones Out, appeared as part of the James Dickey Contemporary Poetry Series.
De los Santos made her first foray into fiction in 2005 with the surprise bestseller Love Walked In. Optioned almost immediately for the movies, this elegant "literary romance" introduced Cornelia Brown, a diminutive, 30-something Philadelphian with a passion for classic film and an unshakable belief in the triumph of true love.
In her 2008 sequel, Belong to Me, de los Santos revisited Cornelia, now a married woman, newly relocated to the suburbs, and struggling to forge friendships with the women in her new hometown.
Her third novel, Falling Together, released in 2011, recounts the reunion of three college friends, whose friendships dissolve as everything they believed about themselves and each other is brought into question.
The Precious One, published in 2015, follows the two half-sisters who meet for the first time as they struggle to please their narcissistic, domineering father.
Extras
From a 2008 Barnes & Noble interview:
• De los Santos' love affair with books began at a young age. She claims to have risked life and limb as a child by insisting on combining reading with such incompatible activities as skating, turning cartwheels, and descending stairs.
• I'm addicted to ballet, completely head-over-heels for it. I did it as a little kid, but took about a thirty year hiatus before starting adult classes. I do it as many times a week as I can, but if I could, I'd do it every day! In my next life, I'm definitely going to be a ballerina.
• I'm terrible with plants, outdoor plants, indoor plants, annuals, perennials. I kill them off in record time. I adore fresh flowers and keep them all over my house all year round because they're beautiful and already dead, but you won't find a single potted plant in my house. So many nice people in the world and in books are growers and gardeners, but the sad truth is that I'll never be one of them.
• I'm an awful sleeper, and the thing that helps me fall asleep or fall back to sleep is reading books from my childhood. Elizabeth Enright's Melendy series and her two Gone Away Lake books, all of the Anne of Green Gables books, Little Women, The Secret Garden, the Narnia books, and a bunch of others. I have probably read some of these books twenty, maybe thirty times. I read them to pieces, literally, and then have to buy new ones.
• I am crazy-scared of sharks and almost never swim in the ocean. Yes, I know it's silly, I know my chances of getting bitten by a shark are about the same as my chances of becoming president of the United States, but I can't help it.
• My favorite way to spend an evening is eating a meal with good friends. The cheese plate, the red wine, the clink of forks, a passel of kids dancing to The Jonas Brothers and laughing their heads off in the next room, food that either I or someone else has cooked with care and love, and warm, lively conversation-give me all this and I'm happy as a clam.
• I adore black and white movies, particularly romantic comedies from the thirties and forties. I love them for the dialogue and for the whip smart, fascinating, fast-talking, funny women.
• When asked what book that most influenced her career as a writer, here is her response:
I read To Kill a Mockingbird when I was ten, I can't count how many times I've read it since, and every single time, I am utterly pulled in. I don't read it; I live it. I'm with Scout on Boo Radley's porch and in the colored courtroom balcony, and my heart breaks with hers at Tom Robinson's fate. Over and over, the book lifts me up and sets me down into her shoes. I remember the wonder I felt the first time it happened, the sudden, jarring illumination: every person is the center of his or her life the way I am the center of mine. It changed everything. I know that sounds dramatic, but it's true. That empathy is the greatest gift fiction gives us, and it's the biggest reason I write. (Author bio and interview adapted from Barnes & Noble.)
Book Reviews
With talent as keen as a new razor and generosity born of a humane heart, de los Santos offers an affecting story, brilliantly conceived characters and arresting prose.
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Two sisters struggle to please their smart, manipulative, and narcissistic father.... The slow fracturing of each sister’s perception of the other and the strong three-dimensional characters are exceptionally well crafted. And the predictability of the ending is more than made up for by the fact that de los Santos’s characters’ journeys are perfectly paced.
Publishers Weekly
Despite some modern melodrama, the author writes engagingly and creates complex and lovable characters who carry the story. Readers of character-based fiction with heartwarming, hopeful endings (e.g., books by authors such as Elizabeth Berg or Ann Hood) will love this one, too. —Melanie Kindrachuk, Stratford P.L., Ont.
Library Journal
(Starred review.) Emotionally potent, painfully honest, and, at times, delightfully funny, de los Santos’s latest is a must for fans of intelligent, thoughtful women’s fiction.
Booklist
Half sisters who don't really know each other are brought together by their emotionally domineering father for reasons of his own... Despite intellectual pretentions, including lots of references to Middlemarch, de los Santos offers a comfort-food story in which men are either predators or perfect and women are both beautiful and brilliant.
Kirkus Reviews
Discussion Questions
1. Taisy is summoned to visit with her estranged father, Wilson, and charged with writing his autobiography. Were you surprised with her decision to stay and do the project? Do you think it was more for her own benefit than for Wilson’s?
2. Taisy refers to her half-sister, Willow, as "the precious one" early on in the novel. Why do you think the author chose that as the title?
3. Willow has been home-schooled her entire life and is now beginning to attend the local high school. How does this sheltered existence inform her character? What are your thoughts on home- schooling?
4. There are many storylines going on within The Precious One. Did having the story told from two points of view help you to know the characters more fully?
5. When Wilson reveals his horrible upbringing, it’s quite a surprise to everyone. Do you think that should excuse his past behavior?
6. In proposing the book project to Taisy, Wilson reflects on his recent heart attack: "It causes one to look at one’s life in a way that one has perhaps not looked at it before." Do you think he had ulterior motives in asking Taisy to be his ghostwriter?
7. Taisy’s twin brother, Marcus, still maintains strong feelings about their estranged father. His "anger stayed red-hot for years before it cooled to something hard and shiny and black." Why do you think it was harder to forgive for Marcus than for Taisy?
8. Caro seems to be encouraging of Taisy being around. Why do you think she didn’t try to reach out before? Do you think it’s because she was another woman under his powerful sway? Why do you think Wilson has such a hold over the people in his life?
9. In addition to navigating the treacherous waters of high school for the first time, Willow also experiences attention from certain men and boys. Do you think Willow handled herself well in relation to the Mr. Insley situation? How could she have handled it differently? Were you surprised when Luka revealed his small part in it?
10. Even after realizing her teacher’s attention was inappropriate, Willow still tries to understand Mr. Insley: "It could break your heart: people becoming, in the blink of an eye, so dreadfully human." Can you recall a situation where someone disappointed you with their faults or human frailties?
11. Were you surprised about Ben’s reticence about getting back into a relationship with Taisy? Do you think she had any choice to do things differently back when they were teenagers?
12. Was there one storyline that grabbed you more than another, and why? Why do you think complicated family stories are so riveting to read?
13. Have you read any of Marisa de los Santos’ novels? After now reading The Precious One, are you intrigued to read her other titles
(We'll add specific questions if and when they're made available by the publisher.)
A God in Ruins (Todd Family, 2)
Kate Atkinson, 2015
Little, Brown and Compay
480 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780316176507
Summary
The stunning companion to Kate Atkinson's #1 bestseller Life After Life, "one of the best novels I've read this century" (Gillian Flynn).
"He had been reconciled to death during the war and then suddenly the war was over and there was a next day and a next day. Part of him never adjusted to having a future."
Kate Atkinson's dazzling Life After Life explored the possibility of infinite chances and the power of choices, following Ursula Todd as she lived through the turbulent events of the last century over and over again.
A God in Ruins tells the dramatic story of the 20th Century through Ursula's beloved younger brother Teddy—would-be poet, heroic pilot, husband, father, and grandfather—as he navigates the perils and progress of a rapidly changing world. After all that Teddy endures in battle, his greatest challenge is living in a future he never expected to have.
An ingenious and moving exploration of one ordinary man's path through extraordinary times, A God in Ruins proves once again that Kate Atkinson is one of the finest novelists of our age. (From the publisher.)
This is the companion book to Atkinsons's Life After Life, published in 2013.
Author Bio
• Birth—1951
• Where—York, England, UK
• Education—M.A., Dundee University
• Awards—Whitbread Award; Woman's Own Short Story Award; Ian St. James Award;
Saltire Book of the Year Award; Prix Westminster
• Currently—lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Kate Atkinson was born in York, and studied English Literature at the University of Dundee, gaining her Masters Degree in 1974. She subsequently studied for a doctorate in American Literature which she failed at the viva stage. During her final year of this course, she was married for the first time, although the marriage lasted only two years.
After leaving the university, she took on a variety of miscellaneous jobs from home help to legal secretary and teacher. She lived in Whitby, Yorkshire for a time, before moving to Edinburgh, where she taught at Dundee University and began writing short stories. She now lives in Edinburgh.
Writing
She initially wrote for women's magazines after winning the 1986 Woman's Own Short Story Competition. She was runner-up for the Bridport Short Story Prize in 1990 and won an Ian St James Award in 1993 for her short-story "Karmic Mothers," which she later adapted for BBC2 television as part of its Tartan Shorts series.
Atkinson's breakthrough was with her first novel, Behind the Scenes at the Museum, which won the 1995 Whitbread Book of the Year award, ahead of Salman Rushdie's The Moor's Last Sigh and Roy Jenkins biography of William Ewart Gladstone. The book has been adapted for radio, theatre and television. She has since written several more novels, short stories and a play. Case Histories (2004) was described by Stephen King as "the best mystery of the decade." The book won the Saltire Book of the Year Award and the Prix Westminster.
Her work is often celebrated for its wit, wisdom and subtle characterisation, and the surprising twists and plot turns. Four of her novels have featured the popular former detective Jackson Brodie—Case Histories (2004), One Good Turn (2006), When Will There Be Good News (2008), and Started Early, Took My Dog (2010). She has shown that, stylistically, she is also a comic novelist who often juxtaposes mundane everyday life with fantastic magical events, a technique that contributes to her work's pervasive magic realism.
Life After Life (2013) revolves around Ursula Todd's continual birth and rebirth. Janet Maslin of the New York Times called it "a big book that defies logic, chronology and even history in ways that underscore its author's fully untethered imagination."
A God in Ruins (2015), the companion book to Life After Life, follows Ursula's brother Todd who survived the war, only to succumb to disillusionment and guilt at having survived.
Atkinson was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2011 Birthday Honours for services to literature. (Adapted from Wikipedia.)
Book Reviews
(Starred review.) [A]s in Life After Life, Atkinson isn’t just telling a story: she’s deconstructing, taking apart the notion of how we believe stories are told. Using narrative tricks that range from the subtlest sleight of hand to direct address, she makes us feel the power of storytelling not as an intellectual conceit, but as a punch in the gut.
Publishers Weekly
Here's a sequel to Atkinson's remarkably shape-shifting Costa Award winner, Life After Life, telling the story of Ursula Todd's brother Teddy. Teddy is an RAF bomber pilot and aspiring poet for whom warfare was nothing compared with the struggle to adjust to different expectations in peacetime.
Library Journal
(Starred review.) Atkinson constantly keeps us guessing, the story looping over itself in time ("This was when people still believed in the dependable nature of time—a past, a present, a future—the tenses that Western civilization was constructed on") and presenting numerous possibilities for how Teddy's life might unfold depending on the choices he makes.... A grown-up, elegant fairy tale.
Kirkus Reviews
Discussion Questions
1. The sacrifices one generation makes for the next is a major theme of the novel. How does Teddy view the sacrifices that he made in his life to provide a future for Viola, Sunny and Bertie? In what ways do Viola, Sunny and Bertie recognize Teddy’s sacrifices in their own lives and set out to ensure they give them meaning? In what ways do they disrespect his sacrifices?
2. Teddy views the outbreak of war as a relief—a higher duty that will save him from the monotony of everyday life. Why does Teddy fear settling into a stable existence? Does the war provide the sense of purpose that Teddy was searching for? Paradoxically, does the adventure of war prepare him for a settled adulthood as the "Voice of Reason"?
3. Izzie was awarded the Croix de Guerre during her time as an ambulance driver in the First World War, a fact that her family only discovered following her death. Why does Izzie keep her honor a secret from the family? What other secrets do characters in the book guard closely? Why?
4. Speaking of Hugh’s refusal to return to his boarding school, Sylvie says, "going back is usually more painful than going forward" (p. 10). The narrative structure of A God in Ruins moves back and forth time to give a fuller picture of its characters. How does this technique influence how you view the book and its characters? Are all returns to the past painful?
5. How would you characterize Teddy’s relationship with his sister Ursula? How does it compare to his relationships with the other members of his family?
6. Teddy feels adrift returning o daily life. The horrors of combat force him to reexamine everything he though about the world around him: "The whole edifice of civilization turned out to be constructed from an unstable mix of quicksand and imagination" (p. 116). What does Teddy mean by this? Do you agree?
7. Teddy’s relationship with Nancy changes following the war: "before the war he did know her—but now she was a continual surprise" (p. 73). Has Nancy herself changed, or has Teddy’s perception of her changed? Did Teddy still want to marry Nancy when he returned from the war? Returning to the theme of sacrifice, what sacrifices does Nancy make for Teddy?
8. How does Atkinson port love throughout the book? What relationships illustrate the difference between love and desire?
9. When Teddy visits the cemetery where Hugh is buried, he says to Bertie "Promise me you’ll make the most of your life" (p. 124). Does Teddy feel like he was able to make the most out of his own life?
10. Time is another major theme that Atkinson explores throughout A God in Ruins. Does Teddy’s journey through time make you view the passage of time in your own life differently?
(Questions issued by the publisher.)
The Dream Lover
Elizabeth Berg, 2015
Random House
368 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780812993158
Summary
A lush historical novel based on the sensuous Parisian life of the nineteenth-century writer George Sand—which is perfect for readers of Nancy Horan and Elizabeth Gilbert.
At the beginning of this powerful novel, we meet Aurore Dupin as she is leaving her estranged husband, a loveless marriage, and her family’s estate in the French countryside to start a new life in Paris. There, she gives herself a new name—George Sand—and pursues her dream of becoming a writer, embracing an unconventional and even scandalous lifestyle.
Paris in the nineteenth century comes vividly alive, illuminated by the story of the loves, passions, and fierce struggles of a woman who defied the confines of society. Sand’s many lovers and friends include Frederic Chopin, Gustave Flaubert, Franz Liszt, Eugene Delacroix, Victor Hugo, Marie Dorval, and Alfred de Musset.
As Sand welcomes fame and friendship, she fights to overcome heartbreak and prejudice, failure and loss. Though considered the most gifted genius of her time, she works to reconcile the pain of her childhood, of disturbing relationships with her mother and daughter, and of her intimacies with women and men. Will the life she longs for always be just out of reach—a dream?
Brilliantly written in luminous prose, and with remarkable insights into the heart and mind of a literary force, The Dream Lover tells the unforgettable story of a courageous, irresistible woman. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth—December 2, 1948
• Where—St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
• Education—A.A.S, St. Mary’s College
• Awards—(see below)
• Currently—lives in Chicago, Illinois
Before she became a writer, Elizabeth Berg spent 10 years as a nurse. It's a field, as she says on her website, that helped her to become a writer:
Taking care of patients taught me a lot about human nature, about hope and fear and love and loss and regret and triumph and especially about relationships—all things that I tend to focus on in my work.
Her sensitivity to humanity is what Berg's writing is noted for. As Publishers Weekly wrote in reviewing The Dream Lover, her 2015 portrayal of George Sand, "Berg offers vivid, sensual detail and a sensitive portrayal of the yearning and vulnerability" behind her main character.
Background
Berg was born in St. Paul Minneapolis. When her father re-enlisted in the Army, she and her family were moved from base to base—in one single year, she went to three different schools. Her peripatetic childhood makes it hard for Berg to answer the usually simple question, "where did you grow up?"
Berg recalls that she loved to write at a young age. She was only nine when she submitted her first poem to American Girl magazine; sadly, it was rejected. It was another 25 years before she submitted anything again—to Parents Magazine—and that time she won.
In addition to nursing, Berg worked as a waitress, another field she claims is "good training for a writer." She also sang in a rock band.
Writing
Berg ended up writing for magazines for 10 years before she finally turned to novels. Since her 1993 debut with Durable Goods, her books have sold in large numbers and been translated into 27 languages. She writes nearly a book a year, a number of which have received awards and honors.
Recognition
Two of Berg's books, Durable Goods and Joy School, were listed as "Best Books of the Year" by the American Library Association. Open House became an Oprah Book Club Selection.
She won the New England Booksellers Award for her body of work, and Boston Public Library made her a "literary light." She has also been honored by the Chicago Public Library. An article on a cooking school in Italy, for National Geographic Traveler magazine, won an award from the North American Travel Journalists Association.
Personal
Now divorced, Berg was married for over twenty years and has two daughters and three grandchildren. She lives with her dogs and a cat in Chicago. (Author bio adapted from the author's website.)
Book Reviews
In its attempt to capture Sand's entire eventful life, the novel can get overly expository. In the smaller, more intimate moments—the kind that helped make her previous books so successful—Berg offers vivid, sensual detail and a sensitive portrayal of the yearning and vulnerability behind Sand’s bold persona.
Publishers Weekly
(Starred review.) Verdict: Years ago, Berg urged Nancy Horan (Loving Frank) to write a fictional biography of Sand. Horan told Berg to write it herself. Wisely, Berg took her advice to heart, as evidenced by this beautiful, imaginative re-creation of a brilliant, complicated writer, feminist, romantic, and activist. —Beth Andersen, formerly with Ann Arbor Dist. Lib., MI
Library Journal
[A] vivid historical novel...."There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved," [George] Sand once wrote, and it is that quest that becomes the focal point of Berg's novel.... [Aurore], intoxicating, beautiful, gifted...never quite becomes human. She remains mythlike, and we remain one step removed. A thoroughly pleasant escape, if not a particularly deep one.
Kirkus Reviews
Discussion Questions
1.Sand felt abandoned by her mother. Did the circumstance of having been left with her grandmother at an early age make her stronger or weaker? How do you think life would have been different for George if her father had lived?
2. George Sand behaved boldly, but was at heart very shy. What other paradoxes did you notice in her character and in her life?
3. Two very different environments were important to George Sand’s life and work: the city of Paris and her country home at Nohant. Which do you think was more important to her? What did each offer her?
4. How do you think Sand’s marriage affected her art? What do you think contributes more strongly into the making of an artist: genetics or life circumstances?
5. George Sand demonstrated a fluidity in assuming the roles of both man and woman. She often referred to herself as a man, yet Alfred de Musset referred to her as the most feminine woman he had ever known. What was your perception of George?
6. The mother-daughter relationships in The Dream Lover are particularly complex. Did you think Sophie was a "bad" mother? What about George herself?
7. What do you think George Sand needed most from a relationship? How is that different from what she believed she needed?
8. George Sand described herself this way: "…very impressionable, carried away by my love of beauty, hungry for truth, faulty in judgement, often absurd, and always sincere." Do you agree?
9. In her quest to live truthfully, George Sand left her husband altogether and her children much of the time. How do you feel about that? Was it necessity or selfishness?
10. George Sand quickly became maternal with her male lovers. She said at one point that it was so they would become dependent on her and not leave her. What do you think of this statement?
11. One of the great sorrows in George Sand’s life was her contentious relationship with her daughter. What do you think might have improved her relationship with Solange?
12. The Dream Lover suggests that Marie Dorval was the great love of George Sand’s life. How did you feel about Marie’s assertion that one seeks not the object of one’s desire, but desire itself? Could George Sand ever have accepted anything but continuous passion in a relationship?
13. Nature and spirituality were important constants in Sand’s life. What were the sources for these affinities? How did they play out in her work and in her life? How did they affect her world view? If she had been allowed to become a nun, do you think she would have stayed one?
14. Some people say that the idea of what could have been is the hardest sorrow to bear. Do you agree?
15. Did you learn any surprising things about George Sand’s famous friends (Chopin, Flaubert, Balzac, Liszt)?
16. At the end of the novel, there is a quote from Sand from a letter she wrote to Delacroix, saying that nothing dies, nothing is lost and nothing ends. What sentiments or experiences do you think fueled such a remark? How do you interpret it?
17. Do you think that after having lived over 150 years ago, George Sand and the things she wrote about are still relevant?
18. The Dream Lover invites us into the life of salons. Do you think that book clubs help to bring back some semblance of that kind of regular, enriching and stimulating encounter? Why do we need book clubs? What do they offer our spirits and psyches that reading alone does not? How can they be expanded to provide an even deeper experience?
(Questions issued by the publisher.)