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Eagle Harbor Book Group, 2012

Book and Meeting Schedule, Summer, 2012


Here is the schedule of meetings and topics we had during the summer of 2012.

Date: June 24.
Selection: One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd, an historical novel by Jim Ferus.
Leader: Nancy Molloy
Venue: Lesley Du Temple's, Road 2, Eagle River
Refreshments: , Joanne Bollinger and Nancy Wakeman

Date: July 8.
Selection: The Hare With Amber Eyes by Edmund de Waal
Leader: Peter Van Pelt
Venue: the Marta's, Road 9, Eagle River
Refreshments: Bonny Hay and Clarice Ruppe

Date: July 29
Selection: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Leader: JoAnne Bollinger
Venue: Community Building
Refreshments: Sue Church, Elaine Elaine Rysiewicz

Date: August 12.
Selection: How It All Began a novel by Penelope Lively
Leader: Patricia Van Pelt
Venue: Waiting for a host, Community Building backup
Refreshments: Tiffany Dawson, Sue Reidel, Mary Lou Lenz

Date: August 19
Selection: Poetry Night
Leader:
Venue: The Van Pelts', Marina Road
Refreshments: Ellie Dahlstrom and ????

Date: August 26.
Selection: Gelsomina’s Story of Caesar Lucchesi: A True Tale of Italian Immigrants by Ellyn Helman & Maria Vezzetti Matson.
Leader: Larry Molloy with the authors
Venue: Community Building, Eagle Harbor
Refreshments: Kathy LaVanway, Elaine Wildman, the Molloys, and Sarah Kelly.

Date: September 9.
Selection: Caleb's Crossingby Geraldine Brooks
Leader: Mary Strohl
Venue: the Freshwaters, M26 Eagle Harbor
Refreshments: Virginia Jamison and Marcia Mason

Voting Results for 2012

As of 25 Mar., thirty three individuals have voted with the results below. And, voting is closed. We have six winners although sixth place was close.

[15] Gelsomina’s Story of Caesar Lucchesi: A True Tale of Italian Immigrants by Ellyn Helman & Maria Vezzetti Matson.

[15] Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks

[15] The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

[14] How It All Began a novel by Penelope Lively

[13] The Hare With Amber Eyes by Edmund de Waal

[12] 0ne Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd, an historical novel by Jim Ferus.

[11] The Tigers Wife a novel by Tea Obrecht

[11] Annie Dunn by Sebastian Barry

[07] When the Rivers Run Dry by Fred Pearce

[04] History of the World Through Islamic Eyes by Tamin Amsaruy

[04] The Paris Wife: A Novel, by Paula McLain

[03] A Superior Death by Nevada Barr

[03] The Imperfectionist by Tom Rachman

[02] The Wolves of Isle Royale by Rolf Peterson

[02] Madame Tussaud by Michael Moran

[02] Winter Study by Nevada Barr

[00] The American Nations by Colin Woodward

Nominations and Discussion, Summer 2012

22 Feb., Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks
Mary Strohl suggests this novel, says it'll come out in paperback in April and she is willing to be the discussion leader. Here is a brief summary of Caleb's Crossing, an historical novel by Geraldine Brooks. Bethia Mayfield isthe daughter of the local minister in a Puritan settlement on Martha's Vineyard. Caleb is a young member of the Wampanoag tribe on the island. He becomes the first native American who eventually graduates from Harvard. In this time period women were not educated. How the lives of Caleb and Bethia intertwine is the heart of this novel. Mary Louise Strohl

24 Feb., A Superior Death by Nevada Barr
Suggested by Pat Ryan who writes: I would be willing to review this book. It's a mystery based on Isle Royale.

25 Feb., The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
JoAnne Bollinger suggests this non-fiction title and writes: This is a revealing, riveting story of the African-American woman whose cells were the first to be grown in culture and survive -- thus becoming "immortal". Wide-ranging and heartfelt, the book deals with Henrietta's family in a very personal way, race relations, the fascinating world of scientific discovery -- including its sometimes dirty secrets -- and so much more. I offer to lead the discussion. Available in paperback.

28 Feb., The Paris Wife: A Novel, by Paula McLain
Suggested by Nancy Molloy who writes, A deeply evocative story of ambition and betrayal, The Paris Wife captures a remarkable period of time and a love affair between two unforgettable people: Ernest Hemingway and his wife Hadley.

28 Feb., One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd by Jim Ferus.
Sugested by Nancy Molloy

One Thousand White Women is the story of May Dodd and a colorful assembly of pioneer women who, under the auspices of the U.S. government, travel to the western prairies in 1875 to intermarry among the Cheyenne Indians. The covert and controversial "Brides for Indians" program, launched by the administration of Ulysses S. Grant, is intended to help assimilate the Indians into the white man's world. Toward that end May and her friends embark upon the adventure of their lifetime. Jim Fergus has so vividly depicted the American West that it is as if these diaries are a capsule in time.

29 Feb., History of the World Through Islamic Eyes by Tamin Amsaruy
Elaine Wildman suggests this title and notes, This didn't make the cut last year but I'm nominating it again. This well-written history gives us a view of our world with which we're not familiar and may help us understand why cultural interactions or finding shared goals is so difficult. I would be glad to lead the discussion since getting your insights would be helpful to me. It's available on Alibris for under $10 and I think I noted reference to an e-bok.


29 Feb., Madame Tussaud by Michael Moran
(Elaine Wildman Writes) would also make for good discussion as we consider possible parallels between the French Revolution with its subsequent reign of terror and the recent Arab Spring. madame Tussaud and her uncles's associates are central actors in the conception of the revolution but several are considered enemies once regime change has been accomplished. Details of life of royals and underclass before and after Bastille Day are described with vivid detail. If History----doesn't make the cut I'll lead this one.


1 Mar., Gelsomina’s Story of Caesar Lucchesi: A True Tale of Italian Immigrants by Ellyn Helman & Maria Vezzetti Matson. Larry Molloy writes, This book follows Gelmomina Andreini from Italy to our Copper Country where she marries Caesar Lucchesi. Ceasar becomes a local entrepreneur going from miner to owning local businesses including a bus service, gasoline business, and aviation service. It's an enjoyable, historically accurate portrayal of immigrants and their adaptation to the copper country and their contributions to it. I would be willing to lead the discussion if the group decides to adopt this book.

3 Mar., The Windward Shore: A Winter on the Great Lakes by Jerry Dennis
JoAnne Bollinger writes, This title has come to my attention, a good candidate for another local read, if we choose to go in that direction for some of our books this summer.
Written by Jerry Dennis, familiar to many of us from his other books on our region, this is a sometimes quiet, yet passionate, introspective yet informative read. Grounded by knee surgery, Jerry took off at a leisurely pace, stopping for significant amounts of time at various locations around the Great Lakes. He begins on the Kweenaw Peninsula. But this is not just a journey. Jerry Dennis has put his considerable knowledge and passions for the area into this surprisingly tough book. In his Prologue he writes, "It is a land held together by water. That is one feature shared throughout. An ocean of freshwater, a rolling, rushing, surging, gushing, lapping abundance of water, enough to slake the thirst of nations, enough to float a civilizatio, enough to be the envy ofl the world. It's a motherlode--the mother load--and we charish it, ignore it, hoard it, waste it, guzzle it, cleanse our sins in it,and use it as a toilet...Let this be a celebration, then, and a grieving. Both love song and lament. A tribute to what was and a plea for what remains.'"
I offer to lead the discussion on either this title or The Immortal Life of Henietta Lacks, but not both. If someone comes forward to lead this, that's fine too.

5 Mar., The Wolves of Isle Royale by Rolf Peterson. Marcia Mason: It's a fascinating (though I wouldn't say riveting) account of Rolf Person's years long study of wolves on the island. It could fit into our "local": interest book category.

5 Mar.. Winter Study by Nevada Barr. Marcia Mason; We could add Nevada Barr's second novel about Isle Royale which is about wolves. This one is riveting, though a bit strange. Nevertheless , these two together might make for some interesting discussion. I am willing to lead the discussion albeit reluctantly.

5 Mar., The Imperfectionist by Tom Rachman. Sue Church: This is a series of meeting up stories, the locale is is a newspaper, issues have to do with print books, changing news options, use (or misuse) of language. The stories are interesting and I found it an easy read--with more meat to go back for. I would consider leading it.

5 Mar., Annie Dunn by Sebastian Barry. Sue Church: The locale is Ireland, main characters are two old female cousins living on one of their little farms. They care for two young children for the summer. Emotions, actions, plot are carefully realized. I had thought I really didn't need another "poor in Ireland" book but this one changed my mind. We are all getting older and Annie Dunn joins us in the adventure.
An anonymous comment: Just finished reading this short, searingly honest novel. It would make for great discussion, especialy with Sue Church as leader back with us.

5 Mar, How It All Began a novel by Penelope Lively, suggested by Patricia VanPelt, this novel had lots of good humor, is about growing older, and deals with the powerful role of chance in people's lives..vibrant..graceful prose...keen insight into human nature...colorful cast of characters. Patricia offers to lead.
5 Mar., The Tigers Wife a novel by Tea Obrecht, named by many "Best Books" lists of 2011. Patricia offers to lead this or the previous title, not both. Amazon.com's review includes the following: "In a Balkan country mending from years of conflict, Natalia, a young doctor, arrives on a mission of mercy at an orphanage by the sea. By the time she and her lifelong friend Zóra begin to inoculate the children there, she feels age-old superstitions and secrets gathering everywhere around her. Secrets her outwardly cheerful hosts have chosen not to tell her. Secrets involving the strange family digging

5 Mar., The Hare With Amber Eyes by Edmund de Waal. Quite remarkable with its history, issues of WWII, art and fabulous writing. Such a refreshing look at the world.Peter Van Pelt offers to lead.

7 Mar., The American Nations by Colin Woodward. Elaine Willdman writes that this work describes eleven nations with historical, sociological, political and religious differences creating the cultures that show up in our currently divided country and make it so difficult to come to common agreement on solving problems. It would make for interesting discussion. I'll lead whichever of my suggestions makes the cut..

8 Mar., When the Rivers Run Dry by Fred Pearce. Nominated by Ruth Mohr and David Owens who write; If you thought Omnivore's Dilemma was shocking, wait until you read this! It's just amazing! We read The Great Lakes Water Wars a few years ago. It was mostly about the struggles to keep our water inside the Great Lakes Basin. This book is about the catastrophes waiting to happen in many parts of the world. Some already have. His views on the problems caused by dams are fascinating, especially to people (all over the world) who ave always been told that dams are engineering marvels that will solve our water problems. (They won't). We will lead the discussion if needed.