Chapter 28 - The Book Club

I have been either a member or the coordinator of the Myrtle Beach Book Club for eight years. At first we met at a lovely clubhouse in the Myrtlewood Condo development. Everyone would bring something to eat and we would sit and talk about the books we had read. (This is an extraordinary feat from many other people who also are in book clubs, I hear.) Anyway, the club was organized by a very talented woman, Alexis, who would facilitate every meeting as well as recommend books for us to read. As the club grew, more people were interested in recommending books as well as facilitating, which must have been a load off Alexis's shoulders.

Covid came and we retreated into our homes and just Zoomed our meetings. Alexis asked if I would take over the coordination and so I did. After people started to go out and about again, we began meeting in restaurants. We try to schedule the restaurants in between North Myrtle Beach and Market Commons as we have people from all up and down the Grand Strand who participate. We are very lucky because all the regulars read the books and offer their comments and opinions.

Here are the books our club has read this year, their themes, and if I think you should (or should not) read them as well.

Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon - This was aptly our January read. It is the story of Martha Ballard, a midwife in the wilds of Maine in the late 1700's. Martha diaried everything and the novel is based on her writings. Themes of the book include the role of women, false accusations, family, and the support of spouses. It was a 4.5 of 5 for me and I definitely recommend it.

The Caretaker by Ron Rash - The story is about a young couple whose family is against their marriage. They marry, the families disown the two, the husband goes off to war and goes missing. Themes include love and sacrifice, what you might do to protect your child, duty, and friendship. I really liked this book a lot and found the online video from a book talk with Ron Rash very informative. This was a 4.5 of 5 for me. I recommend the book for book club and suggest watching the video beforehand.

All The Colors of The Dark by Chris Whitaker - Sadly I was sick when we discussed the book and missed the meeting. I liked the book but I felt that it was too long. It is a mystery/thriller book about a boy who saves a girl from being kidnapped only to be taken in her place. Themes included family, friendship, perseverance, and the classic hero's journey. This was a 3.75 for me but mostly because I think the story could have been told in about 250 less pages (it weighs in at over 600). While I liked the book I recommend it only for the reader who likes books that long.

We ended up canceling April's meeting because of weather and lack of interest in the book.

James by Percival Everett - I loved this book as it dealt with an alternative story to the American classic, Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. This is the story of Jim the runaway slave, Huck befriends in the original. In Twain's version, of course, we hear Huck's story and very little of what happens to Jim. There were some moments in the story which were unlikely but all in all, a very good retelling. Themes included family, loss of identity, power, titles, money, stereotyping, and code-switching.

This was a 4.5 out of 5 for me. Totally recommend this and you don't have to read the original first.

Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate - The book starts in Oklahoma in 1909 where an 11 year old girl knows her stepfather doesn't have good intentions towards the two Choctaw girls boarded in their home. It then goes to the 1990's where a Law Enforcement Ranger, Valerie O'Dell takes a job at Horsethief Trail National Park hoping for a quiet assignment where she can take care of her small daughter. While I wasn't able to attend the meeting, I had read the book when it first came out. Themes include exploitation of children, Native Americans, the fight for justice, and the enduring impact of history. I gave this a 4 out of 5. Recommend it for a book club discussion.

Daughters of Shandong by Eva J. Chung - This book was about a woman and her two daughters and their struggle to find family during the Communist Revolution in China. Themes included are motherhood, family, traditions, feminism, cultural boundaries, and privilege. It is based on a true story. I rated it a strong 4 of 5. I loved this book and our discussions were terrific, so yes, read it for book club.

As we have not had our August meeting yet, I will refrain from telling you my thoughts of our next book. I will say that I can easily recommend any of the above books for a good book club discussion, with or without wine!