Agawam Pageturners Book Club's Discussion of The Wedding Officer by Anthony Capella

The group had a good discussion about Anthony Capella's book The Wedding Officer. Almost everyone in the group liked the book. The book is set in Naples during World War II. One person said the book brought home to her what war does to a person. Her husband fought in Naples and Rome in World War II, and he was a happy man, full of humor. When he came back, he was changed; he became quiet and remained that way the rest of his life. She reflected why there had to be war. This brought one member to tears. Another member said her husband who also fought in World War II blocked it out. One member had just came back from a trip to Naples, and got to see and taste the things mentioned in the book. The group talked about the heroine of the story, Livia. Livia lost her husband Enzio in the war. One member said Livia's love for Enzio was that of a young girl in love. However, her love for James Gould the "Wedding Officer," was that of an adult in love. James is called the Wedding Officer because he has to approve or disapprove marriages between British officers and Italian women. One of the reasons of disapproval is most of the women were prostitutes, which was the only means for these women to support themselves and their families. Another reason was the cultural difference. At the beginning of the book James is rigid, proper, and set in his ways, and he disapproves most of the marriages. However, after Livia becomes the cook for the officers and he starts eating her delicious, delectable food, he changes and starts approving the marriages. The sensuality of food is a theme in the novel. There are passages about peaches, snails, peas, and other food that are examples of this. The eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius was an important event in the novel. People ignored the signs. However today they are predicting an another eruption of Mount Vesuvius, and people are ignoring the warnings. The group discussed the issue of the black market in the novel. One woman voiced that James was right to eliminate it because it erodes society, as seen in Afghanistan and Mexico today. However, someone pointed out some people would have no food without the black market. Overall, it was an enjoyable discussion about an enjoyable book.

New Books for August

Here are the new books for August: Adults, Children's, Teens.

Agawam Pageturners Book Club's Discussion of All Over Creation by Ruth Ozeki

The club had a lively discussion about All Over Creation. Everyone agreed the most important part of the book is how it brings up the issue of genetically modified (GMO) foods, and how it is harmful to our health. One of the participants, an organic farmer, said the big agribusiness farmers have been pushing GMO and preventing these foods from being labeled GMO. So, the public is not aware of what they are eating. She also said Monsanto has bought up all the seed companies, and there are fewer places for organic farmers to get seeds. Also, there were was a case where they Round Up was sprayed adjacent to a farmer's field, and it blew over to the farmer's field. Monsanto sued the farmer and won. Growing organically, the organic farmer said, is all about preventing the land from being poisoned. Often times its difficult and more expensive to grow organically. She told the story how she bought wasps to eat beetles that were eating her beans. It's cheaper to spray. The costs of growing organically have to passed on to the consumer. She thinks the media makes a big deal on how expensive organic products order, without factoring in the costs of the organic farmer. One member of the club said she was glad to learn about GMOs, and it was the only thing worthwhile about the book. She hated all the characters except Momoko who had Alzheimers. She didn't like Momoko's daughter Yumi who ran away from home when she was fourteen and came back to Idaho to take care of her dying father and ill mother. Yumi is unmarried and has three children by three different fathers. Everyone agreed she is not a good mother. She spends time at the motel getting back together with Elliot, her high school teacher who gave her her first sexual experience when she was fourteen. Everyone thought Elliot was slimy then and slimy now, trying to use Yumi to find out information about the group that stays with her. The group that stays with her is a group that protests GMOs. They also help Yumi by taking care of her father, Lloyd, and organizing Momoko and Lloyd's organic seeds so they won't be lost. They end up destroying some of a neighboring farmer's potato crop in a protest. Some people thought this was an acceptable protest from idealists, but others disagreed, saying they were destroying the livelihood of Cass and Will. People felt sorry for Cass, because she always miscarries. They blamed the poisons on the potato farm. Some people liked the characters, calling them quirky, and well meaning. Yumi and Lloyd have a strained relationship, stemming from the fact of Yumi's abortion when she was fourteen. He could never treat her the same way again. However, when Yumi runs away, Momoko keeps in contact with Yumi, and protests her husband's treatment of Yumi by having separate bedrooms. She also hides Yumi's letters from him, because she is trying to protect him from upsetting his heart. He has had several heart attacks. Lloyd opens up again when he is dying because of the protest group, and he makes peace with Yumi. People disliked the format of the book saying it was like the title all over creation! One member of the club said it is always a judgment call in science whether it is about creating and using vaccines or using GMOs. Another member said she still plans on eating McDonald's french fries or a donut from Dunkin Donuts. Even though the book format may have been "all over creation," the group still found many interesting things to discuss.

New Books for July

Here are the new books for July: Adults, Children's, Teens.

Agawam Pageturners Book Club's Discussion of March by Geraldine Brooks

The group had a lively discussion about March. The main character is Mr. March from the classic Little Women. In Little Women, Mr. March goes of to be a chaplain in the Civil War. He becomes injured, and his wife, Marmee, must go care for him. March imagines Mr. March's life as a young man as a peddler when he becomes involved with Grace a slave on a plantation, a family man before the Civil War and Little Women, and his experience in the Civil War. The novel won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and everyone agreed that it was well written. Some people were very critical of March. They thought he didn't take responsibility, that that he was selfish and indecisive, and he had some prejudice against the slaves even though he was a staunch abolitionist. They also thought he was always doing so much for the world, like giving money to John Brown, that he ignored the needs of his family. Because he gave all his money away to John Brown, his family became impoverished. Everyone was pleased that Grace, at the end of the novel gave him piece of her mind. Others thought most of the criticisms against March were too harsh. They argued he was trying to live up to his convictions, even though he failed at times. Also, John Brown misled many people, and did not use the money for what is was intended for. He was an idealist and transcendentalist even when he went to war. He stayed even when his life was in danger. Someone asked if he did any good, and everybody responded by teaching the slaves to read. He also came out of hiding when he was captured. Others gave him some slack, saying he was a product of his times. Others argued that this was no excuse; there have always been others who have done the right thing, even when it has been against society or the norm. Everyone liked Marmee, who had to face the fact that her husband had been involved with Grace. They liked that she wasn't going to let stuff slide. Everyone thought her a woman before her time. One member pointed out that the book gives the man and the woman points of view. Someone thought the whole book could be summed up in Marmee's soliloquy about men going off to war, and the women having to bear with the aftermath of it. The group also discussed the character Canning, who was from the North, who tried to take over a plantation and grow a crop of cotton. It was more complicated than he thought it would be, and he was responsible not only for himself, but for his workers (who now would be paid). The last thought the group discussed was that although there have been many racial barriers to break down in their generation, they though the young people of today had already broke most of them down, even though hate crimes and racial barriers still exist today. The meeting ended on this positive note.

New Books for June

Here are the new books for June: Adults, Children's, Teens.

Agawam Pageturners Book Club's Discussion of Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

The group had a heated discussion over Eat, Pray, Love. The book is the true story of the author's one year trip to Italy, India, and Indonesia. Some people found Elizabeth very self-centered, and did not enjoy reading about her experience with depression which precipitated the trip. Others felt she did not need to travel to change, and that she was very needy; she always had to have somebody to complete her, preferably a man, in her life. One woman saw her on Oprah and thought she was ga ga over Felipe, the man she fell in love with in the Bali part of Indonesia. She did not like her at all. Others did not like the book or her. They thought she was a whiner. One woman thought her foolish when she sat in India and got bit by mosquitoes. Some members of the group liked the book and her. One woman appreciated that she did what she could not do, travel around the world in a year. Others learned about meditation and ashrams (places people go to meditate, retreat from the world, and receive spiritual instruction). One person said she got lessons out of the book and said she learned things such as harboring bad and/or good thoughts, and that we can control who/what enters our harbor (mind). Others thought she needed to travel to change. By traveling we meet people different than ourselves and learn from others. Elizabeth picked better people to associate with abroad than in America. Another member pointed out that people of her younger generation loved the book; everywhere she went people saw her reading it and told her how much they loved it. She also pointed out that she found her life paralleled Elizabeth's somewhat, and she identified with Elizabeth in the book. It was also brought out that the book pointed out that western religions have mystical and meditative elements. Overall, it was a great discussion.