Saturday, January 6, 2018

November 2017 Host:  Stephanie

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Summary

This novel depicts a dystopian society where totalitarian power gives women their functions. The women are divided into groups:  Wives (infertile), Marthas (for housework and cooking), Handmaids (fertile) Aunts, or Unwomen.  Unwomen are those who are rebellious and are generally sent to work in toxic waste dumps.  The rest of the women are required to participate in various roles involving procreation due to the falling birth rates. The main character in this story is a woman named Offred (of Fred, the commander she serves).  Offred may leave the house of the commander once per day to the market where signs are now pictures, not words, as women are no longer allowed to read.  Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable, so she desperately wants to get pregnant when she lies on her back once per month with the commander (with the commander’s wife by her side).  Offred does remember her past, a husband and daughter, and she does not know where they are or if they are still alive, and is slowly beginning to forget them.  Parts of the world today operate this way with women having no say in reproductive or other rights, and put into various categories, which is what makes this novel a bit unsettling, along with the possibility that this dystopia is possible.  The Handmaid’s tale is a powerful novel which you will most likely never forget. 

Menu

Macaroni and Cheese

Cheese and Crackers, Salad, and Chocolate Pie



 October 2017 Host:  Stephanie

The Life She Was Given by Marie Wiseman

Summary


This story is set in 1931 and the main character Lilly is a ten-year-old child who is forced to stay in her room.  Her mom convinces her that if anyone saw her, they would be frightened of her.  Lilly eventually escapes her prison (her mother sells her to the circus) and ends up being part of a circus where she finds familial and friendship bonds with the others, however, she also finds her new world can be cruel and brutal in this depression era circus.  Two decades later, another family member, Julia Blackwood, uncovers the truth of Lilly’s life after Julia’s parents pass away and she inherits the house that Lilly was kept prisoner in.  As Julia’s and Lilly’s stories unfold, it brings their stories closer to coming together.  As an adult, Lilly learns the truth about her past, and at times, her past as well as her present are gut wrenching and heart breaking.  This novel reads like a combination of “Flowers in the Attic” and “Water for Elephants” and if you enjoyed either of those novels you will like this novel.