November 2020 Host:  Jaci

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Summary

This novel is about a curmudgeonly old man who very reluctantly get to know his “needy” neighbors and the people that refuse to obey the sign that restricts parking in the residential area of his small neighborhood in Sweden.  Ove lost his wife to cancer and wants nothing more than to kill himself in peace, but he keeps getting interrupted by his neighbors who all seem to need his help for something.  He belligerently finds himself periodically postponing his suicide due to his neighbors and a stray cat.  Ove has so many levels to him and he will annoy and irritate the reader but redeems himself in the end.   This book covers a lot of ground: marriage, love race, class, and gentrification.  This book will definitely make you laugh, and maybe cry, and you will feel new sympathy for the grumpy older folks who come into your life.

 

 

October 2020 Host:  Nancy

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

Summary

This story is based on the real-life experiences of Holocaust survivor Ludwig (Lale) Sokolov.  In 1942, Lale is rounded up with other Slovakian Jews and sent to Auschwitz.  Once there, he is given the job of inking numbers into the arms of frightened prisoners at an alarming rate.  One of these prisoners is a young woman named Gita, and in spite of their plight, they fall in love.  Lale’s position gives him privileges and time and again he risks his life to help his fellow prisoners.  They never stopped of dreaming of a ‘normal’ life together.  Some felt this book was poorly written and made Auschwitz seem almost tolerable.  This is one of those books that you either love or you hate.

Menu

Hummus and Toasted Pita Bread

Mediterranean Chicken, Spanokopita, Cucumber Salad

Mini Pastries

 

 

September 2020 Host:  Colleen

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Summary

This is the story of Ifemelu and Obinze who are young and in love in Nigeria. Ifemelu goes to college in America and succeeds academically, but is forced to grapple with what it means to be Black in America for the first time. Obinze is unable to join her due to 9/11, but they eventually reunite 15 years later.  The book alternates between their two lives and explores how the experience of being an immigrant from Africa to the United States is different from being an African American. The characters see themselves through the eyes of American culture, which they had long admired, but are surprised and confused by the disconnect between expectation and reality. This book was incredibly fascinating as it explores our culture through a foreigner’s eyes. 

 

August 2020 Host:  Jennie

Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

Summary

Maya and her brother are sent to live with their grandmother in a small Southern town.  They feel abandoned as well as prejudice from the local “poor white trash”. When Maya is eight years old, she moves back in with her mother in St. Louis and is frequently attacked by a much older man. She lives with the burden of this trauma for the rest of her life.  She eventually builds a life in San Francisco and through her strong spirit and her eventual love of books, including Shakespeare, she is allowed to be free rather than imprisoned. This is Maya Angelou’s first memoir. She does not censor anything and allows the reader to hear the most honest inner voice of a Black child as well as giving the reader an understanding of her struggles and hardships in life. This is a fascinating look into the author’s life and definitely a must read.