Selections for 2011-2012
Date: March 27, 2012
Time: 7 pm
Place: Karen Nelson’s house, 1005 N. Thomas St.
Discussion Leader: Mary Sandford
Book: Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones
It is 1980s Atlanta and Dana Lynn Yarboro has a secret. Her father is a bigamist. James Witherspoon met Dana's mother, Gwen, when he was already married and fell in love with her. When Gwen became pregnant, James took her across state lines and married her illegally. Now, Dana and her mother are James' secret family. They know about his legitimate family but the legitimate family doesn't know about them. James married his legitimate wife as a teenager when she got pregnant. Although they lost that baby, years later they had a daughter named Chaurisse born four months after Dana. Dana watches Chaurisse from afar year after year envying her the public family life and advantages that she has. Although James works very hard to keep his two families separate, the girls almost inevitably meet and strike up a friendship. Chaurisse still doesn't know the truth but the friendship forces things to a heartbreaking climax and conclusion.'
This is a story about two African-American families in Atlanta during the 80s who face very different truths about their lives. The choices that James makes have far-reaching consequences for everyone involved as they confront inequalities on many different levels. The first part of the book tells the story from Dana's point-of-view. By the end of the first half, the reader is highly sympathetic to Dana and her mother. The second half of the book is told by Chaurisse and the change in perspective forces the reader to confront his/her view of the situation. Nothing is black and white. No one will escape this situation unscathed.
Date: May 22, 2012
Time: 7 pm
Place: Candice Jierree’s house, 4406 Buena Vida Ct.
Discussion Leader: Karen Nelson
Book: 30 Pieces of Silver by Carolyn McCray
The action is non-stop, the locations are intriguing and the characters are appealing. There is tension, romance, harrowing escape after harrowing escape all weaved within a story that captures your interest and keeps you guessing until the very end when you are floored by a surprise hook followed by an even more unexpected uppercut of an ending.
From the opening explosion at the base of the Eiffel Tower uncovering a trove of skeletons to the final scenes throughout Italy, the story involves a search for the remains of Jesus. Rebecca Monroe is "saved" from the clutches of a snake by Sgt. Brandt and his special ops team deep in the Ecuadorian jungle and directed on a mission to aid her former professor/mentor/lover Dr. Lochum. This begins a rollercoaster ride that is intertwined with an equally interesting tale of Jesus and Judas and their travels and trials.
The characters are likeable and believable while not being stereotypical of the genre. Sgt. Brandt is a macho, military type but also a devout Catholic very knowledgeable in Bible history while Dr. Monroe is attractive, intelligent and handles herself well under pressure. The adversaries are a shady organization known as The Knot, with an intriguing pair Tok and Petir as emissaries. The pair is more than the sum of their parts as you will realize as you read the story.
There is a blossoming romance between Brandt and Monroe that is interrupted by Dr. Lochum. Although their attraction may be predictable, there many detours along the way that keep the reader unsure of their fate. The secondary characters are developed in a way that makes them not only more important to the story but more interesting to the reader.
Thirty Pieces of Silver blends action, science, romance, history, and geography all into a fascinating thriller reminiscent of James Rollins, Steve Berry or Dan Brown. It has everything any reader would want and, perhaps the best thing is, there is already a follow-up on the way continuing the exploits of Monroe, Brandt, Lopez and the rest.
