After almost a year without discussing a book, my book club met in November. We will start meeting again in 2016.
Early November, several of us met for a long weekend. We decided to read a book and have an in-person discussion. We discussed the book in small conversations throughout the weekend. It's safe to say - most of our book discussion happened on the train ride to Penn Station.
We read Circling the Sun, by Paula McLain
Why we picked it
I wanted to read it after listening to an author interview late summer. I was interested in the overlap with the 'Out of Africa', to learn about a woman with a strong connection to Denys but excluded from Out of Africa. This made sense to me, Out of Africa is not Denys' story, it's Karen's. Have you read it? Seen the movie?
Circling the Sun (Synopsis)
Brought to Kenya from England as a child and then abandoned by her mother, Beryl is raised by both her father and the native Kipsigis tribe who share his estate. Her unconventional upbringing transforms Beryl into a bold young woman with a fierce love of all things wild and an inherent understanding of nature’s delicate balance. But even the wild child must grow up, and when everything Beryl knows and trusts dissolves, she is catapulted into a string of disastrous relationships.
Beryl forges her own path as a horse trainer, and her uncommon style attracts the eye of the Happy Valley set, a decadent, bohemian community of European expats who also live and love by their own set of rules. But it’s the ruggedly charismatic Denys Finch Hatton who ultimately helps Beryl navigate the uncharted territory of her own heart. The intensity of their love reveals Beryl’s truest self and her fate: to fly.
Thoughts/discussion
This book wasn't what I expected. As I read the book, I felt so sad for Beryl. She had a hard life, filled with consequences from poor decisions (and also decisions without good options). Her son's life, the husbands, love affairs, and quest to be independent while searching for unconditional love. Tragic right? Reading about the end of her life didn't help, it's such a sad story.
Comments from others in my book club:
- It's sad to read about someone's life, a sad life. I couldn't believe how her second marriage ended...
- I found the settings, time period, and unusual activities of her life quite fascinated, especially knowing it's true. The author somehow made this very strong woman seem lost and weak.
We didn't love the sadness of Beryl's life but it's so important to remember life was full of obstacles.
January selection: The Year of Living Biblically
Discover what life would be like in the 21st century if you lived precisely by the dictates of the Bible—the insights gained about religion might surprise you.
Based on a lively discussion on the train into NYC, everyone is excited to read and discuss this book. Have you read it?
What is your book club reading?
