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Women's History Book Group Next meeting: Friday, April 30, 2010 — Noon -1:30 pm Open to all. Our next discussion will take place on April 30, 2010 at noon with a gathering of all interested at the GTHC. Bring your lunch and join in to discuss this entertaining book. Call (231) 995-1065 for more information and to reserve your place or for more details. The quarterly meetings usually alternate between fiction and nonfiction books. Future Selections:
Previous selections: January 2010 The Red Leather Diary: Reclaiming a Life through the Pages of a Lost Journal by Lily Koppel (2009) The Red Leather Diary started as the private journal of a young woman in New York. Through a quirk of fate (it was retrieved from a dumpster), it found its way into the hands of a New York Times journalist, who tracked down the original owner, now in her 90s. This true story creates a magic of its own and transports the reader back to the early part of the 20th century through the eyes of the faithful diarist, writing from her 14th birthday until she turned 19. October 2009 The Help by Kathryn Stockett July 2009 Historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich coined the phrase that gave the book its title, and the book explores both the "well-behaved woman" and the rebellious one and their impacts – and lack thereof – on what is regarded as history. Ulrich revisits women in western (European / American) history from medieval times through most of the 20th century, enriching our understanding and appreciation for the challenges they / we faced. Although the author doesn't pretend to break new ground in women's history, her highly readable synthesis and illuminating profiles remind us that history isn't simply what happened in the past; it is what later generations choose to remember. April 2009 Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood (1996) This book won many awards upon its publication in 1996, and is well worth the read. It's based on historical fact concerning the 1851 case of Grace Marks, a young Irish immigrant working as a maid in Canada, who was convicted of the vicious murders of her employer and his mistress. It's well-researched and opens a window on life in Toronto during that time. January 2009 Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides (2002) Epic tale of a family spanning 80 years – three generations of Greek immigrants who make their home in Detroit. As world events unfold around them, family members make fateful decisions that culminate in the story of Callie or Cal, whose lot in life was sealed at conception (Cal is a hermaphrodite or intersex person). A story with parallels to Greek mythology, Middlesex taps history, genetics, and personal gender identity issues to build this family saga. Here's the first line: "I was born twice: first, as a baby girl, on a remarkably smogless Detroit day in January of 1960; and then again, as a teenage boy, in an emergency room near Petoskey, Michigan, in August of 1974." October 2008 Women and the Lakes: Untold Great Lakes Maritime Tales Frederick Stonehouse (2001) July 2008 The Peabody Sisters: Three Women Who Ignited American Romanticism Megan Marshall (2005)
April 2008 Winds of Fortune by Janet Flickinger-Bonarski (2003) January 2008 Breath Escaping Envelopes: Letters and Photographs from the Grand Traverse Bay Region 1875 - 1905 by Betty Beeby (2000) A family comes alive through letters and photos of rural northwest Michigan; share the dreams, trepidations, sorrows and surprises. Betty Beeby is an artist, author, and keeper of family treasures, who lives in Eastport. Her book lets us peek into the lives of her family and their community. October 2007 Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence (1964) Canadian author Laurence tells the story of Hagar Shipley, a feisty 90-year old who isn't ready to give up her independence. While coping with the insults of an aging mind and body, Hagar continues her lifelong struggle with family relationships and with herself. Her proud spirit and unbending stubbornness have defined her life of challenges, and even as Hagar examines her life, she remains captive to her own difficult character. Laurence creates a powerful, vivid story of compelling realism and compassion. Her Hagar embodies a strength of spirit married to human isolation and offers perceptive insights on the human condition. The author tells Hagar's story in such a witty and wonderful way that you may find yourself smiling or laughing out loud. July 2007 Bold Spirit: Helga Estby's Forgotten Walk Across Victorian America by Linda Lawrence Hunt (2003) From the book jacket: "In 1896, a Norwegian immigrant and mother of eight children named Helga Estby was behind on taxes and the mortgage when she learned that a mysterious sponsor would pay $10,000 to a woman who walked across America. "Hoping to win the wager and save her family's farm, Helga and her teenaged daughter Clara, armed with little more than a compass, red-pepper spray, a revolver, and Clara's curling iron, set out on foot from eastern Washington. Their route would pass through fourteen states, but they were not allowed to carry more than five dollars each. As they visited Indian reservations, Western boom-towns, remote ranches and local civic leaders, they confronted snowstorms, hunger, thieves and mountain lions with equal aplomb. "Their treacherous and inspirational journey to New York challenged contemporary notions of feminity and captured the public imagination. But their trip had such devastating consequences that the Estby women's achievement was blanketed in silence until, nearly a century later, Linda Lawrence Hunt encountered their extraordinary story." April 2007 Sex Wars: A Novel of the Turbulent Post-Civil War Period by Marge Piercy (2005) This novel set in New York presents real-life characters of the latter half of the 19th century as well as imaginary characters. The real-life characters were leaders in the suffrage movement (Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony and Victoria Woodhull) and social reform movement (Anthony Comstock), with differing goals and understanding of sex-based power. Piercy's take on the 19th century gender wars provides a racy read as she imagines a tumultuous era in American social relations. January 2007 Waiting for the Morning Train (Bruce Catton) and Pulling Down the Barn: Memories of a Rural Childhood (Anne Marie Oomen) – comparing the two authors' experiences and accounts of growing up in northwest lower Michigan.
October 2006 Ursula Under by Ingrid Hill Penguin, 2005 In response, the novel takes a breathtaking leap back in time to visit Ursula's most remarkable ancestors: a third-century-B.C. Chinese alchemist; an orphaned playmate of a seventeenth-century Swedish queen; Professor Alabaster Wong, a Chautauqua troupe lecturer (on exotic Chinese topics) traveling the Midwest at the end of the nineteenth century; her great-great-grandfather Jake Maki, who died at twenty-nine in a Michigan iron mine cave-in; and others whose richness and history are contained in the induplicable DNA of just one person -- little Ursula Wong. Ursula's story echoes those of her ancestors, many of whom so narrowly escaped not being born that her very existence -- like ours -- comes to seem a miracle. Ambitious and accomplished, Ursula, Under is, most of all, wonderfully entertaining -- a daring saga of culture, history, and heredity. (From the publisher) While 476 pages in the paperback format may appear lengthy, it's a compelling story and an easy read that ends far sooner one wishes. Copies are available at local libraries and Horizon Books. July 2006 A Thousand Years Over a Hot Stove: A History of American Women Told Through Food, Recipes, & Remembrances by Laura Schenone (2003). James Beard Foundation award winner, 2004. Schenone gives voice to the women in history who have fed us, includes over 50 recipes. The winning recipe for her book creates a story of women, history, food and cooking. (The James Beard Foundation honors the legacy of a preeminent chef who celebrated American food and American cooking. The foundation's purpose is to celebrate, preserve, and nurture America's culinary heritage and diversity in order to elevate the appreciation of our culinary excellence). http://www.lauraschenone.com/ April 2006 The Dollmaker by Harriette Arnow (first published in 1954). This novel of American life during World War II explores various themes of competing values, society's expections, women's roles, and the impact of war. Set in industrial Detroit, the poignant story of Gertie Nevels' struggles and priorities will tug at your heart. January 2006 The Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792) by Mary Wollstonecraft (1759 - 1797). This short but important work advocates equality of the sexes and is considered a seminal work in the field of women's rights. Wollstonecraft was the mother of Mary Wollstonecraft (née Godwin) Shelley, who wrote Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus, among other works. October 2005 Another winner of the Hopwood Award from the University of Michigan, The Loon Feather by Iola Fuller will be our focus as we share our responses to the story of Oneta, the only daughter of Tecumseh. Born just after the French/Indian war, the infant Oneta travels with her tribe to spend the winter on the Island of Mackinac. At a time when fur trading in the Great Lakes area is growing due to the merchants such as John Astor, the tribe sets up small cabins where Oneta, her mother and grandfather live at the water’s edge. The novel follows Oneta through her mother’s marriage to a white man, her mother’s death, and Oneta’s education in a mission school and a convent in Quebec as she tries to live in the world of her stepfather. Written in 1940, the story brings to life the saga of Native Americans and white culture clashes as well as accommodations in Fuller’s clear prose. The Loon Feather is readily available throughout various outlets in the Grand Traverse region. The following libraries all have one or two copies listed in their catalogs: Benzie Shores Library in Frankfort, Benzonia Public Library, East Bay Branch library, Interlochen Public Library, Kalkaska Public Library, Peninsula Community Library, and the Traverse Area District Library (4 copies). July 2005 Honor Unbound (Hamilton Books, c2004) by Diane L. Abbott and Kristoffer Gair. It is based on the true story of Emma Edmonds, who fought on the side of the Union – as a man – during the Civil War. Edmonds was the first woman to receive a pension for Civil War service. Diane Abbott, a retired teacher, spends summers in the Traverse area. For more information about the book and Diane Abbott, see: http://www.thevillagesdailysun.com/articles/2005/02/19/news/news01.txt April 2005 Fireweed by Mildred Walker January 2005 A Midwife's Tale by Laurel Thatcher
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