Tuesday night was my book club and I have to say our hostess brought the club up a level in terms of hospitality. We read “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan” this month – or more accurately we discussed it – I read it independently maybe six months ago. Our group met around iftar time – many of the book group’s members are American women married to Jordanians (whom they met in grad school in the U.S.) – and while I don’t think any of them have converted to Islam they live with families who are fasting and so they fast too.
Our hostess Reem, set a beautiful table with Asian decorations in honor of the Chinese setting of the book and then served delicious Chinese food. Our default for book group is a potluck but several members are ambitious cooks and when they host the food is doubly-delicious. (Last month, similarly we had dinner at a member’s home/vineyard and ate delicious food from her garden.)
While I personally liked rather than loved the book – it turned out to be an outstanding choice for a book group with a lot of areas of discussion – how do people cause pain to themselves (or their children) in the name of beauty or advancement; what kinds of communication can cause misunderstandings and changing roles within a family over a lifetime.
Next month, we are reading a book I recommended Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks – who may be my new favorite author. I also just read March – which is her re-telling of Little Women from the perspective of the father and just ordered “People of the Book.”
I really liked this “diary” entry from Queen Rania in Slate.
Our hostess Reem, set a beautiful table with Asian decorations in honor of the Chinese setting of the book and then served delicious Chinese food. Our default for book group is a potluck but several members are ambitious cooks and when they host the food is doubly-delicious. (Last month, similarly we had dinner at a member’s home/vineyard and ate delicious food from her garden.)
While I personally liked rather than loved the book – it turned out to be an outstanding choice for a book group with a lot of areas of discussion – how do people cause pain to themselves (or their children) in the name of beauty or advancement; what kinds of communication can cause misunderstandings and changing roles within a family over a lifetime.
Next month, we are reading a book I recommended Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks – who may be my new favorite author. I also just read March – which is her re-telling of Little Women from the perspective of the father and just ordered “People of the Book.”
I really liked this “diary” entry from Queen Rania in Slate.
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