It was disclosed at this meeting that we'd like to collect all nominations for next year's reading list within the next two weeks. We're planning to get the nominations put together and organized between now and our March meeting, when they will be handed out to our members for review (and also posted on the library's website)~ with voting to follow at April's book club meeting! Please get those nominations in by either calling or stopping into the library, e-mailing either Susan or Amanda, or by commenting down below!
Without further ado...
Sally Field is one of the most celebrated, beloved, and enduring actors of our time. She has an infectious charm that has captivated the nation for more than five decades, beginning with her first TV role at the age of seventeen.
With raw honesty and with all the humility and authenticity her fans have come to expect, Field brings readers behind-the-scenes for not only the highs and lows of her star-studded early career in Hollywood, but deep into the truth of her lifelong relationships--including her complicated love for her own mother. Powerful and unforgettable, In Pieces is an inspiring account of life as a woman in the second half of the twentieth century.
It was the consensus of the group that before reading In Pieces, we were all completely unaware of who the real Sally Field is, her true self landing nowhere near where any of us had placed her in our imaginations. In addition to her dysfunctional relationship with her mother, we were also disappointed to learn of the childhood abuse Ms. Field suffered at the hands of her stepfather, Jack Mahoney. It was noted several times during the discussion that her failed relationships with men throughout her life, most notably her tumultuous relationship with the late Burt Reynolds, could likely have stemmed from the detrimental example given to her from her very early years as a toddler and on throughout her life. It was also discussed that while there is some mention of happy times in her life in the book, she seems to write and focus largely on the hardships and anguish she has experienced. This made the read for several attendee's feel long and drawn out with seemingly repetitive doubt and introspection on her part, but also disjointed and filled with large gaps in her timeline. For example, we would have liked to have heard more about her childhood outside of the abuse, and also a bit more about the details surrounding some of her more famous films outside of the limited handful she examines.
While in the beginning, her apparent lack of confidence and esteem is understandable in both her personal and professional lives, given her upbringing and chosen industry, however, by the end of the book we are left with a sense that she still hasn't turned the corner where these things are concerned and has yet to come into her own. Being a lady with so much life and experience behind her, and with such respected worldwide success, it comes as quite an unexpected shock to learn she still seems to grapple with insecurity, acceptance, and assurance.
What were your thoughts on the book?
At the
end of every book club discussion we ask three questions and track the average
answers:
Would we recommend this to another book club for discussion?
"YES"
Would we recommend this to a friend to read?
"NO"
Rate the book 1-4 stars with 1 being the lowest rating:
2 stars (mostly 2 stars were awarded, with a couple 1's and 3's sprinkled in).
"YES"
Would we recommend this to a friend to read?
"NO"
Rate the book 1-4 stars with 1 being the lowest rating:
2 stars (mostly 2 stars were awarded, with a couple 1's and 3's sprinkled in).
