The book selection for May was The Night Birds by Thomas Maltman, and as an added bonus, an arrangement was made in advance with Mr. Maltman to join us for our book club discussion (thank you Susan!)~ what a treat! With the author making an appearance, this book club played out a bit differently, with the emphasis being less on our members' conversations and reactions and more on a short introduction of the book from Mr. Maltman, followed by a Q and A.
June's book club pick is "Little Bee" by Chris Cleave. We're hoping that by our next meeting date and time the current gathering restrictions will be lifted, but it's too early to tell just yet. We will keep you all informed about the details of our next discussion as they unfold. In the meantime, we hope you stay safe and healthy~ happy reading!
And we're off~
The Night Birds is the intertwining story of three generations of German immigrants to the Midwest—their clashes with slaveholders, the Dakota uprising and its aftermath—is seen through the eyes of young Asa Senger, named for an uncle killed by an Indian friend. It is the unexpected appearance of Asa’s aunt Hazel, institutionalized since shortly after the mass hangings of thirty-eight Dakota warriors in Mankato in 1862, that reveals to him that the past is as close as his own heartbeat.
In opening our discussion, Mr. Maltman introduced himself to the group and then spoke for several minutes about the origins of The Night Birds. He shared that when he first heard of the Dakota uprising, somewhere during or just after his college years, he was shocked to learn that the story was true, but also that he had never heard of it before~ both of which sparked his curiosity and started him on a long journey of research and discovery. He told interesting stories of interviewing ancestors from both sides of the conflict and still finding a thriving divide among them where facts, blame, and the truth were concerned. He added that some parts of the novel pulled from his personal life as well, citing that the idea for Hazel's epilepsy came from his wife's diagnosis, immediately following a terrifying medical emergency just six months after they were married. When asked which of his books is his favorite, he laughed and replied, "That's like asking me which of my children is my favorite.", He added that The Night Birds, his first novel, was published 10 years ago, and yet he still today gets letters with readers' reactions, questions, and comments. In closing, he revealed his new book, The Land, will be coming out this October and is different from any other book he's written... which tends to be his habit. (P.S. I personally peeked at this new novel on goodreads.com and it looks like an excellent read! It may have already been added to my "Want to Read" list... just saying!) Overall, we found Thomas Maltman warm and engaging~ thoroughly pleased to hear our feedback and offer thoughtful answers to our questions. It was truly a fantastic way to spend an hour on a Tuesday afternoon.
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?
"YES"
Rate the book 1-4 stars with 1 being the lowest rating:
3 Stars (interestingly, it received a wide range of ratings from 2-stars to 4-stars averaging out to 3-stars)
5 comments:
Hi Mary Fahnlander! Do you remember if the title of the book you mentioned at our last book club discussion was "Six Weeks in the Sioux Tepees" by Sarah Wakefield? I'm interesting in giving it a look! :)
Yes, that sounds like it. It was a journal she kept during that time.
thank-you again, Amanda, for a concise summary of our book club discussion. I wonder if we could get more authors in the future to zoom at our book club gathering---even after we meet in person. I really enjoyed Tom's contribution. I hope to visit the memorial in Mankato this summer. One of my nephews graduated from Mankaota University 2 years ago, and I asked him if he knew anything about the site of the hangings and he did not. Ask someone if they know of the Mall of America and we all know the answer. bz
i would love to have more authors in attendance too at our meetings~ it's such a privilege to have them on hand to talk with and ask the tough questions only they can really answer.
it's crazy to me too that most people of the area really don't know, or haven't ever heard of, the Dakota uprising. i have to admit, i'm one of them. i first learned of it last year when we read "Abercrombie Trail" by Candace Simar. additionally, i thought it interesting that i had never learned and/or heard anything about the beginnings of the FBI until we read "Killers of the Flower Moon" as well. is it bad to say i've probably gained more lasting knowledge from book club/independent reading than my public school education years combined? sorry, not sorry. *wink*
thanks mary! it's also currently been added to my "want to read" list! :)
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