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The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Well worth the wait!  I have been salivating over this book for months as it sat in my queue of Upcoming Books.  From the moment I read the first sentence, I was captivated.  It was hard to put down and it only took me two days to read!

A good suspense novel is always my Kryptonite.  This book had so much suspense built up from the beginning.  Just the description of the pile of clothing next to the train tracks was intriguing.  But, the most intriguing was Rachel’s people watching from the train and the fact that she has made up an imaginary world about the people she sees every day.  I think about all of the times I watch people in public places and make up stories about them.  It’s such a day-dreamy thing to do and can be innocent but this book takes it to another level.

Usually when I read a book for book club, I mark pages that have great quotes.  This book took me until well past the middle of the book to start making notes.  And with good reason, I didn’t know I was waiting for Tom to be discovered.  There are three quotes that, to me, make this book and send chills up my spine.

The first quote by Tom is simple: “I’m a good liar (page 237).”  He actually says it a few times throughout the book but this recollection by Rachel of him saying this over and over again is chilling.  Little did we know that everything about him is a lie and that Rachel’s life is all based on his lies.  All of her memories and her current life is based on the lies he fed her and basically drove her to being an alcoholic.

This leads to Tom’s second chilling quote: “You were blind drunk, Rachel (page 257).”  By “blind drunk”, he must mean that she blacked out and had no recollection of her actions while inebriated.  But what he doesn’t say is that her recollections have been fed to her by him and they are all based on a lie.  I think that this is how he got her out of his life by making her feel guilty for being abusive and being a terrible wife (all based on a lie).

The pivotal quote and the beginning of Tom’s demise has to be “I loved you both, I really did, but you can both be incredibly weak (page 293).”  Everyone knows what happens when a man disrespects us like this…yup, death!  I think as soon as he insulted Anna, he sealed his fate.  Anna was not going to be clumped into a group with Rachel and seen as a weak person.  Anna knew she had been duped and she would not stand to be manipulated by Tom, or anyone else for that matter.  Her ally became Rachel but only as a means to an end.

I do have to admit that it wasn’t as good as Gone Girl for suspense and details but very read-worthy and got my head racing nonetheless.

Here are some questions to my readers:

Who was your first guess on who killed Megan?  The husband?  Rachel?

When did you figure out it was Tom or were you surprised until the end?

What did you think of the characters in this book?  Are they all tragic?  Are they all flawed?  How?

Do you people-watch and do you create “lives” for strangers?

Did you like this book?  Was it what you anticipated?

What was your opinion of Rachel?  Did you sympathize with her or dislike her?  Did your opinion change?

What did you think of the ending?  Was it warranted or would you have chosen a different outcome?

I was so excited about starting this book that I totally forgot to let you know what I was reading in September!  I am reading The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins!

I have been looking forward to this amazing book for so long and its finally made it to my nightstand!  I will admit that I have already started it and, if you loved Gone Girl, this is along those suspenseful lines.

So intense and so intriguing…I hope you’ll read it with me!  Hope your Labor Day plans include a good book!

The Aviator’s Wife by Melanie Benjamin

This book, as explained in the Author’s Note, is based on Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s diaries and letters with little variation or fiction added.  With that being said, I had so many feelings about Anne throughout the book, throughout all of her life events and choices.  What I loved about all of these strong feelings towards her, was that I realized what a “real” person she was.  I also had to learn to understand that the era in which she lived, expectations for women were so different and she defied most things that were expected of her.  For all the times I felt that she was weak, she came back with a stronger moment.  “Charles was asked…about the technical difficulties of the challenging flight.  I was asked…how I intended to set up housekeeping in a plane (Page 160).”  How would I feel if I had done the exact same work and was being asked domestic questions versus professional ones?  I am such an outspoken person that I’m not sure that I would be able to hold back and not do a little boasting since no one else was doing it for me.  Anne had every right to demand her own attention but due to the decade, the role of women and her self-worth, I think she missed her opportunity to be greater than Amelia Earhart!

I am tempted to say that because of the era in which she lived, Anne was always flanked by the double standard of being a woman versus being a man.  I am so angry that people of that time couldn’t realize how heroic she was being.  She was putting her life in danger too.  We fail to understand how primitive flying was in the 20s and 30s.  Her contribution to aviation was just as important and just as astounding.  But just like society, even Anne was guilty of demeaning her accomplishments. “An eager young wife who had been shaped, just like every other eager young wife of my generation, by her husband, but I was a wife who had wanted to be shaped, had willingly put herself in his hands and demanded he make her over in his superior image (Page 283).”  She wasn’t looking for her limelight, she was content to live in his shadow.

One of the constant images in this book is that of the Paparazzi.  Charles Lindbergh is barraged by photographers everywhere he goes and once he marries Anne, she becomes part of the circus as well.  But the biggest tragedy from this enormous celebrity, is the death of their son.  The book does take a majority of its pages to describe the crime and its result, and with good purpose.  It is the pivotal moment in her life, as well as in their marriage.  It is a confluence of several of their life choices: fame, celebrity, being untouchable, the Depression, and nomadic lifestyle.  With the fame, everyone wants a piece of them and you can see that by the intensity of photographers following their every move, with the map to their new home and looking for pictures of their first child.  Neither Charles nor Anne wanted to be famous but their hero status makes them “famous” and sought after public figures.  They suspect that the kidnapping of their child is based on two factors: 1. The Depression has made people take extreme measures for money and 2. Rich celebrities are prime targets for a ransom.  Plus, they are really the only celebrities of their time.  This imagery of no peace or privacy does give me a greater sense of empathy for the celebrities of our time.

On many occasions in this book, I found myself wondering if Charles and Anne ever truly loved one another.  Even in their courtship and engagement, there was little affection.  At their wedding Anne notes: “Two hearts, in such sympathy – there was no need for words, sentimental, silly, romantic…We were too special for that.  For ordinary words, spoken by ordinary couples (Page 87).”  It’s as if they were above it all…love and the earth.  I guess that being extraordinary means you don’t need everything else but I think they truly missed out on their lives because of their choice in spouses.

Another theme in this story is of betrayal.  Anne says that “Betrayal is more enormous than forgiveness (Page 90).”  The many betrayals that occur in this book are beyond enormous.  Anne betrays Charles when she asks the Colonel to go against Charles in the kidnapping investigation.  The Colonel even states that it would be difficult to go against your spouse and she simply says, “This is my child we’re talking about.  It was very easy (Page 208).”  He betrays her with infidelity, and she does as well.  They betray their marriage because they do not care for it or nurture it.

The theme of manipulation is prevalent as well.  “Colonel, you are in an enviable position.  You have no political standing, yet you are a world figure (Page 251).”  This is the manipulation of Charles by the Nazis that gives them the credibility as a powerful nation.  “I don’t mean to sound vulgar…But-so far no one has dared attack you…the baby’s bereaved mother, and so above reproach.  Which is why you are in the perfect position, really (Page 288).”  This is the manipulation of Anne by Charles to encourage the idea of treason of her country alongside him.

But, the greatest of themes in this book is that of self-discovery.  Anne’s self-discovery takes a lifetime but it does happen gradually.  She states that: “I wished I could claim my achievements with the pride of accomplishment, but I simply couldn’t (page 239-240).”  Over time and with the separation from Charles’ iron fist, Anne begins to realize the enormous importance of her own accomplishments.  Mostly, it becomes real to her as her children begin to uncover Anne’s history and undertakings.  Her daughter Reeve says “You were pretty brave then, I bet (Page338),” after discovering Anne’s pilots license.  Anne is forced to reflect upon herself and define herself.  “I was Mom. I was Wife.  I was Tragedy.  I was Pilot (Page 340).”

After reading this book and learning how much of it is based in reality, I can honestly say that my opinion of Charles Lindbergh has been changed.  I always considered him a true hero and a true explorer but I did not know anything about his personal life other than the fact that his son was kidnapped.  I can also honestly say that I knew absolutely nothing about Anne Morrow Lindbergh before reading this book and I am impressed, disappointed, proud, sad, happy…all the feels!  This was a truly great story about a resilient woman who was just as brave and heroic as any man of her day…including her husband!

What was your opinion of Charles Lindbergh prior to reading this book?  And after?

Why do you think the Lindbergh’s decided not to tell their living children about Charles Jr.?

During the kidnapping, Anne says: “Privilege, I was not ashamed to admit at that moment, had its perks (page 55).”  Should she have used it more or was this the extent of her privilege as a woman?

Did the paparazzi in this book make you more sympathetic to the hounding that famous people get in the press presently?

What did you think Charles meant when he said: “No irregularities…Our children will be pure (Page 135)”?

Were the Lindbergh’s Nazi supporters?  How do you view their actions at the start of WWII?

One of my favorite lines is “I was Mom. I was Wife.  I was Tragedy.  I was Pilot (Page 340).”  How many “personas” are we that we forget to list?  Anne downgraded her own importance, do you?

What was your opinion of Anne Morrow Lindbergh prior to reading this book?  How did you feel about Anne at the end of the book?  Did her indiscretions make her less likeable?

What did you think when you learned that Charles had other families/children in Germany?

Did you like this Historical fiction novel?  Why or why not?

 

Atonement by Ian McEwan

What can I say, the novel made me just as mad as the movie did!  In all fairness, I saw the movie first.  I don’t usually read the book after I watch the movie, but I found that the movie made me want to know more about how the story was written.  I wanted to know the order in which it was told, POV, clues, etc.  I truly think that the movie did a great job “telling” this story and I feel satisfied after having read the novel too.

I will start by saying that this story is beautifully written, with so much detail and emotion.  It is really a story based on one misunderstood moment between two people.  I feel like it really speaks to our modern times where we tend to misinterpret peoples actions and we assume we know what people are doing.  As a society, we judge others by their mannerisms, use of words, their social standing, their age, their wealth, their education, race, gender and general lot in life.  It is a great look into society and its unyielding portrayal of hierarchy and its power.  And, it’s infuriating!

This book evokes anger for its unfairness, for the lies it supports, for the lives it ruins and for its lack of atonement.  Yes, I said lack of atonement.  The meaning of atonement is to make amends or make right what was wrong.  There is never an atonement made in this novel.  There are slight attempts and meaning well but never is the wrong made right.  Even Briony states that she doesn’t consider herself a liar despite knowing she didn’t tell the truth.

Briony’s “crime” as identified by the narrator is that she is a liar.  She is spinner of tales and a teller of tales.  All of these are nice ways of saying that she makes things up…or lies.  She does nothing but lie about who she saw attack Lola.  She could have said it was too dark to be sure who it was and just give a description.  She could have helped Lola remember what the perpetrator looked like.  She could have said it was too dark to be sure.  Any of these explanations would have been acceptable.  The explanation that is not acceptable is that she repeatedly says she “saw him”.

I felt like it could have all been different if Robbie had never written the sexually driven note or if he had put the sweeter one in the envelope.  But I guess it had already been fated that his life would not be easy from this moment.  If he had just delivered the note directly to Cecilia or if Briony had never opened the note.  There were so many moments that could have altered the ending for Cecilia and Robbie.  Cecilia and Robbie were never given the opportunity to live a true life together so Briony should not have been absolved a lifetime of guilt.  Briony describes herself as a conceited child when she reflects on that fateful night in the final chapter of the novel.  She is right.  That is why she never apologizes, she merely writes an alternate ending to her book where Cecilia and Robbie are together.

Did you like this novel? Was the order in which it was written affect your feelings about the story?

What was the moment you felt was pivotal to creating the series of events that lead to Robbie’s demise?

What was your opinion of Briony?  Do you feel that Briony atoned for her lies?

Could Cecilia and Robbie have made a life together if Robbie hadn’t gone to prison and war?  What do you think of the ending?

If you’ve seen the movie, what questions did the book answer for you?  Did you prefer the movie or the book?

And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

As the teardrops that I cried for the last forty pages of this book dry themselves, I sit here thinking about how this beautiful book unfolded before me.  Again, I am impressed by the author’s ability to create such a rich story that transcends time and then he brings it all back together in an effortless fashion.

This novel begins and ends with the story of a brother and a sister whose love for one another is palpable throughout the book.  Because of these two characters we are introduced to other amazing characters through the time they are apart.  There is so much hope, love and understanding within them all and I think that the symbolism of these characters is that relationships, gender, social status and birth do not define us, but we are defined by the love rooted with in us and the bonds we feel with other humans.  Several of the “love” relationships that the author creates are not necessarily bound by blood.  They transcend blood and are bound by empathy and good nature. 

The relationship between Abdullah and Pari is familial but is broken by their own family for good intentions and in desperate measures.  Uncle Nabi and their father think they are doing what is best for their family: “The finger cut, to save the hand (page 48).”  This proverb seems harsh but can be seen as the necessary evil to survival. 

The relationship between Nabi’s twin sisters is echoed throughout the book, most notably Nabi and Mr. Wahdati’s relationship, Thalia’s relationship with Markos’ mama, and in younger Pari’s relationship with her father.  It was as though the author was trying to convey that blood isn’t always thicker than water.  That love can exist between two people based on shared emotions and experiences.  Sometimes our blood relatives are not our most trusted or caring people in our lives.

I feel that the storyline of paralleling the Afghan wars and the tragedies in the characters’ lives was so emotional and mirrored the eras and changes happening within the country and within these families.  War affects us all in small ways and in big ways.  Sometimes they are obvious and sometimes unnoticed.  The war within these families is emotional, the struggle is financial and it all takes its toll on the characters. 

This book follows in the footsteps of its two predecessors.  Hosseini does a gorgeous job of depicting the scenery and of depicting the weight of love we feel for the people in our lives.  His ability to peel back all of the layers of these characters and describe the human experience is a beautiful ability to describe us all as caring beings.  We have our faults but underneath we are all doing our best to be good people.  Maybe we are all caregivers in our own way.

My favorite quote from this book:  “They tell me I must wade into waters, where I will soon drown.  Before I march in, I leave this on the shore for you.  I pray you find it, sister, so you will know what was in my heart as I went under.”

What did you think of the story Baba tells in the beginning of the book?  Is it the foreshadowing of what is to come?

Was the sale of Pari to the Wahdati’s beneficial?  Who did it benefit most?  Who did it hurt most?  Was it a financial or emotional gain?

What do you feel was the significance of the caregiver relationships throughout the novel?

How did the deaths of Masooma by Parwana and the death of Mr. Wahdati by Nabi affect you?  Did you feel they were necessary?  Was it fair of Masooma and Wahdati to ask their caregivers to do what they did?  Was it a gracious act of love?

What did you think when Nila told Nabi: “It was you, Nabi.  It was always you. Didn’t you know (page 113)”?  Were you surprised by the box of drawings?  How did you feel about Nabi’s reaction to finding the box?

In Nabi’s letter to Markos, he says: “Please tell her [Pari], tell her that I cannot know the myriad consequences of what I set into motion.  Tell her I took solace only in hope (page 131).”  Is this his apology or his justification?  How would he feel if he was able to meet her at the end?

Abdullah always made excuses as to why the younger Pari couldn’t do things with her friends, go to parties or go off to college, why do you think he restricted her?  Was it religious or selfish?

At the end, Abdullah leaves a package for Pari to open, which the younger Pari delivers to her, what did you think he had left her? 

Pari says: “I don’t know what this feather means, the story of it, but I know it means he was thinking of me.  For all these years.  He remembered me (page 401).”  Do you remember the meaning of the feathers?

What is the meaning of the title “And the Mountains Echoed”? 

I really enjoyed this book and it turned out to be an unexpected story…not what the title insinuates.  This book tells the story of the power of family, culture, secrets and forgiveness.  It was a great example of perseverance and stoicism.  After reading several other stories about Japanese culture, I felt that it held true to the traditions of the Japanese culture and to their pride and resolution to go beyond what their history depicts.

Shoko’s life from the beginning seems to be a story of survival and strong will.  When she and her brother Taro are kidnapped by the nanny, it looks like their little lives would be cut short, but Shoko prevails and becomes the heroine of her own life, as well as Taro’s.  Shoko seems to never truly have control of her life as a woman in shadow of post-WWII Japan, but she kind of does.  She may not have the education she craves but she still takes the opportunities she has to leave her small town and work to make her own money (and help support the family).  As a woman, her society expects her to accommodate her life for men.  First she must change her life when her father changes their societal status and becomes a priest.  Then she is the sole provider of money so that her brother Taro can get an education.  She is then the forced (by Taro and her father) to flee Japan with a baby and with an American husband.  Her husband then forces her to keep Mike’s conception a secret.  Shoko embraces America and leaves Japanese culture and language behind to accommodate her husband and children.  Shoko does not return to Japan because Taro cannot forgive her “choices”.  Shoko also doesn’t return to Japan because of her American husband, Charlie.  Shoko’s son Mike is a disappointment…she raised him in the Japanese way but in America so he is a clash of two cultures.  Although, Shoko is bound by the constraints of her Japanese culture, she still prevails after time heals their family secrets.  She is the strength of her family.

Mike is Shoko’s oldest child and biggest secret.  I felt that Shoko tended to treat him with more care than she did with Sue because of his gender and possibly to make up for his real father’s death.  Shoko gave Mike free reign of his life when he actually needed more control.  She needed to be more controlling with him versus giving him freedom like she thought Japanese boys needed.  Mike is an anomaly because he is 100% Japanese but his mentality is completely American. It seems like the whole family has given up on Mike and has no hopes for his future.

I feel that Charlie knew that Shoko was pregnant with another man’s child from the beginning but that his love and admiration for her was always genuine; therefore, he didn’t care about Shoko’s past.  I do believe that he never wanted to control her but that society created the man versus woman dichotomy.  I do think that in their actual household, Shoko ruled the roost.  Charlie liked Shoko’s control over the household and accepted anything that she wanted.  He embraced her culture and wanted to keep her life from Japan alive for her in America.  I think he was truly in love with her from the beginning.

Taro is a complex character because he owed so much to Shoko (his life, education, family) and yet could not forgive her for marrying an American soldier (even though it was his father’s wish).  I almost feel that he used Shoko as the scapegoat for the ruining of Japan.  She was the example of the old Japan relinquishing itself to American culture literally and symbolically.  Shoko saves Taro’s life when he is an infant but pride prevents him from forgiving her.  His forgiveness doesn’t come easy but it seems like he was ready to salvage their relationship and he seemed like he missed her.  I think that he never wanted to banish her but that his stubbornness prevented him from embracing anything foreign.

The only man that gives Shoko a choice and a chance at true freedom is Ronin.  It is ironic that he is what ends up binding her to a life of secrecy.  Because of his lack of a societal foothold, Ronin had no prejudices for gender or rankings.  He saw America as his opportunity to shed his label and to make opportunity happen for him, and sequentially Shoko.  His true love for her was so sweet and innocent.

Sue and Helena are Shoko’s hope for the future.  Isn’t it ironic that they are women and not the typical expectation of hope in Japanese culture or even American culture?  These two ladies are only ½ and ¼ Japanese but embody more of the Japanese culture and fully embrace its history.  It seems like Sue has always wanted to be Japanese but that she was hindered by her mother and by society.  I loved that she embraces her family’s past and that she travels to Japan and helps her mother unravel all of the family secrets.  She is brave, like Shoko, and is passing her bravery on to her daughter.  Sue may have been the “sleeper” of the entire book.

This story reminded me of stories from my family’s history where poverty and circumstance really determined your “Lot in life”.  So many dreams of education and success are doused by the reality of your place in the world.  While some have all and continue to do so, others have little and do what they can to better themselves…sometimes by a lot and sometimes by very little.  The expectations of our lives are mostly due to free will but are also determined by our opportunities.  It’s what we do with those opportunities that makes a difference.  It’s also a perspective on our acceptance of what is and finding satisfaction with the lives we live.

 

Is Taro ungrateful?  Is Taro selfish?  Or is he just playing to the expectation of Japanese culture?

Is culture and pride enough to hold a grudge?  Is this the only reason Taro cannot forgive Shoko’s pregnancy and American marriage?

Is Shoko the heroine?  Is Sue the heroine?  Why?

Why is there more complexity to Sue’s character than Mike’s?

Why is Mike so underwhelmed by the news of his biological father?  Is his reaction in accordance with the news or with his personality?

Do the men in this book control Shoko to be cruel or because of how our cultures treat women and men?

What are similarities of the American and Japanese cultures?  Differences?

What are your thoughts on the anecdotes at the begging of each chapter?  Where you amused by the titles to the “fake” book chapters?

Do you feel constraints by your culture? Gender? Family?  What family issues do you relate to in this book?

Is this book about gender (man vs woman), culture (Japanese vs American) or family (Shoko vs Taro)?  What perspective do you feel was strongest?

 

P.S.

How to Be an American Housewife

The quotes form the fictitious book are hilarious.  Which was your favorite?  Mine were:

-“It is not advisable to teach your American-born children Japanese.  It will only confuse their language development…They are Americans and should learn only English, as Americans do. (page 200)”  In today’s political climate, it seems fitting that we are discussing immigration and refugees.  I am American born with Mexican heritage and I do speak fluent Spanish.  I do feel embraced by some and repelled by others.  Why is it that other countries “allow” citizens to speak several different languages and yet our “melting pot” looks negatively at it even in 2016?

-“Child-rearing in America is a good deal more callous and cold than in Japan.  Americans do not believe in letting the baby sleep with them, or carrying them all the time, the way a Japanese mother does.  They take a far more disciplinarian approach to child-raising than we do in Japan. (page 156)”  There are so many contradictory parenting approaches these days and this quote really articulates how Americans truly are different in their parenting skills.  With my first child, I tried to instill the strict baby sleeping schedules and no sleeping in the bed and not carrying him all of the time.  But with the birth of my second son, I really changed my tune.  Now they both are allowed in our bed and I hold them as much as possible.  I realized that the strictness was hard on all of us and now we have a more peaceful co-existence.

-“Getting used to American negativity can be difficult.  Americans do not politely defer or help you save face; they simply say, ‘No,’ loudly and emphatically.  Being aware of this phenomenon will help prevent shock. (page 38)”  This quote is hilarious because it is so true.  Why are we so rude?!  It is hard to see ourselves through others eye but I know that’s what other cultures think of us.  When we moved to Germany for our first military assignment, the one thing we were told was “Don’t act like an American!”  It did make living in a foreign country much more pleasant because we got along and understood their culture.