Zoom is OK, but we miss your cooking

Our next regularly scheduled meeting August 29. We decided to read one book this time, A Little Life, which is 800 or so pages. We also discussed having an interim conversation about the book and our progress with it on, or about August 8.

Our rating of Ask Again, Yes, which ranged between 2.5 and 4.0, averaged 3.3. As we discussed the story of two intertwined families, someone summed up the theme of the story as being about forgiveness.

We mostly agreed and noted there was also an immigrant story, a story of neglect/abuse, and a story of strength and perseverance, wherein the writing brought the story to life. On the other hand, we thought it was important to flesh out some of the characters more.

Because the theme appeared to be forgiveness, it was noted that the author could have greatly expanded on what drove some characters’ ultimately forgivable actions. For example, one family was well adjusted whereas the other family was not and there was not enough character development of the maladjusted parents for some readers to understand their behavior. Despite that, most enjoyed the book.

Red at the Bone was a relatively short novel that did not grab or stick with all of our group. This story was also about two intertwined families and it turned on mother/daughter relationships. The author wove into the story certain noteworthy events and their impact on the families. The inclusion of details from the Tulsa Massacre and its impact on the family seemed relevant and timely, whereas including impact of the Twin Towers destruction seemed almost gratuitous to some. Though most liked the book, some struggled with the writing style. The ratings ranged from 2.5 to 3.5 and averaged 3.0.