Wednesday, April 27, 2016

The Mapmaker's Children by Sarah McCoy

This book combines the stories of two women who come to their children in unusual ways, hundreds of years apart.
The first, Eden, has moved to a small town and into a historic home which may have been a stop on the Underground Railroad.  She must determine the path her life will take after her plans do not come to fruition. She befriends several of her small town neighbors while investigating the history of her home and deciding which paths in life to follow.
The second is Sarah Brown, true-life daughter of John Brown as in the Riad on Harper's Ferry.  After her father is executed for his part in the plot to cause a slave uprising, Sarah must determine which path she must follow.
The story jumps back and forth between two women, who separated by centuries, still have a lot in common.
I really enjoyed this book, especially learning some of the back story on a famous historical event.

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

After a dream of blood and murder, Yeong-Han throws out all the meat and animal products in her home. Her husband, who married her as she was plain and quiet and would be no trouble, IS troubled. As is her family. YEong-Han begins a slow descent into mental illness. Her story is lyrically told through the voices of her husband, her brother-in-law and finally her sister. We see each of them more clearly by how they deal with Yeong-Han's worsening condition. It is a haunting story with beautiful imagery. The story stays with you and I find myself thinking back over it at odd moments. This would be a really great book for a group discussion.