The Master Butchers Singing Club--Louise Erdich

Monday, June 28 2010

____ Stars

Fidelis, a master butcher from Germany moves to North Dakota after fighting in World War One.  His life becomes inexplicably entwined with Delphine's--a woman born and raised by a drunk on the plains. 

The Master Butcher's Singing Club had mixed reviews from our group--although everyone agreed it would have been better if it was half the length.  The character development that took up the first third of the book made it a slow read for everyone to get into.   The themes of family, love, and war and all of the events in the book made for good discussion, although there was much confusion about why different events were included in the novel.  We look forward to seeing what the play adaptation has to offer.

At the Guthrie

review and discussion questions

The Book Thief--Markus Zusak

3.71 STARS

Narrated by Death, this touching story of humans and all they are capable of was loved by most members.  Through conversation, even our most hesitant readers were able to see the beauty of Zusak's story and usage of words.

Liesel Meminger is a stealer of books.  Set in Nazi Germany, Liesel sees the value of words as she and her foster family hide a Jew in their basement.  This award winning book is not an easy or fast read, but one we all enjoyed talking about.

Markus Zusak--Book Thief