Thanks, @Janet_B. I recently got a copy of that one, and it’s definitely near the top of my TBR “pile.”
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts @Jane_B. I’ve heard so many speak harshly about The Women and I think many of the judgements are unfair. I had the great good fortune to accompany a Viet Nam nurse on an Honor Flight and her personal story matched the story of the main character pretty closely. I was touched as I stood back allowing her to interact with the nurses memorial at her own pace. The Viet Nam nurses were a patriotic and committed group who gave their time and skills, expecting nothing in return.
I have no quibble with those who simply don’t care for the writing style.
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Thank you for your thoughts about The Women. It was such an honor for you to see one nursessee her own memorial. It gave me shivers when you told me. I’m so happy their efforts didn’t go unnoticed.
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I don’t know how that text got so messed up. It was fine when I pushed send. Your text almost made me cry. What an experience you had. I’m so glad that your friend got to see her memorial.
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I want to acknowledge The Lion Women of Tehran since it hasn’t been mentioned yet and it was one of my favorites.
I have been meaning to read Percival Everett books for some time and both The Trees and I Am Not Sidney Poitier have been recommended to me as backlist selections. It doesn’t take anything away from my enjoyment of James but I do wish I had been a more experienced reader of Everett’s catalog.
I also read The Demon of Unrest, The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern, The Women and I’m currently reading The Frozen River.
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I have read Everett’s James, The Trees, and Erasure. I Am Not Sidney Poirtier has been recommended. His sentences are always so pleasurable to read even though some of the books are quite dark. I hope to read more by him also.
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I’ve read The Frozen River, James, and The Women. James was something of a disappointment and I want to read it again to make sure I didn’t miss what the author intended the first time around. Maybe I still love Huckleberry Finn too much to want to see another version?
I had never heard of the character in The Frozen River and was immersed in her story from the start. I thought it was time that we heard something from the women who served in Vietnam and was not disappointed with The Women. The more I read, the more I know I’m not reading enough!
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I loved The God of the Woods- sensible dual story line.
The Women was OK - I grew up very similarly to the MC, went into nursing but didn’t finish - changed majors to another medical profession; maybe a little too close to home.
My TBR for 2025 list includes James, The Frozen River, and the Mighty Red.
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My book club has My Friends and The Frozen River already on our 2025 roster. I had read Frozen River for BB book club and recommended it to my club. They are all looking forward to the mid-wife’s story of resilience and leadership.
When looking into My Friends I found a brief bio of Matar which lead me to two of his other books which all are connected to the same theme of loss and how one overcomes it. The Return about his father having gone missing under mysterious circumstances while Matar was away at university. He anguished while away but held out hope that he would see his father again some day. Alas it was not to be. He returned 22 years later to his native Libya in search of answers to his father’s disappearance. The other book that looks interesting and a nice closure for the reader as it was to the author is A Month in Siena where he visits the art which help sustain him during his time of searching for answers about his father’s disappearance. I’m thinking of suggesting all three as a trifecta!
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I have read
Clear, Frozen River, There were Rivers in the Sky
Lion women of Tehran, James and The Women
My favorites were Frozen River, Lion Women, James and The Women
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I enjoyed the Frozen River. I just finished Becoming Madame Secretary……an amazing book that had more truths than fiction.
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I chose The Frozen River for my book group and everyone in the group loved it. I spent my career as a nurse working in maternal child health, so I found it particularly interesting. I also really enjoy reading historical novels about times and subjects which I know little about.
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The Frozen River is in the list of books my book club will be reading.
I am sure they will love it too.
Thank you for your nursing career…a tough one, but necessary.
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Hi ! If you enjoyed There are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak, you might like The Island of Missing Trees as well as one of my all time favorites by Shafak- The Forty Rules of Love. I find her writing to be magnificent!
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Thank you for the recommendation.
Island of Island of Missing Trees is one of my all-time favorites. I love Shafak’s writing.
I love her writing as well. I am thinking of reading one of her earlier books- The Bastard of Istanbul - which is supposed to be one of her best novels.
Bastard of Istanbul was different from her more recent but it is good. Shafak has a really interesting personal story / background that you can tell she brings into her writing - scattered info on the internet if you are interested.