The Boys in the Boat was a great book to read and feel proud to be an American and proud of our connections to the University of Washington. These boys were amazing in what they were able to accomplish and all the while each one of them felt that they were the weak link. Very humble men and such amazing character traits. Great writing too!! Thanks for the video clips and for a great read Margaret.
Our next book club will be hosted by Telarry on Wednesday May 6th at 7 pm. Her selection will be:
Goodreads says:
Set during the waning days of the Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic in 1960, this extraordinary novel tells the story the Mirabal sisters, three young wives and mothers who are assassinated after visiting their jailed husbands.
From the author of How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents comes this tale of courage and sisterhood set in the Dominican Republic during the rise of the Trujillo dictatorship. A skillful blend of fact and fiction, In the Time of the Butterflies is inspired by the true story of the three Mirabal sisters who, in 1960, were murdered for their part in an underground plot to overthrow the government. Alvarez breathes life into these historical figures--known as "las mariposas," or "the butterflies," in the underground--as she imagines their teenage years, their gradual involvement with the revolution, and their terror as their dissentience is uncovered.
A goodreads reader says:
"In the Time of the Butterflies" was beautiful and sad. I loved every one of the sisters. Their sacrifice, during the Trujillo regime, made me question what I would be willing to sacrifice for freedom and it made me think about my sister. The image that made me cry and made me angry was of the sisters standing in the garden one night looking back at the lit house as their mama bustles around getting their children ready for bed. Alvarez says they look at the house with longing as if they were already dead and wishing to watch their children grow up. That decision between political upheaval and being with and living for their children haunted me. How could they sacrifice a life with their children? I know they were fighting against an oppressive, tyrannical regime and that they believed their fight for freedom was to create a better world for their children. I guess it bothers me because I admired the sisters but I wouldn't have made the same choice.
Sounds like a book that will start a great discussion.
Hope to see you in May.
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