BPL Book Club Reviews Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns

Reported by Lauren

                This month, the BPL Book Club discussed Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns. Told from the perspective of fourteen-year-old Will Tweedy, Burns’ novel tells the story of Will and his relationships with his family and friends, most especially his close relationship with his grandpa Rucker who has scandalized their small town of Cold Sassy, Georgia, by marrying the milliner at his general store, the beautiful “Yankee” Miss Love Simpson, only three weeks after Will’s grandma dies. Miss Love happens to be MUCH younger and the prettiest girl in town, and Will’s mother and aunt are furious, not just because they’re in mourning, but also because Miss Love’s presence threatens their inheritance. First Will, and then the rest of the family, eventually come to appreciate Miss Love’s role in Rucker’s life, but not before many hijinks ensue. Cold Sassy itself is at a turning point, caught between its traditional Confederate farmer roots and the rise of industrialized travel and commerce by railroad and automobile. Grandpa becomes a symbol of old made new again (just like the town), and Will watches through innocent eyes as his town, his family, and his own life are changed forever.

                Our Book Club discussion started off with an examination of Will Tweedy and Grandpa’s characters. Will is considered the protagonist, but we decided that Grandpa Rucker is really the driving force of the novel. Several members could see a family resemblance in Burns’ portrayal of Grandpa Rucker as an old Southern man, stubborn and hard-headed, but with a good heart and a mischievous sense of humor. We also enjoyed watching Will grow and mature, and learn life various lessons right alongside his grandfather.

                We next discussed the portrayal of small town gossip, “keeping up appearances,” and traditional death rites. The death of Will’s grandmother sets the story in motion, and it was interesting to see how small southern towns take their grieving so seriously. The family mourns for months, and the entire town attends the “settin’ up” and burial. Rucker’s quick marriage to Love is considered an unforgiveable transgression. Rumors of Rucker’s possible infidelity abound, and the couple is shunned from church and other social gatherings. This bothers Miss Love, but not Rucker! He enjoys the attention, and delights in pointing out the hypocrisy of his fellow “Christians.”

                Overall, we found this book to be a sweet, funny, and endearing portrait of small-town Southern life. The writing style was a little hard to read at times, as Burns is heavy-handed with the Southern dialect, but hearing it read aloud made it much easier to follow. Some commented that they wished Burns had gone a little deeper into the various issues Will encounters, like racism, classism, infidelity, and suicide, but others thought the “skimming over” of the serious parts added to the novel’s charm. The fact that Will is young and doesn’t quite understand how serious these issues are actually gives them more weight. We ended our discussion by saying that while this was no To Kill a Mockingbird, it was entertaining and authentic without going too deep. 4 out of 5 stars!

                Join us next month, August 15 at 6:30 as we discuss Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. All are welcome!

BPL Book Club Review: River of Doubt by Candice Millard

Reported by Lauren

                The BPL Book Club met Thursday, June 20 to discuss Candice Millard’s River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey. Published in 2005, this national bestseller has received numerous accolades and our BPL Members had nothing but praise for it as well.

                Reeling from defeat in his third presidential election, Theodore Roosevelt decides to do what he does best—drown his sorrows in dangerous adventures. He accepts an invitation to begin a speaking tour in South America, meeting up with his son Kermit and forming a crew of fellow adventurers to explore and map out one of the lesser known rivers in South America, a tributary of the Amazon then called the River of Doubt but now named the Roosevelt River in honor of ol’ Teddy. The crew is a ragtag bunch, with very little experience sailing or exploring. Their lack of planning and forethought (or maybe they just planned for the wrong things?) lead to mishap after mishap – it’s really a miracle they survived.

                Our BPL Book Clubbers were impressed by the crew’s bravery, but astounded by their incompetence. Their boats were too heavy and too large, they didn’t pack enough food or clothing but they had plenty of coffee, and they ended up having to dump tons of essentials just to stay afloat. Oh, and there were cannibals. But perhaps most impressive about this book though is Millard’s writing style. Millard is a former National Geographic writer. She consulted numerous first-hand accounts, personal journals and even a movie filmed by the crew at the time (priorities!), to parse together a compelling narrative that makes readers see, feel, and hear what our explorers experienced. Facts about the Amazon region are interspersed throughout the book, further bringing the setting to life while teaching readers about the lesser-known parts of South America.

                We wrapped up our meeting with a discussion of the moral dilemmas River of Doubt explores: was the USA wrong to explore and colonize lands that did not belong to us, decimating native populations in the process? Or were our explorations justified in the name of civilization? Who was really more civilized, the bumbling unprepared explorers or the indigenous people who had survived and thrived on their own for centuries? And where/what/whom do we conquer next? The oceans we’re polluting? Mars? Is any of this exploration worth the expense, both monetary and human?

                Our next BPL Book Club Meeting will be Thursday, July 18 at 6:30. We’ll be discussing Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns. All are welcome!