Sept. 20, 2013, Book: 'And the Mountains Echoed' by Khaled Hosseini

Christy has selected the September book:  "And the Mountains Echoed" by Khaled Hosseini. Amazon.com's description is:

In this tale revolving around not just parents and children but brothers and sisters, cousins and caretakers, Hosseini explores the many ways in which families nurture, wound, betray, honor, and sacrifice for one another; and how often we are surprised by the actions of those closest to us, at the times that matter most. Following its characters and the ramifications of their lives and choices and loves around the globe—from Kabul to Paris to San Francisco to the Greek island of Tinos—the story expands gradually outward, becoming more emotionally complex and powerful with each turning page. 

Here are also a few reviews from Amazon.com:

“[Hosseini’s] most assured and emotionally gripping story yet . . . Hosseini’s narrative gifts have deepened over the years. . . . [And the Mountains Echoed] grapples with many of the same themes that crisscross his early novels: the relationship between parents and children, and the ways the past can haunt the present. And it shares a similar penchant for mapping terrain midway between the boldly colored world of fable and the more shadowy, shaded world of realism… [W]e finish this novel with an intimate understanding of who his characters are and how they’ve defined themselves over the years through the choices they have made between duty and freedom, familial responsibilities and independence, loyalty to home and exile abroad… a deeply affecting choral work… a testament both to his intimate knowledge of their inner lives, and to his power as an old-fashioned storyteller. ”—Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

“The Kite Runner author’s latest is a moving saga about sacrifice, betrayal, and the power of family. . . . More expansive than The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, the novel spans three generations and includes overlapping tales of expatriates and aid workers, parents and children, doctors and drug lords. Hosseini shows how easy it is for people to brutalize or abandon those they should protect. But his ultimate achievement is demonstrating the power and persistence of family.”—People (4 stars)

Aug. 9, 2013, Second Book for Aug. 9: 'The Samurai's Garden: A Novel' by Gail Tsukiyama

The August 9, 2013, book club meeting will be at Anjanette's house, and the book is "The Samurai's Garden:  A Novel" by Gail Tsukiyama. Here is a synopsis from Amazon.com:

The daughter of a Chinese mother and a Japanese father, Tsukiyama uses the Japanese invasion of China during the late 1930s as a somber backdrop for her unusual story about a 20-year-old Chinese painter named Stephen who is sent to his family's summer home in a Japanese coastal village to recover from a bout with tuberculosis. Here he is cared for by Matsu, a reticent housekeeper and a master gardener. Over the course of a remarkable year, Stephen learns Matsu's secret and gains not only physical strength, but also profound spiritual insight. Matsu is a samurai of the soul, a man devoted to doing good and finding beauty in a cruel and arbitrary world, and Stephen is a noble student, learning to appreciate Matsu's generous and nurturing way of life and to love Matsu's soulmate, gentle Sachi, a woman afflicted with leprosy.

Leprosy is a topic from a prior book club meeting, when we read "Moloka'i" in August of 2012. 

Here are few reviews from Amazon.com:

"Tsukiyama brings a fluid, smooth elegance to the complicated story she tells."—The San Francisco Chronicle Book Review

"An exraordinary graceful and moving novel about goodness and beauty. Tsukiyama is a wise and spellbinding storytelling."—Booklist 

Aug. 9, 2013, First Book for Aug. 9: 'Being There' by Jerzy Kosinski

Nicole has selected the book for June! It's "Being There" by Jerzy Kosinski. The book is 141 pages and was also made into a movie at some point. here is an overview from Amazon.com:

A modern classic now available from Grove Press, Being There is one of the most popular and significant works from a writer of international stature. It is the story of Chauncey Gardiner - Chance, an enigmatic but distinguished man who emerges from nowhere to become an heir to the throne of a Wall Street tycoon, a presidential policy adviser, and a media icon. Truly "a man without qualities," Chance's straightforward responses to popular concerns are heralded as visionary. But though everyone is quoting him, no one is sure what he's really saying. And filling in the blanks in his background proves impossible. Being There is a brilliantly satiric look at the unreality of American media culture that is, if anything, more trenchant now than ever.

A review from Amazon.com:

"'Not until you put the book down do you realize how chilling is the image of ourselves in Kosinski's mirror...It will survive as a seminal work' " -- John Barkham Saturday Review "'Chance, a fabulous creature of our age'" Time "'Being There is a reverse parable, highly polished and patterned to the last twitch of the nerves'" -- Norman Shrapnel Guardian "'A tantalizing knuckle ball of a book delivered with perfectly timed satirical hops and metaphysical flutters'" -- R.Z. Sheppard Time "'Extremely well written. Under the circumstances, I can only urge as many people as possible to rush out and buy it'" -- Auberon Waugh Spectator --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.