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.

May 10, 2013, Book - 'Unsaid: A Novel' by Neil Abramson

NOTE:  The May meeting is at Amy's, and is now on Friday, May 10.

The May 10, 2013, book has been announced and is "Unsaid:  A Novel" by Neil Abramson. Amy will be hosting. Here is some info about the book from Amazon.com:

As a veterinarian, Helena had mercifully escorted thousands of animals to the other side. Now, having died herself, she finds that it is not so easy to move on. She is terrified that her 37 years of life were meaningless, error-ridden, and forgettable. So Helena haunts-- and is haunted by-- the life she left behind. Meanwhile, David, her shattered attorney husband, struggles with grief and the demands of caring for her houseful of damaged and beloved animals. But it is her absence from her last project, Cindy-- a chimpanzee who may unlock the mystery of communication and consciousness-- that will have the greatest impact on all of them.

When Cindy is scheduled for a research experiment that will undoubtedly take her life, David must call upon everything he has learned from Helena to save her. In the explosive courtroom drama that follows, all the threads of Helena's life entwine and tear as Helena and David confront their mistakes, grief, and loss, and discover the only way to save Cindy is to understand what it really means to be human.

A few reviews:

"This moving and riveting novel beautifully expresses the transforming power of the human-animal relationship. Read it if you shared your life with an animal, but more importantly, read it if you haven't." (Gene Baur, president and co-founder of Farm Sanctuary, and author of the bestseller Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food )

"A suspenseful, heart-throbbing novel exploring the big questions of life, death, sentience, animal rights, compassion, righteous indignation, and what it is all about and why. The surprise twists are like an emotional roller coaster. Read it, weep, grab your chair, and gain insights into the big why!" (Allen M. Schoen, D.V.M., and author of Kindred Spirits: How the Remarkable Bond Between Humans and Animals Can Change the Way We Live )