Michael Punke's Ridgeline takes center stage this evening - and guess what? It's a club in which the host provides food somewhat related to the book being discussed. Considering the 1866 western setting of Ridgeline, beef brisket is the perfect choice for this meet-up.
But because I read the book almost three years ago, I've been reviewing my April 2021 review and flipping through the book itself most of the afternoon. It will be interesting to see if others enjoyed the story of the 1866 Fetterman Massacre as much as I did. Punke is a historical novelist who bases as much of his plot as he can on facts and real people. He then fills in the blanks. Since history cannot tell us who was responsible for following a small band of Native Americans into a 2000-warrior ambush, Punke comes up with what seems to be the most likely answer. The official Army cover-up on the massacre details was a massive effort by some very influential civilians and military men, and at the very least, the book exposes them as the conscious frauds they were.
I do hope you report to us how the book club meeting went! I remember reading your review of that book- it sure did pique my interest, even though not my usual genre to read.
ReplyDeleteIt was really fun, Jeane. Nice people and a good discussion of the book's impact on each of us. Lots of variety of opinion made it all interesting.
DeleteI hope this book club meeting goes well for you. I have always wondered if I would enjoy taking part in a book club.
ReplyDeleteLet's face it, Tracy, I don't have anything to compare it to. But it was very near what I hoped it would be like, a combination of serious discussion and well made points with lots of conversational asides. I enjoyed it a lot.
DeleteSo how was the book club? I hope there was good food and good conversation. At least they chose a really good book to talk about.
ReplyDeleteLots of both, Lark, and a whole lot of fun. They meet once a month in the same home...and I've been invited back. :-)
DeleteYay! :D I'm glad it went so well. What book are they going to read and discuss next?
DeleteOne I'm not familiar with called "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo," that seems to have gotten good reviews in 2017 when it was published.
DeleteI haven't read it, but I have read a lot of very favorable reviews of it. Here's hoping it's as good as its hype!
DeleteSo few of them manage to match their hype anymore, that knowing this one was popular almost makes me nervous. :-)
DeleteLook forward to hearing how it went, Sam! I've never belonged to one either but have been tempted.
ReplyDeleteYou should try it sometime, Cath. It was pretty much what you hope for in a book club, people who enjoy reading and talking about books with others. Sort of like what we all do here, but in person...
DeleteHi Sam, I hope you have a good time at the book club and what a great idea to serve food that fits with the book. I have never heard of Ridgeline. I must check it out and it's important that the author sticks very closely to the actual events and people who were there. Jeff Sharra has a book I read many years ago called Rise to Rebellion I think it was called about the lead up to the American Revolution and it was
ReplyDeleteexcellent. I also think John Jakes' Kent Family Chronicles is accurate and alot of fun.
I agree, Kathy, and really like that Punke took it a step farther (as a lot of the best at historical fiction do) and pointed out in an afterword where he speculated outside the known facts of whatever event he was describing. This one even has a kind of "Where Are They Now" afterword, too, in which Punke summarizes what happened to the main characters during the rest of their lifetimes.
DeleteI hope it went well. The pros of a book group are the friendship and the opportunity to discuss a book with (one hopes) congenial folk. The cons are that sometimes the books aren't things you want to read and the people are annoying. I suggest giving it a few tries before you make a final judgment. Once a coworker wanted me to found a book group with her and she was sure if we chose political-themed nonfiction we would attract eligible men. Somehow I wound up doing all the work of promoting the group and finding a place to meet - the first meeting we had 12 women and 1 man - a minister! The second meeting it was my *friend* Felicia, two other women, and me. The third meeting it was only me! And Felicia wonders why I don't return her emails!
ReplyDeleteOh, wow, what a bad experience for you that must have been. I have to tell you, though, that I can't imagine a book club based on that type of reading would ever be destined for a long life. Way too much repetition would soon be a become a bore to me, I think.
DeleteThese folks (there are only six of them) have been together for a long time, I think, so they are very compatible and like each other. That didn't keep them from voicing very different opinions, though. I wasn't crazy about the list of questions kind of format, but found that after a question was answered, a better and more interesting discussion would most often follow. What I worry about with book clubs is that some of the book choices would be real turnoffs because I might be subtle enough to criticize a book someone has just gushed over. Thanks for your story about your book club fizzle; I probably shouldn't, but I find it kind of funny.
It sounds like the book club was a good experience - I'm so glad! Before we left NY, I was a member of a playgroup turned book club (after the kids started school) 20-plus years. Over time people moved away and new members joined, and now I miss it. Haven't found another in person group yet. I hope this works our for you long term.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about the long term, JoAnn, but I really enjoyed the meeting that I made...really nice people involved, all willing to listen to conflicting views and reactions. The logistics are a little crazy because they meet on the last Friday of the month at 6:00 P.M. That's the worst of Houston's rush hour traffic, and the drive of about 40 miles there is not an easy one until you clear all of that traffic. Takes well over an hour to get there...then about 45 minutes to get home.
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