April 19 Meeting at Rosemary's

GTG book club met at Rosemary's home on Thursday, April 19, 2018.

We enjoyed a dinner of chicken parmigiana, salad, spaghetti (made with my recipe and not the one mentioned in the book).   Somehow nutmeg in my Italian sauce was beyond my culinary exploration.   I am sure it is good in some parts of Italy.   After dinner we discussed the book chosen, "Kiss Carlo" written by Adriana Trigiani.  The story was primarily set in South Philly in an Italian neighborhood post WW II, early 1950s, and focused on family conflicts, dreams, and emotional vendetta's.

The storyline centered around the main character "Nicky Castone", with his many conflicts within himself, romantically, as well as trying to discover the meaning of his life and his identity within "la famiglia".

Most of us agreed that the book was well written but had too many spinoff plots and the writer may have gotten  three books out of the over 500 page novel.   Having read several of Adriana Trigiani's books and the fact it was written around  an Italian family theme and background was the reason I chose the book.    I enjoyed reading about the many characters and family situations, I just didn't like it as much as others I've read by her.  

We missed Pat,Pam, Alice and Grace.  

See you ladies at the next bookclub meeting at Kathy's.

Thanks for coming,

Rosemary

March 15 Meeting at Alice's

THE GTG Book club selection for March 2018 was ONCE UPON A TOWN by Bob Greene, a short non-fiction selection told by the people of North Platte, NE about their having a "whistle stop" on the east-west train line during WWII for troop trains.

I learned about the North Platte Canteen appropriately last Veteran's Day at the South Jefferson Library in Summit Point where a celebration took place to re-create the NP Canteen with invited guests and the community.  It was very lively with music of the era, food, and lots of photos -- which I borrowed to hang up at my house for book club night.

The style of writing in OUAT was repetitive and dragged in places (lots of the same story but it was the local people remembering and telling it) Bob Greene is a newspaper columnist so it was very much along that model - who, what , when, where, why. and how.  And we all liked a good story about FOOD! :)

Never the less, a heartening story!  Dedicated they were in many central Nebraska towns and villages to make it happen for every single train (so impressive with rationing and food shortages) It gave the community such a morale boost. Double that for the troops.

I came to realize after reading the book and talking to my mom, that my dad went through North Platte during the war on his way from California to Paris Island, North Carolina for Marine Corp boot camp.

We enjoyed fried chicken, salad, fresh veggies, angle food cake and many desserts == thanks everyone for coming over.  VICTORY!   ALL ABOARD!!

Alice

February 15 Meeting at Edna's

February bookclub took place on February 15th at my house on  Paynes Ford Road.   I had one week to arrive home from England and get my act together!!  Don't know if I succeeded on "the act together" part but we gathered anyway!!

   Since the book was set during World War 2 in  Germany and Poland; I decided to try to stick with German food.  I did a German cucumber salad for a start and served a German pork roasted with potatoes, onions and sauerkraut.  It was tasty but it is not a specialty of mine.  I had never fixed it before.  I just went to Pinterest, looked up "German Food" and then picked the recipes I liked.  I also did a German Chocolate Cake.  Of course we had other delicious desserts brought in and candy too.  Oh yes, I almost forgot the stupid chocolate-dipped vodka strawberries which were a pain to make, didn't look anything like the pictures and have sworn to never fix again!!

    Now the book!!  Everyone seemed to really like the book even though it was sad!!  I didn't realize that we were doing a book about World War 2 right before this one but they were different enough that we had no trouble getting through it. 

     The story tantalized us a bit with the young boy mispronouncing words so that you had to figure out what he was talking about : "The Furor" and "Austwitzch".  ( I know that is wrong but close enough)!!   Like I said earlier, it had a sad ending but all felt that the whole thing was sad because he ended up the same way as the other young prisoners;  (the Jews in the stripped uniforms).  I know when I saw the movie years ago, it had a profound effect on me so I wanted to share that.  All in all, it was a great evening with a wonderful group of ladies that I had really missed over the last months!!  Sorry you were unable to make it, Sharon, but we talked about you and we couldn't have done that if you had been there!!  lol. 

See you in April for the next one because I am going to be in Florida for the March one!!

Love, Edna

January 18 2018 Meeting at Dricka's

Author, Kristen Hannah, presented an account of France during World War II when Germany invaded. It brought to light the struggles of the French people with emphasis on sisters, Isabelle and Vianne.

Much of the story told how different they were.  Isabelle was strong, rebellious and impulsive. Vianne was nurturing, cautious and always protective of her family. Both sisters needed to be loved because they felt rejected by their father when he lost his wife and had changed in personality after he returned from the Great War.

Isabelle known as the "nightingale" was patriotic by helping airmen to safety by traveling to the British consulate thru hazardous conditions. Vianne was protective of children who were Jewish and separated from their family by changing their identity and finding shelter for them with a Catholic orphanage. She took her best friend, Rachel's son into her home and pretended he was adopted from a member of her family who had died.

In the ending of the story, they both found the love they both were searching for was always there. In memories: wounds heal - love remains.

Our meeting was only 6 members, so we missed Alice, Edna, Grace, Pam and Pat. We had a supper of chicken franchaise and pork chops with various sides. After our discussion, we had tea and an array of desserts: peach cobbler, rice pudding, coconut brownie and apple cake. Everyone at the meeting concluded that the book was very good!!

"Till we meet again",
love to all, 

Dricka

December 11 Christmas Luncheon

Merry Christmas!!  

We missed you, Pam and Carol.

November 16 Meeting at Grace's

This book "Breaking Night" by Liz Murray was selected after I heard the author give a talk on her life at Shepherd University, she was so inspirational.  
 I was amazed at how far she had come in her life with all the obstacles she had faced, as well as her living conditions and her home life.   She did not attend school because she felt this strong need to be there for her parents who were both drug addicts   She had one sister who was not as tolerant as Liz when it came to her parents.    What was unbelievable to so many of us was the love that she had for her parents, especially her mother.  I believe everyone liked the book and we had a very good discussion.  No one in this group could really relate to the life style that the author experienced.
We all agreed Liz Murray was very intelligent and mature for her age.  She enjoyed reading and was self educated. When her family hit  rock bottom and she was placed in a home, she realized she wanted more for her self.  She was given an opportunity to complete school and to enter a program for college bound students through the NY Times.  She was number one in her class and was accepted in to Harvard University where she excelled.
The movie "Homeless to Harvard" is based on this book and  the life story of Liz Murray.
This was a special evening for us ladies as we celebrate our ten year anniversary.  
So much to be THANKFUL for as we approach Thanksgiving.  Good Friends. Good Food and Good Times
Love you ladies, thank you for being in my life, I am truly blessed. 
Love to All.  
Grace