What We Read in 2021: A Year of Book Club Reads
A second year of book club is…in the books! I know, I went there.
In January 2020, I started a book club with some girlfriends. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, and little did I know what a refuge and comforting space our little book club would be through all the uncertainty of 2020. Struggles and challenges continue, of course, and the world still groans. And I’m so proud of our little group for continuing to open up our lives to stories. Stories connect us and give us empathy and teach us so much.
Here are the books we read together in 2021, along with my review of each:
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Having mainly studied how World War II affected lives in Europe, I was glad to learn more about the South Pacific "theater" of World War II in this epic, true story. The extraordinary life of Louis Zamperini and his ability to survive and retain hope through the most horrific conditions imaginable kept me turning the pages - all 528 of them. So moving and inspiring. Warning: This book has some very graphic elements due to war and prison camp experiences.
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Kristin Hannah is one of my favorite fiction authors - she’s written so many epic novels, including The Nightingale, one of my all-time favorites. The Four Winds is a sweeping historical fiction novel telling the story of Dust Bowl farmers during The Great Depression. As a farmer, I was fascinated to learn about the farming methods that were partially responsible for creating the Dust Bowl and what had to be done to start fixing it and restoring the Southern Plains. The theme woven throughout the book of ✨finding courage in the face of fear✨ was deeply personal to me, and I did cry buckets of tears (as per usual with Kristin Hannah books) but was filled with a surge of hope at the end.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was so different from our other book club reads, and I really liked it. When I first read the synopsis, I was hoping the book wouldn’t be too dark or depressing. But now since I’ve finished it, I see this book as inspirational and think it could actually be characterized as “up-lit.” It made me think of the different paths I could have taken in life and how every single big life choice for me has required pushing through fear in some way, taking a leap. It also explores the idea of regrets. While reading this book, I realized I don’t regret the times in my life when I’ve taken the leap through fear. What I regret are those the times I didn’t use my voice - when I didn’t take the leap and at least try. But there’s grace for that even still. A really thought-provoking read, and we had a great discussion with it!
We Begin At The End by Chris Whitaker ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Set in both California's Big Sur and a small town in Montana, this book explores the themes of family, risk, and deep, intense loyalty against all odds. I loved the 13-year-old girl character, Dutchess Day Radley, so much. Interweaving the lives of the characters over 30 years time, much of the story felt hard and hopeless, but the end filled me with a swell of hope and redemption. A great mystery. Warning: strong language.
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I’ve tried to read this book 4 times in the past. Every time, I’ve opened it and started reading and just could.not.keep.going. It felt like it was moving so slowly, and I couldn’t focus my attention. But several friends I know who are dedicated readers have said this is their favorite book, and it won a Pulitzer Prize (!), so I thought I’d give it another try within the framework of book club, so I had to keep going.
Wow.
This book is a shimmering picture of the details and moments that make up our lives and relationships. It’s a reminder that these small, everyday details and moments are the things that will matter at the end of our lives. On the night we discussed this book, only two of us were able to make it, and my friend Allison and I completely nerded out talking about Gilead for 3 straight hours. The layers of beauty and humanity it contains cannot really be explained until you read it for yourself.
The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World by Laura Imai Messina ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A beautiful story about grief and hope that can be found in healing. Set in Japan after the devastating 2011 tsunami, a man in a mountain village places an old phone booth in the middle of his garden so anyone can come and “call” their loved ones they’ve lost and send their messages into the wind. The endearing main character, Yui, makes the pilgrimage to the phone booth, and it ends up bringing healing from her unimaginable losses and so many others.’ This story shows how much the details of our relationships matter, and healing can come in surprising ways.
A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Fall of Marigolds intertwines the stories of a nurse in the hospital on Ellis Island in 1911 with a woman in 2011 who works in a Manhattan fabric shop and who lost her husband in 9/11. They’re connected through time by a brilliantly colored scarf. I learned so much more about history and was absorbed in the stories of two women from two different eras both grasping to find peace and freedom in their own way. This setting hit close to home since my grandfather came to America through Ellis Island in 1920 from Sicily, and several people from my New Jersey hometown and church worked in the twin towers.
The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I learned so much about the war in Syria and the brutal realities that refugees face. Based on real stories the author heard while working with refugees, The Beekeeper of Aleppo takes you along on the shocking refugee journey of a husband and his wife who has gone blind from a tragic sight. As they escape from Aleppo, Syria to potential safety in Europe, hope is the only thread that keeps them going in the absolute darkest times. The husband’s memories of happy days beekeeping in Aleppo with his cousin are his lifeline of hope for a new future as he also tries to help his wife, who saw something so terrible during the war that she went blind. I cannot imagine escaping as a refugee and also being blind. This book will move your heart and open your eyes.
The One-In-A-Million Boy by Monica Wood ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
LOVED! A recommendation from Sarah Mackenzie, The One-In-A-Million Boy was one of my favorite books we read all year. The sweetest story about the friendship between a very special 11-year-old boy and a 104-year-old woman. What unfolds is an inspirational story of courage - the courage to face the stories of our lives and to make the choice to live differently. It’s never too late. With several surprises throughout and the most tender ending, this book brought tears to my eyes.
The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sue Monk Kidd wrote one of my all-time favorite non-fiction books, When The Heart Waits, but I’ve never read her fiction. This book has two characteristics I love in novels: the story spans several decades, and it alternates voices in each chapter. Set in early 19th century Charleston, SC, this story is about two women finding their courage - Sarah Grimké, a child in a wealthy slave-owning family, and Hetty “Handful” Grimké, the 10-year-old enslaved girl who is “given” to Sarah on her 11th birthday. Based on real people’s stories and historical facts, this book is full of such detail that some of the scenes made me physically ill to read. But I’m so glad I read it. When I finished the book, I did a deep-dive into the real-life Sarah Grimké and many of the other characters, as well as the places in Charleston, like the “slave mart,” that were shockingly real.
Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I’ll be honest - I didn’t love this book at the beginning, but because I know Hannah’s writing, I kept going. As the story unfolded, I was completely enthralled. Two adult sisters, who are dealing with many problems in their own lives, face the sudden death of their beloved father and are left with their emotionally cold Russian immigrant mother who has never shown them love or affection. The only time they ever connected with their own mother was when she told them bits and pieces of a Russian fairytale at bedtime when they were children. After their father’s death, their mother reluctantly agrees to tell them the entire “fairy tale” again - but this time, from beginning to end. As the setting flashes back to WW2 Leningrad, Russia, the daughters learn the shocking truth about their mother’s life, and I learned about a part of WW2 I didn’t know much about. It is so tragic, it’s hard to believe it actually happened. This is a story about empathy, resilience, and forgiveness. There are some parts of the modern story in this book that are unbelievable, so I was tempted to give it 3 stars, but I truly was enthralled with the story, so 4 stars it is.
