Firstly, welcome to our latest new member, another Sarah – hope she liked what she found and joins us again next month!
After a rather unusual set of reactions to our January book, The Slap, we were back on more familiar ground with Janette Jenkins’ Angel of Brooklyn, the tale of Beatrice Crane who comes to a small Lancashire village just before the outbreak of World War 1.
Although two members were rather ambivalent about it, the rest of us found a lot to enjoy in this book. We really liked and sympathised with the main character, Beatrice, particularly her strength and lack of self-pity in the face of the many challenges of her life, from her distant father and his extraordinary hobby to the increasingly hostile reaction of the village women. We also liked the structure of the book, both the non-linear timeline, and the way some chapters were told through often very poignant letters, or through lists. The chapters set in Coney Island were very popular, as were those describing village life, especially once the men had gone off to war and Beatrice had lost the protection of her husband Jonathan.
Some members questioned whether sometimes the story, especially in the village, felt a little modern, almost suggesting a World War 2 rather than WW1 setting. Interestingly, two members hadn’t taken in that Beatrice’s fate is spelt out in the opening line, but nonetheless the rest of us didn’t feel that it spoilt the narrative tension (in fact some members read the last few pages hoping against hope for a different outcome) although for a few members the end was rather anticlimactic.
Our next book is Alexander McCall Smith’s The Sunday Philosophy Club and we’re looking forward to hearing back from those members who are lucky enough to be able to go and see him at the Tyneside Cinema on 1 March, at our next meeting on 9th March.
See you then!
Cathy
