BKMT READING GUIDES
Solotoye Russia: Meadowlark Songs and Forgotten Wrongs
by Tony Haas
Paperback : 230 pages
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"It's difficult to believe ...
Introduction
BookMovement members receive a 22% discount from the list price of $17.95 (discount price is $14) by ordering the book directly from the publisher at http://www.solotoye.com/index.php?page_id=297. Contact the publisher for details at [email protected].
"It's difficult to believe this is a first novel, and that a writer could hit his stride the first time out. On the surface, it appears that Tony Haas has written a relatively simple story about everyday people in a small Russian village who wish to emigrate to America. But as one reads the graceful and absorbing text, many additional layers of the character's lives unfold. This is a novel that beckons the reader to linger, to savor, and to enjoy." Mike Durall, author of "The Almost Church Revitalized."
Emma, a young, defiant, aspiring writer living in Solotoye, Russia at the dawn of the 20th century is full of life, full of the devil, and eager to shed the shackles of a male dominated society. An old photograph of six American women prompts Emma to embark on a life-changing journey to a seemingly exotic place where women make the rules. A fateful event separates Emma and her family.
Excerpt
One Village . Many NamesWhen our ancestors stepped down from their wagons so many years ago, boots and bare feet pressed the soil of a place called Solotoye, which was nothing more than scattered remnants of an abandoned village on the road between Saratov and Samara. The emigrants called their new home Wittmann, the name of the first elected mayor. ...
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Discussion Questions
1. The book's main character, Emma, struggles as a woman in a male-dominated society at the dawn of the 20th century. In what ways do those conflicts mirror women's issues today?2. Emma is a complex character who is continually undergoing self-analysis. Does she see herself accurately? Is she honest about who she really is?
3. The author attempted to string together many vignettes to tell the story of Solotoye as experienced by Emma. Was he successful?
4. In the vignette titled "Little Things That Cost So Much," Emma leaves the general store with a grin on her face. Why?
5. In "Sweep . Clean . Polish," why does Emma lose if she chooses to remember the Russian boys' mockery?
6. "Reflections" is a fast-forward summary of important events that took place in Solotoye. These events included unanswered questions, questions never asked, and village secrets. "Solotoye stored those secrets like the Volga Hills' forest safeguards the mysteries of countless days and nights." What were these secrets?
7. In Emma's poem titled "Like Black Soot Thin," Emma explores her emotions. Who is the object of her jealousy, anger, and hate? Why is she experiencing these emotions at this time in her life?
8. A strange phrase, inside a sideway second, comes to Emma during the night. She asks herself what it means. What do you think the phrase means and why?
9. In "Scattered Papers," Emma comes to the realization that she wants her papers carried by the winds and she wants Solotoye's soil marked. Why is this important to Emma?
10. Emma writes a final poem titled "Shadows." Who are the shadows? Who are the craven pillagers? What are the carriage marks?
11. Does Emma find struggling people's elusive trinity - dignity, hope, and right? Why do you think she has … or has not found it?
Notes From the Author to the Bookclub
I was struggling to find himself when I found, filed haphazardly among business papers, my father's and Aunt Amelia's translations of family letters from Russia. It wasn't my first reading of the letters. I searched them for help. I saw faces, personalities - a previously unknown family - in and behind the words. I didn't know these people, but I sensed that they wanted me to know them. I read on. My hands rested patiently … respectfully, on time-yellowed, hand-written letters from my Great Aunt Helena. Her soul touched mine and the spark of inspiration was ignited. Dated between 1902 and 1934, the correspondence tells a dramatic and compelling story of love, war, poverty, starvation, separation, and courage. I used these historical documents to create fictional characters set against the dramatic backdrop of revolutionary and Stalinist Russia and the budding western Kansas town of Ellis. I sensed guiding hands, those of Aunt Helena and my father, as I wrote their story. Ideas for the storyline, phrases and words came to me unexpectedly. I accepted an unspoken responsibility to "scatter the papers" of my German-Russian family. Though I never had any intention of writing a novel, while working on the book, I discovered a passion for writing … and I found myself.Book Club Recommendations
Recommended to book clubs by 1 of 3 members.
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