Having a historian and an artist in our midst makes these historical novels even more intriquing! The Lacuna brings characters to life that we've read about in history and creates fictional characters that we grow to care about. The span of time and place is marvelous, and the writing is Kingsolver at her best!

A long and detailed account of identical twins: one is the narrator and the other a paranoid schizophrenic. After delving into the lives of ancestors and his own past, the protagonist finds some enduring truths about his life and life in general. Maybe not for everyone, but I liked it! The ending was a little pat. I almost thought the last chapter should have just been left off!

Many readers/critics talked about the voice of the little boy as being so inventive, etc., but I found it unbelievable considering that his mother would certainly have talked to him in the vernacular. the reference to things using he and she seemed contrived to me,a nd it was distracting. When Jack gets to the "outside" he is surprised by things that he certainly would have encountered on television. I can transport myself into fantasy worlds in Harry potter and the Lord of the Rings, but ROOM just did not contain enough verisimilitude for me!

Brooklyn is a sweet, romantic, traditional novel about an innocent Irish girl who goes to Brooklyn to seek more opportunities. It was a quick read. the characters were nicely drawn thought they were not really deep or complicated. it did give our club something to discuss, but it was not life-changing. I nice book for a cozy day by the fire.

Amy Finley's book is her delightful autobiographical adventures in discovering
France and its unique cuisine with her French husband and two
small children with the express purpose of saving her rocky marriage.
The book would especially appeal to lovers of France, cooking, and young
women struggling with juggling children and looking for the man they once married!