Northglenn Reads enjoyed this book. Some of us are from the midwest and we recognized the characters. We found Harveyville on the map, and talked a little about Mattie Spenser, another Dallas title, and what a "soddy" was, and what kind of house came even before the soddies.

We talked about women we knew who were also in Velmas position, and realized that "unwed mothers" are still in a heartbreaking situation today. Those of us who read the book twice were intrigued by the hints of mystery throughout the story. When Queenie says Ella would be upset by hearing about finding his body, not shocked by his death, we get a portent of what's to come. Some of us liked Queenie, some felt she was not as forthright as she seemed, and used the rhubarb pie as an example of subtrafuge. This aspect engaged us...and it linked to how and why they didn't want Lizzie Olive in the Pickles, and how Tom and Queenie treated the drifters. We also had some quilt books to browse through, and found the "Double Ax" or "Friendship" quilt design. What was Rita telling them with that pattern?

We made a "celebrity quilt" with our names on it and took pictures. Sandra Dallas lives nearby, and when we told her about our plans, she said "Sounds like you'll have more fun than the Pickles".

Found it thrilling and alarming and scary. What a page turner at the end. Following up by watching the Nova special "Hitlers Lost Boat".

Our discussion followed the expected course, pondering stem cell research, cord vs embyonic, breakthroughs since 2004. Whether we liked Sara, what Kate might have said to Anna, whether any 13 year olds can contact lawyers so easily, where are the pawn shops and are they in safe neighborhoods, why did it have to end the way it did..but I sensed that this book club is moving beyond the easy read, and that we are most enthralled with a more thoughtful, well written account of an issue, and that the good story with some humor is fine, but not worth discussion. Several of us did go on to read other Picoult works..but a few were just plain disappointed with the easy read. New dynamic..we have our first man joining...

We liked the book, insofar as she lived an interesting life. Some of us couldn't stand the purple prose, and some of us didn't notice it. Discussion was lively, and a better understanding of the politics of the Middle East would have helped guide it. We discussed how "the sun never set on the British Empire", and the position of women vis a vis class structure, wealth, and suffrage.

We appreciated reading a classic, and of course discussed what a classic was and why. Spent as much time on the characters and the story as on lit crit about East V West, the Wasteland, Henry James, and symbolism. Inspired to read other Minnesota writers like Sinclair Lewis.

Of course book club members liked this book and many took home more titles from the "If you liked this book.." We discussed the relationship between the women, the purpose of the title, the idea of it being a love story and compared and contrasted with The Kite Runner.

Nine members of the book club did not finish the book. Great disappointment in the choice. Three finished it and found it interesting. People couldn't get past the long descriptions, the tangential characters, the lack of storyline and disjointed narrative. One one person loved it for the language, the use of imagery, and the opportunity to understand the consequences of the decay of the British empire and the sensibilities of diaporic Indian writers.

This book is very interesting if you care at all about art and art restoration. Mostly it is a narrative with a mystery to solve and leads to follow. People said it reads like fiction and indeed there are little vignettes of trips and meals and feelings of the young women who are researching this lost painting and torn in loyalties to professors, grant applications, and Italian families. I just ended up googling the ending because I stopped caring about the details of the restoration process.