Unaccustomed Earth. From the internationally best-selling, Pulitzer Prize–winning author Jhumpa Lahiri. 8 short stories that tell the lives of others in a short yet tell-all span. Ruma is visited by her father, her mother having recently passed away. He carefully tends to her garden, where he and her son begin forming a special bond. But will he tell her about the new woman he's met? Will she guess? A husband drags his wife to an old flames wedding. Ever a good idea? In “Only Goodness,” a sister eager to giver her brother a sense of trust is devastated when his alcoholism threatens her child. And in “Hema and Kaushik,” a trio of linked stories - a woman and a young man share a house. They separate until destiny brings them together again years later. This is a book that's characters are teeming with emotion and is rich with lingering detail.
Which was your favorite? Most remembered details from the father/daughter story. The titular story explains why the father feels that "unaccustomed earth" (going where you've never been before) is good for his children, for himself. The story of the husband going to his old flame's wedding was also something that stuck in people's minds. The brother who wanted to "prove" his trustworthiness was also a good story, but cut deeply; most mentioned they did not like to read parts of it. Overall, everyone seemed to be happy to have read the book and will remember some of the stories well.
The food:
Sugar snap peas, a crunchy spicy mix of nuts, crackers and dip, along with a glass of wine or beer in the hand upon walking in the door.
Janet outdid herself with two different Indian dishes: Green Curry Chicken served with white rice. She also served a Red Chicken Dish with Yellow Rice and Broccoli. A traditional Cham Cham dessert rounded out the Indian theme.
Janet, would love your recipes to post on the blog!
The people:
Janet, Louise, Sandy, Amy, Katie, Marie, Jarby and Mike were all present to give opinions and offer up choices for the next book.
Next Time:
The Brain That Changes Itself, by Norman Droidge, MD. Hoping for early April with hosting by Amy, if that works with her schedule.
See everyone soon!
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