We were lucky to have a very special book choice for this
meeting. Local author and poet, Susan Thurston, has written a fantastic
“fantasy” novel titled, Sister of Grendel. When we began reading, the book was not even available to the public yet. An imagining of the story of Beowulf,
or perhaps, an extension of that story. In that classic tale, Grendel and his
mother are destroyed by Beowulf. In Sister of Grendel, Thurston
proposed that Grendel had a sister who was present at the infamous attack, and
although she found herself powerless to intervene to save her brother and her
mother, she will go on to carry the traditions and customs of their tribe for a
long and arduous journey to redemption.
We had the most intense discussion about a book that we’ve
ever had! Ms. Thurston was incredibly generous with her time and answered all
our questions thoughtfully and thoroughly.
We met at the classic downtown Minneapolis
restaurant, the Monte Carlo. We
were at first seated centrally in the very loud and bustling restaurant. But,
our very observant and responsive server asked if we’d like to move to a more
quiet corner of the space. We opted to move! We ended up in the most quiet,
cozy and intimate space, which was perfect for our meeting.
We were so excited that Louise was well recovered from her
recent injuries! So nice see her up and about and looking fabulous! Also
joining us was Victor Thiemann, our newest member. Welcome, Vic! Very nice to
have you with us.
Rounding us out were Mike, Cynthia, Marie, Rachel and
myself. Jarby sent an SOS saying that her car broke down on the roadside and she
would not be able to make it. How disappointing, and how frustrating for her.
We missed you, Jarby!
Some of the topics we discussed were the naming of the
Smallheaded Tribe, and the violence between tribes. Was there an obvious
parallel to modern “tribes”?
As we began discussing the book, our server brought us 2
platters of world famous Monte Carlo chicken wings. They
were piping hot and the crusty goodness was a unique and unforgettable taste
for sure.
We all enjoyed a cocktail as the discussion continued. We
talked about the grand and seemingly unending journey that our protagonist
endured. Why was it she had to endure all the people coming in and out of her
life? She outlived them all. That is one of the consequences of being from a
tribe that lives such a long life.
Rehsotis found the love of her life and had the opportunity
to spend time with him and enjoy a time of great pleasure and happiness,
however short-lived that may have been.
Throughout the book, Rehsotis uses her knowledge of nature
and foods the earth offers up, medicinal herbs and plants.She uses her knowledge to feed herself, and nurture and care for others.
She also has to look deep within herself to find ways to fit
in with others. Her experiences resonate with us as these are things we
struggle with as well.
Now it was time to focus for a little while on the food
placed in front of us. For only a short few moments, there was quiet in the
room as we dug in to:
- Pizza Lavosh Style Cracker Crust with Cilantro Pesto,
Havarti Cheese and Marinated Chicken Breast
- Chopped Beef Liver
- Panko Fried
Shrimp- Gulf
Shrimp in Japanese Breading
- Billy Reed’s Caesar Burger – Burger with a side of Caesar
Salad
There also seemed to be a couple of fantastic looking salads
at the other end of the table from me. Wow, what a gigantic food selection and
great tasting meals!
We soon returned to talking about the book some more. Ms.
Thurston shared with us that she will have a book launch soon and is very much
looking forward to having the book available for sale. Check it out on Amazon!
We talked so much that we didn’t get to talking about our
next book selection at all. It wasn’t even mentioned! Which I think is a first
for us. So, I heard that Marie has volunteered to host the next gathering and
we will perhaps do a poll to see what everyone would like to read.
For now, we are happy to support the success of Sister of
Grendel and we look forward to more from this interesting and very generous
author, Susan Thurston. Thank you for spending time with us, we loved every
minute!
Soon after leaving the restaurant, my poor little Mini
Cooper was rear ended at a stop sign. By a guy with a BRAND NEW car. So new
that it didn’t even have license plates yet. Gah! So, that is a large percentage
of automobile related trouble in one evening!!!!
I am lucky that it was just a bumper tap and his insurance
will pay to have my cracked bumper fixed. Jarby I’m truly feeling your pain.
Let us hope that everyone else arrived home safe and sound with no further
incidents.
Looking forward to our next gathering!
Katie
