Marilyn Herbert
The story of a boy, a boat, and a tiger promises an adventure which some may find hard to believe and thoughtful questions to consider. Can miracles exist? What is the power of faith? What guarantees successful survival? Yann Martel's Life of Pi is an extraordinary book that leaves you grappling with the concept of miracles, storytelling, and adventure. Bookclub-in-a-Box looks at Martel's ideas and presents look at the importance of imagination
...The Kite Runner has the distinction of being the first English-language fiction written about Afghanistan, by Khaled Hosseini, a former Afghan doctor who fled his native country in 1980 as it became immersed in civil war. The novel tells of the relationship of two boys who are born, live, and play side by side, yet there is no equality in their connection. Hosseini takes his story through three decades, which include communism and Soviet occupation,
...The history and terror of black slavery has been well documented in literature and film. Lawrence Hill's new book doesn't lessen the awfulness of the times, but adds a unique human dimension. Hill has created an uplifting and highly educational story about a shameful part of history. The Book of Negroes is sold in the United States under the title, Someone Knows My Name. Aminata Diallo was born free in Africa in the eighteenth century. She had
...It is 1939 and times are getting tough for everyone in Germany. Ten-year old Liesel and her brother are on their way to be adopted into a foster home, but sadly, the brother dies en route. After his burial, Liesel steals her first book, The Grave Diggers Handbook. The remarkable thing is that Liesel cannot read. We follow Liesel through the war years, as she learns to read, laugh, and play; to interact with family, friends, and neighbors;
...Mark Haddon's novel, the curious incident of the dog in the night-time, presents Christopher Boone, a young man with "special needs." Christopher suffers from Asperger's Syndrome, a condition associated with autism. Mark Haddon takes you into the mind of this remarkable young man and the Bookclub-in-a-Box discussion guide takes you into the novel. Among the many topics about which Bookclub-in-a-Box encourages discussion are Asperger's Syndrome,
...Running away with the circus is one of the world's most enduring and romantic ideas. However, the reality of circus life during the Depression era was that it was hard and painful. Jacob Jankowski, now over ninety years old, looks back on that time of desperation, cruelty and prejudice, but at the same time, he recalls a magical atmosphere with the animals, the larger-than-life circus population, love, and, of course, a special elephant named Rosie.
...Cutting For Stone is very simply one of the best books ever written and read. The narrative begins in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, when twin boys, Shiva and Marion, are born to a nun (who dies) and a surgeon (who runs away). The babies, conjoined at the head, are successfully separated immediately after birth. Despite their ominous beginning, they are raised by two Indian doctors and have a relatively peaceful childhood within the environment of a mission
...It's 1962 in Jackson, Mississippi, and 22-year-old Skeeter has just graduated from Ole Miss. She comes home with a diploma, but no husband, in a world where her friends are all married and raising children, with the help of their black maids. At a time and place where the ideal white woman is petite with carefully groomed straight hair and even more carefully groomed manners, Skeeter is tall and outspoken, with wild and curly hair. Her mother wants
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