Book Club

Dear Readers,

As we wrap up Maggie Bright I thought again about all the men and women who fought to save those trapped on the coast of France.  I went looking into some facts and to be honest I wish I had more time to look into it.

One thing I did not know a lot about was the “Halt Order.”  This has been on of those things the Germans did that is still debated today.  It is also what allowed the 330,000 troops to be rescued.  The debate is who made the order and why did Hitler okay it?

This is from Wikipedia – “In one of the most debated decisions of the war, the Germans halted their advance on Dunkirk. Contrary to popular belief, what became known as the “Halt Order” did not originate with Adolf Hitler. Generalfeldmarschall (Field Marshals) Gerd von Rundstedt and Günther von Kluge suggested that the German forces around the Dunkirk pocket should cease their advance on the port and consolidate to avoid an Allied breakout. Hitler sanctioned the order on 24 May with the support of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW). The army was to halt for three days, which gave the Allies sufficient time to organise the Dunkirk evacuation and build a defensive line. Despite the Allies’ gloomy estimates of the situation, with Britain even discussing a conditional surrender to Germany, in the end more than 330,000 Allied troops were rescued.”

But I guess that is why I continue to read Historical books, to learn new things about our past.  Was there anything new you learned from Maggie Bright?

Happy Reading,

 

Book Club

Dear Readers,

How is the reading going?  Has anyone seen the movie Dunkirk?  I have not and I wonder how Maggie Bright compared to it.

Maggie Bright ends before the end of WWII, how do you think the characters will spend the rest of the war?

What do you think of Clare and her story?  Would you have been brave enough to do what she did?  What of her reaction when she found out about her birth-father?  Have you ever had a revelation like that? One that change everything that you thought about yourself?

Happy Reading,

Book Club Question

Dear Readers,

How is the reading going?  Enjoying the book?  What do you think of the Dunkirk story?  If you are like me you knew very little about Dunkirk and all that happened there.  This story fascinated me for that reason.

Jamie Elliott is asked to bring the wounded captain to Dunkirk.  He fulfills his mission even when told to leave the wounded behind.  What do you think of Jamie?  What kind of person does he sound like?  Would you have continued to lead the Captain to safety?

What about the Captain Jacobs?  Did you find him amusing? Annoying?  I personally found him amusing, especially after I noticed his quotes started to make sense with what was going on and how they were important.  I don’t know much Milton, but some of the quotes made me want to go look them up.

I can’t help but think of the men as they realized that they were trapped between the sea and an army.  What do you think they were thinking?  What about when they realized their country was coming to rescue them?

Happy Reading,

 

Book Club Questions

Dear Readers,

Between The Hiding Place and the Johanna and Henriette story, I have been well steeped in Dutch history.  Wonderful and important stories to read and learn about.  But it got me to thinking about traditions in families.

I was asked about different things from my family by a friend a few weeks ago. They are writing a book that includes a dutch person.  So my family and I have been talking, and laughing of course, about different things we remember.  Different sayings, funny things that when you share them others look at you like your family is crazy, (which we get a lot anyways), and heart warming memories.

What are some of your favorite memories, tradition or funny stories you still share in  your family?  One of my favorite is that the night, usually Christmas eve, when we would open presents at our house, we would make pizza.  Not because it was easy, but as my mom confessed years later, but because it was the one thing she could get us to eat.

A word I remember and when I say it not in the dutch community of West Michigan always gets me funny looks.  It means tired or exhausted.  I have no idea how to spell it and I am pretty sure it is a made up word.  Moe is the Dutch word for tires and Doodmoe is dead tired.  So not sure where this word come from, but here is my best way to show what it is.  The phonic spelling is Ben -out.  Like; “I am completely benout.”  Anyone have any idea how to actually spell that or even where the word come from?  My Grandparents used it all the time.

Aren’t these fun?  I love talking and visiting about things like this with folks.

Happy Reading,

Book Club questions

Dear Readers,

How is the reading going?  I am close to finished with the book.  Have read through the timeline in the back of the book yet?  Johanna and Henriette did a lot with their lives.  Abraham Kuyper is a well known figure in the Christian community around here and around the world.  To see the women behind the man is always an interesting story to me.  I know that history sometimes presents the ‘heroes’ of history as going it alone, but they had families and sometimes those families sacrificed more and suffered more than the person we all know.

Is there any one aspect of the story that has surprised you?

Happy Reading,

P.S.  I love Dutch Apple Pie. I wonder how close it is to the Dutch Apple Pie my grandmother use to make.

Bookclub questions

Dear Readers,

How are you enjoying your trip to Rotterdam?  I am always fascinated how much we have in common with those that lived many years before us.  How is the time that Johanna and Henriette lived like our?  How did you find it different?

I think what strikes me as very different is the role of women.  What was expected of them and how very sheltered they were.  I know that Dutch people educated their daughters more often than most countries back in the day, but still women were to marry, have children and take care of the home.

I also have to say there was a very familiar feel to how things were done in the household and I think that goes to show how many traditions arrived on the shores of America with the immigrants.

I am looking forward to finding out what Jo does next.

Happy Reading,  

Book Club questions

Dear Readers,

So anyone else ready to take a road trip with me?  Personally I am ready to walk some mountain paths and explore Mount Rainier.

I want to ask, what do you think of a book that is considered a lighter read including topics like this one did?  Do you think every book needs to have a topic in it or can there just be books that are written just for enjoyment only?

Personally I didn’t mind it.  I thought it was handled well.  It reminded me that abuse can happen to anyone and does happen in all levels of society. Maybe not

Thanks for sharing.

Happy Reading.

 

Book Club questions

Dear Readers,

How is vacation going?  Enjoying the view?  I love Karen’s descriptions of the national park and all the wildlife.  It is amazing to me that some people can only see a place for development and building things instead of just letting nature alone and on display.

What do you think of Ford?  What would you tell him about his father and the grief and guilt that Ford has a loud to consume himself?  Do you think his reaction to his father’s death is reasonable?   Does Ford’s story help you understand and help someone this might have happened to?

Happy Reading,

Book Club

Dear Readers,

It was pointed out to me on Saturday that last week there were no questions for the book club.  My oops.  What was scheduled to go out did not release, because of internet problems here at work I didn’t check it Friday.  Sorry.

So we will have the last of the questions this week and do a new book next week.

So what did you think?

Do you understand their family better now?  Have you ever had a situation like this in real life?  A family that tries so hard to keep a secret that keeps bubbling up.  I have and yet I can’t seem to make them see that if they would just get it out in the light and let it heal things are better and easier.

My mother worked with women who were abused as children.  I use to talk about it to different people just because they asked what she did.  One time a woman asked my why anyone would want to remember and then work through the situation.  Why not let the past be the past.  At the time it didn’t strike me as a big deal, in fact my answer was kind of the standard “That way they can get rid of its power of them and their families.”  A few years later I found out she joined one of the groups and is now healed and living a very normal and wonderful life.

Interesting how fiction can teach us so much.

Happy Reading,

Book club questions

Dear Readers,

How’s the reading going?  Are you finding yourself understanding Gaylen and her family a bit more?

I will admit that when I learned about the dress painting I was very tempted to learn how to do it.  What a wonderful testimony and remembrance of the past.  I know in this book it tells a sad story, but what fun it would be to remember wonderful things.  Children’s birth, marriages, and even anniversaries or birthdays.  I wonder about many of these older traditions we no longer do.  Are they something we will miss or never even know we lost?

Does your family have an interesting tradition?

Happy Reading.