New Providence Memorial Library's Online Reading Group discussion

I was skimming through some discussion questions and one stuck out as matching a book I just almost finished. It had never struck me before but I guess it was waiting for the right book to come along.

The question is were there any moments where you disagreed with the choices of any of the characters? What would have done differently?

The book that made this question stand out is The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin. The central choice, it seems, in this book is when the main character Talmadge decides not to chase after 2 dirty, pregnant girls who have stolen his apples. From this follows his continued relationship with them and his attempts at maintaining contact despite much pain and heartache they they cause him. They also provide him with the joy of his life in the person of a little girl who eventually grows into his caretaker.

So, the choice he made in the book makes a life for him. He eventually finds peace but not after having worked through a lot of heartache and sadness. Was it worth it? He could have lived an orderly, peaceful life tending his orchards and maintaining a few, close friendships. But his life got messy and through these young women, he perhaps confronted earlier heartache caused by his mother's death and sister's disappearance.

Now, do I think he should have taken in those girls? Without them, there wouldn't have been a book and he wouldn't have had joy in his life but was it really all worth it? Perhaps not.

What about choices in the books you are reading?

I'm half way through The Orchardist! Should I just put it down now? ;)

does that mean you are or are not enjoying it ? ;-)

don't put it down !! the story and how it's written are so beautiful. the process of his the girls' transformation is bewitching.


as to lisa's question... i think Talmadge would have made the same decision had he been given a chance to relive his life. would I have? hmmm... I think so. what is life but ups and downs and a little (or a lot) of messiness. the older I get the more I realize no one's life has gone exactly the way she hoped, expected. unexpected heartache but also joys that one never anticipated.

Karen--Continue only if you are enjoying it. We have moved on to The Haunting of Hill House, our October selection.

As for myself and one other anonymous member, we didn't like The Orchardist. We were the exception, tho.

Marie
we finished Longmire the other day. do you know when the next season comes out ? hopefully sooner than a year from now !

Sangeeta, Netflix has not confirmed Season 5. However we stampeded last week on Facebook and Twitter #LongmireS5Netflix and got a HUGE response. Over 85K in the first hour. For those that do NOT have FB or Twitter, or were in another country, they were given a Netflix contact email. AS FAR as I know, "Netflix was impressed with the responses of the Posse and fans" So that may be TV speak for the renewal. Also, the number of people that joined Netflix for Longmire was the highest they ever had. Kaytee Sackoff was in Dubai and joined our stampede as did Robert Taylor in Australia. Hollywood Reporter said they expect a confirmation in the very near future because they must start filming by March. There is also talk of 3 more episodes next year (it was 10 per season), so the writers are already busy. I think you can expect to be binging and buy lots of popcorn for Sept. Of course the Posse is on Netflix ALL the time with our gratitude for them believing in the program that has already paid off for them many times. If you look at the credits at the end of each show, it will show the actors that are given credit for the voice overs in both Spanish and French and now demands are being made in other countries. Not too shabby for a cancelled show that had 5 million fans THEN. We do NOT have the numbers yet, but Netflix does. Just goes to show you what 3 determined old ladies can do, now if they would just let us run the world. My platform is simple. 1)Only mothers can have positions to rule(they would never allow their child to go to war)2) naps every day 3)unlimited chocolate before major decisions and world affairs and 4) an entire global spraying of Valium or Prozac (depending on who wants to pick a cat fight)to calm down and get a grip and eat more chocolate. Simple.

hopefully Neftlix will take heed and continue with the show (which will be in their best interest, considering they will unleash the wrath of thousands of Maries otherwise !)

naps, chocolate, women leaders and mood altering drugs... lol...world peace at last

LOL Thanks Sangeeta, SO when I am competing for MISS Senior 60 and over, when asked the question of what would you do that change the world, I can use my platform for World peace? Damn, I came up with that answering you about Longmire, so I have to give you credit as well!! Rightly so. SO to answer about Longmire, and YOU I am telling, and NOT for publication, they have already asked the writers for the first 3 episodes for next year. Lou Diamond Phillips and Graham Greene are already in discussion with Robert Taylor and Kaytee Sackoff for time frame and other obligations, so it looks like this will happen. March is the target date to go back to New Mexico and start filming once Netflix gets every one under contract and the writer's with Craig Johnson get it all on board. So now you know. M

The decision that Talmadge made that made me a little crazy was not that initial one---it was his never ending pursuit of Delia. I understood it, given the fact thatn he "lost" his sister but I did find it a bit maddening.

(ps I've been watching all of the Longmire seasons to catch up and have just begun the last.)

Agree. especially because Angelina was neglected at times due of this obsession. but he was also trying to establish that connection FOR Angelina. also wished he had pursued a relationship with (forgot her name) Katherine middy.

Eileen, I am so glad you are loving Longmire and I hope I did not do any spoilers. I am passionate about this show because I have been a fan of the writer Craig Johnson for over 10 years, his books are fantastic. When people say, I hate Westerns, this is modern day Wyoming, not Bonanza or Gunsmoke. The actors are beyond real, they are us. They are flawed, needy and as Craig describes Walt, over weight, over depressed and over age. How can you not love someone that knows that and still will stand up to do his job? And Henry Standing Bear has been his life time friend. AND the motto is a Standing Bear does not run, neither will Walt. Regardless, he can put his boots under my bed any time. I should be so lucky.

I've thought about some other literary choices that troubled me (when the husband in the Good Earth took a concubine; when The Girl on the Train kept following the husband of the dead women; ALL the choices the woman made in House of Sand and Fog; Nick's decision to stay with his wife in Gone Girl)...and yet, they are all critical to moving the plot forward. it's hard to say if the author developed the plot as a consequence of the choice or if she devised the choice in order to get the plot to the place she wanted. The answer is probably different book to book.

Hey guys, Netflix just announced they picked up Longmire for season 5. Celebrate, the Posse and fans
got the job done! So get excited, and NOW we want 3 more per season, so see if the writers can do this.
Not bad for a bunch of old ladies and wonderful fans and Posse. We got it done again! Thank you everyone that stood with us to get Netflix to believe in this wonderful show.

yippee!

This comment is reminding me of the Geico commercial w/ the group of people in the horror movie all making the bad decisions and the announcer mentioning that people always choose to go into the haunted house or the torture chamber and in your post, Eileen, people in books are making really bad and seemingly obvious decisions for the sake of making the plot work out.