Rhonda > Recent Status Updates

Writing reminds me (just southern lady voices?) of Grady Hendrix’s Southern Women’s Book Club Guide to Slaying Vampires. Also a bit of Emma Straub (this time tomorrow).

I could keep going but book club has passed. The middle section is honestly like reading a nightmare for me. I researched to spoil the end. These are impressive people. I’m a little confused how this author was able to become a NYT bestselling author using someone else’s incredibly detailed story. Were the autobiographies just poorly written in England?

“It seemed possible that you could’ve been the first.” - to sail a certain distance. To have a particular experience.

I think if anyone is conservative, they should not read this book.

Structure. Almost like chapters, chapter titles. Sometimes goes to a different character’s perspective - like Hetta and her cop husband. But so late in the story.

What is the desperation for Jarvis - she just loves to make cookies so Hetta will like her and she’ll get to hang with the baby

Two haunted women. “I will always be haunted by what I did”

What do we make of her real belief in Flora? Is it a manifestation of her trauma somehow? Is that a prejudiced view on my part?

Is any of this stream of consciousness writing? Not exactly but the topics feel not really connected except by thoughts in her head.

My goodness. Some sections are so long. Would editing more out have changed the piece?

Some really beautiful lines. “Time folded in on itself, as it does when one works alone”

I hope no one in our book club was recently touched by death because this character is obsessed with death.

“How could I possibly have stepped into such a golden life?”

First 5% is like a Coen Brothers fever dream and it felt hard for me to get my footing. Once you make it to 10% I felt a little bit more solidly rooted in the story.

Interesting how she said, “I managed to not go mad,” either in jail or perhaps it was solitary. She read the books imprinted on her mind.

“Knowing you had been like coming in from the cold, lonely road to find a warm fire and a table laid. So thank you for that, Theodore.”

So sad - how she pushed Fiona away so it wouldn’t hurt as much if she lost her. But what about the hurts from their present life? 😢

“You know I am tall on the inside.”

Is she going to get Basam sued? 😩

Why do audiobook readers pronounce Re: as “ray”

Why didn’t she tell her daughter why she did not attend Dan’s funeral?

So entitled. Why is she asking Basam for the lady’s address when clearly she decided she did not want to be reached

I’m triggered by the service professional emails where Sybil is trying to audit the class.

Her feelings as an adopted child connected to Mary Poppins 😢

“Better to leave the past within the past, jf you ask me.”

“Wisps of burned paper bumped around inside the fireplace like frightened black butterflies… Sitting in father’s large leather chair, I fought back tears, feeling my happy days were burning away with the girl.“

“Before we left the store, we had the friendly clerk pack an extra cow horn in a small box for mother. When mother asked where it came from, we would tell her it was given to us by a passing cow.” Little adventures with father ❤️

Look at your father, I understand why the mother would suggest this. But what is the next instruction to ling?

The part where she’s learning to haggle and manipulate for food is like her Batman training sequence.

“You are two melons on the same vine.“ - mother regarding daughter/father.

Perspective - she is so confused. Why would Niu call her his enemy? The red guard seems so vicious. However, it’s making me think that it is stemming from the cult-like leader and deep anger at class difference.

“I might be able to take you with me.” Swimming across the river to Hong Kong. Niu loves her like a sister 🥹

So sweet- she and Niu hooked pinkies to promise they would not share the secret of listening to American folk songs on the radio. He takes her parents’ attention, resources (food) so he is more like a brother now. 😢