I had quite a few reasons for wanting to read the postmistress by sarah blake. Recent examples on the web his mother, angela salvi gimondi, was the towns postmistress. Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of berkley books. Jan 11, 2011 richard and judy talk to sarah blake about her new book the postmistress. Postmistress, brunswick west, melbourne urbanspoonzomato. Dec 24, 2009 sarah is the author of the novels, grange house, the bestselling the postmistress, and the guest book forthcoming. Copies of the books are available for a 10day loan, or book club members may purchase them at a discount from the corner shelf bookstore by calling 5408254411 or by visiting. In this day and age of modern technology imagine, if you can, the days of snail mail. Below is a list of book club selections from years past.
The postmistress is a tale of three unforgettable women, of lost innocence, of what happens to love when those we cherish leave us. The postmistress by sarah blake book club discussion. They all agreed the main protagonist was frankie bard and that the postmistress postmaster. I adored the help and was bored by the postmistress. Please put your comments for the postmistress book club discussion questions in the comments area below. What part does complacency play in the postmistress. Howard norman, author of the bird artist and devotion great books give you a feeling that you miss all day until you finally get to crawl back inside those pages again. Iris james is the postmistress and spinster of franklin, massachusetts, a small town on cape cod. Matheson memorial library offers two book discussion groups. The postmistress by sarah blake, book club notes penguin books. The postmistress book whatcom county library system.
You can get the paperback book of the postmistress here. Most of the townspeople of franklin think the war cant touch them. I am in the process of launching a new website that. Frankies tale lingered in my mind long after i turned the last page. My online book club planned on discussing in for april. Please join us in the postmistress book club discussion questions. Postmistress is a rustic italian eatery with a great mix of dishes. On the eve of the united statess entrance into world war ii in 1940, iris james, the postmistress of franklin. Everyones secrets pass through her hands, but iris, a 40yearold virgin, reveres the ethical standards her position confers, order imposed on the chaos. Any page references refer to a usa edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions. Or if you would like, listen to it for free with an audible trial from amazon.
On the eve of the united statess entrance into world war ii in 1940, iris james, the postmistress of franklin, a small town on cape cod, does the unthinkable. This book was compared to the help, but if the help is a study in character development, then this book is a study in lack of development. The wireless crackles with news of blitzedout london and of the war that. The postmistress book san francisco public library. The postmistress book club discussion questions arlenes. The hard cover copy of this book has 318 pages so it is not a long book but it does capture the time period and is well written. Postmistress definition is a woman who is a postmaster. The postmistress by sarah blake reading guidebook club.
The service reminds me of places like doc a little too relaxed and inconsistent for some melbournians, but while you might wait 15 minutes for a drinks menu and on a friday night that was almost a deal breaker, your waiter will be lovely and notice when your second round. The postmistress book charlotte mecklenburg library. I find it a big responsibility to chose a book for a wide range of people to read the pressure is on to find something that hopefully everyone will enjoy or get something out of in some way. Last week my book club met for the discussion of the postmistress by sarah blake. The setting for this novel takes place in the fall of 1940.
I could not tell who was who until the names were used. The postmistress belongs in what gellhorn called the permanent and necessary library. It is a story of how a number of lives across the waters can all cross over etc. When frankie returns to america, she finds it impossible to grasp that people are calmly going about their lives while war rages in europe. The page turners meet the first wednesday of the month at 6. Jul 02, 2019 the postmistress is available now through harlequin mira and where all good books are sold. Feb 01, 2011 the postmistress is not the main protagonist in this tale, the roving reporter heads the cast of characters and after finishing the novel, i would have renamed it the correspondent. Those who carry the truth sometimes bear a terrible weight it is 1940. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. The postmistress is not the main protagonist in this tale, the roving reporter heads the cast of characters and after finishing the novel, i would have renamed it the correspondent. Third thursday of every month at 10 am or 4 pm join us each month to discuss the most recent book club selection. Sarah blake has brought smalltown american life and ravaged europe during wwii to us with cinematic immediacy. Would you recommend this book to a friend or another book club to read.
Find out which are the most popular books by watching the book club special on tuesday 19. Sarah is the author of the novels, grange house, the bestselling the postmistress, and the guest book forthcoming. The postmistress book club kit saint paul public library. Adelaide greaves and her young son have found sanctuary in the australian town of maidens creek, where she works as a postmistress. Postmistress definition of postmistress by merriamwebster. On the eve of the united statess entrance into world war ii in 1940, iris james, the postmistress of franklin, a small.
The postmistress book las vegasclark county library. Discuss the significance of the martha gellhorn quote at the beginning of the book. Iris knows more about the townspeople than she will ever say, and believes her job is to deliver secrets. Thank you marimarg dec 14, 2014 the postmistress is a well crafted novel set during wwii. About this book those who carry the truth sometimes bear a terrible weight it is 1940. Filled with stunning parallels to todays world, the postmistress is a sweeping novel about the loss of innocence of two extraordinary womenand of two. A novel about past mistakes and betrayals that ripple throughout generations, the guest book examines not just a privileged american family, but a privileged america. What stance towards war, and of telling a war story does this reveal. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. Feb 01, 2010 iris james is postmistress for the town of franklin on the tip of cape cod. Through their eyes, and the eyes of everyday people caught in historys tide, it examines how stories are told, and how the fact of war is borne even through. The characters were a little flat and unremarkable. She lives in washington dc with her husband, the poet joshua weiner, their two sons, and a little white dog.
I have attempted to read this book and was quickly confused by the characters metamorphosing into the other. The postmistress by sarah blake reading group guide. Sarah blake has coaxed forth a book that hits hard and pushes buttons expertly. It is not a great book, but it is a good book with an interesting story. The rough victorian goldmining settlement is a hard place for a woman especially as the other women in town dont know what to make of her but through force of will and sheer necessity, adelaide carves out a role. The postmistress, its cover emblazoned with a glowing blurb from the helps kathryn stockett, will likely be snapped up by book clubs. The postmistress book chicago public library bibliocommons. While war is raging in europe, in the united states president roosevelt promises he wont send american boys over to fight. Having read the large print edition, the postmistress by sarah blake qualifies for book over 500 pages in another book club. Murrow, frankie bard meets a cape cod doctor in a shelter and promises that shell deliver a letter for him when she finally returns to the united states. Filled with stunning parallels to todays world, the postmistress is a sweeping novel about the loss of innocence of two extraordinary womenand of two countries torn apart by war. In 1940, iris james is the postmistress in coastal franklin, massachusetts. How does it inform your reading of the postmistress. Thanks to harlequin mira 15 of our beauty and lace club members will be reading the postmistress so please be aware there may be spoilers in the comments below.
Postmistress 71 melville rd, brunswick west 9381 1585. I did consider trying it in audio but my library did not carry it. Being used for a book club, please renew until the end of september. Letters of love, telegrams of loss the postmistress awaits them all. Apr 18, 2017 vote in the book clubs five of the best for your chance to win one of three fabulous prize packs. Theres both exquisite pain and pleasure to be found in these pages, which jump from the mass devastation in europe to the intimate heartaches of an american small town. Book questions and reading guidesdiscussion guides for book clubs more than 500 printable reading guides for exceptional books. It would make suitable reading group material and i shall recommend it to our book club. The postmistress book club kit hennepin county library.
Those who carry the truth sometimes bear a terrible burden. Did you think this book was well written and at times did you feel yourself there. It moves between england under fire and the usa which has not yet entered the war. It examines how we tell each other stories how we bear the fact that that war is going on at the same time as ordinary lives continue. The postmistress book washington county cooperative. The postmistress is a new perspective on a world war ii story and a book that combines strong characters and currentsounding events. The postmistress is an unforgettable tale of the secrets we must bear, or bury.
Experience world war 2 through the eyes of two very different women in this captivating new york times bestseller by the author of the guest book. The postmistress sarah blake, 2010 penguin group usa 326 pp. Andre dubus iii, author of house of sand and fog the postmistress is the fictional communique readers have waited for. Imagine the only news of the world you receive is on a radio broadcast if you are lucky enough to even have a radio, or from a newspaper. It examines how we tell each other storieshow we bear the fact that that war is going on at the same time as ordinary lives continue. The postmistress is the book i chose for our book club this month and i honestly dont know what reactions i am going to get at our discussion next week. The postmistress experience world war 2 through the eyes of two very different women in this captivating new york times bestseller by the author of the guest book.
137 1138 1268 1533 118 376 1044 1298 639 485 55 1088 740 732 1455 978 1061 1529 1530 360 703 1404 1521 543 200 343 858 1443 379 133 1028 196 537 967 1200 954 439 1387 1234 405 457 680 872 126 1088 405 115