East of Eden by John Steinbeck

This book was chosen as our "classic" read to discuss at our annual Christmas party. Judy was the hostess, and everyone brought a dish to share.

The vast majority of our group loved this book. A few chose not to read it because of previous not-so-good experiences with other Steinbeck books (like The Grapes of Wrath), but we believed this book to be much superior to his other books we've read in the past. We had a lively discussion (as always!) and would recommend this book to others. Here are some discussion comments:

• We love Lee, his story, his wisdom, and his affection for his "family". We appreciated his influence on Cal, and his exchanges with Sam.
• We also like Sam's enduring influence on his family and on his entire community.
• Great character development.
• Unanswered question: Were any of the priest's interactions with Aron inappropriate?
• We discussed the theme of the book which was about the struggle between good and evil. It parallels the biblical story of Cain and Abel, and the main characters even had the initials A and C (Adam and Charles, Aron and Cal, Abra and Cathy).
• "very well written:
• "interesting characters"
• "very dark"; "too much death and murder"
• "no redeeming characters"
• "loved this book"
• We discussed the final word in the book which was uttered by Adam to Cal after much encouragement from Lee. "Timshel" is a concept that crosses many cultures and religions. It means that individuals may choose to be good or evil and their behavior is not a predestination or in response to a command from God. it is always a matter of choice that we, as individuals, can make despite any past behaviors or family heritage.

Every year at our Christmas party, each member brings a paperback book wrapped in a way to provide a hint to its title. Here is a list of this year's book exchanges:

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George - given by Pat S. & rec'd by Pat D.

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown - given by Judy & rec'd by Diane

A Spool of Blue Thread by Ann Tyler - given by Kelly & rec'd by Missy

Sisters One, Two, Three by Nancy Star - given by Kristi & rec'd by Carol W.

A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy - given by Lori & rec'd by Kelly

Free Days with George, One Very Big Dog by Colin Campbell - given by Carol W. & rec'd by Kristi

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd - given by Barb & rec'd by Lori

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd - given by Missy & rec'd by Judy

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Bachman - given by Diane & rec'd by Pat S.

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Bachman - given by Pat D. & rec'd by Carol McQ

The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan - given by Carol McQ & rec'd by Barb