Chestnut
Hill Meeting
Forum on Books, May 13, 2001
The following books were recommended at the Forum on Books on May 13, 2001. They are listed in no particular order.
The Hours, Michael Cunningham. Inspired by Virginia Wolff. (Jackie Fields)
A Home At the End of the World, Michael Cunningham. (Jackie and Shirley Philips)
Girl in Hyacinth Blue, Susan Vreeland. Fictionalized story of a Vermeer painting, tracing back its impact on those who owned it, beginning with a Nazi family who stole it from a Jewish family. (Ann Jones)
Girl With a Pearl Earring, Tracy Chevalier. Fictionalized story of a serving girl in Vermeer's household who was the model for the painting. (Phil Jones, Roberta Foss)
Islam and the Destiny of Man, Charles LeGai Eaton. "The best book I've read on Islam. Makes the similarities (and differences) with Quakerism quite clear. Very well written." (John Gallery)
Conversations with God, Book 1, Neale Donald Walsch. "I did not expect to like this book, but I find that I do and that his ideas about God are also similar to Quakers." (John)
The Spirituality of the Body, Alexender Lowen. "Lowen is a bioenergetic psychologist. His books are great. This is an old book and maybe hard to find. 'When the spirit moves through the body it quivers with excitement and bounds with enthusiasm.'" (John)
The Prodigal Son, Henry Nouwen. The author is a Dutch Catholic priest. The book is about how a Rembrandt painting changed his life. (Bill Shields)
The Bear Went Over the Mountain, William Kotzwindle (author of ET). Bill was warned not to read this on a plane because he would be laughing out loud. He did both. (Bill)
East of the Mountains, David Guterson. By the author of Snow Falling on Cedars, this book is the story of a physician dying of cancer who travels through eastern Washington State, intending to commit suicide disguised as a hunting accident. (Terry Foss)
Jihad vs McWorld, Benjamin Barber. About two tendencies in conflict, one being religious groups coming together as cults and leaving the world. The other is the globalization of the world through global enterprises, such as McDonald's. (Terry)
No Boundary, Ken Wilbur. Eastern and Western approaches to personal growth. Written in 1979, new edition 2001. (Jackie)
God is at Eye Level, Jan Phillips. Book of photographs and Jan Phillip's philosophy of photography. (Roberta and Terry)
Headlong, Michael Frayn. Another book related to painting, this one about Peter Bruegel the Elder. (Deb DeVries)
Snowflake, Paul Gallico. A children's book. (Deb)
Quarantine, Jim Crace. Set in the desert near the Dead Sea in 30 AD. Jesus and others in the desert. (Deb)
Faith in Action, Jonathan Dale. British Yearly Meeting on their social testimony. (Trude Fuchs)
Pursuit of the Proper Stranger, Elizabeth George. Mystery. (Jackie)
Souls of Black Folk, W.E.B. DuBois, 1903. Describes what happened to the freed slaves and how they tried to cope when they left the plantations at the end of the Civil War. Discusses the reality of the social climate of that time. The book also covers DuBois' argument with Booker T. Washington over the issues of how Blacks should be educated. (Shirley Philips)
The Clown, Heinrich Böll. Set in post WWII Germany. A clown who is a symbolic figure who insists on the truth, subsequently destroying his life. (Shirley)
Cold Mountain, Frazier. Story of a returning Civil War soldier and the parallel story of the struggles of his wife who is waiting for his return. (Charlie Philips)
A Toad for Tuesday. A children's book from the 60's or 70's, reprinted. Nice message for 6 to 8-year-olds. (Meg Mitchell)
Prodigal Summer, Barbara Kingsolver (author of Poinsonwood Bible). Set in the Appalachian Mountains. Celebrates life and death. (Meg)
Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver. Eileen Flanagan.
Where the Wild Things Are, Max and the Chocolate Chicken, A Name for God. (Christie Duncan-Tessmer)
The Red Tent. Written from the perspective of Dinah, whose 12 brothers became the tribes of Israel. (Christie)
The Missing Piece Meets the Big O, Shel Silverstein (Jackie)
Noah's Ark, M.B. Goffstein. (Ann Jones, mentioned by Phil in 1999)
Goldie the Doll Maker and Fish for Breakfast. (Ann)
Into the Land of White Death, Russian author. Set in late 1700s or early 1800s. A true account, based on the diary of a seafarer who was on a ship that was stuck in ice in the North Sea for a year and a half. He and several companions then walked out; three of them survived. There is a forward by Jim Krakower, author of Into Thin Air. (Sue)
Into Thin Air and Into the Wild, both by Jim Krakower. (Roberta)
The Ritual Bath, Faye Kellerman. One of the Peter Decker, Rena Lazarus series. (Bill)
Note:
If you missed the Forum, or have other books to sugggest,
send the information to Terry Foss at [email protected].