A Drift of Quills for March 2017

This month we Quills are sharing about some of our favorite reads. I wonder what Robin and Parker came up with. Read on to find out!

Robin Lythgoe, author of As the Crow Flies, has something for us. Here goes . . .

I so enjoy doing our regular “Books We Love” posts! Do I pull one of the (usually older) books off my library shelves? Or do I choose something (usually newer) from my e-reader? I love revisiting my favorite books—and I love exploring new ones! Decisions, decisions . . .
 
You’ll be happy to know I made one.

What did Robin choose? Find out here.

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P.S. Broaddus is the author of A Hero's Curse.

Today our group is writing about books we love. I had to wrestle with what to recommend. I just finished Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt and the ever phenomenal Sarah Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan. But today I'm especially excited to get to recommend Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner.

Read on to find out more here.

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In truth, posts about “books we love” are a bit difficult for me. This is due to two oddly co-existing—yet seemingly entirely contrary—truths: (1) there are so many I love; and (2) it is so difficult to find one that I love. How is this possible?
 
There are numerous changes going on in the publication world, which means that one cannot always have a sense of certainty in advance as to whether a book will be worth the time and expense. Still, there is so much out there to read! So, I’m going to step back in time.
 
In truth, the books that most often stick with me, are those deemed to be classics. I’ve always believed that most of the classics are identified as such for a reason. For me, that reason is that there is something lasting about each of the tales—something that sticks with me. The message that I take away may not be the message the author initially intended, but there you have it! For example:

with Les Miserables, it is the beauty of self-sacrifice; 

for Tess of D’ubervilles, it is the bitter result that may come as the consequence of sheer happenstance, when a note intended to be delivered in time, instead slips under a rug, only to be discovered a long time later (and “too late”);

with The Count of Monte Cristo, it is the almost fairytale-like feel of a prison escape and the discovery of a fortune; 

with Great Expectations, it is the hatred Miss Havisham holds for men and how she passes that on to an innocent child who suffers as a result;

with Crime and Punishment, it is the darkness of a society and the workings of a man’s conscience; 

and with Pride and Prejudice (and for that matter, all Jane Austen tales), it is the inner-workings of interpersonal relationships in closely knit communities of a particular age. Each of these tales left a permanent mark on my memory. 

Thus, I’ve decided to go with one of them this time around.
 
I think I’ve read pretty much all of Edith Wharton’s works. I find her renditions of the peculiarities of high society in the early 20th century, intriguing. One I found particularly compelling was The House of Mirth. 

Following “poor-rich” Lily Bart, who had only been taught one thing—how to be beautiful—mesmerized me. When Lily loses both parents and is an orphan without a fortune, she finds herself at the mercies of friends and relatives. Men want something from her, women hate her for her availability and beauty, and she deems it impossible to find a future with her soul mate because they would be without economic resources. Lily experiences advances she feels are violations, and her friends’ rejections. Eventually, she must find work—but with few skills, she does not do well. In the end, the reader may be left wondering: was her death accidental, or a suicide?

Here is an interesting article on the subject:  http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/21/books/21wharton.html.

​Knowing Lily’s story helps me appreciate the changes in our society. I’ve seen many of them—my daughters will benefit significantly from them. For that, I’m eternally grateful.
 
So, what are your favorite tales?