Discourse in a Digital Age discussion

I had a lot of time to read this book last week sitting in the hospital with my mother. She is home now and doing OK.

The book was very apropos. As my mother watched the Hurricane Florence coverage on the TV from her hospital bed, I was reading this story about people waiting for and then undergoing Hurricane Katrina.

I also thought that this book could never be a movie because few people would feel sympathy for the boys after watching them sic their dogs on other dogs in dog fights. I felt sympathy for the boy, Skeetah, because I could imagine, although not condone, how love for the dog, China, could be mixed with traditional attitudes about dog fighting (also cock fighting and bull fighting) and somehow allow the boy to inflict pain on the dog like that and to breed and cultivate violence in the dog and yet, to still love the dog.

The story of Esch was a sad story of a young woman who has not learned self respect, but gains some by the end.

Finished the book yesterday on the plane home to StL from Colorado, and did not want the story to end. My initial reaction to the dogfighting was like Cheryl's, but I have to admit I started to 'accept' the violence as I focused on Skeetah's passionate love for China, and the dynamics of the boys' relationship. Great immersive account of the hurricane, and in the end a great story about family & community bonds.

See you all tonight again, finally! It'll be interesting discussing the book as a hurricane heads towards Florida. I was hot and sticky the whole time I read this book. The heat and humidity really came through the writing.

I’ll see everyone tonight. The looming hurricane had such a strong presence in the book. Such a small, focused, sad, beautiful slice of life.

What is iour new book? for November?

It is Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart.

A great story, read it last yr. We missed you this month, Teresa -- did you two have a great time in Paris?

How do we add Zack, (our new leader) to this list? I want to suggest a few titles to him. Also, has anyone read "All the Birds in the Sky" by Charlie Jane Anders? Very good cross-genre story.

Lucy wrote: "A great story, read it last yr. We missed you this month, Teresa -- did you two have a great time in Paris?"

We had a wonderful time. I will bring pictures.

I bet Zack will start another group since it’s a different name/focus. I would email him titles because he might have already finalized.