Chicks On Lit discussion

March's read is Miracle Creek! Get your hands on a copy now if you can and if Irene is ready I'm hoping we can start next week, the first week of March?

Thanks, everyone for participating, voting, and nominating. If this goes well we will do another one next month.

I will try to remember to look tonight so I can post a reading schedule tomorrow.

Yay! I was hoping that Miracle Creek would win. I have requested my copy from my library already, hopefully it will arrive in time.

Just checked it out from the library and I can't wait!

I read the first couple of pages yesterday, and I'm already into it!

Sorry it has taken me so long to get a schedule posted. I thought I had a copy at home, but didn't.
My electronic download does not have page numbers, so I can't tell you what page to read to. But, I can name sections.

March 1-10 Read Day 1 and 2 of the Trial
March 11-20 Discuss Day 1 and 2 of trial and Read Day 3 and 4 of the trial and ending
March 21-31 Discuss entire book

I originally had a slower schedule mapped out. But I was afraid it would drag the story. However, if this is too ambitious for people, let me know and we can slow down the pace.

That breakdown has my copy at page 157 by March 10 if that helps.

This book reads very quickly, I'm really into it!

Is 150 pages by March 10 good for everyone?

I tend to think I'll read faster than I actually do.... but I think that should work for me. It does read very quickly!

Ditto to what Jennifer said. I will try.

Perfect, I'm in.

Please don't do what I did and accidentally click on Ladies and Literature's discussion of this book, which is, by coincidence, their read for last month. The discussion popped up in my email feed (I belong to both groups) and was full of spoilers in just the second comment. Oops.

Oh Robin, that's a bummer! I hope you're still able to enjoy the book.

I'm loving it! I'm almost up to the end of the first chunk of reading. Maybe if I have a quiet lunch break today...

I am surprised how quickly this one reads. I started it yesterday and am well into Day 2. I don't think I will have any problem finishing that section to start the discussion tomorrow.

I know that the official discussion of Day 1 and 2 begins tomorrow, but any general thoughts from those who are reading it? Is it engaging you? Did you have difficulty getting into the story with all the character's voices? Are you more interested in any particular character's point of view?

Eh, no quiet lunch, maybe quiet bedtime??

It is very engaging. I don't mind stories that bounce around, usually I love them! (I have a goodreads' shelf dedicated to such books and most are highly rated). I haven't had a hard time keeping track of people when they're the POV, it's some of the other characters that get mentioned that are little fuzzier (Matt's family in particular).

I think everyone has something to hide, so I'm eager to see what secrets spill as the story gets told!

I usually don't like stories that bounce between narrators, but this one is not bothering me. I agree, there does seem to be a sense of hidden things in each of the major characters. One in particular has caught my attention. I am thinking that this character is going to have a reveal that is going to change the court case completely, or at least the reader's understanding of it. But, I don't want to be specific in case it should be a spoiler for someone. And, of course, it is just a hunch on my part, not a real spoiler.

Discussion for Day 1 and Day 2 sections of this book is open. Thoughts?
Be careful, if you have not read to the end of Day 2, there may be spoilers.


Well, the ending of Day 2 gave a twist I was not expecting. I did suspect that the cigarettes that Elizabeth found were Mary's. I even wondered if she was guilty of leaving a smoldering cigarette that sparked the explosion. But, I did not see the romance between Mary and Matthew. It makes me disgusted with him. I have absolutely no sympathy for an older person who flirts with and develops a romance with a minor. And, being a medical professional who has to have had professional lines drilled into his ethics training, I am even more disgusted that he would allow this to happen.

Anyone getting the impression that Elizabeth is not guilty of the spark? Is the real guilty party one of the protesters?

Any thoughts or reactions?

I saw Mary and Matt's relationship coming, though the Korean fetish thing was a little weird. I wasn't expecting other(s) to know about it, but I shouldn't be surprised (I'm also reading Anna Karenina at the same time, nothing like that stays secret!!).

I definitely don't think Elizabeth is the guilty person, but I'm not sure who is.

I'm loving this book! I can't wait to get back to it. I hadn't even heard of it before your nomination, so thanks!!

I was suspecting Mary of something, maybe a boyfriend in the woods, but I was not thinking Matthew. I sort of felt sorry for him initially, pressured by his in-laws, ashamed of his low spirm count, guilty that he can't give his wife a child. But, now I think he is a pig, an immature creep that should not have the responsibility associated with being a doctor.

I don't know that I feel sympathy for any of the characters. Maybe Mary. But everyone else has definite selfish streaks. Which I think makes them good characters and makes the book so interesting!

What do you think happened between Matt and Mary on her Birthday? She keeps referencing that awful day.

My guess would be that he made some sexual advance toward her, that it went further than she was comfortable with. What do you think?

Possibly that, or she found out she was pregnant? Those are my guesses.

Pregnancy would surprise me because this trial is a year after the explosion and she spent a significant period of time in the hospital immediately after the fire. I suppose that the trauma could have caused her to miscarry, but wouldn't that have come out to the mother when Mary was unconscious? Wouldn't the examination have revealed a recent pregnancy and wouldn't the mother have been asked about it? Of course, things in fiction often violate the laws of real life ever so slightly.

Hmm, good point.

How is everyone else doing with this book? Is the reading pace too fast? Are you engaged? Do you have any thoughts as we near the half way point?

I am going to catch up to you guys tomorrow and Friday. I just finished two other books for various book clubs so am a little behind. I will post my thoughts soon!! Can’t wait.

Looking forward to your thoughts, Melody.
I read Day 3 last night, so I am going to be more cautious about what I post. I don't want to get my days mixed up and end up posting a spoiler.

I just finished day 1 and 2. I really like how the author constructed this book. Having the accident narrated in 1st person by Young was such a great way to start the book. I am wondering how reliable a narrator Young really is. The story is compelling and court room scenes handled well. She always leaves us hanging, wanting to find out more.
I agree, at this point, Elizabeth isn't the arsonist, but am concerned with her placing the kids in certain beds in the hyperbaric unit. Hopefully, this will be explained. I think Elizabeth probably feels like she should be punished for her past behavior and feelings of relief that Henry died.
Matt is something else and was probably trying to hurt his wife, albeit unconsciously, when Mary became an easy target.
Anyway, so far so good, can't wait to find out protesters role, what Mary is going to say etc...

I like the way this author is handling the slow reveal and the conflicting evidence. Sometimes when this happens, I feel manipulated by the author. The author has a character start to say something multiple times, but is constantly interrupted. But, somehow, I don't feel manipulated here. I feel like I am in the middle of things, like maybe one of the jurors with some extra info, getting each person's perspective, each new bit of info being prompted by a new bit of evidence that person is confronted with.

As I am moving into Day 4, the sections are getting shorter and shorter. It is giving me a sense that the tension is increasing, that the events are becoming more critical.

I am way behind all of you, but not concerned. I like the book alot so far and any spoilers aren't going to bother me. My initial interest has been more from the standpoint of having taught severe/profound as well as autistic on many ability ranges. I can totally recognize the compulsion to try any diet, treatment etc as a means of trying to fix problems and behaviors. Sometimes these methods do show some progress in kids, but not nearly as often as parents hope. We try to be as supportive, encouraging, open minded and non-judgmental to what modalities they try. Sadly it seems that often parents of the youngest students are in a phase of denial and grasp at any resource they think will be a fix. And as the years go by and the gaps in developmental delays get wider, the reality sets in. Its kind of heartbreaking at times. Yet first and foremost parents are these kids best advocates - they will know and seek to find that balance between hope and reality.

Nancy, I was also impressed with the side issues that the author weaves into this book. She makes it so much more than a who-done-it. You have the alternative treatment controversy, the struggles of parents with severely disabled children, the immigrant story and more.

Yes!! And she does it in a very non-preachy manner. Not being didactic at all! There's lots here.

How do others feel about using this who-done-it to bring in other social issues? Does it distract or enhance from the novel? Is there one issue that interests you or that you think she is handling better than others?

I agree, it's a very interesting take on a murder mystery or is it an interesting take on family drama? I think I expected more about the struggles of families and oh yeah, by the way, it explodes, but it's actually been the other way around to me. I've been surprised so far that I haven't encountered any of the anti-immigrant talk of their new-agey treatment from overseas. I figured that would be at the forefront, too. I was shocked when I realized that the Youngs were not the ones on trial. Partly because I know they're lying, but also it seems like as the owners and the treatment providers, they would be the first suspects that they had done something wrong (like leave the building unmonitored while in use... oh, right.....)

I haven't started reading the rest of the book yet, I probably will in the next day or so. Can't wait to see where it goes!!

I think the severe injuries suffered by Pak and Mary rushing toward to the fire, trying to rescue people took suspicion off of them. And, the surviving adults testified that Pak was in the control room; he talked to them over the intercom.

I think the background issues really add to the story. I really felt the frustration, jealousy and competition between the kids' mothers. I could relate to the family dynamic Young felt when she was being left out. Here she had worked her tail off when she first came to the US and her daughter resented her and her husband expected her to become a complacent follower of his orders when he finally re-joined the family. Overall, I think the first half of the book is really well done.

I was surprised by the absence of fathers in the families with the disabled children. Do you think that Kim was making a statement by leaving them out or was it just expedient, to minimize the field of characters?

I did not notice this until it was pointed out somewhere else but the first section of the book is the only one in the first person, Young's narration. Did beginning the book with Young's own voice then switching to the 3rd person do anything for you as a reader?

I, too, have wondered where the dads are. I've got a healthy 2 year old at home and I couldn't do it by myself, I can't even imagine the stress and burdens on parents with a child with disabilities. My guess is that it's just easier to not have them around as they wouldn't necessarily add to the story.

I didn't notice the change in POV, either!

I debated about weighing in on this, but again as a teacher of severe profound, I wouldn't say its common. But disabilities such as that in children put a tremendous strain on an entire family much less a marriage. No offense to fathers intended, but logically which parent has an easier time walking away? I saw many broken families. Women are expected to stick around for their children. If not broken families, then the parenting usually falls on the mother because Dad is busy being the extreme breadwinner because he can't afford to lose a job and lose insurance where a medically fragile child is concerned. Example being, even with intact families, Mom was always present at IEP meetings and fathers only if they were available... None of this is to say there haven't been many inspirational families in my tenure.

That was Elizabeth's back story, so I wondered if Kim was trying to make a point about the extra burden carried by mothers. It is interesting that the mothers are depicted as the almost the head of the family pretty consistently. Young settles her family in this new country and culture making the hard sacrifices while allowing Pak to feel as if he is the boss. The mothers are single-handedly navigating the care of their severely disabled children, even when we are told that the father is still part of the family unit. Janine sets the agenda and leads Matthew each step of the way. I wonder if Kim did this intentionally or if it is just part of her imaginative world that it came out on the page.

Hmm. Intent is a good question. And if it was intentional rather than coincidental, where and how had the author come to that idea.

Even if unintended, why would it be her default imaginative world?

Yes. Has she had some personal experience or observed friends with this family dynamic?

It is March 20, the date to open the entire book to discussion.
If you have not finished, be aware that there might be spoilers ahead.

What did you think of the book? Were you surprised by the ending? by the final actions of any of the characters?

I haven't finished yet, so I skipped over the last few posts to avoid possible spoilers. I'm at the end of day 3 and Matt's suspicions about the possible arsonist are suspicions I have also had for a while now.

I can't recall who Matt suspected at the end of Day 3. Once I finish a book like this, I find that things start to blur together.

(view spoiler)[ that either his wife or Mary set it (hide spoiler)]

OK, thanks for the reminder. Won't say more.

I finished last night. I really liked this one! And I hadn't heard of it before the nomination.

(view spoiler)[ I wasn't surprised that Mary was the arsonist, but I was surprised that Pak set it up. He knew people were still inside, he knew how deadly it could be. It seems like he could have set up the protesters in a way that wouldn't actually risk lives.

I was surprised Elizabeth committed suicide. I understood her desire to plead guilty by the end, she knew the torture that could be inflicted on her friends by dragging this out.

Do we feel like she was abusing Henry? I was glad to see her decide to quit everything by the end and try to let him just be a boy.

So the one thing I didn't get was why Matt wasn't prosecuted for sexual assault of a minor? If it had only been a year since the incident, they were well within the statute of limitations. (hide spoiler)]