Quiet Saturday night ahead of Tuesday book club meeting.

Montclair Book Center, Montclair NJ.

"If anyone is really determined to lend you a book, you never can get out of it!"

The best part of this book is the cover.

Beyond that, this was an utterly forgettable novel of a dysfunctional Southern family. I think Crouch was going for quirky in some ways, but it fell flat. And the protagonist is very difficult to like. My favorite character was the step-father who was buffoon-like, but at least seemed realistic. Still, something kept me reading, so I'll give it a lackluster (but generous) 3 stars.

A beautifully written memoir about Danticat's extraordinary family and their deep capacity for love and survival. Moving from conflict-ridden Haiti to the US, and going back and forth in time, the many threads of her story are expertly woven into a portrait of enduring hope and faith, even in the midst of death and loss. It's incredibly moving, and I cried through about the last 20 pages of it.

1. Anne Eliot from Persuasion (I want that letter!!!). 2. Book: Heart of Darkness Movie: Airplane! 3. A nice bottle of red wine. 🍷 4. @Chellebearss @SusanJ67 @Crazymamie @rosalita

"It occurs to me that, just as the Carthaginians hired mercenaries to do their fighting for them, we Americans bring in mercenaries to do our hard and humble work. I hope we may not be overwhelmed one day by people's not too proud or too lazy or too soft to bend to the earth and pick up the things we eat."

Audio read by Gary Sinise. So good.

Good entry. So-so mystery but I love the characters.

Going to hear Danticat speak on "The Art of Immigration" in a couple of weeks at NYPL.