Historical Fiction Annotation - Caroline: Little House Revisited

Basic Info:

Title: Caroline: Little House, Revisited

Author: Sarah Miller

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publication Date: September 19, 2017

Number of Pages: 367

Geographic Setting: Wisconsin, Kansas; Frontier

Time Period: 1870-1871

Series: None; however, it could be considered a companion read to the Laura Ingalls Wilder “Little House” series.

Plot Summary:

Like a slice of hasty pudding straight from the Laura Ingalls Wilder “Little House” series, this novel is told from Caroline Ingalls’ (Ma’s) perspective as the family of four travel by wagon from their cozy home and loving relatives in Wisconsin for new opportunities in the unsettled “Indian Territory” of Kansas in 1870.

For most of the story, it’s an uphill battle. They nearly lose their belongings and their lives when they try to cross a swollen creek in their wagon. They withstand a pack of wolves surrounding their half-finished cabin at night. They survive a prairie fire, the plague and multiple unnerving visits by the Osage Indians. Many of these stories are familiar to what readers know from Wilder’s “Little House” series, but what is new in this book is access to Caroline’s innermost thoughts and feelings.

Outwardly, “Ma” is the loving parent and obedient wife full of patience, understanding and too many “Whatever you say, Charles’” to count. Inwardly, her heart is broken to leave her parents and siblings. She is fearful of delivering her baby alone on the Kansas prairie. She misses her pantry, stove and her rocking chair. She is secretly angry at Charles for putting the family in danger in Indian Territory.  She is sometimes jealous that he can get away from the daily chores at the homestead and can go out and make friends. Above all – she is lonely and at one point she “…could not help but wonder whether Charles and the girls would be enough.”

Slowly, struggles become interspersed with happier moments. When baby Carrie is born and a new neighbor comes to help. When Charles makes Caroline a new rocking chair, even better than the last. When Mr. Edwards saves Christmas. When glass windowpanes are installed. And those stolen moments between Charles and Caroline in the middle of the night. Caroline begins to love her little house and life on the Kansas open prairie with her garden full of plants grown from Wisconsin seeds. But just as the Ingalls really begin to settle in and make Kansas “home,” news comes from afar that upends their lives once more.

Characteristics of Historical Fiction

Pacing/Length: At 367 pages, “Caroline” is a longer book with unhurried pacing. More time is spent describing Caroline’s inner reflections than on action scenes, especially for the first 1/3 of the book. This is consistent with many historical fiction novels as “…the necessity of creating the detailed background often makes these books slow-starting, although the pacing may pick up midway” (Saricks, 2009, p. 297).

Frame/Setting: Adhering to what Saricks (2009) indicates are historical fiction fan desires to “learn about historical events, or characters or the life and customs in another time,” this novel offers a strong sense of place in the unsettled territories and pioneer life of the 1870s. From the sizzle of salt pork on a hot griddle, to the sharp points of a corset poking ribs, to the clothes drying on the tall prairie grasses, and even honoring the Sabbath as a day of rest, the reader learns much about pioneer life, especially from a woman’s perspective.

Characterization: Most readers will already be familiar with the Ingalls family from Wilder’s “Little House” books and the syndicated television show, so to sway too far from the characters’ known personalities and mannerisms would have been a death sentence for this book. Thankfully, Miller does a very nice job of staying true to the likeable characters and their quirks, and complements Caroline’s character with what readers might have already imagined are her “real” thoughts and feelings.

Readers May Also Enjoy (Fiction):

O Pioneers! by Willa Cather

Like “Caroline” this story has a strong sense of place and a female main character enduring the hardships of pioneer life. While Caroline experiences the travails of life on the Kansas Frontier (a/k/a “Indian Territory”), Alexandra forges a farm on the Nebraska Frontier after the loss of her father.

The Diary of Mattie Spenser by Sandra Dallas

While “Caroline” is told in third person, Mattie’s story is in first person through her personal journal. Both stories offer insight to a pioneer woman’s thoughts as she travels into new territory via covered wagon. For Caroline, it is Kansas; for Mattie it’s Colorado.

Readers May Also Enjoy (Nonfiction):

American Grit: A Woman’s Letters from the Ohio Frontier by Anna Briggs Bentley

A collection of letters sent by Anna Briggs Bentley over 50 years to her family back in Maryland after she, her husband, and six children carve out a new life on the Ohio frontier in the 1820’s and beyond.

Prairie Fires: the American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Caroline Fraser

Using primary resources such as letters, manuscripts, and financial records, Fraser tells the biographical stories of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her daughter, Rose.

REFERENCE 

Saricks, J. G. (2009). The readers advisory guide to genre fiction. Chicago: American Library Association.

RA Based on Tattoos?

I saw this interesting little tidbit on the American Libraries Magazine website. Readers' Advisory based on a patron tattoos?! Why not?!

https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2018/03/01/inked-readers-advisory/

My Very First Book Club Experience

Book Club: Thursday Afternoon Book Discussion Group

Location: Brownsburg Public Library

Date: 3/1/2018, 1:00 

Book Discussed: Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth

This is embarrassing to admit as an MLS student – but, until a few weeks ago, I’d never been to a Book Club. For two years, I’ve worked in a library where 4 different books clubs meet each month, so I have no excuse. This assignment gave me the opportunity to attend a book club – and here’s what happened…

As I was walking in, carrying homemade chocolate chip cookies still warm from the oven (since I was invading their book club, it was the least I could do), a little white-haired lady nearly ran me down in the parking lot. I stopped, let her pass, and went on my way.

The Thursday Afternoon Book Discussion Group meets in the Brownsburg Public Library’s Board Room, which is a medium-sized room with a square table that comfortably seats 10. My colleague, Stacy, runs this Book Club and she greeted me when I came in, introduced me and told the group that I would be observing. They all smiled and nodded in greeting – especially after I whipped out the cookies. Everyone seemed to know one another and the atmosphere was relaxed and friendly. There were bottles of water on the table and Reese’s Peanut Butter hearts, in addition to my cookies.

I took a seat at the end of the table and was getting settled in when in walked the white-haired lady who almost ran me over! I was glad I didn’t give her the “what for” out in the parking lot, because….AWKWARD. She sat down beside me. She was actually very nice and funny. There were a total of 6 Book Club members, not including Stacy or myself. The group consisted of Gisa, Ed, Wendy, Dinah, Nancy, and Sharon. I knew this because Stacy had made name table tents for everyone.  I estimate that the ages ranged from late 40s to late 60s.

Stacy opened up the Book Club by asking everyone’s thoughts on the book. Each person had the opportunity to speak. Ed spoke to how the Nuns in the book reminded him of when he was a young boy in Catholic school and that the dock scenes reminded him of when he worked the docks in London – how dreary it was (Ed was a talker, but Stacy did a good job of wrangling him in.) More than one person commented on Conchita, the lady who had 25 children. Conchita came up a few times again later, usually with a shaking of the head, a bewildered look, and the phrase, “Twenty five children!”

Stacy told the group that the character, Chummy, was actually a fictional character. She asked the group what they thought of that, considering the book was classified as non-fiction. No one really had an opinion on that. Everyone seemed okay with it. (Everyone except me, that is. I didn’t say anything because I wasn’t completely through the book yet, but Chummy was one of my favorite characters so far and I was bummed she wasn’t real. I felt cheated. Not James Frey cheated, but still…)

Stacy then asked the group if they each had a favorite Nun from the book. Most seemed to like the character Sister Julienne because she was “wise, kind, and calm.” The group discussed how they found it interesting that Nuns were just regular people and some shared personal stories, such as going to a football game at a Catholic college and seeing the Nuns on the sidelines cheering on the team.

Stacy asked the group what they thought of the men in the group. One person commented that the character, Fred, was better in the book (vs. the TV version of “Call the Midwife.”) There then ensued a discussion about the book versus TV show, and also that there are three books in the series. One member was ecstatic with this news because she really enjoyed the book and was happy there were two more to read.

As the Book Club was drawing to an end, Stacy asked each person to rate the book on a scale from 1-5. Four people gave it 3.5, and two gave it 4 – which seemed strange since everyone seemed to have really enjoyed the book. Tough crowd!

The book for the next meeting was handed out (“The Book of Speculation” – which I have already read and would NOT read again, but I may go just to get Ed’s take on it.)  I don’t know whether this was for my benefit or not, but here are some of the comments that Book Club members offered (without prompting) as they were wrapping up:

“How neat a book club is that you get a different understanding of a book from what everyone else says.”

“Allows you to see other perspectives”

“It’s a wonderful experience.”

“Discussion amplifies what was in the book.”

“I may resist a book until I’ve read it book club.”

“There are so many books we’ve read in book club that I would never have picked up on my own.”

I thanked everyone for letting me crash their party, and they thanked me for the cookies. I stuck around and helped Stacy clean up (free chocolate!) and learned that this group switches back and forth between fiction and non-fiction, and that Stacy usually passes around a sheet with suggestions for future books, but since she already had the next three books planned, she did not do it this time. The group does offer input on what to read, but no one is especially picky. Stacy often uses books for which discussion questions already exist. All in all, attending the Thursday Afternoon Book Discussion Group was an enjoyable experience!

I have been asked a few times if I would be interested in leading a book discussion group at the library, and I have declined because I honestly didn’t know where to start in putting one together; however, after reviewing all the various resources for “Starting a Book Club” on

http://www.ilovelibraries.org/booklovers/bookclub, I would not rule out leading a book club at some point in the future!

Photo credit: https://media.bookbub.com/blog/2016/11/15/funny-images-about-book-club/

Speculating on "The Book of Speculation" vs. "The Librarian"

This has nothing to do with my Readers' Advisory class, but it's more of a "What the heck happened here?" sort of thing.

Last year I was sorting books and I came across a book with a familiar cover. It was called, "The Librarian" by Christy Sloat (pub date 6/17/2017).  I knew that I had seen that cover before. It took me a few minutes before I remembered the title of the book that I had read with a similar cover: "The Book of Speculation" by Erika Swyler. (pub date 6/15/2015).

These covers are way too similar for it to be coincidence. Anyone have any thoughts on how this happened? Was there a run on stock photos of "headless woman in a dress with a sash holding books and wearing many bracelets?" Even the books are similar. It's just ... weird.

Special Topics - This Is Not Your Grandma's Book Club - or Is It?

The Faces of Book Clubs Have Changed, 
But Their Purposes Remain the Same

Art by Julia Rathman - found in "I'd Rather be Reading - A Library of Art for Book Lovers" compiled by Guinevere de la Mare. Chronicle Books, August 2017.

It would be nearly impossible to define when the first book club took place and what it looked like, but according to Audra Otto (2009), the first loosely defined “book club” was the female discussion group organized by religious renegade, Anne Hutchinson, on a ship headed for Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1634. They did not read literature, but rather, they examined and discussed the weekly sermons held on the ship.

It was in the mid 1800s that book clubs began to take on the appearance that would become the standard for many years. In 1866, Sarah Atwater Denman started a women’s study group in Quincy, Illinois that came to be known as “Friends in Council” (Otto, 2009). The group met in Denman’s home where they read aloud and discussed literature.  Around the turn of the century, women’s literary societies were thriving. In Greensville, North Carolina, alone, more than a dozen women’s literary clubs were formed between 1899 and 1954 with some clubs still existing today (Thornton, 2017). The first of these groups, the “End of the Century” club, was formed by Sallie Southall Cotton, with the goal of improving the group’s “mental and social culture” (Thornton, 2017).

More than 150 years after the “Friends in Council” first met, book clubs consisting of a small group of women meeting at homes to discuss literature still exist. But they have expanded to much more than that, in volume, format, and demographics. A New York Post article titled “Buzz Words of 2017” indicates that there are now more than 5 million Americans belonging to book clubs that have evolved into dynamic groups that meet in person, in chat rooms, by video chat, or through social media. They consist of different ages, backgrounds, and genders. Some groups read non-fiction, others are fiction and literary-focused. The focus of this paper is to ascertain that while the “look” of the book club has changed; the goal of the book club remains largely the same.

Today's book clubs consist of women and men of all ages, members of the LGBTQ community, various ethnicities, teens, tweens, and children. They meet in person at bookstores, libraries, homes, and coffee shops. They meet online through forums such as GoodReads, or via video chat. Activities in book clubs include meeting for meals (often book theme-related), doing crafts while discussing books, and hosting an author. On occasion, book clubs have been known to travel to destinations that are mentioned in the book they have read. Clearly, contemporary book clubs aren't the tea and cookie book clubs from days of past. 

What hasn't changed much are the purposes for book clubs. Like book clubs from the mid-19th and early 20th centuries, members meet for learning/self-improvement, to escape the day-to-day stress and responsibilities of work and family, and to share their love of books. While book clubs of the past felt more of a sense of obligation to their community, contemporary book club members gain more of a sense of community (social aspect) just by being in the book club. Overall, the purposes are very much the same. 

References 

Otto, A. (2009, September 15). The evolution of American book clubs: A timeline. Retrieved February 28, 2018, from https://www.minnpost.com/books/2009/09/evolution-american-book-clubs-timeline

Thornton, M. K. (2017). SECRETS OF Greenville's Book Club Culture: SERVING THE EAST. North Carolina Literary Review, (26), 152-172.