The memoir follows Cary as an adolescent, when she moves from Philadelphia to New Hampshire to attend a prestigious private school. As one of the first generations of black students to attend Saint Paul's School, Cary recalls the challenges she faced adjusting to the school while still remaining loyal to her roots. While the memoir details Cary's life after graduation, Saint Paul's is always the focus of the memoir, revealing the profound impact the school had on her life.
Topics of discussion included key passages in the novel, such as Cary's experience at a school science fair, her lesson in failure, and her sexual assault while at St. Paul's. We also discussed the thought-provoking title of the memoir.
Our members are excited to see Lorene Cary next spring, when she reads at the Sigma Tau Delta 2011 Convention in Pittsburgh, PA. Maybe she can shed some light on the tough questions we had concerning the book!
If you read the book, feel free to share any thoughts/opinions in the comments!
I was really excited that our first Book Club meeting of the semester went so well! Thank you to everyone who attended. I'm looking forward to some more great Book Club discussions throughout the rest of this year...particularly looking forward to Wuthering Heights and Pride and Prejudice in the spring! Keep reading :)
ReplyDeleteI think it's a great idea to read work from the writers who will be at the convention. Too bad we made the book club list before we knew all the convention readers!
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