This month Page Turners will be reading Jane Smiley’s novel A Thousand Acres. The author won the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction in 1991 for this book. It is a family saga about a father who owns a farm in Iowa and his three daughters.
The author based the book on Shakespeare’s King Lear. On reading some of the reviews of this “older” novel, I think the following speaks to the tone of the book: “She contrasts the stringencies of nature with those of human nature: the sting of sibling rivalry, the tensions of marriage, the psychological burdens of children, the passion of lovers. Her tightly controlled prose propels tension to nearly unbearable extremes—but always within the limits of credibility. In the end, she has raised profound questions about human conduct and moral responsibility, especially about family relationships and the guilt and bitterness they can foster.” Publishers Weekly
There seems to be a trend in the books chosen by the group to read this year—older historical fiction featuring different world cultures.
Page Turners consists of three groups all reading the same books, which are suggested by the groups and voted for in the spring. We usually have about 25 books suggested and from these nine are chosen for the next year.
We always welcome visitors and new members. Two groups meet the fourth Thursday afternoon of the month, and for information you can contact Steve and Ann Morris at samwrsi@cox.net. A third group meets the fourth Monday afternoon of the month, and you can reach me at fozimec@cox.net for information on that group.
—Frances Ozimec
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