The Shack May 17th 2010

The Shack by William P. Young

Chosen by: Michelle

Location: Rudy's Redeye Grill in Lakeville

When I started reading this story, I was terrified, and my heart was pounding as it described how a young girl was taken from her family's campsite and murdered in the woods, at a "shack" by a serial killer. It is a parent's worst nightmare. I wanted to put it down, but like a bad traffic accident, you just have to keep looking. The story's focus is on the father, and his struggle with the death, grieving, his marriage, the relationship with his other kids, and with God. It is a God meets Man book and I just couldn't get on board with. Although gripping at first, it became preachy, dreamy, uncomfortable. I'm all about imagery and metaphor, and I do think he painted a beautiful picture of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, but I started to feel like the book was telling me how I should think and I sensed my defenses rising up as I was reading. The author tries to answer the question, "where is God in times of unspeakable pain", and I often wonder that myself, especially working at a Children's hospital, but I just wasn't a fan of the way he went about it. The reviews are very positive for this novel, but some of us Open Tablers didn't care for it a whole lot.

Jessica and Christina are BOTH pregnant and due this fall, October! They are both feeling well and look fabulous....glowing as they say. It was a good night, as usual. I don't remember there being other new news. Twin Cities Hospital Union talks are hot hot hot. We may strike. We vote in 2 days on a one day strike. That affects Carolyn, Kelli, Kerry and I. What do you do? Frustrating.

Gilgamesh - March 13th 2010

Gilgamesh by Joan London

Chosen by: Christina

Location: La Grolla in St. Paul

The Epic of Gilgamesh is an ancient poem from Mesopotamia (present day Iraq) and is among the earliest known works of literature. Scholars believe that it originated as a series of Sumerian legends and poems about the hero-king Gilgamesh, which were fashioned into a longer Akkadian epic much later. - Taken from Wikapedia

This was a tale of a woman and her sister, growing up in rural Australia, virtually isolated from the world, aside from the resort up the hill. One day a relative, Leopold, and his friend, Aram, show up to see their mother and spend some time in Australia after an archeological dig in Iran. They tell the girls their stories of adventure and talk often about Gilgamesh, which is a novel about two buddies, Gilgamesh and Ekidu. Edith falls for Aram, becomes pregnant, and Frances retreats in fear from their world. Edith goes on a search, with her son, to find her true love, or something. It seems everyone in the book is searching for something. It was a well written story, but only a couple of us finished it.

We had a nice Italian dinner at LaGrolla. I think everyone made it too, which is always so nice. Whenever we are together, I always wish we could do it more often, but feel fortunate that we do it at all. It forces us busy women to make time for ourselves and our friends. Yeah us.