"Plainsong" by Kent Haruf

Plainsong
By Kent Haruf
This year’s “One Book, One San Joaquin” book is “Plainsong” by Kent Haruf.
I’ve read many wonderful critiques of this award winning story.
I’ve listened to others who have read the book.
I read the book.
I was surprised it was chosen as the “One Book”.
While I won’t go as far as to say I didn’t like it, I will say I can’t figure out what all the rave reviews were about.
It is a story of a small town in Colorado and the lives of some of its inhabitants. The tale seems to be more a study in its characters than a telling of their actions.
We have a high school English teacher, whose depressed wife leaves him with their two young sons.
We have his two young sons, ages 9 and 10, whose mother leaves them in the care of their father.
We have the depressed wife and mother who left her husband and children
We have a 17 year old girl who is pregnant and kicked out of her home by her mother.
We have another, female, teacher, who helps the pregnant girl.
We have the elderly brothers living on their farm who take in the pregnant girl.
What we don’t seem to have is a solution to anything. We never find out why the mother and wife was so depressed and had to leave. We never learn anything about the mother of the 17 year old daughter and what events led up to her abandonment, other than the pregnancy. A relationship between the two teachers begins to develop, but it is never made completely clear what happens there.
There is no closure to this book. Granted it was an easy ready. I even liked some of the characters and found they were, in and of themselves, very well developed. I questioned the purpose of the story, but even more, I questioned the title. Did Mr. Haruf name the book “Plainsong” because it was, indeed, very plain and unadorned? This is a possibility that was discussed in our Book Club. But I think there is a difference between plain and unfinished.
I’m sure I will get negative comments about my opinion here, considering that this is an award-winning book. That’s ok. That is the beauty of reading. Everyone who reads something gets something different from it. So much so, that I would love to hear from anyone who may have taken part in “One Book, One San Joaquin” this year.
BOOK CLUB NOTICE:
The Tracy Book Club, which still meets on Thursdays at 6:30pm at the Tracy Library, will be reading “The Life of Pi” by Yann Martel this week. If you can’t come to the meeting, read along with us! And, as always, please let me know what you think! Thanks! Happy Reading!

Song of the Cuckoo Bird by Amulya Malladi

“Song of the Cuckoo Bird” by Amulya Malladi

I have been reading so many good books lately! Either I’m making excellent decisions or my book club (hi, girls!) is making excellent decisions or I’m very easy to please.

Whatever the reason, I sure am enjoying myself.

About three weeks ago, our book club read “Song of the Cuckoo Bird” by Amulya Malladi. This is the story of an Ashram, near the Bay of Bengal, and its residents, over a 50 year span. The dominant character, Kokila, whose name means “Cuckoo Bird”, comes to the Ashram as an 11 year old orphan. Promised in marriage, Kokila has some decisions to make about her present, as well as her future. She appears, on some levels, to be passive, though there is an independence about her which is somewhat shocking for her time and culture.

In addition to Kokila, the Ashram – named “Tella Meda” – is home to many characters and personalities.

Central to the story is Chavri, proclaimed by her father to be a goddess. She is the guru on whom the members of the household as well as its visitors focus. Much of the story deals with the legitimacy of her deity.

Chetana is Kokila’s best friend. About the same age, they grow up together in Tella Meda, facing their own challenges. Chetana is a strong girl, who grows into a strong woman. Unlike with Kokila, I never saw a passive side of Chetana. She wants what she wants – and will do what is necessary to get it. I would have to say that Chetana is my favorite character in the story. There is a fire about her that intrigues me.

Let us not forget Ramanandam Sastri, Charvi’s father. I could never figure out if I liked or disliked him. Like most of us, he had his good and his bad moments. Perhaps, based on that alone, he was the most real of them all. A strong force in the lives of all the long-term residents of “Tella Meda”, he has particular influence over Kokila.

Subhadra is an endearing member of this odd family. Acting as “chief chef and bottle-washer”, she tends to take on the “mother” role, especially with Kokila and Chetana.

Many other characters – doctors, relatives, worshippers and lepers – make their way in and out of the story, intertwining lives much the way they do in real life. Well, perhaps not as many lepers, in the 21st century continental United States.

To me, this was a story of personalities. I believe that you could take this group of people and put them in almost any setting, and maintain the same tale. The interaction, love, hate, anger and happiness make the story real, regardless of time, locale or language. I would recommend this book to anyone.

**DIGRESSION ALERT DIGRESSION ALERT**
It’s time again – well, it has been since the middle of March – for “ONE BOOK ONE SAN JOAQUIN”. This year’s book is “Plainsong” by Kent Haruf. I just finished it last night and hope to be “blogging” it soon. To learn more, go to your local San Joaquin County library or check out the website: http://www.readsanjoaquin.org/Programs for more information. If you’ve read it – or when you do – please let me know what you thought!

Keep reading – it’s good for you!