The Locale: Lori's
The Whip
Karen Kondazian
The Book: The Whip is inspired by the true story of a woman, Charlotte “Charley” Parkhurst (1812-1879) who lived most of her extraordinary life as a man in the old west. As a young woman in Rhode Island, she fell in love with a runaway slave and had his child. The destruction of her family drove her west to California, dressed as a man, to track the killer.
Charley became a renowned stagecoach driver for Wells Fargo. She killed a famous outlaw, had a secret love affair, and lived with a housekeeper who, unaware of her true sex, fell in love with her. Charley was the first known woman to vote in America in 1868 (as a man). Her grave lies in Watsonville, California. (http://kondazian.com/books/the-whip/synopsis/)
Sarah's Summary:
Thank you, Lori, for breaking out the wagon wheel plates with a Fritos and Tortilla chip taco bar. And the ice cream cake with chocolate syrup for dessert. Delicious! I hear the beer margaritas were good, too! We were sorry to miss Susan, Yeline and Brandy. Sadly, this was Diana's last meeting :( I know I speak for all of us when I tell you, Diana, that I will miss you and the intelligent discussions you bring to the table. And the food. Especially that pistachio Bundt cake. Yum. We wish you lots of luck and years of happiness in Winston-Salem. And if you score that big house, you may have some visitors from Tally ;)
We had a good discussion, I thought, on The Whip. We all liked it and found the main character very interesting, to say the least. There weren't a lot of options for women in the 1800s- she certainly had a fascinating life. I've heard rumor that The Whip may become a movie so we'll have to keep our eyes open for it! The theme of orphans has permeated our discussions/books lately. Hmmm. Better than Nazi's! Below is a compilation of obituaries from when Charlie Parkurst died. Hilarious.
Some editors seem to take personally Charley Parkhurst's life of disguise.
One editor in Rhode Island wrote rather acidly:
"Charley Parkhurst died of a malignant disease. She could act and talk like a man, but when it came to imitating a man's reticence, nature herself revolted, and the lifelong effort to keep from speaking, except when she had something to say, resulted at last in death from cancer of the tongue".
The Yreka Union wrote less dramatically, but perhaps more reasonably, "She may have been disgusted with the trammels surrounding her sex, and concluded to work out her fortune her own way." Furthermore, in the town where Charley first found fame, the Providence Journal wrote: "Charley Parkhurst was one of this city's finest stage drivers. The only people who have any occasion to be disturbed by the career of Charley are the gentlemen who have so much to say about 'women's sphere' and the 'weaker vessel'."
The San Francisco Chronicle threw up its hands at conjecture and offered this comment as a fitting epitaph: "It is useless to waste time in conjectures as to what led the dead to take up the cross of a man's laboring life."
We also talked about purchasing a character in the next Game of Thrones installment for $20k. Here's a link to that article: http://mashable.com/2014/06/05/george-r-r-martin-crowd-funding/
We voted on the next book and picked Bossy Pants by Tina Fey. Although I think many of us would have liked to read the book about Typhoid Mary, Bossy Pants may be more fun for a summer read. I know I wouldn't mind seeing Fever on a future list.
We will meet at my house on July 20th to discuss The Strangers in the House by Georges Simenon. Which, I am sorry to report, is apparently not available on Kindle or at the library. My apologies. ; )
The Vote: Susan H. presented...
- Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carla Rifka
- BossyPants by Tina Fey WINS!!
- Fever by Mary Beth Keane
Next to Present: Tassy
Then:
- Yeline
- Carmen
- Susan S.
- Brenda
- Sarah
