The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens

The Locale: Carmen's

The Book: The Life We Bury tells the story of Joe Talbert, a junior at the University of Minnesota, who receives a class assignment to write a biography of someone who has lived an interesting life. At a nursing home, he meets Carl Iverson, a man dying of cancer who has been medically paroled after spending thirty years in prison for the murder of a fourteen-year-old girl. Carl agrees to tell Joe his story, and Joe sets out to unravel the tapestry of the thirty-year-old murder.

To complicate things, Joe's bi-polar, alcoholic mother has taken up with a low-life who hits Joe's eighteen-year-old autistic brother. Joe is torn by the guilt of going to college and abandoning his brother. Throughout the novel, Joe has to intercede to protect his brother and is conflicted every time he has to once again leave his brother behind. The power of that guilt weighs heavily upon Joe and will demand a resolution of its own.

The Life We Bury is full of tension, twists and turns, and has a powerful, climactic ending sure to gratify. But in the end, it is the bond between Joe and his brother Jeremy that gives this novel its big (albeit tormented) heart.
http://www.alleneskens.com/life-we-bury.php

Allen Eskens

Sarah's Summary: 

Thanks, Carmen, for some delicious food (and for sharing the broccoli salad recipe). Sorry, Charlie didn’t get any! It's always good to catch up on everyone's news and I really enjoy our Sunday afternoons. :)

It was a lively discussion of The Life We Bury and most of us enjoyed the book, though many found the ending a little too neat and tidy and a little too unbelievable. But it was a page-turner and fun.

For the first time ever, all those present voted for the same book, except for the one person (Brandy) who had already read it! Sorry, Jessica, yours was the only vote cast for I am Malala! The rest of us choose The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II by Denise Kiernan. I found all of the choices interesting but voted for this because I had no knowledge of this story- it sounds fascinating!

We meet next at Susan Saunders' house on July 10th to discuss Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

Brenda will host sometime in August. We tentatively set the date for August 21, and we can firm it up at the next meeting. FYI, Tigger has decided NOT to work the Olympics so if we choose that date I no longer have a conflict.

Good luck with the last few days of school and have an enjoyable start to the summer. I look forward to catching up again in July.

Sarah

The Vote: Brenda presented...

• The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II by Denise Kiernan     WINS!! 
• I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai
• Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 by Marcus Luttrell and Patrick Robinson

Brenda will host sometime in August. We tentatively set the date for August 21st.

Up Next: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie at Susan's on July 10th.

Next to Present: Lori

Then:
Gina
Sarah
Susan H.
Jessica
Kristine
Tassy

Brandy
Jalinda
Carmen
Susan S.

Brenda