book group

The Scandinavia Book Group will meet on Thursday, May 27 at 4 p.m. to discuss "The Leisure Seeker." All are welcome.

 Final kicks on Route 66

Review by Thane Tierney

There comes a point in life when your bucket list has narrowed down to a single item, and that's just where John and Ella Robina find themselves in The Leisure Seeker. She's riddled with cancer, his mind's in tatters from the latter stages of Alzheimer's, but over the protests of their kids and doctors, they decide to take their camper van—and what's left of their dreams—on one final great adventure: a cross-country trip from Detroit to Disneyland, on the fabled Route 66.

Michael Zadoorian, author of Second Hand and The Lost Tiki Palaces of Detroit, serves up an affectionate, clear-eyed peek at a pair of self-styled "down-on-their-luck geezers" who just aren't ready to go gentle into that good night. Zadoorian's real-life struggle with his father's case of Alzheimer's informs the story in a funny, sad, poignant way that cuts very close to the bone.

"Esperanza Rising" by Pam Munoz Ryan

Living on her family's ranch in Mexico in the years following the Revolution, 12-year-old Esperanza has always had all the material things she could want. More important, she has had the love and devotion of her parents. But on the eve of her 13th birthday, Esperanza's world is shattered when bandits kill her father. With the help of a Zapotec Indian family, Esperanza and her mother flee to the United States, escaping Esperanza's despicable uncles who now own their land. Thousands upon thousands of workers have come to California looking for work during the Great Depression. Esperanza's mother tells her daughter they must be grateful for the shelter and the jobs they have found in a field labor camp.

But Esperanza's privileged childhood has not prepared her for the harsh, overcrowded conditions, nor for the housework and childcare she is expected to do. Initially determined to succeed at her tasks as a matter of pride, Esperanza soon develops a fierce determination based on more compelling need. She wants to provide for her mother who has fallen ill. But the generosity, hopes, and heartbreak Esperanza witnesses among the workers, who live with dignity in almost unbearable conditions, teach her that the fate of many cannot be isolated from the fate of one.

Pam Muñoz Ryan's novel, inspired by events in the life of her grandmother, deftly weaves social issues into a novel that is first and foremost a compelling story of family and coming of age.

CCBC Choices - 2001
Winner - Pura Belpré Author Award 2002

Teen and adult readers are invited to join us as we discuss this compelling story. Copies will be available for checkout at the Scandinavia Public Library, or you can place a hold on a copy in Infosoup.