BOOKS
MEETING INFORMATION
Next Meeting: November 25th
Time: 7:00-8:00 P.M.
Where: Adult Fiction, can meet in alley next to Coldwater weather permitting
*There will be no Page Turners meeting in December due to the Holiday.*
NOVEMBER
The Diamond Eye
Kate Quinn
1937 Kyiv. History student Mila organizes her life around her library job and her young son. Hitler's invasion of Ukraine and Russia sets her on a different path. Sent to join the fight, Mila becomes a lethal hunter of Nazis. Soon, Mila becomes a hero and goes from bloody battles on the eastern front to a goodwill tour across America.
Still reeling from war wounds and devastating loss, Mila finds herself isolated in Washington, DC where she becomes unexpected friends with Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady, and a connection with a silent sniper. When an old enemy joins forces with a new foe, Mila finds herself battling her own demons and enemy bullets in the deadliest duel of her life.
Based on a true story, The Diamond Eye is a haunting novel of heroism, a mother turned soldier and of a woman her found her place in the world and changed the course of history forever.
JANUARY
THE WATCHMAN
Louise Erdrich
Thomas Wazhashk is the night watchman at the jewel bearing plant near the Turtle Mountain Reservation in North Dakota. He is also a Chippewa Council member faced with trying to understand a new "emancipation" bill that is about to reach the United States Congress. He and the other council members know this bill isn't about freedom but how Congress is fed up with the Indians. The bill is a "termination" that threatens Native American rights to their land and their very identity.
Since graduation, Pixie Paranteau, class valedictorian, makes jewel bearings at the plant, a job that barely helps her support her family. Pixie, known as Patrice, needs every penny to follow her sister, who moved to Minneapolis and hasn't been heard from in months. Determined to find Vera, Patrice makes a trip to Minnesota.
Louise Erdrich has created a fictional world with memorable characters forced to grapple with the worst and best impulses of human nature; illuminating the loves, lives, desires and ambitions with compassion, wit, and intelligence.
MONTHLY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
The Diamond Eye Discussion Questions
- Mila transformed from a bookish student to deadly skilled sniper. What did you think of her personality and her character development?
- Knowing that Mila is a soldier as well as a mother, how did her struggle to juggle both sides influence your opinion of her character?
- What was your favorite part of this novel? What was your least favorite part of the novel?
- “Knowledge, to light the path for humankind,” I said at last. “And this”—patting my rifle—“to protect humankind when we lose that path.” How does the novel examine the concept of heroism? Do you think she was a hero? Why or why not?
- How did you feel about the ending of the book? How did the author’s note at the end affect your perception and appreciation of the book? What did you think about Mila’s memoir?
- It’s unclear in the passage from her notes what Eleanor means when she says that “a Russian bullet has given me peace and safety to do it.” Does that imply that she supports Mila’s sniper tactics, or is there another meaning behind her words?
- How did Mila’s wartime experiences affect her character and point of view throughout life, and how did it impact her relationships with others both during and following the war?
- The book switched between two timelines and was interspersed with journal entries from the First Lady. Did you like this format, or would you have preferred to learn the events in chronological order?
- Mila’s son, Slavka, plays a big role in the book despite appearing very little. Discuss Mila’s role as a mother and how this played into her decision to enlist.
- Mila has significant relationships with three men in the novel: Alexei, Lyonya, and Kostia. Discuss each one and how they shaped her throughout the book.
- Discuss the marksman. Who do you think he was? Were you expecting what happened?
- What did you think of Mila’s friendship with the First Lady?