The Mermaid Chair

Ok ... so this isn't quite what I mean...

...this is.

This weekend I had my first bookclub meeting - and the book for this month was The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd (aka author of Secret Life of Bees). I started reading this book on Friday night (yes, the bookclub meeting was on Sunday afternoon. I'm a rebel like that!) and I had it done by the time I went to bed on Saturday night. It was a really fast read. The story takes place on a small island off the coast of S.C., where the main character grew up. She travels home to tend to some family business and falls in love with a monk (oh yeah, did I mention she's married?!)

It was interesting to discuss the book because I'd not had the "sharing of ideas" about what I've read since grad school. I love discussion because I find that others think of things that didn't even cross my mind - and I like to think I have novel thoughts too. =) I disagreed with what a lot of the fellow bookclubbers had to say about the book.

The book is about love - different kinds of love that the main character has - as a mother, daughter, wife, friend - and also lust. It is also about finding yourself and becoming your own person. Finally, I thought it was also about living a life of complacency and thinking you have everything figured out - - and the struggle it takes to change and start anew.

I won't tell you how the book ends - - but I will say that I was happy with the ending. There were some twists that I didn't see coming along the way. One con about the book is that I felt like the author "got tired of writing" towards the end and tried to tie up loose ends very quickly. I mean, the main plotlines (the truth behind her father's death, her affair and her marriage coming head to head, and what the characters decide to do after the affair is out in the open) all were reconsiled within the last 25 pages. That's pretty quick for a book that's only 350 or so pages. I would have also liked to read the perspective of other characters - the author does write from the point of view of the husband and the lover a few times, but I think it would have brought more depth to the book if she wrote more from the point of view of other characters in the story more.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give the book a 6. It was entertaining & kept me interested & was a good quick read. I would recommend the book to others, but had mixed reviews at the book club (50% liked and 50% didn't like.)

Next month's book club is "Family Tree" by Barbara Delinsky. I'm excited to be involved in a book club b/c it will keep me reading more than my monthly Cooking Light magazine. =)