3 Cups of Tea

Thanks for a good time of discussion and fun last night! A few themes we explored from Greg Mortenson's "Three Cups of Tea"
...complexity of the issues involved in education, terrorism, aid to developing countries, personal sacrifice, and family responsibilities
...importance of doing something for a cause outside yourself, whether big or small
...similarities and differences between Mortenson and Christian missionaries
...value of seeing a bigger world than just suburban Denver or even the USA
...mixed responses to Mortenson's character, decisions, personality, and philosophies
Lots of other things, too, those are just the first that come to mind! Hope you can join us in March!

My Sister's Keeper

Thanks to everyone who came to talk about My Sister's Keeper. If you couldn't come, don't despair. We meet again in December! Just to recapture the experience, and maybe whet your appetite for the book if you haven't read it, here are some themes we explored in our discussion.

the level of parents' responsibility for their children's actions

the morality and ethics of medical issues including genetically designed embryos and decisions about prologing life

family relationships--parent/child, sibling, husband/wife

common human feelings of connection/disconnection, justice/favoritism, connection/independence

the role of God and faith in how we handle traumatic events

the complexities of parenting, making difficult decisions for your children, knowing when to step in and when to let go


I was impressed again this time I read the book with Jodi Picoult's unusual writing style, insights into how people think, complexity of plot, quality of writing, and memorable quotes. I'll send you my notes if you want to know more about what I picked out of the novel!