Gilead Nov- Dec 15. Spoiler Thread

[NancyJ, Moderator]

This is the spoiler thread for Gilead. Feel free to discuss any aspects of the book.

Questions that came to mind...

What did you think of the characters?

Do you keep a journal, or have you written a letter for someone to read later in their life (or when you're gone)? Could you?

How did John and Jack perceive each other? Did they help, hurt or influence one another?

Does anyone know if there was a significant history in Gilead and the Abolitionist movement? Or was that fictitious?

Is there anything else that John might have done to help Jack?

How did the book make you feel?

Did you see the discussion as more theoretical or more personal?

[NancyJ, Moderator]

At first the book seemed to be a random set of thoughts and reflections on life. Then it told more of the story about his grandfather, Gilead, his life etc.

For me the turning point was when Jack came to visit John to talk (he was wearing a tie and everything). He had asked about Pre-determinism (your fate is predetermined versus you have free will). John seemed to take the question as a challenge to his religion or to his knowledge, and he seemed to approach the question theoretically. But then Jack hinted that he believed that his own fate was already determined and that he was already fated to burn in hell. (That's how I interpreted it.) My heart was aching that John didn't recognize this, and didn't realize the pain Jack was in.

I felt like he wanted John to tell him that no, it's not too late. Your fate is up to you, you're worthy, god loves you, your father loves you, I love you, etc. But I guess it's easy for me to say that because I don't believe in fate, and I'm not sure I believe in hell.

It made me think about conversations with friends and family, and questions that I got from students or clients in the past. I'm wondering how often I failed to recognize the emotional subtext of questions. Did I recognize when questions were personal versus conceptual? Especially with my kids.

[Cordelia Lynn]

Per Wikipedia about Gilead and the abolitionist movement: “According to Robinson, the fictional town of Gilead (Gilead means 'hill of testimony' in the Bible – Genesis 31:21) is based on the real town of Tabor, Iowa, located in the southwest corner of the state and well known for its importance in the abolition movement. Likewise, the character of the narrator's grandfather is loosely based on the real life story of the Rev. John Todd, a congregationalist minister from Tabor who was a conductor on the Underground Railroad, and who stored weapons, supplies and ammunition used by abolitionist John Brown in his "invasion" of Missouri in 1857 to free a group of slaves, and later—without Todd's knowledge or involvement—in his 1859 raid on the U.S. military arsenal at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Robinson talks about Ames's grandfather's involvement in the civil war. She mentions an illness known as 'camp fever'. The term was generally used to describe Typho-malarial fever. Symptoms included: pronounced chills followed by fever, abdominal tenderness, nausea, general debility, diarrhea, retention of urine, and furring of the tongue. Also, as John Ames was describing his sermons in his letter, he tells his son that there was one he had burned before he was supposed to preach it. This sermon was written around the time of the Spanish Influenza.“

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilead_...

[Cordelia Lynn]

This book was difficult for me to get through. It’s a very good read, but an emotional one, seeing how tender he is toward his son and wife. Perhaps it’s because I have three kids and a number of our extended family has experienced health complications and loss this last year. I would very much like to keep a journal for my kids to read later. The true trouble is being disciplined enough to make the time and follow through with something meaningful.

[NancyJ, Moderator]

Thanks for researching that Codie! I've read a lot of books about slavery so far, but few of them really dealt with abolition movement. (Some of the story lines are so similar, I think they must be based on the same source material.) I'd like to read more about the real underground railroad.

I'm sorry for all the things you're going through now. I agree that parts were hard to get through, sometimes for different reasons. The tenderness really came through on the audio. The contrast between the tenderness and coldness of different parts really affected me. It brought up unexpected memories. The honesty and transformation he went through was quite powerful.

Ella recommended a book about grief that I want to read. Have you read this? Grief is the Thing with Feathers

I started years ago to write a letter to my son, but I didn't get very far. It was really hard to find the right words for what I wanted to say. I kept rethinking key ideas. I couldn't finish it, but it did force me to think about things from different perspectives. Maybe those new perspectives improved our verbal communication a little.

[Cordelia Lynn]

Thank you, Nancy! I put that book on my to-read list.

[Cordelia Lynn]

I got the Grief book from my library today. A short read, it looks like. And we’ve got a 5 hour drive to Florida Wednesday. We’ll see how it goes! I also picked up a composition book from the store.

[NancyJ, Moderator]

Codie wrote: "I got the Grief book from my library today. A short read, it looks like. And we’ve got a 5 hour drive to Florida Wednesday. We’ll see how it goes! I also picked up a composition book from the store."

Good for you starting a new journal! Have a good trip!

[NancyJ, Moderator]

I’d like to read one of her other books, Home or Lila. Would you like to join me?

[Cordelia Lynn]

NancyJ wrote: "I’d like to read one of her other books, Home or Lila. Would you like to join me?"

Nancy, I can do either one or even both! My library has them readily available.