Jodi Picoult Books Reading Group. discussion
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Sing You Home (for those who are finished)
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I listened to the CD. It really did compliment the chapters--I took the book and skimmed the chapters as I listened to the associated track. Ellen Wilber reminded me a little of early Mary Chapin Carpenter. Very simple guitar music with a strong voice--authentic folk music. I love folk music so it was a welcome reprieve from the music that I listen to routinely as a mom of a teen! Carrie Newcomer and Nanci Griffith are a couple of my favorite folk singers.I found the music added a bonus by providing Zoe's thoughts surrounding all the events.
If you like folk music, did you like the CD? If you don't did the CD, add an extra layer to the story?
I enjoyed the book, it wasnt one of my favs but it definetly kept my intrest. I thought it went too much into the religion aspects where I would have rather read more about about Lucy or how Liddy and Max came about. But I have come to realize that all of Jodi's books leave me wanting more. I have the E-Book so I didn't get to listen to the CD, but I plan to have a listen when I get a chance.
I enjoyed the book. I agree that they would have known that Lucy was related to Clive, but I wish we would have known more about her at the end.I also wish that the trial had ended earlier in the book and we saw why Liddy and Reid ended up breaking up or how that went, but I know that is not how her books work.
I loved it though and the characters were great.
Amy I agree...I think that there were things left hanging that I really wanted to know more about. For one...what happened to Lucy. What was her story? What was it that made her so depressed? Was she having feelings towards other girls? How did she fare when her step-father found out that Zoe was counseling her? And how Max and Liddy ended up together...what happened to Reid? But with that being said I suppose it is good that JP leaves us hungry for more. I loved this story and it is probably in my top 3 or 4 JP books. I haven't listened to the CD yet. I do alot of my reading at work on my lunch hour and breaks so I don't have an opportunity to listen to a CD at given times throughout the book.
Anna wrote: "I finally got a chance to read it this past week--actually I saved it for a long plane ride. I really enjoyed the book. To me the book had really strong female characters--wasn't Angela in anot..."
Anna, I agree with you, I kinda felt sorry for Max. I think he was a lost and confused as anyone in this story and in trying to find a place that he belonged he got sucked into their agenda and really used to promote that agenda. I am glad he did the right thing in the end though.
Max did seem cast adrift as he was the "other brother" not the smart driven one. At the end he became strong and figured out that he had many talents. I always like how JP also hints at the "what ifs"--in some of the flashbacks you get the sense of the strong connection between Max and Liddy (pre-Liddy-Reid marriage)and also the win at all cost attitude of Reid. What if-Max and Liddy had been stronger and defied Reid and Liddy's father and married? I think they would have been happy and poor with adopted children. Vanessa would have also realized she was gay earlier in her adulthood. Of course none of them would have been blessed with Sam!
Hi everyoneI love most JP books (believe it or not there are some I just haven't been able to get into!) and I LOVED this but I was disappointed in the ending. I don't think Lucy would have sold Zoe out, heck Clive was probably the main reason that she tried suicide so many times! I loved that Sammy had two Mommies and a Daddy but like post #6 I would have loved to have seen the fallout from Max giving Zoe the embryos, seeing Liddy choose Max and subsequently what happened to Reid.
I did like this story though and can't wait to see the movie (Ellen DeGeneres Producer)
Rachel wrote: "Hi everyoneI love most JP books (believe it or not there are some I just haven't been able to get into!) and I LOVED this but I was disappointed in the ending. I don't think Lucy would have sold..."
Theres going to be a movie? I hadnt heard that. Awsome, can't wait !
I loved the book. I loved the ending. There were times where I was worried that the story wouldn't end on a happy note or wouldn't end with Zoe and Vanessa getting the embryos. I also liked the book because Jodi gave equal and fair voice to both sides of the debate with the particular issues at hand. Also, through this novel,AND THIS IS MY OPINION,Jodi showed how some religious people can be hypocritical and take religion to far& too literally.
I did think she was really even handed with the religious overtones. Max in the end really did follow biblical principles of the story of dividing the baby--King Solomon gave the baby to the "true" mother who was willing to have the baby saved and given away rather than killed. Zoe was willing to have Max be given the embryos rather than be destroyed. Max realized how much she loved the embryos ( and really their creation). I also think Reid and the church thought Max was a mindless pawn--wrong.
This book seemed to be big risk for Jodi. There was a lot of controversial issues that many people would disagree with. Religon, abortion (very vague, but still there), the inabilty to have children, homosexual relationships... Many issues!I think she left too many loose ends hanging with this book, however. I know she likes to keep us wondering and for us to figure it out ourselves but I am really curious about Lucy.
I loved this book.Picoult took on alot of issues (alcoholism,faith, abortion,infertility,same sex relationships)and could have made several books from one. I still think she did a marvelous job incorporating all these ideas into a single book. For example, I too would have loved have read a novel about Liddy and Max. And yes,Lucy too..The CD, was a given that I would enjoy. My college days were during the zenith of the new folk area in the late 60's.And although I didn't see how every song completely related to the chapter it was listed for I did enjoy the music tremendously. The CD definitely added something to the story and,either production could have stood alone. But for vocal artist of this CD it increased her marketability by ten-fold or so... Please don't think that statement detracts anything from the quality of the CD, it was excellent.
WOW.......This book was awesome. I really enjoyed it. It had so many hot topics, that it was a huge risk for her. Having infertility issues myself, I could really relate to a lot of this. I really enjoyed the last chapter. Very well written. However, I borrowed this from my local library, and for some reason, they removed the CD. I will now have to go and buy the whole book to read at a later date.
Although the book is very complex it also wasn't as dark I loaned it to many of my friends (both political extremes and faith groups). Everyone enjoyed the book. Do you think an addiction such as alcoholism can lead to dependency on a faith group/sense of debt to a faith group? It seemed Max used the faith group to fill his void--yet at the end he realized that having faith was important; however, the faith group is not the one that paid your debt and as taught in scriptures that debt can never be repaid.
I finished this book all in one day, I love it! The ending was amazing, how Max gave the pre-born babies to Zoe. My friend hates this book because Zoe's a lesbian. She says she doesn't like how a character can change dramaticly. My mom dislikes this book, too, because she is against gay marrige. Being myself, being lesbian/gay and having gay marrige isn't a crime - I don't see how it's wrong.
кαяι wrote: "I finished this book all in one day, I love it! The ending was amazing, how Max gave the pre-born babies to Zoe. My friend hates this book because Zoe's a lesbian. She says she doesn't like how a c..."Agreed. I don'see how being gay/ lesbian is a crime or having a gay marriage. It doesn't matter what genre they are, as long as you love that person that it matters. I loved the book myself.
I really enjoyed the book. To me the book had really strong female characters--wasn't Angela in another one of her books?
It did cover quite a few "hot" issues; however, to me it seemed to work. I loved Zoe's mother. I felt sorry for Max--how many years he wasted in the shadow and fighting his demons.
I haven't listened to the CD.
The last chapter made me smile--it reminded me of some of my friends and their children.
The issue of Lucy's identity seemed far fetched as I can't imagine she would be attending a public school or that her step-father's name would be unknown to Vanessa.
Do you think the judge was a slight nod to the current Supreme Court with the abundance of members that belong to a pro-life faith?