Book Club was an interesting meet tonight
Smaller in numbers than meeting one , I missed the presence of the cheerful Faisal but the group was certainly buoyed up by two new members, a bright, chatty lesbian couple from Savannah, Georgia .
Our book was Three Hours by Rosamund Lupton which is an exploration into white supremacy radicalisation within a private English School and the subsequent armed attack on teachers and pupils one snowy morning.
I enjoyed the book , unlike most of the group , but the conversation grew rather intense when one of the facilitators asked the American couple their take on it, given the fact they had only just arrived in the country and that school shootings were very. Much a product of the US
The women looked at each other carefully and the dark haired girl told her story of when she experienced a school shooting as a child where many children , her friends, were killed.
It was a sobering, moving and total unexpected moment that shocked us all.
And in the silence that followed ,the blonde partner , smiled a big smile and said simply
“ why do you think we have come to the UK to live?”
These two women, bright democrats both then told us stories of their experiences of guns, gun crime and gun mentality .
They were neither exaggerating or angry, just resigned and tired of it all
And when they had finished
Discussing a novel didn’t quite seem the most pressing thing to do
Since you switched on comment moderation, coming here is like walking into an empty car park. Oh well, the fantasy was nice while it lasted.
ReplyDeleteThe car park is like the one outside Waitrose
DeleteIt soon fills up
Moderated blogs of all persuasions do tend to become become echo chambers of agreeing voices though. I prefer blogs where people can disagree, sometimes strongly, without going beyond the boundaries of basic decency. In other words, an un-moderated blog but with any significant nastiness just deleted by the administrator without comment. That can also make life easier for the administrator too. But of course it's up to each blogger to decide.
DeleteBloody hell! Still processing this. How incredible
ReplyDeleteYes, what were the chances
DeleteI agree with the sentiments of your new friends. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmc2201761
ReplyDeleteWow, what a sobering counterpoint to the book club choice!
ReplyDeleteI hope these ladies find their move a healing experience, although these are the kinds of voters we need in Georgia (and everywhere!).
ceci
If they still have US citizenship they can vote in US elections. All is not lost.
DeleteWe are moving to the UK to get away from the US. We fly on March 9th to our new future in Wales. We know we are not going to nirvana, but we are leaving a very scary gun culture and a government tipping toward being run by bullies. weavinfool
DeleteThe young woman's experiences are not, alas, in this 'Americka'. It's why, my advise to my children and grands is, Get out.
ReplyDeleteActually they were probably the very people to make the book real. Considering the far right xtians have their eyes on the LGBTQAI+ community after they targeted abortion and won, I reckon a move was a bloody great idea. Tina in west oz.
ReplyDeleteIt is up to each state in the U.S. if you can get an abortion there or not.
DeleteIt is a states issue and was never the Federal govt's right to pass a law either way.
According to the law.
Wow, what tragic and sobering lived experience.
ReplyDeleteYegods! But totally understandable.
ReplyDeleteYour book club discussion was intense. Gun violence in the US is a very big problem. The fact that 2 Americans have had direct experience with gun violence certainly provided a reality check to all discussion.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter-in-law was also in a school shooting when she was 7 (now 42).
ReplyDeleteWhoa.
ReplyDeleteGun control is definitely needed here.
ReplyDeleteYes that definitely must have made the novel discussion seem less important. So much tragedy, fear and sadness. Book club topics must sometimes touch on very personal experiences and turn into a conversation which leads somewhere very intense, where understanding and friendship are as important.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. And just goes to show that everyone has secret stories, experiences always close to the surface that people never tell, until and unless pushed.
ReplyDeleteYes, we all have secret stories
DeleteI find it so sad that people have to leave, not only their home town, but their country, in order to feel safe. Sadly, more mass shootings in US, recently, and they barely get a mention on the UK news now. xx
ReplyDeleteThat’s what de said, exactly
DeleteThere are many countries which are safer than the UK. Now a vulnerable oldie with limited resources I'm stuck here but if I had my time over again I wouldn't stay here.
ReplyDeleteIt’s all about degrees I guess
DeleteInteresting how a book club discussion can evolve into something so personal and relevant. I think "resigned and tired of it all" captures the feelings of many Americans. I've never talked to anyone (to my knowledge) who's been through the trauma of a mass shooting. That had to be intense for all of you.
ReplyDeleteIt was a surprise, a fascination too…the woman seemed so “ ok” with it and her sanguine reaction allowed us to explore it a little and ask questions
DeleteWell, that's a sobering story. We have many reasons for our leaving but we were lucky enough to only have the FEAR of a shooting on the list.
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting evening you had John. I guess there are many folk in America who feel the same. I have only once been in a gun shop in the US. It is chilling.
ReplyDeleteHere in Michigan we had our second school shooting Monday night. Last year it was a high school. This time, Michigan State University, 3 dead, 5 still in critical condition. Unbelievably, one student interviewed said she was a survivor of both events and couldn't understand why she was so lucky. What a burden she has to carry forward. My nephew is a student there and thankfully was off campus that night but spent anxious hours checking up on friends.
ReplyDeleteSo sad to hear about that lady's experience. Let's hope they do find the UK a better place to live (?!)
ReplyDeleteAlison in Wales x
Wow, I can imagine how that changed the mood, and made the discussion about the book take a back seat. It most likely did them good to talk about it though amongst their new British friends.
ReplyDeleteWho said book clubs were boring!!
It comes to something when a couple are so nervous about gun crime they up sticks and move to the UK.
ReplyDeleteA tragic story for who have been involved in any way in shootings, not just for that poor lady. Hope she feels much safer in Wales. I live in Wales, in
ReplyDeleteLlandudno but my daughter has just moved to Rhyl and when we visited her we saw she lived above a gun shop! I think it's a different sort of gun shop though...maybe one where only poor animals are killed.