Dreamers of the Day – July CC Summer Book Selection

Parent Cafe
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<p>Welcome to CC summer reading, Part II!</p>

<p>The July selection is Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russell. This post is a general all-points-bulletin for anyone who has read or intends to read the book, and is interested in discussing it afterward.</p>

<p>As with the June selection, discussion will not begin until the 15th of the month. There are no rules (but if you want to make some, go right ahead :)), just a request that no salient plot points be revealed before July 15th, as a kindness to those who are still mid-read.</p>

<p>If you are interested in how this book chat got started, see <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/722148-one-book-one-cc.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/722148-one-book-one-cc.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>If you are coming late to the party and want to see our leisurely (but frequently brilliant ;)) discussion of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, see <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/722812-cc-june-summer-book-club-selection.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/722812-cc-june-summer-book-club-selection.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>(For those looking ahead, the August selection is Sarah’s Key by Tatiana De Rosnay.)</p>

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<p>Hope everyone enjoys this book. The historical characters are fascinating (Hopefully that doesn’t reveal too much!)</p>

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<p><a href=“Hopefully%20that%20doesn’t%20reveal%20too%20much!”>quote</a>

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<p>Not at all–just makes it that much more intriguing!</p>

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<p>I’m in! Looking forward to it.</p>

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<p>Bumping for ease of finding.</p>

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<p>I hope my RL bookclub doesn’t find this- so far I have zipped through the CC bookclub books and barely read the last two RL books.
:o</p>

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<p>emeraldkity4 - me too :slight_smile: in fact I don’t even know what the RL book club books are for summer, but I’ve got both the CC July and August books already! I have to confess I haven’t started Dreamers of the Day, but with both Ds away for the next few weeks I should have plenty of reading time ;)</p>

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<p>Great idea, I’m in.</p>

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<p>This book is keeping me on my toes! I have to read near the computer so that I can check Wikipedia for information about all the historical characters who come and go. I am finding that there is a lot I don’t know about that time and place in history.</p>

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<p>Just got the book today from the library, ready to start it, but not looking forward to sitting by the computer. Guess I’m lazy.
Mary care to share some of the details which you had to research???</p>

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<p>Well, “research” is too strong a word for what I’m doing. When you go online to find out if Bob Hope really had a girlfriend named Mildred who worked at Halle’s, it’s not a particularly intellectual pursuit. :slight_smile: </p>

<p>I did look up some biographical information on T.E. Lawrence and Gertrude Bell. I must have slept through my World History classes. I’m not very far in the book, so who knows how many more times my knowledge will be tested (and found wanting, no doubt).</p>

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<p>I have never seen the whole movie that started Peter O’Tooles career- so I am going to watch that tonight.
Didn’t take much thought- the Lion in Winter is one of my all time favorite movies.</p>

<p>I barely remember anything about world history except for the Crusades- but D wants to study abroad in Egypt soon, so it is good prep.
;)</p>

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<p>Mary, just started the book last night, and enjoying it so much. I, too, found the Bob Hope connection so strange, and random, that I thought it must be true. Why make up something so “unusual”.
Gertrude Bell is quite a bold character, and I wondered about her.
Yes, like you, don’t know too much about Neddy Lawrence … I will have to read more about him.</p>

<p>Emerald impressive that you are watching a movie based on the book.</p>

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<p>I’m about 60% through and enjoying it very much…in a Forrest Gumpy kinda way. :)</p>

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<p>I just bought the book the other day. It looks fascinating. I am going to make it my weekend reading project when I go visit my dad this weekend, sans kids!</p>

<p>I did read the back of the book - she talks about the characters and what is “real” and what is fiction. I am glad I did since when I read historical fiction, I get caught up in determining what is history and what is fiction. I admit, my knowledge of history is rather weak - I was a science major. ;)</p>

<p>I do know that T E Lawrence is considered by many to be the “Father of Counterinsurgency”. This is exactly what we are attempting to accomplish in Afghanistan and the basis of the Iraq “surge”. “Lawrence of Arabia” is on the reading list for our military officers. It is also available to read on line.</p>

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<p>DougBetsy- exactly Forrest Gump- excellent comparison, you just have to go with the flow. </p>

<p>Just a Mom- the first chapter alone, made me realize these are contemporary topics- ie swine flu and Iraq/ Afghanistan. Interesting about the surge, and military strategy. Good point.</p>

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<p>Before I picked up Dreamers of the Day, I had just closed A Time of Angels by Karen Hesse (young adult lit—my 11 year old passed it along), which is about the Influenza Epidemic of 1918. I finished that story of death and disease in the waning years of WWI, and then started a new book that—to my surprise–began exactly the same way! Between that and the recent swine flu outbreak, I felt like I should start stocking up on face masks and hand sanitizer.</p>

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<p>I felt like I should start stocking up on face masks and hand sanitizer. </p>

<p>LOL, I think you should, too, Mary!</p>

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<p>This is just a reminder that discussion of Dreamers of the Day begins tomorrow. For those interested in reflecting on specific questions, here is a Reader’s Guide:</p>

<p>[Reader’s</a> Circle | Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russell](<a href=“http://www.randomhouse.com/rhpg/rc/library/display.pperl?isbn=9780345485557&view=rg]Reader’s”>http://www.randomhouse.com/rhpg/rc/library/display.pperl?isbn=9780345485557&view=rg)</p>

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<p>Wishing I knew more about WW1-- found this helpful
[First</a> World War.com - Timeline](<a href=“http://www.firstworldwar.com/timeline/index.htm]First”>First World War.com - Timeline)</p>