Book Club, Discussions, Latkes, Zoom, Innovations and Beyond 2020

Our book club met yesterday by Zoom. Our members are dropping like flies. Some of our members don't want to continue because Zoom is not a social gathering. It is difficult, I grant you. But, 

at least we continue meeting. It is some kind of normalcy. We miss the social part of the book club meeting face to face with familiar faces. My feeling is it may not be the same but at least it is socializing. Z

We discussed the book, The World That We Knew. Even though we didn't have food at the table. We discussed Latkes at our discussion. Yummy, I miss them this year at our meeting. Oh well, I hope and pray next year. It would have been a great pairing if we did have the Latkes and the book.

Which happens to take place in Germany, and Switzerland during the Holocaust. Like I said before the book is not about the Holocaust. Rather is about the people, the survivors, the connections. The danger, atrocities, the bravery, comradery. The bond of young people trying to survive. Making the unbearable bearable during these times. 

Alice Hoffman used magical realism throughout the story.  Using fairy tales, and monsters throughout the novel made the story comforting and bearable during the Holocaust.  It lifts you up to magical and unbelievable making it a safe and secure world

. The Golem and the Heron had a surprising connection to the real world vs. the magical world. The symbolism of the Golem and the Heron and the connection of both were so beautiful it brought goosebumps down my arms. 

The Heron and the Golem were both the messenger from the real world to the magical world and beyond. Its worth the read if you like to read magical realism. Which I do. I don't care for Fantasy and Sci-Fi. But magical realism I happen to love. and also if you like historical fiction. 

I watched Alice Hoffman's interview. She stated she wrote the book during 2016 and beyond. She wrote it to immerse herself in fairy tales and forget the pain and suffering our country is dealing with.

                                                                           

By the way, Alice Hoffman just wrote a new novel. I most likely will read. It is a sequel to Practical Magic. I will have to read Practical Magic first before grabbing Magic Lessons.