The Reading Maniacs got together on Friday night, May 21, 2004 to have supper at Robin and Molly’s and discuss "Once Upon a Marigold" by Jean Ferris. Molly and Vicki M. were missing due to illness and Lori came for the end as she was home with her new baby boy!!

After a generous play time and yummy dinner Robin began our discussion. Though we had a feast that included artichoke, we were spared many of the food items from the book like raccoon ragout, gopher goulash, and peacock pie.

We went around the circle sharing our impressions. Everyone agreed it was a wonderful choice (thank you Molly); even Lacy who usually hates fantasy. We found it delightful, happy, wholesome, witty, romantic, readable, and creative.

We discussed fairytale elements -- there was even a nasty stepmother. We talked about how much more then just a Cinderella story this was. It included themes of parenting/family, mythology and even politics (the tooth fairy monopoly). There were plenty of new vocabulary words; for example, imperious (12), mollified (45), intrusive (48), bulwark (52), and dubious (107).

The girls did not want to discuss much about what makes a "good parent" (p.38) or what the "house rules" (p.14) should be. They do include discipline and etiquette!

Biographies of the author were made available. We mentioned that she felt she had the "perfect childhood" for an author because she moved often and was lonely so she became an observer.

We loved the sayings and we all had many laughs as the author playfully combined the idioms incorrectly. (What is that called?) Robin passed a hat and we each chose two expressions from the novel and then tried to explain what the figures of speech meant.

• "get this show on the ball (p. 8)"
• "quit giving me that black eye (p. 16)"
• "buttered his bread, and now he had to lie in it (p. 17)"
• "sometimes you have to take the bear by the horns (p. 76)"
• "dumb as a box of doornails (p. 85)"
• "up against a creek with no paddle (p. 178)"
• "shoulder to the grindstone and your nose to the wheel (p. 255)"

We enjoyed dessert while we discussed summer plans. With all the camp/travel plans we can’t meet again until July 30. Andi Lynn and Donna will host and they picked the book Freaky Green Eyes by Joyce Carol Oates. We ended with discussion about what we’re all reading and we shared book lists from Brentwood School and Dutton’s Bookstore.

Report prepared by Book Club parent Nancy Z.