Ali’s Book Club: June 2020
Readers!
Questions to think about for Recipe for a Perfect Wife by Karma Brown:
1. Alice and Nellie both have very different marriages, yet there are similarities, too. What do you notice about the way the two stories echo each other? Why do you think the author chose to use these two narratives?
2. The book has a lot of information about gardening and homemaking. How does that make you feel about the novel? What role did those elements play in the larger plot?
3. Alice leaves Manhattan to escape her problems. Is it possible to run away from your problems? Is it possible for Alice to?
4: The recipes in the book made me think of my own favourite recipes. Do you have a favourite recipe or a family recipe?
5. Which of the two stories did you prefer—Nellie’s or Alice’s? Did you prefer one of the characters and was this why you preferred their story? Or was it the plot that spoke to you more personally?
6. The house and the garden felt almost like characters themselves to me. What did you feel about the setting and the importance of it to the novel?
Interesting Fact about the Author: According to her Instagram posts, she can’t sew at all. But she loves baking, rhubarbs desserts and raisins in buttertarts.
Karma Brown @karmakbrown
Writing Prompt, from Canadian author Paul Coccia @pauljcoccia
For you or for any kids in your life to try:
Hi everyone! I was thinking about my Nonna’s recipes. She usually cooked by instinct but we asked her to start writing things down. She’d write things like “two fingers” of flour, which meant fill a cup with flour up to two of her fingers. But my fingers were bigger. And what cup did she use?
One of things I still love about looking at those recipes though is when she would write UN PO DI MAGIC, which meant to add a little bit of magic. I understood what she meant. Add a little bit of baking powder so your cake would rise and my Nonna only ever bought Magic brand baking powder. It made me think that magic can come from all sorts of places, not just spells and wands.
So the prompt:
Like all things magical, it started with something normal.
Something ordinary. It started with a teaspoon.
If you don’t like a teaspoon, add in your own item (no problem!) Tell your readers about something magic that seems ordinary. It can involve real magic or magical creatures if you want. It can involve everyday magic things like baking powder rising a cake. What is magic to you?
For those who like a challenge:
Think about who is telling the story? Is it in third person, first person, or the elusive second person? Who are your cast of characters? What makes each of them unique or surprising?
Tell the story the way you like it best. And since this is magic, add as much sparkle and fun as you like.
Local Author
Lisa Bird-Wilson is a Métis and nêhiyaw writer from Saskatchewan. Her short stories, Just Pretending, give a glimpse of her incredible talent and ability with words. It was a One Book, One Province pick and it’s outstanding.
Her novel, Probably Ruby, will be out in 2021 and I can’t wait!
