Fiction | Book Chatter

Welcome to Wuthering Heights Wednesday! Softdrink is hosting a read-along of this classic novel, and we’re reading (and posting about) 3 chapters a week.

Chapters 4 through 6

My Synopsis:

As you may recall from last week’s post, Lockwood spent a very uncomfortable night amongst Catherine’s things and spent most of the night tossing and turning, so as soon as it was light enough to leave, he did. Upon his return home, he is met by Mrs. Dean, who after making Lockwood as comfortable as he can be, spends the evening gossiping about Mr. Heathcliff and the family that occupies his home.

Turns out that Heathcliff was found by the senior Earnshaw when he was just a young child. Mr. Earnshaw brought him home to his family and was surprised by how they reacted to him. Hindley, Earnshaw’s son by blood, detested Heathcliff from first glance. Young Catherine did not care for him at first, but they grow to be very close in a short amount of time. After the senior Earnshaw passes, Hindley goes away to school only to come back with a wife, which surprises everyone, Heathcliff included.

Mrs. Earnshaw is pretty agreeable and seems to get along well with the rest of the household, but with her moving in, the rest are asked to live in other parts of the house so that Hindley and his new wife can make a home for themselves. In no time at all, she expresses a dislike for Heathcliff which reminds Hindley just how much he despises the young man.

Young Catherine (Cathy) and Heathcliff take off for the moors for the day and end up getting themselves in quite a bit of trouble. They end up at Thrushcross Grange and Cathy is attacked and injured by Mr. Linton’s dog. When they discover who she is, they simply cannot fathom her being with such a gypsy as Heathcliff so they send him on his way, and cater to Cathy and her well-being. Heathcliff doesn’t want to leave Cathy there but has no choice, so he returns home and pays dearly for his lack of judgment.

My Thoughts:

It’s a tad hard keeping track of all the players. Their family names all seem to cross at some point (Linton & Earnshaw) so there are a couple of Mr. Earnshaws, and the use of first names and last but never together, you get the idea. I was surprised to hear Heathcliff’s background. I’m not sure what I expected but I didn’t expect him to be an orphan. Now the animosity within the family makes a bit more sense.

As confused as I am at times by their names and who they are referring to, I am really enjoying the story. Lockwood’s interest in them is sort of comical at times but with them being so mysterious it’s no wonder he has questions about them.

Reading along:

If this sounds like fun, why don’t you join us?

The Queen of Palmyra by Minrose Gwin

Here’s the blurb from the publisher:

In the turbulent southern summer of 1963, Millwood’s white population steers clear of “Shake Rag,” the black section of town. Young Florence Forrest is one of the few who crosses the line. The daughter of a burial insurance salesman with dark secrets and the town’s “cake lady,” whose backcountry bootleg runs lead further and further away from a brutal marriage, Florence attaches herself to her grandparents’ longtime maid, Zenie Johnson. Named for Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra, Zenie treats the unwanted girl as just another chore, while telling her stories of the legendary queen’s courage and cunning.

The more time Florence spends in Shake Rag, the more she recognizes how completely race divides her town, and her story, far from ordinary, bears witness to the truth and brutality of her times—a truth brought to a shattering conclusion when Zenie’s vibrant college-student niece, Eva Greene, arrives that fateful Mississippi summer.

Minrose Gwin’s The Queen of Palmyra is an unforgettable evocation of a time and a place in America—a nuanced, gripping story of race and identity.

I plan to review this one closer to its release date (April 27, 2010) but I just finished it and I just had to post something about it…right now. A lot of you have heard about this book already but if you haven’t, I wanted to make sure you knew something about it because you’ll want to run out and get a copy of it as soon as it comes out.

I am enjoying Spring Break with my family and have spent the week with some wonderful books, this being one of them. I love it when a book leaves you with a good feeling inside. Anyway, I’ll post the review in a couple of weeks but for now, put it on your list. Yes, the list that is about a mile long already.

Chatting with friends about books and life…