Journal Entry 1 by Mountainwren from Rockville, Maryland USA on Saturday, November 22, 2003

Advance Copy in paperback...

"Seeking a little bibiotherapy, six women take a university extension's memoir class, which becomes the Memoir Club. Grief stricken Dr. Caryn Henley attends reluctantly at the insistence of her longtime friend and colleague, Nell. Rusty Meadows wants to write a memoir for a daughter she gave up at birth. Mrs. Francine Hellman wants to laud her late husband, a renowned scientist, only to find he had a past unknown to her. Sarah Jane Perkins writes to come to terms with her unconventional upbringing. And Korean born and adopted Jill McDougall writes to discover her own identity. As they render their pasts in memoirs, they forge a new present and a new future." 

Journal Entry 2 by Mountainwren from Rockville, Maryland USA on Saturday, November 22, 2003

Sending on a bookring. New members welcome, but will be added to the end of the list.
Ring on the road! 6410 miles traveled as of 11/25.

Participants:
prplpec, Georgia (read and released)
WarEagle78, Alabama (read and released)
jendudley, Texas (read and released)
Mamikaem, Missouri
mysteryfan03, Missouri (read and released)
hannahsc5, Vancouver, Canada (read and released)
islavet, Washington (read and released)
arugh48187, Minnesota (currently has possession)
Rubi-J, Utah
AuntK, California, can ship international
TramGirl, Melbourne, Australia, can ship international
add: djf1968, California
add: Suefitz, California
back to me, kristamd, Maryland
 

Journal Entry 3 by Mountainwren from Rockville, Maryland USA on Monday, December 01, 2003

Mailed to first participant today! 

Journal Entry 4 by prplpec from Kennesaw, Georgia USA on Wednesday, December 10, 2003

Just received in the mail! Can't wait to read it--will start as soon as I finish my current book.
 

Journal Entry 5 by prplpec from Kennesaw, Georgia USA on Thursday, December 18, 2003

What a wonderful book! Great characters and interesting individual stories and a satisfying end. Thanks for sharing, Kristamd!
Will mail to WarEagle78 tomorrow. 

Journal Entry 6 by prplpec from Kennesaw, Georgia USA on Monday, December 22, 2003

Correction! I didn't get this book in the mail until today! Sorry! But I sent it in a really cool red mailer with snowmen on it! ;) Happy Holidays! 

Journal Entry 7 by WarEagle78 from Hoover, Alabama USA on Wednesday, January 07, 2004

prplpec! It arrived! and the snowman mailer is as cute as can be.

For those keeping track here, prplpec mailed this book 150 miles. It left on 12/22/03 and arrived 1/7/04 -- 17 days. Pack mule would have been faster.

By contrast, I mailed her a book last Saturday, 1/3. It arrived on Tuesday, 1/6. Such are the vagaries of media mail.

But back to the matter at hand. The book looks GREAT and I will journal again as soon as it is read. I'm in a bit of a pinch with some work and Scout-related stuff, so it might not be as quick as usual. But it will be faster than east-to-west media mail by far.  

Journal Entry 8 by WarEagle78 from Hoover, Alabama USA on Saturday, January 10, 2004

This book is very special.

The characteristics of the memoir as a specific type of writing are not something I've ever really considered. As these six women work on their memoirs, it becomes clear that the memoir is less a narcisstic way to immortalize the subject than a tool for personal introspection. The stories they come to the class to write are only superficially similar -- or not even that -- to the story that really exists for them.

The author, who herself teaches memoir classes, helps us watch these characters grow in suprising and memorable ways. These characters will be with me for months to come.

Thanks, kriatamd, for sharing this gem. 

Journal Entry 9 by WarEagle78 from Hoover, Alabama USA on Saturday, January 24, 2004

In mail to jendudley on 1/23/04. Sorry it took so long to get back in mail! 

Journal Entry 10 by jendudley from Edinburg, Texas USA on Tuesday, February 10, 2004

Yay! I got the book. It looks great. I am excited about this one since I have read Educating Waverly by the same author and LOVED it. 

Journal Entry 11 by mysteryfan03 from Moberly, Missouri USA on Sunday, March 14, 2004

Got this in the mail yesterday!! Thanks. I do have a couple of rings in front of it though. 

Journal Entry 12 by mysteryfan03 from Moberly, Missouri USA on Wednesday, March 24, 2004

I really enjoyed this book. I didnt care for the character, Nell for some reason, but the others in the Memoir Club were great. I was really puzzled by the reference to Penny, the instructor near the end. I dont know why it was even included? I dont want to give it away, but it should have been bought out more or left alone.
It seemed that the book jumped around a lot at first, but it does start all tying in together finally. I wish that the chapters were marked by the author. I hated to read a few paragraphs before I knew who was talking.
I recommend this book and I will look for this author in the future! Thanks for the chance to read this. I am waiting on hannahsc5's address and then will send it on its way to Canada....... 

Journal Entry 13 by hannahsc5 from Vancouver, British Columbia Canada on Monday, May 10, 2004

I got the book in the mail last week and unfortunatley until now I haven't had chance ot amek my journal entry. I am almost done the book I have really enjoyed it.

I loved the fact that when I received it there was a little something from Texas in it. I will do the same and add a little bit of vancouver to it before I send it reader1212 in Washington!

hannahsc5 

Journal Entry 14 by AnonymousFinder on Thursday, June 03, 2004

I think this was accidentally mailed to me... I wasn't on the book ring list! I think I'll read it anyway and then send it on.

CAUGHT IN SEATTLE WA USA 

Journal Entry 15 by islavet from Seattle, Washington USA on Sunday, July 18, 2004

This book was accidentally sent to me, but I'm glad it was! It's a captivating story of a few ordinary people, each with their own lives and personal struggles, who take a memoir-writing class together. Through that they become friends and help each other grow through difficult times. The end was a bit hokey, but for the most part it was very believable and written in an interesting way. Now ready to travel on... 

Journal Entry 16 by arugh48187 from Minneapolis, Minnesota USA on Tuesday, November 09, 2004

I had almost given up on this book ever getting to me since it was sent to somebody accidentally. It worked as a great recruiting tool though.... :) I have a few bookrings in front of this one, but I am a fast reader and will get to it shortly. You can track my progress via my bookshelf. 

Journal Entry 17 by arugh48187 from Minneapolis, Minnesota USA on Saturday, December 25, 2004

This was just an okay book. It kind of seemed a little disjointed and stilted; like the author had a couple of stories she wanted to write and so she wrote them and then loosely connected them. I didn't really feel sympathetic towards any of the characters. The overall story was somewhat interesting, but lacked something and didn't draw me in quite as much as other books I have recently read.

Thanks for sharing and sorry for keeping it so long. It will go out in the mail as soon as I get an address for the next recipient. 

Journal Entry 18 by arugh48187 at Post Office at 153rd and Garrett in Apple Valley, Minnesota -- Controlled Releases on Tuesday, January 11, 2005

Released on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 at about 2:00:00 PM BX time (GMT-06:00) Central Time (US & Canada) at Post Office at 153rd and Garrett in Apple Valley, Minnesota Controlled Releases.

RELEASE NOTES:

Sending out to AuntK, who is next on the list. Happy reading!