Memoir Mentors - Book Club -- 7pm Munich, 10am Pacific

January 13
In the Memoir Mentors Book Club, we read memoirs with a memoirist's eye, looking for things that we could use in our writing or things we want to avoid.

We'll be reading:
Leaving Before The Rains Come by Alexandra Fuller:
A child of the Rhodesian wars and daughter of two deeply complicated parents, Alexandra Fuller is no stranger to pain. But the disintegration of Fuller’s own marriage leaves her shattered. Looking to pick up the pieces of her life, she finally confronts the tough questions about her past, about the American man she married, and about the family she left behind in Africa. A breathtaking achievement, Leaving Before the Rains Come is a memoir of such grace and intelligence, filled with such wit and courage, that it could only have been written by Alexandra Fuller.

Some questions to consider when reading:

• Is the story plot-driven, moving briskly from event to event? Or is it character-driven, moving more slowly, delving into characters' inner-lives?

• What is the story’s central conflict—character vs. character...vs. society...or vs. nature (external)? Or an emotional struggle within the character (internal)? How does the conflict create tension?

• Is the plot chronological? Or does it veer back and forth between past and present?

• Do any characters change or grow by the end of the story? Do they come to view the world and their relationship to it differently?

• Share your favorite quote(s) and why you felt it was noteworthy.

• Would you be compelled to keep reading if this were not a book club assignment?

• What did you think of the book’s length?

• Were there any surprises? Were they effective?

• Was the point of view and character voice consistent?

• What were the major strengths and weaknesses of the book?

• Do you find the narrator(s) and other characters likable? Believable?
Of all the people described in the book, who did you most relate to or empathize with, and why?

• Were there any inconsistencies that bothered you?

• How honest do you think the author was being?

• What gaps do you wish the author had filled in? Were there points where you thought he shared too much?

• Is the ending a surprise or predictable? Does the end unfold naturally? Or is it forced, heavy handed, or manipulative? Is the ending satisfying, or would you prefer a different ending?

• Is there anything about this book that you want to emulate in your own writing?

• Is there anything that you want to avoid in your own writing?