Book Club What Are They Reading?
By Elaine Rooker Jack and Janet C. Blake
Photos by Joon Kim
Who they are: Four Seasons Book Club: Ellen Goulart;
Anne Harrington; Judy Hesse; Anne Jackel; Charlie and
Ina Reader; Jim and Maureen Reader;
Denny and Tricia Wimberg.
First meeting: January 13, 2003
No. of books they’ve read together: 18
How they got together: The members of this club revolve around the founder, Judy
Hesse, and is mostly a family affair. Judy’s brothers are Charlie and Jim. Tricia is their
cousin. Judy works with Anne Harrington, and Anne Harrington and Ellen are sisters.
Anne Jackel is Judy’s neighbor.
Their meetings: January, April, July and October (winter, spring, summer and fall). Judy
came up with the idea of meeting “once a quarter” because monthly meetings would
have been “too much,” she said. Soon after they started meeting, Maureen named
them the Four Seasons.
What they say about their club:“As far as I’m concerned, if you’re not here, the only
excuse is death!” — Maureen
“I want to get another man in this group.” — Judy
What they are reading this month: The Glass Castle: A Memoir, by Jeannette Walls
Why they picked it: A co-worker recommended it to Ellen, who read it and said she was
“so moved by Jeannette’s…strong survival instinct. This book is rich with discussion
points and just seemed like a perfect choice for our group.” Ellen said it was a joy to
read a second time for the club.
What it’s about: The details of the nomadic, poverty-stricken childhood of gossip
columnist Jeannette Walls, whose alcoholic father could not hold down a job and whose
mother was an eccentric artist.
What they thought of it: “One of the very best.” — Judy
“It’s a strange story, isn’t it?” — Jim
“Would this make a great movie or what?” — Maureen
An excerpt: “When Dad wasn’t telling us about all the amazing things he had already
done, he was telling us about the wondrous things he was going to do. Like build the
Glass Castle. All of Dad’s engineering skills and mathematical genius were coming
together in one special project: a great big house he was going to build for us in the
desert. It would have a glass ceiling and thick glass walls and even a glass staircase. All
we had to do was find gold, Dad said, and we were on the verge of that.”
Some of their discussion about it:
“We always tell our kids that, ‘In spite of our best efforts, you turned out pretty well.’ I
think this is an extreme case of that.” — Denny, to laughter
“I got hungry reading the book.” — Jim
“When I was reading this book, I was thinking, ‘This thing is so exaggerated, it can’t be
true!’” — Maureen
“I think the father was bright, but I’m not too sure about the mother.” — Anne H.
“Did you notice how often fire came up?” — Tricia
“I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, is she going to become an arsonist?’” — Judy
“I wanted to take out paper and pencil and just keep track of the poor things, the
poverty.” — Anne J.Ellen
Goulart’s Shrimp Dip
Hostess Ellen Goulart served this delicious, delicate and incredibly simple family recipe
dip to serve with cut-up vegetables and crackers. She also makes it every holiday
season. “This recipe is for large events with parties of 20 or more,” Ellen says. “It can
be readily reduced as appropriate.”
3 12-oz. tubs whipped cream cheese
6 4-oz. cans small shrimp with liquid
3 cloves garlic, minced well
Dash Worcestershire sauce
In large bowl, combine all ingredients. Using a blender, blend until a relatively smooth
consistency (but you will still have some lumps).
Refrigerate overnight. Books they recommend:
1. Cold Mountain, by Charles Frazier
2. The Enduring Hills, by Kentucky author Janice Holt Giles (their first book)
3. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
4. Icy Sparks, by Kentucky author Gwyn Hyman Rubio
5. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
6. Seabiscuit, by Laura Hillenbrand
Books they give mixed reviews:
1. The Awakening and Selected Stories, by Kate Chopin
2. Girl in Hyacinth Blue, by Susan Vreeland
3. The Innocent Man, by John Grisham
4. The Johnstown Flood, by David G. McCullough
5. March, by Geraldine Brooks
6. The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde
They do not recommend:
Angle of Repose, by Wallace Stegner, Ellen Goulart greets each club member at the
front door of her Highlands home, where a pair of matching, stately oak trees grace the
front yard. She serves everyone a glass of lemonade or iced tea as they settle into the
comfortable, window-filled living room, which is bathed in early evening sunlight. Coffee,
hors d’oeuvres, and desserts await in the adjacent dining room.
The members of the Four Seasons Book Club don’t meet very often, but they are close
family and friends, so they are by no means strangers during their off time. Even so,
they get down to business right away, anxious to begin their discussion. It is frequently
punctuated with off-topic conversation and laughter, and it is abundantly clear that
group members enjoy each others’ company. Even Ellen’s husband, Joe, who hasn’t
read the book and isn’t in the club, is content to sit in and listen, chuckling to himself.
Ellen starts with questions from a discussion guide. The questions are mere jumping-off
points for Four Seasons, however, as they ask their own questions and skip from
subject to subject. Ninety minutes later, Ellen skims the list and decides there is no
reason to ask more questions – they’ve already answered them.
Ellen and Joe’s black lab, Charlie Girl, who was in the back yard during the discussion,
has jumped up on the window ledge outside and is peering in, tongue hanging out. It’s
a signal that it’s time to for Ellen’s refreshments: her family recipe shrimp dip with
crackers and vegetables; homemade almond pound cake with a berry-caramel sauce;
cheese and crackers; an apple pie and assorted cookies from Desserts by Helen on
nearby Bardstown Road.
Afterward, they’ll decide on their next book and next meeting date. Then they look
forward to the changing of the season and a new adventure in reading — together
Their rules:
• Show up on time.
• Preferably read the book.
• The host or hosts choose the book (but the group discusses the choice to make
sure everyone agrees).
• Meetings are in member’s homes, and refreshments are chosen by the host or hosts.
Elaine Jack at elainej@iamtodayswoman.com is a regular feature writer for Today’s
Woman magazine. Janet Blake is filling in for her as Elaine recovers from an accident.
By Elaine Rooker Jack and Janet C. Blake
Photos by Joon Kim
Who they are: Four Seasons Book Club: Ellen Goulart;
Anne Harrington; Judy Hesse; Anne Jackel; Charlie and
Ina Reader; Jim and Maureen Reader;
Denny and Tricia Wimberg.
First meeting: January 13, 2003
No. of books they’ve read together: 18
How they got together: The members of this club revolve around the founder, Judy
Hesse, and is mostly a family affair. Judy’s brothers are Charlie and Jim. Tricia is their
cousin. Judy works with Anne Harrington, and Anne Harrington and Ellen are sisters.
Anne Jackel is Judy’s neighbor.
Their meetings: January, April, July and October (winter, spring, summer and fall). Judy
came up with the idea of meeting “once a quarter” because monthly meetings would
have been “too much,” she said. Soon after they started meeting, Maureen named
them the Four Seasons.
What they say about their club:“As far as I’m concerned, if you’re not here, the only
excuse is death!” — Maureen
“I want to get another man in this group.” — Judy
What they are reading this month: The Glass Castle: A Memoir, by Jeannette Walls
Why they picked it: A co-worker recommended it to Ellen, who read it and said she was
“so moved by Jeannette’s…strong survival instinct. This book is rich with discussion
points and just seemed like a perfect choice for our group.” Ellen said it was a joy to
read a second time for the club.
What it’s about: The details of the nomadic, poverty-stricken childhood of gossip
columnist Jeannette Walls, whose alcoholic father could not hold down a job and whose
mother was an eccentric artist.
What they thought of it: “One of the very best.” — Judy
“It’s a strange story, isn’t it?” — Jim
“Would this make a great movie or what?” — Maureen
An excerpt: “When Dad wasn’t telling us about all the amazing things he had already
done, he was telling us about the wondrous things he was going to do. Like build the
Glass Castle. All of Dad’s engineering skills and mathematical genius were coming
together in one special project: a great big house he was going to build for us in the
desert. It would have a glass ceiling and thick glass walls and even a glass staircase. All
we had to do was find gold, Dad said, and we were on the verge of that.”
Some of their discussion about it:
“We always tell our kids that, ‘In spite of our best efforts, you turned out pretty well.’ I
think this is an extreme case of that.” — Denny, to laughter
“I got hungry reading the book.” — Jim
“When I was reading this book, I was thinking, ‘This thing is so exaggerated, it can’t be
true!’” — Maureen
“I think the father was bright, but I’m not too sure about the mother.” — Anne H.
“Did you notice how often fire came up?” — Tricia
“I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, is she going to become an arsonist?’” — Judy
“I wanted to take out paper and pencil and just keep track of the poor things, the
poverty.” — Anne J.Ellen
Goulart’s Shrimp Dip
Hostess Ellen Goulart served this delicious, delicate and incredibly simple family recipe
dip to serve with cut-up vegetables and crackers. She also makes it every holiday
season. “This recipe is for large events with parties of 20 or more,” Ellen says. “It can
be readily reduced as appropriate.”
3 12-oz. tubs whipped cream cheese
6 4-oz. cans small shrimp with liquid
3 cloves garlic, minced well
Dash Worcestershire sauce
In large bowl, combine all ingredients. Using a blender, blend until a relatively smooth
consistency (but you will still have some lumps).
Refrigerate overnight. Books they recommend:
1. Cold Mountain, by Charles Frazier
2. The Enduring Hills, by Kentucky author Janice Holt Giles (their first book)
3. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
4. Icy Sparks, by Kentucky author Gwyn Hyman Rubio
5. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
6. Seabiscuit, by Laura Hillenbrand
Books they give mixed reviews:
1. The Awakening and Selected Stories, by Kate Chopin
2. Girl in Hyacinth Blue, by Susan Vreeland
3. The Innocent Man, by John Grisham
4. The Johnstown Flood, by David G. McCullough
5. March, by Geraldine Brooks
6. The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde
They do not recommend:
Angle of Repose, by Wallace Stegner, Ellen Goulart greets each club member at the
front door of her Highlands home, where a pair of matching, stately oak trees grace the
front yard. She serves everyone a glass of lemonade or iced tea as they settle into the
comfortable, window-filled living room, which is bathed in early evening sunlight. Coffee,
hors d’oeuvres, and desserts await in the adjacent dining room.
The members of the Four Seasons Book Club don’t meet very often, but they are close
family and friends, so they are by no means strangers during their off time. Even so,
they get down to business right away, anxious to begin their discussion. It is frequently
punctuated with off-topic conversation and laughter, and it is abundantly clear that
group members enjoy each others’ company. Even Ellen’s husband, Joe, who hasn’t
read the book and isn’t in the club, is content to sit in and listen, chuckling to himself.
Ellen starts with questions from a discussion guide. The questions are mere jumping-off
points for Four Seasons, however, as they ask their own questions and skip from
subject to subject. Ninety minutes later, Ellen skims the list and decides there is no
reason to ask more questions – they’ve already answered them.
Ellen and Joe’s black lab, Charlie Girl, who was in the back yard during the discussion,
has jumped up on the window ledge outside and is peering in, tongue hanging out. It’s
a signal that it’s time to for Ellen’s refreshments: her family recipe shrimp dip with
crackers and vegetables; homemade almond pound cake with a berry-caramel sauce;
cheese and crackers; an apple pie and assorted cookies from Desserts by Helen on
nearby Bardstown Road.
Afterward, they’ll decide on their next book and next meeting date. Then they look
forward to the changing of the season and a new adventure in reading — together
Their rules:
• Show up on time.
• Preferably read the book.
• The host or hosts choose the book (but the group discusses the choice to make
sure everyone agrees).
• Meetings are in member’s homes, and refreshments are chosen by the host or hosts.
Elaine Jack at elainej@iamtodayswoman.com is a regular feature writer for Today’s
Woman magazine. Janet Blake is filling in for her as Elaine recovers from an accident.
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