Did you Miss Out on November's Meeting?

Cathy and La Dean co-hosted our discussion of The Kite Runner at The Kabob House Restaurant in Manteca. Those in attendance were our hosts,Kim, Lisa, Victoria, Sarah,Katy. I hope I didn't leave anyone out. We feasted on a delightful assortment of Afghan foods: eggplant appetizer, potato appetizer, assorted meat kabobs deliciously marinated and served with a tasty rice. Dessert was Afghan Tea and baklava.

Those who had read the book were intrigued with learning of life in Afghanistan and the atrocities committed upon their people. It made for some difficult reading at times. I for one, cringed more than once at the violent acts described in grueling detail. But it was necessary for the reader to grasp the severity of life in that country. The characters were realistic and many wondered aloud if the author was sticking to factual events. It was learned that, indeed, many of the events were taken directly from the author's life experiences. Kim brought her laptop and the book on CD so we listened to parts of the story.

One of the restaurant owners shared some of her family history with us. Male relatives were used as human shields by the Russians during fighting there in the late 1970's and as a result she lost part of her family. They fled to Fremont, CA and settled in "Little Kabul" as she called it with many other Afghan families. Her family came to Manteca shortly after 9/11/2001 and was fearful that there would be racial retaliation on them following the attacks on our Americans in the east. Luckily, that was not their experience. If you are looking for a delightful dinner or a take out meal, check out this restaurant and support our fellow Americans.

Cathy and La Dean make the book vote difficult this month by offering so many good choices! Those up for the vote included:
Middlesex- Jeffrey Eugenides
A Walk in the Woods- Bill Bryson
A Million Little Pieces-James Frey
Bee Season-Myla Goldberg

The Bill Bryson travel book was the winner, with Frey's memoir a close second.