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Read With Us: Let's Talk About . . . Agatha of Little Neon

Welcome to Read With Us book discussion day!

Bonny and Carole and I are each posting a different question (or questions) on our blogs today about our latest RWU book . . . Agatha of Little Neon by Claire Luchette. Join the discussion (which you're welcome do even if you didn't read the book).  I'll be answering your posts within the comment section for this discussion -- and you can comment on other people's comments, as well. Y'know . . . like in a real book group. (Please know . . . that because of the limitations of Typepad, I can't "layer" or "stack" the comments in my comment feed. Sorry. Bear with me.)

Let's begin. . . 

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First . . . I'd really like to know what you thought of the book. How did it make you feel? Did you like it? Were you surprised that it marks author Claire Luchette's debut? How would you describe Agatha of Little Neon to a friend looking for a book recommendation?

Next . . . Agatha of Little Neon is a book about relationships: Between the sisters, between the sisters and Mother Roberta, between the Neons, and even between the girls at school. But at the same time, much of the book is focused solely on Agatha and her "interior world." How did this help you understand Agatha as the book progressed?

Last . . . Claire Luchette paints some really wonderful scenes for us in her writing; she makes it easy for us to see, for example, Agatha learning to roller skate. Which scenes did you find particularly memorable?

I can't wait to hear what you think!

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Don't forget: We'll be discussing the book on Zoom tonight - 7:00 pm Eastern Time. There's still time for you to join us! Just let me know of your interest either with a comment or by sending me an email (see sidebar, above) -- and I'll send a Zoom invitation. 

PS - If you are planning to join us on the Zoom, but haven't received an invitation from me (I sent them yesterday), please let me know so I can get the Zoom link to you today.

 

Comments

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kat

So many questions! And so many thoughts!

First: I really loved the book. It was engaging and I thought the writing was really wonderful... and no, I had a hard time remembering that this is Luchette's debut novel. How I would (and have) described Agatha... a journey of discovery that just happens to involve a sister.

Next: I loved Agatha's interior world. Very, very much! It felt very much like Luchette was allowing the reader to discover with Agatha... a very lovely way for the story to unfold for both of us! (Agatha and the reader!)

Last: There were so many things I loved about the incredible scenes in this book...my favorite, climbing the water tower. Gosh, I loved it. I tried to imagine doing it (and I would have been so terrified) yet the reward at the top... wow. The scenes all were there to teach us (Agatha and the reader) a lesson perhaps, no?

Vera

I, too, really enjoyed this book. So much more than Matrix! The story was much more engaging for me. I loved when Agatha started teaching and it made her have so many questions and discoveries. I also think that Luchette did a great job in portraying all of the varied relationships in Agatha's life - all of them different (Mother Roberta, the Sisters, the Neons, the high school girls). I think it's an amazing first novel. Not surprising in that I've read a number of fabulous first novels.

Kym

Kat - I’m so glad you liked the book, Kat. I really appreciated the slow unfolding as we got a bit deeper into Agatha’s “inner world” and her discovering that she was ready for . . . more. I know a lot of readers wish for more of her backstory, but . . . I didn’t really need that at all. I watched an interview with Claire Luchette and was surprised that she didn’t set out to write the book about just one sister in particular. She set out to write about the the sisters-as-a-group, but then Agatha just kind of popped out for her, and she shifted her focus. I thought that was fascinating, and I don’t think the book would be so interesting without Agatha-as-star. Serendipity, I think.

Kym

Vera -- I’m so glad you enjoyed the book! I think Agatha’s “peeling off” from the group (of sisters) really allowed her to find herself! She became so much more perceptive of the world (and people) around her once she ventured off to her teaching gig, don’t you think?

Bonny

I enjoyed Agatha, and liked that Luchette wrote in a "minimal" way, not telling the reader too much. (At the same time, I did miss some of the lovely prose written by Lauren Groff.) The relationships between the sisters and Mother Roberta helped me understand Agatha, and I gained a better understanding of Agatha when she left the sisters' company to go out and teach. (I think Agatha also gained a better understanding of herself when she was out in the world to teach.) Like Kat, I liked the scene with Tim Gary on the water tower. That and Tim Gary's funeral shed a lot of light on the book, Agatha, and the Catholic church.

Debbie

I enjoyed the almost gentle revealing of Agatha's inner life as she was growing and gaining a deeper understanding of herself.
My favorite scene was the one on the water tower with Tim Gary, it was so beautiful! I also enjoyed reading about her conversations with her fellow teacher and friend (I can't remember her name) and watching Agatha grow as their friendship grew.
I look forward to the discussion tonight!

Kym

Bonny -- I really liked the way Luchette allowed the story (and Agatha’s “inner life”) to unfold slowly. It seemed very natural to me, rather like how you might get to know another person over time. I enjoyed all the relationship-stories in Agatha. I listened to an interview with Claire Luchette, and she said that the story started out as just a relationship-between-the-four-sisters, and that featuring only one sister was an afterthought! I think she was wise to choose one sister to “peel off” from the pack, myself. I actually can’t imagine the story without that “inner relationship.” And you’re right about Tim Gary’s funeral. . .

Kym

Debbie -- I really enjoyed the “gentle revealing” of Agatha’s inner life, too! It was like the way real-life relationships unfold as you slowly begin to get to know another person. I thought it felt very natural. And that water tower scene is one that particularly sticks in my mind, too! Almost all the scenes with Agatha and Tim Gary were poignant and touching to me. I, too, really liked seeing Agatha’s relationship with her fellow-teacher (I also can’t recall her name right now!) grow. It was such a different relationship from the ones Agatha had with her sisters.

Valerie

I enjoyed this book much more than Matrix, but part of that is I don't care for Lauren Groff's writing. It feels to me like she's trying to show off..."look at me, I've included all of these vocabulary words that you'll never be able to find in a standard dictionary." Perhaps she will mature over time.

Anyway, Little Neon: To me this was a version of a coming of age story. I loved how the author slowly revealed some of Agatha's back story and inner life.

My favorite scenes were when the other three sisters were spouting off bible verses at various times and we see Agatha processing how unhelpful that was.
And the scene with the irate truck driver who did a 180 when he saw their habits.....yep, I could picture that.
And finally the scene at Tim Gary's funeral where the homily was totally inappropriate for those who were grieving. I've been party to such a funeral, where instead of eulogizing my FIL, the pastor went off on a tangent about swearing and the pastor's own habit of swearing before he went into seminary. this was the same month that 45 talked about sh!th@le countries. All this had nothing to do with my FIL and was deeply offensive to me. (what do you expect from a pastor who was once an Elvis impersonator?) Anyway...we came home to the death of a friend from church and I served at his funeral. where he was properly eulogized and his life celebrated....it helped heal the hurt from the other insensitive funeral.

And there you go...more than you wanted to know!

Kym

Valerie - Oh, thank you for sharing your experience and your story! It was absolutely relevant to this book discussion, too. I really liked the “slow unfolding” of Agatha’s backstory and “inner life.” It felt very natural and well-done to me, kind of like getting to know a new friend . . . slowly and a little at at time. I, too enjoyed the minimalist writing style. It gave me just what I needed, and no more. I always appreciate that in a book. Thanks so much for reading along with us! I’m glad you liked this one. It was certainly far less stuffy than Matrix. . .

kim in oregon

I did like it but it made me sad at the end. I think Agatha thought she figured out her life but she didn't, and now had to begin again.

Kym

Kim - I understand why you might feel sad, but I felt more hopeful for Agatha. Like she finally figured some things out about herself, and would be able to move ahead from a stronger position. Or . . . that’s what I’d like to think!

Suzanne

I really liked the book. I kept reading to find out what was going to happen next.

Like Valerie I went to a funeral many years ago for a high school aged cousin and it just seemed inappropriate to me the way it seemed like they were trying to tell all the kids there that you need to behave, etc or bad things happen. Not in those words, it was about 30 years ago, and I just remember sitting there thinking, couldn't you have talked about what a nice kid he was, etc instead of lecturing the kids there. He passed in a car accident, his first time in a car with the kid driving and it just seemed wrong and disrespectful to my grieving cousin that lost her firstborn.

Back to the book, I think when Tim Gary died it just seemed like it was the final straw for her, she had seen the world outside, she was upset about the priests in the churches and the charges against them and I think she grew up and just wanted a different life.

Sarah

Thanks again for hosting the discussion last night! I always appreciate a book we've read more after our Zoom sessions, and I'm grateful for technology for finally allowing me to join a book club.

Kym

Suzanne - I’m glad you liked the book! Thanks for sharing your story/your experience. I think that happens just a little too often . . . those “preachy” sermons at ceremonies where love and compassion would be more appropriate. And I completely agree with your assessment about what happened for Agatha after Tim Gary’s death. It was the last straw!

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