I hope everyone enjoyed the April selection for #LitsySciFiBookClub Discussion is now open. I have a few questions to get us started. However, feel free to talk about anything. Even though the setting was 75+ years ago, a lot of issues are still relevant today.
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@Larkken @Deblovestoread @bnp @Johanna414 @BookmarkTavern @julesG @sebrittainclark @BookBelle84 @Readergrrl
TheSpineView @CSeydel @Roary47 @Lizpixie @Ruthiella @PaperbackPirate @PageShifter @kwmg40 @majkia @AuthorCjwhitcomb @Bookwomble @wanderinglynn @MerlinTheSlightlyAwkward @Klou @RamsFan1963 @BookwormAHN 1d
TheSpineView @LeticiaToraci @CatLass007 @AmandaBlaze @psalva @Karisimo @BethM @rretzler @Lauredhel @CaroPi @DuckOfDoom 1d
CatLass007 I think that Elma got an education when she made friends with Black people. She was unaware of her own racism until that time and she wasn‘t perfect when she tried not to be racist, but she made every effort to make change in her behavior. 1d
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CatLass007 I‘m not convinced that this was accurate in the way it treated minorities. This was pretty tame. People in the South are pretty blatant about their racism while northerners try to hide it but it‘s definitely still there. Although the fact that only whites were rescued for some time speaks volumes. 1d
Larkken I‘m still working my way through this book, but I like how Elma constantly tries to confront her own biases. She seems like a worthy heroine, and I love the mutual respect in marriage being shown throughout the book. Fairly cozy in its way - but I can‘t tell if that tone is jarring to me given the subject matter? I think the book does tone down the racism that I think would have been present a bit weirdly. 1d
Ruthiella While I enjoyed the story and found it an entertaining read, Elma felt a little too perfect to me and her relationship with her husband as well. I think probably the racism and sexism were even worse than portrayed in this book. At the back of the edition I read, Kowal gave sources for the attitudes expressed in the novel about how women weren‘t fit to be astronauts or pilots from our real history. 19h
kwmg40 I agree with @Ruthiella that Elma seemed a bit too perfect to be completely relatable. As for the racism and sexism, I can believe that they existed and were likely worse than depicted. I'm an Asian-Canadian woman who has studied and worked in tech since the 80's and have told stories to my daughters that made them say, “He actually said that to you? And didn't get fired on the spot?“ Friends and colleagues have relayed even worse incidents. 6h
kwmg40 But things have definitely gotten better, though there's still a long way to go. My daughters' reactions indicate that some of the behaviour would be considered completely unacceptable these days. The biggest change I observe at my tech company is that more of my male colleagues are taking an equal share in the parenting, which means they too are concerned about work-life balance and such issues. 6h
TheSpineView @kwmg40 I agree with both of you also. Elma was a bit too perfect. 4h
TheSpineView @kwmg40 Things have gotten better. For example, I didn't go the CPA route when I finished school. Back in the day it was the good old boys club. Women didn't ever make partner and were just glorified bookkeepers. I ended up being a CMA and worked most of my career in manufacturing. Don't regret it. Still need to see more Women and minorities in upper level positions. 4h
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