“Children exist in a state of grace” recites a character in L’Argent de Poche (Small Change), Truffaut’s warm, bittersweet film about the vulnerability and resiliency of children. In Sleeping Arrangements, Laura Shaine Cunningham lifts the veil from her past to share the dangers, discoveries, losses, and affection as she experienced them in childhood. Sleeping Arrangements does not read like a retelling, rather Cunningham seems to re-inhabit her childhood and allow her young life to materialize before you as you read. Growing up largely unsupervised until her mother’s death at age 8, Lily wanders into perilous and potentially scarring situations; yet she emerges unscathed and wonder struck, knowing that she is loved and capable of loving. If you enjoy Sleeping Arrangements, I strongly recommend that you read Childhood and Other Neighborhoods by the great Stuart Dybek.
-Valerie Mittenberg
Friday, October 17, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
An Enjoyable Read
I knew I wouldn't get the chance to read this book during the One Book One New Paltz week, but a librarian had recommended it to me, so I've been reading it over the past couple weeks. I was sad to finish it a few days ago. Lily's life is presented with no censorship or awkwardness ... nothing is edited out. All of her memories are vivid and detailed; that the book is written in present tense makes it very real to the reader.
I also felt that I got to know the characters well. All aspects of their personalities were described and they grew throughout the book. Uncle Len and Uncle Gabe found a special place in my heart for caring for their little niece even though it caused a dramatic lifestyle shift for them.
I really enjoyed this book, and I know my housemate did too. She finished it in two days!
-Erin R., New Paltz student
I also felt that I got to know the characters well. All aspects of their personalities were described and they grew throughout the book. Uncle Len and Uncle Gabe found a special place in my heart for caring for their little niece even though it caused a dramatic lifestyle shift for them.
I really enjoyed this book, and I know my housemate did too. She finished it in two days!
-Erin R., New Paltz student
Share and Discuss Your Reaction to "Sleeping Arrangements" With The Community
Share and discuss your reaction to "Sleeping Arrangements" with the community by posting comments to the One Book/One New Paltz blog.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Discussion Questions for Sleeping Arrangements
Here are some discussion questions to stir up conversation on this blog. Please comment and/or add more questions.
These questions are from ReadingGroupGuides.com:
1. The first sentence of Lily's memoir reads: "I began my life waiting for him" (p. 3). How does this perpetual state of longing for her father affect her development? What does she mean when she writes, "Soon, I became the prisoner of war" (p. 7)? Why does her mother Rosie embellish the facts about Larry? Do you think Rosie is right to shield her daughter from the truth? Why, or why not?
2. How does Etka's arrival at AnaMor Towers make it easier for readers to understand Rosie, in retrospect? Has Lily inherited her grandmother's and mother's "habit of ducking unpleasant truths? (p. 5) How does sitting shiva for Rosie change Lily's ability to confront reality (pp. 48-54)?
3. Though just kindergarten-aged, Lily is already a girl "on the loose" ( p. 15), a latchkey child more days than not, whose play with her girlfriends involves more than a touch of sex, violence, paganism, and tribal ritual. Why does this wild play appeal to Lily, Diana, and Susan? And why does Lily ultimately turn out to be the most stable, least damaged, of the three? What is Rosie's greatest gift to her daughter?
4. What are the sacrifices Gabe and Len make in order to act as Lily's guardians? What gifts do they receive in return? What are the unique benefits to Lily from being raised by this peculiar pair of "O.B.'s" (old bachelors)? Why does Lily come to believe that "Larry's absence may have benefited me more than his presence" (p. 194)?
5. Throughout Lily's childhood, she explores several 'religions' presented to her in a variety of ways-including Judaism, Catholicism, Native American ritual, and Greek mythology. Discuss the appeal or lack of appeal of each to Lily. What role does the person who introduces each of them to Lily play in her identifying with them? By the end of the book, does she seem to have accepted any one system of belief over the others? Or has she grown to believe in something else?
6. How do Grandmother Etka's eccentricities help to awaken and develop Lily's capacity for empathy? Why does Lily respond with understanding to Etka's behavior, rather than with resentment and anger?
7. Why do you think Len is so secretive about the details of his life? What does it mean to Lily when he takes her on a 'secret assignment' to Cuba? Do the differences in Len and Lily's characters lend stability or, rather, imbalance to Lily's life? How do these two men change as a result of becoming instant parents?
8. How does Lily's childhood prepare her for her career as a writer? What does it teach her-or us--about the art of writing memoir?
9. What is the role of fantasy in Lily's life? In your opinion, are the imaginary scenarios enacted by Lily and her friends harmful or beneficial? What are the differences between Lily's 'White Eagle,' Susan's 'The Sailor,' and Diana's episodes in the park?
10. What does Lily's memorable stay at Camp Ava (pp. 60-82) teach her about friendship? About her family? About the world's sense of justice? About herself?
11. Lily writes, "If tragedy has brought us together, it's comedy that keeps us close" (p. 123). What do you think would have happened to Lily if it weren't for her family's sense of humor? And why is it important to her that, no matter how much laughter filled their home, they "chose to live with a degree of pain, to preserve memory" (p. 190)?
These questions are from ReadingGroupGuides.com:
1. The first sentence of Lily's memoir reads: "I began my life waiting for him" (p. 3). How does this perpetual state of longing for her father affect her development? What does she mean when she writes, "Soon, I became the prisoner of war" (p. 7)? Why does her mother Rosie embellish the facts about Larry? Do you think Rosie is right to shield her daughter from the truth? Why, or why not?
2. How does Etka's arrival at AnaMor Towers make it easier for readers to understand Rosie, in retrospect? Has Lily inherited her grandmother's and mother's "habit of ducking unpleasant truths? (p. 5) How does sitting shiva for Rosie change Lily's ability to confront reality (pp. 48-54)?
3. Though just kindergarten-aged, Lily is already a girl "on the loose" ( p. 15), a latchkey child more days than not, whose play with her girlfriends involves more than a touch of sex, violence, paganism, and tribal ritual. Why does this wild play appeal to Lily, Diana, and Susan? And why does Lily ultimately turn out to be the most stable, least damaged, of the three? What is Rosie's greatest gift to her daughter?
4. What are the sacrifices Gabe and Len make in order to act as Lily's guardians? What gifts do they receive in return? What are the unique benefits to Lily from being raised by this peculiar pair of "O.B.'s" (old bachelors)? Why does Lily come to believe that "Larry's absence may have benefited me more than his presence" (p. 194)?
5. Throughout Lily's childhood, she explores several 'religions' presented to her in a variety of ways-including Judaism, Catholicism, Native American ritual, and Greek mythology. Discuss the appeal or lack of appeal of each to Lily. What role does the person who introduces each of them to Lily play in her identifying with them? By the end of the book, does she seem to have accepted any one system of belief over the others? Or has she grown to believe in something else?
6. How do Grandmother Etka's eccentricities help to awaken and develop Lily's capacity for empathy? Why does Lily respond with understanding to Etka's behavior, rather than with resentment and anger?
7. Why do you think Len is so secretive about the details of his life? What does it mean to Lily when he takes her on a 'secret assignment' to Cuba? Do the differences in Len and Lily's characters lend stability or, rather, imbalance to Lily's life? How do these two men change as a result of becoming instant parents?
8. How does Lily's childhood prepare her for her career as a writer? What does it teach her-or us--about the art of writing memoir?
9. What is the role of fantasy in Lily's life? In your opinion, are the imaginary scenarios enacted by Lily and her friends harmful or beneficial? What are the differences between Lily's 'White Eagle,' Susan's 'The Sailor,' and Diana's episodes in the park?
10. What does Lily's memorable stay at Camp Ava (pp. 60-82) teach her about friendship? About her family? About the world's sense of justice? About herself?
11. Lily writes, "If tragedy has brought us together, it's comedy that keeps us close" (p. 123). What do you think would have happened to Lily if it weren't for her family's sense of humor? And why is it important to her that, no matter how much laughter filled their home, they "chose to live with a degree of pain, to preserve memory" (p. 190)?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
