Book club selection (via Emily; session held (via Zoom) May 23, 2021). (Debbers, in Phoenix, joined from 706.)
Collection of short stories; science themes; I liked it. Here are my discussion notes on the eight stories:
1 - Mendel & his nemesis; Tati & his nemesis; Richard the husband not very flattering portrayal; Euro assistant romanced by wife. Tati had a letter from Mendel, it's given to Richard. Unflattering portrayal of 70s students.
2 - Linnaeus - forgetful/slipping old man in sleigh, stops in house; recalls Apostles sent to the far reaches, so many with a bad ending (was this what happened? I think yes.) One shows up at the house. Sounds like his immediate family wasn't very heartwarming.
3 - littoral zone - a couple goes on a summer project, their marriages are broken. not sure if this is finished, or if another story will come back to it? Not very interesting.
4 - Rare Bird - Sarah Anne disappears with Mrs. Pearce. Interested in whether swallows winter underwater. Correspond with Linnaeus. Brother's wife and child die, he goes to America; Sarah Anne's letters found later.
5 - Soroche - Zaga marries wealthy/older Joel, gets sick in Peru, widowed, loses $$. Siblings unhappy with her, as are stepchildren. Doctor that she meets in Peru makes a comparison - Fuegians who went back to England didn't fit in either place. That's the interesting angle, even Willa Cather wrote about it.
6 - Birds with No Feet - Alec tracks Wallace . . . who is way more successful. Wallace publishes, gets sponsors, does an article about natural selection. Alec travels cheap; excels at finding specimens; early batch lost in ship fire. Alec eventually not comfortable "back home" - he "went native." Gifted at finding stuff, not so much at coming up with any unifying theories.
7 - The Marburg Sisters - two messed-up kids, not interesting
8 - Ship Fever - longest - quite interesting - dr. who can't get traction goes to an island where Irish emigrants are quarantined; his childhood sweetheart volunteers (her husband is on the ground in Ireland writing articles); he hangs out with immigrant Nora. Made this come alive in an interesting way. Minor criticism - usual unthinking unflattering references to business, making a profit, wealthy folk.