Spoken From the Heart by Laura Bush

Wow! This book changes everything - well, it changes a lot of my old perceptions. I am not sure why I chose this book to read because as most who know me know I have never been fond of her husband's leadership. My distaste for his leadership lead to my personal assumption about who he is as a person. In this I have learned a lesson - again. We as people are in large part have two sides to our persona. The me I am here at home does influence who I am in public and at work, but visually and acoustically a very different woman. At work I am an aggressive recruiter at home I am laid back and connected to my woman spirit.

I am glad I read this book of life from Laura Bush's perspective. In it she describes with such clarity you can actually imagine what it was like to live in Midland during the oil boom. I understand better that part of the country breeds the strong willed and why those from that region are very proud of their heritage.

The story interweaves the consistency of her father moving their family from house to house within the town, her incredible friendships that have stood the test of time, and of a tragedy that left her grieving silently for decades. She lived through the thick of the civil rights movement graduating college in 1968 she took on teaching in intercity schools and later a trained as a librarian. The marriage to George took place after only having dated him for three months, but they knew upon meeting they were destined to be together forever. The stories of being thrust into the limelight of the political world and of the relationship with her mother in law (this one blew me away.) The biggest shocker of the entire story is of George's devotion to her and his family. I think that is the biggest reason I am glad I read the book... I hate the idea of the leader of our masses being cold and calculating.

A few questions I will ponder to answer:

1. Laura Welch learned that her grandmother had lost two children, but no one new the entire story—because it was never discussed. "You might talk about the wind and the weather, but troubles you swallowed deep down inside." In what way does this training—suppressing unpleasant information—prepare her for the life ahead?

2. How does Laura describe her growing up as an only child? What was it like for her eventually to marry into the large, boisterous Bush family? How hard do you think it was for the once shy girl who went on "solo picnics" to fit in?

3. How does Laura Bush frame the terrible car accident that happened when she was 17? She writes that so many lives were wrecked that night at that corner." Talk about the accident and its aftermath.

4. If you are "of an age," how well does Laura capture the tone and tenor of the 1950s and '60s? She grew up in Texas, but are there similarities to your childhood years?

5. Laura Bush doesn't talk about how she felt watching so many of her friends marry...and she, herself, not marrying until the day after her 31th birthday. She learned of a friend's remark that "the most eligible bachelor in Midland" married "the old maid of Midland." She says she thought it was funny. Do you believe her?

6. How does she explain the whirlwind courtship with her future husband? Does she discuss what drew her—a once shy, bookish young woman who read Tolstoy by the poolside—to an outgoing jock-turned-oil-man? How does she talk about their differences...and what holds their marriage together?

7. What does she mean that she and George, as a young married couple, "were the outliers on the Bush family curve"?

8. How does Laura talk about her relationship with her mother-in-law, Barbara Bush? How did the relationship evolve?

9. In what ways did Laura's life change from being first lady of Texas to being First Lady of the United States? Did you/do you ever envy her positions? Would you find it exciting...or terrifying...to be the wife of the President of the United States?

10. How does Laura defend the her husband's decision to declare war on Iraq? And his response to hurricane Katrina?

11. Talk about how she felt on her return to private life in Texas in 2009. What does she mean when she says, "I could at last exhale"?

12. Laura Bush has always been described as a deeply private individual. Do you feel she reveals her inner self in this memoir? Do you feel you know who she is, more so than when you started the book? Or do you feel she revealed very little, especially after her childhood?



She's a remarkable woman and tells of her childhood in the little west Tewhere everyone knew everyone and then some. Her childhood seems so enchanting and full of love. As I read I was continually shocked or moved emotionally by some of her experiences. Her devotion to education and love for children endears her to her reader. Her adoration of her husband no matter what leaves a lonely heart yearning for something never attained. She's truly a fascinating woman and after reading her book I have added her to my "Most Like to Meet" list.

Firefly Lane by Krisin Hannah

I read more in the summer months of 2010 than I have in a long while. Having the time for reading has been wonderful and am realizing now, at 45, what I have been missing all my life by not finding the time to read. This book was handed to me by a young woman who worked at the hospital on a temporary assignment this summer. It caught my fancy first because it was written by an author who is from the PNW and grew up not far from the area I first called home a decade ago. As I began reading I found I couldn't bear to put it down. It is a touching story of two girls who met during their early teen years - the year, 1974. While the story was excellent it left me reflective of what my life may have been had I been fortunate enough to of met a lifetime friend when I was younger. It was easy for me to step into Kate and Tully's world and follow their lives as though I were a bystander. I identify more with Kate in that I've always searched for the something more... I will have to rethink that longing now because what I have had and experienced in my life has been all I really needed; love, family, health, strength, faith... toss in adventure and what else could a woman ask for to complete the journey?

Here are some of the questions other readers have posted and my answers according to my interpretation.

1. One of the first things Tully says to Kate is a lie. Indeed, Tully is quick to lie throughout her life. Do you think this trait is her way of hiding the shame of her past or is it a willful reinterpretation of self? Do these lies and manipulations, big and small, help her ultimately to be more honest about whom she is, or do they undermine her ability to face her ownshortcomings?

2. From her earliest memory, Tully feels abandoned by her mother and father. How does this sense of being unwanted influence her life? How does her troubled relationship with her mother lead to the decisions she makes in her life? Do children have an obligation of some kind to forgive their parents, even inthe face of repeated disappointment? How much do you think childhood heartaches make us who we are?

3. The Kate-Johnny-Tully triangle is one of the fundamental underpinnings of the novel. How does Johnny really feel about Tully? How does Tully feel about him?

4. Kate believes she is Johnny's second choice for love. How does Johnny contribute to her insecurities? How did Tully? How much of a relationshipis set in the beginning and how are changes made as we grow?

5. When Chad leaves Tully, she rationalizes away her broken heart by saying,"if really loved me, he would wait for me." What does this reveal about Tully's perception of romantic love? How do these perceptions setthe stage for the rest of her life? Do you believe that Tully will ever fall in love?

6. Near the end of the novel, when their friend is on the rocks, both women feel wronged. Certainly Kate has ample reason to feel betrayed, but what about Tully's similar belief? Do you understand why Tully was upset, too? Do you believe that a friend should always reach out, even when great pain has been caused? Or do you believe that true friends would never hurt each other?

7. If you could think of one word that personified the seventies, the eighties,the nineties, and the new millennium (so far), what would those words be?

8. At which moment in the novel did you first notice a hint of tension between Tully and Kate? Who do you feel was to blame for this turning point?

9. Music plays an important role in this novel. What musical memories do you have of your teen years, your twenties, and today? Do you feel, as we get older, that music plays less of a role in our lives? Why do you feel that music so profoundly impacts us when we're "coming of age?"

10. What do you feel Kate was most jealous about with regards to Tully? And what was Tully the most envious of in Kate's life? Jealousy is often wanting what we cannot have. Do you feel that these characters truly could not have the things they wanted? If not, why not?

11. Under what circumstances do you feel a betrayal is unforgivable? Do you feel that any of these characters crossed that line?

12. What role do you see Tully playing in Mara's life, after the pages of the novel are closed?