"Sister Friends" spread joy; a northern Virginia group finds escape in history and fiction. (books N clubs).Two friends, Deborah Sulton-Brown and Sandi Quash To overthrow; to annul; to make void or declare invalid; e.g., "quash a subpoena." Unreasonable, obviously irregular, or oppressive subpoenas, injunctions, indictments, and orders can be quashed by a court. , cofounded Sister Friends Book Club in 1996, to share their love of reading with others. "Many people don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. private joy" says Sulton-Brown. "Reading is an inexpensive and easy way to escape, relax and bring yourself joy." Sister Friends was chosen as the group name because "there are sisters in the group and because we have such a tight bond that we all feel like sisters." Sister Friends reads all genres of African American African American Multiculture A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. See Race. authors. Their first book, The Hand I Fan With by Tina McElroy Ansa, remains one of the group's favorites. "We're still talking about that book seven years later" says Sulton-Brown. "I think the true romance of the characters, the self-determination of the main character and the fact that the book didn't seem to really end has held our interest through the years." Quash especially enjoyed Cane River by Lalita Tademy because it brought together her interests in genealogy and slavery. She was intrigued with the manner in which Tademy weaved her personal family story throughout the historical events depicted in Cane River. "As with most African American stories, the family history would not be complete without the impact and influences of 'D'," says Quash. The D is a reference to the white man. "I related on a personal level to this aspect of the family because my own family has traced my paternal great-grandfather back to D." Mary Chatman also took pleasure in Cane River. "I know the areas depicted in Cane River just like I know the Georgetown area referred to in Breena Clark's book River Cross My Heart,' says Chatman. "I enjoyed reading and comparing times then to now. Cane River stands out to me because it covered a lot of history and gave insight into what black women endured for their families." Wandra Davis delighted in the complexity of You Know Better by Tina McElroy Ansa. "It deals with the issues of children in today's society that we see or hear about all too often" explains Davis. "As parents pursue their careers and fail to provide kids love and attention, our children are in trouble. The author goes straight to the heart of family and women's relationships." Merry Christmas Baby by Paula Woods and Felix Liddell holds a special place on Sulton-Brown's personal bookshelf because it captures the culture and faith of African Americans at Christmastime. "The book depicts, through its various stories, how we were happy without material things" she says. "We were just happy living the true meaning of Christmas." Sister Friends has introduced its members to many books they would not have ordinarily read, particularly historically based nonfiction. The group has also help to establish some great friendships. To celebrate their fifth anniversary, the women headed to the spa at Kings Mill Resort in Williamsburg, Virginia Williamsburg is a city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads region in southeastern Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 11,998. . Since then, the weekend getaway has evolved into an annual three-day retreat where members relax and pamper pam·per tr.v. pam·pered, pam·per·ing, pam·pers 1. To treat with excessive indulgence: pampered their child. 2. themselves and then move on with a book discussion over dinner in the evening to spread joy. GROUP PROFILE The Club: Sister Friends Book Club Location: Manassas, Virginia Book Preferences: historical and contemporary fiction Number of Members: seven How Often They Meet: every six weeks Last Book Read: Gumbo gumbo, another name for okra; also applied in the W United States to a rich, black, alkaline alluvial soil, which is soapy or sticky when wet. gumbo ; An Anthology of African American Writing edited by Marita Golden and E. Lynn Harris E. Lynn Harris is an Black American author, (b. June 20, 1955). Harris writes primarily about African American men on the down low or in the closet; Harris confirmed that he is a homosexual. He lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas and Atlanta, Georgia. ; Broadway Books, December 2002, $17.95, ISBN ISBN abbr. International Standard Book Number ISBN International Standard Book Number ISBN n abbr (= International Standard Book Number) → ISBN m 0-76791041-9 Group's Reaction: Extremely Favorable Next Book: Drinking Coffee Elsewhere by ZZ Packer Riverhead riv·er·head n. The source of a river. Books, March 2003, $24.95, ISBN 1-573-22234-8 How They Choose Books: The facilitator of each meeting chooses the book selection --Pat Houser is a contributing editor at BIBR BIBR Bay Islands Beach Resort (Roatan, Honduras) BIBR Backward Indicator Bit Received . If you'd like to have your book club mentioned, e-mail her at pathouser@aol.com. |
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