Book Notes | ‘A House Among the Trees’
The story and characters portrayed in A House Among the Trees by Julie Glass had their genesis from a New York Times article on the last will of Maurice Sendak, a renowned author and illustrator of children’s books. In his will, Sendak left everything to his personal assistant, who worked closely with him for decades. Those who expected to benefit from Sendak’s literary estate and other valuable works received nothing. In her novel, Glass imagined what it would be like to have the responsibility for a renowned person’s legacy thrust upon oneself.
Three main characters are the center of the story. Each has to deal with the repercussions from the accidental death of Mort Lear, a renowned children’s author, and the unexpected terms of Lear’s will. In his will, he leaves everything to his long-time assistant, Tomasina (Tommy) Daulair. While surprised by Lear’s generosity, Tommy is dismayed by the complicated directives set by the author for how she is to ensure his legacy.
Meredith Galarza is the curator of a children’s museum. She was promised Lear’s literary estate for the museum, but under the terms of will receives nothing.
Nicholas Greene is a British actor who will be portraying the author in an upcoming movie based on his life. Lear arranged for Greene to visit the author’s house among the trees, prior to his death. Tommy agrees that Greene can still come to the house, to immerse himself in Lear ’s home as the actor prepares to play the man in the movie.
Glass relies on flashbacks, moving from present to past, to weave this story. The characters’ individual stories are revealed while their interactions with each other expose hidden secrets in Lear’s life. Each character has to come to terms with how to handle the responsibility for carrying forth the legacy of a creative genius.
UMRA Book Club readers were mixed in their appraisal of the book, but the differences in their reactions to the book led to an interesting discussion. Those disappointed by the book found the characters difficult to like. Some readers also found the use of flashbacks made it difficult to follow the story line, because the transitions among the characters were abrupt.
One member said she liked the book despite the “jumping around” among the different story lines. Others who liked the book thought the story was complex, but found the premise interesting as well as the main characters.
—Kathleen Cramer, UMRA Book Club I member
Book Club I to discuss 'A House Among Trees'
Fri, Mar 17 2023, 2pm
Kathy Cramer will lead the discussion of A House Among the Trees by Julia Glass when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, March 17.
Email Pat Tollefson at [email protected] for more information, including suggestions for starting a new book club.
You can find summaries of the book club members’ discussions under “Book Notes” on this website.
Upcoming Events
Silk Parachute, an anthology of essays and the 40th of 44 published books by author John McPhee, will be the topic of discussion when UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club meets via Zoom from 2 to 3:30 p.m. CDT on April 26.
We are fortunate to have UMRA member and former Minnesota Landscape Arboretum director Peter Moe to lead this approximately 3.7-mile hike at the Arboretum on Monday, May 6. Plan to have lunch together after the hike at the Eatery café inside the Oswald Visitor Center.
This session will continue the discussion begun in the May 8, 2023 session. See that article for details.
If you currently live in your own home or apartment, have you looked ahead to when you might want to consider a senior living option? Do you have any idea what those options might be? How much they cost? What they provide? UMRA’s May 14 workshop will provide an overview of the world of senior living and the basic information you need.
You’re invited to join the final Family History Interest Group meeting for 2023–24. This will be an opportunity to ask questions related to family history, share insights, talk about recent projects, and suggest topics for next year.
Stephanie Daily will lead the discussion of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by best-selling author Mary Roach when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 17.
The May 20 hike will start at the Historic Lift Bridge in Stillwater and go along the river to the new bridge, cross over and then back on the Wisconsin side, a total of approximately 5 miles. Most of the route is paved. We will eat lunch after at Brian's Bar and Grill in Stillwater. Car pooling will be available.
Climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley joined the U of M faculty in 1978 and has been a weekly commentator on Minnesota Public Radio since 1992. We are honored to welcome him as our guest speaker for UMRA’s May Luncheon Forum and 2024 Annual Meeting. He is always entertaining and informative.
UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club welcomes back, for the second time, author Julie Schumacher, U of M Regents professor of creative writing and English, for a conversation about her novel The Shakespeare Requirement.
We are in for a treat on June 3! Lynn Anderson, will lead us on trails at two parks near her Monticello home. Bring a bag lunch and we will gather in Lynn's yard along the Mississippi River for eating and socializing after the hike.
Get out to the ballpark with fellow UMRA members for the annual U of M Day at Target Field as the Minnesota Twins take on the Oakland Athletics on June 14 at 7:10 p.m.
Please join us at 9:30 on June 17, 2024 for a walk around Lake Como in St. Paul before attending the UMRA Summer Social and Picnic starting at 11 at the Como Pavilion. A perfect opportunity to get in a walk before we gather to celebrate summer.
Picnic under the covered, open-air Como pavilion, gaze at the water, spy some birds, catch up with friends and former colleagues, and meet new members. We’ll have lunch with plenty of time for visiting and then compete in teams as we are challenged by our Quiz master(s)!
Healthy aging, mindfulness, fighting ageism, and more will be the focus of the third annual Age-Friendly University Day to be held on the U of M Twin Cities campus.