"The House Girl" by Tara Conklin

The House Girl by Tara Conklin
Call Number: FICTION Conklin
A stunning debut novel of love, family, and justice that intertwines the stories of an escaped house slave in 1852 Virginia and ambitious young lawyer in contemporary New York. Virginia, 1852. Seventeen-year-old Josephine Bell decides to run from the failing tobacco farm where she is a slave and nurse to her ailing mistress, the aspiring artist Lu Anne Bell. New York City, 2004. Lina Sparrow, an ambitious first-year associate in an elite law firm, is given a difficult, highly sensitive assignment that could make her career: she must find the "perfect plaintiff" to lead a historic class-action lawsuit worth trillions of dollars in reparations for descendants of American slaves.

*ebook & audiobook on Libby
*audiobook on hoopla

**The novel alternates between the perspectives of Josephine Bell, a slave in the 1850s, and Lina Sparrow, a lawyer in the present day. How does the dual narrative structure enhance the storytelling, and what parallels or contrasts do you observe between the two women's lives?
**Discuss the character of Josephine Bell. How does her background and experiences as a slave shape her identity, relationships, and decisions throughout the novel?
**Lina Sparrow is tasked with finding a plaintiff for a reparations lawsuit. How does her journey intersect with the larger theme of historical accountability, and how does it challenge her perceptions of justice?
**Explore the theme of art as a form of expression and resistance. How does Josephine's artistic talent become a significant part of her story, and in what ways does it impact the characters in the present day?
**Discuss the ethical dilemmas faced by Lina Sparrow as she navigates the legal and moral complexities of the reparations lawsuit. How does her personal connection to the case influence her decisions?
**The novel explores the institution of slavery in the antebellum South. In what ways does Tara Conklin depict the harsh realities of slavery, and how do the characters grapple with the moral implications of their roles in that system?
**Examine the role of historical research and archival work in the novel. How does Lina's investigation into Josephine's life contribute to the narrative, and what challenges and revelations does she encounter?
**Family relationships play a significant role in both Josephine's and Lina's stories. How do the dynamics within their families shape their experiences and choices?
**Consider the impact of societal expectations on the characters, especially Josephine. How do gender, race, and social class influence the characters' opportunities and constraints?
**Discuss the symbolism of the quilt featured in the novel. How does it represent the interconnectedness of lives and generations, and what significance does it hold for the characters?
**Reflect on the title, "The House Girl." How does the term capture the essence of the novel, and in what ways does it encapsulate the roles and expectations placed on women in both historical periods?
**The novel delves into themes of identity and self-discovery. How do Josephine and Lina grapple with questions of identity, belonging, and the search for one's true self?

Tara Conklin is an American author and former lawyer known for her novels that often explore complex themes and historical narratives. Here is a brief biography of Tara Conklin:

Early Life and Education:

Tara Conklin was born and raised in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts in history from Yale University.

Legal Career:

After completing her undergraduate studies, Conklin attended New York University School of Law, where she earned her Juris Doctor (J.D.).
She worked as a litigator in the legal field for several years, practicing law in New York and London.

Transition to Writing:

Tara Conklin transitioned from a legal career to pursue her passion for writing.
Her debut novel, "The House Girl," was published in 2013 and received positive reviews for its exploration of historical and moral themes.

Novels:

"The House Girl" (2013) is a historical novel that weaves together the stories of two women living in different historical periods—one a slave in the antebellum South and the other a lawyer in contemporary New York.
"The Last Romantics" (2019) is another novel by Conklin, exploring the lives of four siblings over five decades and examining the complexities of family relationships.

Writing Style and Themes:

Conklin's writing is characterized by its exploration of moral dilemmas, family dynamics, and historical narratives.
She often weaves together multiple perspectives and timelines to create intricate and thought-provoking stories.

Personal Life:

Information about Tara Conklin's personal life, beyond her professional achievements, is not extensively available in public sources.

Tara Conklin's novels have been praised for their literary quality, engaging storytelling, and the depth with which they explore complex themes. Her transition from law to literature showcases her ability to bring a nuanced understanding of legal and moral issues to her fiction.

Conjure Women by Afia Atakora
Call Number: FICTION Atakora
Publication Date: 2020-04-07
Like her mother, Rue is an all-knowing midwife, healer, and conjurer of curses on the plantation of Marse Charles. Moving back and forth in time between the years before and after the Civil War, this novel tells the story of Rue, the families she cares for, and the mysteries and secrets she knows about the plantation owner's daughter, Varina. At the heart of this story is the intimate bonds and transgressions among people and across racial divides, during both slavery time and freedom time.
The Gilded Hour by Sara Donati
Call Number: FICTION Donati
The year is 1883, and in New York City, it's a time of dizzying splendor, crushing poverty, and tremendous change. With the gravity-defying Brooklyn Bridge nearly complete and New York in the grips of anti-vice crusader Anthony Comstock, Anna Savard and her cousin Sophie--both graduates of the Woman's Medical School--treat the city's most vulnerable, even if doing so may put everything they've strived for in jeopardy. Anna's work has placed her in the path of four children who have lost everything, just as she herself once had. Faced with their helplessness, Anna must make an unexpected choice between holding on to the pain of her past and letting love into her life. For Sophie, an obstetrician and the orphaned daughter of free people of color, helping a desperate young mother forces her to grapple with the oath she took as a doctor--and thrusts her and Anna into the orbit of Anthony Comstock, a dangerous man who considers himself the enemy of everything indecent and of anyone who dares to defy him.
The Love Songs of W. E. B. du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers
Call Number: FICTION Jeffers
The great scholar, W. E. B. Du Bois, once wrote about what he called "Double Consciousness," a sensitivity that every African American possesses in order to survive. From an early age, Ailey fights a battle for belonging that's made all the more difficult by a hovering trauma. To come to terms with her own identity, Ailey embarks on a journey through her family's past. In doing so Ailey must learn to embrace her full heritage, a legacy of oppression and resistance, bondage and independence, cruelty and resilience that is the story - and the song - of America itself.
The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
Call Number: FICTION Kidd
Hetty "Handful" Grimke, an urban slave in early nineteenth century Charleston, yearns for life beyond the suffocating walls that enclose her within the wealthy Grimke household. The Grimke's daughter, Sarah, has known from an early age she is meant to do something large in the world, but she is hemmed in by the limits imposed on women. Kidd's sweeping novel is set in motion on Sarah's eleventh birthday, when she is given ownership of ten year old Handful, who is to be her handmaid. We follow their remarkable journeys over the next thirty five years, as both strive for a life of their own, dramatically shaping each other's destinies and forming a complex relationship marked by guilt, defiance, estrangement and the uneasy ways of love. As the stories build to a riveting climax, Handful will endure loss and sorrow, finding courage and a sense of self in the process. Sarah will experience crushed hopes, betrayal, unrequited love, and ostracism before leaving Charleston to find her place alongside her fearless younger sister, Angelina, as one of the early pioneers in the abolition and women's rights movements. Inspired by the historical figure of Sarah Grimke, Kidd goes beyond the record to flesh out the rich interior lives of all of her characters, both real and invented, including Handful's cunning mother, Charlotte, who courts danger in her search for something better. This exquisitely written novel is a triumph of storytelling that looks with unswerving eyes at a devastating wound in American history, through women whose struggles for liberation, empowerment, and expression will leave no reader unmoved.

Islington Branch Book Club - Past Titles: "The House Girl" by Tara Conklin

"The House Girl" by Tara Conklin

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