Hi Everyone,

Thanks to all of you who came to the book club meeting at the mall on Tuesday. 

The book club selection for Tuesday, 24 June, at 6:00pm (Location TBD) is Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer.   This one should be great for men & women to attend and a lively discussion is guaranteed!  With all that is going on in Texas at the Yearning for Zion Ranch and the FLDS sect, I think this is an interesting and timely read.  I’ve read the book (it’s a very fast read!) and was mesmerized by the details about fundamentalist Mormonism.   If you are someone, or know of someone, who has a special perspective on Mormonism and/or Fundamentalist Mormonism, we would love for you to come to this book club meeting and add to the discussion. 

Here is a description from the internet:

Amazon.com
In 1984, Ron and Dan Lafferty murdered the wife and infant daughter of their younger brother Allen. The crimes were noteworthy not merely for their brutality but for the brothers' claim that they were acting on direct orders from God. In Under the Banner of Heaven, Jon Krakauer tells the story of the killers and their crime but also explores the shadowy world of Mormon fundamentalism from which the two emerged. The Mormon Church was founded, in part, on the idea that true believers could speak directly with God. But while the mainstream church attempted to be more palatable to the general public by rejecting the controversial tenet of polygamy, fundamentalist splinter groups saw this as apostasy and took to the hills to live what they believed to be a righteous life. When their beliefs are challenged or their patriarchal, cult-like order defied, these still-active groups, according to Krakauer, are capable of fighting back with tremendous violence. While Krakauer's research into the history of the church is admirably extensive, the real power of the book comes from present-day information, notably jailhouse interviews with Dan Lafferty. Far from being the brooding maniac one might expect, Lafferty is chillingly coherent, still insisting that his motive was merely to obey God's command. Krakauer's accounts of the actual murders are graphic and disturbing, but such detail makes the brothers' claim of divine instruction all the more horrifying. In an age where Westerners have trouble comprehending what drives Islamic fundamentalists to kill, Jon Krakauer advises us to look within America's own borders. --John Moe

I’m going to try to reserve the back room at Ruby Tuesday so we can talk in private.  I’ll get back to you all soon with a location.  In the meantime, mark your calendars for 24 June at 6:00pm!

For you “A” students who like to read ahead, the book selection for July was chosen by Kristi Krumnow and is “We Need To Talk About Kevin” by Lionel Shriver.     Chris Winstead is finding us an exciting book for August . . .stay tuned!

Please RSVP to the group at bookclub@new2logan.com if you plan to attend June’s meeting!

Robbie