This book opens with judge mckelva seeing a doctor with both his daughter and his second wife fay lauras stepmother because hes having trouble. To ask other readers questions about the optimists daughter, please sign up. This book opens with judge mckelva seeing a doctor with both his daughter and his second wife fay laura s stepmother because he s having trouble. Welty reports that her father was an optimist, but that her mother was the more daring individual of the two. How about a break from the latest literary sensations. Topics about this book topics that mention this book. We will be discussing the book the adventures of huckleberry finn by mark twain. The optimists daughter, pulitzer prizewinning short novel by eudora welty, published in 1972. Any good book group discussion topics or questions for this book. The optimist s daughter explores themes of differences among people, past and present, loss and moving on with a high degree of wisdom, subtlety, and humor.
Awarded second place in the 2017 american journal of nursing book of the year awards in consumer health. Books are chosen from genres including fiction, nonfiction, biography, mystery and the classics. This is another book with a strong female lead character. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of the optimists daughter by eudora welty. The novel begins with judge mckelva, fay, and laurel in an examining room, with dr. Random house has produced two audio book adaptations of the optimist s daughter, an unabridged version in 1986 and an abridged version in 1999. She is kind hearted, nice, caring, and intelligent. The optimists guide to letting go opens with a quote from anita diamants the red tent. Thoughts on eudora weltys the optimists daughter by.
The optimists daughter by eudora welty about the book. Losing a baby, whether through miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal death, leaves so many parents lost in grief and full of unanswered questions. The optimists daughter, which first appeared in the new yorker of march 15, 1969, is a miracle of compression, the kind of book, small in scope but profound in its implications its story has all those qualities peculiar to the finest short novels. Sep 16, 2018 its the optimists daughter, which won the pulitzer prize for fiction in 1973. The optimists daughter by eudora welty discover bccls. The optimists daughter by eudora welty facilitated by. Ok, i feel like im writing one of those guidelines for a discussion group. Laurel mckelva is the complete opposite of wanda fay. After his death, she and her silly young stepmother go back still farther, to the small. The optimist s daughter is the tale of laurel mckelva, a middleaged widower living in chicago, called to new orleans to be with her ailing father the judge. The focus is on the characters, particularly laurel the optimists daughter and her struggle to reflect and process love and loss, move ahead in a healthy way to the present from the past. The optimist s daughter is a compact and inwardlooking little novel, a pulitzer prize winner that s slight of page yet big of heart. The author of the coincidence of coconut cake unfolds a motherdaughter story told by three women whose time to reckon with a lifealtering secret is running out.
I hope crs will give the optimists daughter a try hey, at 200 pages of beautiful. In the optimists daughter, readers will discover a large cast of characters and the complexity of their relationships, the rich humor and subtlety of dialog that reveals without describing, the wideness of scope compressed within the boundaries of a short novel, the wisdom and. Laurels mother died from cancer that started with her eyes and the family fears that the judge might be suffering from the same illness. The adventures of huckleberry finn please join us for the next meeting of our adult book club scheduled for tuesday, april 9, at 1. Members are welcome to actively participate in or simply listen to hour long memberled discussions. The optimists daughter the optimists daughter audiobook, by eudora welty. The story line is simple, but welty takes a difficult and complex situation and resolves it with incredible depth and meaning. The optimists daughter is the tale of laurel mckelva, a middleaged widower living in chicago, called to new orleans to be with her ailing father the judge. Youve reached the hub for any and all dramatica analysis of the optimists daughter. The optimist s daughter by eudora welty was first published in 1969 as a long short story in one issue of the new yorker.
Your unique perspective on these books is valuable. Judge mckelva, his daughter, laurel, and his new wife, fay, are all anxious about the surgery and what might happen. The optimist s daughter is a pulitzer prize for fictionwinning short novel by eudora welty. The guide was developed by lee anne bryan, former education and outreach specialist for the eudora welty house and garden, and includes stimulating questions and discussion points that will be helpful and engaging for book clubs and study groups as well as classes reading the. The best book eudora welty has ever written, the optimist s daughter is a long goodbye in a very short space not only to the dead but to delusion and to sentiment as well.
The optimists daughter by eudora welty 1960 literaryladiesguide. The optimists daughter by eudora welty the optimists. The question and answer section for the optimists daughter is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel ask your own question. The optimists daughter is a pulitzer prize for fictionwinning short novel by eudora welty. The next selection for the free bronx river books instore reading group, which will meet on november 12 at 6 pm, is the optimists daughter by eudora welty. Her novel, the optimists daughter, won the pulitzer prize in 1973. Random house has produced two audiobook adaptations of the optimists daughter, an unabridged version in 1986 and an abridged version in 1999. Its the optimists daughter, which won the pulitzer prize for fiction in 1973. Readers guide developed by lee anne bryan, former education and outreach specialist for the eudora welty house and garden 1. The omen discussion topics, and author biography that follow are intended to enhance your groups reading of john berendts midnight in the garden of good and evil. Laurel is the dutiful daughter who is taking care of her father, while fay is selfish and can only think of the impact on her life. The optimists daughter is one of the books that i am assigned to read for a workshop im taking in february.
The best book eudora welty has ever written, the optimists daughter is a long goodbye in a very short space not only to the dead but to delusion and to sentiment as well. The fairfax library book discussion group will meet this thursday, november 10th at 7 p. Any good book group discussion topics or questions. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Members meet six times a year to discuss books members have voted to read. The focus is on the characters, particularly laurel the optimist s daughter and her struggle to reflect and process love and loss, move ahead in a healthy way to the present from the past. The optimists daughter by eudora welty 1960 is a novel exploring the. Laurel has a air of maturity and understanding around her due to her experiences in life. The anniversary of this achievement is a fitting time to reach for this superb short novel. The optimist s daughter is the story of laurel mckelva hand, a young woman who has left the south and returns, years later, to new orleans, where her father is dying. In addition to the storyform, youll also find any additional analysis or media related to the story in question more analysis the others. The optimists daughter is a short novel by american author eudora welty.
Those who didnt enjoy the topsyturvy eccentricity of losing battles will be happy to find miss welty back in the changeless countryside of her earlier short novels where memory is the eternal revenant keeping alive places and people often in the mortmain of the past. Its divided into four parts and even though im going to summarize each part, im really not giving much away about the book because it is a characterbased book. The question and answer section for the optimists daughter is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and. Gina zoberski wants to make it through one day without her fastidious mother, lorraine, cataloguing all her faults, and her sullen teenage daughter, may, snubbing her. The more a daughter knows about the details of her mothers lifewithout flinching or whiningthe stronger the daughter. What is the time, place, event, and major theme of the optimists daughter, written. The optimists daughter books you may not have heard of. Discussion of themes and motifs in eudora weltys the optimists daughter. The optimist s daughter eudora welty, 1972 knopf doubleday 192 pp. The optimists daughter by eudora welty was first published in 1969 as a long short story in one issue of the new yorker. We hope that they will provide you with new ways of looking atand talking abouta book that edmund white has called the best nonfiction novel since in cold blood.
Its divided into four parts and even though im going to summarize each part, im really not giving much away about the book because it is a. This is a group for people who love to read and enjoy sharing ideas and opinions about books over dinner. In the optimists daughter judge mckelva will soon enter eye surgery to fix a slipped retina. The optimist in question is 71yearold judge mckelva, who has come to a new orleans hospital from mount salus, mississippi, complaining of a disturbance in his vision. And it did not surprise me that laurel held onto a book for comfort when she. Read and discuss the optimists daughter the next selection for the free bronx river books instore reading group, which will meet on november 12 at 6 pm, is the optimists daughter by eudora welty. It concerns a woman named laurel, who travels to new orleans to take care of her father, judge mckelva, after he has surgery for a detached retina. Large cast of characters and complex relationships. Howard moss won the 1972 national book award for his volume, selected poems. The bereaved optimists book club was created to share book suggestions for and by families who have experienced a stillbirth.
A readers guide to and a synopsis of the optimists daughter are now available under resources on this website. This study guide consists of approximately 65 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the optimists daughter. O that is in every short story anthology known to man. Questions for book group discussion on the optimists daughter. The bereaved optimists book club charlottes purpose. The optimists daughter discussion questions eudora welty this study guide consists of approximately 65 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the optimists daughter.
Thus laurel returns home, after the death of her mother, after her father has remarried the common wanda fay, as he lies in a. The optimists daughter is the story of laurel mckelva hand, a young woman who has left the south and returns, years later, to new orleans, where her father is dying. This partially autobiographical story explores the subtle bonds between parent and child and the complexities of love and grief. Laurel reads to her father, both the paper and novels, while fay beats on his chest and screams at him. In the optimist s daughter judge mckelva will soon enter eye surgery to fix a slipped retina. What is the time, place, event, and major theme of the optimist s daughter, written. The optimists daughter explores themes of differences among people, past and present, loss and moving on with a high degree of wisdom, subtlety, and humor. Dalzell shares a hospital room with judge mckelva while he recovers from his eye surgery. The optimists daughter is a compact and inwardlooking little novel, a pulitzer prize winner thats slight of page yet big of heart. Alone in the old house, laurel finally comes to an understanding of the past, herself, and her parents. The optimist s daughter is a compact and inwardlooking little novel, a pulitzer prize winner thats slight of page yet big of heart. After his death, she and her silly young stepmother go back still farther, to the small mississippi town where. Eudora welty died of pneumonia in jackson, at the age of 92. This study guide consists of approximately 65 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the optimist s daughter.
This months selection is the optimists daughter by eudora welty. This article was most recently revised and updated by kathleen kuiper, senior editor. It was first published as a long story in the new yorker in march 1969 and was subsequently revised and published in book form in 1972. The optimists daughter eudora welty, 1972 knopf doubleday 192 pp. The forest hills book group forest hills, ny meetup.