Next Meeting

Let's set the next meeting for November 14th

1st The Wild Girl by Jim Fergus

2nd Brother I'm Dying by Edwidge Danticat

3rd The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

In nineteen minutes, you can mow the front lawn, color your hair, watch a third of a hockey game. In nineteen minutes, you can bake scones or get a tooth filled by a dentist; you can fold laundry for a family of five....In nineteen minutes, you can stop the world, or you can just jump off it. In nineteen minutes, you can get revenge. (from the jacket) In this emotionally charged novel, Jodi Picoult delves beneath the surface of a small town to explore what it means to be different in our society. In Sterling, New Hampshire, seventeen-year-old high school student Peter Houghton has endured years of verbal and physical abuse at the hands of his classmates. His best friend, Josie Cormier, succumbed to peer pressure and now hangs out with the popular crowd that often instigates the harassment. One final incident of bullying sends Peter over the edge and leads him to commit an act of violence that forever changes the lives of Sterling's residents. ~Reading Groups Guide Interview with Jodi Picoult.

What drew you to the subject of a school shooting for the premise of a novel?

As a mom of three, I've seen my own children struggle with fitting in and being bullied. It was listening to their experiences, and my own frustrations, that led me to consider the topic.

What facts did you uncover during your research that might surprise

readers whose knowledge of school shootings comes solely from media coverage?

Although the media is quick to list the "aberrant" characteristics of

a school shooter, the truth is that they fit all teens at some point in their adolescence! Or in other words -- these kids who resort to violence are not all that different from the one living upstairs in your own house, most likely -- as scary as that is to imagine. Two other facts that surprised me: for many of these shooters, there is the thinnest line between suicide and homicide. They go to the school planning to kill themselves and decide at the last minute to shoot others, too.

What appealed to you about bringing back two characters from previous novels: defense lawyer Jordan McAfee and detective Patrick DuCharme? Why the romantic resolution for Patrick this time?

Okay, I'm just going to admit it to the world: I have a crush on Patrick DuCharme. And of course, he DIDN'T get the girl at the end of Perfect Match. So I really wanted him to star in another story, where he was front and center.

Did you have the surprise ending in mind when you began writing Nineteen Minutes, or did it evolve later in the process?

As with all my books, I knew the ending before I wrote the first word. ~Book Browse Interview

10 Myths About School Shootings
(Which of these fit Peter's profile?)

Myth No. 1: 'He didn't fit the profile’

In fact, there is no profile. “There is no accurate or useful ‘profile’ of students who engaged in school violence.”

Myth No. 2. “He just snapped.”

Rarely were incidents of school violence sudden, impulsive acts. Attackers do not “just snap,” but progress from forming an idea, to planning an attack, to gathering weapons.

Myth No. 3. “No one knew.”

Before most of the attacks, someone else knew about the idea or the plan. "In most cases, those who knew were other kids: friends, schoolmates, siblings and others. However, this information rarely made its way to an adult.”

Myth No. 4. “He hadn’t threatened anyone.”

Too much emphasis is placed on threats. Most attackers did not threaten anyone explicitly

Myth No. 5. “He was a loner.”

In many cases, students were considered in the mainstream of the student population and were active in sports, school clubs or other activities.

Myth No. 6. “He was crazy.”

Only one-third of the attackers had ever been seen by a mental health professional.

Myth No. 7. “If only we’d had a SWAT team or metal detectors.”

Most shooting incidents were over well before a SWAT team could have arrived.

Myth No. 8. “He’d never touched a gun.”

Most of the attackers acquired their guns from home.

Myth No. 9. “We did everything we could to help him.”

"Many attackers felt bullied, persecuted or injured by others prior to the attack," and said they had tried without success to get someone to intervene.

Myth No. 10. “School violence is rampant.”

It may seem so, with media attention focused on a spate of school shootings. In fact, school shootings are extremely rare. ~By Bill Dedman (investigative reporter MSNBC)

Book Discussion Questions

1. Alex and Lacy's friendship comes to an abrupt end when they discover Peter and Josie playing with guns in the Houghton house. Why does Alex decide to keep Josie away from Peter?

2. Why did Josie stay with Matt even though she witnessed his cruelty toward other students especially Peter.

3. The expert witness for the defense, Dr. King states that Peter was suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of the bullying. Do you feel this is an accurate assessment of Peter?

4. Why does Josie choose to shoot Matt instead of shooting Peter? Did she deserve to go to jail? Why was Peter silent about this or was his happy about the outcome?

5. While reading the book did you reflect back to the numerous school shootings that have been in the news? Did the book change your opinion about those shootings?