I hosted this month's book club out on the "acreage" haha. I hope finding me wasn't too difficult. Though, I'm in "town" with neighbors all around, the house sits back off the road and it is easy to pass me by.
We missed, Arnora, Leslie, Tammy and Denise. But, we were also excited that Barb brought Kelsie along. It's good to have her back "home" even if temporarily.
As our main dish, I made a Jambalaya. Terry brought a delicious Proscuitto and cheese wrapped apple appetizer. Barb and Kelsie brought a kale and Brussel Sprout salad with yogurt dressing, Diana brought the baguette (what else can you sop the sauce up with? haha) and Guinness. Carla brought both peach and mixed berry cobbler and Janie brought ice cream topping. Carla G contributed wine and ice and Carla A brought peach tea. And, many thanks to Pam who stepped in for Arnora and brought the beautiful Begonia!
Our book his month was the non-fiction "Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann. As I was doing a little background research (like there wasn't enough in the book!) I discovered that the author had also written The Lost City of Z. We read that several years ago and, as I recall, we liked it a lot.
The final rating of the book was 3.72. Everyone liked the information provided. It's one of those books where you understand the significance of knowing the information while simultaneously being appalled at what you are learning. Barb and Lou (who commented on this book a couple of months ago) did not like how it was written at all. Lou thought it was one of the most boring books she'd ever read and, Barb agreed.
It was told in three sections. I listened to the book and Part 1 was read by a woman. I thought that was appropriate because he starts the book by introducing us to Mollie Burkhart and her family.
Here is a little more background. I don't remember these details from the book. Forgive me if I am repeating information. In 1870 The Drum Creek Treaty was signed by the Osage. This treaty provided that the remainder of Osage land in Kansas be sold and the proceeds used to relocate the tribe to Indian Territory. The agreement was delayed and there was a change in administration. This benefited the Osage because they were able to sell their land to the "peace" administration, Pres. U.S. Grant, for which they received $1.25 an acre as opposed to the 19 cents previously offered. The Osage were one of the few tribes that were able to buy their own reservation and therefore retained more rights to the land and sovereignty. There is a lot more to the story between 1870 and 1907. I won't recount it here. Let's just say that in those years, thanks to government policies, the population was reduced by about half. However, in 1907 they negotiated a deal which entitled them to retain their communal mineral rights to the land. So, that brings us to the discovery of oil on their land and how they became the richest of the tribes. Not only did the government pay them royalties for the oil but they had discovered that they had rich grasslands and were able to lease the lands to wealthy ranchers.
That brings us to the beginning of our story and the systematic murder of Mollie Burkhart's family. I won't retell the story. Except to say that Part II and III were then told by men who gives us the story of the investigation that leads to William Hale's diabolical plot to take over the "head rights" of the oil leases by orchestrating the murder of the Osage men, women and children who stood in his way. And, the simultaneous forming of the FBI under the, shall we say less than scrupulous, J. Edgar Hoover, who used the investigation, trial and convictions to further his own ends.
While I didn't mind the way the book was written, I did think that if Erik Larson had written it, we might have found ourselves more emotionally invested in the story.
I'm sure we will find out more riveting information and further our discussion on our trip to Pawhuska. I am really looking forward to this!
On a final note, I see where Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCarpio have optioned this for a movie. And, didn't I see they were also doing Devil in the White City?
The Book of Polly is our next selection and Arnora will be our hostess!
Willow Havens is ten years old and fearful that her much older mother, Polly, will die. Polly is cantankerous, take-no-prisoners Southern woman who lives to shoot varmints, drink margaritas, and antagonize the neighbors. She sticks out like a sore thumb among the young modern mothers of their small, conventional Texas town. She was in her late 50's, and Willow's father had already died when she was born. And, her much older brother and sister are long grown. Willow has figured out she is here by accident. Willow is desperately hungry for clues to her families life before she was born. There are just enough clues to make insight her curiosity. Why did her mother leave her native Bethel, Louisiana and vow never to return? Who is Garland Jones, her long ago suitor and did he, in fact, kill a man? And, will Polly be able to outrun the "Bear," the illness that finally puts her on a collision course with her past?
