Host An Unforgettable Book Club Party

Nightwoods by Charles Frazier is set in the 1960s deep in the southern Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. Luce, a woman traumatized as a teen chooses to isolate herself and live alone, until the twins of her murdered sister Lily are dropped at her doorstep.  The twins, Frank and Delores, do not speak and, as Luce soon realizes, have been horribly brutalized. Stubblefield inherits his grandfather’s estate in the mountains which includes a recently burnt-down main house, land, an illegal bar, and a cabin occupied by Luce and the twins. Stubblefield, recalling his teen crush on Luce when he first spotted her in a local bathing beauty contest, is intrigued by the now mature Luce. Bud, Lily’s depraved husband and murderer, set free because of the twins’ refusal to speak, sets out in search of the twins convinced they know where Lily hid a large sum of money.

Book Club Ideas

Nightwoods is set deep in the Appalachian Mountains, a place Charles Frazier evokes as wild and mystic.

The sheer isolation of the Appalachians had people making due with what resources they had. For decorations, I chose an old quilt that my husband’s grandmother made from old scraps of fabric to use as a table cloth and set out pretty yellow flowers in mason jars.

There are some beautiful posters also available for purchase that reflect the majesty of the Appalachians.

The music of Appalachia is rich in tradition.  I particularly like the Appalachian Mandolin & Dulcimer by Butch Baldassari, which includes both toe-tapping and mournful tunes.

Another music option is the soundtrack from the 2003 Cold Mountain motion picture. I love this music and get goosebumps when I hear this soundtrack.  By the way, the motion picture was based on Charles Frazier’s first novel of the same name.

Book Club Menu

I found a wonderful cookbook, Cider Beans, Wild Greens, and Dandelion Jelly: Recipes from Southern Appalachia, and adapted several recipes for my Appalachian-themed book club party.  No ‘possum or squirrel in this cookbook!  It’s loaded with good mountain cookin’ plus a little history and folklore.

You may want to prepare a double batch of these Bacon Buttermilk Muffins for your mountain meal. They will go quick!

This Mountain Steak recipe is made with beef or venison round steak. Serve Mountain Steak with Mountain Cider Beans. Mashed Potatoes or Root Mash would be a delicious complement as well.

Stack cake is traditionally served at many Appalachian social gatherings. Each family brings a single layer of cake to add to the cake stack. Imagine all these different flavored layers all together in a single cake.  Sounds intriguing doesn’t it?  Have your book club guests each bring a single cake layer to create an Appalachian stack cake or two of your own.  This excellent single-layer Appalachian Molasses Cake  can be added to the stack or served by itself.

A little moonshine or corn mash might be an interesting spirit to serve at your Appalachian-themed book party, but I think a good bourbon would be better appreciated. Try this recipe for Slushy Bourbon Tea. It’s a crowd pleaser!

Book Club Resources

Ratings at the time this post was published

Goodreads: 3.54 stars (796 ratings)

Amazon: 4.0 stars (76 ratings)

LibraryThing: 3.91 stars (57 ratings)

My Rating:  4.75 stars  I am drawn into the haunting Gothic Appalachian landscape Charles Frazier once again creates in his third novel, Nightwoods.

Discussion

1. Describe Luce’s relationship with Maddie.  Why was Luce so drawn to Maddie?  What did Maddie represent to Luce?
2. What feelings did the atmosphere created by Charles Frazier evoke?  Discuss the importance of setting to the feel of this novel.
3. Luce, abandoned by her own mother and father, takes in her sister’s children.  Why did she feel responsible for them?
4. The twins obviously suffered some horrible abuse that was alluded to, but never directly mentioned.  Compare how the issue of child abuse is  addressed and dealt with today, with how it was addressed and dealt with in the 1960s.
5. What did you think of the relationship between Bud and Lit?  What drew each man together?  What ultimately drew them apart?

Purchase Nightwoods at your favorite bookseller

The Author

Charles Frazier was born in 1950 and raised in North Carolina.  He received his bachelors degree from the University of North Carolina, his M.A. from Appalachia State and his Ph.D. in English from the University of South Carolina.  His first novel, Cold Mountain, won the 1997 National Book Award.

Other Works by Charles Frazier

Personal Asides

Cold Mountain is one of my top ten favorite novels.  I was surprised by the negative critical reaction to Mr. Frazier’s second novel Thirteen Moons.  Although not on the same level as Cold Mountain, I nonetheless quite enjoyed the novel.  However, with Nightwoods Mr. Frazier comes awfully close to Cold Mountain with its haunting prose and atmosphere.

For some beautiful images of the southern Appalachian Mountains go to the Blue Ridge Parkway website here.

Do you have any other ideas or recipes for a book club party for Nightwoods? We would love to have you share them with us! You can leave a comment below and upload pictures as well.