Club highlights Asian books of many genres
Despite being a docent at the Maridon Museum since it opened in 2004, Carole Fruehstorfer was only really familiar with broad strokes of Asian culture for her first few years.
That changed when Fruehstorfer joined the Maridon’s book club years ago, when reading stories from individual experiences helped her learn more about culture in China, Japan and more of the Asian countries represented in the museum.
“Every book I read enriches my knowledge and helps what I do here,” Fruehstorfer said, “even if I hate the book.”
The Maridon Book Club meets the last Thursday of each month to discuss a book chosen by its members. The club started in 2016 for those who are interested in learning about Asian culture and history, according to the museum’s executive director, Roxann Booser.
And while education is the central purpose to the club, Booser said the books the club reads don’t stick to strictly one kind of book, and the members look to find a balance between education and entertainment.
“Our mission is to promote a better understanding of Eastern culture,” Booser said. “It has been very informative; we read mysteries, historical novels, factual books as well. It's kind of broad genres in Asian culture.”
A trip to China with her husband helped inspire Marian Gustafson to kick start the book club at the Maridon Museum. Gustafson said she, like Fruehstorfer, wanted to learn more about Chinese and other Asian cultures, and she found the Butler Area Public Library was able to provide some books on the subject.
Having read dozens of books from countries including China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and more since 2016, Gustafson said she has increased her understanding of the world at large and has noticed cultural similarities the East has with the United States.
“We're very much alike,” said Gustafson, the director of the club. “We can highlight and notice the differences, but that's part of the process of understanding it more.”
The book club started its run with the 2015 nonfiction book “Daughters of the Samurai,” which has ties to Japanese culture. Gustafson said that since the beginning of the club, she and other members of the group have researched books to pitch to the rest of the members, who then have some say as to what books the club reads.
“I propose a group of books to the group consisting of recommended books by members and some that I have found,” Gustafson said. “We try to do a preliminary decision on whether or not it sounds like a good book. I want to make sure the books are available at Butler library or through Butler library, or online.”
Gustafson said the club has also found a fan-favorite author in Lisa See, who has written several books about Chinese characters and cultures, according to her website. On Jan. 25, the club discussed the book “Falling Leaves” by Adeline Yen Mah, which many of the members said was less enjoyable than the average book chosen by the club.
Despite the less enthusiastic response to the recent book, the group of about 10 people still had a discussion that went beyond its typical one-hour meeting.
“You kind of want it about this size because it allows for some discussion,” Booser said. “It is interesting to see how people view it so differently.”
Diane Jones joined the club about two years ago and tries to make the trip to the meeting from Grove City every month, because it’s the only place she gets the type of literature the club deals in.
“I got introduced to the museum first and then saw the information about the book club,” Jones said. “It is nice to have selections that are more diverse than what you get at the typical book club.
“This one has really been special.”
Gibsonia resident Philip Stieg, who joined the club in August and has been to China a few times, said the club has been informative to him.
“I was so glad to find an Asian art museum just a few minutes up the road from Gibsonia,” Stieg said. “Then I find out they had a book club that reads things pertaining to Asian culture and people who have similar interests in Asian culture. That’s what really attracted me to it.”
Gustafson said members are always coming in and out of the club, and anyone is welcome to attend a meeting to get a feel for the club and even suggest a book to read. She also emphasized readers do not have to know much about Asia to join the club, because learning more about the continent is what the group is about.
“There is a heavy emphasis on 'what can we learn from this?'” she said. “We started with the concept of learning about things we didn't know about.”
For more information on the Maridon Book Club, visit the museum’s website at maridon.org/bookclub-2.
