The book we have chosen for April's book read is When Madeline Was Young. Jane Hamilton, award-winning author of The Book of Ruth and A Map of the World brings us this rich and loving novel about a nontraditional family in the aftermath of a terrible accident.

When Aaron Maciver's beautiful young wife, Madeline, suffers a head injury in a bicycle crash she is left with the mental capacities of a six-year-old. In the years that follow, Aaron and his second wife care for Madeline with deep tenderness and devotion as they raise two children of their own.

We have extra copies of the book available at the library and on the bookmobile. Pick up a copy of this extraordinary book. Then let us know what you think.

What do you think about the author's choice of narrator? Does Timothy (Mac) provide us with an objective perspective of the family as a whole? How would you describe the narrator's tone as he guides us through his unusual family history?

This book emphasizes physical beauty as the key to being captivating. Is Madeline empowered by looks that match conventional definitions of beauty, or does her beauty make her a victim? What might her fate have been had she look more like Julia (without the girdle!)?

What are the conflicts and intensities that drive the diverse cast of characters in this novel?

The Kilbourn Public Library Book Club has chosen Kate Atkinson's novel, Behind the Scenes at the Museum for our March reading. Winner of the Whitbread Book of the Year in 1995, this dazzling debut novel is a deeply moving story of family heartbreak and happiness.

Ruby Lennox begins narrating her life at the moment of conception, and from there takes us on a whirlwind tour of the twentieth century as seen through the eyes of an English girl determined to learn about her famly and its secrets.

We have extra copies of the book available at the library. Pick up a copy and join us in reading this page turner. Then let us know what you think.

Although this novel is very much about a specific time and place, it has been embraced by audiences in twelve countries, in as many languages. What gives Behind the Scenes at the Museum such universal appeal?

What does Behind the Scenes at the Museum say about women's roles and opportunities in the family and in the world at large? What do the four generations of women in Ruby's family have in common?

This book generated controversy in England when a critic called it "anti-family." How would you defend the book against this charge? What other novels, now considered classics, might have had to face this sort of accusation?