On International Women's Day, several from Books at Twelve-Ten snacked on Girl Scout Cookies and discussed Tinkers, by Paul Harding.
Tinkers tells of three generations - grand-father, son and grandson - focused in the hallucinatory memories of grandson George in the final days of his life. While the story necessarily drifts, the "generations" structure provides an anchor, and the image-rich language describes the natural world of
One of the group mentioned that the title repeats in the hand-work lives of the men. The earliest paragraphs explain that George built the house where he lies in the rented hospital bed. Many such carpentry achievements must exist in towns in
The group discussed eugenics and the State Mental Hospital George's father, Howard, might have entered when he had epileptic seizures – instead of entering the hospital, Howard left his family. The story emphasizes the relationship of and the distance between these fathers and sons.
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