The Turtle House by Amanda Churchill is the historical fiction perfect for book club discussion!
I was first introduced to Amanda via Instagram! She reached out to share about The Turtle House and I learned that we’re practically neighbors! She was kind enough to send me a copy of her book to read. She’s been on an incredible media tour over the past few months, joining book clubs, news stations, and independent bookstores to promote The Turtle House!
The Turtle House has received great praise from readers and reviewers, myself being one of them! I recently read it, in anticipation for a local book club discussion. It’s beautiful and profound!
I can’t wait to discuss this one with the club! There’s so much to reflect on!
Reading it with your book club? Get my Book Club Kit for The Turtle House!
Historical Fiction is my favorite genre to read!! Check out all of my other favorites in my Amazon Storefront!
LET’S GET INTO THE TURTLE HOUSE!
Synopsis:
Minnie and her granddaughter Lia are unforgettable protagonists, whose grit and grace will inspire you. Together, they find a way through in this gripping debut.”—Vanessa Hua, author of Forbidden City Moving between late 1990s small-town Texas to pre-World War II Japan and occupied Tokyo, an emotionally engaging literary debut about a grandmother and granddaughter who connect over a beloved lost place and the secrets they both carry. It’s spring 1999, and 25-year-old Lia Cope and her prickly 73-year-old grandmother, Mineko, are sharing a bedroom in Curtain, Texas, the ranching town where Lia grew up and Mineko began her life as a Japanese war bride.
Both women are at a turning point: Mineko, long widowed, moved in with her son and daughter-in-law after a suspicious fire destroyed the Cope family ranch house, while Lia, an architect with a promising career in Austin, has unexpectedly returned under circumstances she refuses to explain. Though Lia never felt especially close to her grandmother, the two grow close sharing late-night conversations. Mineko tells stories of her early life in Japan, of the war that changed everything, and of her two great a man named Akio Sato and an abandoned Japanese country estate they called the Turtle House, where their relationship took root.
As Mineko reveals more of her early life—tales of innocent swimming lessons that blossom into something more, a friendship nurtured across oceans, totems saved and hidden, the heartbreak of love lost too soon—Lia comes to understand the depth of her grandmother’s pain and sacrifice and sees her Texas family in a new light. She also recognizes that it’s she who needs to come clean—about the budding career she abandoned and the mysterious man who keeps calling. When Mineko’s adult children decide, against her wishes, to move her into an assisted living community, she and Lia devise a plan to bring a beloved lost place to life, one that they hope will offer the safety and sense of belonging they both need, no matter the cost. A story of intergenerational friendship, family, coming of age, identity, and love, The Turtle House illuminates the hidden lives we lead, the secrets we hold close, and what it truly means to find home again when it feels lost forever.
REVIEW:
“Oh my stars!” was my first reaction after finishing The Turtle House. It’s told over two different timelines and spans from Kadoma, Osaka, Japan to Curtain, Texas.
Lia and her grandmother grow closer during a time of forced proximity. Lia has come home from Austin for reasons that are immediately unclear and Minnie has moved in with her son and daughter-in-law after a fire burned her house to the ground. The two share a room and that is how our story begins.
Lia decides to document her grandmother’s life story on how she came from Kadoma, Japan to the United States after the Japanese War.
The story that unfolds is emotional and layered, as Minnie reflects on sacrifices made for her children and the memories of her first love.
Lia also finds the courage to pick herself back up and continue on with her life and career thanks to encouragement and understanding from her grandmother. I found the grandmother/granddaughter relationship so special. The reflection on life in Kadoma and Texas and the meaning of home brought about a lot of thought. I appreciated the insight on being a “war bride” and an immigrant post-war.
A large part of the book takes place in 1990’s Texas. There are a few music references made throughout the book and I couldn’t help but run with it! I made a Spotify playlist of some of my favorite 90’s country songs. It’s linked in my Book Club Kit!
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
The Turtle House would make for a fantastic book club discussion! If your club is looking for a historical fiction that will prompt deep, thought-provoking discussions, you’ll love this book club pick. I’ve included a few discussion questions below.
You can get everything you need to host an immersive themed book club by purchasing my Book Club Kit! It includes even more discussion questions, a themed food and drink list, themed activity list, themed souvenir ideas, and a themed playlist that you can listen to instantly!
Get the Book Club Kit for The Turtle House here!
- Curtain, TX and Kadoma, Osaka were both small towns on opposite sides of the world. What similiarities did you notice? What made them distinctly different?
- When Mineko first finds the turtle house, she immediately feels a connection and a sense of belonging. “This is my place. My house, my rules, my ghosts, my turtles.” pg. 18. How did the turtle house play a part in forming Mineko? How might her life have been different without this special place?
- Lia has a very unique relationship with her Grandminnie. While Mineko was told her brains were waster on her, she should be a pretty face and calm demeanor (pg. 12), Lia excelled in the male-dominant field of architecture. What parallels and similarities do you see in the two women and how do you think it helped both of them?
- Mineko and Akio find love and solace in each other during a tumultuous time in history. How did you feel about their relationship?
- What was your impression of Darren in the beginning of the book? Did you think he would act the way he did? How do you think Lia handled the situation?
- Mineko saved a minogame from the turtle house and it was the only thing she saved from the fire. What does this say about Mineko? Do you have any lifelong keepsakes?
- After Akio was killed and after the bombing in Kadoma, Mineko met and married a US soldier named James from Texas. This was a complicated relationship. What were your impressions on their marriage? How was this relationship different than the one she had with Akio?
- On pg. 127, Lia reflects on her dad seeming hurt that she hasn’t confided in him saying, “he always said that when he was growing up, he watched his father do all the wrong things, swore he’d do things better. Right. Perfect. And that’s the worst part of it all, maybe.” What does this reflection say about the parent/child relationship?
- Once Mineko and James moved to Fort Worth, there were several culture shocks. What do you think helped Minnie the most in her new life in Texas?
- On pg. 176, Grandminne tells Lia that she can’t run from her problems, they’ll just follow her wherever she goes. But she can face them and make them part of the way better. What is some of the best life advice you’ve received and from who?
Get even more discussion questions for The Women with my Book Club Kit!
Have you read The Turtle House yet? Let me know what you think in a comment below or find me on Instagram!
Sign up for my newsletter and get notified about new book reviews and book club kits!
