| Status: | Active, open to new members |
| Leader: |
Pam O'Neill
|
| Group email: | Book club group books@u3aoliva.org |
| When: | Fortnightly on Friday mornings 2nd & 4th Friday |
| Venue: | Somni's Cafe |
Do you love books? Are you often looking for people to discuss literature with? Lots of people love to read, but it can be hard to find someone to discuss the book you’re reading — especially if you love an uncommon genre.
The club focuses on a different book each month - here's the latest book we're reading.
Our book for July
The Pearl that Broke Its Shell by Nadia Hashimi
Afghan-American Nadia Hashimi's literary debut novel, The Pearl that Broke Its Shell is a searing tale of powerlessness, fate, and the freedom to control one's own fate that combines the cultural flavor and emotional resonance of the works of Khaled Hosseini, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Lisa See.
In Kabul, 2007, with a drug-addicted father and no brothers, Rahima and her sisters can only sporadically attend school, and can rarely leave the house. Their only hope lies in the ancient custom of bacha posh, which allows young Rahima to dress and be treated as a boy until she is of marriageable age. As a son, she can attend school, go to the market, and chaperone her older sisters.
But Rahima is not the first in her family to adopt this unusual custom. A century earlier, her great-aunt, Shekiba, left orphaned by an epidemic, saved herself and built a new life the same way.
Crisscrossing in time, The Pearl the Broke Its Shell interweaves the tales of these two women separated by a century who share similar destinies. But what will happen once Rahima is of marriageable age? Will Shekiba always live as a man? And if Rahima cannot adapt to life as a bride, how will she survive?
About our book club
If you’re having a hard time finding people to talk with about your reading material, you might want to consider joining our book club. They’re also great opportunities to meet new people and make new friends with common interests.
Reading is a solitary activity but when a book has moved or stimulated you it's natural to want to discuss it with someone else. A reading group gives you that opportunity. Also, a group encourages you to think a bit more about the books you read - why you like some, hate others.