What We’re Reading

AMERICANAH

by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Beechwood Book Club

Young and in love, Ifemelu and Obinze leave military-ruled Nigeria, headed in different directions. Ifemelu, who goes to the United States on a college scholarship, experiences culture shock, hardships, and racism. She is left feeling she has “cement in her soul.” To counter her desperation and depression, she starts writing a popular blog in which she explores what she refers to as Racial Disorder Syndrome. Obinze, who is unable to enter the U.S. post 9/11, is experiencing his own struggles in London where he finds himself an unwanted African. The Beechwood Book Club recommends this “modern view of our culture/society through the juxtapositions of class, race, education, opportunities, ethics and values.” Their discussion “touched upon judgments and ignorance, the touchstones of prejudice.”

THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY

by Rachel Joyce

Bibliobabes

Recently retired sales rep Harold Fry lives in a small English village with his long-suffering wife, Maureen. The arrival of an unexpected letter from a woman he hasn’t seen in 20 years sets Harold on a new course, bringing to life his long-submerged spirit. Having been a passive observer of his own life, his new quest provides time to reflect on missed opportunities and failed relationships, helping him to become someone who can be respected by the reader as well as his wife. As Harold’s ordinary yet extraordinary journey to try and save the life of a dying woman unfolds, the reader accompanies him through the self, modern society, time and landscape. The odyssey of a simple man, Joyce’s debut novel is wise, charming and funny. Bibliobabes enjoyed “the sweet and poignant characters,” leading them “into a discussion of the unspoken events in a marriage and family that permeate how we relate to one another.”

BEING MORTAL

by Atul Gawande, M.D.

Chapter Chicks

The CCs recommend Gawande’s work saying, “This is an important book for everyone to read. Gawande’s treatment of our inevitable loss of independence is an issue everyone will face as we age, whether we want to or not.” A practicing surgeon and author, Gawande contends that in the inevitable journey through aging and death, the goals of medicine too frequently run counter to the interest of the human spirit. Patients and families often desire quality of life for the time left. Doctors, committed to extending life, continue to conduct devastating procedures and treatments that only manage to extend suffering. The doctor combines scientific research with riveting story telling to assert that medicine can provide comfort and enhance the experience of both living and dying. Aging and dying are not medical problems to be solved, but rather a human experience to be lived to the last with meaning, dignity and joy. The CCs encouraged readers, “Don’t let the opportunity pass to confront one’s own inevitable aging in discussing the book. It’s a perfect arena to delve into our own misgivings and perhaps fears.”

THE SECRET LIFE OF VIOLET GRANT

by Beatriz Williams

Bend Bookworms

Billed as a great summer beach read, Williams’ tale of murder, adultery and a battered suitcase full of secrets is filled with romance and redemption. One of the Bookworms members described the book very well. “I loved the twists and turns, the jaw-dropping surprises, the interesting characters and constant second guessing, and one of the most unexpected endings.” The two main characters, women separated by 50 years, share equally in the narrative flow as the story jumps back and forth between 1964 New York and 1914 Berlin. Recent Bryn Mawr graduate Vivian Schuyler digs into the past of her great aunt Violet, a young American female physician in prewar Germany, whose story has been buried by the family. The deeper Vivian digs into Violet’s story of determination and desire, the more she becomes invested in Violet’s story. As a result, Vivian learns to step forward with grace into her ambitious future and the love she wants most.

A DEADLY WANDERING:

A TALE OF TRAGEDY AND REDEMPTION IN THE AGE OF ATTENTION

by Matt Richtel

Red, Wine and Bleu

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Matt Richtel examines the impact of technology on the human mind and body, and all of society. Utah college student Reggie Shaw killed two scientists while texting and driving. Richtel weaves Shaw’s story into his research on information overload and the cognitive impact of technology, to create a narrative nonfiction which reads like a novel. The RW&B members were all glad to have read this book. “We liked the use of ‘back stories’ of the victims, the lawyers, scientists, and the cell phone users, to make this story very emotional and relevant.” Some felt this book changed their driving habits and should be required reading for all drivers.