| Status: | Active, full but can join waiting list |
| When: | On Friday mornings 10:30 AM-12:00 PM 2nd Friday of the month |
| Venue: | Members' homes |
Our Book choice for August was “Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe” by Fannie Flagg.
The café opened in 1929 and became the heart of the community of Whistle Stop, a small town close to the railroad. The episodic chapters flit between then and 1988 which many of the group found irritating, although it was cleverly done to link the main storylines.
Racial tension existed in the deep south in the 20’s and the book deals with that and other problems which still exist to the present day. The characters are diverse, with odd nicknames making it difficult at times to work out who is who. The book is at times funny, sad and inspiring.
There is a strong theme of family and friendship, recognising the intrinsic goodness of people. An interesting story but not to everyone’s taste.
In July we met to talk about “The Women” by Kristin Hannah.
“Women can be Heroes too.” A chance remark which inspired young Frankie McGrath, a recently qualified nurse, to join the Army Nurses Corps for service in Vietnam. For a sheltered young woman from a moneyed family on Coronado Island in California, this proved to be life changing. Her training left her unprepared for the horrors of combat nursing and the conditions the medical staff had to work in.
Many of the group knew very little about the Vietnam war “the horrendous war that should never have happened” A work of fiction, based on true facts, this book made compelling reading. Many threads to the story, friendship amongst strangers, the harsh treatment of returning veterans, and the fact that no-one acknowledged the role of the incredible women who played a part.
We recommend this one as a thoroughly enjoyable read.
Our choice for September is "The Wrong Sister" by Claire Douglas.
If you have any questions or require further information, please contact the Group Co-ordinator.