It has been a long time since I have read this book but it is on my shelf so I must have enjoyed it!! These days I have so many books, I am having to be quite ruthless as there just isn’t sufficient space, so anything that is still on the shelf has made the grade and the subject matter makes a change to my usual wartime genre choices.
Five women form a reading group hoping to bond over a love of books, a casual chat and a glass of wine or two. They come from different backgrounds, are of differing ages and are facing different dilemmas in their lives. None of them realise the importance the reading group will ultimately have on their lives.
Harriet and Nicola are friends, both trapped in loveless marriages. Polly is a single mum who receives an unexpected proposal. Carefree Susan is facing a devastating reality and quiet Clare has far more on her mind than the others realise. The book follows their trials and tribulations over twelve months as they meet to read and discuss their chosen books. As the year progresses, their lives become ever more intertwined in a variety of different ways.
Twelve books are chosen, one for each month of the year and each chapter begins with a brief description of the book and details of their meeting – what they discussed, what they thought and what they ate. Following this, the reader then finds out what is going on in each person’s life. As they read the 12 novels, the women bond together to form a tight friendship whilst coping with their problems which include a husband who can’t be trusted, dementia, infertility, a pregnancy outside of marriage, a wedding and a funeral. The women meet as a way to escape their lives and their problems, but will their lives be different at the end of the twelve months?
The book is very much about the power and importance of friendship, the need to support each other and how belonging to a group can play such a huge part in our lives. I am a member of a book group who has been meeting for quite some years now. We are very different people and all of different ages but we have formed a strong friendship and know that we can rely on each other to provide support, encouragement, advice and sometimes just a shoulder to cry on when it is needed. We read a variety of books, we discuss them briefly and we enjoy cake! For me, a reading group is more than just choosing, reading and discussing a book.
The book list at the front (one for each month of the year) could be the format of your own reading group if you belong to one or would like to set one up with a mixture of classic and more recent books. The discussions in the chapters may have spoilers in them regarding the text but I found that this didn’t distract me. Some of the books I recognised, others have gone on my to be read list.
Described as a funny, thought provoking and touching book, the story involves tales of friendship, tears and much laughter but reinforces the importance of the power of true friends.
