Book Club

Thursday July 30: Sandwich by Catherine Newman: For the past two decades, Rocky has looked forward to her family’s yearly escape to Cape Cod. Their humble beach-town rental has been the site of sweet memories, sunny days, great meals, and messes of all kinds: emotional, marital, and—thanks to the cottage and the ancient plumbing—septic too. This year’s vacation, with Rocky firmly in the sandwich generation—caught between her half-grown kids and fully aging parents—promises to be just as delightful as summers past—except, perhaps, for hormonal bouts of rage and melancholy. (Hello, menopause!) Her body is changing—her life is, too. And then a chain of events sends Rocky into the past, reliving both the tenderness and sorrow of a handful of long-ago summers.

Thursday August 27: Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng: Twelve-year-old Bird Gardner lives a quiet existence with his loving father, a former linguist who now shelves books in a university library. His mother, Margaret, a Chinese American poet, left without a trace when he was nine years old. He doesn’t know what happened to her—only that her books have been banned—and he resents that she cared more about her work than about him. Then one day Bird receives a mysterious letter containing only a cryptic drawing, and soon he is pulled into a quest to find her. His journey will take him back to the many folk tales she poured into his head as a child, through the ranks of an underground network of heroic librarians, and finally to New York City, where he will learn the truth about what happened to his mother and what the future holds for them both.

Thursday September 24th: The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears by Dinaw Mengestu : Seventeen years ago, Sepha Stephanos fled the Ethiopian Revolution for a new start in the United States. Now he finds himself running a failing grocery store in a poor African-American section of Washington, D.C., his only companions two fellow African immigrants who share his bitter nostalgia and longing for his home continent. Years ago and worlds away Sepha could never have imagined a life of such isolation. As his environment begins to change, hope comes in the form of a friendship with new neighbors Judith and Naomi, a white woman and her biracial daughter. But when a series of racial incidents disturbs the community, Sepha may lose everything all over again.

Thursday October 29th: Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand: An Elin Hilderbrand's bestselling Nantucket novel, Swan Song is a propulsive medley of glittering gatherings, sun-soaked drama, wisdom and heart, featuring the return of some of her most beloved characters, including, most importantly, the beautiful and timeless island of Nantucket itself.

Thursday November 19th (Earlier date due to Thanksgiving holiday): The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce: Meet Harold Fry, recently retired. He lives in a small English village with his wife, Maureen, who seems irritated by almost everything he does. Little differentiates one day from the next. Then one morning a letter arrives, addressed to Harold in a shaky scrawl, from a woman he hasn’t heard from in twenty years. Queenie Hennessy is in hospice and is writing to say goodbye. But before Harold mails off a quick reply, a chance encounter convinces him that he absolutely must deliver his message to Queenie in person. In his yachting shoes and light coat, Harold Fry embarks on an urgent quest. Determined to walk six hundred miles to the hospice, Harold believes that as long as he walks, Queenie will live. A novel of charm, humor, and profound insight into the thoughts and feelings we all bury deep within our hearts, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry introduces Rachel Joyce as a wise—and utterly irresistible—storyteller.

Thursday December 17th (Earlier date due to Christmas holiday): The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride by Joe Siple: Murray McBride has outlived his friends, his career, and the love of his life. At one hundred, he’s tired—of pills, of loneliness, of waking to another empty day. Then there is Jason Cashman age ten, and his failing heart may not give him many tomorrows. When Murray discovers Jason’s handwritten list—Five Things I Want to Do Before My Heart Dies—something long dormant stirs. If Jason’s time is short, Murray decides it won’t be small.

From hitting a home run in a major league stadium…
To giving Jason’s mother a reason to smile again…
To attempting something that feels like real magic…

What begins as a simple promise becomes an unforgettable journey of friendship, courage, and second chances. As the clock ticks for them both, Murray must face his own regrets and decide whether it’s truly too late to matter. Tender, funny, and deeply moving, a life-affirming story about love, loss, and the power of keeping a promise.