On Wednesday, March 16, eight of us discussed “The Bowl with Gold Seams” by Ellen Prentiss Campbell (a Smithie). This interesting novel brings to light an unusual moment in history, when a group of Japanese diplomats, captured in the fall of Berlin in World War II, was housed in a Pennsylvania resort/hotel as prisoners of war.

On Wednesday, Feb. 16, seven of us gathered on Zoom to discuss “The Souls of Black Folk” by W.E.B. Du Bois. We were all glad we’d read this multifaceted classic. We were very impressed with Du Bois’ impactful writing, by turns scholarly and poetic, with moving descriptions of the conditions of the freed slaves and powerful arguments for improving those conditions. It’s a telling commentary on America in 2022 that a lot of what Du Bois says is still relevant today.

We tackled Marcel Proust’s “Swann’s Way,” and the nine of us who met on Wednesday the 19th were glad we did. When you accept that you have to read in a different way, slowly, giving in to page after page of his complex, endless sentences, with layers of imagery and detail, you are rewarded by exquisite descriptions and perceptive psychological characterizations. Plot, not so much, which explains why most of us found it wearing to read. Those who had read the graphic novel found it helpful in presenting what plot there is, but missed the full impact of Proust’s extraordinary language.

“The Optimist’s Daughter,” by Eudora Welty, provided plenty of material for nine of us at the book club’s November meeting. A Pulitzer Prize winner, this novel focuses on Laurel, a 40-ish designer, as she navigates her father’s illness, death and funeral. We found the book easy to read and difficult to understand. Subtle and indirect, rich with imagery, it shows a woman freeing herself of the claims and deceits of memory—a protagonist we never get close to and never warm up to. We appreciated Welty’s portrayal of a small Mississippi town, a close-knit and supportive society that is also judgmental and restrictive to a young woman who wants a career; its abiding traditions; its class structure. We were struck by a kind of timelessness in the novel: set in the 1960’s, it shows nothing of that era’s politics, racial strife, and cultural clashes. All told, a multi-layered book that would probably reward a second reading.

Another book club tradition continued in August. We enjoyed a movie based on a book: Nomadland based on the book by Jessica Bruder, directed by Academy Award winner and Mount Holyoke graduate Chloé Zhao. .

For its April book, the book club set a precedent (we believe) by selecting a poem, in honor of Poetry Month. On April 21, eight of us met to discuss Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “The Song of Hiawatha,” a retelling/ reimagining of some Native American legends.

A bumper crop of Smithies—thirteen—Zoomed together on Wednesday, March17th to discuss “The Dry” by Jane Harper. We all enjoyed this Australian murder mystery with its evocative scene-setting and well imagined central characters, although we weren’t entirely happy with the author’s choice of interpolated back-flashes to illuminate the mysteries of the past. We talked about the pros and cons of small towns and the desperation of this little community suffering under extended drought and heat. Most of us plan to read more of Harper.

Eight of us gathered on Wednesday, Feb. 17, to discuss “Childhood” by Nathalie Sarraute. We all enjoyed this unusual memoir, which combines impressionistic memories with an innovative structure in which a second voice interrogates the author. We appreciated the evocative details that illuminate moments in her childhood; descriptions of the individuals and relationships that shaped her; a glimpse of a circle of Russian ex-pat intellectuals and revolutionaries; and Sarraute’s exploration of the power, and limitations, of language. And we admired the perceptive, resilient young Nathalie.

At our meeting on Wednesday, January 20th, eleven of us discussed a pair of American classics, Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Both present wrenching pictures of the life of enslaved people, with Douglass’ having the sting of reality. Stowe’s writing is saccharine and emotional, intended to move the reader and to move the national discussion; in crisp, unadorned prose, Douglass contributed to the abolitionist cause and also moves us to admiration for him. Stowe writes passionately about the hypocrisy of northerners and the Christian church; both emphasize how the institution of slavery dehumanizes owners and undermines otherwise decent people. The two books complement one another and worked well as a pair.

Nine of us, meeting on Wednesday the 18th, found plenty to talk about in Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward. We found this suspenseful book difficult to read at times but appreciated what it shows us: four motherless siblings who are hurt but coping, resourceful, and tightly bound to one another; a different view of Hurricane Katrina, in rural Mississippi; a community in poverty that has not become degraded or defeated.

On Wednesday, Oct. 21, ten of us discussed “The Moment of Lift” by Melinda Gates. As usual, there were mixed opinions. All admired Gates and her evident commitment and passion for beneficial change, particularly for women, and we came away with respect for the Gates Foundation…

On Wednesday, Sept. 16, ten of us enthusiastically discussed “Washington Black” by Esi Edugyan. We agreed that the author is a gifted storyteller with great descriptive powers who has created memorable characters and interesting relationships.

A group of seven met [virtually] on Wednesday, August 19, to discuss Bryan Stevenson’s book “Just Mercy” and the movie based on it. We found the book upsetting, sad, engaging but not eloquent, impressive. Its structure, with the central story stretched out and interrupted, was frustrating but also created suspense…

Seven of us gathered [virtually] on Wednesday, July 15, to discuss Dava Sobel’s “Galileo’s Daughter,” which we agreed is mistitled. Although some of us found it dry and/or hard to get into, we all were glad we’d read it, learning more about Galileo, science and his contributions to it…

On March 18th, the Book Club met to discuss “Bad Blood” by John Carreyrou.

On Wednesday the 19th, eight of us (supplemented by emailed comments from a regular who couldn't attend) met to discuss "The Marriage of Opposites" by Alice Hoffman.

On January 15th, the Book club convened to discuss the Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo.