This Month's Selection: Still Life with Bread Crumbs by Anna Quindlen

Still Life with Bread Crumbs

Anna Quindlen

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Still Life with Bread Crumbs begins with an imagined gunshot and ends with a new tin roof. Between the two is a wry and knowing portrait of Rebecca Winter, a photographer whose work made her an unlikely heroine for many women. Her career is now descendent, her bank balance shaky, and she has fled the city for the middle of nowhere.

Brilliantly written, powerfully observed, Still Life with Bread Crumbs is a deeply moving and often very funny story of unexpected love, and a stunningly crafted journey into the life of a woman, her heart, her mind, her days, as she discovers that life is a story with many levels, a story that is longer and more exciting than she ever imagined.

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What We Thought: North of Boston by Elisabeth Elo

Afternoon Readers Book Club

October 14, 2014

North of Boston by Elisabeth Elo

Book club members enjoyed reading Elisabeth Elo’s book, with its descriptions of Boston and other North Shore locations, as well as Canada. North of Boston lived up to its name. The group thought the author’s explanations of the legal and illegal aspects of the fishing industry, and related ecological issues, accurately reflected her research.

Readers’ interests were captivated by additional plot lines about the complexities of perfumes and the nature of friendships and family life. Although the group generally agreed that many themes were presented throughout the story everything was neatly tied together at the end. Pirio Kasparov was a great character with a compelling story. Her curiosity, loyalty and tenacity kept readers attention throughout the twists and turns of the story. This book had something for everyone and left readers expecting a sequel, which the author is planning to write.

This is a fast-paced story about people caught up in dangerous circumstances with unintended consequences -- days, months, or even years after an event.

Elisabeth Elo grew up in Boston, and now lives in Brookline, Mass.

Have you read North of Boston? What did you think? Comments are open to the public, not restricted to our book group members!