Join the book discussion group at the library each month on Thursdays at 5:30 PM. On September 10 the group will discuss Astrid and Veronika by Linda Olsson. The book was first published in New Zealand under the title Let me sing you gentle songs. Olsson, a Swedish novelist who now lives in New Zealand, "has a clear feel for the emotional wellsprings of (her) characters" (Publisher Weekly).
Here's what Booklist had to say about the novel: "Veronika, a 30-year-old Swedish writer, rents a home in a remote village to finish work on her second novel. Her only neighbor for miles is Astrid, a reclusive octogenarian who has earned a reputation (perhaps undeserved) as the village witch. Veronika and Astrid gradually become friends, taking long walks and sipping wine made from the wild strawberries in Astrid's garden. Each shares painful secrets along the way. Veronika abandoned a devoted boyfriend to take up with a bartender from New Zealand. They fell passionately in love, then tragedy befell him, leaving Veronika incapacitated by grief. Astrid endured sexual abuse from her father and a long loveless marriage to a man chosen by him. Until now, she has never told anyone the truth about her infant daughter's death. Readers of Anne Tyler and Jodi Picoult will appreciate the lyrical prose and expert rendering of the themes of heartbreak and loss."
Don't want to discuss the book in person? Leave a comment here to share with the group. Happy reading - books are available at the library. Mary
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1 comment:
just started reading the book. so far it is pretty good. The writing is a little stiff, but I'm getting attached to the characters. JT
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