parkdale united church

429 Parkdale Avenue, OTTAWA, Ontario K1Y 1H3

Book Club

Everyone welcome—come join us after church as we discuss the book that has been chosen for that month. We meet after the church service (bring a lunch) for approximately 1 ½ hours. Our next meeting and book is:

February 5  -      The Bone People,   Keri Hulme

Booker prize winner, 1985, a dark but inspiring portrayal of post-colonial Maori life.

Additional meetings and books planned for 2012 are:

March 11  -     Requiem ,           Frances Itani

Elegaic but gritty, this beautifully written novel explores issues of the injustice imposed on Japanese Canadians in the Second World War.

April 15 -   The Book of Negroes,   Laurence Hill  

This prize-winning 2007 novel, astonishing in its scope, humanity and beauty, explores issues of slavery and race relations.

May  13  -   Bel Canto  ,       Ann Patchett

The transcending effect of love and music is portrayed in this riveting novel based on an actual South American hostage-taking gone wrong.

June 17  -    The Lotus Eaters  ,    Tatjani Soli 

A female photographer covering the war in Vietnam is the centre of this novel's gripping exploration of the complexities of war, violence, and foreignness.

The books we have already read and discussed are:

 Wench,        Dolen Perkins-Valdez

The Ginger Tree , Oswald Wynd 1977

A fascinating account of early twentieth century China and Japan, dramatically portrayed through a Scottish immigrant woman's letters and diaries.

As Long as the Rivers Flow, James Bartleman

You can also hear James Bartleman’s talk at Parkdale - Canada's Invisible Generation of Native Children:

                           Click here to listen to James Bartleman's talk

The Globe and Mail reviewed this book on Feb 25, 2011. Check out the link below: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/books/as-long-as-the-rivers-flow-by-james-bartleman/article1920516/

Suite Francaise, Irène Némirovsky

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society,

                        Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

I Shall Not Hate, A Gaza Doctor's Journey, Abuelaish, Izzeldin

Three Cups of Tea, Greg Mortenson

Cutting for Stone, Abraham Verghese

 

Hope to see you there!