book club

I had picked tonight’s book.  

The book is about a non-Jewish architect living in Paris during the occupation. He reluctantly begins creating ingenious hiding places for Jews.

I don’t like the book.  I think the characters are clichés and the writing is pedestrian.  I assume tonight will follow our typical book discussion when we don’t like a book: short and dismissive.  I am wrong.

Monique is hosting.  She is originally from Holland.  Her flawless and accent-less English belies her roots. Among the many wonderful skills Monique possesses, hosting is one of them.  Her serving pieces are perfectly suited for every item she serves, and there are many.  She makes a scrumptious leek and potato soup, a beautiful salad, quiche, and hors d’oeuvres.  She serves mini cupcakes and offers any drink you want — red or white wine, plain or carbonated water, coffee-regular, decaf, and/or cappuccino, and tea.  All served to perfection.  She even pours from a lovely porcelain teapot.

There are ten of us in the group.  Tonight, all come but one.  Usually, we socialize for two or more hours until someone (usually me) asks if we can discuss the book.  Tonight, quite by accident, the discussion begins early and lasts late.  Laurie says of the book, “If you look beyond the writing and character development, it’s a very good book.”  Strange as that sounds, she is right.  My view is too small.  The discussion opens my eyes to the bigger issues.

A few in the club are children or relatives or friends of holocaust survivors. Monique actually grew up in a town walking distance from Germany.  Yes, she was born after the war, but many from the war were neighbors — some were part of the resistance and some were collaborators. Someone else’s father was a psychiatrist whose practice included children of the holocaust.  Our conversation goes well beyond the pages of the book —the one I had read too narrowly.

Tonight is exactly what a good book discussion should be.  A few hours with intelligent and articulate people. A sharing of ideas and experiences.  And of course, good food and drink.