→RSVP - please REGISTER here- RSVP form→
- The online event access link will be sent 48 hours before event.
- CHECK timezones below for event timing.

Bonjour, MyFrenchLife™ #bookclub members

Calling Francophiles and those who enjoy REAL stories about LIFE IN FRANCE.

In 1992, at the age of 47, Mark Greenside bought a house—almost by accident—in a tiny Breton village. He has lived there ever since, splitting his time between Brittany and California.

With self-deprecating humour, Mark has written three entertaining books about his life in France. In his latest, I Am Finally, Finally French, he reflects on his three decades in Brittany—what he has learned, how he has become part of his community, and how life in France has changed him.

Join us for a lively and fun conversation with Mark about what life is like in a small Breton village. This conversation will be hosted by MyFrenchLife™ contributor Keith Van Sickle, himself a part-time expat in France, and facilitated by Judy MacMahon

Here you’ll find → a collection of Keith’s reviews of Mark’s books.

I’m looking forward to you joining us at this event.

Judy MacMahon and Keith Van Sickle

RSVP NOW: Mark Greenside In Conversation

SELECT AND NOTE YOUR TIMEZONE - Please consider setting a reminder

Los Angeles (USA – Pacific) Saturday, 7 February 2026 at 12:00 noon PST
Denver (USA – Mountain) Saturday, 7 February 2026 at 1:00 pm MST
Chicago (USA — Central) Saturday, 7 February 2026 at 2:00 pm CST
Washington (USA — Eastern) Saturday, 7 February 2026 at 3:00 pm EST
London (United Kingdom – England) Saturday, 7 Feb 2026 at 8:00 pm GMT
Paris (France – Paris) Saturday, 7 Feb 2026 at 9:00 pm CET
Auckland (New Zealand – Auckland) Sunday, 8 Feb 2026 at 9:00 AM NZDT
Melbourne (Australia – AEDT) Sunday, 8 Feb 2026 at 7:00 AM AEDT

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IMPORTANT NOTE: Only 14 hours to go!

TO REGISTRANTS ONLY: Your Zoom link for event access has been emailed to you. That link is the only way you can access our #BookClub discussion only 14 hours away

To all readers/ members of #myfrenchlife community & #bookclub:

If you wish to take part in the 16-17 January video discussion, you MUST urgently fill in the following form; otherwise, you will not receive the link to the event and therefore will not be able to participate!

Here’s the link to the form: https://forms.gle/YJhKMJFGRrZVJR6Y7→

À très bientôt !
Judy et Jacqueline

PS: Many of you’ve expressed interest in attending our upcoming Mona’s Eyes by French #bookclub discussion: Mona’s Eyes by Thomas Schlesser, but have not yet completed the form! This is a reminder to do it now or miss out.
PPS: Below, find your timezone and set a reminder.

Mona’s Eyes by Thomas Schlesser: discussion

SELECT and NOTE Your timezone - perhaps set a reminder :)

• UK - 7pm Friday 16 January.

• France - 8pm Friday 16 January

• US Eastern - 2pm Friday 16 January

• US Central - 1pm Friday 16 January

• US Mountain - 12 noon 16 January

• US Pacific - 11am Friday 16 January

• Australia/Melbourne, Sydney - 6am Saturday 17 January

• New Zealand - 8am Saturday 17 January

Here you can find an excellent interview by historical fiction author, M.K. Tod of our Founding facilitator, Jacqueline Dubois Pasquier. It’s a good introduction to Jacqueline and an informative background to our French #BookClub.

Bonne lecture - Happy reading.

Tagging members as a reminder to urgently complete the form to gain access to this #bookclub discussion

, , , ,

Bonjour, MyFrenchLife French BookClub members

We are pleased to announce our first online Book Club event for 2026.

This will be a free event where we can all chat and share our views about this intriguing book. Some of you will have read in English, others in French - all are very welcome.

Discussion will be in English.

We’ll discuss this book on Friday, January 16th & Saturday 17 January, 2026- depending on your location.

SELECT and NOTE Your timezone - perhaps set a reminder :)

• UK - 7pm Friday 16 January.

• France - 8pm Friday 16 January

• US Eastern - 2pm Friday 16 January

• US Central - 1pm Friday 16 January

• US Mountain - 12 noon 16 January

• US Pacific - 11am Friday 16 January

• Australia/Melbourne, Sydney - 6am Saturday 17 January

• New Zealand - 8am Saturday 17 January
  

RSVP ESSENTIAL→ in Comments below please:

Mona’s Eyes participates in the tradition of interaction between Art and Literature:

• As a preamble to this discussion, you may want to think about the favorite artwork or artist you read about!

We look forward to your RSVP,

Jacqueline and Judy

Indeed, I can now confirm that Europa Editions has published its English translation just this month (available in the UK on 25 September).

It's been a year since we’ve read together in the MyFrenchLife BookClub!

This book should therefore be a great opportunity to resume our book discussions. Tell us below if you'd like to read with us! (either the French or English version)

NOTE: However, it's quite a long, intense read, and it is not easy to buy or borrow in all countries, yet. Consequently, and I have agreed to make the announcement now, to give everyone enough time - until the end of December- to order, buy, start to read, and finish Mona's Eyes.

In December, expect invitations to join us in a discussion in January 2026!

Don’t forget to let us know below if you’re considering reading with us - and help us spread the word, and please invite your Francophile friends

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We have come to the end of this very popular project. And what a joyous project this has been.

There was a time – not so long ago, before the advent of emails and chats- when we used to send postcards to the people we cared for and expected to receive our share in return!
We would carefully select them according to their recipient; they could represent a painting, a point of interest, or were specially formatted for good wishes … they had a meaning and at the same time we could get away with a ‘Bons Baisers de Paris’ for instance which was enough to keep in touch.
It was a tradition.
You may remember that, during COVID time, we exchanged French-themed books between participating members. It resulted in a really heart-warming and wonderful experience.” said Jacqueline Dubois Pasquier.

No wonder ‘our’ book entitled ‘The Postcard’ revolves around the domino effect such an enigmatic one produces on a family. There’s more to it than a few words and a picture.

Then in 2024, we (Jacqueline Dubois Pasquier and I) launched a project named ‘The Postcard Exchange’. Today is the wrap-up of that project

• More than 60 members have participated in this project for several months, where participating francophiles exchanged postcards.

• Participants were strangers, living in different countries.

• Participants were asked to select a card featuring the place where they live and select that card with France in mind, trying to find something that reminds them of France.

• Participants who live in France were asked to choose a card from their hometown/city.

• Each was asked to write a note on the back explaining that reminder.

• Some have had to wait a long time to receive their partner’s card – they’ve been very patient.

• Some cards are still on their way.

• However, we have chosen to close the program now, so we can present you with these lovely images, and encourage participants to contact us when their outstanding cards finally arrive.

- Postcards flew across the world & members waited with bated breath.
- It was exciting.
- It was unusual for such a simple act to bring about such excitement and pleasure
- The excitement was about connecting with others with perhaps only one thing in common—the love of France.

For those interested in an extension of this program/ another project soon, please email me to express your interest.[ mailto: info@myfrenchlife.org with the subject line ‘I’m interested in the next fun community project’ ]

We’ll be in touch again soon

Judy MacMahon and Jacqueline Dubois Pasqiuer

Below you will find several montages of postcards received

• Beautiful cards

• thoughtfully selected

• with a story to tell and

• French memories to share with a stranger.

Thank you everyone for participating

For those interested in an extension of this program/ another project soon, please email me to express your interest.[ mailto: info@myfrenchlife.org with the subject line ‘I’m interested in the next fun community project’ ]

Judy and Jacqueline

Jacqueline Dubois Pasquier is taking a summer break and reading books other than from this list. On the other hand, I will select from this fascinating list, hopefully, more than one book - let’s see… In summary, the choice is yours, but do let us know what you think of this choice.

At the culmination of this reading period, we will hold an online EVENT, where we'll all get to present 'our book' which will be a great way to discover other French books.

In the northern autumn, September, that is, we will return to our usual format with just one book on our reading list, which we will read before the end of the calendar year.

Now is the time to make your book selection and order your book/books.

Do let us know in the comments if you'll be reading with us and if you'll be following via our:
- Facebook private Bookclub group of our
- French Bookclub on Substack.

Merci

Judy MacMahon and Jacqueline Dubois Pasquier

Summer 2024 Reading

A) A selection of recently translated French novels (summer 2024)  

1- ‘ And The Stones Cry Out’ by Clara Dupond-Monot, translated by Ben Faccini

2- ‘Connemara’ by Nicolas Mathieu’, translated by Sam Taylor

3- ‘A Good Life’ by Virginie Grimaldi, translated by Hildegarde Serle

Emma and Agathe are sisters. They grew up together yet are very different. Agathe, the youngest, messy, and ardent, has always taken up all the space in the bath, in the bedroom, and Emma's heart. After five years of unexplained silence, Emma arranges to meet Agathe in the family’s holiday home. After their beloved grandmother passed away, the place must be emptied, and the memories revisited. The two sisters have a week to tell each other everything and make up for the time they spent apart. Will they be able to fix the past in the beauty of the summer in the Basque Country, where their childhood is knocking at the door?

4- ‘Fresh Water for Flowers’ by Valerie Perrin, translated by Hildegarde Serle

5- ‘Swimming in Paris’ by Colombe Schneck, translated by Lauren Elkin and Natasha Lehrer

6- ‘Living with our Dead’ by Delphine Horvilleur, translated by Steven Rendall

7- ‘A Single Rose’ by Muriel Barbery, translated by Alison Anderson

French author Muriel Barbery, ('The Elegance of the Hedgehog' - based in Paris), has written these two books, both based in Kyoto where the author lived for some time. The French and Japanese combination is powerful.

Judy particularly recommends ‘A Single Rose’ - the story of a woman's journey to discover the Japanese father she never knew and a love she never thought possible (2020) - and also 'One Hour of Fervor', also based in Kyoto. (Long-listed Goncourt 2022)

B) To complete this list, we are adding three historical novels set in France, written originally in English:

8- ‘Paris in Ruin’ by M.K. Tod

Paris 1870. Raised for a life of parties and servants, Camille and Mariele have much in common, but it takes the horrors of war to bring them together to fight for the city and the people they love.

9- ‘The secret of the Grand Hôtel du Lac’ by Kathryn Gauci 

‘Another masterpiece from one of my favorite historical fiction writers! “The Secret of the Grand Hôtel du Lac” has everything a well-written historical novel should have: most thorough research; the setting so vividly described it instantly transports you into a dangerous world of occupied France; complex characters that are so perfectly imperfect and infinitely brave, you’ll be rooting for them till the very end.'

*Note that Kathryn is a Bookclub member and Contributor for MyFrenchLife Magazine and that you can ask her anything!

10- ‘The Strange Eventful History’ by Claire Messud

* All titles include a link to their Goodreads page except the last one (#10), which is linked to the author’s webpage. 

What next?

Please let us know in the comments below if you intend to join us in this Summer 2024 Reading period - and which channel you'll be following/discussing your book/s?
- Facebook private Bookclub group of our
- French Bookclub on Substack.

AND… here is an article about how our French Book Club works.

Introducing Contributor, Jacqueline Dubois:

Visit her Contributor Page — Explore more of Jacqueline’s work

Leave a comment

After Judy’s introduction and brief survey:

How do you rate the book from 1 to 5 ? We had answers from 3,5 to 5++ in the first event and 4 to 5 in the second event. Probably an overall rating of 4/5 Book club members very much enjoyed this book.

Jacqueline shared some general remarks on the whole story :

First of all, I don’t think that The Postcard as historical fiction genre, can be compared to such works as Hillary Mantel’s ‘Wolf Hall’ for instance on many levels: literary/language/style/ depth/structure/study. It’s not Booker Prize material, if I dare say.

And yet, it’s the kind of book you can hardly put down once started, that makes you reflect on the whole world as well as your own life, that is heart-wrenching at times, enlightening on French post ww2 cultural scene at others, and is not only historical but a whodunnit too, a kind of search for lost time !”

Jacqueline also mentioned members Donna, and Ray’s recent participation in the Facebook bookclub group, whose remarks are at the core of this book— an auto-fiction (as labeled by Sarah)

Yes—I enjoyed this book. Good pick! And I look forward to the discussion. I’ve been delving into my ancestry, and I found this passage rang a bell with me.”

I don’t know. I feel like some sense of memory makes us attracted to places our ancestors knew, celebrate dates that were important in the past, and become drawn to people whose family once crossed paths with ours without our even knowing it. Call it psychogenealogy, or cellular memory . . . all I know is, this isn’t just chance. I was born on September 15; I studied at the Lycée Fénelon and then the Sorbonne; I live on the rue Joseph-Bara just like Uncle Emmanuel did. The similarities are pretty shocking, Maman.”

Emma and Ephraïm ‘s tragic destiny made members reflect on their own family stories and share them. It is uncommon for people to speak about personal matters in a group and less so online. The fact that this happened made the discussion all the more special and heart-warming. Several members exchanged contact details to meet up in real life. These Book Club Events are just the right size to allow lively, in-depth, and meaningful conversation and are not too big for participants to feel comfortable sharing.

We all shared our thoughts and comments about the book.

• There was much discussion around the structure, in the light of book 1, mainly as we found the other parts rather disappointing, although…

• some said that the different styles of parts two and three served different purposes. Part one was telling the family story compared to Parts 2 and 3 which were research, fact-finding, and discovery.

• One of the participants said she would have preferred to have these parts differently organised, to which many agreed.

• While others said that they appreciated the back-and-forth style and the part structure as it was like life: messy.

At the end of the discussion, Jacqueline concluded that she was glad to have come across this novel, an exception in the French literary contemporary landscape, it’s longer than the usual contemporary French 180 self-absorbed pages, it’s historical, not sociological, and it is multi-layered.

Overwhelmingly attending book club members applauded Jacqueline for this choice and some readers stated that they would not have read the book otherwise. They were very pleased to have read it.

Next Read… are you ready?

Judy announced we would resume the book club activity in September and would soon provide a list of books as (northern hemisphere) ‘Summer’ reads. That list of books will be mostly recently translated French fiction. Readers will be free to choose from that list, and then at the end of the reading period. At the discussion event, those present will talk about their book. 

Members said they are looking forward to reading in French or English. Some may even read more than one book.

At the end of the year, we will return to our normal format of having just one pick—one book we read. together

Perhaps you’d consider joining our French Book Club
Here on substack, or in closed groups on Facebook. Let me know in the comments and I’ll get some links to you.

Thank you for reading with us and we’re looking forward to speaking/writing again soon.

As we’re at the culmination of reading our second 2024 book: ‘The Postcard’ by Anne Berest, and we’ve scheduled an online EVENT to enable us to share, discuss, laugh, and connect about the book and with each other - francophiles across the world. Are you joining us?

WHEN: 

There will be two EVENTS, both on Saturday 27 April. Each event will run for just over an hour.

ACCESS:

A Zoom link is essential to access the event.
- If you have NOT REGISTERED yet, here is the form. Be quick.
- If you have registered and do NOT have a Zoom link by 20 April, then email me info@myfrenchlife.org ASAP -pls check your email inbox & Spam folder first.

[Look for an email from: info@MyFrenchLife.org with the subject line:
Your ZOOM link April '24 French Book Club Discussion EVENT:' The Postcard by Anne Berest]

- If you'd like to invite a friend to attend please ask them to complete this registration form to get their Zoom link:  https://forms.gle/AQn5HHaEvWLmksw58

WHAT TO EXPECT: 

These will be informal small-group discussions. Both Jacqueline Dubois Pasquier & I will be present to welcome you and facilitate the discussion.

PREPARATION:

We recommend that you read the book before attending. Also, we encourage you to have at hand quotations you'd like to highlight - not essential. And you're welcome to join us even if you haven't finished reading this book.

Note: EVENT TIME for your time zone.

EVENT #1 - EUROPE & AUSTRALIA

• UK/ Ireland:
  - Saturday 27 April - 9am

• France:
  - Saturday - 27 April - 10am

• Australia
  - East Coast - Saturday 27 April - 6pm

EVENT #2 - USA, EUROPE, AUSTRALIA

• USA: 
  - PDT - Saturday 27 April - 1pm
  - MST - Saturday 27 April - 1pm
  - CDT - Saturday 27 April - 3pm
  - EST - Saturday 27 April - 4pm 

• France: 
  - Saturday 27 April - 10pm

• Australia: 
  - East Coast - SUNDAY 28 April - 6am

NEXT:

Once you’ve registered you will receive an email (before 20 April) with the Zoom link to attend the EVENT.

Once you receive that email please hit ‘Reply’ to confirm you have the Zoom link.

A reminder for those who've not finished the book, please still join us to listen or participate, the choice is yours.

We're looking forward to chatting about this fascinating book.

Warm regards
Judy MacMahon, Fondatrice and Jacqueline DuboisPasquier, Founding Facilitator, MyFrenchLife™️ French Book Club

'The Postcard' by Anne Berest is our new Spring read. It's been recently translated by Tina Kover and was first published under the French title 'La Carte Postale' in 2021.

• We expect to start reading by 15 March until late April, so it is time to order your book in French or English - your choice.

An eerie postcard found by the narrator with only 4 names on it in the early 2000s (those of members of her family who died at Auschwitz in 1942)takes her to a family mystery by delving into the past.

This book was originally written in French and has been recently translated into English.

It is available now. (the poster image below was published in May 2023)

Will you be joining and reading with us?
You can read more about the MyFrenchLife FrenchBook Club here←

Founding Facilitator Pasquier will be leading this reading.

Judy MacMahon
Fondatrice
MyFrenchLife.org
info@MyFrenchLife.org

PS: We have just opened a ‘The Postcard’ LIVE CHAT here - please join us there,:

#europaeditions #anneberest #frenchliterature #bookclub

As we’re at the culmination of reading our first 2024 book: 'The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B.' by Sandra Gulland, we’ve scheduled an online EVENT to enable us to share, discuss, laugh, and connect about the book and with each other - francophiles across the world. Are you joining us?

WHEN: There will be two EVENTS, both on Saturday 24 February. Each event will run for just over an hour.
ACCESS: A Zoom link is essential to enable you to access the event.
- If you have NOT REGISTERED yet, here is the form. Be quick.
- If you have registered and do NOT have a Zoom link yet email me info@myfrenchlife.org ASAP (pls check your email inbox & Spam folder first)
[Look for an email from: info@MyFrenchLife.org with the subject line:
Your ZOOM link Feb '24 French Book Club Discussion EVENT:' The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B.' by Sandra Gulland]
- If you'd like to invite a friend to attend please ask them to complete this registration form to get their Zoom link: https://forms.gle/xC3Cfd593gPTSP4w7 

WHAT TO EXPECT: 
These will be informal small-group discussions. Both Jacqueline Dubois Pasquier & I will be present to welcome you and facilitate the discussion.

PREPARATION:
We recommend that you read the following items as they are particularly relevant and will inform the discussions.
- of course, the selected book,
- the interview of author Sandra Gulland by Jacqueline: here
- an important comment by Maggie Scott re the Sandra Gulland interview: Found below the interview - made on 18 February
- the interview of Maggie Scott (Historical Consultant): About successful historical fiction writing - she quotes Sandra Gulland

Also, we encourage you to have at hand quotations you'd like to highlight - not essential. And you're welcome to join us even if you haven't finished reading this book.

Note the EVENT TIME for your time zone.

EVENT #1 - EUROPE & AUSTRALIA

• UK/ Ireland:- Saturday 24 February - 9am

• France:
  - Saturday - 24 February - 10am

• Australia
  - East Coast - Saturday 24 February - 8pm

EVENT #2 - USA, EUROPE, AUSTRALIA

• USA: 
  - PST - Saturday 24 February - 12 noon
  - MST - Saturday 24 February - 1pm
  - CST - Saturday 24 February - 2pm
  - EST - Saturday 24 February - 3pm 

• France: - Saturday 24 February - 9pm

• Australia: 
  - East Coast - SUNDAY 25 February - 7am

*Thank you to those who’ve already registered to attend this Book Club EVENT, please find your email now and hit ‘Reply’ to confirm you have the Zoom link.

Responses to date have been across 6 time zones which is challenging to coordinate. The preference for Saturday has been overwhelming. We hope that you can join us even if Saturday is not your preferred date. 

A reminder for those who've not finished the book, please still join us to listen or participate, the choice is yours.

And finally, reading for the next book club pick will commence in mid-March 2024 - watch out for announcements in March.

And finally, we're looking forward to chatting with you about this fascinating book.

Warm regards
Judy MacMahon, Fondatrice and Pasquier, Founding Facilitator, MyFrenchLife™️ French Book Club

Here’s how you can stay in touch:

• Should you wish to follow our French Book Club on Substack you’ll need to subscribe and you’ll find the book club section here.
  

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Call out to:

As we started reading the first one of this trilogy ‘The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B.’  at Myfrenchlife™ Book Club, I was inspired by the conversations with our members and decided to contact Sandra Gulland to ask her if she was willing to answer some questions: 

Here is how it started :

• “Bonjour Sandra, I am Jacqueline, the book club facilitator for the magazine MyFrenchLife™. Following the release of Napoleon the film, I chose to have our members read ‘ The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B’. Our discussions just started both on Substack and Facebook. So far we’re counting 40 ‘enthusiasts’ but expecting more to join us. Would you agree to an interview? Merci d’avance! ” I wrote.

• “Absolutely, Jacqueline. I’m thrilled that you are reading the Trilogy. BTW, I recently did a podcast interview on Josephine” responded Sandra Gulland.

Author Sandra Gulland

And now, how it ended! 

At MyFrenchLife™ Magazine we could not be more grateful and more thrilled to have received such wonderful answers, merci Sandra!” Jacqueline Dubois Pasquier

1. When you decided to write a historical novel about Josephine, to what extent did you feel that, as a North American anglophone, you might be entitled or not to write about French History? Were you apprehensive about receiving criticism from French Historians for example? z
   
   “This is a very good question. I didn’t feel at all entitled. It helped that I didn’t think Josephine B. would ever be published. I began by writing a contemporary mystery about an eccentric old woman in northern Ontario who finds a scrap of a diary written by — she’s sure! — Josephine. It was the silliest novel imaginable.I should add that I’d been fascinated by Josephine for decades, in large part because of her courage. There have been times in my life when I needed courage and at those times I would think of Josephine and that helped. She was, for me, kind of a personal saint (small “s”).
   
   But back to the silly novel. I sent it to Writer-in-Residence at the University of Ottawa, for a critique. Jane Urquhart, an award-winning literary novelist and poet, told me: “Just write Josephine’s diary. That’s the part that comes to life.”And so that’s what I did. I scrapped 300 pages, kept the 10 pages of diary, and began again.

   
   I don’t think I would have ever had the courage to write a historical novel about Josephine without Jane Urquhart’s urging. I assumed that no Canadian publisher would ever be interested in a novel about a French historical figure.

   
   But once I began, it was like having a tiger by the tail! There was no way I could not write it. Cut forward many years later to the publication of the first in the Trilogy: I think every writer of historical fiction fears the Historical Police! The more especially when you’re writing outside your culture and country. I was terrified and thus gratified (and surprised!) that my trilogy was respected and praised. (With the exception of the English, who were somewhat outraged that my Josephine wasn’t a slut!) My French publisher told me that a French historian contacted her to congratulate her on publishing it!

   
   I think this comes around to the important subject of creative freedom. In my opinion, we really can’t — or shouldn’t — turn away from those things we’re passionate about. I strongly believe that one should write what one is compelled to write, so long as you do it well, and with respect.”

2. Similarly, did the book and later the trilogy sell well in France when it was translated? (I must say that these considerations never crossed my mind when I first bought the book in the late 1990s, as I used to read historical fiction in English) 
   
   “I don’t keep track of the numbers, but I don’t think it sold a great deal.”

3.  Our readers are enjoying the diary format in this book. How do you decide which format to use when writing your novels?

   
   “It’s not so much “deciding” as “discovering” how best to tell a story. Often I will try to tell the story in different ways to see what works, and what feels right. The novel I’m writing now began in first person retrospective (the narrator looking back on her life).

   Susanne Dunlap, the book coach I’m working with, suggested I try the diary format instead. I was reluctant at first — been there, done that! — but the change made it much more immediate.”

4. Do you see Josephine as a woman who, despite the inequalities between men and women at the time, could stand out as a pioneer in women’s emancipation such as Olympe de Gouges for example?
   
   “Olympe de Gouges was very much an activist, and Josephine, although a strong, brave, and in many ways an influential woman, was not. Josephine’s strength, I feel, was in her ability to connect with people, her soft touch.”

5.  In 1991, her statue was beheaded and splattered with red paint in Martinique by activists who blamed her for the re-establishment of slavery under the 1st Empire (it seems this episode was a precursor of a trend that is common nowadays, the cancel culture!). Do you think Josephine deserved such a treatment?
   
   “No, I don’t believe she deserved this! It’s a mistake to think that Napoleon was convinced by Josephine to make this move. If anything, he was likely persuaded by men with financial interests.”

6. After spending so many hours – and even years I suppose – in her company, did she have any long-term effects on your life?
   
   “The first thing that comes to mind is that I developed tinnitus a few days after learning that Josephine had ringing in her ears! But on a more meaningful level, it was hard for me to move on from the decade in her lovely company. She still feels like a supportive presence.
   
   Bernard Chevallier, who was curator of Malmaison for many, many years, told me that every year on May 29 they would have a gathering at Malmaison to commemorate the anniversary of her death — and every time a haunting chill would come over the room. So who knows!?”
   

7. In Ridley Scott’s Napoleon, the movie takes some liberties with Josephine’s birth year while the actress playing her – Vanessa Kirby – is 20 years younger in real life than Joaquim Phoenix. Would you agree that despite these historical inaccuracies and the film’s flaws, the character of Josephine stands out as elegantly and movingly portrayed?

   
   “There was much I enjoyed about the movie and I especially liked that Josephine was portrayed as a part of Napoleon’s success. I was disappointed that their ages weren’t shown accurately. I think it would have been more striking to have shown Napoleon as the youngster that he was, and for Josephine to have been significantly older.
   

   I think the portrayal of her as sexually forward was rather more Hollywood than history. Even though war scenes are Ridley Scott’s specialty (and they were excellent), I don’t think it would have taken much to convey how much more there was to Napoleon than battlefield brilliance. I also think it would not have been difficult to at least hint at the importance of their family life, as well. More than anything, Josephine was a mother: this was the primary focus of her life. I think what she mainly saw in Napoleon was that he would be a good father to her children. And he was,” responded Sandra Gulland.

Have you read any of Sandra Gulland’s books? Share your thoughts and reactions in the comments below.

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• Like this newsletter? Forward it or Share it with a friend. Surprise them and help us grow.

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MyFrenchLife.org - Come with us to gain a deeper understanding of France beyond the cliché. Savvy Francophiles read le Bulletin - an entire weekend of francophilia.

• so that you'll be on the attendee list & we'll send you a Zoom link next week, [no link no access] and

• Also, here you can express your preferences as to the time and date of the event - I'll do my very best to make sure the event time suits everyone.

Please complete this form as soon as you can to be on the attendee list and to have your preference considered.

Here is the form, please do it now: https://forms.gle/r2e4ZMFeN5pZGH5H7

The event will be between 24-27 February 2024 in line with your preferences and my ability to coordinate across timezones :)

I hope to see you at our Book Club EVENT as we chat laugh and connect soon.

Regards

Fondatrice, and
Founding French Book Club Facilitator

Louis Sarkozy, the youngest of Former President Nicolas Sarkozy’s 3 sons has written a book on Napoleon’s library. On Twitter/X , he wrote a very long thread on Napoleon’s reading habits. Since we’re in Josephine’s world at the moment with our current read, I found it appropriate to share it here in 6 screen captures, should you be interested in Napoleon too!” says founding facilitator of the MyFrenchLife French Book Club

NOTE: We are NOT reading this book in our Book Club - I’m merely drawing it to your attention.

I knew that Napoleon was an avid and intentional reader but either I didn’t know the extent of his reading or I didn’t know” Judy MacMahon

Here are 6 screenshots from the Facebook page of the author, Louis Sarkozy, which he also shared on Twitter/X. These are lengthy, but both Jacqueline and I found them to be fascinating. I think this book will now be on my TBR list. What about you?

TIP: read left to right on the top row then the same on the second row. you may need to expand the image.

And here is an audio file of a BBC interview with Louis Sarkozy with Adrian Chiles: BBC 5 Live for those who like to hear a voice.

Meanwhile, with great pleasure, we are continuing to read ‘The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B.’ by Sandra Gulland, with a discussion event to be held at the reading culmination in the last week of February 2024. I hope you’ll join us.

If you’re interested in joining us in this book club is your invitation to join us. Introverts and extroverts are welcome.

As the Fondatrice of MyFrenchLife.org Magazine and Co-ordinator of our French Book Club, I am deeply involved and committed to this French Book Club, and for us to gain a deeper understanding of France beyond the cliché, and to stay true to our purpose. We look forward to you joining us!

Note: The MyFrenchLife™ French Book Club operates under the umbrella of the MyFrenchLife.org Community.

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Judy MacMahon
Fondatrice
MyFrenchLife.org - MaVieFrançaise

2024 First four reads MyFrenchLife™ French Book Club

1. January – February: ‘The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. ‘ by Sandra Gulland

 Through January and February, there are quite a significant number of members following us on different media channels – Judy’s le Bulletin, Substack, and Facebook- all of whom are currently reading ‘The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B.’ by Sandra Gulland. 

This novel comes as an exception to our rule ‘of recently translated French novels’ since it was first published in English in 1995. Last December, after seeing ‘Napoleon’, the film by Ridley Scott, I wrote a review for MyFrenchLife™ Magazine in which I recommended reading this book to have a better understanding and knowledge of Josephine, who, for me, was the true heroine of the movie!

The author of the novel Sandra Gullard has recently agreed to answer our questions, so we couldn’t be happier and honored for choosing to delve into Josephine’s life!

2. March – April: ‘ The Postcard’ by Anne Berest,  translated by Tina Kover

Original title ‘La Carte Postale’

Description :  ( from Europa Editions) January 2003: The Berest family receives a mysterious, unsigned postcard. On one side was an image of the Opera Garnier; on the other, the names of their relatives who were killed in Auschwitz: Ephraim, Emma, Noemie, and Jacques. Years later, Anne sought to find the truth behind this postcard. She journeys 100 years into the past, tracing the lives of her ancestors from their flight from Russia following the revolution, their journey to Latvia, Palestine, and Paris, the war, and its aftermath. What emerges is a thrilling and sweeping tale that shatters her certainties about her family, her country, and herself. At once a gripping investigation into family secrets, a poignant tale of mothers and daughters, and an enthralling portrait of 20th-century Parisian intellectual and artistic life, “The Postcard” tells the story of a family devastated by the Holocaust and yet somehow restored by love and the power of storytelling.

This book was awarded many prizes (Renaudot des Lycéens, Prix des lectrices de Elle,Prix Goncourt américain). 

A few years ago MyFrenchlife™ organized a French-themed book exchange between members which was extremely rewarding and friendly. On the theme of postcards, beyond this reading, we wish to suggest our members send one another postcards from the places they live. 

3. May – June:  Second Best by David Foenkinos, translated by Megan Jones 

Original title : ‘ Numéro Deux’ 

Description (from Amazon.com):  ‘It’s about time British readers discovered the wit and originality of David Foenkinos’ Jonathan Coe, author of Bournville. A magical imagining of the fate of a fictional boy whose life is shaped forever when he loses out on the role of Harry Potter. It’s 1999. Martin Hill is ten years old, crazy about Arsenal, and has a minor crush on a girl named Betty. Then he makes it to the final two in the casting for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. 

In the end, the other boy is picked for the role of a lifetime. A devastated Martin tries to move on with his life. But how can he escape his failure, especially when it’s the most famous film series in the world? Foenkinos’s smash-hit Second Best is a playful, poignant story about fate, loss, and how the lives we wish we’d led might not be all they’re cracked up to be . . .

David Foenkinos is considered by many as one of the major French contemporary authors.

4. Fall: Mirror of our Sorrows’ by Pierre Lemaître, translated by Frank Wynne 

Original title : ‘Miroir de nos Peines’

Description (from McLehose Press): April, 1940. Louise Belmont runs naked down the boulevard du Montparnasse. To understand the traumatic scene she has just witnessed, she will have to plunge headlong into the madness of the Phoney War, as France, seized by the panic of a new European conflict, descends into chaos.

Louise navigates this period of enormous upheaval in parallel with her fellow citizens – including Maginot Line conscripts Raoul and Gabriel, bistro-owner Monsieur Jules, and confidence trickster Désiré Migault. The looming threat of German occupation uncovers long-buried secrets and makes for strange bedfellows, as one extraordinary twist of fate follows another.

With characteristic wit and verve, Pierre Lemaitre chronicles the fall of a nation crushed by circumstance. The final novel in his award-winning trilogy is an incandescent tale that veers from the tragic to the burlesque.

Pierre Lemaître is also the author of books that have been adapted successfully to the screen like ‘Au Revoir Là Haut’ and ‘Couleur de l’Incendie’. 

This brings us to the end of our current ‘defined’ list, now let’s look at books we’re considering reading next.

Our ‘Under Consideration’ List

2024 Titles under consideration

The following are other possible recently translated novels that may be selected later:

• ‘ The Annual Banquet of the Grave Diggers’ Gild’ by Mathias Enard translated by Franck Wynne 

 Original title ‘‘Le Banquet annuel de la confrérie des fossoyeurs ‘

 Description: (from MITpressbookstore) From the winner of the Prix Goncourt, an exciting comic masterwork rooted in the French countryside. To research his thesis on contemporary agrarian life, anthropology student David Mazon moves from Paris to La Pierre-Saint-Christophe, a village in the marshlands of western France. Determined to understand the essence of the local culture, the intrepid young scholar scurries around restlessly on his moped to interview residents.

But what David doesn’t yet know is that here, in this seemingly ordinary place, once the stage for wars and revolutions, Death leads a dance: when one thing perishes, the Wheel of Life recycles its soul and hurls it back into the world as a microbe, human, or wild animal, sometimes in the past, sometimes in the future. And once a year, Death and the living observe a temporary truce during a gargantuan three-day feast where gravediggers gorge themselves on food, drink, and language.

Brimming with Mathias Énard’s characteristic wit and encyclopedic brilliance, The Annual Banquet of the Gravediggers’ Guild is a riotous novel where the edges between past and present are constantly dissolving against a Rabelaisian backdrop of excess.

• ‘One hour of Fervor’ by Muriel Barbery, translated by Alison Anderson

Original title ‘Une Heure de Ferveur’

Description:  (from Europa Editions) From the best-selling author of The Elegance of the Hedgehog comes a story of one man’s promise to keep a secret that will keep him at a remove from the greatest joy in his life. One night at a party of artists and intellectuals in Kyoto, Japanese art dealer Haru encounters a woman who unsettles him more than anyone else ever has and he is compelled to know her. Maud, a French woman passing through Japan, is distant. Her cold gaze challenges any exchange, yet she is drawn to Haru. After spending ten intense nights together, Maud leaves without a word. When he learns that she is carrying his child, Haru is determined to find her. But his advances are unwelcome. Maud wants to raise the child alone and extracts a heartbreaking promise from him to stay out of their lives.

In her poetically precise prose, Muriel Barbery explores the beauty and the deep love of a father, but also captures the darkness that pushes people apart.  

• ‘The Enigma of Room 622’ by Joêl Dicker, translated by Robert Bonnono   

Original title ‘L’Enigme de la Chambre 622’

Description : (from Amazon) It all starts with an innocuous curiosity: at the Hotel de Verbier, a luxury hotel in the Swiss Alps, there is no Room 622. This anomaly piques the interest of Joël Dicker, Switzerland’s most famous literary star, who flees to the Verbier to recover from a bad breakup, mourn the death of his publisher, and begin his next novel. Before he knows it, he’s coaxed out of his slump by a fellow guest, who quickly uncovers the reason behind Room 622 erasure: an unsolved murder. The attendant circumstances: a love triangle and a power struggle at the heart of Switzerland’s largest private bank, a mysterious counter-intelligence unit known only as P-30, and a shadowy émigré with more money than God.A Russian doll of a mystery crafted with the precision of a Swiss watch, The Enigma of Room 622 is Joël Dicker’s most diabolically addictive thriller yet. 

This author is not French but Swiss. His thrillers are perfect for beach reading!

2024 French Book Club – are you ready to read with us?

• Reading flexibility:
  – In this club, you can read the books the French are reading now – immerse yourself and learn more about contemporary French literature, culture, and thinking.
  – You can read with us in either English or French!
  — You can choose to read or to skip a book - no pressure.
  — You can read with us no matter where you are in the world! A rarity.
  – Our pace is designed for your busy lifestyle, as we read at a rate of only one book every two months.
  – Your reading suggestions are also welcome. Perhaps you’ve heard of these authors already? Let us know below.

• Engagement:
  You too can participate in our French online book club, as we have multiple ways we help members engage.
  You can find us on:
  – Facebook (and we have a book club member live chat too) and
  – you can also find us on Goodreads and
  – Substack (also with a book club live chat).

• If you are in Paris or just visiting, we’ll do our best to hold meetings while you are there, no matter when that is.
  – NOTE: And following the Josephine B. read, we can announce that a visit to Château Malmaison is envisaged along with a meeting at the nearby Brasserie du château.

• Below is a collage of a few of our intimate gatherings in Paris to discuss recently translated French novels.

  – Be sure to let us know your Paris dates in advance.
  – This could be you…

Paris intimate gatherings – MyFrenchLife Book Club

Here’s how to JOIN

Here you’ll find all you need to know about our French Book Club and how to join.

Are you in?

Please feel free to ask questions below or to make suggestions of translated Contemporary French Fiction for us to consider.

Leave a comment

We’re looking forward to reading with you.

Judy MacMahon and Jacqueline Dubois Pasquier.

First French Book Club Question: JOSEPHINE B.

For the members who may (- or may not- ) soon read 'The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B.' with us:

• Have you seen 'Napoleon' by Ridley Scott and if you have, what do you think of Vanessa Kirby as Josephine? (the costumes, her acting, good casting or not, can you think of another actress for this role ?...) .

Leave your comments and questions & we can interact in the comment threads.

Leave a comment

Would you prefer to read this book in French or English? - please be sure to let us know

And, if you’d like to understand more about the MyFrenchLife™ Book Club

You can read all about it here. Including finding where detailed discussions take place. We look forward to you joining us.

Read all about our French Book Club in an article here←

Live chat (text)

Our CHATs are now live for us to discuss this book. You’ll find two:
Here on Substack:←
And here on Facebook:←

Pop into your preferred platform now and say hi, both Jacqueline and I are monitoring both Chat channels - See you there.

Leave a comment

Questions:

And if you have any questions please ask in this comment section.

Leave a comment

We’re looking forward to reading and discussing this book with you.

Judy MacMahon and Jacqueline Dubois Pasquier.

You’re invited to join our ‘MyFrenchLife™ French Book Club’ and read Newly-Translated French Fiction – Best Sellers. UPDATE below…

Who we are:

We read French literature – some members read in French, whilst others read in English. Discussion is held in English and animated entertaining online discussion events are held at the end of each reading period - such fun.

In this Club you won’t be alone, you can be as involved as you choose. Members are located across ~9 time zones, and we enjoy the diversity of experiences and opinions provided thanks to our online platforms.

Jacqueline Dubois Pasquier is the Facilitator of our Book Club and has held that position for 6 years. We’re fortunate to have such an appropriately qualified Facilitator. Jacqueline is French and lives between Paris and the South of France. She comes to us with a ‘Masters in French Studies’ & another ‘Masters in English Studies’ and has completed a ‘Post-Master Memoir’ on literature and psychoanalysis. Further, she has taught Literature internationally for many years. Jacqueline, as an expert in French literature, guides us as we gain a deeper understanding of France, its people, French history, and culture, no matter whether you read in French or English.

What we read:

We are a literary group, which means we do not read non-fiction, we prefer to stay within Jacqueline’s literary expertise. We read novels, travel essays/ fictionalized biographies/poetry/fiction (in which we can find historical fiction/thrillers/sci-fi/dystopian, romance … subgenres). We have already read 24 fascinating books as shown in the collage above.

What is the culture:

As an indication of what makes us tick, during the COVID-19 confinement period when everyone needed connection and kindness, we conducted an international book exchange. Members randomly pulled the name of another member and sent a message and parcel: a French-themed book and sometimes other thoughtful gifts were included. We were all buoyed by the books, the new connections, and the friendships that resulted.

Why we read contemporary French books:

You can read what is being read in France today by joining the MyFrenchLife™ Book Club. The insights I’ve gained I’ve found to be particularly valuable.

Where/how do I join/join in:

MyFrenchLife™ Book Club can be found in two places: Substack & Facebook
These two places are where we connect with other like-minded Francophiles, share views, and chat about the books we’re reading in our French Book Club.

1. Here on Substack:
   It’s a bit tricky because there is no ‘group’ to join, you are already a subscriber, so once you’ve expressed interest in joining/reading with us in the comments below please consider yourself a ‘French Book Club member’.

• So long as you have commented, we’ll make sure that you’re included.

• Whilst reading we will continue to post and conduct discussions and interact in the comment sections.

• We will also post a Google form where you’ll be asked to add information that will help us organise, our online discussion event (often these events are across 9 timezones).

This is how you ‘join in’. Any questions leave them in the comments - we’ll include you and look after you.

Leave a comment

OR - and it’s your choice -

2. Here on Facebook → MyFrenchLife™ Book Club ← Hit the ‘JOIN’ button. Join the club then watch for the posts and join in with comments and opinions.

As the Fondatrice of MyFrenchLife.org Magazine and Co-ordinator of our French Book Club, I am deeply involved and committed to this French Book Club, and for us to gain a deeper understanding of France beyond the cliché, and to stay true to our purpose. We look forward to you joining us!

Note: The MyFrenchLife™ French Book Club operates under the umbrella of the MyFrenchLife.org Community.

Leave a comment

Judy MacMahon
Fondatrice
MyFrenchLife.org - MaVieFrançaise

UPDATE NOTE:
We’re reading our 2nd 2024 book through until late April 2024 — EVENT 27 April

The ZOOM Discussion EVENT for ‘The Postcard’ by Anne Berest is scheduled for Saturday 27 April, no matter where you live.

To attend you’ll need a Zoom Link which is only accessible by completing the RSVP Form found here←

Bienvenue and welcome

Many thanks
Judy MacMahon

PS: Getting connected can seem complicated and Joining the MyfrenchLife French Book Club here on Substack confuses some. Don’t be worried. Just ask me a question below and I’d be happy to guide you because we’d love to have you join us.

Ask me to help you

(Are you interested in reading with us?)

*When wrote her review of the film #Napoleon (https://www.myfrenchlife.org/2023/12/22/napoleon-the-film/), by #RidleyScott, she recommended a very enjoyable, as well as well-written novel, by for those who wanted to further their knowledge, not from the pov of the beaten path of the Emperor's life but Josephine's who is also the heroin of this biopic (is it really one ? This is another topic!).

*This book was originally written in English in 1995 and is the first one of a trilogy and one of Jacquline’s favourite books. (I agree it's a change and an exception to our book club rules!)

*THE MANY LIVES & SECRET SORROWS OF JOSEPHINE B.

About the author Sandra Gulland: she is a true francophile, having attended the University of CA. at Berkeley in the 60s. She's lived in Ontario, Canada since 1970 and is a historical fiction writer and book editor.

DO LET US KNOW below if you're interested in reading with us. The timelines and dates for an online discussion event will be announced soon. We'll allow time for ordering the book and reading it before we hold our next #Bookchat event.

IF YOU ARE NOT AS YET A member of our #Bookchat bookclub and you’d like to be in on these ongoing chats, ( we have a private group on Facebook) then let me know below and we'll invite you to join us.

Discussions are held in English. Jacqueline Dubois and I will be hosting the discussions with Jacqueline the facilitator. You're invited to join us, these events are often across 9 time zones and are lively, informal, and fun!

About Jacqueline Dubois: Jacqueline and I are the founders of the #Bookchat French book club, where we read award-winning and best-selling, recently translated French books. Contemporary reads. she describes herself as:

After teaching for 20 years abroad, I mostly live between Paris and the south of France. I feel both like a native and an expat. I enjoy being part of My French Life™ as it makes my life in Paris even more meaningful and special. I have a passion for literature and movies.

Regards

Judy MacMahon
Fondatrice
MyFrenchLife.org Magazine

and
Jacqueline Dubois Pasquier
#Bookchat French book club Facilitator

PS: our reading timeline and prospective event dates will be announced soon.

Leave a comment

Bonjour, I hope that you are well and ready for a fun discussion.

If you're still reading the award-winning French book 'Mon Mari'/'The Husband' (in English or French) that's ok please still attend as it is a fascinating book. And if you need a little push to get through the middle, let me say: "The ending is fabulous!" Judy

Both Keith and I are looking forward to you joining our #bookchat book club event on either Monday 11 December or Tuesday 12 December depending on your location/timezone. RSVP now & add this ZOOM EVENT to your CALENDAR.

Which event suits you? (2 Events across 9 timezones)
First of all, identify your time zone & corresponding day and date of the event. If you're in Australia you have a choice of times, one during business hours and one outside business hours.

EVENT #1 - Judy MacMahon to facilitate
UK (Scotland) - GMT - Monday 11 December 9am
France - CET - Monday 11 December 10am
South Africa - SAST - Monday 11 December 11am
Australia  
- AEDT - Melbourne - Monday 11 December 8pm
- AEST - Brisbane - Monday 11 December 7pm

EVENT #2 - Keith Van Sickle will facilitate & Judy to co-ordinate
USA & Canada
- PST - Monday 11 December 4pm
- MST - Monday 11 December 5pm
- CST - Monday 11 December 6pm - (not the time previously advised)
- EST -  Monday 11 December 7pm
Australia 
-  AEDT - Melbourne - Tuesday 12 December 11am
- AEST - Brisbane - Tuesday 12 December 10am

HOW TO RSVP: you’re not too late, the more the merrier
If you’d like to join us, let me know in the comments, and then here is the RSVP form to complete asap: https://bit.ly/3uIQQjo Please supply your email address so we can get the event ZOOM LINK to you. No link no access, unfortunately.

And finally, we're looking forward to this event and chatting with you about this interesting book.

Warm regards
Judy MacMahon and Keith Van Sickle

Thanks again for the great discussion of My Cousin Maria Schneider, led by Facilitator, Elisabeth Sauvage-Callaghan and our fearless leader Judy MacMahon!

Let’s look at what we have coming next. As always, we’ll be reading recently translated French fiction:

My Husband (Mon Mari) by Maud Ventura is described as a “suspenseful and darkly funny debut novel, where a sophisticated French woman spends her life obsessing over her perfect husband—but can their marriage survive her passionate love?”

The book won France’s Debut Novel award and was named Best Book of the Summer by multiple publications. The New York Times called it, “A slow-fuse tale of obsession and marital claustrophobia.”

Sounds like fun!

Please let us know if you’re interested in reading My Husband and joining our Zoom discussion by filling out this form so that we can work out the most suitable date and time. (Our last event was across 5 time zones – so, it can be complicated to work out.)

Who is Keith Van Sickle, you may wonder?

• Keith and his wife Val split their time between Provence and California.

• He is the author of An Insider’s Guide to Provence and the travel memoirs One Sip at a Time and Are We French Yet? 

• Keith is a regular contributor to My French Life Magazine, is an enthusiastic French reader, and

• has previously facilitated our Book Club Discussion Events.

At the moment we’re targeting the week beginning 11 December for the ZOOM EVENT. We hope that you’ll join us.

À Bientôt,

– Facilitator
and Judy MacMahon – Co-ordinator

Here is a suggestion from co- facilitator and MyFrenchLife.org Community member

Let us know what you think about this suggestion, and, do you have other suggestions??? Please share your ideas and suggestions.

Thanks

Judy MacMahon

Keith Van Sickle reading suggestion

Keith says:

I just saw this note about a book that might be interesting for our book group. It won the Prix du Premier Roman in 2021 and has just been translated into English.” Would you be interested to read this with us?

My Husband, by Maud Ventura, translated from the French by Emma Ramadan (HarperVia). Ventura’s protagonist, a forty-year-old English teacher and mother of two whose husband works in finance, is a comically exaggerated cliché whose sole concern is maintaining her husband’s interest. But, as the story progresses, the intensity of her fixation is contrasted with his profound indifference, and her vapid exterior is shown to mask desperate anxieties about class, gender, and power. Buy now on Amazon or Bookshop.

Would you be interested to read this with us?

Remember that in #Bookchat there are 3 key members as well as me, and each has different interests, so we may read different themes…

• - Convenor - French, living in France
  - Jacqueline’s articles on MyFrenchLife Magazine

• - Facilitator - French, living in the USA
  - Elisabeth’s articles on MyFrenchLife Magazine + Interview

• - Facilitator - American, living in California & Provence.
  - Keith’s articles on MyFrenchLife Magazine + Interview

What will we read in the future?

To date, we’ve only read ‘Best-selling and award-winning, recently translated French fiction’ which has been fabulous. Some have read in French and most have read in English - discussion has been held in English. is the convenor of this group and occasionally Elisabeth and Keith have facilitated.

We’re considering adding additional sub-groups where we read different types of books and different themes and I’m open to your suggestions - below, please.

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