Book of the Month - The Thread - September 2012

The Book
In writing this book, Victoria Hislop has said that she wanted to 'open the eyes and tug at the heart strings'.

The basis of this historical novel is the turbulent relatively recent history of Thessalonkia, Greece's second city, from 1917 to the present day. This happens through the retelling of the story of the lives of Dmitri, son of a rich businessman and Katarina, a poor refugee from Turkey.

The big question, if you choose to join us in reading our latest book club choice, is does she succeed in her aim?

The Author
An Oxford English graduate, Victoria Hislop formerly worked in PR, publishing and as a journalist before turning her hand to writing. She has subsequently written three novels - 'The Island', 'The Return' and now our latest book club choice 'The Thread'.

Other points to note about Victoria is that she is the wife of 'Private Eye' editor, Ian Hislop. She also frequently travels to Greece and has a home in Crete.

More Information
Victoria Hislop's website is accessible at http://www.victoriahislop.com/

Book of the Month - Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday - August 2012

This month we are actually reading two books both by the author John Steinbeck.....

The Books
Cannery Row (published in 1945) and its later sequel, Sweet Thursday (published in 1954) are both set amidst the sardine canneries of Monterey, California.

Set in a poor neighbourhood during the Great Depression, Cannery Row is a story of community, friendship and nostalgia. The plot (what little there is of one) centres around plans being made for a party for Doc, a local marine biologist and well-loved community member. Other characters include Dora, the owner of the local brothel and Mack, leader of a group of drop-outs living in The Palace Flophouse and Grill.

Sweet Thursday is set about a decade later after the end of World War Two as Doc returns from the war to a changed Cannery Row.

Both books are character driven and convey the essence of a place and real humanity in all its rawness which was close to Steinbeck's heart. Will the book group be captivated by the stories of these characters?

The Author
John Steinbeck (1902 - 1968) was one of America's most notable authors and his literary legacy still remains - especially in our modern world of recession, joblessness and corporate greed. He was the author of many books including 'The Grapes of Wrath', 'East of Eden' and 'Of Mice and Men'. Steinbeck won the Pulitzer Prize and in 1962 was awarded the Noble Prize for Literature. Much of his writing focus on strong themes. Above all is writing explored family, the poor and dispossessed, social protest, and environment.

His critics have accused him of being a Communist and a liar and his books were at one stage burned in the streets and banned by Congress, so much so that he feared for his life.

However, Steinbeck answered back that: "Literature is not a game for the cloistered elect. Literature is as old as speech. It grew out of human need for it and it has not changed except to become more needed." (Noble Prize acceptance speech).

More information
Read a biography of John Steinbeck on the Nobel Prize website. If you ever have the opportunity to travel to California, why not visit a museum dedicated to his life and work - the National Steinbeck Centre in Salinas. You can also find out more about the setting for both books in Cannery Row, Monterey.