The Book Club

This is the first of Mary Alice Monroe that I have read, and I really thought it was wonderful reading! These ladies in the Book Club all share different stories. Eve, the main character in this story loses her husband Tom tragically in the first of the book. There were many unsettled issues between them upon his death, and Eve will uncover a terrible betrayal as the book moves on. In the meantime, she had to sell their beautiful home and move in to a condo with her two children who are very unaccepting. Midge, a single artist in the story, is dealing with her own set of problems, especially when her mother plans to come there to Chicago from Florida, and plans to move in. Mother and daughter have many many issues between them and never could get along. Annie, who is a lawyer, wants nothing more than to conceive a child. Her biological clock is ticking away,but she can't seem to get pregnant no matter what. It is later in the story that she finds out the real reason for not conceiving, and it is a shocker. It takes a long time for acceptance here, and may mean a life altering decision. Gabriella, a wife and mother, has a husband who has lost his job and is struggling to make ends meet. In fact, there may come a time when they lose their home. The book was great all the way through, and I would highly recommend it to anyone. It really is true to life as it is today.

Monroe wrote an insightful book about the power of friendship and the effect books have on our lives. A great choice for bookclubs, especially with the Topics For Discussion included in the back. My bookclub loved it.

The characters were so realistic I felt like I knew them. I laughed and cried right along with them. It made me think a lot about people and relationships. I strongly recommend this book!