Landslide
by Susan Conley
Wednesday, October 6 at 7:00 pm
Copies of the book are available at the library, first come, first serve, or you may order one yourself through the MILS library system,
or ask library staff to order for you. We are meeting in person with masks.
Author Susan Conley had been intending to discuss the book with us but has decided against an in-person program given the high rate of transmission of Covid-19 right now, and her needing to protect vulnerable family members.
This month there will also be a discussion of “Landslide” on Maine Public Radio’s “All Things Considered Book Club.” That book club event will take place on Thursday, September 30 at 7:00 pm and will be hosted by Jennifer Rooks.
“In this enveloping novel, a mother of teenage boys tries to find her footing in coastal Maine after her husband is injured in a fishing accident. Little crack have sprouted in every inch of the fortification around this family’s life, and Conley shows their battle to keep vulnerability at bay.”
—The New York Times
“Stunning . . . Conley is masterful in her storytelling. She writes confidently about Jill’s growing lack of confidence in her own parenting skills. She nails the angst and doubt faced by parents of teenagers. Additionally, she assigns Jill the task of narrating on behalf of her wolves, which is no small feat . . . Conley has navigated the fissures of a family in crisis with her usual restraint and humor – all of it set against a backdrop of the state’s rugged coastline. The result is a slice of contemporary Maine life that’s as engaging as it is universal.”
—Joan Silverman, Portland Press Herald
“If D.H. Lawrence had written Sons and Lovers from the maternal perspective, and set his story on the modern coast of Maine, the result would very likely be this novel. Landslide is not only a vicious meditation on the bond between mothers and sons, but a quietly subversive reckoning with the Maine of our literary imagination. So many writers have turned to our coast as a source of innocent beauty; Conley instead reveals how these tidal zones can betray us, and curse us with all of the anger and resentment, sacrifice and pain that can only be redeemed by a searing commitment to love. This is a really powerful book. It cuts right to the bone.”
—Jaed Coffin, author of Roughhouse Friday
“The Middle Place” by Kelly Corrigan
November 3, 2021 7:00 pm
“If you’re in a book club or just love to read, make sure this book ends up in your lap, where it will remain until you finish. Plan to laugh, cry, and be consumed by Kelly Corrigan.”―Winston-Salem Journal
“Bravely reveals the frightened daughter inside the grown-up wife and mother.”―Elle
“Come for the writing, stay for the drama. Or vice-versa. Either way, you won’t regret it.”―San Francisco Chronicle
“Bravely reveals the frightened daughter inside the grown-up wife and mother.”―Elle
“Come for the writing, stay for the drama. Or vice-versa. Either way, you won’t regret it.”―San Francisco Chronicle
Funny, yet heart-wrenching, The Middle Place is about being a parent and a child at the same time. It is about the special double-vision you get when you are standing with one foot in each place. It is about the family you make and the family you came from — and locating, navigating, and finally celebrating the place where they meet. It is about reaching for life with both hands — and finding it.
Copies of the book are available at the library or you may order one yourself through the MILS library system.
We are meeting in person with masks.
The South Berwick Public Library book group meets the first Wednesday of every month at 7:00 pm and alternates between fiction and nonfiction selections. Copies of this month’s selection are usually available at the library for anyone who wants to join us. If we run out of copies you can order one through the MILS catalog to be delivered to South Berwick or ask us to do this for you.