The Book Club

As the title suggests, The Book Club centers around five women who are members of a reading circle. Their Book Club has been an important part of each of their lives for many years, but now, as they are in their 40s and 50s, each woman is facing a crossroads in her life. Center to the story is one of the club's founders, Eve, who, in the opening pages of the book, suddenly loses her husband and the entire life she knew. Doris, the other founding member, is the next-most featured character: a wife and mother who feels both of those titles beginning to slip away, along with her identity. Doris is also at odds with one of the newer group members, Annie, a seemingly perfect career woman who is losing control over her own life as well. Finally, Midge and Gabriella round out the circle, and although each face their own dilemmas, less time is devoted to their characters.

Other reviewers have mentioned that this book is clichéd, and that's certainly true at times; there are plenty of other stories out there, both real and fiction, of women going through turning points in their lives. However, there is a universal aspect to these women's stories that creates an entertaining and engaging novel. Although I found the very end of the book to be a bit too schmaltzy for my tastes, overall, I enjoyed this read and will look for other works by this author.