We wanted some gal pal time during the COVID-19 pandemic this Summer, so we invited a few friends to a variety of virtual book club visits…
We hosted the various virtual book club events at the end of June and beginning of July and “met” everyone via Zoom. Yes, there was wine and other beverages flowing, as well as various tasty snacks! These were book club “outings”, so why not?!?
One of the books we discussed was Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore. I was sucked in by page one and found myself yearning for more of the plot daily. The female characters, depicted in the book, are forced to deal with various types of obstacles, while trying to navigate their lives in the small town of Odessa.
The women are intertwined with each other; and try to help one another, while forced to deal with racism, rape, poverty, sexism, and other gut-wrenching issues in their own lives.
The book is often intense and unsettling, but Elizabeth Wetmore’s debut novel is mesmerizing and hopeful too. This book should be added to everyone’s “MUST-READ” list!
When the six of us met via Zoom during the last week of September, we ended up discussing Valentine for more than an hour. There was so much to talk about!
At one point, we even spent several minutes discussing history. We were trying to understand why the women were reacting the way they were in the novel and many of us had different theories why. I have a feeling we would have stayed on Zoom longer and continued to discuss the book if it wasn’t so late.
What a perfect way to take a break from everyday life and enjoy some gal pal time virtually!
– Mandy G, New Book Joy Founder
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