The members of Literary Ladies have quite the history. Five of the women taught seventh-grade English together in the 1970s at what was once known as Kirby Jr. High in the Hazelwood School District. “We were a very close-knit group, and then life happened,” explains Nanette Williams. “Some of us stayed home with our kids, others switched jobs or moved.” But the love of literature brought them together again in 2010. When Charlotte Ellington, who has penned a biography and novel herself, moved back to St. Louis, she approached the group about forming a book club. Another friend joined, and Williams says anyone is welcome at this point. “We often talk just as much about family and friends as we do the books, though,” she jokes.
The women meet for lunch the first Thursday of every month at Mimi’s Cafe in Chesterfield to discuss their latest read. “We each are assigned a month for picking a book, after discussion with the group,” Williams says. “We get a really broad choice of titles this way, and it allows us to read books we never would have picked up ourselves. I’ve discovered some great authors.” Williams appreciates the group’s varying opinions each month. “Different people bring different reactions, so that affects how you look at the story,” she says.
[about the book]
Acclaimed writer Julian Barnes delivers an intense novel that follows Tony Webster, a middle-aged man who must face his past when close childhood friends re-emerge, one from the grave. Webster is forced to contend with a mysterious legacy that makes him reconsider his own place in the world.
[opinions]
>> In The Sense of an Ending, I found it difficult to relate to any of the characters, as no one seemed genuine. Much discussion in our group centered around the ending and who was responsible for what. — Marylou Bruder
>> The Sense of an Ending promises more than it delivers. It is well-written, but I was always waiting for the author’s purpose. Why is this character worthy of the reader’s time? — Maureen Elli
[favorite]
Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand
[up next]
The Mockingbird Next Door, by Marja Mills
Photo: Bill Barrett
Pictured, seated: Charlotte Ellington, Dorothy Banholzer; Standing: Nanette Williams, Mary Lou Bruder, Maureen Elli, Linda Patterson
