An idea between three friends that started out as poolside conversation 15 years ago is still going strong. With a straightforward name that communicates its focus, The Book Club was formed for the simple enjoyment of reading. “It was right around the time the Oprah Book Club started, and we just loved talking about books, so we got the idea to form our own group,” says founding member Julie Hederman. “My girlfriends, who are sisters, and I said we would each invite someone new to participate. We had no idea it would stick!”
A small group, the women meet every six weeks at a different member’s home. “It’s noticeable if you don’t read the book,” Hederman says. “We rotate choosing a title, and you feel the pressure! It better be a good pick. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by some of the books chosen.”
The latest, Bettyville, hit close to home for Hederman. “I had just gone through a similar situation with my mom, so I connected to the book on a personal level,” she says. “It was a heartfelt memoir, and I kept telling people about it.” Her husband surprised Hederman by asking the author, Missourian George Hodgman, to attend The Book Club’s discussion at their meeting. “It was so great,” she says. “We served Missouri comfort foods and invited other friends who had rea
about the book
Bettyville is a memoir by George Hodgman, who leaves his career at Vanity Fair in Manhattan for his hometown of Paris, Missouri, to take care of his ailing mother, Betty. George can’t bring himself to force his strong-willed mother into assisted living and out of a home that holds memories of his father.
opinions
» George Hodgman’s compassion and sense of humor is relevant to everyone, but especially those who have taken care of an aging parent. His observations on growing up gay in small-town America and surviving the AIDS epidemic provides honest and heartfelt insight. Best book I read in 2015!” — Julie Hederman
» This is a loving, poignant and funny book about a son’s love for his parents and the small, rural town in Missouri where he grew up. The book really opens up in the second half and includes the personal struggles he goes through that impact all aspects of his life and relationships. It also provides a walk down memory lane for anyone of a certain age who grew up in St. Louis. — Lynn Sheahan
past favorite
A Confederacy of Dunces, by John Kennedy Toole
up next
Shadow Divers, by Robert Kurson
Pictured, seated: Julie Hederman, Lynn Sheahan, Melissa Armstrong, Deidre Laughlin, Jean Marie Peterson, Lauria Sheahan. Standing: Author George Hodgman
Photo: Bill Barrett