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March - 'Warlight' by Michael Ondaatje

31/3/2019

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Now in his 70s, Ondaatje reminisces about a London he knew in the late 1940s, bringing his extensive knowledge of the city to the fictional story of two children abandoned by their middle class parents and left in the care of  an eccentric and varied group of guardians, some of whom are minor criminals.

Through Nathaniel we see the underbelly of this city recovering from war. People scrabble to make ends meet:  travelling the Thames at night picking up contraband greyhounds; working in the laundry of a large hotel – Nathaniel starts to see the way adults organize their lives and abandons school to learn from life. Neither of the children realise their parents  work in the post-war  secret service and eventually the children are in danger from  their parents enemies.

Later in life Nathaniel tries to make sense of his teenage years and work out just what his mother did and why she left them. His isolation and loneliness seem to stem from these experiences and his abandonment of his teenage  girlfriend. Ondaatje explores the way memories of past experiences are unearthed and  explored when adults reflect on life seeking some understanding their behavior.

Lively discussions resulted from the very mixed responses to this book from our group.  

Our April book is Everything Under by Daisy Johnson. Anyone who has read it is welcome to join us in the Library at 2pm, Thursday 17th April.
​
Meg Dillon
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    Booker Reading Group

    The annual Man Booker Prize is awarded to the novel deemed best by an extensive panel of judges in Britain. Writers in both America and post-colonial countries can also enter. Each year the search is narrowed to a Long List of 13 books, then the Short List of 6 from which the winner is chosen.  These novels are not for the faint hearted! They often explore contentious contemporary issues or the lives of families or individuals experiencing  the difficulties of modern life.

    If you are curious about some of the best contemporary fiction of the last year…please join us.  You will be expected to obtain your own copy of the books the group chooses to read, either by buying an e-book version, borrowing from a library, or purchasing a hard copy.

    Meeting Times 

    3rd Friday of the month, 2 - 4 pm

    Convenor Contact Details

    Meg Dillon 5762 6558

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    'Everything Under'
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    'Warlight'
    'Washington Black'

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