Thursday, April 24, 2014

Saturday Samplers Book Group to Meet

Bernardsville Public Library’s book discussion group, Saturday Samplers, will meet on Saturday, May 3 at 3:30 pm to discuss “Open Secrets,” a short story collection (1994) by Alice Munro, the renowned Canadian short-story writer who won the 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature. [The author will not be present.]

In these eight tales, Ms. Munro evokes the devastating power of old love suddenly recollected. She tells of vanished schoolgirls and indentured frontier brides and an eccentric recluse who, in the course of one surpassingly odd dinner party, inadvertently lands herself a wealthy suitor from exotic Australia. And she shows us how one woman's romantic tale of capture and escape in the high Balkans may end up inspiring another woman who is fleeing a husband and lover in present-day Canada.  The New York Times Book reviewer wrote, "Open Secrets is a book that dazzles with its faith in language and in life.”  

The author grew up in Wingham, Ontario, and attended the University of Western Ontario.  During her distinguished career, she has been the recipient of many awards and prizes, including the W.H. Smith Prize, the National Book Circle Critics Award, the PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in Short Fiction, the Lannan Literary Award, the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, and the Rea Award for the Short Story.  In Canada, she has won the Governor General's Award, the Giller Prize, the Trillium Book Award, and the Libris Award.  Alice Munro and her husband divide their time between Clinton, Ontario, and Comox, British Columbia.

Led by Evelyn Fischel, Saturday Samplers is a book discussion group dedicated to sampling various kinds of literature, including short stories, nonfiction, new and old novels, and even teen fiction.  Its goal is to search out interesting, noteworthy, and sometimes overlooked books.  Readers can find information about the group and about the books and authors on the reading list at http://saturdaysamplers.blogspot.com.  No sign-up is needed to join the discussion.  Call the library at 766-0118 for more information.

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