We had a gorgeous August evening for our discussion of Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein!
While the book landed somewhere in the middle for most of us—not a strong love or hate—it sparked a really interesting discussion. Genevieve, who originally suggested the book and led our discussion, even found that she liked it less upon rereading it!
We all agreed the cover was absolutely stunning, but felt the cover and description were a little misleading. We expected something more rom-com-ish and instead got a harder-hitting story full of…let's be honest…some pretty unlikable characters. One of our favorite questions was: Who was the true villain? The sisters? The dad? Either of the moms? We had plenty of opinions! Another question that may become a book club favorite: If you could write fan fiction about this story, what storyline or character would you explore? Maybe go back in time to explore the love triangle before the sisters were born?!
A huge thank-you to Erica ‘06 for being such a flexible host! We pivoted to a picnic at Women's Park and Gardens in the South Loop, which was a first visit for many of us. We enjoyed salads, sandwiches, treats, lobster gummies, and two special treats straight out of Maine that Genevieve ‘98 brought for us from her recent trip!
We were also excited to welcome Jenny '99 and Elaina '22 to their very first book club! 💙
It may have been a slight departure from our typical summer read, but it was an amazing evening of books and, most importantly, connection.
