Gemma will be with us for lunch on Monday, April 4.  She is an Irish-born theatre director and educator. After moving to the San Francisco Bay Area, she directed more than sixty stage production. Gemma is also an award-winning screenwriter and film director. She graduated from Trinity College, Dublin in English and French, and has graduate degrees from University of California, Berkeley in Theatre and San Francisco State University in Cinema. Gemma now lives in Portland.

Her novel, Fiona Stolen Child is the story of Fiona Clarke, an Irish writer living in New York, who has been running away from her past since she left rural Cregora, Ireland, for boarding school. That past finds her, many years later, when her thinly veiled autobiographical novel is optioned for a movie. Working as the film's consultant, Fiona unearths deep secrets, relives childhood trauma, and connects with an estranged family thrust back into her life. As her history opens upon her, Fiona must stop running and confront her secret shame: her long-held sense of responsibility over the death of her little sister.

As we did last month, we will be serving a catered lunch while we visit with Gemma and listen to her read from her book.  As you know, space is limited so please call for reservations.

Cost: $20 includes lunch and a signed copy of Fiona 

Stolen Child. 

What We're Reading Now

Karen:

Wingshooters

by Nina Revoyr Akashic $15.99

Evoking the feeling of To Kill a Mockingbird, this is one of the best books I have read in a long time. The year is 1974.  Nine year-old Michelle, the daughter of a Japanese mother and an American father, is left with her grandparents in their all-white Wisconsin town.  She is the object of scorn and bullying by nearly everyone until a black nurse and her husband, a substitute teacher move in to town.  The tension builds to a fever pitch when the teacher makes a serious accusation against her grandfather's best friend.   

Alexa:

Trapped  

by Michael Northrop Scholastic $17.99  

Trapped is told through the eyes of Scotty, a high school basketball player.  To be a good friend, Scotty stays at school to help Pete and Jason build a go-cart, not thinking how intense the blizzard could be.  But as the day goes on, the snow keeps piling up, forcing them to stay with only a few others.  Once the school's power goes out and the snow keeps coming, all hell breaks loose.  The kids have to find food, water and way to get out.  A modern-day Lord of the Flies.  

Ann:

Pearl of China  

by Anchee Min Bloomsbury $15.00 

Min grew up in China and was told to denounce Pearl Buck as an American cultural imperialist.  Buck's book, The Good Earth banned in China for being too "toxic". It was not until 1996 that Min read it and changed her view of Buck.  Pearl of China is her heart-felt tribute to Buck.

Based on Buck's life, the story is told through the eyes of a young Chinese friend, Willow.  Through their friendship the story unfolds and history comes alive.   

If you haven't read The Good Earth, you will want to after reading this amazing novel.

Out in paperback March 29   

Maria:

Attachments  

by Rainbow Rowell Dutton $25.95 

The witty emails between Jennifer and Beth pull you right into their lives from page one of this delightful novel.

"<<Jennifer to Beth>> I think I'm pregnant.

<<Beth to Jennifer>> What? Why do you think you're pregnant?

<<Jennifer to Beth>> I had three drinks last Saturday.

<<Beth to Jennifer>> I think we need to have a little talk about the birds and the bees. That's not exactly how it happens."

Lincoln the brilliant, but shy night IT guy, part of whose job is to send notices warning people about personal correspondence, is instantly hooked. He can't bear to send them a notice because they are just too interesting-and before long he's falling for Beth. But what can he do? If tells her he's gotten to know her through reading her mail he becomes the creepy guy in the basement.

This is a late-bloomer coming of age novel combined with the story of a supportive and fun friendship. I couldn't wait to see if Lincoln would find a way around his dilemma, whether or not Jennifer was pregnant, if Beth ever got tired of being neglected, and if Lincoln's mother would ever let him grow up. This novel is I-can't-wait-to-find-out-how-it-ends fun.

Out April 14