Of Storytellers, Cats and Footballers

In these challenging times we need things that will uplift and inspire us: that’s exactly what we had in the April edition of our Book Club. It was another Internationally flavoured event with participants and observers from Wales, England and Germany. Think of it as the literary version of Eurovision, but without the sequins and bad dance moves.

We began with The Storyteller of Casablanca by Fiona Valpy. Chosen by Maggie, this evocative tale by the best selling author of The Dressmaker’s Gift was an uplifting story of a young Jewish girl called Josie, who fled the Nazi occupation of Paris in 1941 to Casablanca, Morocco. Next came the choice of Betty who told us all about the hugely underrated footballer Peter Crouch, with his  self depreciating and frankly hilarious insight into the strange inner world of football in How To Be a Footballer.

Finally we had the unveiling of an innovative new guide by Jill Rakusen. The author herself introduced us to Unlocking the Power of Song – A Companion for Challenging Times. Jill has a unique approach to song, developed over 25 years. She maintains that song can help in any walk of life, enabling us to become stronger and wiser. It was an uplifting read with a truly inspirational approach, giving us plenty of food for thought about life and living it to the full.

The books discussed were: