Brown Club of DC

The Brown Book Club will meet on Sunday, December 8 in Springfield, VA to discuss Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler (fiction, 303 pp, 1996). We’ll begin at 6PM with dinner, then go on to discussion. Please RSVP by Friday, December 6 by contacting the event organizer, who will provide location information. Mention any food allergies, and bring $6 – $8 for the meal.

“Abandoned by her husband, stoic Pearl raised her three children on her own. Now grown, the siblings are inextricably linked by their memories—some painful–which hold them together despite their differences. Hardened by life’s disappointments, wealthy, charismatic Cody has turned cruel and envious. Thrice-married Jenny is errant and passionate. And Ezra, the flawed saint of the family, who stayed at home to look after his mother, runs a restaurant where he cooks what other people are homesick for, stubbornly yearning for the perfect family he never had. Now gathered during a time of loss, they will reluctantly unlock the shared secrets of their past and discover if what binds them together is stronger than what tears them apart. This portrait of a family is vintage Tyler–soulful and redemptive, full of heartbreak and hope.” – Amazon Book Reviews

BCDC will have its annual holiday party at Hawthorne’s rooftop this year!  You can buy your tickets now!

There are four ticket options, so please choose the one that’s right for you.  We are offering a discounted rate for BCDC members as well as a special discount for those who would like to purchase membership + event ticket.  Ticket purchase comes with a free drink, appetizers, and the chance to mingle with fellow Brown alum!  RSVP today!

The Brown Book Club will meet on Sunday, January 12 to discuss Washington Black by Esi Edugyan (fiction, 352 pp, 2018). We’ll begin at 6PM with dinner, then go on to discussion. Please RSVP by Friday, January 10 by contacting the event organizer, who will provide location information. Mention any food allergies, and bring $6 – $8 for the meal.

TOP TEN BOOK OF THE YEAR: New York Times, Washington Post, TIME, Entertainment Weekly, Slate
FINALIST FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE, THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE, THE ROGERS WRITERS’ TRUST PRIZE

“Washington Black is that rarest of novels: a hybrid that knows exactly what it is. The story begins as an antebellum novel about Wash, an 11-year-old slave working on a Barbados plantation run by a sadistic master. When Christopher, the master’s brother, takes Wash under his wing and teaches him to read, the novel turns more toward adventure and scientific exploration. There are inventions, twists, and turns; there is danger and intrigue; there is travel and growth. What holds everything together is author Esi Edugyan’s writing chops. She is a precise writer who has created a world that seems whole and all-embracing. Her characters are fully realized human beings. The weight of personal freedom is a theme that winds through the book, as does the opposing weight of cultural and societal expectations. There is so much to digest here, and so much to enjoy, that readers may well be tempted to read this book twice.” –Chris Schluep, Amazon Book Review