Translation of: L’elegance du herisson. Renee, a secretly cultured concierge at an elegant apartment building in the middle of Paris, meets Paloma, an intelligent twelve-year-old who behaves like a mediocre pre-teen until a wealthy Japanese man arrives at the building, causing Paloma and Renee to recognize each other’s secrets.

Philippe Petit’s illicit 1974 high-wire walk between the World Trade Center towers is the touchstone for stories of the people down below, including an Irish monk living in the Bronx projects, a Park Avenue mother in mourning for her son who died in Vietnam, and a heroin-addicted hooker.

Liz says:

“McCann is a superb writer who has masterfully crafted a unique piece of historical fiction. Using the tightrope walk as the central action, the author spins several stories which are grounded in the world of 1977. While much of the story is gripping and the ending is very satisfying, there are moments when the book feels a bit disjointed -perhaps paralleling the discomfort one might feel at times while walking a tight-rope. You have to steady yourself, focus on the end and finish the job! This was the 2009 National Book Award winner for fiction.”

Bhima, a domestic servant in the household of Sera Dubash, an upper-class Parsi housewife, develops a bond with her employer over the course of many years as they both suffer through abusive marriages, loss, and disappointments, but their friendship still cannot overcome the restrictions of class and money.

Liz says:

“A novel written with both a lyrical cadence and a pragmatic straight-forwardness, this is a story of two women, one a servant and the other the employer. Their relationship with each other, their husbands and their children reveal much about Indian culture specifically as well as the human spirit universally. This can be easily paired with The Help by Stockett and Sister of My Heart by Divakaruni.”

Rare book expert Hanna Heath discovers a number of tiny artifacts hidden within the binding of a fifteenth-century Hebrew manuscript and begins to unravel the mysteries behind its past.

Liz says:

“Historically fascinating and beautifully written! We unanimously loved this book but some of us would have preferred a different ending.”

Skeeter returns home to Mississippi from college in 1962 and begins to write stories about the African-American women that are found working in white households, which includes Aibileen, who grieves for the loss of her son while caring for her seventeenth white child, and Minny, Aibileen’s sassy friend, the hired cook for a secretive woman who is new to town.

Liz says:

“This is one of the best books I’ve ever read. I cannot recommend it more highly. It is thought-provoking and entertaining. A must, must, must read!”

Doug Barnes, a junior high student in Asquont, New York, in 1960, tells about a memorable Christmas Eve on which the beloved family pet died, his dad got a flat tire, the church ceiling fell down, and a stray dog adopted his sister.

Doug Barnes, a junior high student in Asquont, New York, in 1960, tells about a memorable Christmas Eve on which the beloved family pet died, his dad got a flat tire, the church ceiling fell down, and a stray dog adopted his sister.

Recent college graduate Lizzie Nichols takes the money intended for a downpayment on a New York apartment and travels to London to be with Andrew who she thought was her dream man, and upon learning her mistake moves on to France to stay with a friend who is working at a chateau for the summer, where her unability to keep secrets leads to big trouble and a better love. Contains adult content.

Fed up with telemarketers and suffering from manic-depressive illness, Honey Santana plans to teach salesman Boyd Shreave a lesson and arranges a meeting with him in the Florida Everglades, but when she arrives, she realizes she isn’t the only one using the remote site to deal with their problems.

Thirteen-year-old Anna, conceived specifically to provide blood and bone marrow for her sister Kate who was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia at the age of two, decides to sue her parents for control of her body when her mother wants her to donate a kidney to Kate.

Liz says:

“I selected this as our first book because everyone was raving about it. The group, for the most part, seemed to really enjoy it. I, however, did not. The premise is interesting enough but the characters are not well-drawn and the ending is contrived.”