Book Club for November/December

NEW DATE: Thursday, December 8, 7:30 PM

Host: Bill

Location: 2001 Royalwood Dr., Arlington, 76006

Call for directions: (817) 718-2424

Probation by Tom Mendicino (Publishers Weekly) A middle-aged married man whose indiscretion in a men's bathroom forces him to re-evaluate his chosen life becomes a surprisingly sympathetic narrator in this potent debut. When Andy Nocera is arrested at a public highway rest stop, his wife leaves him, prompted by her father, for whom Andy works. Resigned to putting his life back together, he moves home with his mother, recently diagnosed with cancer, and takes a job as a traveling salesman around which he schedules his court-ordered therapy with a stubborn Jesuit priest. Andy attempts to detangle his motivations for both getting married when his emotions lay elsewhere and settling for an existence as a dutiful son. Like a contemporary Ethan Frome, Mendicino's protagonist struggles to reconcile his desires with the expectations of the people around him, and despite the occasional melodramatic moment, sure-footed plotting keeps the narrative from lapsing into a confessional slump.

Get the book. (Books available at Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com)

1. Read it.
2. Sign-in on the comments for this blog entry so we know how much dessert to get.
3. Come share dessert, as well as your thoughts and insights on the book.

All are welcome. So that we know how much dessert to have ready, please add your NAME and EMAIL to the comment section for this event. See you there!