What is it about animals that makes our relationship with them so special? It is their constant affection and presence? Or, is it that they can’t talk back and instead show their feelings through action? Last month, the Ladies Who Brunch discussed a book that focused on this relationship — The Friend by Sigrid Nunez.
What was this book really about, and how did it win the National Book Award? The ladies decided it’s because the book addressed multiple challenges at one time. The protagonist’s relationship with the profession of writing and her relationship with her inherited dog are addressed together.
The challenge between owner and dog is over trust, kindness, training, and how to get the dog to understand your command without fighting back. But without understanding the challenges the dog faces, the relationship with it becomes that much more difficult. A lot of it comes down to attention to detail. How much do dogs pay attention to our feelings, without us worrying about how they feel? This then ties into the style of writing that the author uses. Is the author writing for the reader, a common struggle, or rewriting a person’s life in some way? This is the beauty about writing where you try to understand what the author is thinking and implying.
After the discussion, the group still had some doubts about what truly made the book stand out. It seems like Americanah and LaRose that won previous years, were more focused on story telling and moving the reader. The Friend, however is a model of restraint and accomplished small ideas.
Next Month…
Book ideas for next month included Future Home of the Living God by Louis Ederich (mystery), Convenience Store Women by Sayaka Murata, The Lying Game by Ruth Ware (mystery), Call Me Zebra by Azareen Van der Vliet Oloomi or My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh (fiction about sleeping for a year). For May 11th, the group chose the Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli.
RSVP for next month’s meeting here! Have you read The Friend? Tell us what you think below!
Rachel Slaiman is a published freelance writer of several articles in both print and online as well an editor and copy editor of aspiring author’s manuscripts. She is currently the co-recording secretary for the WNBA and co-chair for the Brooklyn Book Festival. Rachel holds a B.A. in Communications and a M.S. from Pace University. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and writing short stories.
Book club members! Save the date! the launch for my novel We Never Told is June 13, at 7pm at Shakepeare &Co. On Broadway. I’d love to see you all there. Diana