Norma_R

A book about books

This is a interesting novel about the novelist Henry James and his typewriter. Set in the early 1900s the term typewriter referred both to the machine and the person who did the transcribing. The story is a mixture of actual historical events and people and a fictional person and plot.

Freida Wroth is a young woman of 23 when she is hired to work for Henry James. She comes from a poor background and experiences the rigid class distinctions in place. She cannot understand the problems of the upper classes.

The novel also contains a story line about spiritualism and automatic writing. Frieda faces a moral dilemma which adds suspense to the story. I recommend this book because it covers a different sort of topic.

If you are a book lover and/or someone who likes reading about books, this book is for you. It tells the story of a book club with selective membership in Providence RI. The members become close; they must each choose a "book that matters most" that the club will read and discuss. Woven into the book club story is the life story of Ava. She is dealing with a divorce and struggling with some terrible childhood memories. Her mission to find the author of her book selection changes her life. This would be a great book club pick.