February's Book: Diary of an Ordinary Woman by Margaret Forster

From the book jacket:

Margaret Forster presents the 'edited' diary of a woman, born in 1901, whose life spans the twentieth century. On the eve of the Great War, Millicent King begins to keep her journal and vividly records the dramas of everyday life in a family touched by war, tragedy, and money troubles. From bohemian London to Rome in the 1920s her story moves on to social work and the build-up of another war, in which she drives ambulances through the bombed streets of London.

Here is a twentieth-century woman in close-up, coping with the tragedies and upheavals of women's lives from WWI to Greenham Common and beyond. A triumph of resolution and evocation, this is a beautifully observed story of an ordinary woman's life - a narrative where every word rings true.

"A highly enjoyable read: well-informed, gripping...an overview of the period seen from the underside." Sunday Telegraph

"Not only is the background of social and political change meticulously accurate...but there is everything one would expect from a well-kept diary. This is fiction; yet it is true." Guardian

I'll be bringing copies of the book to our meeting on Thursday.

Just a reminder for our February meeting - it will be at Erin's house in Burlington on Thursday, Feb 17th.  That seems so soon... Does that work for everyone or would we prefer the 24th?  


Kate will post the discussion questions up here for those who like to have a look at them before the meeting, and will come up with an idea for a menu for the night.  Erin will send out a reminder one week before the meeting.


Chandra - I'll pass along your book on Saturday.
Michelle - I'll pop your book in the mailbox at church on Sunday.


If you cannot attend the February meeting, please make sure that you pass your book along so that Kate can return them to the library on time.  :-)


* also please note that we have switched plans for March and May (see Looking Ahead - plans for Sept-June)