The Dubrovnik Book Club by Eva Glyn is a moving women's fiction, warm and engaging, positive and inspiring.
Blurb:
In a tiny bookshop in Dubrovnik's historic Old Town, a book club begins...
Newly arrived on the sun-drenched shores of Croatia, Claire Thomson's life is about to change forever when she starts working at a local bookshop. With her cousin Vedran, employee Luna and Karmela, a professor, they form an unlikely book club.
But when their first book club pick - an engrossing cosy crime - inspires them to embark upon an investigation that is close to the group's heart, they quickly learn the value of keeping their new-found friends close as lives and stories begin to entwine...
Claire finds herself in Dubrovnik, recuperating after a long Covid. Having found a perfect job in a local bookshop, Claire is hesitant. She feels vulnerable and anxious to return to work and be among people. She sees a threat of the dreaded virus everywhere, and the sight of just a few visitors to the store brings her panic attacks.
"Claire didn't just want this to work out, she wanted her life back, full stop. And however terrified she was, she knew there was only one person who could make that happen".
The book club run by Claire and her younger colleague Luna is a little haven of tolerance and open-mindedness. It becomes a tribute to female solidarity, compassion and endurance.
Each chapter focuses on a character, and each book selected for the book club's discussion, mirrors some of the character's struggles and problems.
While I sympathise with Claire's anxiety after her prolonged illness, she is a bit self-absorbed to start with. Aided by her family, she has being protected to the point of cocooned. Coming across other people's stories and difficulties during the book club meetings and beyond, helps her face her own demons and realise that we cannot hide from life.
Claire's Gran Fran and her husband Jadran are very supportive, but they have their own serious problems.
Her cousin Vedran has withdrawn from the society for his own reasons. His ex-girlfriend Didi has disappeared in suspicious circumstances, and many a finger point at him accusingly. Vedran's story adds a thriller/mystery element to the book club-centred narrative.
Luna is a young girl, exploring her sexuality, and struggling with her religious upbringing. In many ways she is very naive and childish. She is as bouncy as Tigger. Luna grew up in a small community, where religious narrow-mindedness reigns. Even her own parents are rigid and inflexible, dismissive of their daughter's identity.
And then there is Karmela, who appears quite stand-offish (more of being aloof rather than arrogant). Karmela is a visiting professor from Zagreb, who is doing research on the medieval Ragusan Republic and the place of women in the 16C society.
She tries to push aside her childhood trauma of escaping from Sarajevo during the war, but memories are always there.
"The past - the war - was everywhere she looked, in everyone she spoke to. Crushing her like the oppressive heat before a storm. And she did not want it. Not at all. And yet she was powerless to stop it".
All the individual stories become interconnected, creating a fascinating tapestry.
Dubrovnik provides a beautiful and inspired setting for the plotline. The visual/descriptive aspect is one of the strengths of the book. I loved learning more about the history of this captivating place and found myself googling into the night some of the names mentioned in Karmela's research (something I wasn't familiar with).
Books about books and book clubs are very popular, and for a good reason. They shine a light on the intellectual and healing power of books. For me reading is like breathing, I wouldn't be able to survive without it. The last year has been pretty horrendous, and books keep me afloat, saving my sanity. And though my personal problems are completely different from the problems which the members of The Dubrovnik Book Club's have to face up to, I do share with them the joy the books bring, comfort and escapism, and the way they make you reflect on your past and present.
The Dubrovnik Book Club celebrates reading and brings sensitive subjects into the light. This captivating tale of friendship, with well-developed characters, and a strong sense of place, is truly affirming and redemptive.
Potential triggers: long Covid, religious bigotry, domestic violence, people's lives damaged by wars.
This post is part of the blog tour for The Dubrovnik Book Club.
Many thanks to Eva Glyn and Rachel's Random Resources for my e-copy of the book!
Purchase
Links - https://mybook.to/TheDubrovnikBookClub
Other
retailers:
UK https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/the-dubrovnik-book-club-eva-glyn
US https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-dubrovnik-book-club-eva-glyn
Author Bio –
Eva
Glyn fell in love with Croatia during her first holiday there in 2019; the
incredible scenery, the delicious food, the country’s dramatic twentieth
century history all played their part, but most of all it was the friendliness
of the people.
One
of these was tour director Darko Barisic, who told an incredible story about
growing up in underground shelters during the war in the 1990s, and she knew
she had to write a book around his experiences. This became her first Croatian
novel, The Olive Grove, and she and
Darko have become good friends and he continues to advise her on all aspects of
Croatia.
Eva
delves into Croatian history and everyday life for her inspiration, and visits
the country as often as she can, having uncovered so many stories by talking to
local people. Travel in general is her passion, followed closely by food and
wine, which also find their way between her pages.
Although
Welsh by birth she now lives in Cornwall with the man she met and fell in love
with almost thirty years ago. She also writes as Jane Cable.
Social Media Links –
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/evaglynauthor/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/EvaGlynAuthor/
Twitter https://twitter.com/JaneCable
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@dubrovnikbookclub
Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/eva-glyn
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