Sarah Vaughan of Little Disasters Joins Self Indulgence Book Club - Meeting Recap


What we discovered during our last Shelf Indulgence book club meeting (April 11th), is that British author Sarah Vaughan is just as captivating and thoughtful as her books. We had a lively, yet contemplative, discussion of a difficult subject - the changed dynamic of a household after the birth of a baby, and the possibly dangerous emotions some new mothers experience.

 

Vaughan had us laughing, telling of her own over reaction to her daughter’s innocent, oblique reference to The Sandman - who comes into your room at night. (Who is this predator? I’m calling the police!). And she had us, almost, crying, as she related a couple of the truly horrific stories of violence to children she covered as a reporter for The Guardian.

 

We also got a crash course in the very interesting take different countries had when designing a cover for Vaughan’s third book “Little Disasters”. (Optioned for a TV series.). When the subject is so emotional, how do you entice readers? Well, if you design the American version - you only go so far as a swing set without children. If you’re a UK designer, also don’t picture children, but do picture a yummy Mummy. French? No chidden, no mommies. You show doors. So enigmatic. So French. And then there is the Swedish version. Yikes. The Swedes are not going to mollycoddle potential readers. Meet the demon baby of your nightmares. And guess what? Vaughan’s book has sold very well in all countries, but is a runaway best seller in Sweden. (Taking Sweden off my bucket list).

 

“Little Disasters” is spellbinding. Sarah Vaughan is delightful. The resulting discussion was meaningful as the author and her book sparked the sharing of personal experiences about the unspoken realities of being a mother. That is what good books do - make you think, make you feel, make you share the experience. Well played, Sarah Vaughan. The hope you had for your characters was realized with our book club.



 

Posted by book lover: Phyllis T. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Drop us a line and let us know what you thought about the book...

Popular posts from this blog

Book #11: The Wicked Sister, Karen Dionne

Image
How grateful we were today to have Karen Dionne join Shelf Indulgence Book cLub's discussion of The Wicked Sister!! Two generations of sisters. An unthinkable crime. A secret that could ruin a family.  For a decade and a half, Rachel Cunningham has chosen to lock herself away in a psychiatric facility, tortured by gaps in her memory and the certainty that she is responsible for her parents’ deaths. But when she learns new details about their murders, Rachel returns to the place where she once felt safest in a quest for answers: her family’s sprawling log cabin in the remote forests of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. As Rachel begins to uncover what really happened on the day her parents were murdered, she learns that home can be a place of unspeakable evil, and that the bond she shares with her sister might be the most poisonous of all. Discussion Questions: How did the narration style of  The Wicked Sister  shape your reading experience?  Did you enjoy hearing from both...
Read more

Book #1: The Wish, Nicholas Sparks

Image
Synopsis:  From the author of  The Longest Ride  and  The Return  comes a novel about the enduring legacy of first love—and the decisions that haunt us forever.   1996 is the year that changes everything for Maggie Dawes. Sent away at 16 to live with an aunt she barely knows in Ocracoke, a remote village on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, she can think only of the friends and family she left behind . . . until her aunt introduces her to Bryce Trickett, one of the few teenagers on the island. Handsome, genuine, and newly admitted to West Point Academy, Bryce gradually shows her how much there is to love about the wind-swept beach town—and introduces her to photography, a passion that will define the rest of her life . . . as will Bryce.   By 2019, Maggie is a renowned travel photographer. She splits her time between running a successful gallery in New York and photographing remote locations around the world. But this year, she finds herself unexpectedly g...
Read more

J.T. Ellison joins SIBC To Discuss It's One Of

Image
We were so lucky today to have J.T. Ellison  here with our book club to join us for our discussion of It's One Of Us. She was such a delight to talk with. You all won't want to miss this one when it's out  February 21.  We wanted to share the discussion with those that couldn't make it but may have loved the book as much as we did:  Watch the Video Note there are spoilers ahead if you've not finished the book. Enjoy!!
Read more