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A review by beate251
The Second Chance Book Club by Stephanie Butland
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for this ARC.
The Book of Kindness or The Second Chance Book Club is the story of September who is adopted but one day gets a solicitor letter notifying her that her great aunt Lucia has left her a big house and money in her will. September leaves her boyfriend Shaun who had stolen from her and moves into the house. She used to be poor and work in a supermarket so suddenly not having money worries anymore is difficult to get used to, as is that she had a great aunt who she never knew about.
She also learns that Lucia had established a book club every three weeks, and it is still going, hosted by cleaner Erin. It's a very diverse group of people, all with some traumas in the past, including William, Lucia's first love. September decides to keep the book club going and get back into reading herself.
In flashbacks we learn Lucia's story who was in love with a black man, Billy, but her parents and awful sister Mariah didn't approve. Lucia loved Mariah's daughter April, and when April got pregnant by a married man, she supported her when September got born. So what happened that lead to September being left in a hospital waiting room and no family to claim her?
What irritated me was that September never finds out Lucia's story that we get to know in the second timeline. All Lucia has written down in her notebooks are acts of kindness, both by her and given to her. When September tries to replicate this, it comes across as self-congratulatory nonsense, like "I tipped the waiter £10".
But through the book club September finds a community and a purpose to her life. She realises that while money is nice, the human connections are what make her life rich. There are so many classic books mentioned that either Lucia has bought for September or that the book club discusses, that the author put them together in a list at the end. I'm not into the classics myself, but it's a good list for people who want to delve into certain topics of racism homophobia, classism etc.
I loved most characters (except hateful Mariah and neighbour Cassie) including dog Figgy, and I found the story interesting, though Lucia's family secrets part was more compelling to me. It's a heartwarming and uplifting story of found family, self-discovery and second chances. Recommended.
The Book of Kindness or The Second Chance Book Club is the story of September who is adopted but one day gets a solicitor letter notifying her that her great aunt Lucia has left her a big house and money in her will. September leaves her boyfriend Shaun who had stolen from her and moves into the house. She used to be poor and work in a supermarket so suddenly not having money worries anymore is difficult to get used to, as is that she had a great aunt who she never knew about.
She also learns that Lucia had established a book club every three weeks, and it is still going, hosted by cleaner Erin. It's a very diverse group of people, all with some traumas in the past, including William, Lucia's first love. September decides to keep the book club going and get back into reading herself.
In flashbacks we learn Lucia's story who was in love with a black man, Billy, but her parents and awful sister Mariah didn't approve. Lucia loved Mariah's daughter April, and when April got pregnant by a married man, she supported her when September got born. So what happened that lead to September being left in a hospital waiting room and no family to claim her?
What irritated me was that September never finds out Lucia's story that we get to know in the second timeline. All Lucia has written down in her notebooks are acts of kindness, both by her and given to her. When September tries to replicate this, it comes across as self-congratulatory nonsense, like "I tipped the waiter £10".
But through the book club September finds a community and a purpose to her life. She realises that while money is nice, the human connections are what make her life rich. There are so many classic books mentioned that either Lucia has bought for September or that the book club discusses, that the author put them together in a list at the end. I'm not into the classics myself, but it's a good list for people who want to delve into certain topics of racism homophobia, classism etc.
I loved most characters (except hateful Mariah and neighbour Cassie) including dog Figgy, and I found the story interesting, though Lucia's family secrets part was more compelling to me. It's a heartwarming and uplifting story of found family, self-discovery and second chances. Recommended.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Racism, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism