Dinner & a Movie

This was our first book club meeting since the sudden passing of member Judith McGillivray in early January of this year. We miss her wise and kind presence and will proceed with her planned 2026 book (James, by Percival Everett) at a later date.

On Wednesday, January 28th our Book Club 2nd Edition met at Longwood Brew pub to enjoy dinner and to discuss our January book selection, Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell. After dinner we attended a showing of the movie adaptation of the book at the Galaxy Theatre. Because we had just read and discussed the book in depth, it was fascinating to see how director Chloe Zhao and Maggie O’Farrell adapted the book for the film. The casting was perfect and the actors made the book come alive for us. 

Hamnet explores Shakespeare’s life with his wife Agnes and three children in
Stratford. It explores Agnes’s isolation and sacrifices as she raises their
three children alone as Shakespeare pursues his career in London. When the
couple’s only son Hamnet dies, their marriage begins to crack, as both parents are consumed by grief. The book provides a brilliant portrait of a marriage
ravaged by grief and loss and it is speculated that this devastation
provided the foundation and inspiration for the play Hamlet.

submitted by Anne Larson