This is the Great Escape Book Club's third year. You don't need to have read the book to participate in the discussion. We are happy to have you join us to learn whether the book's worth reading!
We meet before dinner on Saturday night. Our wonderful kitchen crew provides yummy appetizers, and cold and hot drinks are always on the hospitality table at GE. We schedule the meeting for Christa's Lodge in case of blustery weather, but we hope to meet outside on the large lawn by the dining hall. BYO chair (a folding chair is a must for the weekend!)
In the dead of winter, Book Club leader Julie and I put our heads together to choose the book for the year. Julie is a long-time member of two book clubs and she does a terrific job of facilitating our discussions. I just read a lot! Our criteria for choosing the book are pretty basic - is it good? is it relevant to participants personally or in a GS context? It's a bonus if the book is useful in both areas of our lives, and I'm happy to tell you that this year, it is, or rather that they are!
This year's selection, Quiet, by Susan Cain, is one that we have had 'on the list' since the beginning of the book club. Julie and I think Quiet is a fascinating explanation of aspects of group dynamics that have perplexed us for years! The author's TED talk is one of the most watched ever. The issuance this spring of Quiet Power, a version of the book for young people, put it over the top as a GE selection.
I recommended Quiet Power to one of my Girl Scouts who was about to embark on her second destination. The next day she emailed me to say she was half-way through and she was going to use some of the recommendations in the book on her trip! I bought a copy for two teenagers I know who recently lost their mother, in the hope that they might find the numerous coping strategies outlined in the book helpful in negotiating their new world. I bought myself a copy as a aid in my work with older girl troops.
