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Book Club Talk for An Incredible Charity — Check This Out

So I’ve written before about how much I love discussing The Traitor’s Wife with book clubs. It’s an entirely different experience than, say, a more formal reading/lecture or an in-store book signing. Don’t get me wrong — I love doing those things as well!

Book clubs are just unique in that they are so casual. Book clubs allow for a dynamic discussion and exchange of thoughts and perspectives with people who have all already read the book (or so they tell me). Readers come with their own personal reactions to characters, plot, language, etc. Every person’s take is unique and, inevitably, I walk away from these casual and free-form conversations feeling like I learned something new about my book. As an author, it’s an incredibly neat experience.

This week I did an especially meaningful book group talk, and I wanted to take a minute to share a bit about it. This week I met with a couple dozen women who had bid on a spot in a book club talk as part of a charity fundraiser. So, in exchange for donating money to a fantastic nonprofit, these readers got a copy of my book and an evening gathering together to discuss it. WOW. The topic of the evening may have been The Traitor’s Wife, but what I walked away with was a deep appreciation for the nonprofit work that these women were supporting and enabling.

haven

The organization is called Lake County Haven, and the group’s mission is to empower victims of domestic abuse to achieve permanent, safe, independent living. Lake County Haven allows women and children to escape dangerous situations and find safety, dignity, and eventually, a brighter future. One woman’s testimonial reads: “Lake County Haven quite literally saved my life.”

I wanted to shine a light on the work they are doing at the Lake County Haven and say a big thanks to the women who allowed me to share an evening with them discussing literature. Books are fun and thought-provoking and can be deeply moving, yes. But the work you are doing is real and vital and oh so inspiring. You have me feeling very motivated to take part. And so, thank you.

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Allison Pataki
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