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St. Jude's Book Club
A club for readers who like to discuss books
Our Current Read
Meeting on October 7, 2025 @ 12pm
Family Family by Laurie Frankel
“Not all stories of adoption are stories of pain and regret. Not even most of them. Why don’t we ever get that movie?”
India Allwood grew up wanting to be an actor. Armed with a stack of index cards (for research/line memorization/make-shift confetti), she goes from awkward sixteen-year-old to Broadway ingenue to TV superhero.
Her new movie is a prestige picture about adoption, but its spin is the same old tired story of tragedy. India is an adoptive mom in real life though. She wants everyone to know there’s more to her family than pain and regret. So she does something you should never do—she tells a journalist the truth: it’s a bad movie.
Soon she’s at the center of a media storm, battling accusations from the press and the paparazzi, from protesters on the right and advocates on the left. Her twin ten-year-olds know they need help–and who better to call than family? But that’s where it gets really messy because India’s not just an adoptive mother…
The one thing she knows for sure is what makes a family isn’t blood. And it isn’t love. No matter how they’re formed, the truth about family is this: it's complicated.
St. Jude's Book Club
What we have read and are planning to read next...
| Date | Title | Author | Rating | Comments |
| Dec 2025 | The Messy Lives of Book People | Phaedra Patrick | ||
| Nov 2025 | Coronation Year | Jennifer Robson | ||
| Oct 2025 | Family Family | Laurie Frankel | ||
| Sep 2025 | The Book of Lost Names | Kristin Harmel | 4.5/5 | We considered what bravery means, the importance of a name, and the ways people resist injustice in both big and small ways. While many of us felt that there were a few too many coincidences to make Eva's story 100% believable, it made each of us consider how our own small acts of resistance can combat the injustices we see today. |
| Aug 2025 | In The Upper Country | Kai Thomas | 5/5 | In the Upper Country gave us a lot to think about - not just through its characters and plot, but through the history and themes it brought to life. We explored ideas of freedom, belonging, and justice, and we considered how the stories within the novel connect to our own understanding of the past. While many of us will likely have to read it a second or third time to be able to follow all of the stories, we all learned so much about both the untold history of Canada and ourselves. |
| Jul 2025 | The Clementine Complex | Bob Mortimer | 2.5/5 | Members were very split in their feelings about this book. Some thought it was hilarious, with many laugh-out-loud moments. Others found it impossible to connect with the characters and didn't enjoy the frequent swearing in the dialog. We were all able to appreciate the detailed descriptions and silly moments with the squirrels. |
| Jun 2025 | The Jane Austen Society | Natalie Jenner | 5/5 | We were incredibly priviledged to be joined by author Natalie Jenner for this meeting. She shared the story of how this book came to be, and inspired us all. The group definitely wants to read the next book in the series. |
| May 2025 | The Reading List | Sara Nisha Adams | 5/5 | We were all really touched by this book. It brought up some incredible discussions about loneliness, grief, mental health struggles, and the importance of community. |
| Apr 2025 | The Rose Code | Kate Quinn | 5/5 | This book was loved by everyone, even those who were reading it for the second and third time! |
| Mar 2025 | Anxious People | Fredrik Backman | 3.5/5 | This was a re-read for some of the group, which gave us the opportunity to discuss what a second reading of a book can bring. The way that the narrator omitted descriptions of many of the characters until later in the book added to the mystery and caused some confusion. |
| Feb 2025 | The Lost Apothecary | Sarah Penner | 4.5/5 | Another big hit with our group! This book spawned a lot of discussion about difficult marriages, women's roles in society, and when/if murder is ever acceptable. |
| Jan 2025 | Remarkably Bright Creatures | Shelby Van Pelt | 4.5/5 | This was a great choice for our first book. Many people in the group said that this isn't something they would normally pick up, and they were pleasantly surprised at how much they enjoyed the book. |
Our ratings:
5 - Loved it! A new favourite!
4 - Really liked the book. Would recommend to others.
3 - It was a good book but not my favorite.
2 - It was just okay.
1 - I really didn't enjoy this book at all.
