Our 10th Books N Cooks meeting happened in a Zoom call. It was for the book entitled The Water Dancer, by Ta-Nehisi Coates. This was a book that was in the Oprah Winfrey book club. It is set during the era of slavery, and follows a young black man who discovers that his memories trigger a mysterious power of teleportation that can help escaped slaves flee. He calls them conductions and they are powered by memories. It was a good book, but a deep book. Since we were discussing the book over a Zoom call we did not have a food theme, but as always there was a glass of wine.
Our 11th Books N Cooks meeting had a French theme. We read Natasha Lester’s book The Paris Secret. It is a historical novel about a secret collection of Dior gowns that ties back to the first female pilots of WWII and a heartbreaking story of love and sacrifice. The Penrose sisters could not be more different.
(the summary below is taken from the Good Reads source)
Skye is a daring and brash pilot, and Liberty the one to defy her at every turn. Even if women aren’t allowed in the Royal Air Force, Skye is determined to help the war effort. She’s thrilled when it reunites her with her childhood soulmate, Nicholas. She’s less thrilled to learn Nicholas is now engaged to an enigmatic Frenchwoman named Margaux Jourdan.
Paris, 1947: Designer Christian Dior unveils his glamorous first collection to a world weary of war and grief. He names his debut fragrance Miss Dior in tribute to his beloved sister Catherine, who forged a friendship with Skye and Margaux through her work with the French Resistance.
Present Day: Fashion conservator Kat Jourdan discovers a priceless collection of Dior gowns in her grandmother’s vacant cottage. As she delves into the mystery of their origin, Kat begins to doubt everything she thought she knew about her beloved grandmother.
We’ve also read Natasha Lester’s The Paris Orphan and she is writing two more books as we speak. Check her out on her Facebook page.
