In a Book Club Far Away by Tif Marcelo
Book clubs and friendships go together like peas and carrots, chocolate and peanut butter, and toddlers and mud puddles. Secrets get shared, food and wine are enjoyed, and maybe a book is discussed, but let’s be honest, that last part is secondary. The focus is on friends getting together on a regular basis, because it’s those friendships that get us through the challenges in life; challenges like having a gallbladder removed while a spouse is serving overseas in the military, which is exactly what happens in Tif Marcelo’s touching new novel, In a Book Club Far Away (Gallery Books).
Adelaide Wilson-Chang needs to have surgery and thereby someone to watch her almost-two-year-old daughter, so she sends out an SOS to her two dearest friends, Regina Castro and Sophie Walden. The three bonded a decade earlier in a book club group for military wives, but nothing is ever so simple. Ten years earlier, Regina and Sophie had a falling out; when the women show up to help, neither is aware the other has been invited. Their love for Adelaide keeps them from leaving and ultimately forces them to confront what caused the rift in the first place.
CAN YOU MEND A LONG-BROKEN FRIENDSHIP?
Marcelo tells the story using two different timelines so readers can experience how the characters’ friendship grew, how the rift happened, and ultimately how they handle the complications in the present. The military community setting adds a much-appreciated layer that explores the sacrifices military service requires of individuals and their families (thank you military service people and families!) and gives a peek at what life in that tight-knit group is like. Sprinkled in between the friendship drama is a sweet new love for one of the women, and it will have you craving cake.
With fully-developed characters, In a Book Club Far Away is a celebration and testament to the power of female friendship. These women choose who to love, who to support, and ask no questions when summoned by an SOS. After reading this beautiful novel you’ll want to be in a book club right alongside Adelaide, Regina, and Sophie.
MORE BOOKS BY TIF MARCELO
Family, Friendships, Feuds and Forgiveness in “Once Upon a Sunset”
“The Key to Happily Ever After:” Three Sisters, One Wedding Planning Business, All the Drama
