September 2013 Virtual Book Club Pick: "And the Mountains Echoed" by Khaled Hosseini

"I suspect the truth is that we are waiting, all of us, against insurmountable odds, for something extraordinary to happen to us."  -Khaled Hosseini

Summary:  "And the Mountains Echoed" begins with Abdullah and Pari, young siblings from a small Afghanistan village, travelling through the desert with their father on their way to visit their uncle in the city.  What happens when they arrive sets forth a spiral of events that will separate them from each other and set them on paths to very different lives.

Included in the book are vignettes that are very different from, yet somehow tie, back to Pari or Abdullah:  A plastic surgeon from Greece, two ex-pats from California, an Afghani warlord and more.  Each story is unique but themes are the same:  family.

"And the Mountains Echoed" tells a complex story of loss, love, healing and family in a way that resonated in my bones for days after.  If you've read the book (or plan to read it), I've got some questions I'd love to discuss.  If you're interested in answering (or have a question of your own) respond in the comments.

Virtual Book Club: September 2013

Have you ever thought about hosting a book club but didn't have the time or energy to host a meeting?  Have you ever wanted to join a book club but been hesitant to commit to a regular meeting?

We've got a solution for you!  A Great Book's Virtual Book Club!

On the first of each month we'll post this month's book club selection and some information on the book.  In the comments section, we'll post a few questions to start a discussion.  If you have something to say, simply click the reply link to respond.  If the book interests you, great!  Pick up a copy and answer the questions at your own speed.  We'll keep the post up indefinitely so you can see what others are saying.

Each month's book club post will be linked to the Virtual Book Club page at the top of the screen.  This will make it easy to find each book's questions and to see which books are up next.  If you're new to A Great Read, this will be a great resource to see what other's thought of a book!

The only rules for the club:  Be respectful.  It's fine to disagree, just be respectful when doing it.

That's it!  Stay tuned for the September book club pick and questions to be posted on September 1!