Book Club
Name: Spokane Club Book Club.
City: Spokane.
Group history: Been together for four years. Meets second Wednesday of each month, except December and during the summer, at the Spokane Club. The club votes democratically among fiction, non-fiction or classic books.
Book reviewed: “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Contact person: Betty Ledlin.
The review: “‘The Scarlet Letter is an American story,” Ledlin says. “It’s a story of intolerance and persecution and how we treat the people who have different beliefs.” The group’s discussion primarily involved “the types of personalities” of each character. “As a group these people are a personification of human behavior,” Ledlin says. For example, the novel’s protagonist, Hesther Prynne, committed adultery, “but her adversity created strength. She didn’t succumb to the punishment. She lived it out and became a member of the community looked to with high regard.”
Reports Ledlin: “We thoroughly enjoyed the book. Some people found it difficult because of the use of the language. It was different from what we’re accustomed to today. But most people plowed through and ended up very satisfied.”