The readers in our team met once again in an informal and virtual setting over Zoom to discuss our latest book club pick – “A Long Petal of the Sea” by Isabel Allende.

This epic novel of historical fiction spanning decades and crossing continents follows doctor Victor Dalmau and pianist Roser Bruguera as they flee the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War in search of a place to call home. The book offered the premise to an engaging conversation on freedom, repression, war, exile, humanity and love.

As always, N.A.R.A. (Nobel Anonymous Readers Association) book club members from around the world had a great time together, sharing opinions about the twists and turns in this novel, as well as debating the characters and their actions within the book.

We were inspired by the main characters’ journey to delve into topics related to immigration, belonging and dislocation, but we also touched upon the subjects of hope and destiny. We were unanimously surprised by the love story at the heart of this book which we first believed to be focused more on political and social issues. Isabel Allende masterfully uses the backdrop of war and its atrocities to shed a light on human resilience through the power of solidarity, love and kindness.

For our next book club meeting, we are reading a young adult contemporary fiction novel by bestselling author Adam Silvera, “They Both Die at the End”.

N.A.R.A. (Nobel Anonymous Readers Association) is our company book club and the perfect setting for informal and engaging monthly discussions about our shared passion for reading and books. We are an international company, so our meetings take place in an online environment. We always enjoy our time together as we get to connect and exchange opinions with colleagues from different countries.