FEBRUARY 2026 WOMEN'S FRIENDSHIPS

 

We enjoyed a very mixed selection of books this month – the topic being Female Friendships.

Theresa – WEEKENDS WITH THE SUNSHINE GARDEN SOCIETY. Sophie Green.

A lovely story with much humour and positivity. 4 women come together, each with their own ‘baggage’, and work to build a community garden. As their relationships develop, they find comfort, support and a community.

Pat – Elizabeth is Missing. Emma Healey. A woman, Maud, with increasing dementia is searching for her friend – Elizabeth.  Maud continues to ask where she is, they shared a special friendship with gardening as the connector. Maud is sure Elizabeth would never just disappear. The story provides insights into those with dementia and those who witness its progress. Very enjoyable.

Joan – Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. Lisa See. Meticulously researched novel detailing the intense lifelong friendship between 2 women in 19^th century China. The women found comfort and support together as they experienced the brutality of foot binding and used a ‘secret language’ that men could not understand which gave them a sense of power in a male dominated society.  Highly recommended.

Val – Cold Enough for Snow. Jessica Oh. Novella of the friendship between a mother and daughter, living in different countries, sharing their life’s experiences. Sometimes the prose was dull.

Rosemary W – The Winter Dress. Lauren Chater. Historical fiction. The author (a textile researcher) creates a story about a beautiful silk gown, 17th-century, that has been rediscovered and recreates the possible ‘life’ of the gown. Well written but a little wordy.

Jo – Gang of Four – Liz Byrski. 4 women, friends all in their 50’s, see their lives in crisis and want it to change. Different lives and different futures.

Kerry – The Sealed Letter. Emma Donoghue. 2 women from different social classes, become unlikely friends. Emily (a faithful friend) moves into the home a couple shared and befriends both Helen and Harry. But Helen wants a divorce. In England in 1864 divorce was not common and due to the high social profile of the couple the divorce became highly publicised. The book highlights London society, the Legal system, social mores, friendships gone wrong and how Helen cruelly gaslighted and manipulated Emily to obtain a divorce on her terms.

Debra – One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot. Marianne Cronin. 2 women are in a terminal care ward in a Glasgow hospital. Lenni is 17, Margot 83. Both learn of each other’s lives through a painting class offered to patients. Friendship blooms, life’s stories swapped, the young Lenni’s view of life changes. They plan to create 100 paintings showing the lives they have lived. Debra loved the book.

Cindy – The Book Club for Troublesome Women. Marie Bostwick. Historical fiction. 4 disgruntled women form a book club. A new member encourages them to read the Feminine Mystique – Betty Friedan. They begin to challenge social rules and expectations, friendships develop, they firm their views and take charge of their lives.

Dimity - Maggsie McNaughton’s Second Chance. Frances Maynard. A year in the life of a female prisoner living in supported housing. The woman comes from a very disadvantaged background. She finds friendships developing, gains positive life skills and develops an interest in life. Smart and funny.

Margaret – Lady Tans Circle of Women. Lisa See. Chinese culture and history are highlighted when, in 15^th China, a young woman raised by her grandparents becomes a doctor. She not only is formally educated, but she also witnesses and learns how to be heard and accepted as an intelligent, active woman. Interesting characters and friendships across different classes. Very good.

Judy A. – Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café. Fannie Flagg. Two different friendships are told in this book. Evelyn, in the 1980s, whilst visiting her cranky mother-in-law meets 80-year-old Ninny Threadgoode – a strong, talkative, outgoing woman with plenty of life’s experiences to share. She grew up at the Whistle Stop Café Alabama. The 2nd friendship, set in the 1930’s, is about Ruth Jamison and Idgie Threadgoode who run the Whistle Stop Café. Ruth faced much adversity during her early time at the café but the growing friendship with Idgie helped her overcome. Judy has very fond memories of reading this book with her family over the years.

Tam – Secrets between Friends. Fiona Palmer. Friends on a cruise, everyone has secrets, friends nurture and encourage each other. Tam enjoyed the book.

Judy J. – The Silver Ladies of Penny Lane. Dee MacDonald. Friends Tess and Orla run a dress shop called Curvaceous. Both single and with an upcoming wedding they both decide to lose weight. Tess wants s suitable partner to take to the wedding to show off to her ex. Many exploits happen, the book is funny in parts, light-hearted and an easy read.

Rosemary S – We All Want Impossible Things. Katharine Newman. Best friends, one is dying, the other goes to stay with her. Whilst a bleak topic there’s funny moments, mostly the women just talk and reflect. It deals with dying and just being there for your friends. Quite moving.

Lyn – The Chocolate Factory. Mary Lou Stephens. Historical fiction. The Cadbury Factory based in Tasmania in 1921 saw many workers migrate from Bourneville England. They brought their skills and knowledge of chocolate making to Australia. The story looks at the lives of many of the workers – there’s jealousy, ambition, recipe stealing and secrets. Lyn found it enthralling.

 

Judy D – Best of Friends. Kamila Shamsie. Set in Karachi Pakistan, an unusual friendship develops between 2 young girls. One is academically brilliant whilst the other will inherit a fortune. Different lives, different personalities. Years later they both live in London and are still best friends, formed through their dreadful, secret past.  A good read.

Kris – A Month of Sundays. Liz Byrski. 4 women start a book club, online by zoom. Years later they decide to spend a weekend together and must choose a favourite book to discuss. Lives change. An easy read.

Ed – Firefly Lane. Kristin Hannah. About Kate a schoolteacher and her friend Tully. They are inseparable but have very different views on what they want from life.

Pamela – Mistress Branigan. Jules Verne. Set in 1891, the world was not yet fully explored or understood. A wealthy woman travels the world looking for her ‘missing’ husband. Australia is a destination full of mystery and danger, and she thinks her missing husband is there. Mistress Branigan travels take her to Australia where she discovers many wonders. The details are fanciful and fulsome.

Sheila – The God of No Good. Sita Walker. The Ba’hai faith is about being a good person. This book is an intergenerational, cross-continent story about 6 women as they try to live their lives according to their faith. Over time the main character questions her faith as values, beliefs and experiences change her.

Our reading for the month of March is a book that has been translated into English.

Happy reading all.  Lesley.

January Santa Sack: CHOOSE A BOOK ENJOYED OVER THE FESTIVE SEASON

 Judy de la T:

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E Butler

Published in 1993, this dystopian novel describes California in the 2020s.

Judy described it as disturbing and revolting.

She also read Australia’s Most Infamous Criminals by Graham Seal. Interesting and gripping stories about heists, clever scams and mysterious murders.

 

Kellie: 

Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson

A retired Major and Pakistani shopkeeper form an unlikely friendship in a small English village, but face challenges from society and tradition.

Quirky, easy read with hilarious one liners.

 

Sheila:

Pilbara by Judy Nunn

While she had enjoyed previous books by Judy Nunn, she found this one was too long and became boring. But she acknowledged that the author’s books were always well researched.

 

Helen:

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver  (published in 2022)

A powerful coming of age story about a boy’s struggle for survival and identity in a system designed to fail him, set against the backdrop of a devastating opioid crisis in Appalachia. It draws inspiration from Dicken’s classic tale of poverty and resilience. The novel is a powerful exploration of survival, addiction and redemption. A great epic tale.

 

Pat:

Tidelands  (The Fairmile #1) by Philippa Gregory

Set in 1648 England during a civil war, a poor woman living in the marshy Tidelands helps a mysterious fugitive leading to suspicions of witchcraft among her neighbours. The plot of this historical novel intertwines love, history, religion and much more.

 

Val:

My Friend Maigret by George Simenon (published in 1942)

A gentle detective story featuring Simenon’s famous policeman, Maigret. The pace is slow and the plot unoriginal. A fisherman with a connection to Maigret is found dead on a small private island. The descriptions of life on the island are just lovely. Maigret watches all the time and gradually pieces things together. 

 

Joan:

Now We Shall be Entirely Free by Andrew Miller  ( published in 2018)

Set in 1809 in Somerset, Captain John Lacroix returns home from the British Army’s disastrous campaign against Napoleon’s forces in Spain.

He is damaged but on his recovery is hunted for a war crime he had tried to forget.

Great prose, beautiful writing, suspense and a twist at the end.

 

Jo and Bev:

Last One Out by Jane Harper

Jo had read others by this author but was disappointed with this story.

 

Bev: This was different from her other books as it didn’t begin with a murder which was eventually solved.

A family is grieving for their son now missing for five years. This has torn the family apart. Meanwhile the small country town is in decline as a large mine is buying up houses and land, people are moving on. But the mother is determined to find out what happened to her son.

 

Rosemary W:

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

The story told in this novella is based on the real-life history of the Magdalene Laundries in Ireland in 1985. These were workhouses where Irish girls and women were forced into unpaid labour.

Beautifully written, it exposes the culture of secrecy and the power of the church.

 

Debra:

Fantasy is a great way to escape from the world.

The Book of Wisdom Trilogy (Tomorrowland) by Rosalia Aguilar Solace

This is a fantasy novel featuring a magical library and the “Book of Wisdom”. 

The Shadow Weaver by Ivy Cliffwater

This is an epic romantic fantasy about Caris Ironside, a woman with shadow powers.

Other books read, The Bookshop Below by Georgia Summers and The Kookaburra Creek Café by Sandie Docker.

 

Prue:

Implacable by Jack Campbell (published in 2023)

Prue reread this book to answer a query for herself. It is the last in the Lost Fleet: Outlander series – the latest in the sci-fi military collection of series featuring Blackjack Geary.

They are exciting, enjoyable, interesting and easy to read, with good plots, great characters, problems to solve, aliens to meet and battles to win.

The entire ‘saga’ is highly recommended to sci-fi readers.

 

Dimity:

Slow Horses by Mick Herron

This espionage novel is the first in the Slough House series and features a team of disgraced MI5 agents seeking redemption. They are asked to investigate a high-stakes case involving a kidnapped man and a live Internet broadcast. Twists and turns at the end, and an enjoyable read.

 

Margaret:

Speak to Me of Home by Jeanine Cummins

A novel about three generations of a family told through the eyes of the women, Rafaela, Ruth and Daisy. The story moves between Puerto Rico and the USA and explores themes of identity, family bonds and racism against a backdrop of the political landscape and social upheaval in both countries over decades. Storytelling at its finest and really enjoyed by Margaret.

 

Judy A:

The Proving Ground (Lincoln Lawyer #8) by Michael Connelly

Micky Haller leaves the criminal defence court behind for his first civil lawsuit. But to him, this is still a murder trial. An AI company has created a chat bot with the ability to be an online companion to subscribers.

Mickey is representing the mother of a daughter who was killed by her ex-boyfriend. He is trying to prove that the boyfriend was urged by his AI ‘girlfriend’ chat bot named Wren to commit murder.

Michael Connelly is the absolute master of police procedurals and court room dramas, and this book is very relevant to our world now.

 

Rosemary S:

The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman

This is the fourth book in the Thursday Murder Club series. The storyline is totally unbelievable, the characters are very familiar and give you a good laugh. A great summer read! 

 

Judy J:

Mischance Creek by Garry Disher

Constable Paul Hirschhausen runs a one-cop station in a small, dusty South Australian town. He used to be in the city until he became a whistleblower.

This is the fourth book featuring ‘Hirsch’ who not only solves crimes in the area, but he also feels responsible for the welfare of his scattered flock of battlers, bluebloods, loners and miscreants.

The story is very current featuring online bullying, claims of a sovereign state, corruption in the Council and treatment of the local aborigines. All this set in a drought that SA is currently experiencing. A reliable author.

 

Lyn:

The Royal Librarian by Daisy Wood (published in 2024)

Historical fiction set in World War 11.

For their safety, Sophie and her sister are sent from their home in Vienna to live in London. Sophie secures a position as an assistant to the Royal Librarian at Windsor Castle. She was secretly tasked with sending relevant information back to Vienna, to foil a suspected plot against the Royal family. Many twists and turns, a real page turner and very enjoyable.

 

Kerrie: 

The Mushroom Tapes by Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper and Sarah Krasnostein

Unfortunately Kerrie couldn’t come to Book Club because of another commitment but texted in her contribution.

As much about this particularly sensational murder investigation and trial of Erin Patterson, as of our fascination and identification with the human emotions of the people involved, it is a fascinating study of how authors work together to create immersive literature. Neither sensational or melodramatic, it is a way to examine what we know and can never know about the human beings around us.

 

 

FEBRUARY: Women’s friendship